Rendezvous

[Anja]

Puck took in all of this with the same unperturbed smile. Dianelopa's sudden departure he made little immediate reaction to, but he did turn to Benjamin after finishing a few more bites. He couldn't have her making such displays in front of visitors in the future.

"Benjamin, a girl so whimsical and independent is not to be trusted with big jobs. She must be painted a more accurate picture of what it means to work for us if her service in our ranks is to continue. I'm sure you agree."

Benjamin looked up from his paper and laughed. "Oh, wholeheartedly, Puck. I suppose I should fetch some toys for our friends to dilly with, hmmm? Sandwheel, you can come with and bond yourself to your new gauntlets."

He did not wait for a response. The iron door that led deeper into the sewers opened without being touched or prompted by any visible means, and slammed shut loudly after the two passed through it. Several minutes later, they came back with several sheathed blades of various shapes and sizes. He let it all clatter to the floor unceremoniously. It was obvious that the old man had been struggling with the weight of it. He was breathing heavily as he spoke.

"Now, if I remember correctly, you're a blade kind of girl, yes? These all do some nifty little tricks, and they all have twin sisters too. Take your pick, and I'll return with the other."

Sandwheel had come out behind Benjamin carrying his gauntlets, sliding them on easily. They were oddly shaped, to fit a badger's hand, and he twiddled his stubby little fingers in them. Seeming satisfied, he walked to the kitchen table, right up to Chezak's place, stood on a chair, and stuck a finger in the elf's water glass. It emptied in a matter of seconds.

"HA!" he barked at Chezak, a triumphant look on his face. That's for stealing Maeve, he thought to himself.

[Maeve]

Maeve continued to eat as she warily watched the two interact. It didn’t take long for them to decide she required some sort of compensation, much to her relief. She couldn’t help but smile; she had done hardly a thing, and she was to be rewarded. She was used to such treatment, however. And it had been a pain, to be sure; she was exhausted.

When Benjamin returned with a heavy pile of weapons, she hurriedly swallowed one of the last few bites of her plate and, after politely dabbing her mouth and taking a sip of water from her glass, stood. She approached the pile of swords and kneeled in front of the pile. Knowing she was being watched by all in the room, she still took her time looking through the pile and testing the ones she was immediately drawn to.

She could not help but notice that all of these weapons could potentially get a high price on the market. Of course, they must know that. That was their business after all. It crossed her mind that she could probably make a fortune buying and selling the arms they made and found, but almost immediately dismissed the idea. She would not enjoy being tied to their rules and methods, thank you very much. Still, she kept this in mind while picking her weapon. Even if she chose not to use it, she could still sell it.

Finally she found an appealing sword after some time of this. It was a cutlass, with a rather simple guard, and a leather rather than a wire-laid hilt. She unsheathed it and gazed at it appraisingly. Years of testing and using magical weapons helped her here: she focused on it, and found its power. It was rather simple for a magical device, only barely humming in her hand. It was not audible really, unlike some blades, but she could feel it, and the hand holding it vibrated. Then a spark of white energy shot up from the hilt and out over the edge, rising a foot off the tip and fading quickly into the air. The blade gleamed as if there was extra light shining on it for a moment more, before the humming died down and it returned to its duller, but still polished, appearance.

“This one is interesting,” she said, lowering it and holding it gently. “It seems able to sharpen and perhaps repair itself to some degree. I’ll take this one and its twin, if that is alright?” She looked at Benjamin, her gaze rather blank.

[Dianelopa]

After leaving the sewers Dianelopa wandered aimlessly toward the river. She didn't want to go home, but didn't have anywhere else to go. I wish they were gone," she thought. "I guess I didn't really like them very much. He was like, well, like a male dog, just stuck on the trail of a dog in heat. Don't know there was much more to him. And she was the dog in heat and it seemed like it was a bit too much for her. Maybe there was more to the story, I just don't know what it was. They were these fancy people and I'm a country girl. I've got earth under my feet. I don't know if I'll ever get used to the city and wearing shoes."
At the bank of the river she sat down watching the sunlight dancing on the ripples, listening to the soft lapping of the water. "If they leave, I'll go back," she thought. "Maybe I shouldn't have left in the first place. Benjamin had a task for me." She sighed. "Maybe that was the task, to bring these people to the sewers. Ugh. I don't like that kind of tasks. Maybe Benjamin's job isn't the right thing for me after all."
Her reverie was broken by the sound of a boat being paddled down the river. She stared at it for a while and then thought of Thad saying he robbed boats. I wonder if he's somewhere ready to rob this one, she thought. I wonder how he does it? How does he know what's on the boat to rob?" She couldn't help letting out a hehe out loud realizing how absurd her thoughts were. She wanted to see Thad now, robbing the boat and then coming to her and dumping a bag of jewels in her lap. If only Thad were here, she thought.
Oh no, she thought. That is very bad. He is a bad man. I don't want any of this.

[Chezak D'Maroe]

Chezak followed Maeve over to the large pile of weapons Benjamin had brought into the room. He stood nearby and folded his arms, glancing down with disinterest at the pile. Instead, he watched over Maeve, though he doubted that this entire thing was an elaborate setup just to kill the two of them.

However, the relatively young elf had little trust left in him. Introspection took over, and he doubted that he would even be staying with Maeve if there wasn't something so interesting about her. Besides, he wanted to find out why she employed such a strong magic to attract people to her.

His eyes continued to roam the room, taking in the luscious surroundings of the place, considering that they were underground. He supposed that thieves especially liked to look upon beautiful things, although he didn't get the feeling that Benjamin was a thief. But then, why would anyone ever wish to live below ground but to avoid attention from guards and people in power.

Chezak turned to look at the weapon Maeve was holding. He watched the little flash of light run up the blade, and lifted a brow. Other than that, there seemed to be nothing extraordinary about it. He took a step back to allow Benjamin in to clean up the swords should he need to, and nodded to Maeve at her decision and request for the twin.

With luck, they would soon be out of this wretched underground room, and back on the surface in the open air. Then he could set to unraveling the mystery of Maeve.

[Anja]

“It seems able to sharpen and perhaps repair itself to some degree. I’ll take this one and its twin, if that is alright?”

Benjamin nodded benignly, his hands folded behind his back. "A fine choice, although I cannot vouch for the weapon's faithfulness. It was designed for another, and it might one day decide to wander off in search of its intended keeper, as might its sister blade. But if I recall correctly, I do not think that the original bonding was very strong, so they won't get very far if you keep an eye on them. One day, if you care for them, they might even learn to love you. Remember, they are living things."

Benjamin collected up the other blades, and moved towards the iron door, which opened inexplicably as he neared it. Before passing over the threshold, he half-turned and gave Chezak a most curious look. It lasted for a full three seconds before he shook his head and continued through the portal into the depths of Marn's sewer system.

In a small room, hardly more than a crawlspace, Benjamin blew the dust off of a very old chest, and peered at the unassuming contents: A pair of sloppy-looking sailor's trousers, a yellowed tunic, and an earth-coloured headband. It was a simple, sash-like thing, but when folded out, one could see a most incredible weave of shimmering details, laid out in cloth of gold and silver across its burnt-oak surface, so that they only showed at certain angles, in certain lights. They were beautiful, inescapable. One might go so far as to say unique, but that would be false, for they had a twin.

Benjamin looked at the dazzling patterns under his torchlight, and thought back to Chezak's honest, if somewhat disillusioned countenance. He nodded to himself. Yes. Yes, he'll do nicely. Finally, the poor, dear family of souls trapped within will get the help they need.

But Benjamin was mistaken, for there was nothing trapped within the headband. Rather, there was a decidedly grumpy old gnome that liked to wear this headband's twin on occasion, and when he wore it, he often thought about how miserably stuck he was, puttering about in a little blue ball with his bumbling son and his insolent grandson. And when this old gnome thought these things, it sometimes happened that Benjamin would be wearing his headband, and listening intently to the elegiac musings of Regibald Pockbert aka Gizmo, of the Marn City Guard.

____________________________________________

Back in the Parlour, Sandwheel was feeling rather indignant about the fact that Chezak had entirely ignored his water-stealing affront, and now walked up behind the elf and tugged on his pant-leg, holding the same water glass, now refilled. "Lookie here, Chez. Now ye got water..." The finger again... "And now ye don't! HA!!"

When Benjamin re-emerged, he was holding the second cutlass, and the mysterious headband. He held the cutlass out by the blade, offering the hilt to Maeve.

"Madam, please accept this. I give it in deepest gratitude. And for you, Chezak, a little token of my gratitude. As you will not accept any of our more... supernatural wares, I hope you accept this, though it be of meager value. I think that, if you unravel it, you will find it quite beautiful."

[Maeve]

Maeve grabbed the other sword from Benjamin and used the two sheathed blades to push herself to her feet. She wobbled for a moment, but put a smile on her face to cover the fact she was that tired. The food had helped her greatly, and now all she could think about was a warm bed, with or without a man in it. "Thank you," she said graciously, as if she had never demanded it in the first place. She did a slight curtsey and bow of her head, a well-practiced gesture she seemed normal doing despite holding two swords to both sides.

Ignoring Chezak and Sandwheel for the moment, she found her backpack and put the two blades inside. The hilts stuck out the top, but she put her cloak over the backpack, covering them completely. It wouldn't do for her to be robbed once she left this place. Finally, she turned to Chezak.

Fully dressed to go, she siddled up to him and plucked at the bottom hem of his shirt like a child would. She hung her head and swung her body back and forth lightly, as if she was asking daddy for money. "Chezak," she said. "You'll come with me, won't you?" After she asked, she looked up pleadingly at his face.

[Chezak D'Maroe]

Chezak looked down at the gauntleted badger, a sight he wouldn't have dreamed he would see in his lifetime. Watching the badger, Chezak's brow shot up as the water disappeared. He had been more concerned with Maeve and the rest of the goings-on when Sandwheel had done it earlier, and had merely distractedly nodded.

He looked from Sandwheel to the gauntlet to the empty water glass, then back to Sandwheel, unsure what the badger expected. "That's ... interesting," he finally murmured, before turning back to his vigil.

Before he had time to say or do much more, Benjamin walked back into the parlor with Maeve's paired sword. Chezak didn't pay much attention until Benjamin stepped before him. Again the brow lifted as the old elf handed him a small, folded piece of fabric. He took it with a gracious nod and unraveled the fabric. It was a headband, intricately made, but otherwise unassuming. His magic sense didn't seem to detect any type of magical aura around the headband, so he thanked Benjamin and his hosts politely and slid the headband into a pouch at his waist.

He turned away to find Maeve suddenly beside him, tugging at the hem of his shirt with her thumb and forefinger. It reminded him of nothing so much as a bashful child asking a tough question of an adult, one they felt they could be rejected for.

Chezak frowned at the mannerisms of the young woman, but nodded in response to her question. He smiled down and whispered, "If you like," before turning towards Benjamin and Puck.

"Again, we thank you for your hospitality, dinner and drinks included." He reached down and patted the pouch at his hip. "Also, thank you for the tokens of your gratitude for helping Master Benjamin there out of a tough spot. Don't try that again, as we may not be around to help out next time." He tempered the admonishment with a wink at Benjamin before he turned towards the exit.

"We should be fine to see ourselves out, unless ... ?"

He left the last part open, in case Puck and Benjamin wished to send someone to help them on their way out. Thieves' secrecy, he thought to himself..

[Anja]

Puck nodded amicably at the two of them, standing up alongside Benjamin and playing the polite host. "Yes, that will be just fine, my friends. And if you wish to do business again in the future, just cruise the streetside bazaars and cafés, I'm sure you'll find Benjamin in one of them."

Sandwheel was grumbling. It looked as though he was about to follow the pair out, but then changed his mind, instead deciding to call after them. "Ye don't know what yer missin' Maeve, runnin' off with that tall, goofy-lookin' guy. I know how t'treat a lady, y'know!"

Benjamin laughed, and looked down at their animal companion. "Being called goofy-looking by a badger with over-sized gauntlets and a pipe hanging out of his mouth isn't likely to perturb the fellow any, Sandwheel."

This elicited a curse, followed by more grumbling, and all three sat down again. After a minute or two had passed, Benjamin engrossed in his newsprint, Puck in a book, and Sandwheel in morosely twiddling his gloved thumbs, Puck spoke up, addressing nobody in particular, and keeping his eyes on his book. "I suppose one of us ought to go and fetch Madame Czela's girls to clean up this mess, hmm?"

Non-committal grunts followed this, and another two minutes of silence reigned before a shadow on the Parlour's threshold gave them cause to stir. Dianelopa had returned.

[Maeve]

Maeve lit up like a lamp when Chezak nodded and said, "If you like." She let go of his clothing and went to the door. Her usual grace was diminished, but she was managing to stay upright so it didn't bother her too much. She paused at the door and waited for Chezak to say his goodbyes, and then led the way out. One of the servants showed them the door, and Maeve found herself in the bustling world of people and sunshine again.


((Maeve and Chezak continued in http://www.tharshaddin.com/rp/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2140))

[Dianelopa]

Hearing the grate to the sewers open, Dianelopa got up and walked slowly toward it. She saw Maeve and Chezak walk away. They didn't seem to take any notice of her and that was fine. The grate stood open, no one had closed it, but Dianelopa stood there in front of it, the sun on her back casting her long late afternoon shadow into the room. She wasn't sure whether she'd be welcome coming back again after her abrupt departure before.
After waiting hesitantly for a few minutes she called out, "Benjamin, I am here if you want to talk to me."
Before Benjamin could answer, Dianelopa heard a rustling in the grass a bit of a distance away. "Thad!" she cried. "Why did you come back?" She took some steps toward the sound, but no one answered and she couldn't see anyone. "Humpf," she said. "What kind of trick is this?"

[Anja]

Thad dropped down lightly from the eaves of a nearby willow into plain sight, grinning at Dianelopa. "No tricks, m'lady. Just my way of keeping the romance alive."

He cocked his head and winked as he spoke, and moved a step or two back so that he might lean against the tree trunk and twirl his knife at leisure. "I saw those two leave. They looked like they don't take no guff. Yer new friends play ball with a lot o' hard types in them sewers eh? What's their game, I wonder..."

He said it more as a musing than as a question, and kept his eye on the centre of his blade as he danced it across his fingers. The sunset's reflection across the Ofriyu Mar silhouetted his form and threw his face in shadow, but teeth of faded yellow could still be seen as his lips parted in a generous smile. "I love games, you know. Only problem is, these fat rich types ain't none too sportsmanlike. They always got their guards with 'em, and if ye lose, ye get chucked in the hole."

He tossed his head vaguely past the water tower and in the direction of the Justice Hall as he spoke, and a dark look enveloped his toothy grin, but only for a moment. "Yer pals 'ere though, they seem t'be rollin in it, if me ol' treasure nose is still what it used to be. Fancy clothes, all these odd types comin' and goin', and I ain't never seen any guards givin them guff. Aye, they know how to play right. What's their gimmick eh? I know it ain't legal, or they wouldn't be holed up in the sewers."

[Dianelopa]

Dianelopa gasped at Thad's sudden appearance. It was seldom she missed any kind of creature sneaking up on her, much less a human. "Well, I did hear you," she said finally. A few quick bursts of odd feelings rushed through her: annoyance at being surprised, Thad's flirting that her body reacted to somewhat against her will. She then let his little speech sink in for a few seconds.
"Ooooh Kaaaay!" she said finally. "The ones who just left. I don't know them. I don't know what they were after and I don't care as long as it's got nothing to do with me. I don't think it does. Benjamin and Puck, they're my friends. Well, I work for Benjamin. I just do little things. You know like the birdcage. You helped me, so you are in it too, in a way. But you think there's something bigger behind it all? I don't know." Dianelopa shrugged.
"He pays me. I don't hurt anyone. Hmmm, the birds. I hope not. I don't know what he did with them." She shrugged again. "I need the money. I don't want to hurt the birds. Well, what do you think?" Before Thad could answer she said. "Benjamin is right inside and I suppose he's coming now. Do you want to meet him?"

[Anja]

Thad was nothing if not careful. As far as he knew, Benjamin had only seen his face once or twice, and he saw no reason to increase that number, especially when he was lurking around one of their exits. No, that meeting could be saved for another time, when he had the upper hand. He hastily shook his head. "Oh, that's alright, lil' lady. I'll save that pleasure for another time. It's time I was gettin' on home anyway. But I'll be in touch."

He made a move to walk off down the path, but stopped as if remembering something. He held a finger up and gave Dianelopa an odd sort of look. "But if I were you, miss, I'd be careful runnin' around with those old elves. I'd hate to see anything bad happen to you..."

With that, he was off into the night.

[Dianelopa]

I wonder what he means, Dianelopa thought. Benjamin has always been nice to me. Why would anything bad happen? Well, I suppose I ought to be careful. After all this IS the city.
Then she did something, she'd never done before. She took hold of the black jade pendent that she wore around her neck and squeezed it. A strange warm feeling coursed through her, different than what she'd felt sitting next to Thad, but pleasant nonetheless. After holding it some seconds though it began to get hot, so hot that she let it go. "What is this?" she said out loud and stared at her necklace with the oddly carved cat. Normally it was black, but when she dropped it, it was shining almost like gold. She blinked and looked again. It had returned to its original dull black color.
I don't understand any of this, she thought, but what can I do?
Thereupon Dianelopa walked through the grate, down the entrance hall and into the parlor where Benjamin was waiting for her.

[Anja]

Benjamin, pipe dangling from the side of his mouth, spoke easily. "Welcome back, Dianelopa. I trust a bit of fresh air did you good? It can get a tad... stifled in here at times, I know. Come, sit down, we have some matters to discuss."

He looked sidelong at Puck, who nodded, before getting up and leaving the room through the heavy iron door. Benjamin affixed Dianelopa with a serious look, leaning forward in his chair and holding his pipe. "Now, I understand that you're the simple country girl type, and I also see a good streak of honesty and goodness in you. That is why I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt here. But I do hope our earlier discussion about secrecy and trust hasn't fallen on deaf ears. You see, what we do down here isn't entirely legal, and we can't have you compromising our affairs.

"On a similar note, our clientele tends to be not only rather rich and upstanding, but on the dangerous side. Just now, when you wandered off without preamble in front of those two, it made us look... well, weak. Weakness is a thing we cannot afford to show in our business. We are professionals, and we must maintain a solid front. If people think that our employees come and go as they please, they'll start watching more carefully. They'll find a way to invade us, to overthrow us. This is a very real danger, the exacerbation of which we cannot allow. This does not mean that you must bend the knee to us at all times. After all, you are, for the time being, only an odd jobs girl. But in the future, when clients are present, if you could take the trouble to appear a little more subservient, it would make things much easier on us all. Does this sit alright with you?"

_______________________________________________________________

On the other side of the wall, Anja was telling Puck of what her webs had revealed to her. She gurgled in the Greatweaver tongue at her translator. "That thief was lingering about our sewer grate again. He spoke with the new girl. That particular friendship must end, one way or the other. See to it."