The Merchant's Quarter

"Hello? Anyone there?" A deep voice could be heard calling in to the pair inside, accompanied by a strong knock. A woman's voice joined his a second later, and the man answered her. Both voices and their words were clear and distinct, despite the thickness of the door and its tendency to muffle most sound. They must want them to hear their exchange and come out. Merthissa recognized them too; they were two of the Hunters from the tavern.

Ethelfleda gave a tiny squeak when the knock sounded on the sturdy oak door, small hands flying to her mouth. She looked at Merthissa with big blue eyes, and he could read the silently question in her eyes. She was asking him what she was supposed to do.

Merthissa shrugged at her. He didn't care in the end what she did. He had enough power to protect himself from whatever Life threw at him, and if the Hunters wanted to take a swipe at him they would learn quickly that they had lit the wrong fire. Where are the kids? he thought at her instead of answering directly.

She stamped her foot angrily, needing an answer. Nevertheless, she answered him in the fashion she had learned from him. Working. Brenner was apprenticed while you were gone... So we're alone. Ethelfleda glared at him. Demanding an answer with her eyes. Instinct told her to leave it, but her more personable self who had to present a certain kind of face to the public screamed at her to open it.

The wizard nodded. That made sense. So that meant that they were alone, as Ethelfleda would likely have given her the day off. Aeduuin was likely on another business trip, which explained why Ethelfleda answered the door directly instead of a servant. She hated having to rely on anyone else. While Aeduuin's frequent trips and the seemingly endless time apart bothered her, because she happened to care about him as he seemed not to notice, they had nevertheless increased her self confidence and made her into a very capable person on her own. He had first known Aeduuin when he was just a boy of around twelve summers, and it had been clear even then that he would never be content to stay put anywhere... But this was Ethelfleda's home, and when he married her six years later he had been forced to resign himself to the fact that if he was to live up to his dreams he would have to leave her along most of the time. On her own, his young wife had been left to her own devices and had fallen in quickly with the wrong sort. Hurt and lovesick, she was easily expendable and it had been easy to turn her aside from the ideals of her youth. Her mind was sharp now, and she was vastly changed. The child though, was still there, underneath. Long buried, but he sometimes saw flashes of her when the woman thought she wasn't being watched.

Open it, Merthissa thought to her after a second. I'll transform. They won't recognize me.

Ethelfleda nodded, face arranged carefully into a mask of pleasant surprise. She turned swifly and opened the door just a crack. "Hello." He heard her pleasant voice addressing the two soldiers outside. There was a smile in her voice, and he could tell she was turning on the charm. "Can I be of assistance?"

Merthissa took a few steps back into the shadows. A moment later, he was shooting towards the ground, clothes being absorbed into his skin and thick fur shooting out of his skin all over his body. Limbs shrank and his eyes moved to opposite sides of his head, becoming large and clear-sighted. He flicked a sleek black tail, and the elegant black cat stalked forward to the crack in the door. With enormous green eyes, he surveyed the Elves from a very different perspective than he had previously. They were much taller now, for one thing...


ooc: Merthissa's staff is in the shadowy corner where he transformed, leaning against the wall. It is unlikely to be noticed at a first glance as it blends into the shadows and is dark itself, but after a few careful looks around a sharp eye might notice it.

Ro'car felt something sharp prick his neck, like an old, weak hornet with no venom left in its stinger. He instinctively reached his hand backward to swat away whatever had stung him, but instead felt a strange mixture of feathers and twine. He carefully removed the object and held it out in front of himself. But, his eyes refused to focus on the dart in his hand. His eyelids felt heavy. He staggered forward, bracing an arm against the wall. His boots scuffed on the street, and Ro'car thought he heard voices down the road that the guards had just went.

Before he slipped into unconsciousness, he managed a single thought. Damn...


One of the guards that Ro'car had been spying on heard the sound of a boot on the cobblestones. He turned to his partner, who nodded silently and drew his weapon. The two had patrolled the neighborhood long enough to know that around every corner could be a thief ready to cut your throat for the clothes on your back. The crept towards the sound of the noise, and heard a body fall to the ground. Just when they thought they would find another mugging victim, they turned the corner and found Ro'car.

One guard tilted his head inquisitively, and the other stroked his salt-and-pepper beard. The former asked, "Is that...the mercenary?"

The other replied, "Looks like it. I knew we'd find him eventually, but I didn't expect the goddess to just drop 'em out of the sky for us to find."

After some discussion involving who owed who money for ale, the bearded guard eventually convinced his younger partner to carry the fugitive. Just like that, Ro'car was slung over a shoulder, en route to the palace of the Duke of Tharlacolf.

Firthmore dropped from the roof, in front of the startled guards, his cowled face hidden from sight. "Mine." He pointed to Ro'car's limp body, his voice a guttural growl, "You can have him back when I am through."Your Duke does not need this man as much as I do." The hooded figure looked from the bearded guard to his partner. "The Duke can deal with us," He referred in a roundabout fashion to the other Hunters, "When we are through with the mercenary, so," the Elf assassin stepped forward, his hands hidden in the folds of his clothing, "What will it be, boys? Shall I take that baggage off your hands? Or will I have to take it?"


.....................................


Lore smiled graciously, "Greetings! My name is Ducard, and this,' he pulled Juliene towards him gently, "Is Lien, my sister. We've heard about this house, and, well," He gave "Lien" a pleading look.

Julienne flashed a dazzling smile back to Ethelfleda, "Well, what my brother is trying to say is that I dragged him all out here because I wanted to see how you set up your home. I've heard lots about the unique style and oh, it'd be just splendid if you could give us some pointers on house decorating..." he pointed over her shoulder to an indistinct location down the street. "I moved in down there, but i haven't a clue how to make up a home. Could you?" She paused and looked back to her "brother.

"Could you help us?" Loren finished for her.

"Lien" shivered, "Ooh, this breeze is giving me the chills, and simply can't get ill. I have a jubilee feast to make in a week. Everyone would be SO disappointed if i couldn't cook my roast beast dish and the pudding pie...Little Johnny would be crushed. He had it last year and fell in love with my cooking, the adorable lad, but he's only four...he wouldn't understand if the feast was cancelled on account of my health...I don't want to impose on you, but...do you mind if we step in out of the wind?" Julienne gave an apologetic smile.

Both of the guards were paralyzed with confusion and fear. They had seen thieves jump out from alleys and dark corners a dozen times a day, but neither had been unfortunate enough to be confronted by a trained soldier leaping down from above.

The younger one turned to his partner and asked, "Sarge?"

The aged man brandished his iron cudgel, but took a defensive step backward. He tried to order his comrade to lower the fugitive and stand his ground, but before he could turn and speak the other guard had dropped Ro'car like a sack of potatoes and broke off running.

"Hmm...kids...." the grizzled man huffed in disgust. He returned to face Firthmore. He declared, "This man is under my custody! Unless you have credentials, he's gonna stay that way."

The Elven warrior frowned and took a step forward, a low, quiet voice found it's way out of his chest. "As you wish, sir." Firthmore made a show of searching some papers as he sauntered forward slowly.

As he came close he looked up with a surprised smile, "Found it! It's right...." he drew his hand out of his cloak and threw a quick punch aimed at the guard's diaphragm.

~~~

Ducard nodded respectfully as he ushered his sister, Lien, into the foyer of the home. "Sister, why don't you ask the lady about the decorating now? I see she's got splendid taste." The Elven commander gestured at some furniture vaguely.

Lien nodded curtly, her hair bobbing with her head. "I don't think I caught your name, miss...But I love the way you did this room...Do you mind showing me around? I hope it's alright if my Brother, Ducard, stays and sits down here while we walk." She smiled shyly, as any woman would when she felt as though she were imposing on a stranger, which she was. "He's got a terrible eye for decor and can be quite the clumsy fellow, on occasion. I'd hate for him to accidentally break anything."

Ducard chuckled and rolled his eyes at his companion, "Lien, dear sister, you have the most subtle of ways when it comes to poking fun at your elders." The warrior turned and gazed over at their hostess and continued, "She is right though. I have a bit of a clumsy streak in me. They say it's from our Father's side though! I'm not sure he had much affinity for balance either." He took a seat, casually, and shooed his sister and their host, "Go, Lien! Do what you have to. To be frank, I had hoped to have been back with my mates at the tavern an hour ago. I only agreed to this because you told me it would be quick!"

His "sister" only smirked and turned her back to him as she pointed off to a part of the house, away from the entry way of the home, "Shall we?"

Ethelfleda took a step back, turned to lead them, and stopped. She was more terrified than she had ever been in her life. All the hair on the back of her neck stood on end as her spine prickled ominously. Near her ankles, Merthissa waved his cat's tail anxiously and arched his back, sensing her fear. The woman had never let him down before, but he felt it too. The change in status quo was barely imperceptible, but it hung in the air like the stench of rotting meat. The wizard was too far away from his staff; the two siblings blocked his way. While he could still use magic without it, the effects would be more draining. Raw power needed a channel, human hands were slowly losing their ability to control ancient power on their own.

"This is the library," Ethelfleda said, voice quavering slightly.

How fitting; the old wizard had always loved books. Books contained words, information, knowledge. Knowledge was power. Greed for that power would be his ultimate demise. Merthissa had never loved anything or anyone so much as he loved power. It was the one thing he knew how to control, the thing that had saved him when he was so far gone that he had all but given up hope. In the end though, he had. What was the point of such frivolous things as hope? It was better to rely only on yourself to have only yourself to blame and to thank.

It was then that the old wizard did the only noble thing that he had done since he had rescued that baby screech owl all those years ago. As Ethelfleda turned around to face Ducard and Lien, the cat rose to its hind legs. And it kept rising. Merthissa's transformation was swift, and his words were few. "Have mercy and spare her."

ooc: Feel free to kill 'em both. :)Merthissa for his crimes and Ethelfeda for providing asylum for the wicked. At least kill Merthissa.