A Matter of Trust

[BlackAndBlueEyes]

Closed to Deception and Discord. Some salty language in this thread--it is a Maddy thread, after all.

I took another sip of my whisky.

Where the hell was I, again?

Sorenka, that's right. Sorenka.

It was this dumpy little barony on the eastern coast of Salvar, which was south enough that it wasn't a frozen wasteland, like you'd think this entire country would be, right? I had no laboratories here, no professional contacts, no books to collect, no item to acquire for personal gain. So, what in the seven hells was I doing here?

A, and I fucking quote, "trust-building exercise".

Of course, nothing's ever that simple with Lichensith Ulroké. It's more of a test. A test of my loyalties, a test of the skills of some new blood, a test of the far-reaching power of the Order of the Crimson Hand.

I browsed through the hand-written letter again, lazily reading details and instructions I had already committed to memory days ago. Baron Gutteinhoff had tapped our little organization a while back to secure some special enchanted garments and jewelry that would allow him to make friends and influence people through dubious means designed by the Hands of the Mind. Basically, he gifted them to other local barons and people of considerable power, which magically shifted their willpower into neutral and allowed him to sway local events in his favor. And now, he decided to stop paying us for services rendered. Which, of course, is a big no-no.

The Crimson Assassin used this opportunity to send me back into the field with a fresh-faced operative by the name of Vanessa Wraith to wag our fingers in Gutteinhoff's face disapprovingly and express the Order's displeasure in his decision to renege on his contract.

Because, yeah; sometimes blood is worth as much as gold in the circles I tend to move in.

The tavern I nursed my drink in was empty, save for myself and the barkeep. I had scoped out the place days prior to Vanessa's expected arrival; despite it being close to a relatively active port, in the early afternoon the place was absolutely dead. The wrinkly, spotted man with the hunched back was incredibly hard of hearing, which made The Seafaring Harlot (who gave it that name?!) a perfect meeting place where neither of us would really be overheard or raise suspicion.

Just two lonely spinsters out for a drink in the middle of the day.

I was decked in head to toe in midnight black. My cloak was clasped tight around my shoulders. I picked at a spot on the table with a gloved hand--I needed gloves for this trip, even though they feel rough against my vine-braided arms and hands, and keep getting caught on knots and snarls. I spent the hour or so waiting for this Vanessa woman to show up planning out how we were going to deliver the message to the baron.

We wouldn't just waltz up to his chambers and slap him around... That's not how the Order likes to do things.

No... It would be slow, it would be deliberate, and it would be messy.

Very much like Eiskalt.

[Deception and Discord]

Donavan! The singular thought forced its way into Vanessa’s mind.

Vanessa quickly unsheathed one of her throwing knives from underneath her jacket. Her eyes narrowed, focusing on a faint blur of a man resting against a tree. All at once her entire being launched her knife at the man, mind flushed with emotion. Watching through the snow fall a bead of sweat dipped from Vanessa’s brow. Then as if to completely break the tension of the moment, the Knife reached its target. The sound of the tip of her blade splintering the bark of the tree reached her ears and broke the silence.

“Fuck!” She cried out as she relaxed her shoulders. It had happened again, Donavan, a ghost from her past. Taking in a deep breath Vanessa calmed down and began to walk over to the tree. Reaching out and pulling her blade from the back, the newest member of The Order refocused on her trip.

Stop it. You know he isn’t there. She convinced herself as she once against started to step into the falling snow. Traveling to the eastern Salvar coast Vanessa was to accompany one Madison Freebird as her partner. The Baron of the land had broken his end of a bargain, and easy enough it would seem that the group she had just entered doesn’t like to be fucked with.

Almost without question Vanessa signed on with The Order after hearing of their great military accomplishment in Eiskalt. Just two small groups of men The Order and Misery Business warranted the attention of the Ixian Knights and nearly brought down and entire country. Anyone with their right mind would find great interest in them, but seeing as they were right up her ally skill wise. Vanessa hopped on the first chance she got.

There was a faint glow in the distance, a lamp maybe or perhaps a torch. Hard to tell looking past the snow fall, yet she was sure it meant she had arrived at the location. She had been warned in her dispatch letter that her partner. Madison Freebird was not a person to play with, but if you could sit and share a drink with her there would be little problem getting along with her. And well, Vanessa drank. She drank heavily… But not tonight, tonight was meant to plan for the operation.\

Reaching the door of the tavern Vanessa exhaled abruptly as she reached out, turning the latch of the door. As the door creaked open a wave of warm air kissed her face as the warmth of the fire filled the room. Stepping in Vanessa started to look over the room, trained to always be fully aware of your surroundings Vanessa to great care to examine everything. Two men sitting at the bar talking to each other and the bar maid. Four tables of men all are having a good time enjoying the mead. And in the back farthest corner of the tavern she saw her. Madison, the veteran agent she was sent to find.

Without any hesitation she made her way to the back of the tavern, the warmth of the fire warmed her so as she walked she took of her black knee length jacket. She was wearing only black pants and a black tube top under her heavy coat. Her hair up in a tight pony tail like the military brat she was. A master of both martial arts and espionage, but tonight she was just comfortable.

“I guess it’s time we start making a plan.” Vanessa said as she threw her coat on the edge of the table and sat her happy ass down. Flagging the bar maiden to bring her a glass, Vanessa quickly looked over Madison. “Assuming you don’t just want to just wing it and hope for the best.” She said with a smirk on her face. She truly was confident in her skills assuming every one of The Order all possess a knack for death and discord.

[BlackAndBlueEyes]

A young woman approached me, cocky, carefree, and with a troublesome little grin on her face. Her skin was dark, but not a shade that would've told me she hailed from Fallien. She had hair as black as my own pulled back in a ponytail, and a set of piercing gray eyes. She was moderately beautiful, and I caught a glimpse of an athletic body underneath that thick coat of hers. ...But why she was opting to wear a black tube top in this weather was beyond me.

The barmaid returned with her drink, and as she flashed a smile at the blond, picked up her ale, and began drinking, I sat there with pursed lips and arms crossed in front of me on the heavy oak table, feeling more than slightly annoyed.

Vanessa took a long drag on her glass, before lowering it to the table and cocking an eyebrow up. "Well?" she asked, more amused at her own entry than genuinely curious about our mission in this port town, no less.

The silence grew between us in spite of the nighttime rush in the tavern that continued on without us. Finally, I said, "You're late."

"Excuse me?"

"I said, you're late. I've been here since lunch, you were supposed to arrive in the mid-afternoon, and it is currently..." I look at an invisible watch on my gloved wrist for dramatic effect, "Well past Happy Hour."

Vanessa Wraith cocked her head to the side, unsure of how to react. I sprouted four vines from underneath my pant legs, and wrapped one each around the legs of her chair. I gave a quick tug, pulling the chair closer to the table. The young woman sat up straight in her chair with a jolt as her seat shifted several inches, maneuvering her arm in an attempt to not spill her drink.

I retracted my vines and leaned in closer, satisfied that I had her full attention. "Look," I started in hushed tones, "I don't want to get off on the wrong foot here, Vanessa. I don't want to scare you, I don't want you to harbor a grudge against me, I don't want any of that. The gods know that I don't need anyone else mad at me right now. But if you're going to work with me, then I ask for a little timeliness and tact."

Leaning back in my seat, I quickly scanned the tavern to see if we had attracted any attention. Every other soul in the place was content to celebrate surviving another day on the docks or their farms, no tragedies having befallen them today, completely ignoring the two women sitting in the far corner by themselves, completely dressed in totally not at all suspicious shades of black.

My attention turned back to Vanessa. Her steely gaze was searching for something in my eyes, but I couldn't tell what. I waved my hand dismissively. "I'm sorry. It's been a long day. ...Week." I took a sip of my own drink, which had gotten warm. "...Year, really."

I ruffled through my leather traveling satchel, producing a few sheets of yellowed parchment. "Getting back to the matter at hand, I actually have something of a plan in mind." I handed my associate a few of the documents, which she started to look over as she nursed her glass. "What have they told you so far?"

Looking up from over the top of a page, she said, "Just that the local baron hasn't been paying for our services, and needs to be taught a lesson."

I nodded. "That's the basics, yes. And thankfully, it won't get much more complicated than that."

Vanessa leaned in closer, her gaze narrowing. "So, do we just sneak in and kill him, then?" Her voice had an insulted tone that told me that something like that was a little too simple, too low of a task for her.

I shook my head. "If Lichensith wanted it done like that, then we would've been out of town by now. No; he wants this job done differently. He wants us to find out why Gutteinhoff hasn't been sending us the money he owes. We suspect that the enchanted clothes and jewelry we've traded have made him think that, with all of his newly-won friends and power, he could take us out if we decided to come collect." A thin, devilish grin spread across my face. "Which is a very stupid thought indeed."

"So what's the plan, then?"

"How good are you at infiltration and espionage?"

[Deception and Discord]

“Please,” Vanessa said leaning back in her chair, not amused by the question. Surely she was to be used as a spy or infiltrator that was the very premise for her join The Order. “ Ill be in and comfortable in a mere three days’ time. “ She finished her retort with an arrogant smile.

“Really…” Madison said with slight distance, she hadn’t been impressed but Vanessa on their first time meeting. Was it her being new to the organization or had she done something wrong, Vanessa couldn’t tell from first glance.

“But what am I looking for? Assuming this is not just about some kind of abduction. Then there must be something else going on in the Barony.” Vanessa’s question must have hit it close as Maddison let out a small grin. She was a strange one indeed, appearing to be a girl but she was so much more. Vanessa prides herself on how well she can play a role and how well she can read people. On first glance the Maddison was a pretty girl instilled with a sailor’s attitude and language.

Vanessa crossed her arm to resemble sour puss attitude of her fellow assassin, all the planning something. With her small finger concealed behind her elbow she worked her way to her trench knife underneath her breast. The two shadowy ladies sat in silence for a couple moments before Vanessa pushed her chair back and stood up.

“Have you noticed the hooded man sitting over in the corner?” Vanessa quietly asked Maddison not even needing to point him out. A small figured man or woman hunched over two tables behind Maddison. “He has been watching us for a while now.” Vanessa grabbed her coat from the table and quickly flung it on, and began to walk away. A scrap on paper left on the table where Maddison still sat, Vanessa doesn’t tend to be chatty in public places long for it draws much attention to herself and her appearance. An infiltrator always keeps oneself unnoticed until the time deemed necessary, and makes sure to always tie up loose ends.

The man sitting behind Maddison proceeded to stand up and fallow Vanessa as she left the building. Maddison as the man walked buy leaned in and snatched the scrap of paper she had left behind, then stuffing it into her pocket. The note read “Ill meet you at the dead tree outside town every night when the moon is heist in the sky, don’t be fallowed and I won’t. “

As Vanessa and the man left the building she continued to brave the cold and lake an alley adjacent to the tavern. Without hesitation she slipped her Trench Knife on her knuckles out of sight of the man still fallowing her. What could have going through his mind? Whatever it was Vanessa had to play it safe, he had seen her and studied her face, he had to die.
She stopped in the center of the alley and looked back at the hooded figure flipping her pony tail over her shoulder in the process. And like a red demon Vanessa’s eyes turned a shade of crimson red as she kicked up the snow behind her and rushed the man. She was fast, so fast the man had little time to even react to her in this snowfall. She narrowed the gap and with a light jump she lifted her leg into the air kicking the man in the throat, sending him flying back and onto the ground. By hurting his wind pipe Vanessa knew she could silence the man. In a blur of movement Vanessa had startled the man with her knife pressed against his throat, pinning him then pressing down hard and severing his head from his body.

Now she was free to assimilate into the Barony.