Private Tales Robbing the...Rich?

[Rania]

“Ah, I see.” It’s a good thing she didn’t kill John then, Rania decided.

Still, she found the idea of a close bond between a noble (assuming that’s what he was) and his driver curious, and unusual. Rania was facing Val and John now, and with how she was sitting the woman had a good view on those two.

It was a relief that neither was being suspicious and when Val chuckled, the corner of her mouth twitched ever so slightly and she smiled in return. “So that’s what you do for a living then? Being a burden on everyone around you?” Her voice didn’t lack edge and Rania gave a cattish smirk.

She didn’t understand the explanation he gave.

“Getting money is simple,” she shrugged. “If you treat me well I might teach you a thing or two.” Thievery wasn’t a noble profession, but it was a sustainable one. Whether he respected that or not was really up to him. “All that money’s not worth much to you, if you are stuck in some house with no way of spending it.” She wondered what his intentions for his own future were, but then again: it was none of her business.

Rania grimaced at Val’s next comment, hissed a “I can’t wait to kill you in your sleep tonight” at him and then swung her legs over the saddle and turned her back on him for the remainder of the ride.

 

[Val]

"It sure is." Val lied through his teeth. "Easiest thing you can be really. Just means you never have to clean up your own mess."

Sometimes he really wondered if he overdid it with his act. It had gotten him nearly killed more than a few times, especially when not inside of Oban. Wren had nearly ripped his lungs out with her magic, and there was that incident with the bandits out by Crown Lake.

For a brief moment he thought about toning it down, but then decided against it. It had worked so far, why change it up. "Ah it'll only be for a bit. Dear old Dad can't be without me for too long."

He was the only child after all, the only son.

In Oban that meant more than most places. He was the heir to the family fortune, lands, and titles. Given that his father was adviser to the King that all held a little bit more weight than it usually did.

A smile touched Val's lips as she turned away from him in a huff. "Love to see you try, doll."

The smirk remained on his lips for the rest of their ride, but eventually the forest gave way and revealed his families summer estate. It was impressively sized, surrounded by a tall wall with a manor nestled in the middle. Two giant fountains sat on the the side of the road towards the Manor, and I'm the back was a garden that spanned nearly a mile.

As they reached the doors Val pulled himself off his horse, Hefting John off a second later.

 

[Rania]

Her muscles tensed when the summer estate came into sight. It was enormous and majestic, a beautiful home wasted on somebody as ungrateful and spoiled as Val.

The walls were off-putting, but Rania immediately felt drawn towards the garden and its beautiful fountains. Still, the sheer size of everything was unsettling and her confidence was shrinking.

“Hey.” She slid off her horse once they passed the gate and slowly approached the flowers and plants growing by the pathway. The garden was a little unkempt, but she could work with this. Rania eyed one of the herbs before plucking it. She crunched it up between her fingers and gave it a sniff, before turning to Val.

“It’s emptied out, you say?” The girl lifted her gaze, emerald orbs staring intensely at the building’s facade. Most of the curtains were drawn, but there were many windows and a balcony.

For a moment there, she could have sworn she saw a shadow moving behind one of the curtains on the first floor, and Rania’s hand twitched, immediately reaching for the dagger that was supposed to be at her thigh. She blinked and looked further, but there was nothing.

“How do you know? Have you checked?”

 

[Val]

"I haven't been here." Val told her with a shrug.

John wasn't exactly light, the man weighed as much as a barrel of beer and then twice more. He slowly lowered him onto the front steps of the manor, glancing back towards Rania with a slight frown as she posed her question.

"But." He added. "There isn't any reason for anyone else to be here. Dad sure as fuck wouldn't let anyone stay."

His shoulders rose in a shrug. "I'm here to be punished, remember?"

No servants, no cooks, no maids, nothing. This was supposed to be a lesson for him, one that would isolate him and make sure that he could take care of himself. Of course the idea that someone being here to kill him never crossed his mind.

Though it should have with Rania already having tried once tonight.

Without a second thought Val pushed open the double doors of the estate, revealing the grand entry room and all it's glamorous decorations. Gold, marble, and everything one could imagine to display wealth could be seen. Val walking passed all of it as though it were nothing.

 

[Rania]

„I suppose that‘s right.“ Her eyes found John; the driver had slept peacefully through the remainder of their journey.

Rania limped closer, and although her movements were no longer quick and fast-paced, the woman still moved with a fluidity reminiscent of a dancer.

„Still enjoying that well-deserved nap.“ She had cupped his chin betweek her thumb and index-finger and carefully moved his head around. The wound on his upper arm, the one where the arrow had hit, was small.

„Put him into bed so he can snooze it off, and leave a glass of water by his bedside table — he‘ll need it when wakes up.“

Then, they entered the building.

If Rania was impressed by the riches, she didn‘t show. Exhausted, the girl dragged herself to the nearest wall and leaned against it; eventually, she slid down to sit on the floor.

Why did I let this happen?

Tired eyes followed Val as he went to unload his comrade. Who was this stranger? And why was he kind? She prayed her leg would heal before his potential façade fell.

 

[Val]

Val dragged, well not exactly dragged but only half carried, John to the nearest bedroom. It was one of the lower ones, not the servant's quarters but generally used for guests rather than any of the actual family. He deposited the old medic in a bed, then got him a glass of water.

By the time he came back he found Rania leaning against the wall.

His eyes floated over her for a brief moment, taking in the way she she was standing and the slight list of her body. Though their fight had been brief, it was clear that both the wound and the tumble she had taken off the carriage had taken their toll.

He frowned for a moment. "Alright."

Val motioned.

"Let's find you a bed too. John can see to your wound in the morning." Briefly he wished that the estate had a dungeon he could throw her in. He'd give her a blanket and pillow of course, a nice pillow, but a dungeon would have made him feel better.

 

[Rania]

Dragging her feet, she scuffled down the hallway.

Her bare feet felt cold against the marble floor and still tensed, the girl searched for that familiar tingle, that foreboding sensation that told her that there's someone else, someone she could not see. But it was nothing, and she quietly followed after Val.

"Leave my belongings with me." She suddenly demanded. "I don't need them to kill you, and I could find a thousand other things to do it with in this stupidly large house." Naturally, she wasn't wrong. Disgusted at the sheer amount of luxury held within these walls, the thief figured that there's no way she would leave here empty-handed.

He didn't need that many things, nor did his father. No one did.

"And you're telling me that, inside a place this big, there's absolutely nothing in my size?" Rania gave Val a hopeful look. "I don't mind searching for it myself." She wasn't shy about her intentions, because she saw no reason to be. Rania was, at heart, a simple girl. And an honest one. As honest as a thief could be.

As they walked she took the time to look at him properly. He was tall, but not as handsome as he claimed. Rania found him rather plain, but when he laughed or smiled she caught a glimpse of warmth in his eyes. That alone made him likable, and had he been a different person, living under different circumstances, then maybe she would have believed that this warmth meant something.

 

[Val]

Val scoffed. "I don't care if you could kill me with a spoon."

His eyes glanced towards her for a few moments, realizing that she probably would try with just such an implement.

"I'm keeping the daggers to keep you here." Val reminded her. The weapons were as much a hostage as any human being would have been. She could barely walk at this point, but he didn't put it past being an act. "You'll be safe as can be. If you can kill me with a thousand other things you can kill someone else with them too."

He reasoned out.

At the end of the day Val didn't want Rania just running off without him getting some sort of opportunity to actually ask some questions. Right now she didn't seem in the right sort of mind to actually be able to answer them, but eventually she would be.

At least he figured. "I'll find you something."

Val told her as they reached a door, his hand grasping the latch and pulling it open. Inside was a room far more lavish than any other she had likely ever seen before. Four post bed, curtain, carved desk, and every other amenity she could have imagined.

"I'm sure there's something around here." Probably in his mothers rooms, or his aunts.

 

[Rania]

“I will take your word for it, stranger.” He was never impressed, but she had grown to like that. There was very little mincing words between them, and in this foreign situation Rania was thankful for some straight-forwardness.

He more or less agreed to find her something to wear, but the woman merely gave a nod. When she was brought into a room more gorgeously furnished, with lush aesthetics and perhaps the most comfortable looking bed she had ever seen, Rania Dazeir was done complaining.

The girl sobbed a sigh and rushed to the vanity. “I’m never leaving again,” she announced with confidence and dismissively waved Val goodbye as he departed for the night.

Before closing the door, Rania left him with a word of advice. “Sleep with one eye open and both doors locked tonight.” Somehow, it didn’t sound as much like a threat as it should have – and Rania would do the same.

She locked her door and placed a small perfume bottle on the ground near it, so she would be alerted should anyone enter her chambers carelessly. Then, Rania took an long bath, cleansed herself off the dirt, blood and exhaustion and played with all the pretty things she found inside the closets and dressers until deep into the night.

The next morning she slept in.

 

[Val]

Val did not.

Though Rania would not have much of a chance to sleep in either, for she would find herself awoken by a fist slamming hard against her door, hand coming to the lock and jiggling the handle as the young Noble tried to force his way in.

"WAKE UP!"[/color[ His voice echoed through the halls, frustration, anger.

Then his foot raised and he kicked the lock. There was a loud thump, a thunderous crack as Val kicked again and sent the door flying into the room. Splinters clattered onto the ground and the door crashed against the opposite wall.

His father would be angry when he saw that, but at the moment he didn't care.

"WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU KILL HIM?" Val Demanded, sword in hand. "HE WAS GOING TO FUCKING HELP YOU!"

The man's voice echoed through the entire reaches of the Estate.

 

[Rania]

The night slowly went by and the resourceful thief had found herself a white gown to go to sleep in. Rania spent hours sitting at the vanity brushing out her long, dark hair and sniffing on the various perfumes that had been left here. She found a gem-studded brush inside the drawer and smitten with its beauty, she had taken it to bed with her and hid it beneath one of the many pillows.

Rania had treated her injury to the best of her ability and carefully wrapped the open wound in a linen towel to keep it from bleeding into the sheets. Still, the woman was unable to prevent an infection from happening and overnight she endured a mild fever and restless hours of falling in and out of sleep.

When Val broke through the door and into her room, she was startled, but too weak to show much of a reaction. “I’m awake,” she protested with a small voice and pushed back the blanket to get out of bed. The noble was seething and she could hear frustration, anger and pain in his voice.

Because of this, the girl broke into a hearty laughter when she heard his accusations.

“You are as stupid as you look,” she groaned and carefully placed both her feet against the cold, marble floor. Blood had leaked through the linen towel and now stained the nightgown. “Why,” she spoke slowly so he could follow, “would I kill the only person who could help me, and then,” Rania paused, giving him a long, reproachful look. “And then return to my chambers only to have you yell at me in the morning.” Her head was spinning, and she pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Help me,” the girl demanded, assuming that by now he would have regained some of his common sense.

 

[Val]

Val frowned for a few moments, his lips thinning as he looked at Rania and a sigh escaping his throat.

He had been so caught up in the loss of his friend that he hadn't really thought about the reason of it, but she was right. What was the point of killing him now and then returning to her room? That didn't make any sense, particularly when she was injured.

Still, the way she spoke to him made him scowl, and he half considered running her through just for the tone that she chose to take. "Fine."

The noble grumbled as he walked over towards her and pulled her up from the bed.

"Be more respectful." His hand squeezed her arm a bit more tightly than was actually necessary. "He was a good man, and didn't deserve to die."

Val was in no mood for banter.

Not now.

 

[Rania]

Rania squirmed when Val grabbed her, and her body tensed. She was toned, but visibly weakened by the wound – much to her chagrin. “I’m disrespecting you, not him.” He squeezed and she would have bitten him, but Val was still wearing his blade and apparently he was disheartened at the loss of his friend.

“I told you to sleep with an eye open, and to lock your doors.”

But then again, he didn’t look like the type to listen to her. Rania closed her eyes and contemplated in silence. She was sick, she knew this now. She needed his help, and apparently his protection too – at least for the time being.

There were two horses outside, but Rania had ruined the carriage and she couldn’t ride, at least not while in this condition. The woman uttered a sigh and shook her head in disbelief at what was happening to her. “I’ll tell you what,” she began and lifted her head to look him in the eyes.

“Fix me, and I’ll protect you. Don’t laugh–,” she would actually bite him if he did. “Fix me, and I’ll help you find whoever did this. But first, you have to show me what happened.” Her voice was dragging on, but there wasn’t a hint of scorn or mockery in it. Not anymore.

 

[Val]

His fingers loosened, a sigh escaping him.

Val knew that his rage was not well placed directed at her, and if he kept it up he would never figure out what had actually happened to John. A part of him still wondered if she had done it, but the truth was it made absolutely no sense.

That just left the question of who had? John was a good man, a military man. He would not have gone down easily, but with the way Val had found him...

He felt his stomach turn a little. "I can stitch your wound."

Val said slowly.

"But it won't be neat." Plus it would likely hurt, but at least she wouldn't have to worry about bleeding out any time soon. "I'll..."

Fuck. "I'll show you his body after."

The idea that his friend was dead hadn't quite hit him yet, though as he took a breath he could feel himself shake slightly.

 

[Rania]

No good, she thought and glanced at the man. He’s completely distraught and distracted. Val was griefing and Rania didn’t fault him for it. At this point, she couldn’t quite grasp the magnitude of the situation and only knew that she was stuck inside this manor, with a mediocre swordsman, his dead friend and a potential murderer.

Now would have been a good time to panic, but Rania remained level-headed – and calm.

“Don’t worry about it, let's find something to eat first,” she spoke quietly and gave his arm a gentle squeeze. She didn’t mind taking a look by herself, but Rania doubted that he would let her out of sight again. With her naked feet against the ground, Rania listened carefully, but felt nothing. No vibrations, no sudden breeze to indicate the presence of another.

Just her and Val.

The woman shook her head, the long black hair bouncing back and forth between her shoulders. “It’s too big, the house is too big. But if anyone comes closer, I’ll sense them coming for sure. Anyways, let’s go.” She patted him on the back and nudged him towards the door.

Maybe he could even be convinced to give her back her weapons. She would ask about this after he had stitched her leg though, in case it put him into a bad mood. When they stepped into the hallway, Rania couldn’t shake the unwell feeling that they were being watched.

"I'm hungry, and thirsty and my leg hurts," she nagged, hoping to distract him further from the image of his dead friend.

 

[Val]

Lips thinned for a few moments, and he looked at her with an odd gaze of puzzlement. He did not quite know what she meant by her words.

Were he of clearer mind in that moment he might have assumed her to have some sort of magic, but with John's death and the grief that hung over him things were...cloudy. Lips thinned for a brief moment, but he just took a breath and shook his head. "The Kitchens are stocked."

He knew they would be.

"We'll find a needle and some thread along the way." Val said as he grasped her gently and began to guide her towards the Kitchens.

It was a short walk from the room that he had given her, and true to his word he dipped into one of the other rooms briefly and grabbed a small medical kit from one of the coat rooms. When they reached the Kitchens they found it abandoned, though stocked to the brim with everything one would need to create a dozen meals.

Val lead Rania over to one of the tables, then like a ghoul began to set about making them both something to eat.

An odd notion for the Noble he was supposed to be.

 

[Rania]

Of course they were. Rich people didn’t starve, ever. When Val walked her through the hallway and to the kitchen grounds, the thief cooperated and stayed quiet. Her mind was all but that, however, and every now and then her eyes shot a glance over her shoulder.

Perhaps the shadow she had seen by the window hadn’t been a figure of her imagination after all? Rania wasn’t one to make things up, and the thief was known for her very rational mind and way of thinking.

But he was of noble birth, and there was always a good reason to kill a person like him. If his friendship with John was known around his circles, then perhaps this attack was personal – and having Rania with him was Val’s luck. He is going to pay me handsomely for assisting him in finding his friend’s murderer, she decided eventually and hid her self-serving smile.

Val nudged her towards the table and Rania took a seat without protest, watching with curious eyes as he prepared the food. Much to her surprise, it looked like he knew what he was doing – and that was not the standard of his people.

The girl tilted her head sideways.
“I’m Rania,” she said. “I’m from Maraan, and I’m but a common thief.”

 

[Val]

He stopped for a second in the middle of flipping a piece of toast, frowning as she spoke her name a second time and offered her city of origin.

Val knew of Maraan.

His father did business there, or at least a little bit of it. He traded wine for dyes of all different sorts, though mostly blues from what the young noble could recall. A breath filled his lungs. "Nice to meet you Rania."

He said as he finished flipping the toast. "I am Valren Damyr, first and only son of Constantine Tellen Damyr, first Councilor to the King of Oban."

Val tried to force a smile, but it barely touched his lips.

A whole part of him still felt empty, as though someone had taken a knife and carved out a chunk of his flesh without a second thought as to what it would do.

"I've met worse thieves." He joked.

 

[Rania]

The kitchen was cozy looking and beautifully furnished. Rania poured herself a cup of water and took a look around. The riches hidden in this building made her heart skip a beat and she could not wait to go out exploring in the night. She brought the beverage to her lips and took a lazy sip when he introduced himself and upon hearing his name, she slowly put the cup down.

“Valren,” she repeated after him and shook her head in disbelief. “I’m going to need my weapons back.” At least she now knew why there was somebody hiding in the shadows. To think that the son of the king’s most trusted advisor was making her toast put a smile on Rania’s lips.

“How ironic.” The woman said with a soft voice. “All of these riches and his wealth, and you are still his greatest treasure – and then he sent you here to die.” To Rania, it wasn’t even a question as to why and if someone like Valren had enemies. Even if he had never done anything wrong, there were still enough reasons to kill him.

It was a pity, really, and she suddenly felt bad for the man.

That pity faded when he insulted her ability. “I’m an amazing thief,” she immediately corrected with a groan and ran her hand through her long hair. “And I’m good at many other things, just you wait.” She could only see half of his face from where she sat, but his heartbreak could be felt across the entire room.

 

[Val]

"I don't think he sent me here to die." There was a grimace on his face as he spoke. John was a friend, but he couldn't get so lost in his death that he lost sight of the whole picture. Not when his life was likely in danger.

Fingers tightened on the pan he held for a moment. "Nor do I think I'm any sort of treasure."

Half the time he was more than willing to bet his father wished he'd had a daughter. Anyone would have been better than him, anyone that behaved. A breath filled his lungs as he put the toast onto a plate along with some eggs.

A breath escaped him. "You can have your knives back."

Mostly because he knew that whatever had killed John...it certainly hadn't been any sort of knife. His eyes closed for a brief moment, then he refocused himself.

"If whoever killed John wants me dead, it's one of the Rival Families." Val offered. "Probably a hired foreigner."

He glanced at her. "Kind of like you."

Though if it was actually her then she would be playing a very long game indeed.

 

[Rania]

“It’s only one of those two options.” The smell of food had her mouth watering and with hungry eyes, the woman propped herself off the table to be able to see over his shoulder. “Almost done, yes?” A bit tactless, but she couldn’t help herself: she had not eaten since yesterday morning and now she was starved.

Her face lit up with a bright smile when he agreed to turn her precious daggers and her bow over, and Rania hopped over to the drawers to help prepare the table. “Still, it’s a lot of effort for someone as easy to kill as you.” She walked over to him, leaned against the counter and looked him up and down.

“You’re alone and not very skilled with the sword, you’re too attached to your servants and you don’t lock your doors at night.”

At this point, she was starting to wonder why he wasn’t dead already. Someone was messing with him at this point, only for the sake of being cruel. Rania found that to be rather distasteful.

“I guess bringing me here was the only smart thing you did in a long time.” There was no small amount of poise in her voice; Rania was a very self-confident young woman.

 

[Val]

Val perked an eyebrow.

"Skilled enough." He reminded her with a motion to her leg, though of course he once again had to walk that careful line between pride and actual truth.

The young Noble might not have been the greatest swordsmen in Oban, but his true skill lay with the bow. It was something hidden beneath the surface, something he preferred not to show at all if he could help it. The Nobility was supposed to know how to hunt, and that would be his excuse if ever asked, but he was better than any hunter had a right to be.

Val could keep himself in any fight, that much he knew from testing himself against bodyguards and Gryffon Knights alike. Yet Rania didn't need to know that, nor did any potential assassin that might have been skulking around the Estate.

Pride had to be pushed aside. "Let's get you to stop hopping around before we fight assassins."

Val commented blankly as the took the food to the table.

 

[Rania]

When food was finally on the table, the thief binged. It was too good to be cooked by someone who, by his status alone, should never have prepared a meal for themselves in their entire life, and as her stomach filled up her suspicions grew stronger.

Once Rania finished eating and her leg was properly bandaged, she would begin scouting this place – with or without Valren. “Has this happened to you before?” She asked and bit down on a slice of toast.

“All and any of this, I mean.” She gestured around, referring to both his dilemma of being stuck inside this estate with no servants, as well as being targeted by a hired hitman.

When her plate was empty, Rania pushed it back into the middle of the table and swung her wounded leg on top of it. “Get to work, Nurse Val. And many thanks for the meal!” She gave him her sweetest smile.

 

[Val]

"I've been the target of assassins since I was ten." Probably before too, but that was the first one that he could actually remember.

The Nobility of Oban did not really hold back when it came to murdering children, especially if it could gain them something. It didn't help that his father was all but hated by many within the Kingdom, so that was a factor as well.

After finishing his own meal Val pulled the medical kit from the table, searching around for a few moments before he found was he was looking for. "I prefer doctor."

He told her as he grabbed her leg and forcefully shifted it so it was in his lap, an easier position for him to stitch up the cut.

Though it wasn't exactly medically sound.

"My father has made many enemies over the years." He explained. "And there are more than a few who think killing me would...destabilize him."

Val grimaced, as he threaded the needle, and then held her leg in place as he began to stitch her flesh back together.

 

[Rania]

“All the more reason to lock your doors at night.” He appeared indifferent about the attempts at his life, but perhaps he was just playing it off. In the end, Rania thought Valren’s situation was still more desirable than her own. At least he still had his riches.

Rania grimaced when he forced her leg into his lap, and turned her head away when he pulled out the needle. "And? Are they right?" Once the needle pierced her flesh, Rania clenched her fists and, albeit being visibly in pain, continued their conversation normally.

She had performed this type of 'surgery' on herself many times in the past, but it always hurt all the same.

"He must really hate you, otherwise I don't see how sending you to a place without protection, somewhere in the wilderness, makes any sense." She curled one of her black locks between her fingers. Her toes wiggled impatiently, and she pressed her foot into his stomach. "Are you sure it's not your father's doing?"