Private Tales In Need of Information

[Kara Orin]

Rain just came to Alliria. Mud began to buildup in the Outer City roads – not all being gifted with cobblestone. Only those that had to traveled the streets this day. Many stands in the street were left unattended.

In the corner of a dead-end street was a general goods store. Within it, a middle-aged Komodo male manned the counter – or rather, leaned over it. The store had no customers in that moment. Little light illuminated the interior of the store – normally using natural light from outside. The clerk wrote on a piece of parchment with a bored look.

DING

The doorbell rang as someone entered.

THUNK THUNK THUNK

The potential customer – a woman – stomped her boots just outside the entrance to get rid of mud. She wore a tan leather cloak that she shook before stepping inside.

The woman lowered her hood to reveal Kara’s face. She matched the clerk’s blank look. The clerk slowly righted himself with a groan. He shoved the paper beneath the counter.

“How can I help?” the clerk asked in a flat tone.

Kara walked up to the counter as she looked around the store. Once she got within reach, Kara reached into a pouch. The clerk raised an eyebrow. Then, Kara gently placed two silver Allirian coins on the counter.

“I’d like to meet Mr. Collwood,” Kara told the clerk.

Rowe Collwood

 

[Rowe Collwood]

The Komodo glanced between the coins and the woman briefly before quickly making the coins disappear. He looked out the door hesitantly before speaking.


"You don't find Collwood, he finds you," he said after a moment. "Best place to be found is the slums, near the Shallows. Brass Rail Inn."


The Komodo grabbed up his parchment and ink, jabbing a thumb at the door. He didn't know what the woman wanted with a slum boss, but he didn't want to find out. Much less find out in his own shop.


"If he wants to see you, he'll find you. Otherwise, if you're not buying nothing, best you leave. Now."

Kara Orin

 

[Kara Orin]

“Thank you,” Kara told the clerk as she turned toward the door. She promptly lifted her hood back over her head and left.

Kara made her way through the Outer City to the Shallows slums. The trek was short due to her already being on the eastern side of Alliria.

As she trekked through the light rain, more brightly colored signs began to pop up along the street. She finally entered the Shallows once the “streets” permanently became wooden walkways and platforms. Once deep within the district, Kara asked a random barge man rowing by where to find the Brass Rail Inn.

Once she got directions, Kara took little time to finally reach the inn. The inn’s banner welcoming her was a bright neon yellow and blue. When she entered it, the warmth inside caused her body to unconsciously shiver. With the weather as it was, the bar within the tavern was teeming with activity. Many of the customers seemed like rough seafarers and dock workers.

“Take a seat, I’ll get to you soon!” the tavern wench said as she hauled four steins of ale to customers.

Kara promptly found an empty two seat table near a window. She kept her hood up. She did not have to wait long until the tavern wench came around.

“What can I get for you?” she asked Kara.

“A cider and small hot meal, please,” Kara replied with her foreign Elbion accent.

“Right away!"

Kara began to wait as she dug a finger nail into the wooden table.

Rowe Collwood

 

[Rowe Collwood]

The wench came back a few moments later with a mug and a steaming bowl of stew. The woman set the two items down on the well worn table before giving the woman a quick once over.

"You ain't like our regulars," she said, stating the obvious while thumbing over her shoulder at the patrons behind her. "Ain't seen you 'round the area, neither."

The wench frowned and crossed her arms as a new thought hit her mind.

"Not plannin' on settin' up shop here, are you? Ain't like a street corner. Boss doesn't take kindly to freelancers and if you're looking to hire on, there's rent you'll need to be payin'. First month up front."

Kara Orin

 

[Kara Orin]

When the wench laid the drink and food on the table, Kara took a look at the meal she asked for. A hunter’s stew with some grain and plenty of cabbage. Kara spotted a few chunks of meat within the bowl.

As the wench spoke to Kara, the mage continued to tap the table with her finger. She gave a single snicker at the waitress’s mention of Kara working on a “street corner.” Throughout this, Kara continued to stare at the stew.

Once the wench finished, Kara looked up to her and said, “Just here for a visit.”

Rowe Collwood

 

[Rowe Collwood]

The wench frowned, confused, but didnt press further. She left the strange woman to her meal and went back to work. As far as the wench was concerned, the lady wasn't here to cause problems or steal patrons which meant she wasn't a problem. At least not yet.

A few moments after the wench left, another appeared. He was tallish with brown hair and beard cut short. He set a small bowl of bread on the table and slid into the opposite seat.

"On the house," came the initial, blunt comment. "People don't come here to visit, I know that game well enough."

The man leaned back in his seat, arms crossed as he gauged the woman seated before him. His eyes glinted dangerously as he spoke.

"You're either very brave or very foolish to come find me and you haven't burned the place down yet, so either I haven't killed friend or kin and you're looking for work, or I have and you're more patient than most."

Kara Orin

 

[Kara Orin]

Once the wench left, Kara began to slowly eat the stew. Occasionally, she would take a sip of cider from the tankard. She continued to occasionally tap her finger every once and a while.

When the stranger sat at the table and passed the complimentary plate of bread over, Kara replied with, “Thanks.”

As the man spoke, Kara examined the man’s face – even if it did not matter. She examined the way his hair and beard appeared to be cut to the color of eyes presented to her. In contrast to the stranger, Kara did not glare. She still stood rather upright with both hands above the table – one with a spoon and the other reaching for a piece of bread.

“I’m probably just a brave fool,” Kara told the man as she dropped the bread in the stew.

“Though I’m neither looking for work or revenge today,” Kara continued, “More looking for services.”

Rowe Collwood

 

[Rowe Collwood]

The man snorted, his arms still crossed and his eyes unchanged.

"If you want your lover watched, you'd be better off with a fortune teller and hiring one of the drunks here to rough 'em up."

He leaned forward slightly and placed his hands on his thighs, his eyes finally glinting with something else: greed.

"Unless you've got something worthwhile, not much I think we can offer you. If you got a juicy lead or something valuable we'd like, then we can talk."

Kara Orin

 

[Kara Orin]

At the suggestion that Kara might be a jealous lover, she just replied with a flat, terse, “Hah.”

When the man placed his hands on his thighs, Kara sat her spoon at the side of the bowl. She closed her eyes for a moment as the tips of her fingers came to rest on top of the table.

Looking at the stranger, Kara said, “This business will be expanding, or soon will. Right?”

Not waiting for the man to reply, Kara continued with, “I’ve been wondering about something in Eretejva recently.”

Rowe Collwood