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 Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 9:30 pm
As much as Imordana wanted to squeeze her eyelids shut and shut out the sight of the servant Zo'shurin and Gir'bran'ur walking towards her, she kept them wide open and slipped her hand behind her snagging one of the rings tied up in her hair. Zo'shurin paused only a few feet away from the bookshelf, turned and stared at the doors of the Treasury room, a frown etched on his face. Then turned and strode over to Gir'bran'ur who had just caught a glimpse of the servant and looked like a rothe caught out in the open.
"What the hell were you doing away from your post?" Zo'shurin hissed angrily at the hastily armor clad drow.
Gir'bran'ur's eyes flashed and snarled back at the servant.
"It's none of your business, slave! If you say one word of this I'll skin you alive and feed you to the dracoleths(spelling?)! "
Zo'shurin stared back at Gir'bran'ur with a defiant glare, casting a glance around the hallway, passing over Imordana without a pause or look of recognition in his eyes. It was only when his eyes came to a stop on Gir'bran'ur when his eyes suddenly narrowed on something behind the warrior's back.
"THIEF!" He screamed loudly, his voice reverberating down the hallway, loud enough to wake the dead.
Gir'bran'ur spun around immediately and was quickly running down the hallway towards whoever it was that Zo'shurin had spotted. Imordana jumped to her feet, not even bothering not to make a sound, since the two males had already started down the hall towards the figure, and was furious to see that it was Mikaril who was strolling down the hallway with some sort of makeshift bag which appeared to be full of gold coins by the way it bulged irregularly.
Damn thief! What the hell was he doing? Imordana unleashed a levitation spell and floated down the hallway quickly towards where the males would soon meet in some sort of skirmish unless she figured out a way to stop it before it began.
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Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 10:16 pm
Mikaril saw the commotion, but he barely had time to take everything in when he saw the formidable-looking drow stare straight at him and let out a scream of THIEF! loud enough for Mikaril to feel it in the stone floor. He had just enough time to note that either Imordana had not been spotted or she had already gone and made herself scarce; either way, there was no sign of her, and all eyes were on him.
He turned and ran down the corridor, still trying to make as little noise as possible despite their knowing he was already here. Surprisingly, he found himself attempting to keep a bout of laughter down. The way that drow had roared! Like a rothe with a spider down its ear! The laughter surged up again, and this time he let it out, wondering if the drow in hot pursuit of him heard it and wondered about it.
He found himself dashing toward Imordana's room, and as he ran inside and slammed the door, he hastily pulled out his thieving toolkit and selected a bit of metal that looked like a wire someone had accidentally stepped on. He jammed it into the door's lock; it would mess up the inner workings and hopefully buy him a few extra minutes.
He yanked down a curtain hanging by the window with enough force to tear it a little, then draped it sloppily in a corner, over both gold bags. Then he used another minute to lay waste to Imordana's room; opening drawers and scattering contents (with a bit of discretion), throwing robes out of her closet, flinging pillows across the room, in general doing everything to make it look as though he had been searching the room, all with the lightest touch so that the heat residue would cool before any inspection would be made.
Figuring he could come back for the gold later should Imordana remain blameless, he hoisted himself over the window ledge and quickly climbed a small ways down before letting himself drop. Landing with a rather hard thud, he found a small shadow-producing spot in the wall to crouch down in and listen keenly for what would take place above him.
He figured that if Imordana's room was ransacked, she couldn't be pinned as an accessory, and in the unlikely event that the gold would be discovered (who would search an already sacked room for valuables?), they were close enough to the getaway point to make the theory plausible that he had merely ditched them.
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Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 1:14 pm
Imordana stared after Mikaril's disappearing form down the hall, her mind working furiously at what she was going to do. The door to her quarters slammed shut, and Zo'shurin and Gir'bran'ur skidded to a halt in front of it. They tried to pry the door open, only to curse and get angrier when the door jammed and wouldn't budge an inch. Imordana lowered herself to the floor, and slipped into the library, figuring it would be best to pretend she had fallen asleep while studying some scrolls.
When they became louder and more angry and began to demand that she open her door, and Zo'shurin had sent a servant to fetch Ad'hemar from his training did Imordana stumble out of the library. She scowled, feeling as pissed off as she looked and demanded quite crossly.
"Why are you yelling at me?"
The two males took a double take when they saw her, and faltered for a moment. Then Zo'shurin glowered back at her saying, "Don't just stand there, help us open this door! A thief got past the wards and has stolen from the House!"
She complied, confiscated Gir'bran'ur's sword and effortlessly cut through the door hinges. The door swung open partway, the messed up keyhole and lock keeping it from going very far. Then she handed the sword back to Gir' bran' ur, slipped inside and kicked the door causing it to fall towards the two males. They caught it, and set it aside with a loud thud.
Imordana's gaze swept around the room noting the chaos that Mikaril had achieved and cursed out loud. This was more for the benefit of the two males who were now in her quarters looking for the escaped thief. After Gir'bran 'ur and Zo'shurin had looked in her closet, under her bed and anywhere else where the thief could have hidden did Ad'hemar finally show up, looking really pissed at having been pulled away from his training.
"What the hell happened here?" He demanded, letting his blazing eyes fall on each of them in turn, fingering his swords.
"We had an intruder...Zo'shurin and Gir'bran'ur claim that he was a thief and he apparently got away. You're lucky I wasn't in here when he invaded my quarters...I guess studying is a good use of my time." Imordana replied, when she saw that the two mentioned males weren't about to speak up.
Ad'hemar's eyes narrowed on his brother and the servant, mumbling something under his breath. Then he tiredly cracked his neck, and squared his shoulders. "Have you thoroughly inspected the room?"
"Yes, everywhere Ad'hemar." Gir'bran' ur replied, straightening up his eyes flitting around the room nervously.
"All right. Answer me this, how did the thief get past you?" He growled, his eyes going hard, his face only inches from Gir'bran'ur's.
Gir'bran' ur gritted his teeth, shooting a glare at the servant, licked his lips and replied stiffly.
"I was only away from my post for moments...there wasn't really any time for...."
Ad'hemar struck the younger drow across the face and grabbed him by the front of his cloak, hoisting him into the air.
"A soldier never leaves his post, you know that! Get your things together, we have a thief to hunt down. After wards the matron and I will discuss your punishment." He spat, dropping the younger drow to the floor and staring disdainfully down at him.
Imordana stood still, not daring to move until Ad'hemar left her quarters with Gir'bran'ur only steps behind him. She closed her eyelids, and inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Then she opened them, and began to methodically clean up the mess in her quarters. Zo'shurin stood over by the window staring at her in a curious manner until she addressed him.
"You can leave at any time Zo." Imordana said dryly, pretty much ignoring him.
The servant smiled at her, and folded his arms across his chest not moving a muscle. Imordana glowered back, bending down to grab a dress that was under his foot. He moved his foot slightly, and then cleared his throat when her back was turned and asked.
"So, why did you do it Imordana?"
Imordana chose to ignore him, knowing it was better than to freeze and show any signs of fear and surprise at his figuring it out.
"I have no clue of what you're talking about Zo." She retorted, wishing she had eyes to roll at him.
"I saw you outside the Treasury, Imordana."
"Oh, really? I think you're mistaken. I was in the library all night long. Maybe it was one of the servants that you saw."
"No...it was you. There's no way I would mistake you for someone else." Zo'shurin said with a strange smile.
Imordana cursed, her thoughts ablaze with anger. Lloth hadn't answered her prayers...damn. Now she was going to have to figure out what she was going to do with the servant. She couldn't allow him to live now that he knew she was behind the theft.
"Don't worry, I'm not about to tell anyone. I'm getting tired of being the personal servant to a dying insane Matron. Whatever your plan is, don't cure her and I won't tell her or the others about it." He assured her, looking around cautiously, then stepped closer to her and whispered. "I'll even assist you in whatever way you have need of."
Imordana was surprised at this unexpected turn of events but kept the surprise off of her face and shrugged.
"I have no clue what you're talking about. I was studying, and nothing more. I have no plan other than placing the House back into Lloth's favor. Now why don't you go back to attending her, she's probably wondering where you are."
Zo'shurin stared at her for several moments, then nodded with a slight smile. He left the room but not before turning and saying, "If you say so. I hope you succeed in your task."
Imordana watched him leave with a raised eyebrow. Then she wiped the sweat off of her forehead and sighed. This task was getting harder and harder with every moment. She was going to be glad when it was over and she had accomplished everything she had set out to. Males....they were more difficult than demons!
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Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 10:51 pm
((Novel! blaugh Sounds like it might be ending..... DX))
Mikaril stifled a childish giggle as he heard snatches of the commotion drifting down from Imordana's window. It sounded like despite their 'thorough' search, they hadn't discovered the gold bags. So much the better; he felt he deserved some reward for his antics in the corridor.
He found himself tensing as he heard the last male declare Imordana's hand in the whole thing, but before the encounter came to an end, the smile had returned on his face. If he knew anything about House politics, he knew that it would take a lot more proof than the word of a male, and a servant male at that, to convict a female, even one looked upon with a measure of disfavor in her House.
He remembered then that the most intimidating of the troupe had metioned catching him, and he figured that he had best not linger. As he climbed his way back up to Imordana's window, he wondered idly if his mother would have any measure of pride in his robbing a house higher in rank than their own. She had sure been happy when he had brought that chalice back from the second House. Who knew; maybe she would be happy enough with him to call off her daughter for a while. A se'ennight would be nice.
He waited until his ears confirmed that Imordana was alone in her room before he hoisted himself through the window. He looked around at the disarray and shrugged at Imordana in a rather sheepish way. "Sorry about the mess; had to make it look convincing." He walked over to the curtain and pulled it off of the money bags, picking out the one with the bulge and leaving the other on the floor. "I think I had better make myself scarce before they get organized enough to search for me properly. I hope I've been of some help to you." Slinging the bag of gold over his shoulder, he walked to the window. He put one leg out, but paused for a moment and turned to look at Imordana through the folds of his hood. "Should you need my services again, you know where I might be found. But please," he couldn't resist a small smile, "Don't use the rings again." He let the bag drop and made himself drop after it, so that he could be fast on his way before anyone who might have heard the noise could come and investigate.
A part of him really wished he could stay to see Imordana inspect her bag. He had made off with the one with the obvious bulge, but what he hadn't let on was that he had provided what he would like to call a freebie to their deal. The bulge in his bag was a box alright, but not the one with the grisly contents that he had discovered earlier. THAT box was nestled safely in the midst of the gold in Imordana's bag, the gold surrounding it preventing the lump of the box from being noticeable. His box contained something else entirely: an assortment of brilliantly cut gemstones wrapped carefully in colorful silk; much more to his liking and ordinary enough not to be missed for a while.
He could already hear the echoes of his brother's voice in his head: "You're too nice for your own good; if you don't lose that, you're going to wind up dead." Oh well! he thought with sudden heat, There wasn't any harm done, was there?? You don't know everything! The voice went quiet, and feeling a little bad, Mikaril added aloud, "Besides, it's always good to gain allies."
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Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 1:25 pm
(((another novel length entry! smile )))
Imordana was rather taken aback when Mikaril came through her window, only moments after Zo'shurinn had left her. He must have been close by, but why? The unasked question was answered when he walked over to her curtains, after he had apologized for making such a mess of her room, brushed them aside and picked up the slightly larger bag.
Imordana scowled, inwardly seething that the thief had had the audacity to hide the stolen treasure in her quarters. If Gir'bran 'ur and Zo'shurinn hadn't done such a shoddy inspection of her room, the gold would have been discovered and she would have been in pretty hot water. She gritted her teeth and kept back the retort that was on the tip of her tongue. He had, risked his life in order to draw attention away from her after all. He was quite a useful..."accomplice" to have for the future. She'd save her angry feelings for whatever punishment that would be doled out on Gir'bran' ur later on. That would at least be a satisfying use of her anger.
"That's quite all right, it was necessary. It would be wise to leave, Ad'hemar can be quite lethal and dangerous." She replied, keeping her face and tone neutral.
When the male had the nerve to tell her not to use her rings on him again, Imordana snorted. There was no way, she would leave her rings home, especially when she ventured out into the underdark where murders walked the streets and you never knew who might attack you at a moment's notice. She shrugged, merely saying, "As long as I have no need to, I won't. If, however you prove to be difficult then I can make no promises."
She was relieved when he finally left her sanctum. Now she would be able to return the order to her quarters that she as accustomed to. In only moments...everything was back where it belonged, though she was still rather annoyed that someone else's hands had touched her belongings. She couldn't help but wonder if Mikaril would feel the same way if someone perused his belongings. Maybe she would have to help him see the errors of his way. At least he hadn't touched anything that was particularly valuable to her. There were certain garments that she would have burned if his hands had come across them.
After everything was back in order, she had raised the wards up around her window as much as she could, she fetched the sack of gold from behind the curtain where Mikaril had left it. She reclined on her bed, and ran her hands over her temple, feeling the stress from the night slowly drain away momentarily. It would be back, she was pretty sure of that. Especially since Zo'shurinn obviously knew of her involvement, and hadn't taken her bluff to heart. Damn. This so wasn't good. What was going to happen if the servant chose to let Ad'hemar and Gir'bran'ur in on what he knew? She sighed deeply, staring at the bag, which was oddly lighter and not as full as Mikaril's bag had been. She frowned deeply, then spilled the gold out on her bed.
She was stunned when a small ordinary looking box fell on top of the pile of coins with a small thud. She stared, her heart beginning to pound with excitement and shock. Then she reached out and fingered the box with a slow caress, almost as though she were petting it. Then, fingers and hands slightly shaking, she opened the box up slowly. Nestled inside the box, among wadded up spider lace were two eyes. She gasped, putting a hand to her mouth, then she looked up and out towards the window where Mikaril had disappeared only moments before. Then with a deep shuddering breath, she closed the box and stood up. She walked over to the mantle of her fireplace, tugged on a loose brick which caused a small trap door to open inside the fireplace. She walked inside the secret compartment and carefully hid her eyes among several other treasures in the small hideaway. Then she backed out, and pushed the loose brick back in place, causing the secret door to close with a muffled thud.
She made her way back over to her bed, gathered up the coins into the bag and hid it inside one of her boots at the back of her closet. After this she collapsed on her bed, wishing she could cry with the happiness that was threatening to spill out of her. She had her eyes back! This had to be the best day of her life! If Mikaril had been in her room, she would have kissed him she was so happy. At this thought, she sat up with a thoughtful expression on her face. If he had left her eyes, what had he taken in place of them? She shrugged her shoulders at the thought, it didn't really matter to her. She had the feeling that everything she set out to accomplish would happen without much trouble, and that was truly a wonderful thing.
She fell into a deep sleep with the plan of contacting Dra'nafiel the next day and seeing if he had any idea where she would be able to locate the supplies she needed. Some of them sounded quite strange, and hard to locate.
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Posted: Sat Oct 18, 2008 11:54 pm
Rather surprised that he had reached there unmolested, Mikaril soon found himself at the gates of House Torlyl. He stared up at the building, the structure and decorations long past impressing or intimidating him. As with all drow houses, the real threats were all on the inside. He walked up to the main entrance with nothing more than a few lingering glances, expecting the same when he reached the main entrance; usually the gaurds and servants had very little to say to him.
But this time he had no such luck. Before he had even made it under the arch of the door, one of the guards cleared his throat and said in a low voice, "Matron Dilayne ordered us to inform you that your presence is demanded in the chapel as soon as you arrive." Mikaril winced in spite of himself; meetings with his mother almost never turned out well. But who knows; if he came fresh from a successful robbery, she might let him off easy.
He walked down the drab, grey corridors and toward the House chapel, also the primary meeting place for the family. He decided against detouring by the Treasure room to drop off his loot; showing up with gold still in hand with any luck would show his dedication to following orders to the letter, and would be proof in itself of his success.
He sighted the chapel doors and shifting the bag to one hand, he used the other to push one of the doors open. His eyes darted nervously around the room, searching for the other members of his family. Matron Dilayne was in her customary seat, and Haellara sat in a graceful kneeling position on her right, her hungry eyes fixed on her younger brother the instant he entered. He drew in his breath shakily and approached, feeling clumsy and awkward. When he reached the appropriate stopping point, he lowered his head in submission and fixed his gaze on his shoes. "You wished to see me, Matron Dilayne?"
"Why yes," he heard her say, traces of amusement evident. "You could have taken your prize to the treasury, but I do like your priorities." Mikaril heard his sister snort, and pretended he hadn't heard. "One of the servants whom I had sent out for supplies returned with an interesting story about one of the top houses getting robbed by a drow in a cloak. Would you know anything of this?" Her teasing tone made Mikaril shiver, but as an answer, he lowered his bag to the floor, letting a few gold coins trickle out and clink onto the floor. He heard Haellara gasp, but no sound from his mother.
Finally he heard her voice, though he couldn't tell from her tone just what she thought. "I don't know whether to compliment you or whip you soundly. On the one hand, you have spat in the face of a prominent house and shown them that they are susceptible to others' infiltration. On the other hand, they apparently have a more than vague description of you, and should they link your exploits with this House, the consequences would be dire, though trivial in comparison to the punishments I would inflict upon you." Mikaril held his breath as Matron Dilayne paused, then breathed out as she said, "Well done, my son."
Mikaril smiled and dared to raise his head. He saw a smile on his sister's face, and he felt his own smile wilting. "My Matron," she said with a voice like sugar soaked in vinegar, "I acknowledge this one's great achievement, but you know, there are certain vague facts that I would wish to be known. For starters," she fixed her poisonous gaze upon him like a cobra, "Such a prominent House is usually beyond your abilities to rob. Surely you had inside help. What became of that help? And why, in a House prestigious enough to have many valuable artifacts, do you return with only gold?"
Mikaril saw his mother's eyes begin to narrow, and he lowered his head slightly so that neither of them could see that his own eyes were narrowing. Everything he ever did that could earn him a shred of acknowledgement or praise never made it past his sister. She'd soil all over it like a poorly trained hound and turn it into something either trivial or suspicious. Well, it wasn't as though this was an unfamiliar game to him.
Keeping his voice and his gaze level, he looked straight into his mother's face. "I did have an informer; a disgruntled member of the House, who remains above suspicion and has the potential to be of use again. As for the artifacts..." He grudgingly reached into the bag and pulled out the box of jewels, opening it to show its contents to the pair of females. "The matron there is apparently not of sound mind, and the treasure room was quite a mess. It was hard to tell valuables from junk, though these I was able to tell were real enough."
He smiled inwardly; he had spoken the truth, and the detection spells of the females would confirm this. Sure enough, Dilayne nodded, and Haellara looked furious. "Very well," Dilayne said, "Take the gold and jewels to the treasure room, and well done." Mikaril nodded and picked up the bag, scooping the stray coins and putting them back in. He left walking backwards, and straightened himself out once he was out of the chapel. He felt his mood souring; he had been hoping to keep the box of jewels for himself, but now that the pair knew of them, they would be looking inside the Treasure Room to ensure that they had been dropped off. And he had bested Haellara, which was sure to mean a torture session with her sometime in the near future. Even his mother's praise did little to lighten his mood.
After he dropped off the spoils, he went right back out into the streets; since he had been unable to take his cut of the gold or jewels, he had nothing to show for the daring theft and had to start over.
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Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 7:26 pm
Imordana was rudely awaken by a rough shake. Her eyelids flew open and seeing the snarling face of Gir'branur and Ad'hemar's stoic face over her, turned over in her bed and snarled out.
"What the hell do you two want?" She started to get up from the bed, only to be roughly shoved back into the mass of tossed blankets.
"Where is it?" Ad'hemar demanded darkly, fingering the sword strapped to his waist as though his fingers itched to draw it on her.
Imordana stared back at him, confusion flittering over her face.
"What the hell are you talking about? Couldn't you at least knock before you enter my quarters?" She demanded hotly, her anger rising at their ineptitude to formulate the proper question.
"He asked you a question! You'd best answer it before you lose a hand or something more precious to you." Gir'branur shot back, his hackles and eyes going hard at her attitude.
Imordana ripped a ring out of her hair, and held it out in front of her like a ward, her words dropping from her lips like venom.
"You so much as touch me, and I'll turn you into a mass of melted goo! What the hell are you talking about? What is it that you think I took? And why the hell can't you interrogate people properly? Did the two of you get your brains sucked out when you were children or something?" The more she spoke, the angrier she got and the angrier she got the brighter the ring in her hand began to glow until the two drow in front of her were shielding their eyes from the brightness.
"God damn!" Ad'hemar swore, holding his hands over his eyes in an attempt to shied them. It didn't really work too well though, the light seemed to shine right through his hands, and was practically blinding him.
"Get rid of the damn light 'Dana! We just wanted to know if you knew anything about the box of eyes that the Matron kept in the Treasury room!"
Imordana suddenly stilled, shock showing plainly on her face. She lessened the brightness of the light, but kept it glowing out in front of her clasped in her left hand as her right hand automatically went up to her throat as she gasped. She managed to keep the smirk of glee off of her face and kept the shocked act up so that they would think she had known nothing about the eyes.
"E-eyes?" She stuttered, "She had my eyes? Why..why did she keep that a secret from me? Had I known...I would have done anything for her to get them back."
The two males shot surprised looks at each other. Their Matron had been adamant that the thievery had been an inside job and that Imordana had been behind it to get her eyes back. Apparently she had been wrong, this was the most surprising to them. The Matron was never wrong, at least until now.
Ad'hemar sighed, and shoved Gir'branur towards the newly replaced door that had been put up in place of Imordana's destroyed door from the night before. "Sorry we bothered you. Apparently...we were wrong to suspect you. We'll be leaving now."
After the two males left her quarters, Imordana quickly dressed and retrieved the box from the secret room behind the fireplace, carefully placing it inside of a satchel. It would be wiser, she surmised to move the box to a safer place. She was pretty certain that they would be back to search through her belongings to see if she had told them the truth later on. She emptied the gold out of her boots into several small pouches which she added to the satchel and then slowly and calmly departed her quarters and walked down the hall.
She stopped at the servants quarters before leaving the House to request for someone to make up her bed with clean sheets. She donned her cowl at the front door, and gazed around to see if anyone was watching her, to her relief no one was. Then she was down the stone stairs and out the front gate before Ad'hemar or Gir'branur or any of the servants knew she was gone. Once on a main street in Undrek'Thozz she deftly moved through the crowds making her way to the outer gates of the city, and towards her secret cave.
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Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 9:12 pm
Three purses later, Mikaril's mood had just begun to lift. He deliberated at least saving the face; he discovered that if he stormed down the streets looking positively pissed, and was able to keep that face when he did his prestidigitation and wound up with a purse, others were less likely to bother him. Once again his cloak served him in deterring people from figuring out his true profession; no self-respecting thief would wear such a color. But then again, he was a male after all, and not generally allowed to have any self-respect.
All three purses had gone into the satchel, but one had gone in empty. Mikaril had emptied the smallest purse and tossed it into the satchel; he kept the coins out just in case he saw something in the marketplace that caught his eye. It happened once in a while, and he liked being prepared.
He found his thoughts drifting toward Imordana, and he wondered if she was still safe from any blame regarding their daring theft. He wasn't too sure; he hadn't seen all that much of the guards chasing him, so he wasn't sure if they were the type who would figure it out, or his favorite kind; the ones who couldn't tell rothes from roses.
Well, it wasn't as though he could just walk over to her House and find out. She knew that she could find him if she needed him, and if she never did, well either she had fulfilled her goal or......he pushed aside a pang of guilt with the reminder of what being turned to stone felt like, and he scanned the crowd anew, looking for another potential victim that he could make a few ounces lighter.
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Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 12:51 pm
Inside her secret hideout on the outskirts of the city, Imordana hide the box carefully amongst other items inside of a small chest and locked it, placing the key onto a chain and put it on over her head, nestling it down the front of her shirt. She eyed it for a moment, then went about readying her scrying bowl. When she saw Dra' in the clear surface of the water, she waited as patiently as she could for his attention to turn towards it.
After several moments of staring at the side of his head, as he studied several books in front of him she reached out and tugged at the connection she had established with him. He jumped slightly frowning, and then turned looking around the room. His eye lighted on the bowl, which was alight. He instantly moved over to peer down into the bowl, his face growing happy when he saw Imordana's face.
"It's good to see you. How'd things go at the home front?" He asked curiously.
"All right." she replied shrugging. "Can you tell me where to find these ingredients now?"
Dra's face went thoughtful as he turned away from the bowl to gather up some notes he had been taking only moments earlier.
"The herbs should be easy enough to find in the marketplace and should draw no attention to you, even if you are followed. Umm...the spider venom should be easy as well. Most clerics use it as an aphrodisiac before mating rituals. Let me see here for a second.." He paused, a frown marring the smooth skin of his forehead as he concentrated going over all the ingredients on the paper in his hands.
"Umm...you may have some trouble locating the last one. Not too many people have heard of it, and it will draw red flags in people's minds. It's not something you can find in the marketplace, only a mage or a wizard would have it. I know my mentor has some....but if I were to try and steal it...I'd be dead. You'll need some special magic spells to get past the wards he sets. I can supply you with the spells..but I'm not going to be privy to stealing. Maybe you can get some help from that thief you employed last night."
Here Imordana snorted, saying simply. "He wouldn't last a minute without those spells you have. Would you be able to meet me sometime this afternoon to pass them along to me? If you can't get away, you could send a courier with them."
"I'll be able to meet you this afternoon, I'll be in the market place at around the fourth hour of the afternoon to gather some things for my teacher anyways. Is that a good time for you?"
"Sure. I'll see you then. Oh and Dra' when would you like to meet up for our secret rendezvous?" She half purred, a provocative smirk on her lips.
"Uh...umm.." Dra' momentarily lost his train of thought his eyes focused on her mouth, his mouth and lips suddenly going dry and his clothing becoming tighter. "Tomorrow night perhaps? I've got several hours free."
"All right. I'm looking forward to it immensely Dra'." She purred back, seductively biting her lip as she gazed at him. Then before he could say anything else, she ended the scrying and gathered up her satchel and left the secret cave.
Outside she wove the hiding spell over the entrance once more, and then made her way back into the city. She'd get the items she could, and then track down Mikaril. She hoped he didn't have any qualms about stealing from a mage, if he did...well then tough luck. He had said that he'd help her and Imordana wasn't going to let him get off without doing what he'd promised. And..if she wasn't mistaken she'd probably be able to have enough gold left over from her purchases to entice him to do the job. Of course she'd have to promise him one or two of the mage's personal items otherwise he might not think the job was worth it.
The only difference was this job, he'd have her along. And she'd be watching his back with her spells. She wondered briefly how he would take to that.
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Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 8:43 pm
Mikaril had spotted a rakishly-dressed goblin and was fast closing in on him when he suddenly found himself stopping and blinking in shock. He swore for just one second that he had seen her again; his associate with the missing eyes. But he couldn't be sure, and in the time it took him to regather himself for the pull, his prey had vanished into the crowd.
Mumbling a few colorful curses at his jumpiness, he turned and went another direction, deciding that the oafish goblin would keep his baubles for at least another day. At the moment, his nerves were shaking themselves to pieces, try as he might to convince himself that his still-rattled mind was just playing tricks on him. Surely she would not seek him out already; he had barely recuperated from his last little caper, and he felt as though he needed to make up what he had lost thanks to his sister.
He found himself suddenly wanting very badly to move. He vanished down an alley, came out into the next street, walked along it for about a half-mile, vanished into another alley, climbed a half-rotted fence, went through a side door in a dilapidated building, came out another door and into yet another alley, used a mixture of levitation and wall-climbing, and finally found himself leaning against a stone gargoyle on a building's roof. He sighed and sat with his back against its scaly back, panting slightly. He would rest here for a while. The crowds would keep.
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Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2008 7:21 am
(((Rain...for certain reasons, our rp and the one I have with Bya interconnect...so 'Dana doesn't find him right away.)))
Since it was still early, and Imordana would have to wait for awhile until Dra' came to meet her in the marketplace, she didn't really have reason to hurry in her search at the marketplace. She even decided to not try and get her herbs yet, as the vendors would be less shrewd the later the hour she attempted to get them, since their brains and wills would be less sharp later on from all the bargaining they had done during the day. She smiled, wondering how many other individuals had picked up on this fact. She figured not many had by the looks of the morning crowds in the marketplace.
She wandered the stands, keeping on the outskirts of the bustling crowds. She momentarily looked up and caught sight of a flowing green robe out of the corner of her eye. She frowned, remembering that Mikaril wore such a cape. She tried to locate the cape in the crowd of people, hoping to catch sight of him again and perhaps discuss the next job she had for him. Unfortunately he had disappeared like a needle in a haystack in the bustling roaring crowds. She sighed heavily, then reached up and massaged her temples.
"Damn...I really could use some pampering." She said out loud to herself. "A nice massage, maybe a hot bath, getting my hair all out and washed out and done up again. Sounds like a good plan."
She smiled, looking forward to the long awaited pampering. It had been over three to four months since she had gotten a good massage and had her hair done. She might was well get the whole works and get a pedicure, she eyed her booted feet for a moment and decided it would be wise. A drow did need to take care of themself if they wanted to be on the top of their game.
Her mind made up she made her way out of the marketplace and towards the better area of town where the bathhouses and Indulgence Spas were located. If she was going to get this done, she was going to get it done the right way. She did after all have all morning and most of the afternoon to spare.
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Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2008 10:00 am
((That's no problem; he can just be jumpy. xd ))
After giving himself enough time to shake off his paranoia, Mikaril sighed, smiled and carefully made his way down the building's wall and back into the alley. Sometimes he felt quite foolish being paranoid, but he would often consider that sometimes a good case of paranoia was all that stood between a drow and the sickly embrace of death. The last thing he wanted to do was wind up dead in a ditch somewhere because he thought himself safe.
He stretched the get the last of the kinks out and wondered if that goblin was still somewhere in the vicinity. His fingers itched to pull something, preferably something soft and leathery and containing items that clinked. He walked out of the alley and melted back into the crowd. He pondered as he walked, careful not to bump into anyone in front of or beside him. He needed a good theft to settle his nerves down completely, but he was in the mood for something inventive.
He walked by a male bath house that featured a private area for more distinguished guests. That always struck him as a useless thing; those who would be considered distinguished probably wouldn't frequent a public bath house. They would have their own facility inside their house. Still, he figured that those who were considered distinguished would have some nice distinguished goods he might relieve them of.
But how to do it? And if that involved going into the bath house himself, what was he to do about his ears? It would have to be his going into the private area, and that would mean more coin. Money was always more persuasive than threats or proof of heritage. Plus it never hurt to have it when it came to getting what you wanted.
He left the bath house behind and moved on, taking a roundabout back to the marketplace. He would find more more pockets to pick, maybe fabricate some sneaky plans, and return later. After all, it often took funds to get more funds, and a bath house heist was no expeption.
((I thought it would be interesting if they were in close proximity with each other, seeing as they can't directly interact.))
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Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 1:54 pm
(((I am so going into detail about her day at the bath house. Dana needs some attention. razz )))
At the same time Mikaril was passing the male bathhouse, Imordana was entering another one further down the street. The attendant at the door took her cowl, wisely keeping any comments about her lack of eyes unspoken and led her further into the bathhouse. She was led to a curtained area where disrobed from her clothing, leaving them in a pile in one corner, and donned a long soft robe.
The new attendant that met her with a smile, folded her hands in front of her and bowed slightly asking, "What treatments would you care to have for the day Lady?"
Imordana listed them off, "I'd like a deep tissue massage, a pedicure, manicure, hair treatment, and a long sweat in the lodge."
"It looks like your hair will have to be taken out and brushed before we can do the treatment. That will cost a little extra than normal. Are you alright with that Lady?"
"Yes, that's perfectly fine." Imordana replied.
"All right then, the best way to maximize the experience would be to start in the sweat lodge, then have the massage, the pedicure and manicure and lastly the hair treatment. That way your hair will won't get messed up in the sweat lodge."
"Sounds good to me."
Imordana was then led off to the sweat lodge, where she left the robe on a hook outside the door and went in with a towel wrapped around her middle. After half an hour of sitting, relaxing in the hot steamy room, Imordana felt as though she had been cleansed from the inside out. Not to mention feeling like she'd never sweat another day in her life. She came out of the steam lodge to find an attendant waiting for her with a glass of ice cold water. She drank it slowly as the attendant led her off to the next room.
In the next room she completely disrobed, and laid down on soft blankets and let a blind male massage her body. He worked her shoulders and neck first until the muscles relaxed and the tension eased out. She felt her body go lax, and savored the feeling of the deft hands as they ran over the muscles of her back and legs. Each muscle was given the attention it deserved, making her moan in pleasure. After awhile, he asked her to turn over, which she did so obligingly, pulling a blanket over to drape over her chest upper thighs. Even though the male was blind, she still had an odd sense to keep herself covered in front of him.
When he encountered the blanket, he didn't say anything he just avoided those areas which made her relax and become more at ease with him. In no time at all she was out, lightly snoring as he continued to work the muscles in her arms and hands. When he was done with the massage he lightly nudged her arm until she awoke.
"I'm sorry to wake you, but the massage has concluded. I'll be sending in the drow who will be working on your hands, feet and hair now. You may nap until they come, if you so wish to." He told her, then turned to leave.
Imordana nodded, half closing her eyelids. She was feeling much better now. She looked forward to the next part of the treatment, she hadn't had any work done on her feet or hands for the past 3-5 months so they really needed the work. She was half way lucid, and half asleep until the team of two showed up to complete the work.
She almost sat upright when she remembered she had placed a spell over her braids and the enspelled rings to ensure others wouldn't be able to use them or take them out. She chanted the words under her breath that would take the spell off of them, and then said. "If you would please put the rings by me and leave them. I'll put them in again at a later time."
The woman who had sat down to do her hair nodded, and went about her work. There were a pile of rings by her shoulder in moments, as the female's fingers flew. The other, a male went about cleaning and washing her feet, and rubbing them before going about trimming the nails and applying a thin coat of clear varnish on them. After the feet, and nails were done, he washed his hands and moved on to work on her hands.
Imordana couldn't help but smile faintly, relishing the feeling of being pampered. It wasn't often that she could afford to get this done, but it was well worth it in the end. It put her in an extremely good mood after wards; not to mention that she usually seemed like an entire different person to everyone around her. Almost as though she had a personality transplant.
The tense feeling in her scalp loosened a little every time a braid was undone, making Imordana realize that they had been done way too tight. She'd have to let the next person know to do them looser so she wouldn't have so many headaches. That was something she hated the most about some of the bathhouses; every time she came she always got someone different. She would have to make a point of remembering who had worked on her so she could get them again the next time she came.
"What are your names?" She asked, as the female began to brush her long hair out, and the male started on her other hand.
"I'm S'marqu, and she's I'kari. Why did you want to know my Lady?" The male asked, his voice sounding curious by her question.
"Oh I just wanted to remember so I can request you two the next time I come back. Do yo know the male massage therapist's name as well?"
"We'll make sure the owner makes note of it in her books, so every time you come back you get us, and T'anriq. That way you won't have to remember something this mundane. Just sit back and don't worry about a thing, this is your time to relax." The female replied in a soothing tone, as she began to massage Imordana's temples and scalp.
Imordana moaned in response, letting go and letting her entire body relax as bliss washed over her. This...was what she had really needed the most. She imagined getting a scalp massage everyday when she was the Matron of her House. Oh yes. That would be something to really look forward to. Perhaps she'd even have the means to hire gifted drow to work and be on call only for her whenever she needed work done. That would be wonderful.
After the head massage was done, and Imordana began to come out of her reverie, she was led off to have her hair washed, scented and dried. That took another hour of her time, which was much needed as well. Sure She washed her hair pretty much every day or so, but having been in braids her hair really needed a better cleaning than she knew how to do. The female hair dresser also saw to it that her hair was loosely braided in several braids, not as many as she had had before, but enough that she was able to put her rings back in for safe keeping afterwards.
She had her clothing returned, cleaned and her cowl pressed neatly. She redressed quickly, looking herself over in the full length mirror. What she saw made her smile in approval. She paid the proprietor making sure to generously tip the drow who had worked on her, She left with a slightly lighter purse, and a much lighter step and happier feeling inside. Bathhouses did much more than clean up the outside of a drow, they also helped one cleanse their mind and spirit as well.
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Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 6:17 pm
((My turn to write a novel! X3))
It seemed like no time at all before Mikaril returned to the bath house, grinning from ear to deformed ear and carrying a small money pouch that jingled with coins and.....something else. It had taken some tricky exchanging of coins, but he had fabricated a plan that he admitted wasn't anywhere near foolproof, but he figured that every plan had a healthy measure of blind luck tossed in; it made every plan exciting and gave it the potential for either complete disaster or utter brilliance.
He had scoured several poitions and spell booths and shops until he had happened upon one that sold tablets that were meant to drug a foe when placed in their hot drink. It came with a very peculiar safety net: the drug was most potent in the steam rather than the liquid it dissolved in, so a suspicious foe might not drink, but one whiff of the steam from the cup would be sure to have the desired effect. It took a bit of haggling and nearly all of the money he had to spare to entice the withery potion maker to make a larger, more round tablet, but he had hoped that before too long it would be money well spent.
He walked in casually and did his best to look like an prestigious customer. He found himself wondering if exclusively female bath houses were more luxurious. Probably, but it didn't matter to him at the moment. With minimal pomp or ceremony, a seravnt who did not speak guided him past the public batheing area and down a corridor to a smaller room. There were shelves full of various decorative bottles and a big basket of what looked like bath pearls sitting right by the edge. The whole area was thick with steam and smelled of exotic spice and musk. There was a smaller pool of very warm, almost hot water sunk into the smooth stone floor, and Mikaril could just make out the forms of two other males lounging on the other side, conversing in low tones. Mikaril could feel their eyes on him as he entered, and he let out a long breath to steady himself.
The silent servant stood there for a while as Mikaril began to undress. He looked at the drow quizically, and the servant gestured to the rows of bottles. Eyes widening in understanding, Mikaril smiled. "No thank you, that's allright; I won't need someone to rub it on me." He must have guessed correctly because the servant turned promptly and left. He had realized that many times there were servants in bath houses who would rub soap or fragrant oils onto one's back or other places too hard to reach. Normally it would have been relaxing, but he had other business and he still didn't favor someone else touching him.
Fully undressed and toweled, he walked over to the basket of pearls and picked up a few, carefully placing the one he had pulled from his pouch in with them. He walked over to the edge of the pool, carefully removed his towel (and hearing a few snickers from the other side and a few comments that definitely had the words 'scrawny' and 'ears' in them), and eased himself into the water. The heat seemed to seep into his skin and ease the tension that gripped him. He carefully reached for his towel and dipped half of it into the fragrant bathwater. At the same time, he dropped the odd pearl in, letting the others land in his lap and keep them from dissolving as quickly. He carefully wrapped the wet part of the towel around his face, leaving only the eyes visible, and waited patiently.
After about 5 minutes, he saw one of the others begin to slump. His friend looked down and begun to shake him. "Hey, don't fall asleep it's.....danger...." Without finishing, the other fell forward into the water with a soft splash. Mikaril got out quickly and ran to the two piles in the corner that could only be the impertinent pair's belongings. His eyes widened as he poked through one pile and uncovered a sparking pair of solid mithral cuffs, etched with some sort of scrolling text that he did not recognize. The other pile hid a full purse and a solid gold ring with a few small blue stones flanking a huge deep purple gemstone easily the size of his whole thumbnail.
Stuffing cuffs, purse and ring into his satchel, Mikaril pulled off his towel, ran into the pool, grabbed one of the sleeping louts by his shoulders and began to shout. "Hey!" The servant appeared like magic and Mikaril gestured wildly to him. "Something wrong; I think they fainted. Help me!" The servant quickly ran to where Mikaril was and quickly pulled the other out, looking rather tired as he did so. Mikaril himself felt tired and woozy, but he figured the damage was done and his being affected would only add to his looking innocent.
Another staff member rushed in and stood there with his mouth open. Mikaril tried his best to look terrified as he donned his cloak and pants, and scooped up his belongings. "I'm getting out of here now!" The staff member recovered enough of his wits to reach out and take Mikaril by the arm and lead him down the corridor. "Sir, I'm sorry, but I'm afraid we must search your belongings before we let you leave. There is no way of knowing whether or not you might have done some mischief to those two customers for the purpose of robbing them, and I would be responsible if I were to let you out without ensuring that all of your items are truly yours." Trying to look impatient (and doing it very easily), Mikaril sighed. "You saw me give every copper I had to get in here. Very well, search, but make it quick please; I AM of the sixth house and whatever it was might have been meant for me." The slight smirk on the servant's face at the mention of Mikaril's house made him wonder if one of the drow he might have drowned in there might be from a higher-ranking house. Now THAT was what he called a good theft.
He fidgeted while the drow checked his armor, purse, and satchel, which predictably had nothing. He was hesitant to remove his hood, claiming truthfully that he had a moderate head deformity, but settled for having the other look underneath his cloak and run his hands through Mikaril's hair and beneath his hood, even fingering his ears. If he noticed anything odd by his search, he didn't mention it, but was finally satisfied and allowed Mikaril to leave. He wasted no time in dashing out, looking like someone who had whitnessed something horrifying. He didn't bother to stick around and see if either of the two were okay; judging by the way some of the looser-tongued and more easily spooked servants and patrons were dashing out and shouting about it, he would know soon enough without seeking it out.
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Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 1:23 pm
After just having spent her entire morning in the spa, Imordana didn't really feel like tracking down Mikaril in order to try and hire him again. He tended, or so she felt, to keep to the dirtier backstreets of Undrek'thoz and she really didn't feel like getting dirty again. So instead she decided to go back the way she had come, stopping in the market in order to see if Dra was waiting for her.
She frowned when she realized that she didn't have the time, and chose to stop a passing drow and ask him for the time. The drow stared at her curiously before pulling out a watch on a chain and giving her the time. She thanked him, and went on her way, hoping his interest would fade. She really didn't want anyone following her and upsetting the meeting she had with Dra. The hour of her meeting was still two hours away, so Imordana decided to stop for a bite to eat since she had the time.
She chose what appeared to be a very run down restaurant only a few yards from the marketplace. The appearance however was deceiving; for once she stepped inside the elegant opulence and settings of the restaurant would have taken even the most arrogant aristocrate's head into a spin. She was met at the door by the head waiter who looked her over with obvious displeasure until she pulled her cowl down freeing her face for his perusal. He smiled pleasantly, relieved to see who it was and led her off to a private room and once he had her settled set about to bring her what she usually got when she dined at the restaurant before she could say a word.
She settled back in the comfortable cushioned lounge, relaxing behind the thick curtains that kept the other occupants of the private room from seeing who was there. Several moments later, a light skinned male arrived with a bright pleasant grin on his face.
"Dana!" He exclaimed, embracing her and kissing her on her cheek.
Imordana returned his greeting happily, laughing lightly at the effeminate drow's arrival.
"Fra'shedae! It's good to see you again! How's the business going?"
"Quite well, as you can see. I can't thank you enough for your advice." He told her, still beaming happily.
"Well, your welcome again. I always take care of friends, unfortunately I don't have many of them these days. Not with what's going on in my House." She replied, a bitter look coming in her eyes and a frown starting.
"Now now...no frowning Dana. It'll give you unsightly wrinkles." Fra'shedae admonished her. "Now tell me, how are things going on in your House? Have those ignorant savages you call brothers finally realized the truth about the Matron?"
" I'll try to remember that Shedae," She laughed, her frown disappearing as a smile replaced it. "and the answer to that is no. They might actually figure it out eventually, but they're going to need some help in that area. They can be so bullheaded sometimes."
"I can remember a young cleric who was rather bullheaded in her time as well," Shedae replied with a laugh of mirth at the expression that crossed her face.
"Well would you like some spiced wine to go with your meal like usual?" He added, moving as if to leave to get it for her.
"Actually, I'm more in the mood for company today. I just had the most amazing experience in the spa, and I don't want to waste this good mood on myself. Are you still the best gossip in Undrek'thoz? I could use some like the good old days Shedae." She replied, placing her hand on his arm and guiding him to sit down next to her.
He laughed in good spirits, and snuggled up against her curvaceous body, draping an arm around her.
"It's good to have you back here, Dana. It's been too long. You should make it a habit to come her every week like you used to."
"If I had the means to, I would. The only reason why I haven't is because she's gone further into madness, and believes me to be her biggest threat. She's pretty much cut me off from getting an allowance for my work. Not to mention...she's bonded me to her. So if I don't go through with the plans I've set up, I could die with her when she finally succumbs to the disease that's eating away at her." Imordana replied, her happyness dying away as the seriousness of her situation began to eat away at her again.
"What? That's horrible Dana! Don't worry about paying, I'll cover the meal today. I'm just glad that you showed up and let me know what was going on. If there's anything else that I can help you out with, just let me know." Shedae told her, his concern for her showing in his eyes.
"Shedae, you're probably the only friend I have in the world right now. Thank you. You may be able to help me out, what with the gossip you've heard in this place. I am in need of hiring a thief, one that's not afraid of stealing from a mage." Imordana spoke the last sentence in a low whisper into Shedae's ear.
"Well, you helped me out of a tight spot once, I feel it's only fair if I return the favor. And no problem, I know plenty of thieves that will be able to help you. But let's not get all serious right now, let's wine, dine and make out like old times! I've missed my lip locking gal, not to mention this beautiful curvy bod of yours." Shedae replied, an rather mischievious grin on his face, as he curled closer to Imordana on the lounge.
"I agree with the wining and dining, not so much with the lip locking though." Imordana teased, rather pleased with his bold words and compliments. "And, since the wine is here now, let's make a toast; a toast to the future!"
The server who had brought the wine grinned at their good natured conversation, and poured out two large glasses of spiced wine, and left them to their toast.
"Aye...to the future!" They chorused and downed their glasses in one gulp, let out two loud resounding burps, and laughed together...just like old times.
*FIN* smile
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