Private Tales Making Inroads

A private roleplay only for those invited by the first writer
Agatha

Agatha

Blackshield Captain
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"Make way! Make way for the Blackshields! I said make way, damn you!" Using his halberd to push and prod any slowpokes out of the way, the Watch officer did his best to part the roiling sea of bodies blocking Agatha's path. Like most in the City Watch, the officer wore a red-and-black tabard over his coat of mail to denote his station. Not that it did him much good. "Come on! Move your arse, lumpy! We ain't got all fuckin' day." The officer shouted again, each word accompanied by a prod or a kick.

The busy people of the city of Hertstead paid the man no heed. As per usual.

"Chose a bloody good time to visit our city, Sellsword," the officer griped, sweeping his kettle hat back from his balding pate 'fore using it to fan his ruddy, sweat-soaked face. "A bloody hot time, too." Nodding at his words, the she-orc clicked her tongue. "Perhaps a trip to the tavern might be in order?" At her prompting, the officer nodded, slipping his helmet back on with a sigh and a curse. "Sure you don't want me and my boys to stick around?" He asked, looking up to where Agatha sat astride a destrier as black as midnight and all the more fearsome for it. "No need," she replied, tugging at her reins. "I'll find my own way to the keep. No doubt you have more pressing matters to attend to."

Smiling down at the man, Agatha watched as the officer fumbled for words. "None as important as you, captain."

"Mmm. Bet you say that to all the orc warlords." Not waiting for a reply, Captain Agatha of the Blackshields spurred her horse forwards. A startled shout went up, and suddenly the waves of people barring her path began to split. A few angry complaints went up, but none so loud as to reach the ears of the Captain. For as much as the people of Hertstead hated the greenskin and her soldiers, they hated getting slapped around by them more.

Raising an eyebrow, she waved the officer goodbye. "Ta-ta for now!"

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When she rode into the fortified heart of the city, where the Arladi did reside, it was to find a stablehand already waiting for her. At first the young boy didn't notice the captain's arrival. Kicking idly at a piece of loose masonry, his eyes downturned, it was quite some time before he chose to raise them. When he did, the poor boy nearly jumped out of his skin. "Captain Agatha! Sir!" Smiling down at the boy, Agatha slid from the saddle to land in front of the young servant. "Hello, Jost." She greeted him, holding out the reins expectantly. "How're things?"

Finding his feet, the boy rushed over to take her destrier's reins. The beast of midnight made no move as the kid stumbled over his words. "They're good, sir! I mean, ma'am!" Jost paused, tried to get a hold on his composure. It was funny, what a well-timed smile could achieve. More than a sword through the gut, Agatha reckoned. "And you, captain? Are you here to see Her Ladyship?"

"I am." Agatha nodded, casting her eyes up to where she knew Iseppa's solar to be. "Is the Lady in?"

Iseppa Arladi
 
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“I have been waiting for you.” Stern mothers would do well to take a cue or two from a disappointed Iseppa. The delicate mixture of dissatisfaction and nonchalance was as carefully crafted as any alchemist’s concoction, and applied to the correct person, could be just as potent.

She sat before the hearth, a goblet in one hand and an unfurled roll of parchment resting on her knee, held flat with the other. It was a small wonder she had strayed from her desk, but she had. Perhaps, she’d decided to wait for Agatha away from her work. Her form of a “break.” Such luxuries were short lived for Iseppa Arladi who lived in a constant state of self-imposed urgency.

“Join me,” she offered, the edge dulling on her words. “Would you care for something to drink?” The goblet was lifted, as if to add to her question with evidence that she could provide such. Caught in the light of the hearth, the ruby ring resting loosely on her middle finger flashed, its size a testament to Arladi wealth. “I have no ale for you, unfortunately. Only wine.” If that disappointed her, it didn’t show.

The parchment was rolled and a hand curled atop it protectively.

“While I pour your goblet, tell me what kept you. Nothing unfortunate, I pray.”
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Agatha ​
 
"Wine is fine, thank you." Answering in the affirmative, Agatha closed the heavy, iron-studded door behind her. A fire had been lit in the hearth. It was a warm day, and the captain thought it strange to see those feverish, flickering flames. She said nothing, however, as she made her way over to Iseppa's side.

"Nothing you need bother the Gods about," she said, brushing a finger against the rim of Her Ladyship's goblet. A question. "There was a build-up of traffic along the thoroughfare, but you know full well how Hertstead can be, especially on market day." Grabbing a cup, the mercenary took the liberty of replenishing her sponsor's goblet before seeing to her own.

"Something important?" Agatha inquired, tilting her head towards the furled parchment, a sly smile on her face. She knew she was pushing it, but then, she hadn't spent six long months building a relationship with the woman just to squander it.

Falling into a nearby chair, Agatha took a sip of her wine as she waited for the Lady to respond.
 
Iseppa made to move, lifting herself from the cushioned back of the chair only to pause before she could rise entirely. The touch of Agatha’s fingers against the rim of her goblet drew amber eyes to them and the question was met with an answer in the release of the cup to the orc.

Another might have found it distracting. Iseppa, though, was in a constant state of branching thoughts. The notion of being served wine was no impediment to her understanding Agatha’s answer. So, she dipped her chin in acknowledgment and turned herself to follow the mercenary’s movement.

Dark crimson flowed into Iseppa’s goblet and then into another meant for Agatha to enjoy.

“This? No, nothing of importance.” The way she held the parchment and the aged nature of it contradicted that fact. Before she dared another drink from her freshly filled cup, she put aside the scroll, leaving it safely out of the wine’s reach on the table beside her chair. “A fable of knights and dragons and other nonsense.” Her free hand twisted at the wrist, flicking away the topic with seemingly lazy disinterest. “I found it in the library and thought reading something aside from ledgers and requests might do me some sort of good.”

The interest certainly wasn’t born from the one-armed knight who’d visited recently, no. The fable surely was not related to the Knights of Anathaeum.

Gently, the goblet was lifted, the wine tasted, and what information Iseppa might have shared to further explain her interest was drowned with her swallow. Softer, still, she spoke again, turning their conversation away from the parchment and toward the reason for their visit. “I wanted to speak of an important matter. Something that could prove beneficial to the both of us.”
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Agatha ​
 
Agatha knew a lie when she heard one. Smiling, the she-orc swirled the contents of her goblet around as if seeking a distraction. "And did it? Do you some good." Waiting for a reply, Agatha leaned forward in her seat. Amber eyes the colour of molten gold took in the broken seal, and the lady who had so readily tried to deceive her. Normally, the mercenary couldn't abide liars. Ironic, considering the company she kept.

Gazing across at the soft-skinned human, Agatha found her smile growing as talk, inevitably, turned to business.

"First you seek to sate my thirst and now you pique my interest." Wood creaked as Agatha relaxed back in her seat. "Tell me of this important matter. I shall listen."

 
“It did, yes.” Perhaps not in the way she’d presented, but it had done her good. Iseppa could not help but to follow Agatha’s gaze to the parchment and the seal since broken on its edge. Her own eyes lingered there, even after she could feel the orc’s move to rest on her, the weight of them enough for rearrange herself and take another draw of her wine.

It was the talk of business that relieved her, and when she broached the subject, Agatha readily agreed to listen.

“You and yours have done well protecting Hertstead. The relationship between us is an amicable one. Profitable, secure. I rest easy knowing we are protected; you rest easy knowing there will always be coin in your pocket. I believe we have come to understand and respect one another in our time as partners in our endeavors.” A pause followed, pregnant with Iseppa’s unspoken thoughts. She seemed more at ease with each word and as her shoulders slowly fell, it would become clear just how wound tight she was upon Agatha’s first step into the room. “I would like to bring that same sense of security to the surrounding lands and settlements and expand the Company’s contract in doing so. Should the Company agree, of course.”
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Agatha ​
 
"I believe so, too." Agatha said, attempting to waylay any doubts that Iseppa might still harbour about her. Of course, claiming to understand someone and claiming you did were two separate things entirely. "Perhaps we could share a few more barrels of this wine sometime, so that our understanding might grow."

Watching her paymaster closely, the captain listened as she spoke. So, it seemed those long hours Iseppa spent staring at the horizon had not been wasted on self-reflection. Studying the woman closely, it wasn't long before the she-orc had finished mulling over her own thoughts, too. "I'm afraid I will have to take your offer to the other captains, hear what they have to say before giving you an answer. I ask for your patience on the matter. I'm sure you will not have to wait too long."

Drinking deep of the red, it was with sudden realization Agatha remembered another, less important matter she had to discuss. "Ah, yes, that reminds me..." Placing her goblet to one side, the mercenary made to stand. "The reports you requested." Crossing the floor to loom over the Arladi, Agatha was quick to withdraw two pieces of folded parchment from the depths of her arming shirt.

"Forgive me the impropriety, My Lady. Your summons reached me at a somewhat 'irregular' hour."
 
Iseppa inclined her head to Agatha’s offer of future shared casks of wine and the supposed mutual want for their understanding of one another to grow, but as she drank again from her goblet, it was to wash away the taste of ambition. Not her own, but Agatha’s.

As the rim touched her lips, the orc stood. She crossed the small space between them to stand over Iseppa who took her time with her wine and only set it aside after she’d swallowed. Her hands were made busy with the reports instead, a quiet hum of acknowledgment all she’d give for the moment. The penned words were small, making them more difficult to read in the dimming light but not impossible. Many nights doing just this had sharpened Iseppa’s perception of the slight variations in letters and numbers

“I apologize for that, Captain. I shall be sure to give you ample time for future summons.” There was a distance to her voice that spoke of her focus being elsewhere. One wouldn’t need to be very intuitive to gather such, though, as her eyes still darted from left to right across the pages. “My thanks for these.”

Neatly refolded and placed aside, next to her goblet of wine, Iseppa turned her attention fully back to the orc. “Speak to the other captains, I trust you will be able to convince them of the value in more coin.” Lips pursing, the corners of her mouth turned downward ever so slightly, her dark brows pinching together. “I am curious to know their feelings on our arrangement. Now that it has been some time and there is a measure of comfort built, do they grow eager to find work elsewhere?”
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Agatha ​
 
Convince them of the value in more coin, Iseppa had said, causing the captain to smile.

"I won't have to try too hard on that account." Agatha replied with a nod before strolling back to her seat. A sigh escaped her lips as she settled down. "As for our... 'eagerness' to find work elsewhere, I would be lying if I told you the idea hadn't crossed our minds." Taking up her wine, the she-orc took a long pull, her eyes closing as she savoured the taste on her tongue.

Of course they had discussed raising stakes and moving on. An army that didn't fight was no army at all, Agatha figured, and there had been little enough to do these last six months. For the land was at peace. And a land at peace was no good for warriors, especially warriors-for-hire such as herself and Captain Cato.

This new missive would change that, however, assuming Agatha could get the others on side. The she-orc reckoned she could. "Perhaps you should meet with my brother-captains, garner your own opinion of them."
 
Coin was a language shared by many. A lingua franca for the Reach’s disparate people. From the haughty merchant lord of Alliria to the sellsword before Iseppa, a flash of gold and the promise that there was more to follow was something they understood in equal measure. Agatha’s knowing smile made that fact clear to the lady.

Plucking her goblet from the table once more, Iseppa relaxed as the orc did, her attention remaining on the words rather than her wine as an answer was given. Frank though it was, Iseppa was not hurt by the reality of the situation. She’d not have asked if she did not suspect.

A single nod of understanding was given and the knowledge was tucked away to be added to future considerations along with the healthy suspicion that it had been taken with.

“I shall meet them. Should they agree to this, I think a summons for you all would be in order.” While the words were honeyed and soft as usual, there was a distaste that Iseppa hid. Agatha, she liked enough for a mercenary, but to count sellswords among frequent company was not a habit the lady was eager to make. “As for my opinion of them…” A slight tip of her head accompanied the lift of her brows. “We will see if they are as charismatic as you. I cannot promise I will not be disappointed if they are not.”
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Agatha ​
 
"Charismatic? How much wine have you had exactly?" Agatha teased, her brow rising for what could have been nothing more than an instant. "I thank you. Hopefully my brothers will make as good an impression on you as I apparently have." Though I doubt it, the she-orc thought, a self-satisfied smile worn freely upon her face. It wasn't everyday someone of noble stock gave a mercenary a compliment. Agatha would remember this moment.

Well, for the next few hours at least.

Staring into the fire, the mercenary began to relax in earnest as the heat and the wine did its work. "Perhaps..." she started, her gaze fire-held, burning fiercely. "Perhaps your own brother might be of some help to you in that regard." Turning to Iseppa, the captain gave the woman a knowing smile. They both knew what Luca got up to in his spare time, after all.

And whose company he kept.

"Just a thought..."
 
The edge of Agatha’s sword couldn’t even cut as sharply as Iseppa’s look at the mention of Luca. It was a contentious topic and the softening of the suggestion with just a thought did little to smooth the lady’s ruffled feathers.

“Should I decide to take to a life of drinking and fighting, I shall be sure to ask his counsel.” A deep breath was pulled in through her nostrils, her head shaking. “Until then, I will remind you that you are not to entertain his folly.”

Lighter for her enjoyment of its contents, her goblet was distastefully close to empty. She glanced down to what remained inside before setting it aside. It wouldn’t be wise to drink too much, a sharp mind was needed for the discussion to come.

“Has your company fought a war before, Captain?” Bandits and brigands were fodder for an experienced mercenary. An army, though, was something else entirely. Or, at least, that is what Iseppa thought to be true with her limited experience.
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Agatha ​
 
Nodding along, the mercenary kept her peace as Iseppa spoke. All it had taken was the barest mention of her brother to turn the usually calm matriarch into something else entirely. Agatha should have feigned surprise, but chose not to. For surprise was not a look she wore often. Or well. "We don't, lady," the she-orc said, still smiling her red-lipped smile. "Usually he entertains himself. Never have I known one man to cause such mischief."

Finishing off her wine, the orc stood to fetch herself some more. Iseppa faced much the same predicament, her cup approaching empty. Agatha remedied that, though, Iseppa hadn't asked her to. Chances were the woman was busy thinking of papers and parchments. Always with the papers and parchments.

Agatha reckoned a little relaxation was in order. The matriarch clearly thought otherwise.

"Any mercenary company worth their salt has, your ladyship." Taking a sip, the she-orc went to stand by the fire. "Is that what we're looking at with this? War?" Turning, the captain gave her employer a hard look. "Be honest."
 
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Perhaps. Perhaps not. War was a precarious thing. Some might consider an encroachment upon their land that very things. Iseppa, though? She did not.

“I cannot say for certain, though it is unlikely.”

Her refilled cup was lifted but it did not reach her lips. Instead, she swirled it, her honeyed eyes watching the listless red inside move as she bid it to. As all things should, she thought briefly, the notion a flash of hot white before it became nothing again. “There are jealous merchants and would-be-lords who would take what we do as an affront to their power.”

The firelight caught on her goblet as it was waved dismissively toward those jealous men. For as hard as Agatha’s look toward Iseppa was, hers was equal parts soft, unbothered. If her demeanor—and words—were to be believed, the topic was merely conjecture. Whether that was true or not, however, could be left to the interpreter.

“They are more likely to raise trade taxes than an army, however. I do not worry, though I consider all outcomes of a decision before I make it. I would like to ensure we are ready for whatever is to come.”
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Agatha ​
 
"Hmm." Agatha watched Iseppa closely, her thoughts fickle, ever-shifting. "I'm glad you do. I, too, would prefer to be ready, come what may." Turning back to the fire, the she-orc laid her arm against the mantel, let her mind do its thing. She wasn't so sure Iseppa was right about the other lords -land or merchant- but who could say? No doubt the woman had put great thought into seeing her ambitions bear fruit.

Agatha just hoped she lived long enough to taste it.

"Anyone in particular me and mine should be wary of?" She asked, the heat from the fire coming in waves, lapping at her skin and eyes. "'Sides the usual suspects, of course." And by that I mean everyone. Pressing off from the warm stone, the captain turned to regard her sponsor. A few steps and she was free of the flame, and back beside the woman who held dominion over her purse strings.

For now, anyway.

Iseppa Arladi
 
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