Drusilia Naïlo: The Making of a Watchman

[drnuncheon]

Although, maybe the fact that I have an infant daughter is coloring my perceptions of Tensin's actions.

Somewhere back in the Freeport Story Hour, there's a scene where Kennic is talking to Ellerand, and he tells him the real reason for the existence of the organization - and, in fact, the real reason for everything Tensin does.

Dru is only now finding out why he chose the methods he did - and the answer to the burning question: "Why in the name of your favorite deity did Tensin think Freeport was the ideal place to raise a child?"

J

 

[Drusilia Nailo]

Dru is willing to overlook a lot when it comes to her father... she's always had a high amount of hero worship for him. But killing children... no. That goes too far, even for her rather violent nature.

In DrN's storyhour, you'll never see Dru killing someone who is innocent and/or isn't trying to kill her. I think the incident with the child so upset her that she'll never "backslide" to that point, even if she does become a criminal again!

 

[Maidenfine]

The further this story hour went, the more I wondered what the breaking point would be. Dru worshipped her father so much I knew it had to be something major. I definitely think killing a baby is major. And I can also see how an experience like that would swing someone to the other extreme. Like, say, joining the Watch.

 

[Drusilia Nailo]

And I can also see how an experience like that would swing someone to the other extreme. Like, say, joining the Watch.

Yes, exactly! It takes her five years to get to the point that she's speaking to him again, (on DrN's storyhour) but even then, she wouldn't tolerate that kind of thing. Luckily (so far) he hasn't tested her on that.

 

[Drusilia Nailo]

"That's not enough money to stay here for the night," the innkeeper said scornfully, half turning away from Dru. A moment passed, and he turned back to look at her, his brows furrowing in thought. "Wait. You're Naïlo's kid, aren't you?"

Dru stiffened.

The innkeeper's tone changed. "Well, I don't see any problem with you staying here tonight, then," he said. "I can just put it on your father's tab." His smile was ingratiating, and Dru saw more than a glimmer of fear behind his eyes.

"No," she said shortly, walking towards the door. "I don't need anything from him."

Later that night...

Dru sat in the darkened alleyway, leaning against a stone building. Her eyes were closed, but she was nowhere near relaxed enough to meditate. She'd tried that before. Once, a prostitute had brought her customer, a scrawney looking sailor, into the alley to ply her trade. Dru had watched in horrified silence, as she pressed herself back into the shadows to not be seen.

Later, she actually drifted off into that semi-conscious state of trance. A blood covered child and mother, both with their throats cut, stared at her accusingly. "Your hands are covered with our blood," the mother told her coldly. "We were innocent. What did we ever do to you?" Dru looked down at her hands, and saw that they were indeed soaked in rich red blood. She cried out, and burst into full consciousness, her eyes flying open.

"That must've been quite some dream," said a female voice, off to Dru's right somewhere.

Dru startled, and turned to look.

A young human girl stood there. Her face would have been pretty, if it hadn't been covered in paint. She wasn't quite a woman yet, judging from her thin, unformed body, though she wore the clothes of one. Her skirt was short, and her top was low cut. There was little doubt to what this girl's profession was. There was also no doubt that she was unarmed.

Dru's shoulders relaxed, and she gave the girl a rueful smile. "Yeah, it was," she said, leaning her head against the wall. "I think that it's going to be a dream that I have for some time to come," she muttered to herself, trying to ignore the hungry growls of her stomach.

The girl cocked her head to one side, and then shrugged when Dru wasn't more forthcoming. "Haven't seen you around here before. You just run away from home?"

Dru glared at her. "I didn't run away. I left."

The girl laughed. "Whatever."

"No, I did just leave," Dru said, indignantly. "I'm one hundred years old, and adult. I didn't run away. I yelled at my father and walked out the door."

The girl stared at Dru. "One hundred... you elves are lucky," she said. "I'm twelve."

It was Dru's turn to stare at the girl. When she was twelve she was... quite a bit younger than this girl seemed to be. She felt a pang of sadness for the human race. Their lives were so short. It was a wonder that they got anything accomplished. It did explain their industriousness, though. They had to try to cram all of their achievements into a short span of years.

"My name's Amelia," the girl said.

"Dru," said Dru shortly.

Amelia nodded. "Nice sword," she said. "Do you know how to use it?"

Dru nodded, warily. "Yes..."

Amelia looked over her shoulder nervously, and then stepped further into the alleyway. "That's probably a good thing," she said. "Because my pimp is coming right now, and he looks p*ssed at me."

Dru blinked, looking up. "Huh?"

She heard the yelling before the man ever got to the alleyway. "There you are, you stupid bint! Get over here!" When Amelia cowered even further back into the alley, he cursed, and then stormed in. "You're gonna be sorry," he growled, and then stopped short when he saw Dru. "Are you a customer?"

When Dru shook her head, he snorted in disgust, and reached out to grab Amelia, who was all but hiding behind Dru. "I'm going to kill you," he told the human girl. "Elf, get out of the way if you don't want to get hurt."

Dru stared up at him incredulously for a moment. He didn't realize who she was... A slow grin spread across her face. It was time to start making a name for herself. "Round ears, you will get out of this alley if you don't want to get hurt," Dru said, rising to her feet and pulling her rapier simultaneously.

 

[Horacio]

Great update!

So the adventures of Dru as a grown up girl begin now

 

[Drusilia Nailo]

The man looked surprised, and then snorted. "You're a spirited one," he said. "It's going to be fun to break you." He pulled a dagger, shaking his head. "You are going to have to learn your place," he said, tsking.

Dru laughed. "Are you offering to become my employer?" She flicked out her rapier, cutting him down his left cheek. "I don't work for human scum."

His eyes widened, as if he could not believe what she had just done. His hand half raised, as if to touch the bleeding cut, but then stopped. "I'll kill you, elf," he snarled, lunging at her with his dagger.

Dru supposed that he was skilled enough with his dagger that if she'd been a helpless twelve year old human girl in flimsy clothes, he'd have been able to cut her. As it was, she saw the blade move forward, clumsy with its wielder's rage, and easily stepped out of the way. "You're doing such a good job of it so far," Dru said with a thin smile, "That I thought I'd let you draw it out. You know, to increase my suffering." She flicked out her rapier again, making him step backward to get away from it. She was vaguely aware of Amelia sneaking backward, to hide in the shadows.

He darted forward, slashing out at her. The tip of the blade caught her on the arm, reminding her that even men that have to beat on little girls have some teeth. I can't get too cocky, she silently scolded herself. "I have an orc friend that will be really amused by you," he said, sneering at her.

Dru snorted, and took a step forward, thrusting her sword at him. It caught him in the hip, making him cry out involuntarily in pain. "Is that how you make your little girls mind you? You threaten them with orcs? My, you're quite a man. You keep it up, you'll be challenging Bloody Jack for his position."

"You won't be so uppity when I'm finished with you," he said with a smirk. He lunged towards her, clearly meaning for this to be the blow that sent her to the ground.

Dru parried away his smaller blade with ease, and then spitted him with her rapier, right through the throat. "Yes, I feel chastened already," she said dryly. She watched him drop to the ground, clutching at his throat, choking on his own blood.

She cleaned off the blade carefully, and then turned to find Amelia. She was gone. Dru blinked in surprise, and then turned around with a shrug. She sucked in her breath when she saw the human Watchman standing there. His arms were folded across his chest.

"Oh gods," sighed Dru. "Please don't tell me you're going to arrest me now. He was trying to make me one of his 'girls.' By force."

The watchman snickered, and then rasped out, in a voice that was little more than a harsh whisper, "Yeah, yeah, whatever. You'd better run before my partner gets here. He's not very reasonable." The man gave her a conspiratorial wink, and then looked over his shoulder. "Sh*t," he muttered. "You'd better run back into the alley. Climb the fence or somethin." He stepped out into the street, waving his arms wildly. "This way, Gavin," he rasped, "She's getting away!"

Dru didn't need a second warning. With a burst of speed, she bolted for the cover of darkness given by the back of the alley. She climbed up the fence, and then dropped to the other side. She could hear running footsteps pursuing her, and started running faster.

It was several minutes later that she finally stopped running. She was back in the Old City again. Papa's territory. Swallowing a lump in her throat, she moved back into yet another alleyway. "I've got to think of something," she said aloud. "I don't want to end up like Amelia."

 

[Drusilia Nailo]

Well, the next post that I make, probably this weekend, is going to be the last of this storyhour. It'll be a very definite ending, in fact, because it will take her into getting hired for the Watch. It's been fun, and encouraging, to see everyone's comments and reactions to the stories of Dru's childhood!

 

[DiFier]

Of course you can write up the stories once dru is a watchman. Sure they might be a little misplaced in the making of a watchman listing but you still havbe to tell the story of her scar and the jonguler story and there's bound to be more stories from when Dru & Di'Fier sucked.

 

[Jon Potter]

Back to work, you!

Of course you can write up the stories once dru is a watchman. Sure they might be a little misplaced in the making of a watchman listing but you still havbe to tell the story of her scar and the jonguler story and there's bound to be more stories from when Dru & Di'Fier sucked.

Shouldn't you be working on your own Making of Watchman Story Hour, DiFier?

Did you think we forgot?