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Message: <blockquote data-quote="sheelba" data-source="post: 391738" data-attributes="member: 7794">Session One. Part One.Marius glanced around as he walked out of the inn. If rumours were true then Handross was a hot bed of republican activity. Marius had been out of the country since the start of the war but that didn’t mean that he hadn’t participated. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to meet anyone who might recognise him or not.Just behind him, Elahnor emerged blinking and gazing this way and that. It was her first time in a city and she wasn’t sure if she liked it. ‘Shall we visit the market?” Marius asks his new friend.Elahnor wasn’t certain why she was here. She had described her dreams to her mentor and he had directed her here. He had also told her that she was being called on a quest. Neither of them had any idea what it would involve, but officially she was on a quest. Funeral services would have been held as soon as she left and her family would only just be finishing their mourning period. She decided to cast the die and let fate lead her a little further. ‘Lead on’  she said eventually. It didn’t take long to navigate the narrow streets towards the market. As they approached the activity of the market they spotted a pair of city watch passing the other way. Struck by the changes that he had encountered since his return to Cavaricum Marius muttered:‘I never saw city watch wearing metal armour before the war.’‘But they are only armed with staves’. But even as she said it Elahnor felt that the city watch were not like youngsters off for their first gathering, but more akin to the steely eyed older soldiers who know how easily steel glides through flesh. Not to be annoyed she thought.Soon the road emptied on to the market place. To the right they saw a row of (mainly empty) café/bars. Directly opposite, a seven-foot high wall bordered the north side of the market. Inside, on raised earth, the blackened stumps of a long burnt out villa stood. So much repair and building work was done here under the republic that while everywhere is dirty and littered, ruins are not expected. ‘So quiet’ thought Marius ‘The market is busy but – well, no laughter, no street entertainment and no fights!’Letting the scents and sounds wash over her, Elahnor wanted to plunge into the market place proper. Before she could, Marius nudged her:‘That’s odd. That ruin is in a prime site. Why hasn’t it been rebuilt or cleared.’Intrigued against her better judgement she followed the charming young Heliocrean (who wouldn’t sit with his back to a door). He led the way, straight through the crowd and up to the main iron gate set in the middle of the wall. 'It looks like its been like this for years. Four to five I'd say’ ‘I want to look around.’‘It’s daylight.’‘Round the back then?’Again the Vigotti followed the Heliocrean.To the right, then left, then left again into the alley behind the villa’s grounds. Refuse lay all around. Not far into the alley they found the large double gate which was the entrance for wagons and goods. ‘Very well maintained for a burnt out ruin’  commented Elahnor as Marius first tried the gate and then put his ear to it when it didn’t open.Several minutes passed in which Elahnor felt sure someone had entered through the gate in the last twenty-four hours and Marius felt confident that there was nothing inside that was making any noise. The duo decided that scaling the wall in broad daylight was foolish so close to the market and turned to leave when Elahnor stopped and indicated that Marius should listen. Sure enough, they could just make out slow, laboured steps. Then the bolt was drawn back agonisingly slowly. Slowly, the door began to open inwards. Marius’ knuckles were white around his spatha. Noticing, Elahnor wondered (not for the first time) where Snowy was. ‘Well, I'm sure he’ll find me’  she thought as she tightened her grip on her staff. With many frustrating pauses the door opened and the form of a heavily cloaked man appeared, stretched an arm out towards Marius and collapsed. Elahnor rushed to tend him. He struggled briefly to raise himself and thrust something towards Marius saying‘Rozo? It that you Rozo? Is it you?’ Avoiding Elahnor’s eyes Marius replied in the positive. ‘Just get this back to the One Eyed B….’ and then he dies, just as Elahnor lifts the man's cloak, with her material components in hand. The foul smell of gangrene wafts up. ‘A light wound several days old but untreated.’ Says Elahnor and she begins to wrap the corpse in its cloak and drags it to one side. ‘Come on. I need a drink.’Marius, having looked only briefly at the object given him, has trust it to his jacket and looks about. Further up the alley he glimpses a figure disappearing down a side alley.‘Okay, let’s go’[edited again due to spelling errors]</blockquote>

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