A Clash with Pirates ~ Amaranthine: 9:46 Dragon (in progress)

"Something fishy is going on around us," Janus whispered to Adeline. "I suggest we get all the details needed for this job quietly and quickly."

"I agree," Adeline replied. "Janus, find other people who are interested in the job. Enathaya and I are going to talk to Oudart for the details."

Janus nodded slightly, and beer in hand, took a quick sip of the frothy beverage before heading into the taverns crowd.

The stench of wet dog and dried ale was strong. He scanned the room, taking stock of the unsavory characters shifting through the straw-backed floor. The red-headed Dwarf seemed to be missing...and his new "acquaintance" Jean-Pierre was flat on the floor, looking sickly and disoriented.

He was not the only one, as another man, gurgling a bit after a swig of ale, collapsed onto the floor, vomiting on the strawed floorboards further. A woman nearby, clad in a rather plain-looking cloak, was knocked to her feet, slightly disoriented. She quickly motioned for two others to help her.

“He is drunk,” she shouted. “Get him out of here.”

The two man began dragging the poor sod out of the bar, his body convulsing in pain. Janus looked on in confusion... 'An allergic reaction?' he thought to himself...it seemed like one, with the way the man spasamed to and fro in the hands of the bouncers.

He noticed the woman was still on the floor, but her posture was one of nearly hiding, almost as if she was trying to make herself small and unnoticeable.

Janus stroked his beard a bit, but before moving towards the woman, he saw his mage acquaintances already come to her aid. Janus turned his head to the beleaguered Jean-Paul. 

"You ok, Messere La Valle?" he said, extending a hand out to her to help him up.

"ATTENTION!" Oudart yelled. "If anyone is interested in taking out Julius the pirate lord, then meet me upstairs, first door to the right for more details!"

Janus looked up, and noticed some movement by a few people in the tavern towards the upstairs section. Least of which, the same woman he noticed before, with the fiery hair. Janus smiled a bit.

"Well now, that sounds interesting." he said purposefully aloud. He grabbed Jean-Paul's arm and pulled him to his feet. 

"We should join that, would do some good instead of rotting here, no?"

Reznore

The auburn haired woman was grateful that Adeline and Enathaya helped her up but she rejected Adeline's offer of healing her through magic and began limping to the meeting room. "I should still help you with your back-" Adeline began, but she realized that the woman ignored her.

Turning to Enathaya, Adeline noticed that the elf was scowling at her why she angry at her? "Are you okay Enathaya?" Adeline asked. While she asked the question, Adeline realized why she may be angry with her. Enathaya probably was ease dropping on Adeline's conversation with the battered woman, and overheard Adeline mentioning that she was a mage. Adeline bit her lip, while some people still fear magic most don't turn a mage down if they are injured. 

"You've heard that I revealed my status as a mage to a stranger huh?" Adeline sighed. "It's a force of habit, I've spent some time on the road helping the sick and wounded. Don't worry I will not reveal you Enathaya, but with you following me I'm going to be more cautious." Adeline stared up at Oudart. "Come on Enathaya let's go."  As Adeline walked upstairs, she spotted the red headed woman who was causing a ruckus a few minutes ago accompanied by a Dalish elf. Are they going for the job too?

As the woman faced Adeline she tried to smile. "Hello there." Adeline bowed, "I assume you are here for the job?"

The woman raised an eyebrow analyzing Adeline's attire. "In a way yeah." She mumbled. "I thought Oudart doesn't allow prosititutes in his tavern." 

"I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't allow them." Adeline replied. "He seems very professional, so if we're working together we should get to know one another. My name is Adeline and the person right next to me is Enathaya."

"Name's Arianne." The woman replied. "The Dalish Elf is Ashara my friend. Why don't you two get into the room." Arianne frowned "I need to speak to Oudart." Adeline blinked and motioned Enathaya to follow her. "I think we should sit next to the auburn haired woman Enathaya." Adeline whispered as she approached the woman. "Hello again." Adeline smiled "You're here for the job as well, you haven't introduced yourself earlier. "I'll start: My name is Adeline."

dragontartare  


(OOC: Arianne's POV.)

SPOILER: Click to show

Arianne fast walked towards Oudart, full of anger. That was pretty bold of Oudart, announcing that to the whole tavern to gather in a room. Has the man not think that there could be possible eavesdroppers? "Oy Oudart!" Arianne barked. "Pretty fucking stupid of you to announce your intentions like that." 

"If we're going to strike, now is the time." Oudart said calmly "How else are we going to gather interested parties?" 

"By not it announcing to the world?" Arianne said raising an eyebrow. "Julius' could have spies ya know!" 

"Our city guards have done a tremendous job, of taking care pirate suspects." Oudart responded "The reason you're allowed to run about is because I convinced the guards that you'll help in assisting with taking care of Julius. It took me a while, but I managed to do it."  Oudart then noticed Ashara. "Who's this Arianne?"

"That's my crewmate and friend: Ashara." Arianne said flatly. "I'm sure she can explain more about herself."

Oudart grunted.

"Any way, your guards are doing a shit job." Arianne growled. "Ashara and I encountered Julius' first mate: Brandon."

That statement got Oudar's attention, he removed his arms from the railing and listened intently. 

"We interrogated him and it turns out that Julius is working with Tevinter! Brandon was sent by Julius to meet a Tevinter mage in your Tavern!"

"Damn!" Oudart muttered "H-how?"

"You didn't fucking know?! Did ya?!" Arianne said flabbergasted. "It was about to happen right under your nose, and your brilliant, observant guards wouldn't catch wind of it. Thank us later! Right now Julius is gaining power and influence! We need to stop him! And the people so far, aren't impressing me! You got a woman who dresses like she belongs in a whorehouse, an Elf who's so skinny that she could snap with the slightest touch and I don't who fuck that cloaked woman is, but she looks like she has a bad back! I can't use these people!"

"Well it's the best I've got so far!" Oudart countered. "More should be coming. I want to bring this bastard to justice."

Arianne shook her "I do too Oudart. But this is going to be an uphill battle. We may need more allies."

"I'll try to gather more......" Oudart said. "So what happened to this mage?"

"We were chasing him but he escaped." Arianne answered bluntly.

"I don't believe you."

Arianne chuckled. "Fine Ashara can confirm for me."

Oudart frowned "We're almost ready then, come on."

Arianne then turned to Ashara. "You know that nearly naked lady we've just Ashara? I'm a bit afraid for her. As soon as she enters the Fearful Whore, the crew will be all over her so......" Arianne noticed a brown cloak that was hanging on the chair, she grabbed it and gave it to Ashara. "People always have a habit of leaving their clothes in taverns!" Arianne laughed "We gotta have to make our lady friend wear it somehow! Best to force it on her I'd say!"

Arianne turned on her heel and headed to the meeting room.

Arianne turned to Ashara. "You know that nearly naked lady we just met, Ashara? I'm a bit afraid for her. As soon as she enters the 'Fearful Whore', the crew will be all over her." Arianne noticed a brown cloak that was hanging on the chair,.

"Sooooo...." She grabbed the cloak and thrust it into Ashara's hands.

In response to Ashara's raised brow,-- "People always have a habit of leaving their clothes in taverns!" Arianne laughed "We're gonna have to make our new lady friend wear it somehow! Best to force it on her I'd say!"

Arrianne sashayed in Oudart's direction, leaving Ashara to stare after. Ashara was starting to wonder if all of this was really worth the hunt. She was a loner, by choice, and there was prey as equally as dangerous that didn’t require so much...group involvement to hunt, if not fewer pirates. Or people speaking on her behalf as if she had no voice. The Western Approach didn't look so bad at the moment- definitely fewer people out there even if there were the occasional dragon seeking and researching odd ball and chantry rhetoric spouting spirits.

She put the cloak right back where Arianne had picked it up. It was unlikely the Captain would be able to force a stranger to cover up any how, and the half dressed woman had made it this far, hadn't she?

Stepping into and looking around the room, nearly all the chairs had been taken. The older grey bunned human wearing near broken Templar armor sat snoring, his head lolling back against a wall. His swarthy cloaked companion may have lost his patience with him by this point and stood with his back to the wall near the window. The auburn headed dwarf's jewelry tinkled at her wrists as she sat, perched and prim, nearby.

The "half naked woman", as Arriane had called her, sat next to the plain faced elf who looked just as comfortable as the snoring man, but with an edge of energy that told Ashara she was not as relaxed as she seemed. A cloaked woman stood as well, and Ashara believed she recognized her as the woman who had been knocked to the floor earlier.

Arriane was impatiently bickering with Oudart and Ashara maintained a comfortable distance from all the rest by moving over to a corner apart from them all. A few more stragglers came in, some taking a chair. They were scruffy, unkempt, and at least slightly drunk and she wasn't sure if they'd come to actually join, or just keep up on interesting gossip with first hand accounts. They could just as well be some of those "spies of Julius" that Arriane had mentioned during her irritated rant at Oudart. One of them murmured in the other man's ear and they both laughed.

---

---

Oudart waved Arrianne away then raised his voice to bring full attention back to him. 

"Now, you all know that this is a job about a Pirate by name of Julius. I'll not have anyone going out there not knowing what's at stake and the risks."

One of the previously laughing stragglers coughed and said, "Or what the pay be!" Then they both laughed, as Oudart looked a bit put upon.

" Julius is working with Tevinter." That statement ended the laugher. "His pirates have been sinking ships, or keepin' 'em for all we know. The ones going about their business AND the ones that go after 'em.  We guess he's been collecting supplies for the past couple of months." Oudart shifted to grab his mug and downed it in a few gulps. Wiping his mouth, he continued.

"Fereldan has been extra bothered by 'em, but Orlais has had their skirts twitched too." A snort of childish laughter from on of the drunks. Oudart glared at them.

"Cuz we have so many big players, Countries are  offering 400 gold coins a head to the survivors," Oudart put stress on that word to help make a point, "that succeed."

The two drunks shouted in glee at the idea, roughhousing each other. Ashara kept herself from rolling her eyes. Those two would likely die very quickly. Did they even have weapons that weren't used to cut their lamb chops?

Suddenly, Oudart slammed his fists into the table he'd been standing behind. "My wife was on one of those ships. I love my wife. We fight too much about money and about her being a captain on a ship instead of at home. But, " He stood up to face them, a torn smile on his reddened face. "I remember how nervous and excited I was when I planned exactly how I would ask her to wed me. She were the most beautiful girl in the world to me. Maker had to have put her sparkling eyes on my path." 

Oudart shook a fist at the air in defiance. "And because of that, I'm adding another 100 gold a head to the bounty if you bring him back alive. Ya hear me?" His face turned to anger, his words shooting spit. "Go out and bring the man who took my wife! I will make him kneel before me and-" His big beefy hands clenched together in a motion of crushing a man's skull. Pretty clear statement. 

Ashara cared little about the money but hopefully this official announcement and show meant they could go on and get this started. 

{OOC: uncertain at posting order, but judging from above posts, looks like linksocarina, followed by Morrigan, followed by smilesja)

Helen noticed a boy entering the room. It was Jack, her contact in Amaranthine. He scanned the room, looking for her. When he saw her, he smiled. Jack had a crush on her. Helen knew how to exploit that.

"Did you find Jean?" Jack asked as he approached.

Helen took Jack's hand and put his arm around her waist. "Hold me," she whispered.

They stood in silence as the other people in the room discussed and argued among themselves. Helen felt the boy's breath ripple through her hair. It was nice to be standing with someone who was still young. Helen was also very young, but she was starting to feel old.

"We're going on a trip?" Helen whispered.

"What?"

"Sssssh!" Helen cooed. "Don't argue. If this works out, I am going back to Val Royeaux. And I am bringing you and your sister with me."

"Really?" Helen could tell without looking that the boy was smiling. "How long will we be gone?"

"I don't know," Helen said. "We're going by sea. Now I need you to listen. Once we are done here, you will run out and prepare. We will need supplies." She squeezed his hand. "I am buying you a new sword," she said. "A good one. One that will suit you."

(OOC: The following is a collab between Morrigan and I thanks Morrigan!)

Adeline turned around and saw the auburn haired woman who was talking to a young man. "Excuse me." Adeline said "If I'm not intruding, I'm eager to get to know the person whom I saved. We haven't got to the best of starts." Adeline chuckled.

Turning to the boy Adeline raised an eyebrow. "Is this your friend? Will he be coming with us?"

Helen untangled herself from the boy's embrace. "This is Jack," she said as she placed herself at an appropriate distance. "He is a promising warrior, eager to prove himself." She smiled supportingly at her young friend.

Jack put a hand on his chest and bowed his head before Adeline.

"A pleasure to meet you Jack." Adeline smiled and bowed. "You certainly look better than all the other drunks here. How long have you known her?" Adeline looked around and saw even more people leaving out of fear. Is Julius that intimidating? Trying set aside those fears Adeline looked at Jack who was whispering something in the woman's ear.

"You still haven't told me your name ma'am." Adeline said tucking her hair behind her ear. "If we are to work together we need to at least know our names."

"I am a friend of Jack's family," Helen said on the boy's behalf. "Please, pardon me, Adeleine. I think I lost my manners when I had the wind knocked out of me back there." She curtsied. "My name is Helen. It is a pleasure and an honour, I'm sure."

"A pleasure Helen." Adeline smiled. "So why are you here? Do you know anything about this Pirate Lord: Julius and his dealings with Tevinter?"

Helen looked at the boy beside her. "Jack wanted some adventure," she said. "I came along to make sure he would make it through it. How about yourself, Miss Adeline?"

"Looking for coin." Adeline replied "On my way here, I made a friend whom I'm sure you were aqcainted with Enathaya. As I foolishly mentioned to you I'm a mage and a good one If I say so myself. But what about you Helen? Where are you from?"

Helen took a step back. "You must excuse me, Miss," she said. "I am a little weary of mages. I guess it is just old superstition. It is hard to unlearn what one has been brought up to believe, no?" She laughed. "I am from Amaranthine, but my family fled during the blight. I was quite young then. I have only been back a couple of years."

Adeline blushed a bit, "yeah I understand, but I've been traveling for a long time and people hasn't refused help from a mage regardless of their beliefs. So your from Amaranthine huh? Guess this is kind of personal huh? Seeing your home terrorized like this?"

Helen smiled. "It is best not to take life too personally."

Adeline raised an eyebrow, "So Helen what skills do you have against the Pirates?"

Helen laughed. "Well, as I said, I am here with Jack. The boy is a talented swordsman, but he still needs someone older to look after him. If it came to it, though," she conjured a knife seemingly from the air, "I could drop a knife from my sleeve, slit a man's throat and tuck it back before the blood started to gush."

Adeline's eyes widened: "Well then, It seems I don't have to worry then." Adeline then started to think about the man Helen was with. Who was he? Was he a lover a friend. Helen didn't seem to be too broken up about it. "So..... Helen." Adeline asked choosing her words carefully. "Before Enathaya and I helped you up, who was that man you were with? A lover? Is going to be okay?"

Helen's eyes looked said. Her lower lip quivered a little as she spoke. "Sam is a friend of Jack's," she said. "He had been drinking. Maybe he had taken somethings else. I tried to convince him to go home to his mother, but he got angry and pushed me to the floor. I think some men had him thrown out into the street." She looked at her young friend. "Jack, you need to talk to him. Make him get himself in order."

"I will," Jack stammered.

Adeline noticed Helen's sad eyes. "I hope he's okay." Adeline said as Jack exited the room. Adeline also saw Arianne motion over to her, Helen and Enathaya. "Say Helen." Adeline asked. "As soon we get to the ship why don't you stay with Enathaya and I? I figured you could use some company and it's nice to make friends."

"Thank you," Helen said. "That sounds lovely. I am sure Jack can sleep with the crew. It will be a good experience for him."

Adeline smiled "that's great to hear Helen" Just then Adrianne voice rang throughout the room. "All right everyone follow me to my ship!" Adeline turned to Helen "time to go Helen it seems?" She said "lets go."

dragontartare