Over the hills and far away! [Thief and Rina!]

[Rhindeer]

Connlaoth was growing closer by the day, the Kilanthro mountains looming blue and majestic in the not so unreachable distance. A couple more days of travel and they would reach the mountain pass, and Beatrid could not wait to finally be home and out this...this utterly bizarre and uncomfortable pagan country.

But evening was approaching and the roads would be unsafe, especially nearing the border, so Beatrid had lead them instead to a village she remembered passing when she'd first come through here. While she wasn't worried about herself, the horses were tired and she now had a diplomat to guard. Best to always err on the side of caution.

The sun was half-set by the time they reached the village, located an inn, got the horses stabled, and acquired a room for herself and Adelaide, and though the day had been long and her muscles were sore from hours in the saddle, Beatrid was far from tired. She slung her things down in the room and stretched out her tired muscles, and splashed water on her face to revive herself. Her braid was falling out and her clothes were all dusty, but she was used to smelling like horse and sweat. Whatever. She was about as presentable as your average tavern-going traveler.

When she felt alive again and had her things all put away and organized in the room (like making sure her pistols were nice and hidden between her packed clothing), she turned to look at Adelaide, arms stretched over her head.

"I'm gonna head down to the common room, alright?" she said, figuring the girl may want to primp. "You should come, too. You'll wanna take a meal."

And with that said, she left Adelaide to her privacy and headed back downstairs to the common room, taking a seat at a table and ordering ale and stew. The place didn't look so bad. No obvious weirdos. Always a positive in her book.

[Anonymous]

Adelaide was feeling rather wilted and her entire body hurt. She hadn't spent this much time in the saddle in a long time and her butt and thighs were burning. Plus, she was pretty sure she was starting to smell like horse, which was just...awful! How was she supposed to get Beatrid to notice her when her dress kept sticking to her with sweat? And she was walking funny once she was finally out of that damned saddle.

She glanced over at Beatrid and let out a small sigh, watching her splash water onto her face. Even after riding all day, she looked so...heroic! Just a touch disheveled, like she had just been...Adelaide's face flamed at where those thoughts were going. Beatrid holding her in her arms, her hair coming lose, her sweaty body pressed against her own. She was just so wonderful! So strong and beautiful!

"Oh, what? Downstairs? Like that?" Adelaide cast a look to the door, alarmed at the idea. What if other people saw her like that? Started thinking those thoughts about her knight? And how could they not? With Beatrid looking so tempting! "But...maybe you should at least...fix your hair...?"

Her attempts were futile and the knight was out the door before Adelaide could stop her. Her desire to get pretty to try and get Beatrid's waged with her need to go run downstairs and make sure no one tried anything. "EMILY!"

Vanity won out and she speed changed, her maid helping fix up her hair and makeup where it had gotten mussed from the trip. She would have liked more time to really primp, but it was to dangerous to leave Beatrid alone down there!

As soon as the last hairpin was in place, she rushed out of the room, hurrying until she reached the room. No one had approached Beatrid yet, thank gods! Smiling, she quickly sat next to her, "Ah! Sorry to keep you waiting. What are you drinking?"

[Thief]

Jack left the home of the seamstress very pleased with the work. He could not thank her enough for making the alterations he needed, not to mention keeping quiet about it. Since his arrival, he had acquired the attire much more appropriate for his lifestyle. He now had a black hooded shirt that fit well, with several pockets, many of which were hidden from view. She had also added many pockets to his breeches as well. Combined with the belt he wore and the sash across his chest, he now had a wide variety of pockets and pouches for his various needs. Though, he still opted for his usual footwear, as boots were about the only thing they had around here.

Now that he had his clothing straightened out, he needed to see where his quarry had escaped to. Last he heard, she was headed north. This little town did not have just a standard tavern, so the best place to check for news would be the inn. Without anything better to do, he decided the best thing would be to go ahead and check in for a place to sleep.

After getting checked in, he decided to go ahead and get some sleep. On the way up the stairs, a woman ran past him in a bit of a hurry. She was a bit larger than most of the women he had encountered here. It would mean that she must be someone important, someone who did less physical work. As he turned to continue up the stairs, he noticed something at his feet. A coin purse... Jack thought, Of all things to land at my feet. How fortunate for someone that I don't really need any more coin at the moment. Guess I should see if it was that woman who dropped it. Jack picked up the coin purse and returned to the common room downstairs. Hopefully she had not left the inn.

[Rhindeer]

A bowl of hot stew had been brought out in the meantime, and Beatrid sipped her ale as she waited for it to cool and spent the time people-watching. She was comfortable in places like this, and even cheaper places, too, and while it was loud inside it still helped her relax. Probably because there was no crazy etiquette shit and you could sit back and put your feet up. Who was going to care when they were wasted and sloshing beer down their shirt?

Leaning back in her seat, she stretched her legs out and propped them up on the chair across from her. Also kept unwanted company away.

And then Adelaide was rushing into the room like a whirlwind and Beatrid jerked upright again and put her feet back on the floor, though as it turned out there was no need, as the girl chose to sit beside her. Blinking over at her--had she run here?--she had to admit she was kind of impressed at how quickly she'd thrown herself together. Not that she was a good judge of fashion or anything.

Realizing she was staring, Beatrid jerked her eyes away and looked down at her drink. "This? Oh, just some ale," she answered after she'd swallowed a mouthful of drink, and with a grin she offered Adelaide her tankard. "Want some?"

It was awful stuff (she sure didn't drink it for the flavor), and maybe it was kind of mean of her, but she always got a kick out of seeing someone unused to the stuff trying to choke it down. Perhaps she was wrong, but Adelaide never struck her as the sort of woman that went out tavern-hopping.

[Anonymous]

Beatrid was right in the fact Adelaide didn't really go to many taverns to drink.  She had been in a few over her life, but it wasn't often. And she rarely drank the cheap ale there. She never drank much ale period, opting for wine most meals.

But Beatrid had drunk out of it! Oh be still her heart! It would be like sharing a kiss with her knight! Feeling her already flushed face go a little darker, she nodded her head, doing her best to seem nonchalant about the whole thing.

Taking the mug, Adelaide took a sip, then choked, just managing to not spew ale all over the table. Swallowing, she made a horrified face, staring at Beatrid, wide eyes, "Sweet teeth! That is disgusting! It's like piss! And you drink that?!"

[Thief]

Jack entered the common room with the purse in hand, and began looking around. He saw the woman across the room sitting with someone else. They seemed to be enjoying themselves. The other woman however had Jack worried. She was different. She was probably a body guard, either a soldier or mercenary. The good news was, she might have news Jack could use. The bad news was, Jack did not get along well with guards. It was best to not get his hopes up. Jack decided it was better to ask then risk passing on a clue.

He approached the table and asked, "Excuse me Miss... Is this yours?" He held up the coin purse and explained, "I believe you may have dropped it upstairs."

[Rhindeer]

Beatrid blinked several times when she noticed the girl's blush, but figured it may just be from all her rushing about--or just a result of Serenian eccentricity, which was what Beatrid had chalked up all her odd behavior as. The momentary confusion quickly evaporated, though, when Adelaide took a sip of ale and she waited expectantly, expression stoic.

Her attempted straight face lasted all of two seconds before she burst into laughter.

"That good, huh?" she finally managed when she'd reined in her mirth enough to speak, taking back her ale before the girl could spill it. Stifling her chuckles, she took a long gulp, draining the tankard, and slammed it back down. "This stuff'll put hair on your chest, that's for sure, and you can bet no one drinks it for the taste. I sure's fuck don't. Er, I mean I sure don't. Sorry."

It had been an effort watching her language around her all this time...

She glanced down at her stew, which was no longer steaming, and then shrugged and pushed it Adelaide's way. "You should eat. I'm gonna go order myself some more, ya want anything? Any ale? You know you loved it," she said with a grin, and had half turned to rise when she saw the man standing there and heard his words.

...Well, shit. Didn't that look familiar?

But instead of taking it back, she turned to look at Adelaide, mouth set in a stern line and eyebrows raised. "Is it?" Ugh, looked like she was going to have to teach her a thing or two about safety.

[Anonymous]

Adelaide flushed a deep red when Beatrid teased her, but part of her way happy. She was loosening up around her and that thrilled her to no end. She laughed, "Hair on my chest?" Her hand came up, touching the smooth skin and cleavage that threatened to spill out if she breathed wrong. She was hoping she could get Beatrid's attention somehow, "I don't think I that would look very good on me. And really, it's okay if you swear. I'm not going to faint, I promise. I've heard it before." Another smile and she reached up, touching a finger to Beatrid's lips for a moment, "It will be our secret."

Eeee! She gave her her stew! That was a good sign right? She was so noble and generous! Always thinking of others first. It was hard to resist the urge to sigh and stare dreamily at Beatrid. She might have even given into the urge when a strange man in black approached the table, holding something in his hand.

"Oh, no that isn't mine. Mine is right...her...e..." Adelaide's hand went to her waist, where her purse should have been hanging. And flushed a dark red, wanting to cry at the disproving look Beatrid was giving her.

She reached out, taking the purse, trying to smile, though she wanted to die. Beatrid was going to think she was some useless burden and would hate her and it was just all over, "Thank you. I would have hated to have lost this."

[Thief]

She seemed rather embarrassed as she took the coin purse. There was nothing wrong with dropping something when in a hurry. People do that sort of thing all the time. "Nothing to worry about Miss," Jack said, wearing the best calm smile he could manage, "Just lucky it was me who found it, and not some thief." Ironic as it might sound, it was true.

The other woman at the table seemed annoyed that he had to return the purse. So the body guard idea appeared to be right. Whether she was a knight or mercenary, however, was still in question. Jack asked, "Excuse me for further disturbing the two of you, but have you heard anything about a woman with red eyes and red hair around here? I believe she is heading north, and may have passed through here."

[Rhindeer]

They were going to want to count Adelaide's coin once they were back in the room, just in case; if any was missing, well, Beatrid knew who she would be questioning first. But for now Beatrid only smiled at the man, even if it was too tight to be friendly; as much as she hated to admit it, Adelaide's lip-touching had thrown her off balance, and Ansgar's balls she hoped the heat in her face was not blushing! Fuck!

She was too old to be acting like some...some ninny! Not to mention it made her feel all kinds of awkward and perverted. Adelaide was Serenian. This kind of behavior...surely it was just cultural.

"Thanks for that," she said, composing herself, and made a mental note to educate Adelaide later, and if all else failed, maybe she'd just ask to keep hold of the money until they'd reached Connlaoth. But at the man's question, she raised her eyebrows incredulously, though the look soon turned flat. Red hair and red eyes? In Serendipity?

She rolled her eyes. "Shit, man. There's about a hundred folks who'd match that description," she said dryly, leaning her elbow on the table and propping her chin on her hand. "You're in Serendipity. You know that, right?"

[Anonymous]

Adelaide watched the man warily, unsure how she felt about this. Was he hitting on Beatrid? Not that he could blame him, Beatrid was a magnificent specimen of womanhood. Her eyes narrowed slightly, not even realizing she was pursing her lips in annoyance. He needed to keep his...dirty...boorish eyes to himself!

[Thief]

"I take it it's a common trait then?" Jack asked in confusion. He had never come across a world where such a thing might be common. He would need some other way of identifying her. Hopefully she would start up her mercenary work again, that was always a good way to find her. Jack's expression went blank as he asked, "You said here in Serendipity, but what about up north? I believe it's called, Connlaoth?"

[Rhindeer]

Beatrid shrugged and looked to Adelaide as though for confirmation. "I dunno, I ain't a native. Common enough? I've seen at least three or four people that fit."

Alright, so that wasn't 'about a hundred folks', but semantics, shmantics.

When the man then started in on Connlaoth, though, Beatrid heaved a sigh and fixed him with a glare, feeling her patience draining. What was this, some kind of guessing game? Was it not obvious that she was here, after a long day of smelling like horse, sweat, and dirt, and that she wanted to bloody relax and didn't really give a shit about random peoples' problems? And anyway, he was keeping her from her ale and stew, dammit!

She grabbed her tankard and rocked to her feet, not caring if that put her uncomfortably close to the guy. "Listen, man, do I look like I wanna play twenty fucking questions? Thanks for the purse and everything, but you gonna cut to the point any time soon? 'Cause, y'know, I'm here to eat, drink, and be merry and I'd kinda like to get on that."

[Thief]

As usual, his attempts at charm backfired. It almost never worked, but it was easier to be nice than anything else. Not one to dwell on it, he simply decided to cut his losses. "I'm terribly sorry for further disturbing the two of you," Jack said in apology, "Please, excuse me." He turned and began walking back towards the stairs. He was going straight to his room. He had not rested since he arrived in Serendipity, and, while he may not be able to sleep, a few hours of quiet to calm his thoughts would certainly do him good. At the very least, he felt it was what kept him sane.

[Anonymous]

"Beatrid!" Adelaide hissed at the knight, surprised at how rude she was being to the man. Granted, Adelaide wasn't very happy with him and his looking at her knight (she wasn't hers yet per say, but she would be, the it all counted), but that didn't mean Beatrid had to be so rude about it.

"I'm really very so-oh...oh, um, alright, well goodnight then. Thank you for the purse." He was already leaving before she could finish apologizing. Huffing slightly, Adelaide gave Beatrid a disapproving look, "That was rude." She might have decided Beatrid was her one true knight, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to call her on inappropriate behavior, "He was just being nice. It must be all that awful ale you are drinking."

[Thief]

Jack heard the woman as she tried to apologize, but he did not feel it was best to press his luck any further. It did have a habit of running out at the wrong moment.

Jack continued up the stairs and to his room. As he passed the window, he noticed that his eyes, normally a light blue, had a slight violet tint to them. It was further proof that his rest was well overdue. He would continue to Connlaoth in the morning. He fell back onto the bed and allowed his eyes to close. It was not sleep, but it was still rest.

[Rhindeer]

Beatrid only just managed to keep from rolling her eyes and drew in a calming breath. Yeah, it had been rude and she knew it, but c'mon. Had he been hoping for a different answer after the first time she'd said 'I don't know'? Maybe it was all the traveling and soreness and homesickness and being bloody tired of being in this godforsaken land where people openly and casually tinkered with things they should not be touching, but she was feeling very prickly. Well, a little more than usual.

Adelaide and her confusing, awkward behavior was certainly not a contributing factor!

"Well, he's gone now," she answered dismissively, reaching up to pinch the bridge of her nose. What was done, was done. No sense dwelling on it. With a shrug, she headed back over to the bar and returned with two tankards of ale, one of which she slid across the table to Adelaide (whether the girl wanted it or not; she forgot if she'd said) after she'd reclaimed her seat.

Bah. Forget the stew. She was in the mood for getting smashed.

She held up her tankard. "Here's to forgetting all that, eh?" she said, then downed a large gulp.

[Anonymous]

Adelaide huffed, still a little annoyed at how rude Beatrid had been. They were politer ways to get someone to go away. But she wasn't able to stay mad long, suddenly finding herself with a tankard of the...piss in front of her.

There really wasn't a better word for it. It was just awful. But, Adelaide straightened her spin, getting her second wind. This would be an experience. And she could drink quite a bit of wine, really, so it shouldn't be too hard to keep up with this stuff.

Oh! Oh! Adelaide's eyes widened as she stared at the ale. This would be a bonding experience. Which was much better than just a regular experience, especially when you wanted to bond with someone as badly as she wanted to bond with Beatrid.

Grabbing her mug, she lifted it and tapped Beatrid's, "Well, I say we make this a little more fun. A..um...drinking contest thing. Whoever loses buys the drinks!"

With that said, and before waiting for an answer, Adelaide tipped her head back and downed half of it. She found if she just drank it before the taste hit, it wasn't so bad. Smacking the mug down, Adelaide squealed, shaking her head and laughing, "Ack! It's worse then before!"

[Thief]

The sun had just reached the horizon when Jack came up to rest. He opened his eyes to find the room in darkness. He looked out the window and saw that the sun had just dropped below the horizon. It had not been a long rest, but it never really was.

As he sat up, he could hear the sounds of people below in the tavern. Chairs moved, people talked, and there was the unmistakable sound of laughter. It seems like the most relaxed people in the building are downstairs, he thought to himself as he got up and walked to the door. He opened it and made his way downstairs. Guess I should try socializing for a change.

[Rhindeer]

"A drinking contest?" Beatrid said after she'd swallowed, lifting an eyebrow and cracking a wry smile. Then she tilted her head back and drained the rest of her ale in one long draw. Very well. She'd been planning on just getting quietly smashed and dragging her way up to the room to pass out, but if Adelaide wanted to make this a competition, she was all for games!

And she certainly was not about to pass up a challenge, especially not one delivered by a girlie noblewoman.

She tapped the mug back down. "It'll be the easiest one I ever won, but if you're sure...alright." She shrugged and signaled a barmaid to bring another round. "Let's see what you've got. Sure you can handle it, m'lady?" she added, grinning in amusement as Adelaide floundered.

The girl had balls, she'd give her that.