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Aggressive Interrogation (DragonSong)

Started by Kingfisher, December 07, 2017, 11:33:17 PM

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Kingfisher

On the southern edge of the Duchy of Highheart, there rested a village on the border of three seperate manors.  The town was called Mollyheights; not for any good reason but enough to that is was the residents decided.  It was an out of the way place that revolved around its quarries, the farms were secondary, only there to feed the laborers.  As with most towns, it had a tavern, but only the one, so it was simply called "The Tavern."  Since it was the middle of the day, most of the towns workers were occupied and the tavern was empty except for the proprietor and a few travellers.

One of these travellers was a dark haired youth.  He called himself Joshua and his trade was the creation and sale of steel.  He had checked the quality of of the miners' tools the day before, repairing and replacing them as they came.  Now he met with another traveller, a scarred man with one eye with a single edged sword on his hip.

"As I tried to explain before," Joshua said, holding a mug of ale close to him.  "I cannot make fourteen guns in a day."  Taking a cautious sip, he took a glance at the other patrons: a trio that seemed to be playing cards had been passing glances his way on and off since the one-eyed bandit sat down.  Probably part of the same group.  He'd have to be careful.  Setting his cup back down, the smith continued.  "I'm good, I'll grant you but even I have limits."

"Yeah, well.  Figured if you were all they said, you could figure out a way to magic up some kit," the man spat.

Rolling his eyes, Joshua tried to explain the man's folly.  "My work is still steel.  I can't just pull a sword from thin air.  I need materials, resources and time.  I-"

"Then what good's your witchery if I'm just gettin' the same stuff I could steal elsewhere?"

"Because it's not the same.  Most smiths work by guesswork and chance.  I can cast a hundred identical ingots of 'Armor-Grade' steel a hundred hours.  That is why I charge you more.  Now If you still want those guns, pay me and meet me at the drop in five days.  Otherwise, leave."

The bandit just snarled.  Then after a second of staring down the young smith, he left.  The card players quickly fell into step with their boss as they left.  "Imbecile..."

DragonSong

Mollyheights. Ugh.

She hated Connlaoth.

Of fucking course the bastard decided to trek through this way. Tara scowled to herself as she tried to make her way through the town without drawing too much attention- she was doing a spectacularly poor job of it. Strangers must have been rare in a place like this, particularly obviously Serenian strangers. She could feel curious, furtive gazes burning into her back with every step she took.

The Tavern. Dear gods. The place didn't even have a real name. But oh well, if this was where she needed to go-

Her tracking spell sort of fizzled at the edges, invisible though she felt it fading all the same. She cursed under her breath and desperately threw more power into the spell with a whistled tune, hoping it would bolster it enough to last just a bit longer...

No such luck. The spell fizzled, popped, and faded. Tara bit back a string of curses that would have made a sailor blush and dragged a hand down her face.

She was so close, she could feel it! Damnit!

"I need a drink," she decided, storming into the tavern. Her slamming of the door drew a few startled glances her way, but she ignored them as she made a beeline for the bar. The Bartender blinked at her.

"Ah... 'Lo stranger, what can I get ya-?"

"Whiskey, neat." Tara winced out how sharp her voice came out and forced a smile. "I have a little coin, sir...or I could play for the drink and a meal?" She gestured to the lute slung over her back and the lyre at her hip.

The barkeep gave her a skeptical look. "Let's start with the coin."

Well, she hadn't really expected that to work. with a sigh she passed over a few glittering pieces and plopped into a stool, twisting slightly to observe the rest of the tavern. The remains of her tracking spell tugged at the edges of her consciousness, not powerful enough to really tell her anything, just enough to be annoying-

Except it seemed to gather around a dark haired young man tucked away near the other end of the room. The spell sort of glittered around him, a shimmer of gold dust that only she could see, then faded away completely.

Tara's eyes widened. Maybe this wouldn't be an entirely wasted trip after all. Carefully, she drew her lyre into her lap and started tuning and strumming softly, humming under her breath. She allowed just enough magic to thread into her voice to draw the people in the tavern toward her- nothing too obvious, she was still in Connlaoth after all.

Kingfisher

It had otherwise been a slow day in that small tavern so when the lightly dressed bard entered, she caught a great deal of attention.  Even the smith took note of her; especially her apparent shift in personality.  He chuckled at her facade, not in ridicule but in a sort of respect for a fellow liar.  He had also noticed her ordered a rather strong drink which did seem to clash with her delicate persona.

Beyond the obvious, though, she did not interest him greatly.  She did not seem the sort to commission a steel tool or weapon and there was only so much time he could afford to waste.  Yet at the blending of the minstrel's voice and the thrum of her instrument, Joshua was given pause.  Were he more familiar with magic aside from pyromancy, he might have been able to understand what was happening to him.  As it were, the blacksmith rose, approaching the bar.

The traveller's fingers brushed his mop of dark hair out of his face as he took a seat beside the woman.  "That is beautiful," he commented softly, reluctant to interrupt the song.  "I'm Joshua, by the way, " he introduced himself, retrieving a few coins from his own purse.  "I would be honored if you would join me for a meal."

DragonSong

Perfect.

Smiling up at him shyly through her lashes for the praise, Tara silently wished she could force herself to blush. That might help sell it. "Thank you," she murmured, and her lips curved up a little higher on one side in a soft smile. "For the compliment and the offer. I'm grateful."

And a little surprised, honestly. Information and a free meal, huh. She'd have to try this trick more often. "My name is Tara," she told him with another smile, tilting her head just a bit so a few locks of hair that had come loose from her beribboned braid fell artfully over her shoulder, drawing attention to the curve of her throat and the dip of her collar. "And I'm never one to say no to free food," she added with a quiet chuckle.

Pouting a bit, she blinked up at him and added, "Though I would hate to take advantage. A song for the meal, perhaps?"

Kingfisher

Tara was being subtle, her actions meant to entice without seeming crass.  Joshua could tell much of it was an act.  But what was clear and what was necessary very rarely walk hand in hand.  Maybe it was respect for a confident woman who knew how to charm her way out of danger.  Maybe something else.

"Of course," the smith said in reply to the bard's offer.  "I wouldn't have it any other way."  Off-handedly he gestured for the tavern master to prepare food for the pair.  The meal would be fairly simple: vegetable soup, grilled chicken, greens and fresh bread, but it was surprisingly hardy for the cost.  But it would take some time to prepare, giving Tara time to play another song.

Joshua was personally inept as a musician.  He had once laid hands on a found lute.  The resulting noise had triggered a bout of angry howling from some nearby dogs and left him with a sense that his ears would start bleeding.  He had tremendous respect for those who could play music so beautiful and affecting.  He relished the feelings they evoked, even the melancholy.

DragonSong

Adjusting the lyre on her lap, Tara shot him another small smile as she began plucking a soft melody. She kept her magic out of it for now- didn't want to risk being too obvious- and started to sing.

There was a reason the young woman could make her living as a bard. Even without magic, her voice had a gently compelling quality that made the listener want to lean closer, just a bit, that shivered through the air and wove around a person like a careful caress.

She decided to go with something simple, an old love ballad recounting the tale of a Connlaothian lady and a Serenian knight who, despite their attempts to avoid it, found themselves in an illicit affair that must be kept hidden from her husband. The knight, Dame Ethera, was so ashamed to have broken both her vows of chastity and her lover's marriage vows that she challenged the lord to a duel- a rather melodramatic suicide, as she allowed him to stab her through the heart. But the Lady Serilda was so distraught as she held her dying lover that the gods themselves took pity and transformed the two women into a sapling tree, a sturdy vine wrapped around it. One could not live without the other, supporting each other, even after life had faded and wood had cracked.

It was a fanciful tale meant to describe the origin of a rare tree that grew most often in the Niahi, but it was poetic and filled with an aching sort of longing that fit Tara's voice wonderfully. By the time she trilled the last note and lowered her lyre, the few other tavern patrons had to drop their eyes and pretend they hadn't been listening with wrapt attention.

She cut her eyes up at Joshua sidelong and offered a lopsided smile. "Worth a meal?"

Kingfisher

Joshua shut his eyes, letting the somber melody wrap around him.  He was not familiar with the song itself but the emotions it was meant to evoke were universal.  And though he had never been close enough to anyone to have a real sense of that kind of love, a part of him longed for it.  A single, solitary tear rolled down his cheek.  A manly tear!  The smith coughed, taking the opportunity to wipe his face before saying, "I should hope so."

It was about that moment the tavern master and what appeared to be his daughter returned.  Two wooden plates and two soup bowls were set before he patrons.  "House special," the barkeep joked, dryly.  He was quickly called away by another patron as the girl left them with utensils.

"So," Joshua continued, cutting into the chicken.  "You don't seem to be from around here.  What brings a Serenian bard to an out of the way little hole like this?  If you don't mind me asking."  He slipped the little piece of chicken into his mouth, signalling he was done talking for the moment.

DragonSong

Tara chuckled and accepted the offered food gratefully. "I s'pose you might say I'm not really from anywhere. Occupational hazard, I'm afraid. Most in my line of work have some sort of wanderlust, I imagine. Which is why I'm here." She tilted her head at him and smiled again before tucking delightedly into her food.

She was surprised by how little acting she had to do. The man was pleasant enough company, and an easy conversationalist. Just too bad he knew something about her quarry. Nine times out of ten, that meant he was a bastard.

She tried to ignore the little prickle of guilt in the center of her chest. No. It's not like she was planning to really hurt him, and whatever he had coming he probably deserved.

She needed to focus. Well, what she really needed was to get him alone.

"You staying here?" she asked as casually as she could. It seemed the most likely place in the dead end town to offer rooms for the night.

Kingfisher

The rogue pyromancer understood not being from anywhere.  Who he was meant he was almost always running from something.  It was different, but it was sort of the same.  Still, he thought he saw a hint of sadness behind her eyes.  It was gone so quick that Joshua doubted he had seen it at all.

"More or less," Joshua admitted after her question.  "There are rooms in the back with beds and such.  I still have business in town so I was planning to stay a few more nights."  He took a sip of ale before moving on to explain, "I work steel by trade.  Mostly tools but out here, its hard to get in touch with some of the official guilds."  He was surprised at how good the soup turned out and ended up engrossed in its simplicity for longer than he meant.  Turning back to Tara he asked, "You planning on staying for a while?"

DragonSong

"I think I might be." She smiled again and propped her elbow on the bar, letting her cheek rest in her hand. With a huffing sort of chuckle she added, "May have to play for a room though. I try not to carry too much coin on me, less of a chance of being robbed- of course, less of a chance of being able to pay for much either." She smiled wryly with another little laugh.

Kingfisher

"Makes sense," Joshua admitted, regarding the bard's logic.  Highwaymen were not what one would call uncommon anywhere.  So it seemed obvious to avoid carrying valuables as a first line of defense.  It did not always work though, so the ability to boil a man's eyes out was a reliable fallback.  "If," the smith began, having swallowed another mouthful of soup.  "If it comes down to it, and you can't rent a room, I would be willing to share."  Holding his hands up in mock surrender before Tara could respond, he declared his innocence, saying, "Not the bed mind you.  I would take the chair."  Returning to the meal, Joshua added, "I sleep better sitting up anyway."

Glancing back to  where he had been seated earlier, Joshua noticed another of the villagers.  He held a scabbard, obviously looking for the smith to perhaps maintain it.  He gave the customer a nod, acknowledging him but continued eating.

DragonSong

"Oh!" Pretending to be a little caught off guard but grateful despite herself at the offer, Tara lowered her eyes slightly and shot him a quick, sort of shy smile. "Well that's, that's very kind of you, sir. Thank you."

Hmm. Not immediately trying to jump into bed. While that was almost refreshing to come across, it did make her job a little more difficult. But she was confident it wouldn't take much to crumble that resolve of his.

She followed his gaze to the man in the corner, then glanced back to him. "I don't want to keep you," she murmured demurely, and reached out to lay her fingers lightly on his hand. "I'm sure you've business you need to discuss." She smiled again, soft and inviting. "I'm hardly going anywhere, if you'd wish to return and...talk some more?"

Kingfisher

As Tara's hand came to rest gently on his hand, Joshua cocked an eyebrow.  Though reasonably handsome, women rarely threw themselves at him and the smith was left to question whether he was misreading the situation.  It was her pause that seemed most telling, lacing 'talk' with layers of hidden meaning.  Clearing his throat, Joshua replied, "Yes,I suppose we could talk later..."  About what, he was not entirely sure.  That might well be a bridge they'd need to cross later.

Picking up his plate, the young man went to the peasant swordsman.  Drawing the blade, he began to appraise it in the style that only he could.  Oh, sure, anyone could look at the blade and see if it has warped, guage the quality of the grind, feel the fit of the mounting.  And to the uninitiated, Joshua looked to be doing just that.  But hidden from most were the micro imperfections that only the mage could feel.  Channelling heat into the blade, he felt is spill across its length.  The movement of the heat told him where the slag had been trapped in the steel, where it should be harder or softer.  All of this was done without fire, unseen to all but those who knew how to look.

From without, the blade looked fine.  But Joshua could tell something was wrong.  "The steel is too hard," he said.  "Brittle like glass.  Try and use it in a fight and it stands a good chance of breaking."  Slipping the sword back into the scabbard, Joshua gave the other man an estimate that the other quickly accepted.  "I should have it ready for you tomorrow."

DragonSong

She kept one eye on the smith- at least she felt she could assume he was a smith at this point- as she settled her lyre on her lap again and plucked out a soft melody, just loud enough to float through the general noise of the room but not overbearing.

Her magic was kept securely in check. She didn't want to risk outing herself, not that it seemed more patrons were trickling into the establishment.

Kingfisher

The customer left and after finishing the last of his meal, so did Joshua.  He had to be careful: by Connlaothian law, the practice of magic was a crime.  Yet without, none could yet achieve the purity that the pyromancer could.  Ducking into his cart, the young man shut his door before getting the work.

The first step was melting down the entire blade, child's play really.  Pouring two pounds of white hot steel into a clay vessel, he let the slag precipitate out, then break off the trash.  Mix in charcoal as it melts again and pour it into the basic shape of a sword.  Casting steel had long been considered a fools errand as it as most could not control how quickly the metal cooled.  Joshua smirked: by his magic, he was a the god of steel.  Hammering the blade was still the hard part, but for him, that was all it was.

Once the blade was purified and shaped, magic was no longer useful.  The steel needed to be hardened, tempered, ground to a razor's edge and mounted and these were all in the realm of tradition.  It was not until late evening when Joshua finally emerged, finished sword in hand.  He would hold onto it until tomorrow as he returned to the tavern.

DragonSong

Tara managed to convince the tavern's owner to let her set up by the hearth with her instruments, a small coin purse open on the floor by her feet. Custom was slow, but present enough that she managed to make a handful or two of coins by the time evening rolled around and more patrons began pouring in.

While more people meant a greater chance of turning a profit, it also meant more people drinking. Which meant people got chatty- and handsy, but she could handle that. Smiling and waving away the two men who had been listening to her play, she packed her instruments away and moved back to the bar.

If she was lucky, she could pick up on some gossip. The people she was tracking were the kind to grab attention, hopefully someone had noticed them.

Of course, if not, she always had that Joshua person. Where'd he gone off to anyhow?

Kingfisher

Slipping through the crowd, Joshua took a seat next to the bard.  "Hello, again," he said, setting the reforged sword on the counter.  Spotting one of the other drunk patrons moving suspiciously, the smith shifted suggestively close to Tara and the fool backed off.  "Barkeep, beer!"

As a mug of ale was set before him, Joshua took it, turning to the girl.  "So, how was business?" he asked, taking a sip.  He was trying to be subtle, hoping to avoid the suggestion of impropriety, while still getting an offer to his previous offer.

DragonSong

Ah, there he was.

Tara noted the way he shifted toward her subtly, but still distinctly protective, and the man who'd been approaching from her right backed down. Hm. Maybe he wasn't totally oblivious. That was good.

She smiled and leaned into his side a bit, cocking her head playfully. "Better than I'd expected really. And you?" She nodded to the sword he'd placed on the bar. "I take it that's your handiwork?"

As the bartender moved toward them with Joshua's drink, she reached out to touch his wrist lightly and murmured, "His next two are on me," and she passed over some coin. Glancing back to her companion, she said with another smile, "As a thank you for the meal earlier. And your kind offer of a room."

Kingfisher

"Thanks," Joshua said when his drink came.  He had only meant to have one drink, but if Tara was paying, who was he to say no?  He had slung the scabbard over his shoulder, putting it out of sight.  The smith was nervous about showing off his work.  The steel he made was rare, above the quality of an average smelter.  And while he doubted the bard knew much about the finer points of crucible steel, Joshua was unwilling to risk the scrutiny.

Quickly shifting his attention, the smith asked, "Does that mean you plan to accept the offer?"  After another gulp of beer, he continued, "Like I said, it'll save money since everything's already payed for."  By now, various patrons were trickling out the doors, returning to their homes and families...

DragonSong

She smiled again and nodded. "I'm inclined to, if that's really alright," she murmured with a demure little lowering of her eyes. "I really do appreciate your kindness, Joshua," she added, and leaned into his side a little more. Her hand came to rest just over his, as though she was hesitant about the touch, and she bit her lip when she glanced up at him.

"Not many would offer such to a stranger. Thank you."

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