1.07 Life Is Brief; Fall In Love, Maidens

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Madeline Merri
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Joined: Thu Jul 29, 2004 3:14 am
Location: Guelph, Ontario

1.07 Life Is Brief; Fall In Love, Maidens

#1 Post by Madeline Merri »

The town square was always filled in the mornings, several cryers bearing a stack of Imperial bulletins at different points in the wide forum. Many travelers and men of economy would gather here to set in motion plans, take advantage of the information that was being shouted out to the masses. For Madeline and Anton, it was a decent way to sit and enjoy a cup of tea, even in the cold air of the Kemperbad mornings. They took to sitting on the edge of a fountain which had yet to freeze over in the early part of the winter. There were the usual warnings and news from the roads, authorities searching for missing peoples about the forests where the creatures of the northern spawn would hide, areas where bandits and gangs were known to prey on merchants. The missives had yet to inquire about the two dead thieves down the road for a few days now, and for Anton, it was a relief.

They had been able to find jobs washing pans and working in kitchens to pass each night, but the central trade-city for the south of Reikland was far from understaffed when it came to entertainment. There would be many sorts passing through, some that made their way from Bretonnia, Araby, Tilea, among several smaller groups of people yet with an identifying quality. The mingle and swirl was inspiring, even if the coin didn't flow into their pocket as it was back eastward. The cryer reached the section of the announcements regarding the Mootland, to which even here, several citizens gave a soft 'boo' towards the mention. It caught Madeline's attention completely.

"Imperial authorities are looking for one, Ms. Charlotte Hedgerow in conjunction with a suspected case of Arson, and murder! Five days previous, the tavern in which the songstress performed, 'The Goldcone', burned to the ground in the middle of the night, trapping all staff inside, rest their souls! Events implicate a jealous and vicious streak, and any with information of her whereabouts are encouraged to speak to your local imperial liaison!"

They sat there, stunned. Though they had little time to interact with Morton Goldcone, there was a part of them that was eternally thankful for him, and the opportunity he offered when times were scant and trim. What was harder to believe was that Charlotte would go to such lengths to punish Morton. They bandied about the idea that one of her tantrums simply went too far, and an accident came to claim far more than she desired.

"I hope justice comes through, and she finds an adequate punishment for acting in such ways." She tipped back her cup to finish her tea.

In the deepest woods, there was no way to be heard. The trees in the Moot grew close together, packed tight like shrubbery in a well-tended garden. The crying and screams of Charlotte Hedgerow were not heard in the least, this deep and in the dark of a tragic night. Through the forest, there was a light glowing from the city, cast from the intense blaze of a tavern, lighting up the skies with smoke in the middle of the night. Even from a distance, the chaos grew, there were men and women trying in vain to battle the fires as they consumed the cozy building, the citizens distracted away from the scene unfolding in the darkness not far away.

Odetta held Charlotte's arm behind her at a severe angle, drawing tears and a gasping, open-mouthed expression of pain as he held her like this, reaching her free hand to grab at the halfling's golden locks viciously, turning her ear to the Sylvanian's mouth to listen.
"I have heard two stories from you tonight, and the difference between them means one of them is a lie. You are going to tell me which one is the lie." With another savage twist, Charlotte screamed out as the tendons in her elbow and shoulder began to strain and tear, forcing her to double over to her knees, crying openly now. A sense of self-preservation forced her to look up to the black-haired woman, begging for mercy.
"Please, I lied, I lied! I didn't want anyone to know I had sent men after her. She traveled to the west, that is all I know, I-I-I sent four men to rob her, send her a message, that is all, please!" Charlotte broke down into sobbing again, her hand coming to rest on her shoulder, the pain becoming too much.
"I have another option, as far as lies go. Nobody will find you, or hear from you ever again. You will have disappeared into the roads and alleys of the Empire to live like the overfed gutter rat that you are, and none will recognize you from the next useless vagrant." Odetta's words curled around her tongue and teeth with a venomous hiss. Charlotte's expression seemed to alleviate somewhat, as if the woman were offering her a chance to live if she cooperated. "The only difference being, is that I will be the one to tell them, and I will make the story out as I wish."

With a loud snapping sound, Odetta broke the girl's arm, twisting it around with a single hand, foot leaning forward to boot her to the ground. Charlotte laid there, cradling her arm, crying out sharply in agony. Odetta's face twitched, and she shook her head. There was a part of her that still could not get used to the sound of such torment, but her jaw stiffened, resolved to continue on as she had intended.
"You made the mistake of crossing my family. It is a mistake that you only get to make once, and then count the days until you are caught."
There were three shapes of the utmost darkness surrounding them. One by one, Odetta made eye contact with them, twin points of light began to glow from them all. Charlotte couldn't fight the fear creeping down her spine as the very night itself seemed to form and take shape. Slowly, one of the shadows crept over top of her, a dog-like beast of considerable size baring it's fangs long and hungry in the singer's face, bathing her in the hot breath of the black abyss of it's stomach.

With a little whistle, the beast began to tear and thrash the small halfling like a hound to a caught rabbit. Her screams died almost immediately, the horrific thing almost devouring her alive. For certain - there would be no evidence to leave behind. For those that hunger eternally in the darkness, there is no such thing as satiated, there is no such thing as a scrap of wasted food. Odetta turned to move back to the city, composing herself towards a more social aspect as the beasts began to meld back into the darkness. Within a few minutes walk, she was at the verge of the city, coming in through one of the back alleys. She hastened her step towards the blazing inn, where several of the Moot's guards were struggling in a losing battle. She regarded one of the marshals of the township with a hand on his shoulder to gain his attention, putting on her most innocent and naive tone of voice to spread the story.

"There was that singer, Charlotte Hedgerow - she was fleeing to the north!" She described the girl's demeanour, of how her actions seemed suspicious the entire evening. With more important problems at hand, the diminutive official made a note to begin the investigation in the morning. And with a quiet exit, Odetta Von Straaden departed, her footsteps moving along the road to the west as she keened her senses towards the scent of her sister, walking in the darkness of the roadways, flanked to either side by the comforting element of pitch black as she hummed an ancient little tune from Nachtafen.


After the dreary news of the morning, Madeline and Anton decided to find something to take their minds from the depressing nature of the winter. They began to explore the vast trading city, coming across all sorts of spice merchants, unique and rare foods piled high on carts, and hanging from the makeshift tents. There were cured meats, as well as some dried fruits of which they both partook, wrapping them in clean cotton cloths for later, packing them away snugly. They eventually found their way to the textile shop, where in the snow-rimmed windows there were many elegant dresses on display which easily transfixed the girl. In particular, a deep red dress which was cut and styled in the latest style from Bretonnia, with a single long slit running up the side, trimmed in the most rich copper-gold lace embroidery. She stared at it for a good while with a bright smile. Anton was close to reaching into his coin purse, eager to see if he could afford to splurge on the beautiful girl yet again - until he saw that she wasn't looking at the dress at all.

Her eyes flitted about the reflection in the window but for a moment. Behind them there were more than a few tents, each tent labeled in old Sylvanian. There were food vendors, but more interestingly, there were a collection of tents much like the travelers she'd spent much time around in her earlier years. They had those that would read your fortunes, those that could look at the bones and divine the future, simple magicians who played the slight of hand. And there were musicians, a pair of vocalists working in harmony, tambourines rattling cheerfully as women danced in their winter fineries, ribbons streaming from their hair as the passerby's either smiled in appreciation, or scoffed at the carefree nature of the troupe. All at once the familiarities drew the girl over to investigate, Anton not far behind, but still struggling to keep an eye on the girl as she was able to dart and move gracefully between the people to get a closer look. When he emerged, he found her at a shop where an older man was selling musical instruments. She was already giving the man a small pinch of copper coins, taking a little box no bigger than a whetstone. She stuffed it into his hands without question or regard, and as he opened the small little hinged box, it revealed a polished silver harmonica. There was more than a little care placed into it's craft, the swirling rose motif wrapping around every part of the body. She pulled it from the box, and brought it to her lips, giving a single ride along it's length with a soft little blow - the sound was a strange metallic humming, but it rang out clear and sweet in the crowds.

"This is a simple thing, Anton, much like you should start with."
"But, I have no gift for it."
"I have given you the gift, you merely need to read the slip of paper in there. It tells how to play."

He looked to the piece of paper, which also was written in Sylvanian, but all the same, the genuinely bright smile of the girl could not force him to disagree further. He accepted the gift, and slipped it into his breast pocket, leaning in to plant a kiss on top of the curls on her head. They spent time there further, as she drifted in and out of imperial common and Sylvanian, speaking to each of the vendors in turn. She seemed to be asking something, as at the end of every conversation, she was pointed in another direction. She stayed Anton to the spot at the last tent, and he waited outside, taking his harmonica out to start playing, or at the very least, making sounds. One of the dancers saw him struggling to play, and she sauntered over.

"Ah, musician, yes?" Her charm was easy to find, a long and tall body of lean muscle, skin still looking sun-kissed even in the winter.
"Oh, no-no, it is just a gift ma'am." He showed her the newness of it, the clean and untarnished silver casing. She pouted and kept close as she grinned to him playfully, "It is a shame, I am finding a man of music most appealing.."
He was flustered to a bright red, but it only lasted a minute as a hand clutched at his coat, pulling him away. She wore a grin at the scene, and led him towards the last tent. Opening the canvas, they ducked their heads in, the fragrant scent of some incense and spice filling Anton's nostrils with a bit of a cough. The sunlight beamed in red through the tent's cover, giving everything a faint hue. At the table inside sat a man, who looked to be well-aged, maybe in his fortieth year or so. As he stood to greet the pair, it was apparent he was a very strong man as well, a shirt draping unbuttoned around a chiseled frame. His hair hung loose, greying slightly along with a short, and quite untrained beard. His hand clasped Anton's with a firm shake, and gave the most delicate of kisses to Madeline's hand.

"I am Andrei, and these are all my friends here, what can we help or offer to you?"
"I am Madeline, and this is Anton - we were hopeful to inquire, whether you have room for two more in your troupe."
"This is a strange request, in a way."
"How so?"
Andrei reached down to a small, lit bundle of rolled weed, bringing it to his lips with a soft puff, "We have been stranded here for nearly a month. We have skilled performers, and many good merchants with us. We number nearly fifteen, and still we only make enough to keep our stomach's full and a little.. extra comforts?" He exhaled the smoke out through his nose like a bull as he offered the leaf to either of them. Madeline reached to partake, breathing in deeply, passing it to Anton who hesitantly took an inhale. The taste was very rich, a bitterness hit the depth of his lungs, coming out in a few rapid coughs. Andrei laughed and took his smoke back, putting his hands on his hips.
"You would be expected to carry your weight, and share that which you have, like we all do. Do you have any special talents?"
"I am a musician and singer, I work with the violin, or the fiddle, whichever you wish to call it." Anton looked a little less confident, the silence between her answer and his drawing a surly raised brow from Andrei.
"When it comes to what I can provide.. it is more a question of what is needed, you see-"
"-Simply say sword-arm."
"Excuse me?"
"Say 'sword-arm', I see you have a blade on your hip, and a strong back, and obviously have traveled with her for some time. That is good enough for Andrei." He gave a confirming nod, and turned to move behind his table, reclining comfortably back on his chair. "We are looking to move across the mountains in a few days, towards the Bretonni. We should have a place for you to stay within a day or two, if you are in need of it. Perhaps on your way out, you could send Ekaterina in?"
"And she looks like?"
"Your man knows what she looks like." Andrei laughed, drawing another sheepish look from Anton as they exited the tent into the crisp air of the street. Anton got the attention of the tall dancer, telling her to visit Andrei. With a perked sound of interest, Ekaterina swayed her hips in a soft trot to the tent, tossing her reddish hair back as she ducked into the tent with a boisterous laugh. Madeline gave Anton a nudge to the ribs as she caught him following the trail that her hips left in his memory, shaking them free. They began to walk back through the travelers camp, the clarion voice of a singer breaking through the clamour of the square, his voice singing of times long past, loves that were left unrequited.

Life is brief. Fall in love, maidens,
Before the crimson bloom fades from your lips,
Before the tides of passion cool within you,
For those of you who know no tomorrow.

Life is brief. Fall in love, maidens,
Before his hands take up his boat,
Before the flush of his cheeks fades,
For those of you who will never return here.

Life is brief. Fall in love, maidens,
Before the boat drifts away on the waves,
Before the hand resting on your shoulder becomes frail,
For those who will never be seen here again.

Life is brief. Fall in love, maidens,
Before the raven tresses begin to fade,
Before the flame in your hearts flicker and die,
For those to whom today will never return.
[i]"So long honeybabe, where I'm bound, I can't tell. Goodbye's too good a word, babe, so I'll just say 'fare thee well'."[/i]
[b]Recent Joys:[/b] MMA Record: 7-5-1 (Retired) Finished a West-Coast tour as a bass player for several acts.
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