OOCSo...ummm. Archelon said I could post this, even though Spring's over because I waited so patiently for a job. ;p
13 Spring 512 AV
Owan had been at the docks since he'd left Zeke's presence. He'd been sitting at a table outside of one of the seaside taverns and watching the Bloody Marie. He gave everyone who went up to the ship a good deal of attention before turning his eyes away. No one had matched the brief description Zeke had given him of Langsley, nor had anyone left with a package. He was toying with his dagger as he scanned the crowd, bouncing it up and down between his fingers absentmindedly. He was getting antsy. A few more bells and he'd leave and give Zeke a piece of his mind for sending him on a proverbial goose chase. His leg was bouncing unconsciously, another sign of his boredom.
His eyelids were starting to droop when a tavern wench came out of the building and dropped down in the chair next to him. He raised an eyebrow at her but said nothing. He just continued watching the ship.
"You've been out here all night stranger. Lookin' for your lass?" The girl asked.
"What's it to ye?" Owan asked, never taking his eyes off of the ship. He wished the girl would shove off. He didn't have time to chat, nor did he like the concept of small talk in general. It made him uncomfortable.
"Just a friendly question. Why else'd you be watching the ships come and go with such a sad look on your ugly mug?" The girl said. She laughed at her own joke, a high tittering sound that reminded Owan of a hummingbird. He shot her a quick glance. She was pretty -much prettier than he at least- with short red hair and mischievous green eyes.
"Yer awfully pleasant aren't ye?" Owan asked.
"I guess you could say that," the girl replied, smile widening. "I'm just a naturally curious person. I like to know what's going on, and I've been staring at the back of your head all night trying to figure you out."
"I'm lookin' for someone," Owan said.
"Your lass? I knew it!" The girl said, banging her tiny fist on the table.
"I don't have a lass," Owan said simply. The girl swore under her breath. She'd been so sure! "And I don't see why it matters to ye? Ye do this to everyone in the city? Surprise yer pretty little head's still attached to the rest of ye." The girl made a face at him, sticking out her tongue and puffing up her cheeks. Owan couldn't help but crack a wry smile. She was like a child.
"I'm bored. And I do it to most people that come through. They play along though," she said, leaning back in her chair and putting her feet up on the table.
"How can ye be bored? Don't ye have work to do? I'm sure I can't be the only person at one of yer tables."
"We're pretty slow today so far. It's pretty early. Most people don't have time to sit around the tavern. Besides, one of the other girls'll take care of the other customers. Plus, I doubt the owner'll mind," the girl said, eyes glinting even more mischievously than before.
"Aye?" Owan asked.
"Aye. Name's Adelaide," the girl said, holding out her hand. Owan, after taking a quick glance at the Bloody Marie, turned to face the girl. He took her hand and pumped it up and down before the epiphany struck. Above the girl's head was a sign. On the sign was one word: Adelaide's.
"Owan," he said, trying not to let his surprise show. It made sense really. That was why she had the time to come outside and pester him.
"Well Owan. Mind telling me what you've been doing outside of my bar?" Adelaide asked, all traces of mischief gone. Owan could understand her mood. Wasn't he employed to make merchant's realize the value of protection money? Her suspicions weren't but slightly misplaced. Had The Fence asked him to shake her down then that's exactly what he'd be doing.
"Perceptive aren't ye? See that ship?" Owan asked, jerking his head toward the Bloody Marie. Adelaide nodded. "There's a man named Langsley comin' to pick a package up from that ship. I'm supposed to escort him," Owan said, lying through his teeth. He didn't know anything about Adelaide. Why would he tell her what The Fence had told him? More than likely she'd try to sell him out for a couple of Mizas. That was how Sunberth worked. Anyone would do anything for a few pieces of gold. Owan understood it. It was how he'd been raised.
"Well then. As long as you're not looking to stir up shyke in my bar you can stay here as long as you'd like," Adelaide said, standing up and brushing herself off. Owan nodded. Adelaide disappeared back into the bar, and a few moments later another serving girl came out with a tin cup full of cold water. Owan made to reach for his coin-purse but the girl shook her head. Apparently Adelaide had taken care of it. He thanked the girl and turned his eyes back to the ship. Up above, the sun shone down on the thankless streets of Sunberth. Owan loosened the laces of his cloak and drained the water from the cup in one gulp. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and was sitting the cup down when he noticed the man in front of the ship.
He was standing with his arms crossed in front of the ship, leaning against a stack of crates. From where Owan was standing he could just make out the pair of daggers strapped to the man's belt. He stood and watched for a moment, wanting to make sure that it was Langsley before making his move. He didn't have long to wait. A few seconds after Owan had spotted his target a man came down from the deck of the ship with a parcel under his arm. The two exchanged a few words before the second man passed the package along. Langsley tucked the package into his shirt and turned to leave.
Owan waited and watched as Langsley walked past, feigning indifference. When the man had gotten a few steps past the bar, Owan left his table and started after him.
He tried to stay in the crowd, blending in with those around him. It was harder than he would have liked it to be. He was more at home in the forests than he was in the streets of Sunberth. It was much easier to stay hidden among the trees and undergrowth. His height made him somewhat obvious in the crowd, but the few times that Langsley turned around he didn't seem to notice.
13 Spring 512 AV
Owan had been at the docks since he'd left Zeke's presence. He'd been sitting at a table outside of one of the seaside taverns and watching the Bloody Marie. He gave everyone who went up to the ship a good deal of attention before turning his eyes away. No one had matched the brief description Zeke had given him of Langsley, nor had anyone left with a package. He was toying with his dagger as he scanned the crowd, bouncing it up and down between his fingers absentmindedly. He was getting antsy. A few more bells and he'd leave and give Zeke a piece of his mind for sending him on a proverbial goose chase. His leg was bouncing unconsciously, another sign of his boredom.
His eyelids were starting to droop when a tavern wench came out of the building and dropped down in the chair next to him. He raised an eyebrow at her but said nothing. He just continued watching the ship.
"You've been out here all night stranger. Lookin' for your lass?" The girl asked.
"What's it to ye?" Owan asked, never taking his eyes off of the ship. He wished the girl would shove off. He didn't have time to chat, nor did he like the concept of small talk in general. It made him uncomfortable.
"Just a friendly question. Why else'd you be watching the ships come and go with such a sad look on your ugly mug?" The girl said. She laughed at her own joke, a high tittering sound that reminded Owan of a hummingbird. He shot her a quick glance. She was pretty -much prettier than he at least- with short red hair and mischievous green eyes.
"Yer awfully pleasant aren't ye?" Owan asked.
"I guess you could say that," the girl replied, smile widening. "I'm just a naturally curious person. I like to know what's going on, and I've been staring at the back of your head all night trying to figure you out."
"I'm lookin' for someone," Owan said.
"Your lass? I knew it!" The girl said, banging her tiny fist on the table.
"I don't have a lass," Owan said simply. The girl swore under her breath. She'd been so sure! "And I don't see why it matters to ye? Ye do this to everyone in the city? Surprise yer pretty little head's still attached to the rest of ye." The girl made a face at him, sticking out her tongue and puffing up her cheeks. Owan couldn't help but crack a wry smile. She was like a child.
"I'm bored. And I do it to most people that come through. They play along though," she said, leaning back in her chair and putting her feet up on the table.
"How can ye be bored? Don't ye have work to do? I'm sure I can't be the only person at one of yer tables."
"We're pretty slow today so far. It's pretty early. Most people don't have time to sit around the tavern. Besides, one of the other girls'll take care of the other customers. Plus, I doubt the owner'll mind," the girl said, eyes glinting even more mischievously than before.
"Aye?" Owan asked.
"Aye. Name's Adelaide," the girl said, holding out her hand. Owan, after taking a quick glance at the Bloody Marie, turned to face the girl. He took her hand and pumped it up and down before the epiphany struck. Above the girl's head was a sign. On the sign was one word: Adelaide's.
"Owan," he said, trying not to let his surprise show. It made sense really. That was why she had the time to come outside and pester him.
"Well Owan. Mind telling me what you've been doing outside of my bar?" Adelaide asked, all traces of mischief gone. Owan could understand her mood. Wasn't he employed to make merchant's realize the value of protection money? Her suspicions weren't but slightly misplaced. Had The Fence asked him to shake her down then that's exactly what he'd be doing.
"Perceptive aren't ye? See that ship?" Owan asked, jerking his head toward the Bloody Marie. Adelaide nodded. "There's a man named Langsley comin' to pick a package up from that ship. I'm supposed to escort him," Owan said, lying through his teeth. He didn't know anything about Adelaide. Why would he tell her what The Fence had told him? More than likely she'd try to sell him out for a couple of Mizas. That was how Sunberth worked. Anyone would do anything for a few pieces of gold. Owan understood it. It was how he'd been raised.
"Well then. As long as you're not looking to stir up shyke in my bar you can stay here as long as you'd like," Adelaide said, standing up and brushing herself off. Owan nodded. Adelaide disappeared back into the bar, and a few moments later another serving girl came out with a tin cup full of cold water. Owan made to reach for his coin-purse but the girl shook her head. Apparently Adelaide had taken care of it. He thanked the girl and turned his eyes back to the ship. Up above, the sun shone down on the thankless streets of Sunberth. Owan loosened the laces of his cloak and drained the water from the cup in one gulp. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and was sitting the cup down when he noticed the man in front of the ship.
He was standing with his arms crossed in front of the ship, leaning against a stack of crates. From where Owan was standing he could just make out the pair of daggers strapped to the man's belt. He stood and watched for a moment, wanting to make sure that it was Langsley before making his move. He didn't have long to wait. A few seconds after Owan had spotted his target a man came down from the deck of the ship with a parcel under his arm. The two exchanged a few words before the second man passed the package along. Langsley tucked the package into his shirt and turned to leave.
Owan waited and watched as Langsley walked past, feigning indifference. When the man had gotten a few steps past the bar, Owan left his table and started after him.
He tried to stay in the crowd, blending in with those around him. It was harder than he would have liked it to be. He was more at home in the forests than he was in the streets of Sunberth. It was much easier to stay hidden among the trees and undergrowth. His height made him somewhat obvious in the crowd, but the few times that Langsley turned around he didn't seem to notice.