|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 10:14 am
(How ironic would it be if Valin's mother were a follower of Vhaerune and yet she was killed by a theif? Except she wasn't killed by a theif... ninja But Valin doesn't know that~ *Shot for her ebil plottings* 8D
Actually I have not decided who Valin's mother followed, so she could very well be one of his followers... >.> It's just that Valin only knows her mother's teachings; her mother kept avoiding telling her who it was she followed because she wasn't sure if Valin could handle that type of secret yet... Which was another reason she lived secluded... But her type of veiws was why she was partially kicked out/partially left on her own from the House
*Is being more confusing than necessary*
...
*Shot until deaded*) Valin kept her gaze downward, now feeling a little guilty for being envious of his resolution, his words now echoing those she kept spinning around in her head. "My lessons remain unfinished as well..." she sighed, glancing over to the smithy as he pointed it out. She was interested enough in the pale Drow and what he had to say that she was tempted to continue following him to the smithy. But with an inward sigh she knew that once he reached it she would have no more reason other than that and she would have to return to only listening to her mother's voice reciting the lessons in her head.
"My mother's name was Nirana, from Llurth Dreir," Valin said, shaking her head in the knowledge that the two cities were too far apart for the two to likely communicate, "I just think it odd."
She had no knowledge of who her mother followed. Her mother would always change the subject or something whenever Valin asked where she had gotten her philosophies; after a while Valin just accepted that her mother would tell her after she had learned all of the lessons her mother had to teach. But obviously that was never accomplished... And so she remained unknowing, and incomplete in more ways than one.
Valin had to laugh a little at his last speech, "My mother was never unclear in what she wanted me to learn... She thought if she left me to think it through myself I would always be too uncertain of the answer." Her laughter was wry, but directed more towards herself than her mother. She was always too quiet; her mother had learned that even if Valin had come to a conclusion on what she thought on the matter she would be too afraid to voice it. So Valin and her mother had settled on her mother giving her time to think it through, then supplying Valin with her thoughts so that her daughter might compare them. Often Valin had come up with many different angles that the lesson could take, and then choose the one that seemed right by what she had learned so far. Most of the time she and her mother reached a similiar conclusion. The remembrance that she had been able to please her mother with the same veiws, even though her mother did not know it, let the wryness drop from her smile as she walked.
"Well," she continued, sending the thoughts to the back of her mind to mingle with the rest of the headache that she would get trying to sort through later that night, "If this is your destination I suppose I should be getting back to my own... If you decide to come back along my shore you will not have worry of that thug; if he is not gone by now he will be after I return." Though by his way or mine will be up to him to decide, she added silently.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 4:42 pm
Divintra turned his head a little to focus a small but appreciative smile upon the female that was currently keeping him company. Or was it a escort? He was uncertain, though surely he was grateful for her continued presence. As they neared the smithy, he slowed his pained steps a little so he could uphold his part of the conversation. At least until he reached the front steps.
"Odd or no. It has been nice speaking with someone who understands my perspective. Thank you very much for keeping those men off me Miss Valin. You've certainly helped make a seemingly bad encounter turn about with something worthwhile. I do hope we meet again, and I will surely look for you, if I have your permission, the next time I visit this city. I spend much time travleing between the major cities so it is not unlikely that I won't pass this way again. I'd invite you to visit upon me sometime..but I'm afraid I'm a vagabond mostly and have no single place I could suggest a meeting."
Divintra paused and looked up at the smithy now that they stood before it. He wondered if he ought to invite her to wait for him...?
"After I am done with this delivery..I have no current agenda Miss Valin. Would it be unwelcome of me to ask you off to a tavern to share a meal with me?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 10:38 am
Valin slowed her pace to match with his, a little surprised that he might want to prolong their talk. Someone who did not share her veiws might have found her annoying, she supposed, but this Drow seemed to get the same pleasant sense she had from the conversation. She had not yet found a Drow she could call freindly within her travels.
"It has been nice," she murmured with a nod, "And that was nothing, they brought it upon themselves, though I, too, am not unglad that they did." She was still more surprised at his talk of meeting again. There were not many, really none, that she had met so far who would ever wish to meet her again. Though, most of those were unfortunate theives she had happened to meet along her shore, and the other was a filthy liar son of a Matron whom she wished never to lay her eyes on again. He no doubtably thought the same of her from their parting.
She opened her mouth once to realize that no sound was issued forth, so had to close and open it again, "You may have my permission if I may have yours. I am a traveler myself; usually to be found along the shores of the Glimmersea, though this stretch is what I usually return to. I do not travel into the cities often, but I may look for you when I do?" It was not within her usual self to say such things, but then, she had not been able to let much of herself speak other than to theives or those she did not truely wish to speak to.
Her eyes blinked, and she had to look at him for a moment with her head tilted to the side in thought before she ventured a reply to his last request. "I do not think it would be unwelcome at all," she finally replied, a small smile though slightly uncertain smile breaking upon her face, "I have no agendas of my own at the moment." She fingered the small pouch she kept her coins in, counting just enough to get her a good meal and a drink. Her smile widened somewhat and she nodded, "I think I shall join you in that offer."
She paused at the doorstep of the smithy, thinking he probably wanted to deliver the package himself. That and she did not think she could yet go into a smithy. Her song of Nostalgia resurfaced again and she unconcsiously lifted a hand to her throat to keep it from wandering forth while she tried yet again to shove the scene of her mother's murder from her mind. It had been years since that day; why must it still spring fresh to her mind at the slightest sign of familiar scenes?
Shaking her head to herself, she waited patiently for Divintra to make his delivery so that they might find a tavern to converse the more in.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 11:15 am
She did seem rather surprised at his comments. It made him wonder just what sort of companionship she had in the past. Divintra knew that he felt at times awkward when speaking of things other then busniess with others. He simply lacked the socilazation that would make conversation easy enough. Completely discounting religion. Even then he was certain he'd never find anyone willing to leave him unscathed after a comment along those lines...
Except Shrisin. She seemed pleasent enough for a spider worshipper.
But that was neither here nor now. Divintra judged by the smile on Valin's lips that she must be particularly pleased, and that in turn caused him to smile a bit. He left her at the bottom of the steps after her acceptance of his offer. Climbing up them carefully, the boy knocked enthusiasticaly on the door until it opened. Of course, the scowl of the smith was enough to dampen the smile on his lips.
"It's after hours boy." The smith growled. Divintra merely held the box up towards him.
"I'm the Courier Divintra. Sir. I have a delivery for you from Gulliadurth, from a merchant called Zaltin. He say's this is what he owes you." Divintra watched the eyes of the smith fall onto the box thoughtfully. He made no protest as the box was lifted from his hands, and felt a small tingle of satisfaction as the smith dug into a pants pocket and dropped a trio of coppers into his waiting palms. Divintra made a small bow to the retreating smith and did not stand up until after he heard the door click closed.
Divintra tucked the coins into a small inside pocket of his jerking, and walked down the steps to return to Valin. His purple eyes sparkling brightly with the sucessful delivery. "Shall we go Miss Valin? I was wondering if you had a place in mind that you could suggest for our meal? I'm rather hungry and would like to find a place I can rest and maybe recover a bit better. All this moving around is making my leg a bit more sore."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 1:05 pm
He really did take his job seriously, Valin thought, watching from partially narrowed eyes at the foot of the stairs. She blinked and stepped to the side when Divintra came back down. He also seemed to enjoy it very much, which made her wonder if she could find something to do that made her happy after she retreived her sword. Singing made her happy. Was that something normal Drow would find joy in doing or listening to?
"Urrr," she let her gaze drop to the ground as she turned to walk towards the other buildings, "I've really only been to a tavern once, when Mother first fled our House..." It had been some where near here, actually, but she had no clue where. And she wasn't exactly looking for more things to jumble about in her memories right then. She had enough of that from the smithy and the thugs, and her still incomplete song of Nostalgia.
She blinked again and looked around, wondering if there was a tavern they could just wander into right then. Her mouth curved in a sympathetic grin, "Really? We should find a place quickly, then." Luck was with her and she spied a small and simple Tavern with a sign hanging in front of it, proclaiming it 'The Half-Empty Bowl'. A dreary name for sure, but it was a tavern nonetheless.
"How about there?" she asked, pointing it out, her eyes still looking down the street in search of a more cheery place, "Or if you new of a place we could try to go there."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 2:53 pm
"Yes." Divintra answered her question with a light enough of a tone despite the fact he really was still hurting after the beating he'd taken. Perhaps when he was alone later he would see if he could perform some healing prayers. Since his gradual discovery of the blessing bestowed upon him by his God Divintra's mind had begun to wonder about other options avalible to him. He rather wished he could have another dream that would answer many of the questions he had..but..His god valued those who found their own ways. Divintra was resolute in his desire to be a good priest!
When it was Valin pointed to a building, Divintra lifted his gaze and glanced over the front of it. He spied the sign hanging above it and gave it only a flickering look before judging by the peek in the window that it had to be a tavern of some sort. "It seems suitable enough for me Miss Valin. So long as it suits you I am willing to stop on in." He amiably returned.
He walked as best he could without a limp and mentally counted up the coins he could spare for a meal. Hopefully the place provided beds too, then he could order both and not have to travel further until he had recovered some more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 3:20 pm
Valin nodded at his affirmation of the place and strode after him until they got to the door. When they reached it she took hold of the handle and opened it just enough to peer inside at the dingy tables and a staircase leading up one wall behind the bar. "Looks like this could be an inn as well," she commented, taking a step in and holding the door for Divintra.
She couldn't remember exactly how her mother had gotten food from the tavern. Did she order at the bar and then take the food to a seat after it arrived, or would the barmen bring it out to them? Or did they sit first and the barmen came to ask what it was they wanted? She paused with the doorhandle still clutched in her hand, unsure of what to do.
Looking over to Divintra, as surely he would know how this place worked, she noticed how he was trying not to limp. That wouldn't do, she thought, even if he did avoid the thug from her shore after he left it wouldn't be hard ar all for the theif to catch up with him. She could only shrug for now; maybe the meal would help. Turning to take another step and get away from the door she realized she was still holding it open. She quickly released it and had to supress as much as she could of a jump when it swung shut much faster than she imagined it would, clapping closed with a large bang.
Her eyes winced shut for a moment at the sound, and she had to force them open again to gaze as calmly as she could manage around the bar. There weren't that many people there; a brutish looking warrior in the far corner with unnerving eyes that seemed to like taking Valin in, a pair of merchants in another corner that paused in their conversation to glare at the source of the sudden noise for a moment before returning to their talk in more hushed tones, and a small Drow hidden in a large cloak sitting against a wall with a pint of some sort in front of their gloved hands.
Valin tried not to shudder or make eye contact with any of them, especially the one in the far corner, and instead picked her way carefully to the bar to see what there was to eat and drink. Looking back at Divintra for a moment she spoke quietly, "This is a lot different than the tavern my mother took me to..." She returned her attention to the bar, gazing at the dusty bottles of liquid behind the counter while waiting for Divintra to order or offer some direction towards a table.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 3:44 pm
He felt a minor sense of gratitude when Valin choose to open and hold the door for him. He would have liked to have been poliet, as his mother had taught him to be. But the pain he was in was a strong deterrant from doing extra activitites. Instead he entered the tavern and swept his gaze through the interior. She was right... "It does seem to be a inn. This is good, I can just get a room here..." He moved a bit further into the room..then gave a jump as the door clamped shut loudly behind him. It was not only the eyes of the tavern patrons that turned to look at Valin then. Divintra too turned to blink his purple eyes at her in surprise. Well...it wasn't as if she had done it on purpose. But still!
"Well...least we know it is shut?" He offered with a faint smile before turning to look back at the room. He did not see a serving boy or girl...so Divintra carefully walked himself over towareds the bartender, giving Valin the direction she was hopeing for without needing to speak up. Stepping up to the bar, Divintra had to admitt he was a bit dissappointed at first at the fact the barkeeper choose to ignore his presence. It had been a while since he had recieved so cold of a reception in a place like this. He supposed he was getting used to the recognition in his normal circles. If they had been in a bar that had any of the caravan hands in it he would have been sure to have been scooped up for a friendly drink and questions about fortures and such. Despite his insistance he could not fortell such things.
Divintra turned and gave Valin a faint smile, before he removed the trio of coppers he had recieved as a tip from his pocket. Tapping their edges on the counter, it was this sound that pulled the barkeeps attention to them.
"What do you want?" He questioned in a rather unfriendly tone. Well..it was to be expected he supposed..
"The Lady and I would like some service Sir. If it would please you. May we have a drink of some ale and perhaps some roasted rothe from your Kitchen?" Despite the unfriendly and unwelcome gaze leveled upon him, Divintra met it with a faint smile and carefully poliet words. He bowed his head slightly in a respectful showing as he continued. " I would like also to know if you may have lodgings free and how much they would be Sir? It would be for no more then three days"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 4:05 pm
"Yeah... Shut..." Valin muttered to herself, returning the smile a little though her face felt the heat of the other patron's and Divintra's gazes. She straightened her back and followed Divintra up to the bar, arching a brow at the seeming disinterest the barkeep held towards paying customers. Surely he didn't need to care who it was he served? He still received his pay.
Valin frowned at the barkeep when he turned with malice towards them; she didn't like such people, not at all. Still, her temper would do no good at getting ahead of her now. She let out a sigh and left it to the much calmer and more composed Divintra, who could obviouly handle the situation better than she could. Her brow arched again when he spoke of staying there the night, and possibly two more after that, wondering if he really beleived it safe to sleep in such a place.
She did not mention anything aloud, yet, of course, not wanting to further the dark demeanor the barkeep apparently already helds towards his paying customers. Fiddling with the sparse coins in her money pouch, she wondered if she should also stay the night. It had been a while since she had slept in a bed, and she did not have much to fear with the Glimmersea and her mists so close at hand. She would have to wait and see how expensive the food and lodgings would be, of course.
She took out her moneypouch, running the coins in her fingers through the fabric, a trick she had learned to keep prying eyes from targeting her as a steal. It still drew attention to the money, but it left it a surprise for any theives as to whether it would be worth it to try to slight her or not. Her mists always tangled themselves within the fabric of the pouch, making it difficult for even a spell to remove her coins without her notice.
Waiting for the food and whether they should sit where they were or move to a table, Valin let her eyes wander again. First to the rickety stairs leading up to the rest of the inn/tavern, then to the gritty tables and benches scattered about the room, though she made sure to avoid letting her gaze cross over any of the other customers. She wondered breifly if any of them had rooms and would be staying the night. If they did, she let her eyes flick breifly to the two partially shadowed figures sitting apart in the back corner and wall, her mists would be sure to remain ready at hand.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 5:15 pm
The barkeeper moved his red gaze from Divintra to Valin, then back. he nodded and opened his hand palm up towards Divintra. "Meal's nine copper. Room will be two silver for three days. In advance."
Divintra inwardly frowned. The room was more then he'd like to pay for. However, he had to admitt that the fact he could even pay for it was a sure sign of good fortunes. In the past he wouldn't have been able to even pay for the meal! Divintra dropped the three copper into the barkeepers waiting palm, then proceeded to slip the remaining coins out of various small pockets in his jerkin. He never -ever- kept all of his money in a single pocket in the case of being robbed. In short order the barkeeper was holding two silvers and twelve coppers in his hand. He looked them over, then nodded as he pulled a key from one of his arpons pockets.
"Key opens the door with the matching symbol on it upstairs. Your food will be brought to you soon's as it's done."Divintra bowed his head again in a slight dip to the barkeep.
"Thank you Sir very much. We will wait at a table then..." He should have asked Valin what she had wanted rather then ordering what he thought she might like. He felt a little nervouse that she might take offense possibly when he turned and gestured towards a table nearby. "How does that table look Miss Valin?" Of course...he should have also checked to see if she had wanted to pay for her own meal.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2008 1:34 pm
Normally Valin would have protested towards ordering for herself, but as she had little clue what she was supposed to do she was a little releived when Divintra ordered for her. Payment, on the other hand, she could very well do herself. Slipping five coppers into the palm of her hand she determined to pay him back when they sat down, "It looks fine, shall we?"
She brisquely walked over to it and sat with her back to the other people in the room. The rough male in the far corner was still visible from the corner of her eye, but she could ignore him easily enough. Sliding the coppers onto the table and playing with them with her mists, oblivious as usual to what others might think of her power, she slowly had her water vapors pick up the coins and roll them around the table in fancy little patterns.
"You do know you will have to let me pay you back the coppers, right?" she said, unsure of how people might react to getting paid back. She knew some saw paying for others as a gift and that it might be rude to refuse it, and maybe Divintra would think of it as paying her back for saving him from the thugs, but if she had the money to pay for herself she didn't see why she shouldn't.
Something about 'payment' tugged at her mind. Normally she would think it over to figure out what bothered her about it, but her thoughts were already jumbled enough. Would you just tell me what's bothering me? she asked herself, a small frown peircing her lips as she watched her mists roll the coins about. She sighed finally, unable to place what was bothering her and turned her attention back to her earlier debate. Should she get a room and spend the night in a bed as she had not done for so long? Or should she save her money and trek the long walk back to the shore? It was two silvers for three days; one night shouldn't be that much, though two silvers was pretty expensive for her meager money pouch.
She blinked as suddenly what had been bothering her fluttered in front of her eyes, "Does the barkeep know that only you wanted the room?" He had adressed both of them towards the meal, maybe he had pad for a bigger room that was meant for two instead of one. "It would be a ad bargain if you paid for double what you need," she said, propping her chin on one of her hands and narrowing her eyes at the barkeep. He had already swindled them once, she thought, charging them more for the meal than it should have cost. She did not go into taverns often, but she knew that others liked to eavesdrop. And she knew by the amused and snickering faces of the man in the corner and the two merchants as they chanced glances in her and Divintra's direction that something was not exactly as it should be.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2008 2:19 pm
Once they were settled in, Divintra folded his hands before him and occupied himself in part by keeping an eye on the room that he could see. Having a pair seated at a table meant he did not have to watch everyone all at the same time. It was something of a relief really!
Ah...but by the looks he could see, he wasn't too pleased inwardly. Yes...He saw the way the dangerouse drow kept eyeing Valin. That would not bode well for her should he choose to follow her when she left. Still..she had managed to handle herself extremely well against the pair of thugs earlier. Surely she could put him in his place if need be. The merchants, that is what they seemed like to him, appeared to be having a good chuckle over something.
Divintra suspected he had been gouged in price the moment the barkeep named the price. But he was in pain, and he did not want to shuffle off to another tavern. He wanted to just lay down and see if a night of rest in a bed would ease the pain he felt.
The play of the coins across the to be a good distraction. Divintra's purple eyes watched as the mists played with the coins, and on a whim he lifted a hand to testingly tap at some of the mist. "Please Miss Valin. It is a honor to to pay for your meal. You saved more then just my life today, but my reputation and my delivery. I would like to make up for this somehow. A simple meal is not too much is it?"
The question concerning the room was unexpected, and as Div considered it, he fished the key out of his pocket and eyed it throughtfully. "Well...we could go up and check. I could have out meal brought up to the room, this way we won't have to talk while being stared at." Or rather he would not have to. Honestly...he missed his local haunts where the drow were used to seeing a white skinned elf that was not a surface dweller.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2008 2:45 pm
The mists he tapped at formed a hand to tap back at him, abandonning one of the coins to roll off of the table and into Divintra's lap. "No, it is not, but I would not feel comfortable allowing another to pay my coin," she said, twitching her fingers towards her mists, allowing them to gather the other four coins and set them on the edge of the table in front of Divintra.
Her eyes watched her mists then grow bored and scatter into small wisps chasing after each other playfully. She twitched her fingers again, the mists then forming small Drow that bowed to each other before choosing partners to dance with across the table. She sighed, wishing that the Underdark might have been a little more freindly towards the arts, her music included. It would have made her very happy to strike up a business in performing her Siren's song for pleasure and possibly money instead of letting it build and consume all of her angry tidings in her search for her sword. The emotions did not please her joyful mists, and they did not enjoy hurting others, as the Glimmersea itself could hide dark secrets and predators but in itself was only dangerous if one tried to attack its smooth waters.
"We could," she agreed, tilting her head to the side and wondering if it would be a good idea. The only factor against them that she could see at the moment was if the barkeep would actually remember to bring them their food. As it was he would probably bring it to them cold, or take forever to make it, or possibly burn it. Either way it wouldn't matter much she supposed, at least if they were in the room they could possibly build a fire to warm the food if it were cold. She looked back at Divintra, "Would you want to?" It was obvious how tired he seemes from the attack, and she didn't know if he would want to gain some strength from the meal or not before tackling the stairs leading up to the rooms.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2008 12:08 pm
Divintra's attention was caught with a curious fascination by the mists. When it reformed and tapped his hand, a delighted laugh escaped his lips. "Ah! Ahhaha!" It was such a interesting trick really! Divintra's fingers made a gesture to try and catch at the mist...but it quickly broke away. He pulled his gaze back up to Valin, his lips still curled into a smile that had just a minor hint of childish glee. "Your mists are very fascinating Miss Valin." He really did not want to address the question of paying for her meal..but as a silent acceptance of her insistance he did palm the coins from the table and tucked them, along with the one from his lap, into a inner pocket.
When the mist returned to start dancing upon the table, Divintra's attention was once more caught. Gently he reached out to touch at the dancing figures. "You have such skill Miss Valin. You must have practiced very hard to be able to make such forms move so easily." His head lifted once more from the table, and he nodded.
"I should rather feel more secure out of the sight of others right now. Being hurt as i am, I am sure that I have been marked by at least all the customers in here. I'd prefer to be behind a locked door for now." Divintra gestured Valin towards the stairs while he turned and called off to the barkeep.
"Sir? The Lady and I should like to take our meal in private. Please send our order up to our room when it is finished?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2008 1:06 pm
Valin could not help but smile as Divintra seemed to take joy in her mists. At least there was one other Drow who cared for more entertainment than the sufferings of others, or causing the sufferings of others. She breathed a quiet sigh of releif when he accepted her coins and grinned at his compliment, addressing both in one phrase, "Thank you."
"It is more letting the mist decide what form it would like to take than me forcing it into an undesired form," she replied, twitching her fingers more for the mist-dancers to turn in unison and bow at Divintra before taking up another dance, "They are really quite playful if I just leave them alone, though they like it when I give them something to do." The mists tangoed over the table top, some of their dance taking them over the edge to spin in the air before moving back to the table.
She nodded at his explanation and brushed a hand over her mists, standing up and looking around to notice the astonished gazes of the other Drow still in the room. Stifling a laugh, she waited for Divintra to rise and move towards the stairs before following after him, glancing back over her shoulder to smirk at the especially comical look of the brutish male in the corner. Her guess was that they had never seen a male Drow giggle before.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
