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<blockquote data-quote="Naathez" data-source="post: 1981554" data-attributes="member: 17791"><p><strong>Where not to go when in Dresd, or "What happens down dark alleys"</strong></p><p></p><p>Livia's eyes dart around quickly. Nobody else is in sight. No apparent way of escape. She has a dagger under her cloak, but she doubts she'd be up to challenge two men. </p><p></p><p>Which amounts to remarkably bad news.</p><p></p><p>"Good day... May I help you?" She says with a smile.</p><p></p><p>The first of the two men approaches her with a limp. He's dressed in little better than rags; he has pasty, reddish hair, and is back is severely hunched. But the feature Livia's eyes are most drawn to is his malevolent, half-toothless sneer.</p><p></p><p>"On the contrary, young girl" he says, a chuckle from his friend accompanying his taunt " I believe a lady lost in such a seedy part of town needs ALL the help and assistance she can get. There are such dangerous people around."</p><p>"How very true" Livia starts replying, her mind racing to find a way out. "I just got lost, and being here, lost, defenseless, in a foreign city, worries me so... perhaps you could ... help?"</p><p></p><p>As his taller friend, blondish long hair falling on his face, idly twirls a stout, short wooden club in his fingers, the hunchback steps yet closer. </p><p></p><p>"This large leather bag here, for example. Far too heavy for you, certainly. Let me help you" he adds, moving to slip it from her shoulder. Livia instinctively clenches her fingers around the bag, but the taller thug's frown dissuades her.</p><p></p><p>His horrible sneer contorting in a parody of a smile, the hunchback starts rummaging through the bag. His eyes open a tad wider as he pulls out a short sword, with an evidently precious scabbard. </p><p></p><p>"My friend, it would seem the lass here lied to us... not defenseless at all, see? Hmm... and there's good old gold in here too..." -his hand briefly weighs the small coin pouch before pocketing it- "and spare clothes, but a gentleman doesn't rummage through a lady's clothes does he?... and what is this, now?" he adds, pulling out a small wooden carved tube, its ends wrapped in leather.</p><p></p><p>Livia's breath catches. Her orders are in there.</p><p></p><p>"I see" she starts, her heart racing "I see I have found men of taste. That object comes from my land, Lian." She pauses to casually caress her hair,as if to settle it, the thugs' eyes only now noticing the queer shape of her ears. "Indeed it is of great value... if sold to the right person. Should you be so kind to give it back, I would be more than happy to share the profits with you." </p><p><em>-Weak-, </em> she thinks, even as she speaks her piece.</p><p></p><p>The hunchback shares a knowing look with his friend, and sneers again, as he addresses her. </p><p></p><p>"And how about my friend and I go find someone who could be 'the right person'? I don't see why we should trouble you any longer, lass..." The taller man starts walking slowly towards Livia, the club twirling dangerously. He looks FAR more used to slamming it into people's heads than what Livia would like.</p><p></p><p>"But you don't know what it is! And it's not an object for anyone... why lose out on some of the profit? Take... Take me with you. I'll be sure to get a decent price. We all are happy - we all win. Right?" Her reassuring smile seems to strike something in the mind of her robber.</p><p></p><p>"All right. Be a gallant man, and take the lady's arm" he concludes with an evil chuckle, as his friend's strong hand grips Livia's arm.</p><p></p><p>This time Livia's eyes are very intent in memorizing the way through this maze of alleys. She means to know where they're taking her. If she gets out alive, that is. Their "leisurely stroll" doesn't last too long, and at last they end up in a tiny alley, an old wooden door at its end. The hunchback opens it without knocking, and she's pulled through.</p><p></p><p>Her eyes can see quite well in the almost complete darkness inside; the candle on the tiny table gives off enough light for her. The room is cramped with crates, barrels and shelves, loaded with all kinds of objects. She sees fabric piled up in one of the crates, house objects, bottles, even cutlery. As the hunchback shouts out "Gaurad! Come out, we've got work!", the black curtain at the far end of the room parts slightly, letting the new man in.</p><p></p><p>Gaurad is quite tall, and very slim. He is dressed in a jerkin, and trousers (ridiculous habit they have in this Lares-forgotten land, of having men wear those impossibly uncomfortable things on their legs. Livia has noticed it all over the city.), and his shirt is black but spotless... his short hair, and moustache, are blonde. The man is more than passably handsome, for a Verlunder.</p><p></p><p>"What are you shouting about in my house, hunchback? Did nobody tell - My, my, my, what have we here! Let go of the lady you goof! Sit, darling, sit. And tell me why my impossibly rude associates have deemed it right to bring you to me" he says, sitting on a stool in front of Livia and starting to pour out red wine from a bottle he fished out of a crate.</p><p></p><p>"Well, it has to do with a certain object they found in my possession..." A simple gesture from Gaurad is enough for the sneering hunchback to hand him the tube, and set the short sword and its fine scabbard on one of the shelves. Gaurad examines the tube, carefully.</p><p></p><p>"A nice object... wonderful carving. Certainly the work of a skilled artisan , but... "</p><p>Livia catches her chance. "... but you cannot see any extraordinary value, right, my good sir? I thought as much. The object comes from my land, Lian."Gaurad's eye thin, growing more interested. "I was about to take it to a Lianer contact here in Dresd when I met your associates here... of course, due to your kind assistance to a foreigner like me, I would more than happily share any profit from the sale to you, were I to have it back unharmed."</p><p></p><p>Gaurad yawns slightly. "I know of no Lianer, with the delightful exception of you, in the whole of Dresd. In any case, I am not a man to waste a good opportunity. I will not sell, or harm, this object" he lifts the tube, tantalizingly in reach of Livia's grasp, yet so impossible to grab "for three full days. You have my word. You may return in this time, with the money, and should I deem it sufficient for my trouble, I'll be more than happy to proceed with the sale." His voice is too definitive to let Livia hope to sway his opinion. </p><p>"Of course, I value my privacy. Were you to come here, in my humble abode, with... unappreciated company... I could not guarantee for the safety of this object, nor actually for yours.Now, if I know those beasts that brought you here, they probably even took your money", the man continues. "Give it back, you scoundrels." The hunchback obeys without a word.</p><p></p><p>Livia is quite puzzled, as she takes the money pouch back. "There.. there was also a sword, good sir..."</p><p></p><p>Gaurad allows himself a tiny smile. "Ah, I fear it might have been sold already... you know, things enter and exit my shop like the flow of a river," he says, walking over to the shelf. "Yet, by incredible happenstance, I just seem to have a Lianer-made sword here in my stock... you may surely appreciate the intricate level of its decoration. Perhaps you might be interested in buying it?"</p><p></p><p>Livia walks out with a sigh a short while later, her sword safely tucked among her clothes in her bag, and her money pouch a lot lighter than an hour earlier. </p><p></p><p>She has three days to regain her orders, or her mission might very well end before even starting. </p><p>"That's plenty of time", she thinks, as she walks in what she hopes is the right direction for the docks.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Naathez, post: 1981554, member: 17791"] [b]Where not to go when in Dresd, or "What happens down dark alleys"[/b] Livia's eyes dart around quickly. Nobody else is in sight. No apparent way of escape. She has a dagger under her cloak, but she doubts she'd be up to challenge two men. Which amounts to remarkably bad news. "Good day... May I help you?" She says with a smile. The first of the two men approaches her with a limp. He's dressed in little better than rags; he has pasty, reddish hair, and is back is severely hunched. But the feature Livia's eyes are most drawn to is his malevolent, half-toothless sneer. "On the contrary, young girl" he says, a chuckle from his friend accompanying his taunt " I believe a lady lost in such a seedy part of town needs ALL the help and assistance she can get. There are such dangerous people around." "How very true" Livia starts replying, her mind racing to find a way out. "I just got lost, and being here, lost, defenseless, in a foreign city, worries me so... perhaps you could ... help?" As his taller friend, blondish long hair falling on his face, idly twirls a stout, short wooden club in his fingers, the hunchback steps yet closer. "This large leather bag here, for example. Far too heavy for you, certainly. Let me help you" he adds, moving to slip it from her shoulder. Livia instinctively clenches her fingers around the bag, but the taller thug's frown dissuades her. His horrible sneer contorting in a parody of a smile, the hunchback starts rummaging through the bag. His eyes open a tad wider as he pulls out a short sword, with an evidently precious scabbard. "My friend, it would seem the lass here lied to us... not defenseless at all, see? Hmm... and there's good old gold in here too..." -his hand briefly weighs the small coin pouch before pocketing it- "and spare clothes, but a gentleman doesn't rummage through a lady's clothes does he?... and what is this, now?" he adds, pulling out a small wooden carved tube, its ends wrapped in leather. Livia's breath catches. Her orders are in there. "I see" she starts, her heart racing "I see I have found men of taste. That object comes from my land, Lian." She pauses to casually caress her hair,as if to settle it, the thugs' eyes only now noticing the queer shape of her ears. "Indeed it is of great value... if sold to the right person. Should you be so kind to give it back, I would be more than happy to share the profits with you." [I]-Weak-, [/I] she thinks, even as she speaks her piece. The hunchback shares a knowing look with his friend, and sneers again, as he addresses her. "And how about my friend and I go find someone who could be 'the right person'? I don't see why we should trouble you any longer, lass..." The taller man starts walking slowly towards Livia, the club twirling dangerously. He looks FAR more used to slamming it into people's heads than what Livia would like. "But you don't know what it is! And it's not an object for anyone... why lose out on some of the profit? Take... Take me with you. I'll be sure to get a decent price. We all are happy - we all win. Right?" Her reassuring smile seems to strike something in the mind of her robber. "All right. Be a gallant man, and take the lady's arm" he concludes with an evil chuckle, as his friend's strong hand grips Livia's arm. This time Livia's eyes are very intent in memorizing the way through this maze of alleys. She means to know where they're taking her. If she gets out alive, that is. Their "leisurely stroll" doesn't last too long, and at last they end up in a tiny alley, an old wooden door at its end. The hunchback opens it without knocking, and she's pulled through. Her eyes can see quite well in the almost complete darkness inside; the candle on the tiny table gives off enough light for her. The room is cramped with crates, barrels and shelves, loaded with all kinds of objects. She sees fabric piled up in one of the crates, house objects, bottles, even cutlery. As the hunchback shouts out "Gaurad! Come out, we've got work!", the black curtain at the far end of the room parts slightly, letting the new man in. Gaurad is quite tall, and very slim. He is dressed in a jerkin, and trousers (ridiculous habit they have in this Lares-forgotten land, of having men wear those impossibly uncomfortable things on their legs. Livia has noticed it all over the city.), and his shirt is black but spotless... his short hair, and moustache, are blonde. The man is more than passably handsome, for a Verlunder. "What are you shouting about in my house, hunchback? Did nobody tell - My, my, my, what have we here! Let go of the lady you goof! Sit, darling, sit. And tell me why my impossibly rude associates have deemed it right to bring you to me" he says, sitting on a stool in front of Livia and starting to pour out red wine from a bottle he fished out of a crate. "Well, it has to do with a certain object they found in my possession..." A simple gesture from Gaurad is enough for the sneering hunchback to hand him the tube, and set the short sword and its fine scabbard on one of the shelves. Gaurad examines the tube, carefully. "A nice object... wonderful carving. Certainly the work of a skilled artisan , but... " Livia catches her chance. "... but you cannot see any extraordinary value, right, my good sir? I thought as much. The object comes from my land, Lian."Gaurad's eye thin, growing more interested. "I was about to take it to a Lianer contact here in Dresd when I met your associates here... of course, due to your kind assistance to a foreigner like me, I would more than happily share any profit from the sale to you, were I to have it back unharmed." Gaurad yawns slightly. "I know of no Lianer, with the delightful exception of you, in the whole of Dresd. In any case, I am not a man to waste a good opportunity. I will not sell, or harm, this object" he lifts the tube, tantalizingly in reach of Livia's grasp, yet so impossible to grab "for three full days. You have my word. You may return in this time, with the money, and should I deem it sufficient for my trouble, I'll be more than happy to proceed with the sale." His voice is too definitive to let Livia hope to sway his opinion. "Of course, I value my privacy. Were you to come here, in my humble abode, with... unappreciated company... I could not guarantee for the safety of this object, nor actually for yours.Now, if I know those beasts that brought you here, they probably even took your money", the man continues. "Give it back, you scoundrels." The hunchback obeys without a word. Livia is quite puzzled, as she takes the money pouch back. "There.. there was also a sword, good sir..." Gaurad allows himself a tiny smile. "Ah, I fear it might have been sold already... you know, things enter and exit my shop like the flow of a river," he says, walking over to the shelf. "Yet, by incredible happenstance, I just seem to have a Lianer-made sword here in my stock... you may surely appreciate the intricate level of its decoration. Perhaps you might be interested in buying it?" Livia walks out with a sigh a short while later, her sword safely tucked among her clothes in her bag, and her money pouch a lot lighter than an hour earlier. She has three days to regain her orders, or her mission might very well end before even starting. "That's plenty of time", she thinks, as she walks in what she hopes is the right direction for the docks. [/QUOTE]
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