Private Tales Bare Skies

[Varo]

Bellin - Outside Alliria

"I'm not so sure about this." Varo said quietly, his gaze casting towards the empty sky.

The moon was not out yet, but it would be in a few hours.

A paranoia gripped him, though whether it was the 'mission' or something else it was hard to tell. His chest filled with a long breath, eyes flickering towards his partner. He couldn't quite believe that she had talked him into this...or wait was it the other way around? Varo frowned for just a brief second, not entirely sure who had brought the idea to whom(it was him).

The town of Bellin was a small one.

A farming community that provided Alliria with a small portion of it's food. People who had business in the larger city often stopped by here in their way, the days journey to the big city being a convenient resting point for most major merchant trains.

That was of course why they were here in the first place. Varo had received a tip that a merchant train was coming through here, one carrying enough gems to make even his eyebrows stand up. He had figured it would be a nice prize, but when he'd returned to the safehouse everyone else had been gone. So he'd invited the one person still there, and now walked besides her as they entered Bellin. "Might be too dangerous for just the two of us?"

Varo said as he glanced up at the sky again.

Like an idiot he'd forgotten what day it was. What was happening tonight. He glanced over at her, lips thin for a moment, knowing already she would offer a rebuke.

 

[Wren Kingsley]

Wren's eyes rolled at Varo's paranoia and she slipped her arm through his since they'd look less suspicious as a travelling couple than a pair of edgy acquaintances. "It was your idea." she reminded him with a quiet grumble and squeezed at his arm. "Try to look a little less suspicious will you?.." she muttered.

Wren walked with confidence and dragged him along with her.. "I've managed heists on my own. It's only dangerous when you're not smart about it. Or if you're already doubting yourself. What the fuck is wrong with you?.." she pressed under her breath, following his gaze toward the sky with a frown.

"Look if you're going to freak out and get us caught I'd rather not risk it. If you get us locked up no Gods will save you from me.." she huffed and stopped to face him, a brow quirked in question as she waited to make sure he had his shit together.

It was a ridiculously big payout, but there was no amount of wealth worth being locked up again.

 

[Varo]

"No. No it's fine." Varo said as he cleared his throat, closing his eyes for a minute and gathering himself.

She was right of course. He had been on a hundred...dozen...okay a handful of heists just like this. They had always gone to plan, and they had always worked out in the end. There was no reason to be scared. He would just split off from Wren and tell her that he would meet her tomorrow.

Varo could just say he was going to meet someone at Silks. Wren would believe that, all of them would have. "You're right."

The young thief said as he ran a hand through his hair.

All they had to do was get the gems before the full moon hit it's zenith. He tried to remember some of the math Irari had taught him, how he could calculate when the Moon would reach it's apex depending on the time of year...but it all disappeared in a wisp of numbers as soon as he'd thought of it. Wish I'd paid more attention to my fucking tutors.

Varo thought to himself.

"I'm good." He told Wren, putting on a winning smile. It was the sort that would make a noble woman blush and a tavern girl dance. "Just...jitters."

 

[Wren Kingsley]

A slender brow arched slowly, uncertainly as she watched him try to compose himself, her jaw clenching at that damned smile of his. "Are you sure? Jitters will get you caught if you're not in control - I'm not going to ask again. Sort your shit out, or go home." she frowned.

She sorted his collar and straightened his jacket, her hands settling on his upper arms for a moment as she took in a deep breath and arched a brow at him, wordlessly encouraging him to do the same. "Let's go find out what sort of guard they have on this thing.." she sighed and nodded firmly to him, and hooked her arm back through his to continue onward.

 

[Varo]

He scowled at her.

"I'm fine." Varo told her. He was younger than her, but that didn't mean he was any worse at this than she was. In fact he would be bold enough to say that he was better than she was...at some things at least.

As she touched his collar and adjusted it his cheeks colored, throat clearing and head shaking as she grabbed his upper arms to steady him. "Let's do it."

He told her with a nod.

Varo shifted his weight and moved alongside her, putting on his most winning face as they passed through the town and headed towards the Inn.

As they broke in through the door Varo leaned into Wren.

"That guy." He spotted him instantly, a man in leathers in the corner. "That''ll be the forward man."

Varo had an eye for that sort of thing, and the fat pig of a guard screamed of his role.

 

[Wren Kingsley]

Wren rolled her eyes at his petulant scowl, and her lips twisted into a wry smirk at his blushing. She felt a little more at ease now he had a little more confidence about him.

Her brow quirked at her gaze settled on the man in the corner. "Well.. Looks like this might be easier than we thought." she smiled to him and chuckled as though he had just told some hilarious joke. "We're new in town, lets see if he'll tell us a little more about the place if we buy him a drink." Wren smiled warmly, a small vial slipped from her sleeve and into Varo's hand with a gentle squeeze.

It was a particularly nasty little tincture, not poison, but a healer's remedy for stubborn bowels. Tasteless and delayed, it would distract him when they most needed him to be distracted.

 

[Varo]

Varo looked down at the vial for a moment, then shrugged.

He had no idea what it was, but if Wren wanted it slipped into his drink then that was where it would go. Varo had fast hands, magic, Giselle called them sometimes. "My gods!"

Varo suddenly exclaimed as they came closer to the table.

"Is that you? Jesu I haven't seen you in..." He clapped the guard on the back, the man offering him an expression of complete confusion. "Must be a year now! No, longer!"

The man opened his mouth to speak, but found himself cut off almost instantly.

"Mate you must have me confu-"

"LOVELY!" He looked over at Wren, calling her over. "Look who it is! The man who saved my life. The one I told you all the stories about."

Varo sat himself down. "Let me buy you some drinks, I owe you that at least."

The man looked at Wren, then to Varo, then seemed to smile to himself slightly.

"Aye well...least you can do after I saved your life."

Varo laughed. "Sure is, my friend."

Then he called for the bar tender.

 

[Wren Kingsley]

A dark brow rose in amusement at Varo's methods, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth as she watched him stride toward the guard. The confusion on the man's face was priceless, and it was everything she had not to laugh.

Lovely?... That must be her. Now she really had to laugh..

Wren feigned surprise as she wandered up to Varo's side, cosying into his side and resting a hand over his chest as she looked to the man at the table with a bright smile that met her emerald eyes. "My goodness! Such a pleasure to meet you! And to have the chance to finally thank you for saving my silly husband's life.." she chuckled and reached a hand out toward him.

"Eve.." she dipped her chin politely, and lowered herself into the vacant seat next to Varo. "I've heard so much about you." she told the guard before looking to Varo. "Such a coincidence to run into someone you know, dear!" she chuckled and shook her head.

 

[Varo]

"It's crazy, isn't it?" Varo had always been good at talking, always been good at getting exactly what he wanted out of people.

His father had called it his curse. Unlike most people he never had to work hard, never had to really apply himself. A few quick words, a smile, a well placed misleading truth and that was all he had ever needed to succeed.

It had been his downfall in the end. Werewolves didn't like to talk. "What are you doing in town?"

Varo asked as he took one of the mugs of ale, motioning to the waittress so that she would keep them coming.

"Ah just the usual, guarding."

He nodded as though that was perfectly expected, and then quickly changed the subject to something more mundane. His arm slipped around Wren, idly touching her as though it were a common enough thing. He waited for the Guard to drink his ale, then another, and then another.

Time seemed to fly by as the drunkard put them back, and then eventually he pulled the conversation back to where they needed it to be.

"Say, don't you gotta be headin off soon, friend?" He asked, glancing out the window. "It's nearly dusk now."

"N-nah *Hiccup* the convoy isn't comin till nine, got about two hours sti-*hiccup*."

Varo paled slightly, but just smiled and looked at Wren. Nine was cutting it close, very close. He wouldn't turn until the moons reached their zenith, but it was a narrow window. "Well another drink it is then!"

He said with a raucous cheer.

 

[Wren Kingsley]

Wren smiled. She seemed completely at ease, despite the niggling urge at the back of her mind to break Varo's fingers for daring to touch her. "Hmm.." she chuckled and squeezed at her fake husband's leg a little harder than necessary under the table just to vent out even a little of that irritation.

"Why not!" Wren agreed when another drink was called for, returning Varo's smile, but her brow quirked ever-so-slightly noting his slight change in pallor. She gave him a subtle nod and glanced toward the guard's mug before turning to shuffle a little closer to the man in apparent drunk flirtation, a hand oh-so-innocently resting on his knee as she leaned in with a chuckle.

"I'm amazed at how well you handle your drink, ser!" she grinned. She wasn't. He was bladdered. "All this beer and still so adept, so strong." she squeezed. "I bet you're the fucking strongest of the lot of them! Do you guard the envoy all on your own? I'm certain it would be no problem at all for a guy like you.." her eyes folded over the unsightly man with a glimmer of mischief in her eyes.

 

[Varo]

"HA! I probably could! But the damn weasal of a merchant always hires more than he needs. Paranoid little bastard he is."

Varo frowned for just the briefest moment into his cup, concealing the expression behind the swig of his drink as he looked at the Man. They were getting good information from the man. Time, Guards, now they just needed to know where the damned thing was actually crossing.

The Guard was now enraptured by Wren's touch. "How many den?"

Varo asked.

"Usually six...seven sometimes."

It was clear that he hardly paid attention to Varo's question, too enthralled by Wren and the way she was flirtatiously leaning into him.

"But you're the best of em!" Varo roared as he took another drink, apparently too drunk himself to notice his wife flirting with another man.

 

[Wren Kingsley]

Wren chuckled musically, hanging on to every hilarious word the guard spoke, a subtle wink gifted to him as he fixated on her. It was clear he was a little hot under the collar, and he grunted like the pig he was.

"And will it pass right through here in the middle of town?.. Can I see it? We just don't get much excitement where we're from, do we love?.." she asked Varo with a pout without looking at him.

"Maybe you could show me a thing or two.." she smiled salaciously..

 

[Varo]

Varo should have been insulted really.

His pretend wife was coming on to another man right out here in the open as though it were nothing at all. Why she was practically fondling his b-

"Middle of town? What are ye mad love?"​

The guard practically shouted the words. It was clear that he was past any semblance of sobriety, his words casting out as though he were practically in the middle of nowhere. Varo raised an eyebrow, though of course didn't say anything at this point.

Wren was doing a fine job on her own.

"They be headin on the Black Road, through the Forest. Town's too dangerous, ya see. Your husband probably would have em run through town. The idiot."​

Now that was just rude.

He was right here.

 

[Wren Kingsley]

Wren's brows quirked as the truths all tumbled from his tongue to the tune of another light squeeze on his knee, and a chuckle in agreement on his latter comment.

"Oh doubtless..Doubtless!" she laughed and looked to Varo with a grin. "An idiot indeed." her head shook slowly and she leaned back toward her 'husband' , her fingers lifting to stroke playfully but just as salaciously down his stubbled cheek as she lowered her tone.

"But my idiot.." she grinned with amusement and lingered only a brief moment before straightening herself.

"It's a shame none of your men were around, we'd have liked to have bought them a drink too, set you all up for a night of hard work." she smiled brightly to the guard.

 

[Varo]

A chill ran down his spine as Wren ran her fingers over his cheek. A brief flash of the untold sight he'd taken in at the safehouse a few weeks ago. His cheeks colored, and he bit his lip.

Then the moment was shattered.

"Ah those idiots don't deserve it. They fall asleep on the fuckin wagon half the time."

Kress, this guy didn't know when to shut up. Even Varo wasn't this bad when he was drunk. For a brief moment he wondered just how much money this guy would cost his employer today.

He looked at Wren for a moment, then just shrugged. His face contorted a bit, as if he were in the same drunken stupor as the fool at the table. "I think...I gotta take a leak."

Varo said, deciding that they had more than enough information.

He knew that Wren could handle herself, hell, better than he probably could. Varo had never been much of a fighter, more of a lover really. He smiled and then half stumbled as he got up from the table. A hand came down gently on Wren's shoulder.

"Take care of em while I'm gone, yeah?" Varo said as though he hadn't noticed his 'wife' openly eye fucking the guard.

As soon as he was out of earshot the man wrapped an arm around Wren, pulling her into his side.

"Yeah, honey...why don...don we find someplace private and you can take care of me."

 

[Wren Kingsley]

Wren glanced to the hand on her shoulder and cast a sweet smile up at Varo with a nod at his instruction. "Of course dear." she answered, her voice like warm honey.

With the guard's arm wrapping around her, his hot breath on the side of her face and the pungent aroma of stale beer on his breath, Wren's jaw tightened.

She gasped, loud and horrified, drawing the attention of the entire tavern as she let out a squeak of a sound in disgust, followed by the sharp crack of her hand hitting the side of his face hard enough to raise a bright welt in the shape of her hand. It stung her almost as much, almost.

"How DARE you! I am a married woman!!"

She stood abruptly from the table amidst his befuddlement, his meaty hand covering the sore spot where her hand had collided with his face as he stared up at her in confusion that was quickly washed from his expression with the remainder of his tankard. She strode out, leaving him dumfounded as she muttered about never having been so insulted in her entire life.

 

[Varo]

Varo was already waiting outside, leaning against the wall as he heard the sound of Wren's voice pierce through the wooden door. He blinked for a moment, smirking as the entire Tavern went quiet in the wake of her protest.

A smirk touched his lips for just a second, his eyes swiveling towards her as she stepped through the door.

No words passed his lips, but the look he gave her was one of smart smugness. It clung to his features for probably a bit too long, before he looked up towards the sky. "Good work."

He complemented, drawing something form his pocket.

"I managed to snag a map of the local area." Just where he had managed to snag it from Varo did not mention. His fingers were not the fastest in the gang, but they were deft enough to pick a pocket or two when he needed. "Think if we set up on the Black Road we can meet that Caravan easily enough."

Now that they knew their whole set up. "If you're still up for it...my loving wife."

That smug smirk pulled at his lips again.

 

[Wren Kingsley]

Wren suppressed a smirk as he looked at her like that, her shoulders rolling in a dismissive shrug as he complimented her. "Hm. You too." she returned casually

She couldn't help but laugh at his sense of humour, a roll of her eyes given before she snatched the map from him clutches. "Don't push it.." she smirked and looked over the map as they walked, glancing up now and then to get her bearings..

"This should work.." she smiled happily and slapped the map back against his chest. "Might even be fun." she shrugged, pleasantly buzzed by the two cups of wine she'd had.

 

[Varo]

Varo nodded his head. "Might be."

He hadn't actually drank that much. A trick that he had learned fairly on. For every two drinks your mark had, you just sipped one. Every time you fetched them something new you just replaced your half full cup. It was an easy way to make people think you were getting drunk.

It worked rather well really.

"Come on." He motioned as he grabbed the map from her and quickly folded it back up to slip into his pocket. "Think this way."

He pointed towards a small forest path just on the outside of the town.

Briefly he wished that he had taken some sort of weapon besides the small daggers that Irari had gifted him. Perhaps a bow, he'd never been as good as his brother...but it would have come in handy now.

 

[Wren Kingsley]

Wren hadn't drank that much either, she'd been swapping her drinks for empty cups whenever the wench had visited their table, but she'd allowed herself to indulge just a little. She was used to the grift of getting her targets blind drunk whilst she looted them of their valuables and secrets. She smirked as she slipped the guard's coin purse from inside her coat and tossed it into the air only to catch it again and stow it away.

She followed after him through the pine, the needle-covered floor dampening any sounds their feet might have made. They had made it to the spot before the envoy had, and Wren dragged Varo into a crouch behind a fallen tree as she spotted the flickering torchlight and heard the murmur of approaching voices as they called to a halt exactly where the guard said they would be.

 

[Varo]

Varo smirked.

It was an expression of pure smugness. His eyes surveying the small caravan for a few seconds. There was a pure delight in knowing that he had been right, that they were going to get the prize that he had spoken of to Wren.

He looked over to his companion. "Look."

Varo said with a gesture. The exact amount of Guards they had been told about were standing around, some standing watch while others checked over the perimeter.

More than that though, there was something else.

"An extra cart." He said with an almost delightful glee. "Must be transporting a bit extra."

Which meant even more of a pay off.

Could this night get any better?

 

[Wren Kingsley]

Wren's emerald gaze wandered over the carts and counted the guards. Six, plus the sleaze from the tavern, but he'd be running off to find a privvy in the next few minutes, of that she was certain.

"Hm.." she nodded. "Six guards between us and pay day." she smirked, and nodded toward the front cart, bound to two horses. "That'll be our get out. Think you can handle it?.." she asked with a smirk as she drew up her hood and mask.

Like clockwork, the guard from the tavern made his excuses and took off bolting for the village.

 

[Varo]

He nodded his head. "I can get it."

Of the two of them Wren was most definitely the better fighter. She had more experience by far. Varo was more of a lover really. A kind heart and charming smile that could convince a man to drop his sword and get a drink rather than go for a bout.

It was a talent really.

"Let me get on the other side." He told her as he took half a step forward, frowning for a moment as he noticed one of the men seeming to talk to the other cart. Was there someone in there? "When you hear a coocoo, that's the signal."

Varo said as he slipped off into the darkness.

 

[Wren Kingsley]

Wren snorted quietly.. "A coocoo?.." she smirked under the cloth that covered the lower half of her face, her head shaking as she watched him dart across the path to the other side of the road.

She watched the guards, and readied herself in the meantime, a single dagger slipped into her palm as she silently crept closer to the wagons and waited for his signal.

 

[Varo]

Varo moved into position on the opposite side of the caravan, watching the Guards closely as they milled about and found their places.

He wanted to make sure that they were all where he needed. A breath filled his lungs, and his gaze flickered to where Wren would be hidden in the bushes. His hands folded slowly over his lips, and then he made the sound. The almost perfection imitation of a Coocoo echoed in the night.

None of the guards even turned, clearly inexperienced with the bird calls of this area.

Varo rushed out almost immediately, moving not directly, but into the shadows of the trees.

He knew that he needed Wren to draw their eyes first. Knew that she would be the big distraction that would allow him to reach the cart. Slowly he crept forward.