Cheated? (Lloyd Orodelo!!)

[JackieCat]

Tags to @Lloyd Orodelo!!!! XD

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Karishk pushed the man roughly forward. "I see that," she said harshly. "Don't try to twist your hands out of that rope or soon you won't have any hands."

She wouldn't really chop off the man's hands, but he believed it, he immediately stilled his hands.  The man was a vassal of a man named Thomas Heinfield.  The vassal had stolen money and other things from the town granary and then run off with it.  One of Heinfield's men had hired Karishk to capture the vassal and return him to the place where Heinfield lived.

The mission had been fairly easy, the vassal hadn't gotten far, he was not, by any means, an experienced criminal.  He was just a greedy man who wanted more money and thought he could easily get some.  It had taken Karihk only three days to get the man and bring him back, and now she had entered the gate to Heinfield's mansion and was walking up to the door.  She knocked, and a moment later the door was opened by the butler.

He nodded to Karishk when she identified herself and then called to another man, Robert.  Robert came and took the vassal away, for trial, to jail, Karishk didn't really care, she just wanted her pay, and she told the butler that.

"Come with me," he said, and led her into the house.  Karishk followed him down corridors, through doors, up stairs, and around corners until they came to a polished wooden door.  "Wait here," the butler said, and he stepped inside the room.

Karishk assumed that that was where this Thomas Heinfield was, but she wished this process woudl go a little quicker.  She just wanted her money so she could get out of here.  it wasn't as though she was uncomfortable in the mansion, it was just that she was bored, and she didn't really like rich people.  Many were born into riches, and didn't have to any work for it.  She had done her job, couldn't they just give her a pile of coins and she would go on her way?  Unless they had lied to her and weren't really going to pay her at all. 

Karishk's hand immediately shot to her sword hilt.  That sort of thing had happened before.  She was hired, did the job, and then was cheated, often those who hired her tried to kill her afterwards to stop her from causing any trouble.  Obviously, no one had managed to kill her yet, and she didn't want to fight her way out of this job.  Her pockets were empty and she really needed all of the money she could get.

She looked up and stiffened as the expensive polished door opened.

[Lloyd Orodelo]

"Lord Heinfield will now receive you." Said the butler. He took Karishk into the room, holding the door for her and letting her in.

The room was like a gigantic atrium. Three floors high and all filled with bookshelves. Each floor were connected to each other by a spiral staircase forged by a brilliant blacksmith of the town. On the second floor there was a larger gap between the bookshelves, leading to a circular window of about 3 meters in diameter. That was where she was taken.
    As she climbed the stairs, she could get a better view of what was on this floor. In front on the window sat a large and refined writing desk made of ebony, many book were opened or piled up on it. Many were for accounting and some were stories, but they were all covered will multiple sheets of paper. All signs of a busy man were there.
    The chair had been displaced and its own was looking out the window, towards the sea and the clouds that were gathering. "A storm is brewing, Vincent..." He said as he turned around and greeted his visitor with a firm handshake. "Will you please excuse us for a moment, mademoiselle? I have something to talk with my butler."

He took the man meet the window. "I want you have the horses gathered and inside before the skies fall. And make sure everyone is inside, I don't want the townsfolk to get sick. If they need supplies, make the militia distributes rations. It's almost the end of fall and that granary theft was hard on them.  And the Bob, the Innkeeper to give everyone two beers, on my tab."
"Yes sir, I will make all the arrangements for tonight." And the Vincent went away.

Thomas turned to his latest employee and smiled. "Sorry to have made you wait. I just care to much for them." He brought a chair from the row to their right and invited Karishk to sit down. "I hope the runaway wasn't to big of a trouble? I thank you for bringing him back to me and I assure you that you will be paid, in time."

He sat as he talked, taking his usual position. Legs crossed, the left over the right, with the left elbow on the it's respective armrest and the hand slightly supporting his chin. His Snow White skin slightly reflected the poor sunlight coming from outside and his green eyes, green as malachite, were locked in hers. A subtle smile was on his lips.

[JackieCat]

Karilash followed the butler into the large room.  It must have cost thousands to construct, but it was beautiful.  She stepped aside when the man at the desk asked her to wait.  She could hear them conversing, and listed to what they said. 

She wondered if he really cared about his people or if it was just a show.  Then he dismissed the butler and sat down, offering a chair to Karishk. "I prefer to stand," she said, but her gaze hardened and she stiffened again when he said she would be paid 'in time', but that could mean months, she needed that money now.

"The runaway wasn't any trouble," Karshk said, her teeth gritted. "He was nothing, but I would like to know exactly when I will be paid."

[Lloyd Orodelo]

He smiled at her stiffness. "Come on... I already have the prime, here in my desk." He opened a drawer to his left. His hand came back over the desk level with a purse. Thomas threw it gently at the women in front of him. "As promised, a thousand coins for the the prime and another five hundred for your fees. I hope that it is enough, you can count them as you like, Vincent isn't joking around money though."
Thomas spoke casually and with the same subtle smile. He inverted his legs, making the right go over the left. He moisturized his lips slowly, enjoying the presence of his guest.

The wind turned, coming from the sea. The storm finally came to life. The sent of wet sand and salt water came from outside as Thomas stood and closed a special window pane that could be opened in the big window. "You canstay until the storm cease, I don't like the fact of my guests traveling in a such horrible weather. I will have a room prepared immediately, if you like?" Clapping his hands, Vincent showed up a few seconds later.

[JackieCat]

Karishk caught the bag of money but did not count it, she only opened it and peered breifly inside, to make sure they were actually real coins.  They were, at least as far as she could tell.

She looked from the coins to the man.  With his easy smiled and demeanor, Karishk wasn't sure if he really, really, annoyed her, or if she kind of liked him.  She immediately pushed down the feeling of liking him.  She was a mercenary, and in order to do her job she couldn't become friends with anyone, lest she would be compromised.

Then the wind picked up, and the storm started to grow.  When the man offered for her to stay, she immediately narrowed her eyes. Was this some sort of trick to steal the money back when she wasn't looking?  After all, six thousand was a lot.  A lightning bolt pierced the sky and the crash of thunder followed immediately after.  Rain started to pour, so dense that one could barely see out the window.

It would be extremely dangerous to travel in this weather, it would be foolish for her to go.  Especially when she had no place to go.  She pursed her lips and looked back at the man.

"I will stay," she said bluntly.

[Lloyd Orodelo]

 "Perfect!" He said in a loud voice, "Vincent, have the special room prepared for the lady at once. Oh and give her some spare cloths, we never know if she wants to sleeping that outfit or not."
He walked up to Karishk with a jolly demeanor, presenting her his arm and inviting her to fallow him. "Let's go somewhere more... Casual. I hate being confined to this room all day. Ugh!"

[JackieCat]

Karishk pointedly ignored the offered arm and crossed her own over her chest, though she would follow him to whatever other room he decided they should go to.

Karishk often didn't get the reason for having so man rooms for only a few people, why not just have the room you need?  Not all these fancy parlours and studies and guest rooms.  All the same Karishk knew she had to stay here, at least just until the storm let up.

[Lloyd Orodelo]

Thomas led the woman to the southern wing, to a small room with large windows. In the middle of the 20' by 20' room stood a coffee table surrounded by two sofas. "Please, have a seat." Invited Thomas, "Vincent will bring us refreshments in a few moments."

He sat, crossed his legs and quickly inspecting his fingernails before resuming. "I am grieved to know that my people will have a though winter, but at least we will tighten security around the reserve. If it wasn't for your help, the man could've escape and comeback with more of his friends. People of his kind are like ants, once a source of food is found, they gather the most of it and leave almost nothing." He sighed. "But that might also be a hint about something wrong in the county. I'll make sure that someone investigate the issue. Thank you again."

[JackieCat]

Karishk sat down rather stiffly, but she couldn't help but nod at his words.

"It's my job," she said flatly, but with no venom.  "And I do my jobs to the best of my abilities, nothing less."

Despite having done jobs like this before, she wasn't quite sure how to conduct herself in this situation.  Usually she took her pay and left, there were hardly ever any complications, let alone complications that required civilized social interaction, a skill Karishk did not excel in, due to lack of experience.