Newcomer in town [Attn: Anyone / Everyone]

[Sunny]

Dakson Torellion

The common room of the Jumping Swordfish smelled of stale beer, sweat, and dirt. The people packed inside it didn't seem to mind, however, for light and shadow spilled out of every door and window in merry patterns, and the din of laughter, ribald singing, dice and mugs filled the street outside.

Dax lounged against the wall with one half of his buttocks on a table, his leg drawn up so his foot rested before him, the other dangling towards the floor. One hand held a nearly empty mug, and the other rested on the waist of a pretty serving maid who had sought him out soon after his arrival. Was her name Jaccine, or Anrietta? Or maybe Resabel? Their names and faces all slipped together after a while, but he had found that such girls accepted a flirtatious endearment and a coin just as eagerly as a name in the heat of the moment.

Hama Valon had certainly captured his interest. He had been there a week, and had stayed at a new inn each night as he asked his questions about the Grey Tower’s training program. It certainly seemed to suit his needs...except for the tiny detail of having to swear to protect bloody Aes Sedai once he completed their requirements. Like that will ever happen. He snorted, and drained his cup.

“May I refill your drink?” the serving girl asked, her eyes a little too bright. Dax smiled, then handed her his mug and winked. His eyes caught on the wiggle of her behind as she walked away, an unmistakably lecherous smile on his face. Whatever he did, his stay in this city would certainly be memorable!

He jumped down and threaded his way through the room to the corner where the dicers hunched over their cups. “I’d like to try my luck,” he said, meeting the leader's eyes, "do you have space for a stranger at your table?” He could always use a few more coins to line his pockets.

OOC: Dakson is going to sign up as a Drin, but I haven't gotten that far yet. Anyone want to get into some mischief? :)

[Bree]

Bree and Peach pulled up wearily in front of an inn that seemed to pulse with the energy of the patrons inside. A groom sauntered lazily up to take the reins. Peach eyed the man and made as if to nip his fingers. The groom deftly twitched the reins to turn Peach's head to avoid the nip. Bree was impressed. She flipped a coin at the groom who caught it just as deftly and, petting Peach on the flank, Bree walked into the inn.

As the door closed behind her, Bree paused and surveyed the room. She ran her fingers through her hair thinking vaguely that it was probably time to trim it again. There was a distinct curl beginning around the top of her ears. The sound of dice rolling around a table top came from the middle of a group of men in a back corner. Serving girls waded through the sea of people eating and drinking at tables scattered around the room. Locating an empty table near the dicers, Bree made her way over and sat down. Smiling at a serving girl who met her before she could sit comfortably, Bree placed her order, "I'll have a cup of punch and a plate of something hot, please. I will need a room for the night, as well, if you have one."

The serving girl inclined her head briefly and walked away. Bree, leaning her carved staff against her chair back, turned her head to watched the flickering light of the fire in the hearth at the side of the room. The sounds of the dicing game floated to her ears through the chatter in the room as travel weariness relaxed her muscles and she seemed to assume the shape of a soggy pillow in her chair.

[Ragan]

Ragan 

Ragan wandered through the streets of Hama Valon. He had no idea why, but the Indigo Aei Sedai had simply told him to go to Hama Valon with no orders other than to be there , wandering without a distinct purpose. That was okay with him though, his head felt far too empty to have much of a purpose. 'Stop growling Claw' Ragan absentmindedly thought as his wolf companion growled at a village dog.

 

'He was asking for it brother' Claw snarled back. 'The pitiful thing was yapping like buzzing of flies in my ear'

 

'I know Claw, I heard it too. But that is no reason to scare the young ones.' Ragan gestured towards the children who had begun to cower when Claw started growling. 'Go back to the pack Claw. Sleep. You are even more tired than I am.'

 

After Claw loped off towards the tower, Ragan began walking again. He wandered up and down the streets, attempting to avoid thinking. He bought some bread from a stall and began to eat as he wandered into an inn.

 

He approached the bar and sat down. 'light I want an ale' Ragan thought as a serving girl approached him. "Just a water please" the words came out of reflex, something that Ragan didn't particularly mind and he sat down at a table.

 

The sounds of a dice game tumbled nearby and Ragan heard a horse whinny softly outside. He closed off his mind to the overwhelming senses that where all around him and he closed his eyes.

[Zack]

"Why in the world did I think it was a good idea to make the entire journey from Illian to the Grey Tower on foot?" Zacharyn berated himself as he walked into Hama Valon proper. Looking around and shifting his weight back and forth on his tired feet, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Excuse me kind sir." He said, walking up to the closest person with the meekest of expressions on his face. "Would you mind pointing me in the direction of the closest inn?" Zacharyn asked. The man started at suddenly being addressed and looked around. "Well,...umm aside from the Jumping Swordfish?..." the man pointed to a building directly behind him. Zacharyn blushed furiously and bowed, "Thank you very much, sorry for the trouble." he said, and promptly pushed by the man to get to his ultimate goal. DINNER!


Walking into the Swordfish was like pushing into a palace as far as Zacharyn was concerned. Delicious food, cute serving ladies, Bree. "Bree!?" he exclaimed and blinked to make sure he wasn't seeing things from his lack of eating,(still really hungry... just sayin) and began trying to politely push his way to a welcome face.

[Bree]

Bree had nearly dozed off awaiting the steaming bowl of stew and warm crusty bread that was brought to her table. Raucous laughter from the dice game not withstanding, she hadn't realized how weary she had become until she sat very still in a comfortable room with a distinct lack of bitemes. With that thought she mentally reminded herself to go rub down Peach before heading to bed.

She had dipped her bread into her stew and was tearing a chunk of the delightfully sodden loaf with her teeth when she heard her name. She looked up and almost choked as she inhaled sharply. Spluttering and trying to swallow the bread, she stood and met Zacharyn as he approached her table, throwing her arms around him in a welcoming embrace.

"Blacksmith! What in blazes are you doing here? Is your father with you? Are you hungry?" She waved at a serving woman and indicated she needed another helping of food then laughed, "Of course you are. As I recall, you have an appetite almost as big as my own."

She waved at the table and kicked a chair with her toe as she moved to sit back down in her own. "Sit, sit. Tell me how you are!"

She had only spent a short time with this very pretty young man but he had made a lasting impression and her weariness was long forgotten as she met his eyes and realized she had missed him. She was very happy to see him.

[Sunny]

Dax

Dax had lost frequently since he’d sat at the table, and thus the men sitting there found his company enjoyable. As he picked up the dice cup once again, he laughingly declared “This time I’ll win my passage back home!” The others roared with laughter, and the gold flowed from their fingers to the table as they laid their bets.

He shook the cup and sent the dice tumbling over the wood and coins. All five landed with six pips up. ”Again!” One of the men declared after a moment of surprised silence. The others at the table looked less certain, but they laid their coins on the table. Dax collected the dice and rolled again; this time, the pips ranged in order from one to six. “Bloody ashes,” he muttered. He hadn’t actually expected to win once, let alone twice in a row.

Dax leaned forward and collected the coins with nimble fingers, well aware that he had just won a fortune and not wishing to push his luck. As he poured the coins into his purse, the stranger across from him abruptly exploded to his feet. “I will not have my hard-earned gold stolen by a quick-fingered outlander thief!” He cried, reaching for the axe that leaned against the wall behind him.

The disturbance blanketed the common room in stunned silence. Dax could feel the eyes focused on him like a hundred points of uncomfortable heat, and resisted the urge to squirm. “Is that how it is, friend?” he asked calmly, his right hand resting on his sword hilt. “You can check the dice- I won with the grace of luck and Light, no more.”

“I don’t bloody care about your grace or your Light,” the man said, moving out of the corner, “I want my flaming money back!” He swung the axe without much care for the safety of those around him, and Dax threw himself backwards, barely getting his sword out of its sheathe and up in time to block the next descending blow.

It appeared it was time to dance.

[Ragan]

Ragan heard the loud rattle of chairs being thrown to the floor. His eyes opened quickly when he heard a shout of "I WANT MY FLAMING MONEY BACK!"

 

'Light why cant I ever have a day' Ragan thought as he stood up. He brushed off his tower uniform and drank the last of his ale that he had finally convinced himself to order before he saw a rather unsightly man swing his axe. 'in a room, filled with people. Drunken fool'

 

Ragan was close enough that he could accurately throw a stone, but he threw something bigger, his mug. The mug struck the man in the side of his head eliciting an angry bellow "WHO THREW THAT" the man shouted as he looked around the room.

 

Ragan took notice of the man standing with his sword drawn as he walked forward slowly streching to his full height 'blast it all that I cant have my bloody sword with me on this aptly named errand' Ragan thought before saying " I did you wool headed fool.  Put your flaming axe down before I make you." Ragan uttered a low growl as he glared at the man. Daring him to make a move.

 

Ragan now turned his attenttion to the man with the sword " And you, not that I believe this drunkard, but I hear a distinct jingle of coins in your purse, and it sounds like a lot, may I ask, as you hopefully put your sword away, how is it that you are so lucky?" as Ragan finished talking, he heard a shuffle of feet behind him.

[Bree]

The loud bellowing of someone from the dicing table intruded into Bree's reunion with Zak. Looking up Bree said, "Oh bother..." She shoved her mug of punch into Zak's hands and stood, picking up her staff. The commotion was escalated as a mug connected with the bellowing man's head.

Bree patted Zak on the shoulder and left him at the table. She grinned and edged around the table between her and the dicers and came up behind a man wearing a uniform. She heard him asking a man with a sword about his luck and watched as several other patrons began to clear some space between themselves and the confrontation.

Bree tried to figure out which side she should join if a scuffle started and decided that the uniform was probably the best indicator of the side of authority in this case. She took another step and positioned herself clearly in a posture supportive of the uniformed man. There she propped her staff in front of her, leaning it back slightly toward her left shoulder and gripping it gently with both hands near the center.

She gave a grin and asked in the direction of the uniformed man, "Did someone see a mouse, or did one of the serving maids decide to tickle them back?" Widening her eyes slightly, the mischief was clear on her face.

[Sunny]

Dax

Dax focused on his opponent, but his concentration was broken moments later by a mug that flew past him to strike the man in the face just above his ridiculous black beard "Who threw that?"

"I did you wool headed fool. Put your flaming axe down before I make you." The man who stepped up to stand beside Dax was potentially the largest human being the Tairen had ever laid eyes on. He had an Aielman's height, an Ogier's breadth, and eyes that flashed an unearthly gold in the light of the lanterns hanging from the rafters. He was also, Dax realized as he asked about the dice game, quite young.

A woman with short hair and a quarterstaff joined them before Dax could respond. "Did someone see a mouse, or did one of the serving maids decide to tickle them back?" Someone roared with laughter, but Dax noticed that two men had scrambled up and were standing shoulder to shoulder with the bearded man, and several others were watching warily. This is sizing up to be a respectable little scrap, he thought.

“I think I’ll keep my sword out if it’s all the same to you, lad,” Dax said to the giant, “As for my luck, I won a game of dice- twice. Apparently my assailant doesn’t appreciate that luck is a fickle mistress who goes where she pleases. So I suppose, m’lady, one of the maids did try to tickle him- in a manner of speaking.” He winked at the newcomer.

“Luck? Or cheating?” Blackbeard lunged forward, and Dax’s sword flicked out, tapping the stranger sharply on the forehead with the flat of his blade. He roared again – Light, did the man have no other setting for his voice?- and Dax took a step back, settling into a half-crouched stance that would give him the best balance.

“On my honor, I didn’t cheat,” he told his new companions. For once, he added silently to himself. “I hope you’re ready for a fight.”

OOC: Sorry Zack! I meant to wait for you to post, but I have limited time to write, so I decided I'd better go for it. Have fun. :P

[Ragan]

‘I’m always ready for a fight’ Ragan thought ‘but why in the light does it have to be today!’ Ragan could barely think straight as he stood there and a fight would do anything but help him. Although, he could let off a little steam…

The men who had scrambled up next to the drunkard were shifting around on their feet, as if they didn’t want to be standing up for the man, but had too. One of them had a crudely made club, and the other had a small poorly cared for dagger. All of the men reeked of alcohol and sweat, making Ragan’s eyes water just a little bit.

“You are quite right sir” Ragan said “he seems to have forgotten that with gambling, there is always a high chance of losing. Much like picking a fight with the wrong people.” Ragan almost chuckled the last part, his training in keeping himself composed came naturally now, specifically in thanks to his teacher Seth.

Ragan turned his full attention on the three shabby, scraggly men who had formed a poor line in opposition of him and his newfound companions, and slid into the familiar stance he had used so many times before while protecting himself from those who had nothing better to do than hurt those that they wished, and took a deep breath, preparing himself for more cuts and bruises than he was sure he was allowed.