Desmond and Isaac

[Ragereaper]

The right way is not always the easy way...

Desmond swung back around as Isaac finished cheering the miner. He agreed with the monk. "Then we best be besetting ourselves of the foreman. He should be a most gracious host, seeing as we're going to be the ones offering to open up his mine once again." Desmond smiled and picked up his pace. he didn't worry about Isaac keeping up with him. The monk easily had a longer stride than him, and was in much better shape.
Desmond hopped over the stairs on the foreman's porch, landing in front of the door. The door was just like any other door that might be found. Cheap and made of pine. There didn't seem to be any visible door knob on their side, so it was likely that it was just a leather strap on the far side that held the door in place. Desmond had just raised his hand to knock when the door swung outward, hitting the paladin in the nose and making him stumble backward, biting back curses.
At face height, even Desmond would have seen nothing. Isaac would have to look almost straight down in order to see the foreman. Standing at almost two and a half feet was a hobbit. His hair was the color of polished copper. He had a round face and side burns that reached halfway to his mouth, but he was otherwise clean shaven. His hair was unruly and cut as though he did it himself. The affore mentioned sideburns hadn't been trimmed or cleaned. His feet, like most hobbits', were bare. He wore a heavy jerkin to keep out the cold and wool pants.
And upon his face was an angry glare directed at Isaac, Desmond having fallen away now behind the door and out of the foreman's sight. An angry tone to match the glare said, "Aye? And what'll ye be wantin, ye tanned sugar pop?"

But it is always the best way.

 

[Draka The Solitary]

Isaac jumped at the sound of the voice then realized it's origin came from someone much smaller than expected. Though his facial features never once faltered he was quite confused on how a hobbit of all races was the foreman in charge, he could have sworn that they were more burrowing people than the dwarven miners. He decided that it was irrelevant as they were all creatures of the Earth. "Kind sir, we do not mean to trouble you but our travels have lead us to this town and frankly we are concerned for we have heard and sense the evil that rests within your mine. We have come to offer our services as traveling warriors and holy men to try and free this area from despair and pain!"

The small speech ended with a joyful and triumphant note of his musical voice as he normally preached. He had somehow managed to navigate Desmond around the door when mentioning 'we' in his sentences. His large hands now placed gently on Desmond's shoulders, as if he was a proud father showing off his amazing son. There was a great smile on his bronzed face and the monk hoped that what he had said was taken seriously.  

[Ragereaper]

The right way is not always the easy way...

Desmond, still reeling from being hit in the face, didn't put up much of a fight when the monk wheeled him in front of the miner. The solid hands on his shoulders did much to help steady him, however, and he was able to look forward toward the one addressing them. And then he looked down at the hobbit. The former priest got a sudden impression that he was being used as a shield against a very angry stump. He gave his best smile, but the way he was feeling right now, he knew it came out more as sheepish than as calming.
The small hobbit spat to the side, out of the door. The saliva dropped deftly between cracks in the boards, making a wet smack as it burst on the ground below. Desmond was used to this kind of behavior from years of preaching to simply folk, but he still felt a bit of revulsion from the act. The voice was still angry as he replied to Isaac, "Oi ain't no kind sir, ye dandy peach! And oi ain't sending in a delicate flower and an altar boy into that mine to watch them get killed, ye ken? So you can go and take yer candied bishop off to whatever church you crawled away from." With that, he shoved past them, making sure to tread on Isaac's feet as he passed. The door swung shut behind him. He was setting off in the general direction of the mine, though taking a less direct route than the two holy men had used to get to his house from it. The large man that they had met coming in sidled in beside the hobbit, making him seem so much smaller by the stark contrast. Even though, Desmond made note that John stood a respectable distance from the small foreman.
Desmond, watched them for a while before stating brightly, "Well, that went swimmingly." He turned towards Isaac and smiled brightly.

But it is always the best way.

 

[Draka The Solitary]

Isaac was completely confused. He had never met a hobbit with such an attitude. "What was that?!" He was watching the little man surrounded by the others and just could not comprehend the attitude he had been given. "I have never met someone like that. What do we do now Desmond?" He stood with a slight worry on his face, his posture of course perfect and though the hobbit had stepped on his foot he hadn't barely noticed. "I feel like we should chase after him or just enter the mines anyway. I mean even done in good faith wronging someone to accomplish a positive end is still a good thing to do right?" From his tone he it was easy to see that he was perplexed by the situation, as if he had never been denied before.  

[Ragereaper]

The right way is not always the easy way...

Surprise colored Desmond's face at Isaac's words. What he suggested was... Desmond could think of no other way to put it than just wrong. "We can't just enter the mines without permission." He was aghast even at the suggestion of such a thing. "We'll do things the right way. The means must justify the ends as much as the ends justify the means. Come my friend. We will try this again. Perhaps if he sees that we are persistent, he will change his mind." His mind went astray for a moment, thinking of some other religions that were 'persistent' and he laughed. "After all, the spiritual can be quite persuasive in our persistence" He bounded off after the small hobbit.
As he pulled away from the monk, Isaac was cut off by another figure. He appeared to be human, but he gave off another type of aura. Isaac wouldn't be able to tell what it was just yet, but it was visible to him. The newcomer had darkened skin, much like Isaac's own, but it seemed to be that way from his birthright. He appeared to be a miner as well. He wasn't as tall as Isaac and he had a small stoop to his walk that could almost be excused as a slouch. Despite the cold, he wore a thin vest and pants that only went to his knees. They were both tattered and ripped. His feet were also bare. Were Desmond there, he'd have been starting to wonder if he was actually the only one who wore shoes!
The newcomer laid hands on Isaac and smiled brightly. "We have been expecting you brother. Mother has told us much. Come, we would speak with you." With that, the seemingly insane newcomer started leading Isaac away. Should Isaac have looked over his shoulder to find Desmond, he would find that he wasn't there.

But it is always the best way.

 

[Draka The Solitary]

Isaac was about to protest with a well practiced frown when a man garbed as he was and with a similar colored skin seemed to pop out of nowhere speaking of the mother to him as if she were the human woman whom had given birth to him. Confused he allowed the stranger to lead him a few steps before stopping dead and firmly so the stranger could not move him. Isaac in fact did look over his shoulder to find that Desmond had disappeared and sighed and finally let his eyes actually study the man. His aura was...unique would have been the best way to describe it. He spoke carefully and honestly he allowed a slight bit of irritation to show through towards the man, "I do not believe I know you kind sir and you have interrupted an important mission of mine with my comrade who is busy trying to help save this mine! And what is this about the Mother? Does she speak to those here in the village yet hide from you the evil from within the cave as well?!" So many questions were burning his mind and he was getting quite aggravated again at the prospect of having the all knowing mother earth hiding something from a dedicated servant and follower.  

[Ragereaper]

Draka The Solitary

Even before Desmond arrived beside the foreman, he was being told away. "I alreadeh told ye', ye've got no business in that mine," he said, clearly and firmly, without turning around to face him, which Desmond almost found to be an insult. "Now be off with ye," he said, pointing towards the front of the town.
Desmond made no move in the proffered direction, and instead planted his feet firmly. The ground seemed to be solid enough, but somehow he doubted that it the hobbit decided to do something to him, the solid ground would be more an enemy than a friend. Still, he didn't back down. "I'm no bishop." He wondered just where that had come from, and it seemed that the it was addressed to was just as surprised as he was that he said it.
"Excuse meh?" the short creature nearly shouted.
"I will not!" Again, Desmond was surprised at the words that came from his mouth, but he didn't let it show like the foreman was now. "I am no bishop, and it is quite an insult that you have slandered me with. I demand an apology from the responsible party!"
The dwarf merely stood for a moment, dumbfounded that a string bean was talking to him in such a manner. The look quickly passed however, and his usual angry color returned, with even more force than before. "Ah'll do no such thing! Ye can be as insulted as you like, but I'll make no difference to it."
"That is fine. You are not the party that caused the insult, merely the messenger." Desmond spoke slowly, still not sure where he was going with all this, but he had all but given up on figuring that out. "I will have a proper apology or I will have penance from the party responsible for this affront!"
Confusion mixed into the anger, causing the anger to compound itself. Desmond had been entirely unaware that such anger existed outside of violence. Then he worried for a moment that maybe it didn't. "There is none as use me as a messenger, laddy! Now you're causing me the insult! Who do ye think could use, or even would use, the likes of me without my say so!" Before Desmond could reply, the foreman continued, "NONE! That's who."
"So now I have a name."
The stranger continued dragging Isaac for a few more steps despite the monk's resolution that he would not move. The ground upon which he stood merely traveled with him. They had continued another few meters before the ill dressed stranger noticed the extra resistance and he turned a questioning look upon Isaac. Comprehension did not dawn upon the miner's face at the monk's words, only a deeper confusion and more than a little worry. He tried his words again, "Come, we would speak with you," and it became apparent that the miner didn't speak any common language. He tugged at Isaac again, hoping to get him to come willingly, though he had demonstrated that he could drag the monk if he needed to. "Mother has told us of brother." He cast around a little desperately, before he tried. "We... howl together? We... call... for Mother?" Pleading came from his eyes for the monk to come willingly. And he did not know how to express his need any more.