Silva's Courier (PG-13) {Greed}

[Amalgamator]

A dreary, frosty night in a dark forest complimented the dreary mood perfectly. The nice smell of rain, the tense air, the torchlight, it all emanated the feeling of mystery, of adventure, caution, fear. Heavy breathing filled the air, exasperated, originating from a man on a mission. No words, no emotion, step by step, unconsciously checking his back for whatever may follow, he continued on, no words, no thoughts, just steam, breath, and footsteps. The forest was silent, apart from the man, not a bird or bug to chirp or sing, not a wolf to howl or anything. Just footsteps, running on, to somewhere ahead.

The man wore a black cloak, hooded and patched, to hide his identity and cover his head. He held against his chest a courier's bag with paper inside, locked in and dry. The man had a mission to get somewhere, through the forest and out, to make use of his hand. He needed the money, he needed the opportunity, to escape from the hell he called his town. No words escaped from the travelling man, as he ran through the forest, his mission in hand.

(Bio for The Courier: https://horseisland.rpg-board.net/t12180-silva-s-courier-bios#336175
Rp Genre: Mystery/Adventure/Fantasy)

[Greed]

Amalina disliked being uniformed. Perhaps she wasn't necessarily uninformed this time, but...it was pretty darn close. After all, this wasn't even one of her usual jobs. She was an assassin, not a errand girl. However, she wasn't about to question the person who paid her. As long as she got her money, she could - would - be perfectly content. After all, money made the world go 'round, right? ...No? Ah well. Amalina worked for money and money alone. It wasn't as if she was crazy and enjoyed killing. She did it because she supposed it was in her blood. Her father had been one, too, so...she merely followed in his footsteps. She'd learned from his mistakes, however. Most of her family was dead because of his ignorance. She was determined not to be like him. Amalina weaved lithely in and out of trees, her ears paying close attention to the faintest of noises she could pick up. She had been told this was the path the man she was to intercept was taking...she hoped she wasn't wrongly informed. That would make her rather angry...and she did have quite the temper.

Amalina stopped and quickly swung herself up onto a low-hanging branch, pulling herself with a very quiet grunt onto the branch and crawling along it, stopping when she heard a noise. It wasn't much...whoever was running obviously had places to be. Unfortunately, that wasn't going to work out. Not today. Amalina waited until the cloaked figure was just in sight, crouching low on the branch. The moment he was within feet of her, she dropped down, her cape billowing around her, white in the darkness of the shady forest. Daggers flew out from underneath the sleeves of her attire and she smirked, "Nice to meet you. I believe you have something of mine."

[Amalgamator]

Step, step, step, splash, step. The wet forest floor left little traction after the long rain, turning most of the fertile soil into mud. The courier's boots were covered in a thin layer of mud as he trudged on through the mud, each step careful, each step thoughtless. Time went bye, observations forgotten moments after being made, thoughts ignored, sentiments retried. The courier had nothing but his own mind to accompany him, and that was how he liked it. Then, a woosh. A gust in the forest, from above and forward.

The courier didn't look up. His mind was still out of focus, his body stuck in the same running motion, ignoring his mind, not willing to stop. He didn't stop, he didn't pause, he didn't even look. Unfortunately for him, he didn't even look. As the source of the sound landed before him, a shocking realization shot through his spine. The figure began to speak as he tried stopping in the mud, but the sudden thoughts shooting through his head clouded out the words.

Conflictions, contradictions, constant thought. He couldn't tell his legs to stop. The mud below and his tiredness worked against him as he swerved to avoid hitting the stranger. Two glints, two eyes, beady, greedy, watching. He saw two blades, but thoughts too quick prevented judgement from overtaking his mind. "Wa-ait! Ah!" he managed to voice, shifting his weight to the stranger's right to avoid an awkward collision. The torch in his hand flickered slightly at the sudden change of wind, but the flame stood strong, despite his silly maneuver.

[Greed]

[ When I reread my post after reading yours I totally realize how cliché the whole “falling from above” thing was… XDD LOLS ]

Amalina rose a brow when the courier didn’t stop running. She frowned and took a tentative step back. She wasn’t being paid to kill him, only to grab whatever he had. Amalina grimaced and took another step back. Maim…seriously injure…nothing against that…but if she hit him when he was sliding like he was she was definitely going to end up killing him. Even though it probably would be easier just to kill him and take off with the goods, so to speak, but…she took things strangely literally. She was not told to kill, so she wouldn’t. Simple as that. She blinked and sidestepped the courier when he moved to her right. He was clumsy, wasn’t he? Ah well. Not everyone could be as lithe as she was. Although she had to admit running and stopping the mud was a tricky thing. She clenched the blades in her hands tightly, heading in his direction. She supposed it wouldn’t be bad to at least try and trip him. Amalina shvoved one of her daggers into the nearest tree as deep as she could get it, swinging one leg out to attempt and trip the other. She was surprised he was still up to begin with.

[ I’m sorry that was so bad… I’m exhausted. My brain is broken. I’ve been working nonstop tonight. ]

[Amalgamator]

(It is fine, everyone suffers from being tired.)

The figure gracefully side-stepped, barely any sound, graceful as a cat, wielding her blades like a mantis. The courier felt one of his legs fly out from below him, then felt the hit which caused the sudden force, a kick from the figure. A metallic thump sounded from a tree trunk as one of the blades struck into the wet wood, accompanied by the splash of the courier falling into the mud, face-first.

Quickly, the courier got up, panting, desperately out of breath and tired. "Excuse me, uhh." he gasped, coughing up a bit of mud into his sleeve, eyeing the dagger in the figure's free hand.

Thoughts flew through his head. Just turn and run. Don't chat. She'll kill you. She's half disarmed.

Deciding that he was too exhausted to recover his pace, he frowned, gasping to catch his breath as he advanced toward the figure slightly. "You're sure intimidating." he mused, wiping off some mud from his face. He knew he'd get a solid hit to the face, or a good shove due to advancing, but his unconscious deduction reasoned that backing away would encourage rougher violence, or encourage bladeplay. "How's your evening, miss?" he mused, swallowing as he caught his breath, grinning sheepishly at the figure.

[Greed]

[ I know, but I hate knowing I can do better and not doing my best. I love your descriptions by the way. They’re awesome. ]

Amalina smiled a little bit when her plan succeeded. She released her one blade. She’d get what she needed and then come back for the blade later. She highly doubted he’d be able to get a hold of it anyways. She’d reach him before he did, and she didn’t know if he could even pull it out or not. It was going to take her a bit of prying to get it out, and she was the one that stuck it in there in the first place. She stood over him, off to the side a little bit as he coughed. When he got back up she eyed him slightly, brandishing the one dagger she had left in her hand at him a bit. She had other weapons if he decided to do something stupid. She rose a brow when he said ‘excuse me.’ What a strange kid. He looked no younger than herself, either.

She blinked a few times before laughing suddenly, “Why, thank you,” she said sarcastically, “Most people don’t see me twice.” She gave a small grin, flicking her dagger and catching the flat of the blade in between her index finger and thumb. “You’re lucky. I don’t have orders to kill you.” Amalina rolled her eyes. “How’s my evening?” He paused, “Well it would be much better if you were to give me that little thing you got there in your hand…” She nodded towards his hand. “I’d rather not take much longer here if it isn’t needed.”

[Amalgamator]

The courier looked over at his hand, the torch flickering brightly with smoke softly billowing out, then looked back over at the lady with one eyebrow raised. A few locks of his sweat-soaked white hair dropped from under his hood as he held the torch out to her, a half-foot from her, right in her face, saying, "I don't know what use a torch'll do you if you made it here in the dark..." as he tilted his head slightly to the left, still smiling, curious as to her seemingly lenient character.

Immediately after the torch disrupted his view of her, an idea formed. He was absolutely sure that he'd have ten slits in his throat the second he tried to fight her, so he relaxed his shoulders noticeably to attempt to influence her subconsciously. His long, black cloak hung over his shoulders, hiding the figure beneath, albeit a slight bulge around the side of his chest.

(For the sake of the genre, mystery, I'm not going to reveal thoughts or hidden attributes of my character, just to make it more fun.)

[Greed]

Spoiler!:

Amalina eyed him when he handed her the torch. "They say that an assassin is also called a queen of the night. Or king, I suppose." Amalina snatched up the torch and glared at it is as if it had insulted her. "It's always a hassle when we have to deal with unnecessary light." She took one last glance over the other so she could sum up what she needed to know about him. There wasn't much about him, so at least she wouldn't have to remember much. She tilted the torch dangerously against the side of her hand before she let it drop. "Oops." She grinned as the torch hit the ground and sputtered painfully before snuffing out. "Much better." Amalina walked over to the tree with her dagger in it, not turning her back on the courier and gave a few good yanks to the dagger's hilt before it came loose, the force of her tug sending her stumbling gracefully a few steps to the side. "I think we both know that wasn't what I was looking for." Amalina placed her second dagger's hilt comfortably in her hand as her eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness. "I'm not being paid to kill you, but they never said anything about leaving for dead. So we can finish this the easy way or the hard way. Your choice." 

[ Sorry so short ]

[Amalgamator]

"Oops"

Two splashes later, the courier was on a full-tilt sprint across the path again, his eyes slowly adjusting to the now-dark forest. He wasn't great at navigating, but the path he was on literally had no sharp turns, and led straight to Moirith. As he continued, each step digging into the mud as hard as the cheap uniform shoes could, he thought up his next strategy. He could just begin making out the outlines of trees as his heart-beat started to race.

Each step came just as quick as the first, if not faster as he sped along the muddy road. Wind rushed past his face, pulling off his hood, revealing his long, dirty white hair to the pitch-black air. His breathing was controlled, and each step followed the other. His little 'break' gave him back some stamina from his day-long travel, and the adrenaline of the situation fueled what he had left fairly well.

[Greed]

The moment the light went out, Amalina heard footsteps. Perhaps knocking the light out had been a mistake. But then again...she didn't make mistakes. Just a simple misstep. Amalina returned her daggers to their small compartments in her leather gauntlets and took off after the courier, keeping her footsteps as light and quiet as she possibly could, following the sounds of the other's footsteps. She was glad at least that it was dark now and her eyes adjusted quickly to the familiar darkness. It surrounded her like a warm blanket, the darkness, guiding her like a teacher. The darkness was the best friend of an assassin...even if that assassin wasn't actually being sent to assassinate someone... Eventually she propelled herself up onto the nearest low-hanging branch, grateful for her gauntlets, because that would've hurt otherwise. After a little bit of hopping from tree to tree to keep up with the other. She enjoyed being off the ground. It gave her a better perspective over everything and gave her the advantage of high ground. 

In the distance, she caught a glimpse of something white and she hopped down from her tree, mud spraying over her outfit and face as her fingers dug into the soft ground as she caught her balance, quickly shooting to her feet and running after him. She dropped one dagger back into her hand and weaved in and out of the trees, readying her one dagger to throw it. She wouldn't until she was within perfect range, which she was coming up to quickly... "One last chance," she called out to him, moving her position after she spoke, "To hand it over," she moved again, "Or suffer the consequences," and moved one last time, running lithely a little ways behind him.

[Amalgamator]

(It's a bit unbelievable that you can climb into trees, pull out a knife, and run near-quietly and still catch up to a guy who's actual job occupation is running, to be honest. Or is that part of fantasy, and I'm just over-thinking it. I was thinking that the story would be a lot more interesting if he didn't just hand over a letter, but instead got into town and Amalina chased him there.)

As the courier ran, he heard various, sounds. Tree branches shook behind him, jingling of metal pieces, splashes, quiet. An unnerving chill flew down the courier's spine as he continued running.

Unbelievable. I'm being outran by a rogue.


"One last chance..."


He couldn't speak, he was breathing too hard. He still didn't know what the rouge wanted, but that didn't discourage him.

Alright, step two...wait, is that...


The courier saw a vague glow of torches ahead, bright, near, high up. It was the wall of Moirith.

I knew I was close. Let's see if the guards can save my hide.


Filled with inspiration, the courier continued sprinting, speeding up as much as he could, panting hard. The edge of the forest was getting closer, but the torches were still pretty far.

[Greed]

[ I'm sorry if that seemed a bit mushed together xD That wasn't really what I was picturing in my head. I'm not always the best at writing out exactly what goes on in my head unless it's like a 1,000 word post... Sorry about that. That's my bad (but I do suppose that would fall under the fantasy aspect of it to a certain degree; it's more under fiction, admittedly, however). I wasn't really planning for her to actually catch him. If she did that would just kind of make continuing the roleplay a bit difficult. She's not invincible, nor omniscient, so yeah. xD Anyways. I'll be replying a bit more spaced out. I'm actually gonna study today XD ]

Amalina looked over at him as he continued to run. He didn't falter in his stride at all. She had to hand it to him, that was pretty impressive. Most other people would've just given her what she wanted in hopes of saving their own skin. She supposed he was good at doing what he did, if he could have the courage to keep running. She still wasn't within the correct throwing distance, and she wasn't positioned correctly that she'd get a good shot, either, but the trees made it increasingly difficult for her to get where she wanted to be. Her eyes flickered ahead, grimacing at what she saw. They were rapidly encroaching upon Moirith. She looked back over to the courier and slowed for a step or two when he sped up. How are you still standing? I suppose if anything stamina is your strong point. She sighed mentally and weighed her options. She could speed up to whatever speed she could reach (she'd never really tested what was the maximum of her speed; never had had the need to) and completely wear herself breathless by the time they reached the walls, or she could remain at a steady pace that wouldn't completely wind her so she could fight if she had to. A fight would be inevitable, especially if they were heading into a place like Moirith. There would be guards. She wasn't a fan of making a flashy entrance, but all she'd been told was it was urgent that she retrieved it. 

A snarl escaped her mouth as she decided it was best not to wind herself, skirting past a tree, keeping the other just in her range of sight, but she could notice the distance between the two of them slowly, but surely, increasing. She clenched her free hand into a fist and shook her head, the hood falling off of her head and resting uselessly on her shoulders as she continued her fast pace that was slowly turning into more of a jog. Sure, she'd been to Moirith, but not enough times to know which places were the best for an assassin to enter and hide. If he was so set on playing cat and mouse...so be it. She'd played that game any number of times before. This shouldn't be any different from the other times. With any luck, that is.

[Amalgamator]

(Granted, I assumed you didn't actually quote your exact thoughts in that response, and 1,000 words isn't much, admittedly. A picture is only worth 1,000 words. Also, I believe you used the word 'encroaching' in an odd syntax.)

The footsteps continued, each step washing less dirt up the courier's pant-hems as he continued sprinting. He felt cramps in his lungs, as he expected from a two-minute sprint, but he continued, ignoring the pain. After the trees started to thin out significantly, the footsteps slowed down, turning away, heading for the trees behind him. He had survived, or so he thought.

Guess I'm the lucky one which gets to see her a second time...guess it's time to start planning step three.


After he breached the forest, the faint smell of smoke filled his burning, parched lungs as he attempted desperately to breath. His gasping was audible for a wide range as he began to slow down slightly, fighting the urge to jog. He was getting closer to the wall. His job was almost done.

After a few minutes of noisy breathing and padded footing, the courier made it within torchlight of the wall and collapsed, catching his breath. 

"Who goes there?" shouted a archer, pointing a arrow at the collapsed courier's head. He then whispered to his comrade, "...heh, how cliche." with the response of a sigh and rolled eyes as his comrade strung his bow, light leather armor shielding his body.

The courier took a minute, then slowly picked himself up and looked around for the source of the voice, saying, "Your favorite Silvan courier." in the most sarcastic tone he could muster, realizing that he recognized the guard's voice.

[Greed]

[ Perhaps I’m weird ^^ ]
 
Amalina followed along behind the courier. She ended up walking as she got closer to the lights, remaining as quiet as possible. She watched from the shadows, crouched behind a tree, her back pressed against it lightly. She pulled her hood back over her head and turned her head, listening to the conversation the courier was having with the guards. …Guards. Just great. Fantastic. Not. She knew she didn’t dress like a normal person, so getting in without at least a little bit of suspicion was not going to happen. She was either going to have to kill her way in or find a more…creative way of getting past the guards. She didn’t know how many guards were positioned, either. She heard one, for sure, but usually when there was one, there were two. Amalina shook her head a little bit and slowly slid to her feet, thinking up a game plan. She couldn’t just barge in there and say ‘Hey everyone! I’ll just be taking him and going, thanks.’ That wasn’t how she rolled anyways. She wasn’t sure what to do. After thinking for a minute, she formed a plan. Thanks to the white of her attire, the light would produce a small shimmer. She was rather confident in her ability to move quickly, so if she could move fast enough to cause a slight distraction that would just attract a flicker of attention if anything, and find a tree to climb up into with enough leaves to cover her… She glanced around, making herself aware of her surroundings. Hiding when wearing white and where a lit wall was so close was rather ridiculous. Amalina supposed if she had to, she could just cause a distraction and dispose of the guards one at a time. If they sent one at a time. It was a risk she had to take. She couldn’t let the courier get beyond the walls. It would require extra effort to find him, and by then he might not have what she was looking for.
 
Couriers. Difficult specimens to deal with sometimes.
 

Amalina shifted her daggers slightly as a form of comfort (more of a habit she’d created for herself) and poised herself to move quietly and quickly, and get just close enough to make a small flicker to cause distrust in situational awareness. How fun. Amalina stood nearly on her toes and darted out from her space behind the tree, pausing for a second to glance up to where she’d heard the voices from. Two guards. At least that was what was in her line of vision. Without waiting much longer, she headed to where there was a small cluster of trees and hid within the trunks, crouching down again and readying one of her daggers.

[Amalgamator]

The guard with the bow quickly unknocked his arrow and smiled at his comrade, "Hey, open the gate a crack, will ya?" then looked down at the courier and shouted, "How was the trip! Need a drink?" with a broad grin on his face. The guard groaned, trying to unstring his bow as he walked towards the heavy pulley.

The courier found the turret the guard was looking out from and grinned back, then shouted, "I found a friend who's on her way, but she got a bit lost! Give her the drink, I'll be off soon enough anyway." then walked towards the gate as it began to go up, bit by bit.

The guard laughed a bit and waved his hand at the courier, heading away from the window to help out his comrade in opening the gate. Another few guards marched down stairs in the turret, passing by the window as they headed to the gate to greet the courier, who waited patiently as the gate rose higher and higher, a shy smile on his face.

[Greed]

Amalina sighed when her plan did absolutely nothing for her. Apparently the guards were having too much fun meeting-and-greeting their little courier friend. How annoying. She sheathed the dagger again and got to her feet, pulling the hood farther over her face and letting out a quiet sigh. She listened as the guard and the courier exchanged a few more words. She rose a brow when he referred to her as a ‘friend,’ and then went on to say she’d gotten a bit lost. What a lousy excuse. She’d never get lost for the life of her. Nice little lie, though. But seriously? What kind of person would believe that their friend just got lost and they decided to head on without them…? Unless they were really loose friends she didn’t see how that’d work. But then again, Amalina didn’t have friends, so perhaps that’s the strange way friends worked. She wouldn’t know. She took a second and glanced down at her mud-dirtied shoes. The tips of her cloak were also lined with brown mud. Not that it mattered much…she’d just have to spend time cleaning them later. She didn’t usually run through the mud. But then again, she’d had no choice. She couldn’t stand that stupid courier. How had she gotten so unlucky?

 

After a few minutes of standing, thinking of what she’d do. It was hard to force things away from people, especially in a densely populated area…she slapped a palm to her forehead. Great. This was way more than she’d signed up for (but then again, there were no terms and conditions, so she couldn’t blame it on her employer). Amalina listened for a little bit longer as she heard the gate raising at a painfully slow pace. At least now she was completely centered. Making sure all weapons were properly concealed, she pushed her hood off of her face. She wasn’t one to go parading around without her hood covering her head but she didn’t think she had much of a choice. Might as well play along with his admittedly somewhat helpful little lie for the time being. Moving away from the cluster of trees she was currently at and headed towards the lights of the gate, stopping at where the trees stopped and leaning her shoulder against one. “Some friend,” she murmured to herself.

 

[ So yeah this is really bad… my bad… haha…sorry… Dude. I’m playing three assassins at the moment xDD Two dude assassins and then Amalina. I’m a killing machine. ]

[Amalgamator]

As the gate stopped rising, half-way up, three of the guards from the turret walked in front of the gate with their weapons out, motioning for the courier to enter. The area around the gate was cobbled, each stone large with a crude cement holding the stones in place so the crushing weight of the gate wouldn't push them out of place.

The courier dropped his smile as he started to walk towards the guards, his hood still off. "Any news?" the courier asked, stopping next to one of the plate-armored guards.

"Rumors around town about Gartbey. Ask your pal, eh?" the guard said, a pleasant, sarcastic tone echoing from his helmet.

The courier continued walking past the guards as he continued into town, the smell of smoke now much more heavy and pungent. Burnt meats, firewood, rot, waste, and all the fine odors which a bustling city offers. Even in the night, plenty of people were scurrying around, whether on business or pleasure. All the same, there was more than enough torchlight to brighten up the night.

The courier stepped across the cobbled street calmly as he made his way through the town. There was plenty to see, apothecaries, churches, houses, blacksmiths, groceries, haystacks and alleys, animal pens and vendor stalls galore. Most of the shops and houses were closed, but a few tired vendors tried catching the attention of those who walked by. The courier ignored them, thinking, waiting, planning, walking.

[Greed]

Amalina watched from the sidelines as the courier and the guards exchanged a few more words before going inside the gate. She shook her head lightly. She’d rather not pretend to be his ‘friend,’ but… he had provided her an excellent excuse to get into Moirith. It wouldn’t be such a smart idea to try and figure another way in, anyways. She supposed her urge to find a stealthier way in branched off from the fact she was an assassin and forward entrances like this weren’t really her ‘thing.’ At least coming in sooner rather than later would help diminish any question about who she was. Hmph. Lost. Nice excuse, courier. Explain to me how you work, exactly…most people wouldn’t give an assassin a way to come into a place with other people, anyways… I don’t understand you. Fighting back the instinctive urge to find another way in, Amalina forced herself to remain relaxed. Or…at least, to look like she was relaxed. Maybe this was just a flaw of hers… Maybe you knew what you were doing after all, you little… Amalina shook her head. Wasn’t worth her energy. She just needed to get in and find her way to wherever the courier was going. She could care less if she got what she needed from the courier or from the person he was delivering to… But no matter what, she was going to get what she was being paid to get. Amalina shook her head and walked forward, pausing, uncertain, in her stride as she reached the gates.

 

[ I’m so sorry… this is so…sooooo….sooooooooooooo bad ;A; My fault. I’m…my brain…it’s… bleh…. Gomen v_v ]

[Amalgamator]

(After this week, I am kinda dead too. My brain is in exam-mode still. You're not that bad though, it's still fun to read. Oh, and I finally have the mystery itself worked out.)

The three more heavily-armored guards watched as a vague, white-cloaked figure casually walked closer and closer to the gates. The two guards who lifted the gate were at their positions again, watching as the figure approached. "Hey, I'm going to retire my post for the day, the moon's high." the guard said, resting his bow on the weapon rack as he looked over for approval.

The other guard nodded as he watched the figure from the window. "Watch the streets, and that courier." the guard said, his gaze fixed. The few thin pads of leather around his arms and legs were very uncomfortable, but they worked well against projectiles. Still, the stationary guard couldn't stop fidgeting around slightly as the other guard went down the stairs for the night. 

Back at the gate, the armored guard in the center of the group decided that the figure was close enough, and shouted out, "Halt! What's your business in Moirith?" his face solemn under his dull iron helmet. A few seconds later, the guard who was up at the turret started to walk by behind the guards, following the same street the courier went.

The courier continued walking through the dark, musky streets as he looked around, searching. He knew his destination was in the town somewhere, but he didn't know where. His stomach was growling as testament to the dedication he gave to his job. 

A woman and a man walked by, smiling eerily at him as they turned into an alley. A figure watched the courier walk bye, flipping a throwing-knife in the air as a circus performer would. A few chain-mail armored guards walked by the courier, paying him the same notice the courier gave them. The courier flinched sharply as a drunk man threw a cup at him, but was reassured as the drunk man then fell into a stupor and collapsed against the wall of a house.

Plenty to do around town... he thought, a smug grin on his face as he continued walking.

[Greed]

Amalina watched the ground as though it was the most interesting thing she’d ever seen. She had to work as hard as she could to keep a growl from escaping her lips. She was going to wring that courier’s neck the next time she got her hands on him. Screw the ‘you don’t have to kill him,’ order. The little runt (okay, so, he wasn’t necessarily a runt, but what-ever) seriously crossed the line in making her go up to the gates like this. She looked over when she was told to halt, but continued a few steps before complying. Natural rebellious behavior. If they weren’t her employer she didn’t like listening to them. But she guessed because she was under ‘code’ she had to listen to them… for now. “I’m here with the courier,” she said, glancing over at the guard, mentally sizing him up. Another habit. Then she added with a murmur so only she could hear, “Who so generously left me behind. Or so he says.” Her eyes moved from the stationary guard to the guards moving. She guessed they were off duty now, heading home. She rolled her eyes a bit. She didn’t believe in taking breaks, except for a few measly hours of sleep during the dark hours of the morning.

 

[ I am so sorry about this… So sorry. This is so bad. So bad. But I’m still trying to corral my muse. ] 

[Amalgamator]

(Seems like an adequate response to me. I listen to Animus Vox whenever I feel writer's block.)

Without another word, the Heavy guards nodded, the guard in the middle casually walking out of the way as he mellowly responded, "Welcome to Moirith, traveler!" gesturing for the guard in the turret to close the gate behind her.

The guard who had left the turret, a burly fellow with plenty of leather armor, speed-walked in order to try catching up to the Courier, pushing a few desperate merchants to the side as he made his way through the streets. On his back, a moderately short two-handed sword held firm in its sheath, the plain iron handle swaying with his locomotion.

After a minute, the guard spotted the courier in the distance and started to jog, avoiding yet another merchant as he made his way closer to the casually-walking courier. "Ho! Courier! How was your journey?" asked the guard, grinning warmly and slowing down as the Silvan Courier turned around to respond.

[Greed]

[ I’ll try it out. ]

 

Amalina gave a curt nod and gave a quiet “thank you” in return before heading in past the gates. She stopped for a second, just inside the gates, and scoped out Moirith. A busy place, it was, and it seemed there would never be a lack of things to do here. A lot of people meant a lot of witnesses, if she made a mistake. But then again…why would she make a mistake? She’d never done so before. She just needed to find that courier and get what she needed before she messed up for real. Annoying. Of course he wouldn’t have just ‘waited up’ for her, though. That would’ve been a death wish on his part. Amalina ran lean fingers through her hair, pulling out some tangles along the way before flipping her hood over her head. She felt much more secure with it on. After walking into the streets a bit, she disappeared into an alleyway. It was going to be nearly impossible to find this man in these crowds. She doubted he’d be using the alleyway “canals,” either, but at least they were a little less dense. Perhaps more dangerous, but you never achieved anything by playing your cards safely. Amalina made her way quickly through the twisting and turning alleys, looking out onto the main street every now and again to see if she could catch a glimpse of the vaguely familiar-looking courier. The noise in certain parts was nigh unbearably. Sensitively tuned hearing made very loud places very obnoxious. It was hard to single anything out in the noise, as well. Thankfully not all of it was super noisy. That would’ve driven her near out of her mind.

With a quiet sigh, she made her way quietly through the alleyways, ignoring some of the other people who gave her dangerous glances or threatening movements. An alleyway killing would be way too cliché. She’d rather avoid conflict like that. Amalina, after a while of traveling, stopped and retraced her steps until she reached the last alleyway that leaked out onto the main street. She waited a second before merging in with the other people, her white cloak and hood not doing a very good job of keeping her inconspicuous, but she didn’t care much. As long as she was came up behind the courier it wouldn’t matter much. After a small while of searching, she heard a voice call out to a ‘courier.’ She turned her head, hopeful, and searched for where the voice came from. When she found the location, she grinned. Good. Thank you, dear guard. That’s very helpful of you. Amalina disappeared down an alleyway, staying put and watching the courier and the guard. Now, guard…it would be so much more helpful of you if you’d just leave. That would make my job much easier…

 

[ Aha! It worked! Kind of! The Glitch Mob ~ Hehe. ]

[Amalgamator]

(I added a BIO for the guard, because he's actually important.)

The courier grinned at the guard as he approached and responded, "Ho there Demetri!" The two then hugged for a moment and continued walking, talking briefly. "Remember that friend I told you about?" the courier rhetorically asked, smiling before he continued, "She needs that drink more than I. I think she's in a foul mood right about now."

The guard, Demetri, chuckled warmly and patted the couriers back, using his other beefy hand to point toward the Trihorn Pub straight ahead of them as he said, "First mug's on the house." as he escorted his friend toward the building's decrepit entrance, guiding the cloaked courier around a few drunk men.

[Greed]

[ Okeedokes, I’ll go read it after I reply. I like the name Demetri btw. ]

 

Amalina sighed quietly and clenched her hands at her sides. It didn’t seem like that stupid guard was going to leave the courier around anytime soon. She might as well follow them. But it was best if she wasn’t noticed. Which meant…she had to get rid of her cloak. For now, at least. The white was going to draw way too much attention if she wore it in a crowded place. Although it wasn’t necessarily completely white anymore, considering she’d run through the mud. The bottom of it was caked in the stuff. With a small growl she removed her cloak and folded it up. Before she could think of a place to put it, she saw the guard escort the courier somewhere. She had a feeling she’d regret it later, but at least it would be better than nothing… Amalina folded up the cloak neatly and moved lithely out of the alleyway, following at a generous distance. Amalina watched them enter a pub and grimaced. She really hated places like that, but she didn’t have much of a choice. With a somewhat centering breath, she slipped into the pub, the white cloak rolled up and under her arm. It was absolutely gross in here. The people. The smell. Everything. Just gross. She looked around for a second before spotting the courier and moved to an empty seat near the back and situating herself there, making sure not to continuously look at the duo. She put the white cloak behind her to hide its bright color. With a bit of a sigh she sat up straight against the seat’s backing, watching the people in the pub with a scrutinizing eye. You’re making this day very unpleasing, courier, she thought with a roll of her eyes, If it wasn’t against my code I’d make this personal.

[ Sorry that took so long. I was with my daddy :3 ]

[Amalgamator]

(That's fine, also, this may be a bit of a long post...)

As Demetri and the courier entered the pub, the decrepit door almost flying off its hinges at the force of the burly guard's great hand, Demetri released the courier from his close escort, motioning for the courier to walk ahead of him. As the courier entered the dark room, candles lighting every few tables and a few dull torches mounted behind the bar's counter, he noticed the people in the bar were all carrying something.

The pair walked up to a table in the middle of the bar, each step from the courier making not a sound on the heavily cobbled floor as the guard's heavy boots clicked with each step. The two attracted not a glance from the men around them, seeing as most were either drunk, sleeping, or talking. As the two sat down in the cheap, uncomfortably rough seats, a wench quickly pounced over to their table and softly asked, "What's your poison, noble gentlemen?" with a convincing, yet fake grin.

The courier looked over at Demetri for a moment, then told the wench, "Two plain ales'll suit our fancy." The courier then took off his hood and pushed his arms into the torso of his cloak, making to take the piece of clothing off.

The wench nodded, quickly walking over to the kegs and mugs to fit the two men's order. Meanwhile, Demetri leaned in on the table and quietly asked, "So where's your friend, eh?" with a curious voice, watching the entrance keenly as he spoke.

The courier nodded towards the entrance and responded, "She'd never stray too far from a friend," right as soft footsteps started to near the entrance to the bar. The courier stood up briefly in order to pull the long, black cloak off his body, revealing the outfit underneath. His skinny figure was clothed in a well-fitting green-and-white leather shirt, blue and green cloth pants with a leather protection piece over his upper thighs and waist, and a mail-bag strapped around his chest. His outfit was standard for a courier from Silva, the town's flag having only green white and blue on its form.

The courier sat back down, placing the cloak on the dirty floor as Demetri pulled off his long sword, placing the bulky weapon beside him on the floor as well. "I swear, if anyone has perfect plans, it's you, Neilach." Demetri mumbled quietly, grinning as he leaned back, watching as the female figure walked into the bar, carrying her cloak under her arm. An array of weapons lined her sides and waist, most hidden, some less than others, declaring her position as a person who used them.

Demetri looked back at Neilach, then continued, "So, what was the job? Do you need an escort to the courier's crib?" as he watched the figure sit down from his peripheral vision, focusing more on the wench as she returned from the kegs with two bubbling mugs of ale, her gown as clean as a wench could make it, patched to no end and brown as dirt, just like the rest.

"Your drinks, sirs," the wench said, placing the two mugs on the table as the men eagerly reached for them, "Is there anything else I can do for you?" she asked, looking at the two of them in turn as her fake grin turned into a humble smile.

The courier, Neilach, reached into his courier's bag and pulled out a scroll, well-wrapped and sealed with a fancy red wax, then warmly asked, "Could you bring the new arrival over there a mug with this letter?" Immediately after, the wench grabbed the letter and hurried off the grant his request, Neilach taking a heavy swig in the process.

Demetri eyed the courier's thirst and chuckled, having taken a deep swig himself. "Aye, it's not healthy for a skinny man such as yourself to drink so heavily after a long journey! Ye' might not keep it all down!"

Neilach grinned, wiping some of the froth off his lip as he replied, "A man's appearance can be deceiving, dear Demetri," as he took another sip, closing his courier's bag while doing so.

A sleeping man fell out of his chair, causing a brief bought of laughter at his table as a bunch of drunk men amused themselves with lifting him back onto his chair. Near the corner of the room, a woman threw a mug at her companion, causing a brief argument between the two. All in all, the bar was a fairly busy place, with a more active atmosphere than it seemed to promise. Being one of the three pubs in town with the cheapest ale, it wasn't surprising that the building was so crowded.

As the wench passed back bye the two, Demetri stopped the wench in her path and offered her a silver coin for the drinks, "One more, should my thirsty friend need it." he said, the wench quickly snatching away the coin as she nodded and continued over to Amalina, a drink and a scroll in hand. As she arrived at the hired blade's table, the wench placed the mug and the scroll in front of the lady, then said, "Those two sirs bought you a drink and a scroll," as she pointed to Demetri and Neilach, Demetri grinning and waving back at the wench and Amalina as Neilach took another drink, paying no heed.

(I'm sorry if that took awhile to read, and caused impatience to wait for, but dialogue is hard to avoid.)

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