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Reine
06-10-09, 09:45 AM
((Closed))



“So what did he do after he caught you?”

Faelynn rolled her eyes and took another drink of her ale, a soft smirk playing about the edges of her lips. “You really can’t figure out what he did after that?”

The man to her right snorted, a twinkle rising into the depths of his brown eyes. “I’m sure my imagination could come up with a few things, but I suppose the more important question would be, what did you do?” Shouts and laughter echoed from the group, a few of the men commenting on what they’d have done in the prissy little noble’s place.

She laughed; the sound light and carrying through the group surrounding her. There were nine of them, six men and three other females. They seemed interested in the stories she regaled them all with, but probably not for the same reason as the men. In all honesty, she didn’t have very many. Her life had not been all that interesting, but they seemed to be drinking it up like they were the ale in front of them. Even she had partaken in some, though she had drunk far less than they thought. It wasn’t hard for her to switch her mug with an empty one every time it was refilled, and the full ones? Well, let’s just say to that Daren, the young man sitting directly to her left, was quite inebriated at this point in time.

“He invited me to join in, giving me a perfect view on what exactly it was he could offer me. I laughed. I couldn’t help it. Let’s just say he didn’t take too kindly to that. Insulting a man’s... well, you know, doesn’t tend to go over very well. He called for the guards and I high tailed it out of there, laughing all the way, especially at the looks on the guards faces as they burst into the room.” She could still remember the comical look on the men’s faces as they looked at their employer in all his glory. He probably had not thought about his current...attire—or lack thereof—when he’d summoned them.

The group broke out into boisterous laughter, drowning out the other conversation going on in The Prancing Pony. A small place really, but well kept and right on the outskirts of Radasanth, making the last leg of the journey into Concordia a mere stone’s throw away. It was still too early for the establishment to be filled to the brim with the tired workers and depressed men looking to forget their problems in an endless glass of ale. In fact, it was too early period to be forgoing this much into the drink if anyone asked her, but no one in the group had. They had something to celebrate, so she couldn’t blame them for being half gone and still going. If anyone in this place seemed to notice or care though, her eyes didn’t catch it.

Aside from their group, the room had eight other patrons, none of whom seemed particularly interested in them. She’d know too, Faelynn had been watching them. None of them were alone and all of them were enjoying a light meal before the dinner hour. Their eyes only strayed in this direction when a little too much noise seemed to bubble up from the group.

With a smile still pulling at the corner of his lips, Markus leaned back in his chair. A man into his years, with a light peppering of grey at his temples and deep brown eyes that one could almost call black. If anyone could be called the leader of this ragtag team of individuals, it was him and not one person questioned it or seemed to have any problem, even though he practically cut short their fun. “All right, everyone drink up. When the glasses are empty, it’s time for all of us to head back.”

She raised her glass with the rest of them and down the contents, knowing she probably shouldn’t.

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Faelynn zipped her jacket up a little more. It was still early summer and deep within the tree line of Concordia, the canopy blocked most of the sun’s rays making the wind even cooler against her skin. Having just returned from Fallien only a few weeks ago, she was still used to the hot climate and now had to readjust, again. She’d move to Fallien one of these day, if it didn’t mean leaving behind Ferynn and the rest of her family.

“I must admit,” Markus began, his eyes focused somewhere ahead of them in the forest, “you seem pretty young, just how long have you been thieving for?”

She smiled and laughed lightly. It’s true, she was kind of young and though she knew she looked it, she tried to make sure none of her clients ever found out just how young the thief they hired was. “I realized I had an aptitude for it at quite a young age, but I didn’t think about it seriously until I hit about the age of fourteen, however I have only been doing it seriously for about two years now.”

“So that would make you...?” Markus smirked as he looked over at her, his eyes trying to deduce the answer himself.

She held her hands up in surrounded. “Please, you’re better off not knowing. At least then you can feign ignorance when the truth comes out.”

He laughed; the sound quite loud in the ambient noises of the forest. All she could hear were their soft footsteps over dead leaves, fallen twigs and earth. The occasional animal stirred and the birds seemed constant, but there was not much else. Conversation drifted around them from the others, but Markus and she had taken up the rear of the group. “You’re right; if you’re that young then I really don’t want to know. Especially considering some of the stories you’ve been telling.”

A slight bit of colour crept into her cheeks. She couldn’t help it. Some of those stories were rather outrageous and embarrassing, but she’d told them to win the trust of the group. It had worked a lot easier than she’d thought possible. At first, Faelynn had assumed her plan would be folly, poorly thought out and executed blindly on her behalf. She had not the time to plan properly and think about her actions, not when she’d heard a bunch of raiders from The Bandit Brotherhood were returning from Scara Brae. It was her only chance. Who knows when they’d cross paths again? So she’d found out as much as she could about their mission, then headed to the place her contact said they’d stop before heading into Concordia. How he knew that, she was not going to ask. It was not part of their arrangement. But just as he’d told her, they were there and like he said they would, they went straight into the drink. With their guards down and mind muddled from the alcohol, she’d slipped in just like one of them. She received only a few odd looks of ‘had she been here all along’? But since she acted as if nothing was amiss and she belonged here, they shook it off as if they had somehow missed her in the beginning.

At first, Faelynn thought of going to Jared for help in this matter. He had been a member of The Bandit Brotherhood when they had taken up residence in Dheathain. However, it became apparent to her rather quickly that this was a completely different group, and not run by some spunky little Akashiman woman named Kyosku Tetsoma. No, it was rumoured the fabled Yari Rafanas was back in lead of the original group he had created so long ago. It was almost enough to make her scream like the little girl and jump up and down, clutching a picture of him waiting for an autograph. Almost, but she still kept her wits about her. Rumours were just that, rumours and she couldn’t bring it up to these men, at least not in a way that wouldn’t cast suspicion on her.

So, I know I’m part of his group, but is it true that Yari Rafanas is leading it?

Oh yeah, that would go over just great. A one way ticket to getting her ass kicked in and no chance of getting back that stolen properly. Yeah, the whole reason she had mingled in with the group was to get back a few things they had stolen from someone precious to her, Ferynn, her brother. Funny, a thief stealing from a group of thieves, another one of her brightest ideas. Her brother worked as a blacksmith in Underwood and her best friend Connaire enchanted some of his work for both selling and experimenting. The Bandit Brotherhood had apparently decided that the shop interested them and they were low on weapons and armour. Now, there were a few reasons why Faelynn was so adamant on getting back these items, first; no one stole from her, her brother or anyone she knew and got away with it. Second, some of the enchantments on those weapons were very experimental according to Connaire and not safe at all.

“I heard about another raid that went on just a few days ago...” Faelynn began, trailing off and hoping that Markus would take the bite.

“Oh yeah, the one up in Underwood. I know we got a pretty good stash of stuff from there, but I didn’t take part in the raid and apparently the boss hasn’t gone through it yet.” Markus said as he scratched the newly forming stubble on his chin. “Wish I could have been there though.”

Perfect, now she just needed Markus to tell her where in their little camp they put their stash. Hopefully he knew.

Yari Rafanas
06-18-09, 10:17 PM
Buried deep within the vast forest of Concordia, tucked away behind gargantuan trees, jutting out from the foggy foliage, there existed a moss-covered precipice. A mighty fortress of wood and iron nestled along its edge, hugging the lip of the small mountain and overlooking a valley you could not see the bottom of. The cliff seemed to almost float on a sea of mist, majestic in its own natural way, but its reputation made it equally threatening. Seen by few, but known by many to house a collection of unchained souls and individuals united through the want and desire to be free, to take what they craved, and to exist far away from rule—the Bandit Brotherhood. Nestled within this cliffside retreat was a network of natural caves, and at their center was a vault barred with iron, the heart of all their efforts. Two men stood over a table lined with brilliant weaponry, discussing the haul before them as it was sorted into the other supplies and treasures located within.

“And after you left the shop?”

“Had to negotiate a little with a few guards as we fled,” answered the larger of the two, his frame molded into the body of a warrior, garbed in black as most bandits were. His voice not only carried age, but experience, and an almost soothing calm many a thief found comforting. “They seemed sour over your last visit.”

The response caused a smirk to appear on the scruffy face of the man oppossite – the young king of thieves, Yari Rafanas. He almost swaggered at the thought that his presence still lingered on the lumbertown, and after only a few short weeks of his solo “rescue” mission that left a few gates obliterated and a noble or two without life. He had gone there to save one of his own, and in his search seen a blacksmith with exception skill and a line of wares just begging to be set free from their bar-less prison walls. It was on his return that he ordered his rather built friend and trusted veteran brigand to take a few of their own into Underwood and appropriate what they could, and so far the Bandit King was quite pleased with the results.

“Well, we all hold grudges, Striver,” Yari continued. “Some of us wouldn't be here if we didn't.”

Striver's eyes narrowed as he looked to his leader, a boy he watched grow from raider runt to a powerful, commanding individual. Only Concordia's spirits could know how the boy, so regularly rejected in his early years and outclassed by so many others, could have grown into the charismatic king of thieves he was today. Rafanas had touched countless souls and severed just as many in his short and violent lives. There was no telling how many wanted him dead, or how many he wished harm upon in return. That the very mention of clutching to grudges shook Striver from his normally stoic state and the veteran opted to change the subject, as now was not the time to discuss loose ends.

“Markus will be here shortly with more. I'll see to him.”

With that, Striver shut the iron gates to the vault behind him and left his leader his own. Yari was thankful for his friend's efforts in bringing these weapons to their family, but what mysteries lie within the finely crafted steel? What stories were these blades to tell? He held firmly in his hand a simple sword, straight, and flawless in design. It caught the dim lights in the cave and almost seemed to amplify it, a nearly audible hum of power escaping its edges. It was as if it wanted to scream out and unleash the magicks within, but lacked the means to do so. Yari never stopped his examining to wonder that perhaps it simply yearned to return to its true owners.

Reine
06-24-09, 08:55 AM
Little camp was an understatement, a big, big understatement. Faelynn had no idea what she had been expecting when they came upon the headquarters of The Bandit Brotherhood. Sure, during their drastically long walk that made her want to cut her feet off she had thought about it, a lot. She’d pictured cute little wooden huts in an area cleared of trees with maybe a longhouse or something like that. She hadn’t pictured a town situated at the edge of a huge cliff, looking down into a foggy precipice she couldn’t even dream to see the bottom of. All along the edge of the headquarters were tall, gargantuan trees that stood as tall, mystical guardians of this place, not that it needed it. Right up to the very edge of the cliff was a tall, wooden wall, probably cut from these very trees. In a way, it reminded her of Underwood. The whole thing seemed well thought out and meticulously chosen to provide the best kind of protection Concordia could afford. It was monstrous, amazing and impressed the hell out of her.

The Bandit Brotherhood hideout lay deeper into Concordia than Faelynn had ever dared to travel before. The ancient trees here made her feel her young age even more than being surrounded by these old thieves, or at least Markus. He had barely left her side since their initial conversation. The man appeared to have taken a liking to her and they had bantered childhood stories back and forth for a while, though Faelynn had to catch herself a few times. He was part of the group that had stolen from her brother’s smithy. She couldn’t allow herself to become attached in any kind of way.

Now approaching the gates of this massive fortress styled hideout, she felt her heart begin to pound within her chest. A familiar feeling over all, one she experienced many times when she broke into her latest target and slipped that specific item into her bag. The palms of her hands became sweaty and she had to rub them across the smooth material covering her hips. Lips dry, she licked them, anxiety and worry running through her veins instead of blood. She could only hope it didn’t show on her face.

“Excited to be back?”

Markus’s deep voice startled her a bit. Turing towards him, Faelynn gave the man a shaky smile. “Does it show that much?”

One side of his mouth quirked up in a smile. In his youth, Faelynn imagined him to be quite the looker, but in a way that not all women would have noticed. She did.

He shrugged and turned to look ahead of them as the towering heights of the walls began to grow closer and closer. From here they could both see the small opening guarded on either side. “You just seem a little jittery, that’s all. I wonder if you have a certain special someone waiting for your return.”

He waggled his eyebrows at her and she chuckled. “Ah, well, I’m sure you’ll be happy to know that I am 100% single, Markus. Interested?” She bit down on her bottom lip. Crimson spread along his cheeks. The guys ahead of them whistled and catcalled, causing both of them to break out into spontaneous laughter.

They walked through the gate no problem, a giant door tilted open from the inside and left suspended in place by a series of counterweights and pulleys. It would make an advancing army pause... just long enough to blow it open with a good spell. But still, a deterrent enough for anyone that couldn’t do that. Despite having fit in so easily with the raiding party, Faelynn had still felt those shivers of fear creep along her spine as her feet confidently strode through. Well, at least she looked confident on the outside. On the inside she was a nervous, fluttering mess of organs and butterflies. How the butterflies had gotten inside of her she’d never know, but she wished they’d leave already.

Inside, Faelynn had to hide her shock. The outside made the place seem like a massive fortress, but inside, things became much different. Instead of the constructs of wood she had pictured, tents of all shapes and sizes lay before her. Small fires burned slowly outside of them with pots, pans and other cooking instruments haphazardly strewn about the trampled grass and sun dried earth. She was still looking around at the milling people and the meagre surroundings when the group came to a stop for some reason.

“Striver!” Markus’s booming voice sounded from beside her, causing her to almost jump from her skin.

Turning her head, Faelynn tried to look over the much taller men, though it eventually became quite obviously she didn’t need to. The man was coming this way! Feeling the need to hide, Faelynn took a few steps away from Markus, not enough for him to notice.

The man called Striver stopped a mere foot or two away from Markus with a crooked grin on his scarred face. Oddly enough, he kind of reminded her of her father. Big like a brawler and covered in the scars of many an ancient battle, though she had a feeling Striver’s were from real fights whereas her father’s came from arguing with the anvil and the forge.

“How’d everything go?” Striver asked, his voice much rougher than any man’s she had ever heard.

Markus just smiled at the man. “All right guys, I’m sure you know what to do after such a good mission!”

Shouts of excitement came from every one of them, except for Faelynn, who was too confused to understand. Several of the members slipped their rucksacks from their backs and tossed them to Markus before they turned to disappear into the maze of tents and people moving about in the last light of the day. She hadn’t noticed it before but the sky was growing dark rather quickly this deep into the forest. No wonder her feet were tired, they had hiked for practically the whole day.

“Faelynn?”

“Hmm?”

She turned her attention back to Markus just as he threw the rucksacks at her. Letting out a small squeal of surprise, she caught them in what she hoped was a graceful movement.

He smiled. “Take these to the cliff side vaults in about an hour. That’s enough time for you to relax a bit, right?”

She nodded her head and slung the packs over one shoulder, not entirely happy with their weight but not about to complain either. She had no idea who Striver was, but she was not about to give herself any more attention than necessary. She mumbled a half hearted goodbye to Markus and turned away, not entirely certain where the vaults were, but knowing that someone up there was giving her a helping hand right about now.

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Ten minutes later, Faelynn was standing at the edge of a large precipice looking down into something so deep she could not see the bottom on. Fog and mist and the approaching darkness blanketed what she assumed to be a valley. Walking along the grassy ledge of it, Faelynn soon came to a monstrous opening with two men passing back and forth a canteen of what she knew not to be water.

“Gentlemen.” She gave them her most charming smile and they totally fell right for it. “Would you be so kind as to remind a girl which way to the vaults?”

“B-b-but of course!” The one stuttered as he stood up. “Take the first cut off to the right and then the third tunnel from the left, that’ll take you right in.”

Giving him a wink, Faelynn thanked the inebriated fellow and quickly moved in before they decided to question something. Inside, she was pleasantly surprised to find interspersed torches brightly blazing against the rough, natural walls of the cavern system. They casted grotesque shadows along the stomach and stalactite that would give even the toughest of children nightmares for years to come. Shortly into the cavern, Faelynn became very thankful for the directions she was given. Apparently this was no simple cave, the first break off into three different directions told her that. Not wishing to get lost, she diligently followed the instructions given to her.

Faelynn stopped just inside the room. Her mouth hung open slightly as she stared into the monstrous cavern before her. Most of the space was not even being use, but along several walls and even the floor lay weapons, armour and various shiny objects pilfered from various cities, homes and people. Dropping the three rucksacks from the raiding party on the floor, Faelynn quickly began looking through the pieces to find the telltale marks she knew so well of her brother’s work. It wasn’t hard, the quality of his blacksmithing coupled with Connaire’s enchanting made them stand out amongst most of the crap in here. Slipping her rucksack of infinity off, Faelynn began placing the items within it as carefully and quickly as she could.

Her heart hadn’t stopped thundering through her chest since she entered the caves. Adrenaline made her hands feel shaky. Those god damn butterflies had migrated to her stomach instead of leaving. Faelynn honestly couldn’t believe she had gotten away with this insane, crazy, ridiculously thought out and planned... plan. Now all she had to do was get out of here.

“Since when did we start letting kids play in here?”

Faelynn jumped up. Her heart pounded wildly in her throat as she turned towards the voice.