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 Posted: Sat Mar 09, 2013 1:18 pm
The paths set out for the average Palisade boy did not appeal to Edward as it would most. Sure, he favored the warm meals eaten by the hearth in the middle of a cold, dark night. And certainly, he would much rather sleep in his warm, clean bed then to curl up in a pile of hay left by a horses stall. Edward had grown accustom to the lifestyle of upper-class living, it was inevitable. But fortunately for the boy, he had never fallen victim to wealth’s succubus-like calling. Much to his mother’s dismay, Edward had at a very young age taken a liking to the opposite side of the river; and in turn, Edward learned at a very young age that not everyone knew the pleasures of living carefree.
It was there, ‘in the wild’ as his mother called it, that Edward had made his best of friends. It was there that he went on his greatest adventures. And it was there, that the boy found his ‘true calling’.
“Alright gentlemen,” A pale faced lad clapped his hands and spoke loudly over the sound of showering rain. The crowd that gathered before him sounded off in a dull cheer. Once they settled, he continued. “It looks as if the heavens are working in our favor today, and you know what that means...?” His widening smile revealed pearly white teeth—a stark contrast to the fashion in which he dressed. (His common attire for such outings being the sort of clothing a peasant might wear. Filthy rags, with a cap to conceal his every expression. Curtsey of his crew.)
“Oh! Oh! It’s time t’a git t’a work!” One of the gathered boys cried out, obviously excited for the events to come. A second boy that stood directly beside him cupped a hand over the others mouth. “SHH. Quiet down, or they’ll hear ya!”
“I don’t think anyone is paying much attention to us right now.” The pale faced lad chuckled while his head bobbed in a nod. “But you’re right, Chip. It’s time to get to work."
Amongst the group of 6 boys there were conversations had, brief gestures of direction, and finally, "We'll meet back here with what we've gathered. You all know what to do... but as always remember to watch your back, don't draw attention to yourself, and don't let yourself be followed." His startlingly blue eyes fell pointedly on Chip, who happened to be the youngest of them all, before another smile lifted his cheeks and away the lot of them went.
Edward, expected to always bring home the best of goods, chose to weave through the crowds of gathered folk on a particularly busy street. Beneath the overhangs of shops that lined both ends of the cobblestone, the boy slipped between the gaps that allowed him the least amount of space and began his venture of searching pockets, bags and whatever else he could manage to.
It was always an easier feat to accomplish when the skies let loose a heavy dose of rain.
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Posted: Sun Mar 10, 2013 11:20 am
They had arrived in Palisade early that morning to beautiful blue skies and a gentle breeze. Now, however, the winds tossed her rain sodden short hair all about her face and the cobbles felt slick under her feet. The heavens had opened up with a vendetta against those walking the streets now. Rajani had been the smart one to stay at the inn with Oberon, but Soibhan had gotten the wanderlust bug and went exploring. She had never been in such a large city as this and she felt for all the world like a gawking youth staring at this and that, the shops, the people, the buildings. It had all been so colorful that she'd almost felt overwhelmed, but now the rain helped her with that, casting everything into a bleak gray blue. People still went about their business through the downpour, albeit at a faster pace. Maybe it wouldn't last that long? The trip to Palisade had been all but uneventful, for which Soibhan reluctantly admitted she was grateful of. The bar fight in Northport had left her with an aching head, but also a fire within her. Rob Tiller had stoked that fire until she felt like she would burn up, and just when they had decided to take things upstairs, her captors had tried to steal her back again and ruined the moment. She sighed, wondering if she'd ever see him again, that gruff sailor with the smile that could brighten this rainstorm away. Shaking her head with a scoff, she berated herself for her girly desires and fingered the dagger in her belt to remind herself that she was a warrior woman, not one of these little doll-like flowery women that pranced around her in their cloying perfumes and poofy dresses. Curiosity pulled her from her dark thoughts quickly enough; a stall across the way was almost blocked from view by the large crowd packed in front of its wares. Intrigued, she glided ahead and shoulder her way into the crowd, the heavy thump of her coin purse a satisfying weight against her thigh. "Step right up, ladies and gentlemen! Behold a beauty that many of you will never see again! These pieces were crafted by a master jeweler from the North, now dead at the fangs of the wolves!" Curiosity more than piqued, Soibhan peered over the shoulder of the woman in front of her, her eyes glancing over the jewelry spread out over the table. They truly were beautiful pieces, but nothing truly caught her eye as anything outstanding. Maybe it was just the story that kept the peoples' attention. The wolves seemed to be talked about more here than in Northport. Just as she was about to turn away, a different piece caught her eye and she narrowed her gaze to see it better. It was a small charm, no larger than her thumb, shaped like a snarling wolf. The piece looked made of obsidian, and the eyes red rubies. It unnerved her, and it seemed no one else wanted to give it any attention. Something urged her to buy it however and she reached for her coin purse....only to find it slipping away from her in the hands of a cutpurse. "Hey!" she shouted, reaching cat-quick for the kid's collar.
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Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2013 7:20 am
Even he could not dismiss the tale from which the seller wove, peeking through the spaces between dress and pant leg to catch glimpses of the ware he offered. Nothing but rubbish charms and bracelets, crafted from the same tired metals and the same old gems from which his home (or, more precisely his mother and siblings) was overflowing with. Yet it wasn't the items that he fancied, but the talk of wolves and their omnipotent presence there, within the town. Amongst the people. For now the threat was all but talk, whispers in the wind that carried from one sap to another...
But it was there nonetheless, and for as long as Edward had tried to ignore it--to his ignore his interest and the fear that sprouted from it--the fight was beginning to fade from him. And like that of the foreigner whose purse had only seconds before been ransacked, the dark piece that would have otherwise gone unseen was what stopped him in his tracks.
And, evidently, what would get his collar snagged.
Hey! Came her cry, and just as soon as he felt the tug did his eyes bug out and then roll. Edward often scolded the other boys for getting caught up in the moment. He often let it be known that distractions were always bad news for the job, and whether one thought themselves talented in the art of 'multi-tasking'--it was more often then not that the act would get them into trouble. Would get them 'found out'. Today, it was Edward who would demonstrate the truth of those words.
With his own pockets filled with coins, watches, and all the goods he could manage off the crowd that had flocked to the stand, he stumbled to keep his footing and turned as quickly as he could to catch the eyes of this swift-handed captor.
But as he did, his features began to softened considerably and his eyes, once rolling irritably, fell wide with worry beneath the brim of his hat. The dirt, mud, and whatever gook had been found to slather him up in had only just began to wash away; an effect that would surely enhance the dramatics of his upcoming actions. Perhaps he wouldn't have to fake-cry today. "Hey!--" He stammered, leaning away from the woman's grasp.
The crowd seemed to ignore the commotion between the two, pushing around them instead of lingering in their usual, nosy fashion.
"L-let go! Please!"
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Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2013 8:20 pm
Growling, she jerked him into a stumble and pulled him out of the crowd and into a dead end alley before letting him go. "Ya dare tell me what ta do, when yer the one filching peoples' things, ya little mongrel?" Soibhan glared at him with such vehemence, it was a wonder fire didn't erupt from her eyes. She fingered the cut ties of her coin pouch with a grumble; it would need new ones, but at least he hadn't cut the bottom of it. "I doona like thieves, little boy. So how 'bout ya be telling me why ya sneakin' through the crowd instead of doin' honest work, hmm?"It shouldn't have surprised her, really. She was finally in a big city. Though Northport had seemed busy and a little shady to her, in general, it had been filled with people that had other things to do and other places to be. It was a pit stop of sorts, where people ate, drank, had their women, and then went on their way. But Palisade was a true city, filled with the pampered as well as the impoverished. Already she'd seen the homeless on the streets, as well as refugees running from the North, all mingled together with the high born ladies and gents going to and from this place or that. Being surrounded by so many people made her feel claustrophobic through her wanderlust, and it had made her irritable. Add to that her coin nearly growing legs, and she felt in a right foul mood. "Well c'mon. Out with it!"
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Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2013 3:06 pm
Honest work? If only she knew.
The jostle Edward had been given allotted time to stage a pause for breath, a pause for readjustment, and more importantly--a pause for thought. Just as soon as her grasp loosened, a sharp shrug of a shoulder would right his shirt against his torso and immediately his hands would busy themselves with patting all along his frame.
The opportunity to run was there, and with his knowledge of the city Edward thought he might be able to outmaneuver her... but for whatever reason, be it pride, his ego, or something else, Edward remained.
Beneath the brim of his hat were still the sharpest of blue eyes, scanning now what could easily be seen of the woman's physique. By her tongue he could assume the stranger not only be one to him, but to the entire city of Palisade. A foreigner, and one who carried handfuls of coins quite boldly. It would only make sense that she address a thief when it came to her goods...but this did not work in Edwards favor. Not when out of all the partitioners of that crowd, SHE, perhaps the most athletic of them all, would be the one to catch him.
"I--I just..." he started again in a mumble, the chill of rain against his flesh making for a perfectly placed shiver. The tilt of his head and the tip of it back against the wall revealed only half of his filth-stained face and he remained this way for a short while before rubbing at his nose and sniffling. "Please miss, you don't understand!"
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Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2013 6:33 pm
"If I doona understand, than enlighten me," she growled, crossing her arms over her chest. His posture, for all he feigned indifference, screamed flight, but oddly enough, he wasn't taking the chance to run. Maybe he knew that she wouldn't be easily lost, even in this crowd. He wouldn't be able to lose her; her father used her on hunts because of her exceptional tracking skills, though hunting a human in a crowded city would prove much more difficult than in the wild. Cobblestones didn't yield to the weight of prey, leaving no footprints unless wet. "All I see is a little miscreant tryin' ta steal a stranger's coin and playin' at innocence." Would Rajani tell her to give it up? That it was pointless to confront a cutpurse, especially one so young? Soibhan had heard the stories of the gypsies, that they were known for thievery, though Soibhan didn't want to think that Rajani would steal from anyone. Maybe she was too honorable, to be so vehemently against thievery. Her folk had a tale of a common man stealing from the rich to give to the poor, which seemed a righteous thing to do....but it was still wrong.
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Posted: Tue May 07, 2013 7:11 am
"But would you?! It's all the same, it's all the same." The boy challenged, catching the run of his nose upon a sleeve. "You've already made up your mind about me, miss. Kids on the street, boys like me, we don't get second chances. I've got your coin in my pocket and that's enough. It won't matter what I have say now will it?" At last, the tears began to flow in a heavy and constant stream, congested sniffles and coughs filling the space before she could. Edward heaved in place, shaking his head all the while it dropped away from the strangers sights--feigning the humiliation of a boy caught crying.
The ordeal would seem overdone if by the right type of person, but only his next move would determine the resolve of this young woman.
"Me mum."
The shudder of his shoulders and the dying of his sobs allowed for one whisper to be followed by another.
"She would be so...disappointed. But.. I... I can't lose her."Ashtiel Arykosa I am so sorry for the delay! I'm on summer break now so hopefully I'll have more time to RP!!! >3<
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