Needle in a Haystack (Open)

[Roith]

((Open to anyone who would like to join, two people max, after the fourth post no more people may join. Other then that lets have fun.))




Roith gazed at the mass of humanity before him with a look of amazed disbelief. Never in all his wildest dreams had he imagined a city as packed, as noisy, and alive as the Knife's Edge. The streets were a churning sea of people, animals, and carts, one could barely hear themselves think let alone navigate these strange narrows and back alleys. Despite his best efforts, his every attempt to cross this perilous river of bodies had only ended in slowly being jostled and shoved back toward the figurative shore. He had no idea how anyone could live in a place like this, and wrinkled his nose as a particularly pungent merchant passed his spot against the nearest brick wall. The smell didn't help, but at least the air was balmy and cool against his skin.

Unfortunately Roith was not here to sight see, his eyes narrowed as he remembered his reason for subjecting himself to this crush of people. Gaelyn Erdman, a fellow warrior and bandit, was in the hands of the Imperial Guard. By the time they noticed he was gone, they had had him for three days. Roith felt a muscle in his jaw twitch as he thought about the tortures they'd probably already subjected him to. The Imperial Guard had some of the very best torturers at their disposal. Sick bastards. It was too late to save Gaelyn, a bandit group as small as The Green Blades could never hope to break into The Knife's Edge prison and rescue a comrade, but they were running out of time if they hoped to save Gaelyn's family. The Green Blades were already safe, as soon as they had learned of Gaelyn's abduction they had packed up and abandoned their old hideout.

Boris, the leader of The Green Blades, had pulled Roith aside that very night to outline his new assignment. As the head honcho Boris was privilege to information about every member of the Green Blades that was kept secret from the other members. Every Green Blade referred to each other using code names, and was never to share any personal information that could be used to hunt them or their families down. It was safer that way, and meant for situations such as this. This way when they eventually do break Gaelyn, if they haven't already, all he can give them is the location of an abandoned hideout and code names. Boris had all the information regarding each individual so that in case of death, a members remaining family can be notified and his earnings distributed among his relatives. Of course, being privy to such knowledge also has its dangers, which probably explains the poison pills Boris always has on his person.

In any case, Roith was instructed to ride fast to Knife's Edge and get Gaelyn's Wife and Son outside the city as soon as possible. The Imperial Guard was not, by any means, above taking in a criminal's family for "Interrogation" when their victim's were not cooperative. Which has led Roith to his current dilemma. "How in the hells am I supposed to find two people in a city the size of a small fiefdom?!" Roith fumed inwardly, and leveled a glare at a man eying him just a bit TOO curiously. "Probably thinks’ I’m an easy mark." With a sigh, Roith once again presses into the crowd. "Perhaps the local Trade Guilds would know where to find Gaelyn's family, Boris did say Gaelyn was a carver on the side..."

[Mage Hunter]

"I understand, this will of course be a rather large task for you, and you are a rather specialized kind of person. Name your price and we'll work from there?" The words hung in the air as the flames of the candle flickered on the wall. The room was a rather large one, with a few other candles to help with the lighting. The problem being that the windows were ill placed at this time of day. The morning's chill had pervaded the room, clinging to the breath of those who would talk, and making those words into a solid fog, before the heat that had given them birth was stripped away.

"1000 gold," The reply too died in the arctic chill, but the short life it had lived was more than enough. One of the many figures in the room shifted, uncomfortably as it raised a hand to its lips. The owner of said hand was a Salvarian soldier, his uniform depicting him as one of the Imperial Guard. His helmet rested on the table beside him and a hand rested uneasily on it. A hand ran through blond locks as he looked across at the imposing figure before him.

While the temperature outside seemed cold, this person seemed frigid. Her demeanor was that of a warrior, complete with confidence, and the knowing smile. The smile wasn't one of victory, nor one of pride, but a predator's smile. A smile that said they had lost, before their endeavor had even begun. The dark skin of the woman was unblemished, and her outfit was a bit warmer, only for the cloak she wore about her shoulders. Her cotton shirt was more customary in warmer regions, like Alerar to the south, yet the leather pants were warm enough for her it appeared. Her Raven black hair was left a bit loose about her shoulders, giving her a more feral appearance, even as that insufferable smirk was upon her lips. Her pointed ears jutted out of her hair completing the ensemble of the woman, were it not for the bow and swords strapped to her back.

"That is a bit much Miss..." The captain had started before he was rudely cut off.

"I am Drusilia Liadon. You asked for help on this task, I should hope you are prepared to pay for good labor. The fact that I'm even willing to hunt down mundane bandits-"

"I assure you Miss Liadon, these are no mere bandits. If it were that simple we would have already taken them out, St. Denebrial willing," The captain of the guard stood up as he walked over to a side table. The room while large had a few other desks, obviously for other officers in the Imperial Guard. A table rested not far from the Captain's desk, holding a pitcher of water and a few glasses. He poured himself one as he sighed, his breath too expiring in the chill of the morning. The light in the room began to pick up as the sun finally managed to break over the rooftops, and the windows finally were able to catch its vibrant rays. Several men stood in the room around the two negotiating, and they all seemed interested on the outcome.

"You've told me nothing to indicate a Mage is amongst them, and with no challenge, I demand payment for the effort," the Hunter's smirk turned into a grin, that seemed to show only more teeth than actual mirth.

"I'm more than certain they have magical artifacts, I hear your kind also seeks to destroy those-"

"Wasting a Hunter's time for mere trinkets is not wise, nor healthy for a lasting relationship," The voice left room for words unspoken, words that could not be said without violent reaction.

Still, one man tried, "Say the word Captain, I'll have her heart from her breast. Perhaps we could dirty her up too, keep us warm for a couple of hours."

Laughter erupted from a few of the more base soldiers before the captain shook his head, "No, I would rather not risk Alerar's wrath. While the Hunters are from the more archaic time of Queen Valsharess-"

"You would do well to watch your tongue Captain. Lest I take it from you to watch over myself," The words said, swords were drawn with a few at her neck before the captain smiled, having finally gotten what he needed.

"I believe threatening an officer of the Imperial Guard is what? Five lashings?" The captain said as he held a hand out. A whip was offered by one of the other officer's as he walked forward the grin on his face feral. The hunter didn't flinch as he moved forward closing the distances to the point she could smell his rotten breath.

"Ten lashings and a week in the Oubliette," One of the men said.

"Ah yes, the Oubliette, do you know what that is dear?" The captain said as he took the handle of the whip and forced her face to meet his, as the swords shook in anticipation.

"No," Was the terse reply.

"It is a mere hole in the ground, over which a heavy set of bars is locked. This is of course left outside city limits. I should hate to have you stripped before being thrown in there. You wouldn't last the first night should that happen. Of course, the charge could be forgotten, if you do this job, for the magnanimous price of absolutely free. Are the terms acceptable?" The Captain's voice was firm as he seized the situation.

She felt a hand grab her by her hair and force her head down in a bow. Snickers rose through the ranks as the Drow realized she had been drawn into a bad situation. He had known she would avenge the slightest hint of insult to her Queen, and had drawn the threat out, so to force her into this situation. Her pride had been her downfall, and even now the Captain was seeking to punish her for it. She felt a blade across the back of her neck, prepared for a killing blow before she said through gritted teeth, "Perfectly clear."

"Any other words?"

"Usstan orn inbal dosst xukuth whol natha ste'kol, e'trit," A sinister smile left her lips before she shrugged off the hands, turning to leave. Her pride was stoked, but she had work to attend to, she had all the time in the world for revenge.

Usstan orn inbal dosst xukuth whol natha ste'kol, e'trit. - I will have your heart for a plaything, filth.

[Roith]

Roith was beginning to regret his decision to visit the Trade Guilds, he'd spent an hour in one line, only to be told that the person in charge of carvers was clear across the compound. His head was starting to ache and the urge to kick something was getting harder and harder to resist.

Breathing in the cold mid-morning air seemed to help focus his thoughts, and he looked - not for the first time - at the bronze statue in the middle of the square. The Trade Guild was an association of merchants that decided it would be more profitable to work together then compete. So they built themselves a miniature fort within Knife's Edge complete with wall, guards, and rules to abide by if you ever wished to trade there. It reminded Roith of many of the noble’s homes that were scattered about the city, with the additions of free trade and racial tolerance. The large statue in the center of the square was testament to cooperation and mutual respect, for it depicted humans, elves, and dwarfs clasping hands in friendship. Despite Roith's general skepticism that the races as a whole could ever fully get along, it did give him hope that the civil war tearing Salvar apart might end without the usual senseless slaughter.

Putting his sociological thoughts aside for the moment, Roith headed toward the carver's section of the guild. Fortunately, the bell calling the followers of The Church of Ethereal Sway to worship began its morning toll, causing the flow of people to shift away from the Trade Guilds. Roith pitied anyone outside the Guild's walls however, because the stampede of bodies was hard to resist. If one wasn't careful, you could get caught in a place for hours, trying to find a way through the aggressive crowd. Roith had experienced the phenomenon only a few hours earlier. As he entered the Carver Hall, he was pleased to see that it contained only a fraction of its usual petitioners, which still came out to a body count of at least 30, but Roith was in no position to complain.

When he finally got the attention of a guild attendee, he almost wished he hadn't. The man reeked of perfume and women that contrasted sharply with his humble attire. The attendant had a condescending air that rankled; Roith could tell the man had an over inflated ego and a bad habit of visiting the local whore houses. He could think of no other reason why the man would have perfume practically oozing from his pores without having the money to buy himself some better clothes.

Ignoring his almost instantaneous dislike for the attendant, Roith tapped the man on the shoulder and asked in a polite tone, "Excuse me good man, I was wondering if you could help me with a problem I have." The clerk raised his head to look at Roith, and with a gaze of undisguised annoyance turned back to his paperwork before answering. "Yes sir, how may I help you?" Inventing a story on the spot, Roith replied, "I need to find my brother-in-law who happens to be a carver for your Guild. I haven't visited him for a while, so I cannot quite recall where he lives. I was hoping you could give me the information and some directions so that I can pay a visit to my sister..." he paused to gauge the attendant's reaction, when he saw no visible change in the man's attitude he continued, "Is there anything you can do to help?" The attendant waved his hand in a beckoning gesture as if by doing so he could somehow coax more information out of Roith. "...And? What's your brother-in-law's name? I can’t help you if you don't give me that at least." Roith faked a startled air and said in a timid voice, "Oh! His name! Yes...his name is Gaelyn Erdman."

Roith tensed when a brief look of surprise followed by narrowed eyes and a weary gaze replaced the otherwise bored expression on the attendants face. "I'm sorry sir, I don't recognize the name, but I'm sure the records in the back room will be able to tell if we have any such carvers. Why don't you just wait here, and I'll be right back with the information you require." Roith flashed the clerk his best smile, "Yes of course, please take your time; I'm in no hurry to leave." The attendant nodded once and leaving his table turned and fled into the back room. "Shit. Seems like they already broke Gaelyn, I'd hoped he'd have been able to hold out longer. I guess the Imperial Guard wastes no time in their interrogations. Otherwise there would be no cause for the clerk to react the way he just did."

Quickly exiting the front, Roith circled around the side of the building until he came upon an open window. Carefully hoisting himself over the window frame, Roith paused to make sure his illegal entrance hadn't alerted anyone to his presence. When nothing happened he allowed himself to relax. To his surprise, he found himself in the apprentice quarters, and to his immense good luck it was empty. Looking down at his conspicuous chain mail and his obvious array of weapons, Roith doubted he was going to be able to sneak into the record's room unnoticed. Storing his sword and machetes under one of the apprentice's bed's, he looted a robe from one of their chests and pulled it over his head, effectively hiding his chain mail while giving him a slightly scholarly look. In order to complete the deception, Roith removed his bandanna and ran a hand through his red hair so that it fell naturally against his forehead.

Slightly more confident in his ability to blend in, Roith left the room and began exploring the hall, nodding to people as he passed. When he finally came upon the record's room he found it mostly empty except for a few apprentices reading up on the best tools to use in woodcraft. As he had suspected, the attendant had gone to alert the local authority's, which meant he had little time before they'd arrive. He needed to get the information he required quickly. Adopting a nonchalant attitude, Roith browsed the different volumes until he found the one containing Gaelyn's address and general information. Borrowing a quill and spare parchment from one of the apprentice's, Roith copied down Gaelyn's address and tucked it under his belt beneath the robe. "I need to hurry if I’m going to make it on time. Please let me make it on time."

Rushing back to the apprentice quarters, Roith had just finished throwing off his borrowed robe and buckling on his discarded weapon's when he heard the first stirrings of a commotion outside. "Damn, looks like I lingered a bit too long. Perhaps with a bit of luck I’ll be able to slip away undetected." With that thought, Roith jumped out the window.

[Mage Hunter]

Once out in the open air, the hood was pulled up on her cloak, giving her a bit more warmth on the frosty morning. A snort of disgust left her lips as she looked about the area and sighed. They had told her little to nothing about this group calling themselves the Green Blades. They had mentioned baiting a trap, and using the family of a known member to draw in more, and had given a name...Gaelyn Erdman. This particular man had no known history, but had been caught during a raid by these bandits, implicating him.

Still, it was better than the nothing she had to begin with. A name could be traced, and a name could be used. To use innocents in a trap didn't matter anymore. While she disliked the notion she could not afford to let her feelings get in the way of her work. Already twice that had been her near undoing, with one less than an hour fresh. Still as she looked about the area her eyes scanned as a predator, taking in the myriad of details.

The bustle of the city didn't matter to her as she forced herself against the current of flesh promising herself a rather harsh snow bath later for being touched by such filthy creatures. Her ears picking out shouts of various people locating each other. The constant crunch of snow as people joined into the great river that would tribute to outside the town, or to the various workshops. Even still she advanced, people seeming put off by her wordless demeanor. She could hear a few muttered curses in her direction, but it did not matter to her.

Her ears soon picked up the sound of bargains and deals. She was approaching the trading post of this impressive city. A place where the garish greed of humanity left itself bare to those that wished to see it. It sickened her, such a den of avarice surely was contained far better in Alerar, but she couldn't afford to let her feelings on the matter get in the way, not anymore. Moving into the trading post she sighed as she felt the weight of her purse, it was not very heavy, and that would be a problem down the road, for now she needed to restock on supplies.

Upon reaching the armsdealer of this particular post she moved up swiftly and with confidence. Many people were haglling over wares and arms, and she didn't want a thing to do with any of them. Her eyes remained forward as she waited as patiently as she could, before a human lad of maybe twenty years was before him, "May I help you miss?"

An arrow was produced from the quiver at her hip before she spoke sternly, "I need a bundle of twenty more of these arrows. Make sure they are broad pointed, and not fine pointed. I'm looking for war arrows, not the hunting variety."

"I see, will you require any special metal, or will exact replicas of these do?" The boy said firmly as he met her cold gaze.

"Oak and Steel are fine, how much for the bundle?"

The boy seemed to narrow his eyes before he nodded firmly and said, "I believe that will cost a solid hundred gold for the bundle."

Drusilia snorted at the price before she leaned forward on the counter, causing the boy to back up as she invaded his personal space. A hand reached out as she firmly gripped the boy's shirt, not allowing him the escape he craved as her lips hovered near his ear. Her voice was soft, but held no tenderness therein, "I work for the Imperial Guard, lest you wish me to explain to them why they are paying a hundred gold for these arrows, I suggest you find a better price."

"Would twenty gold be sufficient?" The boy said as he froze, in fear for his life before she released his shirt. Leaning back she nodded softly as she lazily twirled the arrow between fingers. The boy soon hurried off before he came back with two handfuls of arrows and placed them down. Drusilia soon holstered one of the arrows in her quiver before she picked one up and carefully looked along the line of the shaft. Seeing that it was in fact straight, and not curved like so many bad arrows she had been forced to fire. She nodded firmly setting the arrow down on the counter.

Her hand went to her pouch before she quickly counted out the gold, and place them upon the counter, clearly bearing Alerar's mark and from the time of Queen Valsharess. The boy picked one up before he nodded firmly and bit the coin, upon discovering it was infact gold he swept the other coins into his apron before Drusilia took the arrows and placed them in her quiver with the others. He then looked at her as he asked, "Can I get you anything else Miss?"

His tone had changed from the casual tone to a more formal and strict tone, a change that made the Huntress smile inwardly. Her hand rested on the counter before she asked, "There is actually a family I'm looking for, the Erdman residence."

The boy frowned before he spoke, "Is that a family name, or apprenticeship."

"Family name," Was the retort.

"I have no idea as to who that is, if he lived in the city, the guard would know him, or perhaps the Trade Guilds would. You could ask them if they have record of the name in their files."

She looked deeply into his eyes as if weighing his words before she spoke once more, a gold coin placed upon the counter, "Where are they?"

[Roith]

Roith slipped away from the side of the building and into the crowd gathering around the carver's hall just in time to see a small troop of perhaps fifteen soldiers surround the entrance to the building. Most of the foot soldiers were decked out in simple chain mail, with the Imperial emblem stamped on the front. All of them were carrying iron short swords and oak spears with iron tips. The captain of the group sported half plate armor along with an iron long sword and a wooden shield. Roith had to admit, none of them looked very imposing or authoritative, and he began to worry about his country's security from foreign invasion before he realized that this was an entirely inappropriate time to dwell on such matters.

Positioning himself deeper into the crowd, Roith watched as the attendant he had been talking to earlier lead the Captain into the carver's hall. The Captain was looking at the clerk as if he were something he's just scraped off his shoe and much to Roith's satisfaction; it appeared as if the attendant was beginning to regret his decision to alert the authorities after all. 'Serves you right for butting into other people’s business.' He wondered idly if the attendant seriously thought he was foolish enough to actually wait for the man's return. Roith didn't have time to dawdle however, and unobtrusively slipped out the Trade Guild entrance before the soldiers had been there for even a few minutes.

Roith began to relax the more distance he put between himself and the Trade Guild. However, the quick reaction of the guard and the fact that even low ranking members of the Guild knew Gaelyn's name didn't speak well for the safety of his family. In all likelihood Gaelyn's wife and son were already in the hands of the Imperial guard, and any attempt to contact them could lead to disastrous consequences. For a brief moment Roith considered abandoning his mission and heading back to the Green Blades, would any of them really blame him? Probably not, but when he thought about the lengths he'd go to if it was his own wife and child, he couldn't bring himself to leave them to the 'mercy' of the guard.

Sighing at his own weakness, Roith came to the quick conclusion that if he was going to defy the whole of the Imperial Guard by himself, he definitely wasn't going to do it with his own wallet. Spotting what appeared to be a wealthy merchant engaged in a shouting match with a spice trader, Roith let one of his small throwing knives slide down from its hiding place on his lower forearm into his waiting palm. The flat of the blade resting comfortably against his index finger. As he passed the red faced merchant, Roith deftly cut the thin leather thong holding the man's purse to his belt and let gravity drop the pouch full of coins into his waiting hand. Both the merchant and the trader seemed too engrossed in their verbal battle to notice anything was amiss. Continuing his casual saunter down the street, Roith paused in a nearby alley only when the sound of the two's fighting had disappeared into the regular noise of the city.

Opening the coin purse, Roith discovered about 200 Raiaerian gold coins and a small golden figurine of a wild Fallien horse. Upon closer inspection, Roith was amazed at the detail and craftsmanship that went into its creation. It was no bigger than a large mouse, but it appeared as realistic as the powerful desert horses that were so popular among the nobility. Its mane and tail seemed to be plated in white gold, and in each of its eye's there was set a tiny blood red ruby that appeared to glint with hidden fire. Roith wouldn't be surprised if the tiny figurine turned out to be enchanted. Tucking the small treasure into one of his traveling pouches, Roith hefted his stolen gold in one hand while weighing his options. 200 gold could buy a lot of information, in fact Roith hadn't expected the merchant to have anywhere near this much gold. He wondered if some of it had been obtained through ill measures, but Roith was in no position to judge.

Walking out into the main street, Roith paid a passing blacksmith a gold piece for directions to 204th street, as well as information on the Inn closest to the address he'd written down while in the Carver's Hall. Roith was in a hurry now, more than ever, but no good bandit ever let their haste turn into folly. He'd be damned if he didn't watch the place for danger before charging heedlessly in.

As Roith walked into 'The Roaring Boar Inn', he was immediately assaulted by the smell of beer, sweat, and burning meat. At first he wasn't sure if he could handle the conflicting scents but it looked relatively clean and more importantly it was only a few houses down from Gaelyn's home. If he could sneak across the roof tops undetected, he might be able to ascertain whether or not Gaelyn's family was safe.

Striding up to the counter, Roith signaled the innkeeper with a flick of his hand. "Good day ma'am, I'm looking to rent a room on your top floor with a wide window to let in the air, do you think this could be arranged? And if so how much would it cost to rent for the day?" The portly innkeeper nodded her head in understanding and began counting on her fingers as she made calculations. "The only room we have like that is the Bridal Suite, with food and the price of candle sticks, it would cost you about 30 gold to rent for the day." Roith counted out the gold and placed an extra piece in her palm as she was about to turn away. "To ensure I am not disturbed." The Innkeeper nodded as if she had expected this, and asked "When would you like your food?" Roith rolled his shoulders as he considered. "You don't have to go to the trouble; I'll come down when I'm ready to eat." She nodded again and handed him the room key before turning back to her previous task like he didn't exist.

Taking the stairs two at a time, Roith entered 'The Bridal Suite' and locked the door behind him. Now it was only a matter of waiting till sunset. Whatever happened, he only hoped he'd live long enough to make it to tomorrow.

If you want more information about my character or The Green Blades I just updated my character information. Also I read about your character being able to see magical aura's so i thought the 'horse' might help you pin-point Roith. If it only work's with living things though, no harm no foul.

[Mage Hunter]

Her movement was swift upon trying to reach the Trade Guild's building. However, even as she had arrived, she realized she might have been too late. The Imperial guard was everywhere, literally checking civilians left and right, even as Drusilia approached. One of the guards she had seen from earlier caught sight of her and immediately she was dragged into the building.

While the building itself was rather empty for the early morning hours she knew that it was probably while they checked over the area. A few papers littered the floor as the large building lost much of its warmth, having no longer been packed full of bodies. Her arm was held in a vice like grip as she bit her tongue, knowing that any word from her could mean her death. When she saw the Captain of the local guards she barely restrained the sneer on her face as he smiled, "Miss Liadon, it appears that while you were wasting time, the good citizens of Knife's Edge have done your job for you."

Drusilia kept her mouth shut as the captain let the smile turn more predatory, thinking he had won. She longed to draw one of her long swords and cut the man down; it would have been worth the death that followed merely for the human's arrogance. Still, she reigned in on her anger as he moved once again far closer than she normally would have allowed, "You seem to be falling behind in your work. Perhaps I should assign some guards to you, to speed it up?"

"That will not be necessary, Captain." The words were spoken with a cold efficiency as she felt him lay a hand upon her shoulder. She fought the shudder of revulsion, knowing he would probably have taken it as an invite as he walked about, trailing the hand along the cloak's fabric.

"That still leaves us up on you, I'm beginning to wonder if perhaps you aren't required here today, and perhaps that we should deal with the outstanding warrants..." The captain breathed deeply as he let the smile linger on his face, "Of which I was surprised to find, there were many."

"What warrants?" The hunter asked her tone showing no genuine interest.

"Lets begin, Murder of Gabriel Marketh, wizard journeying through the Concordia Forest, Murder of Anthony White, mage journeying through Concordia Forest, Murder of Duke Gallen Cormyr, of which there is a substantial bounty, and that's just in Corone, I'm wondering how many murders could be attributed to you," The words trailed off as he moved so he was directly in front of Drusilia before his voice dropped low, "Make no mistake Mage Hunter, I will have you rot in that Oubliette..."

"You wouldn't be threatening me, if you didn't need me for something," She said bluntly.

The Captain paused as he looked her in the eye before he spoke, "Clever hunter, yes, we have need of your talents. The Green Blades have already gotten information and are attempting to extract the family of the man we have in prison. I need you to act as a stop gap. We can't act openly, it would be too obvious. We need the guard to get into position, to ambush them. That's where you come in."

"If I'm dead whether I help or not, what’s in it for me?" Drusilia replied as she placed a hand on her sword's hilt, feeling the familiar grip.

The motion was not lost on the Captain as he immediately took a step back. A few of the guard picked up on the act and drew their bows, knocking them as they prepared to shoot down the Hunter. He then spread his arms wide as he spoke, "The difference is, which crimes you pay for. Do you expect the Coronian guard to treat you with any respect? You murdered a Duke, you'd be lucky if you weren't raped and killed your first night in the Coronian jail. Then when they'd had their fun with you, sold your meager weaponry for a few gold to go drinking that very night. At least you know what awaits you here, and who knows, you might escape in the chaos of tracking down the Green Blade."

Options filtered through her mind before she looked at the Captain. Finally she sighed as she pulled the hood of her cloak down, revealing her hair and ears before she looked balefully at the Captain, "What would you have your servant do oh mighty Captain?"

"Now that's more like it," The captain replied with a grin, as the men lowered their bows and prepared for the assault.

[Roith]

Although Roith had made the decision to wait for nightfall to infiltrate Gaelyn's house, that didn't mean he would let an opportunity to gather valuable information slip by. He had no idea what was going to happen, and Roith made it a habit to be prepared for every eventuality he could, but first he had to get out of his chain mail and lose some of his weapons. If he was going to go outside, he didn't want to end up looking like someone the Imperial Guard would be looking for. Roith didn't know how much information that damn attendant had given them, or if they had his description, but the Guard where not picky about stopping people they thought even remotely described their quarry.

So at this moment in time, Roith definitely did NOT want to look like a man in chain mail, brimming with steel. Storing his chain and long sword in the room's complimentary safe box, Roith strapped one of his machetes to his waist; he figured he could get away with it because most farmers wore them in the city. Roith never thought he would ever have a use for the paranoia that always thrived in small farming communities. Most of them were under the assumption that people in the city would sooner stab you and rob you blind before they treated a man with any respect. Which, to an extent, was true; but he never actually thought it would be...you know...useful. Most of his throwing daggers be managed to hide in various places on his person, but since he couldn't really hit much with them, they were more of a last resort. Turning to look into the full length mirror nailed to the wall, Roith was pleased to see a man with messy red hair, a plain cotton shirt with sleeves rolled up to mid-bicep, sturdy leather pants and well worn traveling boots. He didn't exactly look normal, but he wasn't nearly as conspicuous has he had been a few moments ago.

After reassuring himself that he would have a good chance of going noticed, Roith exited his room, locked his door, and descended the stairs to the Inn's common room. Without a glance at the room's occupants, or the man passed out in front of the door, he stepped over the obviously inebriated drunkard and out into the afternoon sun. Fortunately, the biting chill of the early morning had been banished with the mid-day sun. Roith thanked the gods for Knife's Edges comparatively mild weather. While the rest of Salvar froze beneath blistering winds, the capital city remained free of a good deal of the harsher elements. Probably, in no small part, to the mountains surrounding the city.

Making his way through the throngs of people, Roith paused when he came upon a fruit vendor hawking his wears to the crowds. The man was completely normal, if not a little dirty, but that was expected in a city where bathing was an uncommon luxury. His eyes looked honest, and he appeared to be the sort of man who'd have a bundle of children and a loving wife to go home to in the evening. Roith probably wouldn't have guessed that he was one of the best black market dealers and information barterers in Knife's Edge. Fortunately, he had been introduced to the fellow once before on a side mission with Boris.

Casually strolling up to the man's wares, Roith selected one of the juiciest red apples he could find and took a big bite, loving the way it crunched and snapped under his teeth. When the vendor finally began to look annoyed, Roith plunked a gold coin down on the table and leaned an arm against one of the stall posts. He took another big bite before speaking in a slow and even tone. "You know, these are really great apples, I'd even go so far as to say they're divine. But..." Roith paused mid-sentence and captured the merchant’s eye, "What I'm really looking for are some Green Glade apples...Happen to know where I could find some?" Roith kept an innocent expression on his face as he watched the fruit vendor stiffen in surprise before adopting a sly look. "Aye, I do believe I could help you with that good sir, we have a special selection of Glade Green apples in the back, let me just call my assistant to man the stall." Roith nodded, accepting the man's reply. The vendor had approved Roith's request for information by switching Glade and Green in his sentence. With the Imperial Guard around, one could never be too careful.

As soon as they were alone the man was all business. "What do you need Blade? I haven't got any jobs for you, if that’s what you're here for." Roith shook his head and raised his hand to stall any further questions. "No, I'm not here for a job, I need information. I know you've got people in The Guard; I need to know the status of Gaelyn Erdman's family, and whether or not The Guard already has them. Also, I need to know if I’m going to be walking into a trap if I attempt to contact them." Roith paused as if he wasn't sure if he should speak further but after some internal debate finally decided to ask, "Additionally, any information on Gaelyn's condition would be welcomed." The fruit vendor turned information barterer eyed Roith thoughtfully, "Fifty gold; and I'll tell you what you want to know. Information from the Imperial Guard is hard to come by, and it will cost you, fortunately I always pay attention whenever a member of the Green Blades gets himself skinned alive. So you won't have to wait the usual day to get the information you want." Roith winced, and wasn't sure if he wanted to know if the man was being figurative or not.

Fishing the asked for amount out of his pouch of stolen coins Roith drops them into the merchant's waiting hands. The man nods in appreciation, "Raiarien gold, one of the more pure currency's...good. Gaelyn's family still resides in their home, unfortunately so do five Imperial Guards. It’s a trap, but I think they are under the assumption that The Blades will come in force. A single man might be able to slip in and out with little bloodshed, but it would have to be an extremely talented individual." The man smiled smugly when he caught the confident look on Roith's face. "As for Gaelyn...I'm afraid they've broken his mind. The Imperial Guard was never known for being gentle; it seems they pushed him a bit too far..." Roith lowered his head and covered his eyes with his hand for a moment. "Thank you, if you'll excuse me, I’ll be on my way." The merchant nodded, and Roith strolled out into the waiting sun.

He spent the rest of his time studying building layouts and bribing city officials before he finally returned to ‘The Roaring Boar Inn.’ As night fell Roith donned his chainmail and weapons before using the rope in his travel bag to climb to the roof from his open window. It was pure luck on his part that the window happened to be facing an alley as opposed to the open street. He didn’t want any hapless civilians spotting him climb out his bedroom window; it could lead to unpleasant questions he was unprepared to answer. Keeping low to the rooftops to avoid detection, Roith made sure to replace his usual brown bandanna with his shockingly green raid bandanna. It was tradition to don their small symbol of unity before battle, before death, before the blood could stain their breasts. It represented life and brotherhood. As he gazed down through the Erdman window at his first victim, Roith smiled with anticipation, and wondered idly what he’d have for breakfast tomorrow.

[Mage Hunter]

It was interesting, what some people thought they were getting away with when no one was watching. The Hunter sat perched atop a building her bow idly held in her hands as she looked down upon the boy, he was currently swapping his head gear as he prepared to enter the house, and even in the dim light of the moon, Drusilia could make out that it was green. She snorted at the irony of the obvious maneuver, but then again she didn't care. Had she wanted to, she probably could have sniped the boy and been done with the night.

Still, she waited her eyes going to the heavier patrols about the house, the guard posted in the building, even as the boy swoop in to take them out. Foolish, and ultimately would fail, the guard would tighten like a noose once he left the house. Her eyes observed that they were staying out of the immediate streets and for some reason; they were weakened on one side. They were probably in the middle of a guard change. If the boy hurried fast enough he could probably leave via the north and head for the surrounding farmland. Of course, it would require an immense amount of luck.

The predator's smile increased across her face as she reveled in her rebellion against the captain. Even as she had a guard posted behind her, she knew he was probably getting tired and lax. He was supposed to watch over her, and he had gotten bored when she refused to talk to him. She could hear him Yawn again as she plucked the arrow from her quiver and nocked it to her bow. The guard looked at her with curiosity before he asked, "Did you find your target?"

"Yes," Was the curt reply. She waited for the follow up question she knew would come.

"Well, why don't you take him out, save us all some trouble, and get out of the cold?"

"I was merely waiting for permission," She said a sardonic twist upon her words emptied them of any true humility.

"You got permission, kill the bastard," The guard said as he tilted his cap down over his eyes.

"Never thought you'd let me," She said as she spun aiming the bow with deft grace. The arrow was released before it plunged deep into the throat of her target, his cry of agony let out as a wet gasp that few could have heard. Pinned against the roof he had been using as a bed rest he didn't move either, even as she plucked the arrow from the throat she growled lowly as she saw the steel tip had come off in the rooftop or perhaps caught upon the spine of her victim.

It didn't matter the arrow had done its purpose as she turned and watched the house intently. The guards were starting to reinforce the north; she'd have to work quickly if the boy was going to escape. Killing a guard now would alert them, but if she did it as the boy was leaving, she might just get lucky enough to herd him north. As she nocked another arrow she aimed carefully and waited, hoping one of the guards would stop so she could dispatch him silently.

A hunter after all had to be swift and without mercy.