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 Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2007 1:24 pm
"Thanks." Alice said as she put money on the counter, and grabbed a bag that looked to be stuffed with candy. She turned and walked past Darque. "What do you want? Just to talk? Kind of a waste of time, isn't it?" She didn't bother thinking what she wanted to say, now that they were close to each other, it wasn't needed.
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Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2007 2:47 pm
Darque turned and started walking next to Alice. "I don't think talking is a waste of time. It's fun." Darque said. A fruit vendor trudged past, pushing his heavily laden cart, and Darque charitably lightened his load by two apples with the merchant none the wiser. "It's a way of communication. And communication is not bad." Darque said, tossing one apple idly while munching on the other. "Unless you're in a screaming match, then yeah, it's bad." Darque mumbled, feeding his apple core to the nearest horse.
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Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2007 2:58 pm
As Darque tossed his apple in the air for the last time, Alice grabbed it, and took a large bite. Then she threw it back to him, and walked on the road, although she had no idea which way they were going.
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Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2007 4:18 pm
"Hey!" Darque whined when his apple was taken away, then thrown back at him. Darque caught it, but then dropped it to the ground, rolling it underfoot until it was mushy and scanned the market place. 'What to get in a little fun?' Darque asked Alice in thought.
"Hey, you." He snagged a filthy street urchin running by. "Do me a favor and I'll give you two coppers."
"Make it a Moon." the boy asserted.
"Half a Moon."
He considered. "Done."
Darque picked up the mushy apple. "Go over there by that fruit stand and wait a few seconds. Then throw this apple at the man in the blue velvet tunic and make sure it hits him good. Then run."
The boy grinned and melted into the crowd. Darque edged cautiously nearer, and loitered by a basket stand waiting for the ruckus.
SPLAT!
"What the-stop, you! Grab that boy!"
"Hey, off my foot, you big oaf!"
CRASH!
"My pots! You broke my pots!"
"Watch out, you six-fathered idiot!"
"Watch yourself, you fumble-footed dolt!"
"My purse! Where's my purse?"
"Dung eater!"
"Hey, where's my-"
"Who's going to pay for my pots?"
"Son of a syphilitic cow!"
Darque slided back out of the crowd and walked back next to Alice, trying not to grin.
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Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2007 4:26 pm
Alice stopped as she heard the commotion behind her, and watched as Darque stole a few things. She snickered.
"You really gonna pay that kid half a moon, just for creating the initial commotion?" She asked as she walked by a small jewelry stand that was just outside of the commotion. She snatched a bracelet, a necklace, and an anklet. Not that she had a use for the jewelry, but she but on the necklace and bracelet, holding the anklet to put on the next time she stopped.
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Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 6:46 pm
"Eh, why not?" Darque shrugged, he had more then enough money to go around right now.
"Hey, how about my half Moon?" The boy was back, dirtier, but grinning. Darque counted out some coppers, then shrugged and handed the boy a Moon.
"You need another favor, just ask for me," He announced importantly "I'm Gib." Darque glanced over at Alice, then back at Gib.
"Well, Gib, I'll add another copper if you can answer two questions," Darque told him. "Who sells the best wine in the market?"
"That's easy." Gib grinned. "Master Welpart at the north end."
"And who sells the second-best?"
Gib thought a moment.
"That'll be Master Ulam, over east by the slave stands."
Darque surrendered the copper and waved at the boy's retreating back.
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Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 9:28 pm
"Why do you need the best and second best wine in the market?" Alice was puzzled. She didn't think that Darque would drink an entire bottle, but who knows? Maybe he needed it for something other for getting drunk. And, if he wanted to get drunk, there were easier ways than wine, for example, there was always tequilas.
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Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 10:09 pm
"I don't need it, I just want it." Darque said grinning, "You mind just staying a bit behind me while I do this?" Darque said, and then located Master Welpart, who was busy stacking casks at his stall.
"Good day, master vintner." Darque called. Welpart turned, eyed Darque's ragged clothing disdainfully, and hefted another cask, his round face growing wine-colored with the effort.
"What do you want?" he grunted.
"Why, only a skin of your very finest wine, master." Darque smiled, his blue eyes wide and innocent. "What will you take for it?" Welpart paused briefly for a second look at Darque's clothing, sniffed disdainfully, and returned to his stacking.
"Five Suns-if you have it, which I doubt."
To Welpart's surprise, Darque pulled out a fat pouch from his pockets and counted out five gold Suns, then shook his head and put them back.
"No, it's not worth it." Darque sighed. "It's a bit of a walk, but Master Ulam offered for three Suns."
Welpart's eyes hungrily followed the pouch back into Darque's pockets.
"That Ulam!" he growled. "He waters down his wine daily to cheapen it!"
"That may be, friend," Darque said regretfully, "But I'm not rich enough to spend five Suns when I can buy elsewhere for three. And after what he said about your wine being sold too young-"
"WHAT?" Welpart bellowed. "Young! I'll break his lying neck! Adar should wither his manhood, if it weren't too late!"
He fumbled for a skin and poured a mug full, thrusting it at Darque.
"There-taste that and learn the ripness of Welpart's vintages!"
Darque drained the mug in a remarkably short time, sighing in satisfaction.
"Ah, now there's a wine to warm the stomach." he said, nodding. "Ulam's wine did taste a little weak for all that, though he said you'd sell short because half your wine had soured-"
"SOURED!!" Welpart roared, his already-florid face darkening to an alarming hue. He grabbed a full skin and thrust it into Darque's hands. "And him telling such lies in the very market! There, good sir-nay, I'll not have a copper from you! Drink it in good health, and tell your friends where the real wine is sold in Valdemar!"
"Oh, indeed i shall." Darque agreed warmly. "Indeed I shall, Master Welpart, and Fortune favor you!"
Darque looped the skin's strap over his belt and sauntered whistling back to wherever Alice was. Oh, but the day was fine and life was grand! (even if it was getting dark)
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Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 5:56 pm
((waiting for meganargetlam to post...))
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Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 6:05 pm
((Jinx, it's Valdemar... the name of the town...))
"Nice." Alice said as the two walked out of the winery, "So what are you gonna do if the two guys fight about what you said?" Not that Alice really cared, it was just that she wanted to know what Darque would do if the two had a huge feud over what he had said. Maybe nothing, but he sure as hell wouldn't get free wine from the winery they just left.
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Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 6:13 pm
(( Thanks. sweatdrop ))
"Well, I don't plan on doing anything but drink." Darque said. He swigged from the wineskin, paused a moment, then turned east. "Now to get more wine to last the stay at the sanctum." Darque said to Alice, then turned to another portly merchant just ahead of them.
"Ah, fair evening to you, Master Ulam!" He called.
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Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 6:30 pm
"The same thing again? Didn't think you would do the same thing twice." Alice mumbled, rolling her eyes. This time, she waited outside the winery, and tried to ignore the nauseating smell of the alcohol. She pick-pocketed the few that went by, although she had plenty of money already, she shoved this into another wallet that she had stolen earlier. Now she had two wallets stuffed with mostly suns.
((Okay, before I said hundreds and twenties, but I like Jinx's idea better. I think Suns Moons and Coppers should be the currency in this country[or world... whatever.]))
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Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 6:38 pm
'Whatever works.' Darque thought to Alice as he swindled Ulam out of a skin of high grade wine. Once he was done, he had a happy smile on his face, he was loaded down some more, but still happy, and Ulam was steaming. It made Darque grin as he walked back out to Alice.
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Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 6:59 pm
"Gah! You smell like wine." Alice pinched her nose. She never liked the smell of alcohol. She waved her other hand in front of her nose, removing the hand that she was plugging her nose with. "How do adults like wine and alcohol??"
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Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 7:06 pm
"Well, I can't taste anything otherwise. Ale isn't strong enough to get me drunk. Oh, but theres this one drink. Oh, boy, three shots of that and I can barely stand up straight!" Darque laughed, then settled down the giggle to himself, thinking of this "special drink". "Oh, hey, isn't here a Thief's Guild around here somewhere? It isn't going to be out in the open obviously, but there has to be one in a town this big." Darque asked, Alice. He could have just as easily grabbed a street urchin and asked, but he would rather not have to pay if Alice really did know.
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