In God We Trust [M]

[visualspice]

Danning had only seen the tall man in the corner after Ezzy pointed him out. The two set to work, moving the armoire infront of the door and secure it there the best they could. The man then returned to standing by himself towards a corner, somehow seeming unobtrusive. 

"Thank you." He nodded to the man before glancing over towards the door with a sigh.


Ezzel snorted at the woman's remark. "I would have played off I'm old and hard of hearing if it weren't for Father Danning. He's.. trying his best here. But sometimes I wonder if it makes the growing unrest worse."

She shook her head and eyed the woman.

"You're.. not from around here, are you?"

[Goldie]

Saoirse laughed, a pure, golden chime, at Ezzel's comment. Feigning ignorance was a fantastic way to escape trouble, especially if you looked the part.

"Honestly, I'm not convinced letting us in was in your best interest, though I don't want you to take it as my being ungrateful for you. And...no....not from around here. I'm not really from anywhere if I'm being honest. My father provided me with a very.....safe....upbringing. Now I'm traveling to fill in the gaps." She smiled warmly and then glance around to finally take in her surroundings.

Her breath caught.

What....was this place?

A display case with different colored glasses caught her eye. The sunlight that peeked through the shutters made them glisten. Some of them were intricately painted with flowers and dancing couples. But the one that she stared at....

"Is...is that a duck??" She whispered taking a step forward to pick up the tiny glass in her hands. It was made out of blown glass and shaped like a duck.

She turned in one spot slowly, her worries about the growing riots slipping away. Over there was a simple wooden desk. That way an iron table that curled in a simple design that most would consider fairly normal. She walked and ran her fingers deftly over the pieces - they spoke to her. Each had their own history, their own souls beneath the craftmenship. Her mind spun yarns of what kinds of people would sit here, what kinds of food they would eat, what kinds of gossip would be shared:

"There once was a lad with a handsome soul
And that soul did yearn for more.
Every day he would sit
He would take a quick sip
Of the tea served to him that morn..."

She placed the duck glass on the table and chuckled. How delightful.

"All of this," she gestured around her, "was made by hand."

[visualspice]

"Well it certainly wasn't created by magic, that's for sure!" Ezzel replied with a laugh.  "These trinkets I've collected over the years. My family works in trade, my sons and daughters get around and they're always gathering me unique pieces they find along their way." She gave a fond sigh at the memory. "That 'duck' was actually crafted by a glass blower in the capital.  He makes many little critters in colorful glass. Sold a few last week. I think the duck is all that's left."

Danning too, took a moment to appreciate the trinkets all around them. Knickknacks lined the walls, old rugs and used hand crafted pieces of furniture littered the place. He paused at a rocking chair before noticing an extraordinary metal and wood clock hanging from the wall.

Ezzel noticed where Danning looked and smiled.

"Go ahead and turn the crank." She said.

And Danning did just that, pinching his fingers over a small metal crank and listened to the gears wind-

Then a plinking sound of music breathed the clock to life- a pair of doors opening and little wooden figures came dancing out, down a little pathway against little wooden buildings and disappearing into another set of doors before a second set opened and triggered another animated set of tiny wooden dancers along another recessed path.

[Goldie]

Saorise's breath caught in her throat so quickly that she literally choked on air and she sputtered ungracefully while stumbling past the man in the corner towards the clock.

A memory stirred in her, but she couldn't quite place it.

She pressed her hands against her mouth as the piece sang and danced. It was amazing, absolutely entrancing. "Not....magic...." she  murmured.

She couldn't help herself. She nearly ran around the clock, looking up and down the sides, peaking at the back, staring at the front, "How. How does it work?? What did you do? how much do you want for it?"

[visualspice]

The old woman smiled as the young woman gushed over the animated clock.

"Very well crafted that one is.  Created with many knobs and gears."

When the girl went on about the price, Ezzel only laughed. 

"Twenty silver easy, for that one. Some fancy pants Lord wannabe brought it in.  Why? You really wanting to buy it, girl?"

[Goldie]

Saorise didn't even blink, didn't even take a second to pause. Impulse was her middle name and she lived up to it now as she dug into her waistband and pulled out a handful of silver.

"25," she held out the amount to the shop keep, "the extra is for the trouble of sheltering us and to keep it here until I can procure pick up. It will be traveling a good distance and will take some tome to coordinate."

But she couldn't lose this piece.

Oof, her father was going to be angry when this human clock showed up at his doorstep....

[visualspice]

Despite their situation, the priest couldn't help but smile. Her enthusiasm was infectious.

"Well, never thought I'd make a sale out of a situation but the clock is yours," Ezzel said, pocketing the money. 

"Thank you, Ezzel. We're truly grateful you allowed us to remain while things calm."

Ezzel shook her head, a hand to her hips. 

"Let's just hope things'll calm down, eh? Cause if it wont.. well.."

[Goldie]

She couldn't keep the stupid grin off her face. Now that it was hers, she stepped closer and daintily ran her fingers across all of the mechanisms (ooc: look at this stuff, isn't it neat? Wouldn't you think my collection's complete? Lololol). She would need to figure out how it all worked. How these people, these amazing, wonderful magicless people, were able to make such wonderful things.

If there wasn't a riot happening in the streets, she might have picked Ezzel's brain to get to the bottom of it.

In a sudden impulse, Saoirse hugged the clock and let out a giggle. Gosh it was perfect.

Her memory twinged again and she stepped back with a gasp, turning towards the dark figure waiting in the wings.

"Hood man!" She exclaimed, "You're the man I accidentally bumped trying to get closer to hear Danny's words." She hadn't caught that she had misheard his name and continued using the wrong one.

She stepped closer to him and gave a small bow, "I am truly sorry for the inconvenience I must have caused you. I was distracted and was not focused on my surroundings. I'm glad to see you were able to find safety." She straightened and smiled, "and at the same place as us! It must be fate."

[visualspice]

The cloaked man had been watching her. She trounced around like a child in the shop, excitedly hugging her newly acquired clock. Yes.. if he hadn't already known she was an elf, he would definitely questioning where she came from now.

The man rarely ran into these innocent sorts. His work did not afford such wastes of time. Being a crime Lord forced a certain way to play your hand.  So when she acknowledged him, he was genuinely surprised she'd remember one tall cloaked figure amongst the angst crowd. 

He nodded in acknowledgement. 

But then.. she was apologizing. Poor girl.  It seemed her naivety was even greater than his initial impression. Although was her innocence real or an act? What if the mob had accused her correctly and she was puppeting this priest?

And then she went on to talk about fate...

He smiled. 

She was either very clever...

Or overwhelmingly ignorant. 


......


Danning has moved towards the front of the store, listening with a frown at the noises outside. 

"The people are exceptionally agitated today." He lowered his head; shaking it as he sighed.

"Don't they understand this is not the will of God?"

Ezzel frowned, approaching him and placing a comforting hand on his arm. 

"Do not forget where this all stemmed. The last Grand Duke  was murdered by a mage.  Such an act.. it was not to go on without consequences. "

Danning shook his head .

"And did one death by a misguided rogue justify a war on ourselves?"

[Goldie]

Saorise took his smile and nod as an invitation and she stayed to chat. You didn't become an expert entertainer by shying away from uncomfortable situations. Nor did it lend itself to well to those who were unable to accurately read an audience.

Danny she had understood instantly. He was a martyr at heart and would do anything to help his flock even if it lead to his ultimate destruction. She would need to study him to understand his true motivation, but overall she had labeled him as....uncomplicated.

This one, however, was still a mystery. In the few moments she'd seen him, he tended to blend into the shadows.

Now that was intriguing.

She smiled at him, clasping her hands behind her back and leaning forward, "A man of few words. There must be one hell of a story hiding behind that stoicism."

[visualspice]

"I could say the same upon your enthusiasm over a clock." He looked at the wooden thing, still hugged tightly in her arms then at her.
"Foreigners aren't exactly embraced in this country. Makes amob consider them... dangerous," he told ger simply, but still wore his subtle smile. 

[Goldie]

She eyed him slyly, a small smile creeping at her lips. So he does talk, she thought. His voice sent a shiver down her spine. Oh, this man had seen a lot. But was it good or was it evil? Did she even still believe in such a thing at this point in her elongated life?

Of course not. Even the past year of travel had solidified the gray in her. The white and the black were both beautiful and each had their place in life's expansive tapestry.

"So which are you, then? Foreigner or mob?"

[visualspice]

His eyes sparkled subtly at her question. 

Interesting rebuff.

"You could say I have a.. passing interest."

He studied her. She was strange, that much was for certain, but he'd hardly allow his guard to drop for someone innocent or not. He had to wonder if she was starting to view him like her interest in that clock. He also had to remain guarded. He had felt the affects of her magic and... did not appreciate to find he wasn't immune.

Because of the red head's interest, Ezzel also took time to study the man.

"You're too tall to be from around these parts," She surmised. "And one man can hardly be a mob." 

Opus regarded the older woman now and his subtle smile grew.

She too, had an interesting rebuff. Although Ezzel held more suspicion in her eyes than he'd have liked, he was amused by her analysis that he wasn't a 'mob'.

Little did they know....

Opus Dey was both. 

[Goldie]

Saoirse smiled.

A puzzle, eh? That she could get behind. Normalcy rarely lended itself to an epic ballad but puzzles? Oh yes....yes, this would do nicely.

Behind her she could hear the cries of the mob passing through the streets still looking for their elusive prey.

"Ezzel?" She asked the shopkeep without breaking eye contact with The Puzzle, "Do the people here know of your connection with Danny?"

"Eh? Oh, I wouldn't say so, no. I'm friendly with most in the area so I can't imagine they would single me out specifically."

Saoirse nodded. Good enough answer for her. It meant that the danger would, hopefully, pass them by. She placed the clock down on a nearby table and crossed her arms, continuing to study her subject. She stared at him in silence for more than a few minutes. Her eyes swept him up and down. He was, indeed, tall. Taller than even the average Elf and they had some tall people in their heritage. Saoirse was surprised at how well he was able to blend in because, truth be told, he was imposing. Even his skin, his eyes, everything about this man screamed other and yet....people still overlooked him.

"Fascinating." The half-elf mused, "What is it about you? Practice?" She paused and moved forward, standing on her toes so her words would only reach his ears, "maybe a bit of magic?"

[visualspice]

Opus wasn't sure he liked that the little she-elf was being so bold. She was openly staring at him. And it went on for minutes.

Even still, the man remained impassive, even as she asked her question. 

"You know, in many places across the world, it's impolite to stare."

But no hostility was raised. Like before, he simply stated facts rather than answer her question directly.

"It's probably best not to judge someone a mage, dear," Ezzel Whispered her way, staring at Opus apologetically. But he was a tall one. She didn't want to anger the 'lion,' as they were all stuck in this 'cave' together.

[Goldie]

Saoirse let out a laugh and stepped back, finally breaking eye contact to glance over at Ezzel. Damn that woman had good hearing.

"Only joking, only joking!" She exclaimed raising her hands in a show of defeat. "He's just sooooo tall! I haven't met a man his height before in all my travels. Naturally, we all know that things we can't explain are mystical." Reel it in Saoirse. She bit her tongue. Now was not the time to start a fight and get kicked out with the mob. Thankfully, it sounded as if it were getting further away.

She looked back at the tall ghost.

"I'm going to assume, based on your demeanor, that if I asked for a name you would either decline or simply lie." She smiled. Oh she loved games and what a delightful one he was playing, "I'll be calling you Vrae." If the man had any knowledge of the Elven language, he would understand her meaning. Vrae meant phantom and was fitting for his ability to be such a noticeable person and yet never be seen....

With a mischievous twinkle, she turned from Vrae and walked over to the priest.

"Thank you for leading me to safety." She bowed her head, "is there anything I can do to repay the debt?"

[visualspice]

Opus just stared at her, that small smirk still on his lips, but said nothing. Vrae. She was lucky not many in these lands knew Elvin. However... she was either very bold or very stupid to try. Although it might be rare in these parts.. these were a learned people and well...
The more scholarly types could easily pin point that tongue. And if they studied her features long enough....

But she left, making her way back to the priest.

Danning only smiled at her approach, but shook his head.

"Why would I ask for payment for helping another? Besides, we were both in danger. I..." he went sheepish, scratching at the back of his head, downcasting his eyes. "I suppose I shouldn't have been so rash as to want to confront them- after.. well, all that occurred." He then turned his attention to Ezzel, who was peeking out a window.

"It looks like the mob has passed, but I'd give sometime for that temper to cool." She sighed at that and looked at the lot before her, hands on her hips. "Well, I've got a business I run and mob or no mob, I need to tidy up my shop for the evening. I'd welcome the help if someone wants to take up the broom."

[Goldie]

Danny was the complete opposite of Vrae. He was kind, introspective, soft - but not in a negative way! Soft in features, in voice, in demeanor, yet powerful and passionate in his convictions.

"I'm just glad you listened." She took his hand in both of hers and gave it a gentle squeeze, "You are a good man. A brave man. So few would stand up to a group so utterly against everything you believe and still hold to their convictions. Even men of the cloth bow to the loudest voice. But you? I only know you from a short meeting and I believe in you. I believe in your passion. You are a person who could move mountains with the right words."

She paused, regret covering her features, "and I'm sorry. Truly sorry, that my own carelessness has made your calling harder." She hesitated for a moment before reaching into her pocket and pulling out a clear red sphere. It was innocuous enough on the surface, but she also understood if anyone knew what it was...well...they would have reason to arrest any who carried it in this country. "Please, take this. I know you don't want payment, but I insist. You saved the life of an ignorant fool and, with this, should you ever need assistance from me just..." she didn't want to speak out loud in case the bat ears of Ezzel overheard.

Instead, she placed the sphere in his hand and produced another, identical one. She closed her hand around the one she kept and squeeze. The sphere she gave him began to warm and emitted the subtlest glow. They were made to be discrete. Were made to help people get out of situations without raising the alarm. Mothers gave these spheres to their children in case they strayed too far. The most important part, however, was the slight pull that the connected stones gave the holder. A pull in the direction of its partner. It was basically a homing becon.

"Please...please accept this."

She squeezed her stone again, and the connection broke.

Without waiting for a response, she stood and took the broom from Ezzel and began helping. It was the least she could do.

As she swept, she passed the ghost a few times. "So, Vrae." She asked after another pass with the broom, "after the threat is gone, where will you go?"

[visualspice]

Danning gave her a curious look as she handed him the item, but said nothing. Rather he moved to follow Ezzel now, who handed him a feather duster and asked him to dust off the wares.

Opus it seemed, remained singled out in a way. He made no move towards helping and Ezzel.. seemed to just let him be. She didn't want any trouble, after all.

So for now, 'Vrae' simply leaned against the wall, arms folded across his chest. When she paused, however, to ask her question, he gave a slight tilt of his head.

"I have business in the city."

[Goldie]

"Ahh...yes..business." she leaned on her broom, "do you think that business would still be available to you after today's festivities?"

She chewed on her tongue for a moment, considering just how open to be. She wasn't about to let him run off without some answers. Hell, she was already considering ways she might be able to follow him.

Dangerous? Sure. Stupid? Probably.

But she wanted to know about all humans and this man...he was the most interesting thing that had happened so far. Sure she had met her fair share of bandits on the road, but that was unsurprising. She had performed for nobles and servants alike and everyone had a motive. Everyone had something that made them tick.

What was this man's motivation? How did he work?

"People are usually scared of you, aren't they?" She finally settled on being direct and threw out her first guess. "You find me amusing, I assume, based on the small smile pulling at your lips. And you are observing everything. Every movement, every conversation. Are you worried someone is after you? Probably not, based on your size alone. But why then? Are you muscle or are you brains?" She was quite certain he was the latter. Muscle tended to follow direction but he...no...he clearly gave the orders.

Or she was completely off and his silence was actually a reflection of his intellect.

She was rarely wrong.