Fable - Ask Set Sail!

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Edward Lorain

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"What are you doing? You're going to scratch her all up!" Edward complained to a dockhand who was helping them dock the ship in Dornoch. The man just looked at Edward with skepticism. Fair, it was unlikely that anyone would notice another mark on the ship. Hell, it looked like any moment that the old vessel would fall apart. Edward could only sigh as he turned to his crew, Fenic Creed and Trovik Half-horn. There were others, but Edward had convinced them to work simply to get a ride to Dornoch. He would need to find his actual crew here.

"Alright, so let's go over the plan again. We go to a tavern. Try to find a couple more hands for the ship, maybe even a job. Finally, we only get in the necessary amount of trouble required for a good time. Oh, and the most important bit, no killing if you can help it." He made just to look at them seriously as it was far more likely to occur from one of them than himself.

"I guess we can also keep a lookout for any good deals." He felt the pocket at his belt where he kept a few coins and noticed it was feeling a little light...Ok, maybe it felt really light. "Let's try to stay frugal."

Edward would admit that things were not off to the best start, but that was more because they hadn't got any good jobs recently. All they needed was a little gold and things would start to turn around.
 
Filtering through the crowd of dock hands, buskers, pick pockets and general seafarers Jiv'undus did his best to go unnoticed. It had not been long since he had been stranded on the surface, but the constant pursuit of his kin kept the Drow constantly on the move and perpetually high strung. They had already caught up to him once, and the experience of that was still unsorted in his mind - chaotic and jumbled. Perhaps it was those thoughts which caused him to stop and turn, to gaze out into the ocean and around the various ships.

The Drow, cloaked as he was, shemag hood and mask up making him look more like a small orc then a deadly Drow, knew that the idea of enrolling in a crew meant revealing his heritage. He didn't have the money to afford a ticket on a passenger ship, if he wanted to use one of the mesmerizing craft as a way to cover his trail he'd have to make himself useful.

How useful a subterranean Elfkin who hadn't seen an ocean until a few rises of the accursed sun ago on a ship would be was questionable at best. It was a foolish idea, Jiv'undus decided at that moment - no surface sailors would want a Drow on their ship.

The hustle of the crowd around him left Jiv'undus feeling strangely at ease, though, his anonymity amongst it so complete he allowed himself the moment to admire the rolling of the water against the docks, the slapping of it against the hulls of the ships. A sight so unlike anything in the Underrealm, so he would enjoy it for the few breaths of calm he could.
 
The sun was high in the sky, sending down its warm beams to cast glistening diamonds across the waters of the cove.
The dark haired girl stood barefoot on the docks, letting that same dark hair fall forward to shade her eyes from the bright sun of the Dornochian summer morning.

The emaciated girl had pale skin that never seemed to tan, and the closest she ever came to a different color was a lobster red... Or a bloody red or deep bruised purple, depending on the circumstances.
"Alright, so let's go over the plan again. We go to a tavern. Try to find a couple more hands for the ship, maybe even a job. Finally, we only get in the necessary amount of trouble required for a good time. Oh, and the most important bit, no killing if you can help it."
She simply nodded in response, the only movement she dared to make that indicated that she heard him and she was listening.

Fenic didn't fully understand how or why she came to be here...
It seemed like yesterday she was changing hands once again after she won another match and her master sold her and her friend to this ship captain.

She never asked questions; slaves that grew up in Cerak At'Thul learned that lesson almost before they walked, that and never speaking without permission and never making eye contact with your master were pretty high up on that list as well.

She listened to her new master as he addressed herself and one other person, a part of his crew... And she was completely lost.
His orders were vague, how was she supposed to carry them out? How was she supposed to ask people to join a ships crew? What if she got it wrong? It wasn't her master's fault if he doesn't explain things clearly, specifically or thoroughly enough, it would fall on her for not understanding his vague instructions... And of course, it wasn't her place to ask for clarification.

In general she felt like her new master had given her no direction, job, duty or purpose. The closest thing she could figure out as far as her "duties" went was that she was to be a sort of trophy? I mean, when she thought about it she and her friend were pretty famous in the underground beast fights... Perhaps she was supposed to just... Stand by?

When she first entered his service he would say things like, "have a good time" or, "do what you want". Not only did she not have the faintest idea about what a "good time" was, but how was she supposed to do what SHE wanted?! As far as she knew, as far as anyone's ever told her, she doesn't "want" anything...

"I guess we can also keep a lookout for any good deals." He felt the pocket at his belt where he kept a few coins and noticed it was feeling a little light...Ok, maybe it felt really light. "Let's try to stay frugal."
Fenic acknowledged this as well. Of course, she only had a burlap sack, a rope belt and an iron collar as her sole earthly possessions.
She couldn't count them even if she had a copper, reading and writing were out too...
So, this master didn't seem prone to anger... Perhaps if she just followed him around and waited on him he'll give her something to do?

She nodded to herself and committed herself to do just that. Should he ever need something she'll be ready to serve him.
She cast a glance over to the burlap tarp that covered a huge cage where her "friend" lay dormant... She hoped they wouldn't be away for long.
 
Trovik was must the standout member of the crew, it was hard to miss a 7'7 walking, talking bull. But he liked the looks, the stares, he was after all one of the must impressive creatures to walk this land, a being of physical perfection.

he knew the last bit of the plan was directed at him "Ugh, fine I won't kill anyone" trovik sighed in resignation, "can I at least make them a bloody pulp if they start something" killing was half the fun but if have to wait for someone to start it he'll be more than glad to finish it.

"Is there anything we need in particular or to look out for, boss?" there was no point looking for stuff that they didn't need or want and he wasn't too familiar with what a ship needed he hadn't been on the sea to much before.
 
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Esme had been having a really bad fucking week. She had stopped in Dornoch for a nice little break. Her little break had consisted of drinking, drinking, gambling, drinking, losing her ship in a card game, drinking, and now some more drinking. She was in a foul mood and alcohol was helping it a tiny bit. A little tiny bit. Okay...not really.

She threw back a shot and added it to the growing pile of glasses. One, two, three, four, five, six...fuck...seven. She took a long drink of the ale that sat besides her empty glasses and looked down the bar. There were no hot men tonight and that was making her quite upset.

The pirate had no clue what she was going to do now. She would eventually have to stop drinking and go find some work. She needed to figure out how to get her ship back cause fuck all of this bullshit.
 
"Excellent question Trovik. We could use a little bit more food. After all, you can never have too much food...You can punch some people, but they have to attack first. Deal?"

With that said, Edward turned his back from the two and towards the city. He spoke under his breath, so only he could hear. "Alright, where are you taking me today? I need a crew." A slight breeze picked up in response and Edward smiled from ear to ear. He confidently strode off the ship seeming to know exactly where he was going. He was heading for a tavern he could see in the distance. That was where he would find his crew.

Edward looked back one more time to make sure the other two were following him in this moment. "Come on. I know where we can start."

Esme Tyndall Trovik Half-horn Fenic Creed Jiv'undus Rivvazz'a
 
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Jiv'undus eventually slipped back into the crowd, knowing he would not easily be able to find a ship to smuggle him away. Safer to mingle in the hustle of the city then it was to stand out staring at the many ships docked in the harbor. Free from his whimsical fantasy of life on the high sea Jiv'undus filtered through the crowd toward the most important location in any city - a tavern frequented by transients and travelers.

Information was the most important asset, and the taverns frequented by those from outside a cities borders leaked important information like a gushing wound. Like a shadow Jiv'undus entered the tavern, but unlike the cliché chose a seat at the bar front and center. It was easy to go unnoticed, just another drinker, while listening to the conversations which mingled all around him.

The Drow settled into this routine like a comfortable bed, keeping his hood up and sipping at a beverage he ordered as to not arouse suspicion.

Just another downtrodden travelers, drinking his sorrows away.
 
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"Excellent question Trovik. We could use a little bit more food. After all, you can never have too much food.
She could agree with that. Food was a necessity, good food was a luxury. She found herself nodding her head in agreement.
"Alright, where are you taking me today? I need a crew."
She quirked her head slightly to the side.
Who was he talking to?
He reminded her of a wizard she was sold to briefly, he talked to himself a lot as well.

"Come on. I know where we can start."
Fenic followed Edward at a respectful distance, not wanting to crowd him yet not wanting to lose track of him.
Generally, whenever she was traded or sold she had come to expect being beaten at least a few times as she learned what it was her new master expected of her... But with Edward, he didn't do that.
She'd been tentatively experimenting, not only trying to figure out what he expected of her, but what he didn't want from her.

No killing... Right, without her friend she couldn't hurt anything bigger than a fly... The big bull-man seemed slightly put off by that order, she decided it was safe to stay behind him if anything happened. She doubted very much if even a brick wall could stop mister Trovik if he wanted to go through one... She was still a little cautious of the big minotaur, since she still didn't know what her role was to be in this "crew".

She trotted behind Edward, her feet were bare but she didn't complain, her feet were probably tougher than the rest of her frail body and she was used to it.
As they approached the tavern it seemed like the entire city's population grew within a few seconds, so she walked as close to Edward as she dared to keep from getting separated until at one point she was clinging to his sleeve to keep from falling behind.
 
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Trovik would follow beside Edward, people parted to either side of the group like water around a boat, a perk of being the most intimidating creature within eyesight. Edward eventual led them to a tavern or alehouse, he could never tell the difference, all he cared for is if they served drinks.

The minotaur entered first, ducking under the door and remaining hunched as Trovik was a bit too tall for building, he would find somewhere they all could sit amongst the patron already here at least then he didn't have to hunch to fit, hopefully, they had something strong to drink. the stuff humans drank bearly gave him a buzz without having to drink an entire keg of it.
 
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For some, it was the battlefield, for others a dark alleyway where the shadows protected them, but everyone had that one place that they just felt comfortable in. This was his, a loud bar where the overwhelming majority was drunk and stumbling over themselves. Ah, home.

As Trovik opened the door and they entered, a strong breeze followed in with them and whipped at the edges of Edward's hair. He grinned. This was it. Judging by the wind, this was where he was supposed to be...and he got the feeling that this was going to be big for him.

He looked into his coin pouch and shrugged. He knew that he had just said to be frugal, but he should buy drinks for all of them. In a place like this, walking around without a drink would be like wearing a do not talk to me sign. Edward confidently stepped forward to the tavern counter and loudly ordered three drinks to ensure he was heard by the bartender.

He quickly handed a drink to Trovik and Fenic. "Smile and enjoy a drink. Try not to look so...aggressive." That last part was mainly pointed at Trovik he turned to look around at the other customers of the tavern. They would be here. The crew he needed.

"Alright, so where are you?" He whispered to himself. When indoors it was a bit harder to follow the flow, but he could still do it thanks to others coming and going from the tavern. Surprisingly enough, the flow was pointing him towards two different individuals. Jiv'undus, a drow drinking his troubles away at the bar. Hmm, that was interesting. Then there was Esme, a woman maybe around his age with seafaring clothing who was a few glasses deep into a drinking binge. Perfect.

Esme Tyndall Trovik Half-horn Fenic Creed Jiv'undus Rivvazz'a
 
Esme had ordered another ale by the time she heard a voice that she knew. A voice she had not heard in a very long time. She had long given up thinking any of her friends from her childhood were still alive but here one was. In the same bar as her. Looking like he, too, had just seen a ghost.

The ship-less pirate got up from the barstool she was perched on and walked straight towards the man. "Edward Lorain," she said in perfectly spoken words despite the fact that she had drank close to her bodyweight in alcohol already. "I was convinced you were dead, old friend."

Ale in one hand, she smiled and lightly touched his upper arm flirtatiously. "How is business?"

Esme was not going to come right out and ask if she could get a place with his crew. That was embarrassing. She would dance around it and make it seem like it was his idea and she was going to do her friend a favor. Pirates and their egos.

Edward Lorain Trovik Half-horn Fenic Creed Jiv'undus Rivvazz'a
 
Fenic clung to his sleeve all the way into the tavern, Edward seemed so confident, she wished she had an ounce of that confidence. Trovik was almost comically tall for this building, his horns nearly hitting the rafters if he hadn't ducked down.
Then she noticed what she was doing and quickly let go of his sleeve.
She initially braced herself, expecting to be struck for touching him, but then she had to remind herself that her new master wasn't a cruel man.
"Smile and enjoy a drink. Try not to look so...aggressive."
She blinked in disbelief, her eyes widened and she looked from the offered cup up to Edward, then back and repeating several times until her brain could catch up with the information her eyes were sending her... He was offering her a drink, a real drink that wasn't just a ration of water!
She swallowed the ball of excitement rising in her chest and slowly reached out to accept the container of liquid.
She tentatively raised the container to her lips and took a sip of the frothy drink.

She immediately broke into a fit of coughing. That vile liquid tasted fine, far better than stale bread and dirty water.
But when it hit her throat that fluid immediately turned into fire trailing all the way down her gullet. Her eyes stung and teared up, she could only cover her mouth while her body tried to process why she was trying to kill herself.
She'd served alcohol to her masters many times, they enjoyed the stuff and made it seem so effortlessly easy.

She slid the mug away as she put her head on the bar and tried to suppress her gag reflex.

"Edward Lorain," she said in perfectly spoken words despite the fact that she had drank close to her bodyweight in alcohol already. "I was convinced you were dead, old friend."
Fenic glanced up through her blurred vision to try and make out the person who apparently knew Edward.
She wiped her eyes and blinked away the tears to see a woman at his side.

Fenic kept to herself, still trying to get control of her coughing.
The last thing she wanted to do was embarrass Edward in front of one of his friends.
 
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The door to the tavern swings open, mostly unnoticed. A few noticed the man who walks in for a second, he wasn't hard to see after all, but most simply rose an eyebrow at the smile he wore before turning back to their drink and conversation. Near instatnly, the man bought a drink, sat down at the bar, and turned to face the rest of the room. Lord Johnathan Blackwell III was looking for a ship to ride, and a Dornoch tavern seemed like the place to find it's captain. It was decided that he would be filling out the aquatic section of his Almanac, and for that he would need to spend quite a bit of time on the open ocean.

One look around and he spotted several interesting characters, a giant minotaur, a drow on the surface, a small girl in rags (who looked far too young to be such a seedy establishment), a gentleman with a strange air about him, and a woman who certainly looked like a captain. That would likely be the first one he asked, but she seemed to be in the middle of a conversation at the moment, and it would be quite rude to intrude. In the meantime the explorer begins to stuff his pipe only to find he's run out of tobacco as well as money. Quite upsetting indeed, but his smile isn't lost, and he finds himself taking in the scenery nonetheless. He'd simply wait for the conversation to be over, or maybe even try to talk to some other people if the opportunity came up. For now though, he decided to wait at the bar. Maybe fate would bring someone to him to at least pass the time with.

He really hoped he didn't look creepy looking at everyone from the bar.
 
Edward patted Fenic's back with a laugh when she started coughing. "It's alright. Alcohol can be an acquired taste." He never really got to continue with that line of thought when he heard a familiar voice.

He turned to see the woman he had noticed across the tavern. He must not have noticed because of the dark atmosphere of the place, but now that she was directly in front of him there was no doubt.

His face lit up in a grin as he got a good look at Esme Tydnall. "A lot better now that you are here beautiful." He said the line almost reflexively, not even necessarily meaning to flirt, but it was just the dynamic the two had with each other. He could not help but laugh a little at her first comment.

"Me? Dead? Who do you know that could possibly pull that off?... Actually, recently got my hands on a new boat, so getting myself a new crew. Although, I'm probably not doing as well as the mighty Esme Tyndall." He said the words rather proudly, as the last time they had seen each other Edward was just working as a ship hand for anyone that would take him on.
 
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Esme smiled at Edwards coughing companion then turned back to Edward before addressing him again. She leaned in close to him and whispered in his ear, "you are right, you wouldn't be dead because I am the only one who could pull it off."

Once she straightened again, Esme clapped him on the shoulder happily. "Congratulations! Hard work paying off." She sobered slightly when he complimented her. She was hardly the mighty Esme anymore. She had lost her precious ship and she would start spiraling soon if she did not find some work.

The pirate was still close to him as she asked the question that hurt her worse than anything else in the world.

"Can I join your crew, Edward?"
 
"Oh, I don't know about that. I seem to remember you've tried a few times already." Edward responded playfully. However, the truth was that she was probably right. At least, she was one of the few people he knew that could keep up with him. He did not know if that meant she could kill him, but she had a better chance than others.

Edward bristled with joy from the compliment and was about to offer to buy Esme a drink when the next question made him do a double-take. "Crew?...Es, what happened?" He said the last part with a bit more sincerity because he knew how much she loved that ship.
 
"It's alright. Alcohol can be an acquired taste."
Well, at least he wasn't disappointed. Though she definitely wouldn't mind if she never touched the stuff again.
She listened to a bit of the conversation between Edward and the woman, Esme, but she soon tuned out and started looking around the tavern, careful not to make eye contact with anyone but in general just seeing who all might be paying attention to their group.

A dark elf was seated nearby, she'd seen plenty of his kind circulating through the slave market, but he was obviously not a slave, and in spite of his pretense of disinterest, she could tell that he was listening in as well.

She also noticed a well dressed man who also seemed to be lingering nearby. As a slave she had to learn to be perceptive in order to please her masters, it was better to carry out their wishes before one had to be ordered, sometimes being so attentive drew some reward as well. Although, on the flip side, some masters didn't want their slaves to assume to know what it is their master wants, in such cases it was better to simply wait to be ordered.
In any case, she could tell that these men wanted something, probably from them, or master Edward specifically. Edward was busy and Fenic didn't feel that she could speak on his behalf... But Trovik on the other hand...

She reached out and gently tugged on his sleeve, motioning for the huge minotaur to come down so she could whisper to him.
"The dark elf and the rich man... They may be wanting to join a crew..."
She knew that finding a crew was a job Edward gave all of them, but she simply couldn't imagine herself openly speaking with a stranger about a job... She barely understood what a "job" was, basically it was service with rewards where the servant can decide whether he wants to serve in exchange for the reward or not... That sort of freedom was alien to her.

Either way, she knew that Trovik with his outgoing and aggressive personality would be a better recruiter than she could ever be.

She thought about her friend back in the cage at the docks. Whenever she was in the beast pits she was never this timid. Although, being loud and aggressive was far easier with massive muscles and bone snapping jaws.
 
The minotaur was minding his own business drinking the swill these humans called alcohol, want he really wanted some of that dwarven stuff, now that was the real deal. Daydreaming about dwarven whiskey he wasn't really paying attention to the rest of the tavern.

that until he felt a tug on his arm looking, he looked down at the girl sometimes he forgot she was there with her being so small and quiet, he was surprised he hasn't accidentally crushed her and to be honest he didn't think he even knew her name.

He would lean down as far as he could to listen to what the girl had she had to say. he would look around to spot the character she was on about, he saw both of them, the dark elf just looked like every other dark elf, a broody loner but the rich looking human he was watching Edward and he didn't like that.

Standing up, the minotaur that was clearly too big for this room approached Lord Blackwell at the bar block view between Blackwell and Edward with his friend. " you seem awfully interested in my boss," he would lean so his face was nearly level with the mans "and I don't like that."
 
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"Crew?...Es, what happened?"

Esme flinched at the tone in his voice. He was not mean, he was sincere with some worry sprinkled in. She noticed that his small coughing companion seemed to find something else to do while the two pirates spoke.

"Well...my drinking and gambling finally got the best of me, Edward. I had a great night going and I thought my hand was a winner. I was past the point where my brain stops my lips when I threw my ship in the pot. I need a job so I can get the money to buy it back..."

She trailed off and held up two fingers to the bartender. She grabbed the two ales as she let her words settle over Edward. She handed him one and took a long drink of hers. "So do you need someone who knows all your secrets and will drive you mad half the time?" She smiled impishly at him.
 
Trovik Half-horn

The old noble realized he might be staring when the young girl tugged on the sleeve of the minotaur, causing the larger of the two (by far) to look up at him. His eyes widened with a touch of surprise before looking off to the side in a rare moment of shame. He was really trying his best not to be rude, but it seemed as if there had been a lapse in his concentration. The explorer was too wrapped up in his thoughts to notice the minotaur making his way over as he went in for a swig, determined to walk up and apologize immediately for his staring.

The moment the mug came down, a head almost as big as his torso stared straight at him, causing him to nearly spit out the drink in surprise. Things could have been a lot worse had he not managed to swallow it down and compose himself with his habitual smile, though this time with a touch of nervousness.

" you seem awfully interested in my boss," he would lean so his face was nearly level with the mans "and I don't like that."

"Ah, yes I suppose I am interested in your...uh"

Lord Blackwell tugged on his collar a bit, flicking his eyes from Trovik to the floor and back again.

"...boss. Though I promise it's nothing to be concerned about, my friend. I'm simply interested in joining a crew of some kind, anything to get me out onto the ocean, and your boss seemed like a captain of some sort."

He tapped his temple twice, slowly gaining more confidence the more he heard himself speak.

"Call it the old Blackwell family intuition, I suppose. It's what carried my family through many a trial across the years. It's allowed us to sniff out dangers and allies alike, and it's one of the reasons I'd believe myself to be a valuable asset on your ship. That, and 30 years of military experience should make me an excellent candidate for a crew. Though I suppose I should save the sales pitch for your boss, eh?"

It didn't take long for Johnathan to become comfortable in the presence of the minotaur. It seemed the remedy to his nerves was to embrace his traditional long windedness a little. The noble reached out his free hand and smiled warmly, ready to introduce himself.

"My name is Lord Johnathan Blackwell III. What's yours, my sizable, frightening friend?"
 
Edward listened to her story and nodded in understanding. Esme had the same gambling problem that he had, but her ship. He shivered at the thought of it. Still, he took the offered drink and smirked as he took a large gulp.

"Well, when you put it like that, how could I say no?" It really was a perfect setup. Esme was one of the best sailors Edward have ever met, except for himself of course. Having someone on the ship that actually knew the ropes rather than just a bunch of killers would be helpful.

"Alright, I'll help you get you out, but you know the rules. On my ship, I'm the captain."
 
Esme let out a genuine laugh as she took another drink. "Yes...of course...you are the captain on your ship," she finally said with another grimace.

The pirate has never worked under someone else...well...had never worked under another captain...well...had never been a crew member. Yes, that was the correct way to state that thought.

"So who do you have thus far and what are their skills?" She liked that she had found someone who had known her the majority of her life. She didn't need to convince him that she was worth her weight in gold. Edward knew what she was capable of.
 
Edward nodded in confirmation at her answer and then turned with a theatrical wave of his hand to the rest of the tavern, spilling a bit of his drink on a passerby. "Let me introduce to this legendary crew."

He pointed a finger at Fenic. " Fenic Creed, a girl I bought at a slave fighting pit, but you know me, I'm not really into the whole slavery thing. I freed her almost immediately and now she works for me. Her specialty...killing things."

"Next we have the big guy, Trovik...who is currently threatening someone...Anyways, he wanted to make some coin so I made him an offer. His specialty...killing things."


Edward hesitated before continuing. "Then you have me. The best sailor and ship captain that Teth has ever produced, and... that's it. I'm going to grab a few more ship hands here."

Edward did feel like he needed to correct a statement he made a moment ago. "I know I said legendary, let me clarify. This is a legendary crew...in the making."
 
Jiv'undus finished his drink and stood up from his seat, heading toward the door and back into the world.

(OOC: Hey guys, I want to apologize but I'm gonna back out of this RP. The pace is a lot higher then I can maintain, and I don't want to have to slow the whole crew waiting for my posts which will be weekly at best! I will be reading with great interest though!))
 
The behemoth of a bull-man stood up, nearly upsetting her bar stool so she had to cling to the counter to keep from falling over. Then she watched in horror as Trovik went over and began to put on an intimidating display for the rich man.
Fenic was about to turn to Edward for help, feeling guilty for accidentally setting Trovik on the warpath, when she heard him introducing herself and Trovik to his friend.
"Let me introduce to this legendary crew."

He pointed a finger at Fenic. " Fenic Creed, a girl I bought at a slave fighting pit, but you know me, I'm not really into the whole slavery thing. I freed her almost immediately and now she works for me. Her specialty...killing things."
As eyes turned to her she immediately reddened and bowed her head so her hair could hide the embarrassment on her face.
She hardly thought of herself as a killer, not even a fighter... Her own body was too frail to do any good in a fight. But when she and her friend were one, they were indeed formidable.

She offered a respectful half-bow half-curtsie to Edward's friend after she climbed down from the stool.
She still didn't know what it meant to be free, or how a free person should act, so she stuck with what she knew.