Family Ties - Welcome (Back) to Marn

[Morveya Aris]

It wasn't her first visit to Marn.

No, as most residents of Shim, she had been here more than once. The first time she had been age five. She remembered it very clearly, as if it had happened far more recently. The Virdara's arboreal canopy progressively thinning, as they drew nearer the woods' edge. Enough to glimpse the skyline. And those stark structures that hove upward at the heavens. Man-made monoliths; much at variance and contrast with the rustic and single story dwellings of her home. And that conveyed none of the warmth or sense of family, of welcome, that did those. No – there was no sense of welcome whatever in that initial sighting. She'd felt intuitively that here was a place where she could never feel at home. Never feel comfortable.

And, that sound – quite unlike anything she'd ever heard before – only further supported that instinct. It was faint, along that initial approach. But no less grating on her nerves for it. It was harsh – rasping – unnatural. The relentless and soulless grind of things that had naught to do with any natural order.

To Morveya's young mind and heart, Marn had seemed a fairy-tale sort of place. The sort where children got lost, and had bad things happen to them. Where dwelled a horrifying ogre, from whom they must hide, if they didn't want to end up his supper. She had begged Samwiell and Harala to take them all back to Shim. To no avail – and into the ogre's dismal domain they had gone.

Where her expectancy of a place mostly deserted (save for gorey bone remnants of the ogre's dining) was instantly upended. For in Marn was life. A seemingly unending and overwhelming, gaudy parade of it. She had never seen so many people. Never wished to. She hadn't by any means been an anti-social child. But, here – she felt there was no where at all one could go to ever be alone. She'd endured the rest of that first visit – consoled to find at least that there was no ogre. Until they'd encountered the monster – that slavering, one-eyed, black as pitch mongrel – that charged from the alleyway. And barked such thunder it was a wonder he didn't deafen her good ear. But ultimately didn't earn the title of Marn's most intimidating presence.

No, that award went to a particularly suspicious and overzealous guardsman. He'd been suspicious of them for one reason, or the next. And wasn't pleased with the way in which Samwiell answered some of his questions. From Morveya's perspective, he'd seemed metal goliath or golem, more so than man. She had been told the guards were there to preserve the peace, and to protect. Yet, there was nothing peaceful or protective in that looming figure or belligerent voice.

Subsequent trips, experienced from a progressively maturing viewpoint, hadn't served to endear the city either. Nonetheless, there were specific places –– the bookshop, a pair of art galleries, the theater – that spoke to the intellectual side of her. Certain offerings of art and culture one would never find in Shim, that bespoke of the city's gentler aspects. Marn did have them – if one cared to spend some time seeking. Which she had. Particularly on the last trip – the last one – that she had made in Olnor's company. And if Marn had needed any final dash of souring – then surely what were the final happy and sweet memories with him did suffice. For was shortly after their return to Shim that she had scryed, and seen ––

No matter. That had no bearing on now. And nor did any of this reminiscence. All water under the bridge. And as the to the topic of water, thank the Greater Spirits they were at last here. Magical affinities aside, enough was quite enough.

Morveya gazed up at the buildings of Marn, in the present, as her companions and she completed their crossing of the Ofriyu. And right now, whatever those buildings' demeanor, they promised respite from the elements. It had stopped raining some half hour ago – but soaked through as they all were, it was more like a consolation offering. Hopefully none of them would take ill with anything worse than a cold. And thank goodness horses were so rain resilient. After all else, she couldn't bear poor Alstris falling sick.

Well. Now that they were here, there was a small stack of events and their consequences to sort and address. She never had been able to tell Alexandros of her magical Sight, and it how might be used to identify the killer. And now – she was here, under the same ironclad strictures as any magic-user who was lawfully registered, but unlicensed. It was entirely secondary to Alex and Kitan receiving whatever care they needed, anyway. That was the first and urgent priority. After, surely the guards would want full accountings from all of them.

As they drew toward the water-tower, Moverya urged her mare forward, and drew up near Alexandros. She appraised him again – for the forth or fifth time – to take stock of his condition. Thankful that he had stayed the saddle, at the least. And that there had been no undue complications with Kitan.

"Where first?" she asked above the clip-splotch of the steeds' hooves. "Do we need to get you to the hospital – or are there physicians at your facility who will tend you?" She paused only briefly after the last, added with no uncertainty: "Mind you, if no, then we are getting you to the hospital." If only she were as clear as to what Kitan needed...

Morveya wondered briefly what the enigmatic Clarisse would choose, or want, from here. Some in her profession were none to eager to answer questions of guards.

[Clarisse]

The journey back to Marn seemed to take longer than it actually did for Clarisse. The throbbing pain in her cheek amplified by the chill of her rain soaked clothes caused talking to be more trouble then it was worth. It wasn't that she wanted to talk, but she knew sooner or later she would have to respond to the inevitable questions the rest of the group was going to ask her.

Another thing irritating Clarisse was her lack of a horse, she personally didn't really like them but in her current situation she would rather be atop one then trekking through the muddy road. When she originally came to the forest it was sunny but after the onset of the rain, the dry hole filled road turned into a treacherous mud pit strewed monster that apparently hungered for boots. Every twenty or so steps it seemed Clarisse had to wretch her leg from a calf deep puddle trying to wrench her boot from her leg, causing her to lose ground with the group, making her rush back to her place only to find another puddle.

The pattern continued until the rain finally let up, and even then Clarisse's boots and parts of her coat and pants were covered in mud and the looming city felt like a haven to her. Once inside the city gates Clarisse's main goal went to finding a bath and a room to clean herself up and rest a bit before meeting with her contact to tell him that Morveya was safely in the city.

"I have some business I need to attend to Downtown" Clarisse said as Morveya addressed the group, "Also seeing as how its getting late and we just arrived, I'm assuming you're going to need a place to stay for the night so I might as well go and find an Inn that has a few vacancies. As she spoke she went over to a nearby barrel and took a seat on top of it, letting her legs hang over the side of it so they didn't touch the ground. "I'm not going to run off before talking to your brethren"' She said eying Alexandros "and asides we still need to talk about your payment for services rendered." After a brief pause she spoke again with a hint of laughter in her voice "I'm joking on that last part, killing a few bandits in the woods for you by random happenstance isn't enough for me to charge a fee for."

[Kitan]

Kitan wasn’t dumb. As Alexandros had said, he was quite clever in his own way. So it was that the gears had been turning in his head all the way down the road, ever since Alex finished teaching Kitan to ride a horse. His sulking for the duration had been as much an excuse for silence and contemplation as it had been genuine.

Kitan knew there was more to those thugs than had been apparent. Through the haze in his mind, something even prompted him to look sideways at the dark soldier who walked beside them. Mistrust was not something the fox could put into words, and so he shook his head and let the raindrops fly off his furry ears.

Kitan lowered his head as they passed another group of guards. Alex’s poor health was impossible to hide in any reasonable fashion, and they viewed the fox shifter with more than passing glances as Leto trotted by.

“Something isn’t making sense.” He muttered under his breath, once they rounded a street corner and were out of sight. He wasn’t very good at estimating the hearing capacity of others, but he figured only Alexandros might have a chance of hearing. “It doesn’t add up.”

He released the reigns with his right hand to brush the remaining moisture off his ear. “It doesn’t,” he whispered again. The horses continued onwards.

They passed a small shop which was really more of a cart. It was apparent it was a traveling merchant of some sort, as his wagon still had horses tethered to its front. The merchant within had a loud booming voice which drew customers in, and a colorful set of flags above his wares. The crowd had gathered around his wagon, a faint dip in the sea of people.

His voice made Kitan’s head hurt. He ducked so low that his face nearly brushed Leto’s mane. He needed a distraction. Answers would distract him. Answers to the burning question: why had they been attacked?

He turned his face upwards and saw Lurus. His form was kept low, which made it look like he might pounce of the back of his steed at any moment. He stared and stared at the back of the guardsman’s head, riding right in front of him, but there were no answers in the polished steel of the elf’s helmet.

He looked right. Clarisse, the dark one. The scary one. She was not good. She was bad, Kitan thought. Bad guys always wear black hoods and masks. The shifter didn’t know why they let her in the city. She was the bad guy, he knew it. But she had helped them, which made no sense to him. She must be working for one of those scheming bad guys who twist the actions of the heroes to his advantage, like in his father’s stories. Kitan bet the bad guy was twirling his mustache right now.

The shifter giggled a little as he imagined himself a cartoonish villain in a shadowy room on a chair, ranting in front of his minions. He frowned when he was suddenly reminded how very real this was by Clarisse’s voice. “What is your deal?” He muttered while she was talking. He didn’t seem to be able to stop talking to himself.

He turned left. Morveya rode there, just a little bit ahead. She had something he didn’t. Kitan wanted all the pieces of the puzzle, and he knew he was sorely lacking a critical piece.

“Morveya,” he called out softly. Remembering her bad ear, but forgetting which one it was, he called out again with greater volume. “Morveya. What does your letter say?”

[Alexandros]

It had been hard going at the start. There had been times, Alexandros knew, that he had been as like to slip the saddle as not. Kitan's presence gave him strength though. The boy was sitting right infront of him, relying on him, and Dragesus would not fail him. The guard's head grew light, dancing with lights he knew ought not be there - but he concentrated on the road ahead, and on instructing Kitan. He watched as the fox took hold of the reins and took his first try at guiding their mount along the muddy road just outside Marn. Alexandros was careful not to be too corrective. It was only Kitan's first try, after all.

"Not like that. You're holding them too tight." Alexandros suggested gently. "You don't need to strangle the cords." The guard laughed, tremors of ache spreading like roots through his ribs. Then he showed Kitan what he meant, grasping Leto's reins firmly but not tightly. Only for a moment did he do so: gauntlets leaving the reins quickly enough, yielding them again to Kitan. Partly to let the boy learn. Partly because his own grip felt so weak to him, and it made him uncomfortable.

By the time they reached Marn's gate, Alex seemed to have a better hold on himself though. He sat straighter in the saddle. The dull-lidded stare he'd held for some part of the ride back was gone now. His dark eyes flashed from gate to guard, then back to the gate again. When they approached the masoned walls Alexandros waved the others in before him and held for a moment to speak with his own. The guardsmen on duty regarded him curiously. One, an older man with a well-trimmed beard speckled with both salt and pepper, stepped beside Leto and grabbed hold of the horse's halter to draw him to a halt. He noticed Kitan, straight off, but said nothing. Occasionally his pallid blue eyes looked to Kitan again.

Caution? Suspicion? It was hard to say, but Kitan likely knew that look.

"Alex, boy, what the feck happened?" The old man questioned, spitting words from between his stained teeth. "We was worried. Seems rightly too, you was supposed to be back hours ago ya. Now ya show up bloody, what'd you find out there?"

"Bandits on the road." Alexandros explained tiredly. "Took a broadhead to the side, I'll be needing a healer or else a stiff drink. Maybe one, then the other." He stretched, then cringed reactively, as he spoke. The grizzled guard nodded sagely, the thin worry on his face dulled by the darkling sky and storm above. He waved them in - Alexandros told Kitan to get Leto moving once again. Nothing was said about the shifter.

Inside, Morveya questioned him about his health and treatment. Alexandros seemed to think on it a moment, mulling over an option or two in his mind, before he spoke. "There's a healer that comes to treat the guardsmen when we're in a rough sort. I can have him give me a once over, find what's broken and set it to rights again. I don't need a hospital. I can't afford one either."

Clarisse spoke up next. Alexandros still wasn't certain what to think of her, but she hadn't tried to kill him on the road back. That was something he supposed. Not killing you - that was always a good start to a relationship, he thought. "Probably wise." Was all he said though. Alexandros had always been an inflexible sort in some ways. Now, even though he owed this woman a debt, he had trouble accepting her.

They rode on a bit further. Alexandros was not quite sure where Morveya intended to go, but he would see her reach her destination before he departed for treatment. The guard rationalized that, were he going to die... he would likely have already.

From his proximity to Kitan it was not difficult for Alexandros to overhear the fox. One hand left his rein, coming to rest its cold metal fingers on Kitan's shoulder. He squeezed reassuringly, grabbing hold of Leto's reins and navigating them around a gaggle of women carting about barrels of produce. Applies, it looked like, among other things. Turnips, maybe? Changers' mercy, Alexandros hated turnips.

"No. None of this makes much sense." Alexandros admitted to Kitan, speaking over the droning of the market roads. Most people seemed to step out of the way of Alexandros and his stallion. Though, not out of fear. "It rarely does, so maybe that's a fortunate sign. It's when things seem simple. When they make perfect sense: that's when you ought to really be worried, little fox. That mean's someone's foolin' you, or you're foolin' yourself."

"Which one's worse, I don't know."

[Morveya Aris]

The herbaler nodded to Clarrise's statement of intent. For her own part, Morveya too had a difficult time what to make of her. It was challenging to feel at ease around one possessed of such a forbidding aspect. Yet, if not for her, the outcome of that encounter could have been far worse. Alexandros had been the truly protective presence throughout that travail. She couldn't say the same of Clarisse, and yet – Morveya did not find herself moved to try and be rid of the woman, at this stage.

Kitan queried her then, as to the nature of the letter that had been the starting point of all of this. And, actually ––

"There were two of them," she replied. Appraising him shortly, and pleased to see he was seeming more like himself. Spirits bless Alexandros for his practical, and empathetic, approach in drawing him back out of himself.

"The second one a response to my query of the first. Which was from a relative on my father's side, as I mentioned. It was – an invitation, a plea –– something between the two – to come to Marn, and meet. That there was a matter in which my assistance was strongly desired. And, that, given the nature of our relationship heretofore –– " Morveya's lips twisted faintly, wryly, for there had been none at all, " – that of course pay would be rendered. If we came to an agreement. Enough to make this worth my while. I was assured that nothing illegal, or specifically dangerous, would be asked. I sat on the matter for a time. Unsure how I wanted to respond. Or, if I would at all. I was very tempted not to, as you might imagine. But I wrote back and demanded more information, if there was to be even a chance of this happening. Their second letter flatly declined supplying any more –– and said that, anything else must be discussed in person. Again, I was highly tempted to discard the whole matter, and give it no further thought. But – " she paused, unsure of herself. Yet less than fully certain why she had agreed.

"I don't know. My parents are both gone, now. My birth parents, I mean; the ones who adopted me gave me all any child should wish for. There is no real reason why I should want anything to do with such family, whose forebears treated my own with such disdain. Yet – here I am. Curiosity, maybe? I suppose there is some. Maybe even a desire to hear at least one of them eat some crow, after all these years. And now desiring something of their cast-off kin. And, truly, I would not balk at taking the money. If it is guaranteed by contract. If it is enough for what they want of me – and if it proves to be anything at all to my liking. I am quite prepared to spend a few pleasant days in Marn, and then go home again -- if it does prove to be anything else."

[Clarisse]

As the others spoke amongst themselves Clarisse busied herself with scraping mud off the bottom of her boot. Drawing her knife she skillfully went to work digging the brown clay like sludge from her sole, flinging it off or wiping her blade on the side of the barrel every few seconds. As she worked she listened to what the others were saying, trying to figure out any information that was unknown to her.

The letter Morveya received intrigued her the most, she knew who wanted her in the city but never knew why. She normally didn't question her employer's reasoning, it took away potential work in the future, but something about the whole deal seemed a bit off right from the start. Normally when someone hired her they wanted someone to disappear, escort jobs were rarity for her because of her expertise. When she was hired for an escort job however, she was normally told to stay out of sight until the employer needed her protection, unlike this scenario where she was told to make contact with her target and not tell her what was going on behind the scenes.

As her mind wondered on what her employer was up to, her gaze went to the people in her immediate vicinity. She could almost cut the tension and uncertainty they felt about her with her blade. Clarisse didn't hold anything against them for it, after all if they knew what she had done in the past they would most likely have her hung by sunset.

"If nothing more is required of me I shall take my leave. I take it we will need three rooms unless the guard is staying with us?

[Kitan]

“But everything made sense before I came to the city!” Kitan protested to Alexandros, “And that was all fine! I like adventures, but there is supposed to be a...” He stopped. He didn’t know what he was looking for exactly. His leaned forward on the horse. “I don’t know. A goal or something.”

The fox shifter shook his head. He suddenly realized that he didn’t know everything about his growing life. That his statement was false. He didn’t know where his real parents had gone, and why they had left him to a dwarf. He had some odd blank spots about his father, things the old dwarf didn’t like talking about for some reason.

“Maybe you’re right, actually.” Kitan didn’t know how comfortable he was with this sudden new worldview. It made him jump at all the little details, it made him feel suspicious and a little helpless, since didn’t that mean that figuring stuff out would work against you in the end?

He shook his head as if to throw off the dark thoughts. He didn’t want to think to hard about it right now. He didn’t like that sort of philosophy.

Kitan listened to Morveya’s explanation of the letter with great interest. He leaned off the side of Leto a bit, a precautious position were it not for his naturally light frame. Unfortunately, her words left their situation still very much ambiguous. It seemed she did not have the missing piece of the puzzle after all.

But that just meant he had to find it. “That’s creepy and weird,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument, “and we’ve gotta get to the bottom of this.” His eyes lit up with determination, to intent spots of green fire on his silly, endearing face. He had apparently already shoved the dire implications of Alexandros’s words far out of his mind, as he eagerly stared down the road. He threw a hand out forwards as if to point out the future for the rest of the group, but he worried he had done so a little bit to late after his words for the proper inspirational effect to take hold.

His smile never wavered, all the same.

[Alexandros]

Alexandros' hand hovered protectively off to the little fox's inside, in the case that the boy might fall. It wouldn't do - they all had enough mud on them already. It hung there, outstretched and ready but just behind Kitan so that he might not notice it. Even children did not enjoy being treated like children. Perhaps, especially children.

"I'll ride with you to your inn," the soldier suggested "Then, I will away." Alexandros' hand drew back to grasp hold of his reins aside Kitan, now that the child was in no danger of falling. His fingers wrapped tightly around the leather cord. He drew back on them, bringing Leto to a slow trot to bring him astride Morveya's mount. He complied with all the deftness expected of a warhorse - lean muscles twisting and moving smoothly along his brown flank with each step. The horse fell into a plodding but sure-hoofed pace with his counterparts. Alexandros, atop his back, watched the road ahead... As if transfixed.

Though his right hand held his reins as firmly as a vice, his left wrapped itself around his side to where he'd been struck by Lurus' arrow. Not a murmur left him to suggest pain or discomfort, but all the same it could not have been healed up yet. Likely not even dry of blood, given the movement necessitated by horseback riding.

Still, when he raised his sallet helm's visor it was a smile that greeted his companions. Bright and sunny, even with the smudge of blood and muck along his left cheekbone. "Marn is a good place, there's much to be found here.... But you must be cautious. The city is sometimes dangerous for those who are different. Even if the differences seem to not be so great." A few strands of black hair, pressed downward by the weight of his helmet, peeked out from beneath to base of his visor. "You must promise me to take great care while I am away from you, and to seek me out should trouble come to walk along your trail."

[Morveya Aris]

Morveya was a little surprised. "So you – or your superiors – won't want any sort of statement, from any of us? About what happened?" That was more than alright with her. But, she had expected otherwise. There was still the matter of what she might accomplish with her scrying talent. Again, it didn't seem like the best moment to broach it. And then it occurred to her –– she could simply try on her own. And report to Alex if she learned anything. Leave her magic unspoken of if it didn't work. Yes; that was the most sensible way to go about it.

And that left her with her uncertainty. About a small list of things. But, just one thing was not uncertain. She was grateful to Alexandros for his offer. She liked him, she had to admit. Perhaps it was a fairly typical reaction of a woman toward a man who had saved her life, at great risk to himself. Of course, it was his duty, and it was not only herself he'd been defending. But, nonetheless, he'd demonstrated considerable character in more than one way through out that ordeal.

It was also not uncertain that she wanted to clean. Spirits, she must look like a bedraggled, muck-strewn, wretch. She felt like one, in any case. She could go straightaway with Clarisse and Kitan to the inn, now. And the thought of that rang like a discordant note, because it was back into the uncertainty. Of her company. And related topics. She was yet worried about Kitan. Concerned he yet needed help, and that she had no clue where to obtain it. She had heard certain tales about medicinal treatment in Marn, particularly for disorders of the emotions and mind, that almost scared her. Though she couldn't say for certain the truth of those. Likely a good night's rest in a comfortable place could only help. Then she would see how he was come morning.

"If it doesn't get less creepy and weird," she told him, as regarded his last words, "after I receive an explanation, then whatever it is will remain their problem, not mine." To Alexandros:

"Thank you, and do not worry. I will heed your advice. This is not my first time in Marn. So–– it appears we all go seek the inn together, then?"