Closed Strangers by the Docks (Kelmar)

[Hazel Richardson]

4th of Winter, 512 Av

The Docks were, as usual, heaving with the sounds of laughter and chatter. For such a place of poverty, it always seemed to be merry, when the entertainers danced and strung their wonders before the eyes of those who had little to spare. Today was a day alike to the days before it; people bustled by, sometimes in groups, sometimes alone, some selling wares, and others with he intent of buying. The Docks were fit to burst, and where others may find this mass of people uncomfortable, Hazel thought it was perfect.

Although, this was not for good intentions. At first, Hazel had tried to make a living in The Docks - she attempted to sell items she found and created, but they were of low quality and little interest and her slightly shy attitude wasn't helpful when competing with other traders. After a few days of hunger, she had finally decided to revert to crime, although she had promised herself it would only be until she found an alternative. But, a few months later, here she was - her eyes moving across the crowds as she searched for someone with heavy pockets and a distracted mind.

This was one of the easiest spots for pickpocketing. Most people had their attentions focused on the actors or entertainers, and others were busy choosing things to buy or chatting with old friends. Trade was common, and so even if Hazel managed to sneak a few coins from a fool's pocket, they often convinced themselves they'd spent it, or that they'd dropped them in the bustle of the crowd.

That being said, if caught it was almost impossible to escape, and escape was what Hazel did best. She may not have had the agile fingers of an accomplished thief, but with her small figure and innocent features, she found it easy to blend into the crowd and soon become forgotten. Her only downfall when it came to her appearance was the bright blaze of orange hair - an easy, tell-tale feature, and so she made sure to keep her hood pulled up over her head, even on the warmest of days.

Soon, Hazel found a corner which she could stand in without being dragged off by the flow of people. From here she could easily watch and wait for the right person to pass by, and could soon be beside them, ready to reach out and take a few coins. She was never greedy, only took a couple from every person, but it was theft all the same, and she couldn't help but feel a little guilty every time she did it. Her parents did not approve, of course, they expected her to find someone to serve and live as most kelvics did, but even if she had tried hard to find a job, she did not want to be stuck with some pompous, rich member of Ravok until she died. And so, pickpocketing was one of the only opportunities left, until she found something else to do with herself.

[Kelmar Hedos]

4th of Winter, 512 AV The Docks Today was like any other for Kelmar, those days when he wasn't on task for some big shot merchant that is. His very simple drive to gain power through practice and knowledge meant that he lead a very simple largely routine lifestyle with little variation, yet he had a purpose for doing so. Every day he was not on a job, he would explore the crowded areas of Ravok, listening for rumors that may benefit him. Rumors may not seem like the best or most accurate way to gain information, and they weren't. To most people, a rumor was simply a small bit of information, words that didn't necessarily hold any meaning or importance. However, to people like Kelmar who lived on information, rumors were a great place to start. Hearsay could point listeners to all sorts of places: a rumor about a rivalry between two budding merchant families could lead to a job hunt for Kelmar, or some talk about a mysterious ship coming in could lead to knowledge on a shady deal. Of course, hearsay could only take Kelmar so far, but it was a starting point, and often the words were truer than one would think. So today, he found himself walking through the crowds of the docks, keeping his ears open and eyes wandering, absorbing all he could about the words being passed around him. The tricksters and actors held no particular interest to him, for those who could not give him power or aid were of no use, but the crowds they attracted often chatted amongst themselves, and this was a prime way to get some information. Standing at the back of a small but growing crowd watching a couple street entertainers, he pretended to be fascinated and drawn into the performance while his ears paid attention to everything but. A couple young men standing to his side were whispering loudly as their eyes watched the entertainers ahead of them. "Damned Rising Dawn," one whispered to his companion, "destroyed the CEB some time back and now I can't find a bleedin' job." "Tell me about it," said his counterpart. "I've been looking for a job since the fiftieth of last season, and no one knows how to advertise so I have no idea where to go. It's petching frustrating I'll tell you that." It was all inconsequential as far as the agent was concerned, so Kelmar tuned them out and wandered off in search of another group, perhaps a bit larger in the hopes that he'd find someone who actually knew something useful. Sliding his way through the crowd, he kept listening for conversation that might be useful. Every now and again he glanced back, careful to make sure he wasn't being followed, forced to by his caution and wariness of people who might want to do some not so pleasant things to him.

[Hazel Richardson]

She stood still for a few more minutes - seemingly unnoticed by the shade the wall cast and the dark colouring of her cloak. With silence she observed people as they passed by and wandered on, it seemed like she'd been there forever. It was taking her longer than usual to focus on specific people, and so the crowds passed by her in a blur of noise and pounding feet. It was only after some moments had ticked by, that she caught sight of a man amongst one of the smaller crowds.

He looked to be almost a foot taller than Hazel, and from this angle she could only see a head of dark black hair. He looked to be interested in something in front of him, but from this far away it was hard to distinguish what exactly it was he seemed so fascinated with, so she just assumed it was some entertainer or a shouting stall tender. Either way, he seemed to be pretty oblivious to what was going on around him; Hazel was beginning to just want to head home, yet she could hardly leave without at least finding something. She always hated wasted trips and this gentleman had appeared into her line of sight just on time.

So, as the man moved from his position, so did Hazel. She slunk back into the crowds and let them guide her in the man's direction. Being so small, it was harder for Hazel to distinguish between different people amongst the throng of heads - but eventually, after losing hope for a moment, she managed to catch sight of the same dark hair and tall build. He seemed to be interested in something else again, and Hazel took that moment to dive forward.

She accidentally shoved a few passers by in the motion,which was hardly her most elegant. Rather the opposite, actually. Somehow, whilst she had took off from her still, steady walking pace she had managed to catch her foot on a dent in the stone flooring, which had sent her flying in a manner which was in no way good for a thief as the attention of everyone immediately around her was caught and fixated on her. She stumbled over the ground, forcing people to jump out of her way, and landed on her feet with her hand poised against the man's pocket.

Instantly, her hand attempted to delve inside with the hope of at least snatching a few coins onto her palm before she was caught.

[Kelmar Hedos]

While listening to the words around him, Kelmar heard through the conversations the telltale sounds of bumps and collisions behind him. For a moment he tuned out the hearsay around him, instead focusing on the scrape of cloth against cloth as someone shoved their way past people, then some loud stomps as their feet hit the ground. Somebody was rushing through the crowd behind him, though for what reason Kelmar did not know. He should though, for someone moving with distress through this part of town was a point of interest for someone like the agent, perhaps a courier for a shady deal of some sort. Turning around, Kelmar came face to face with a short young woman, her hazel eyes cast downward. A splash of freckles decorated the bridge of her nose and center of her face. She seemed focus on something below her eye level, and then following her gaze the young agent noticed that her hand was currently buried in his pocket - not her pocket, his - and reaching for something. In an instant, he knew what was happening; he worked with a thief after all, and she was slightly better at it. With a quick fluid movement, he reached down and grabbed the girl's wrist, his grip like iron yet gentle enough to not cause too much discomfort. Instead of calling thief though, he simply stared at her, his dark black eyes boring into her brighter ones. If she were to struggle, she would find his hand not immobile but she would be hard press's to release his grip without using her other hand, and even then it would be difficult to pry his fingers off. There was no emotion yet in his facial features, though if she were observant and not struggling to get away she would be able to see the gleam in his eye. He nearly got robbed, but what mattered was that he still had all his mizas. No, what was much more important and useful was the fact that he now knew another thief. Or was about to know another thief. Open criminals were in short supply, so he had to latch onto the few associates he could. Despite his eagerness to gain a new contact, he did not wish to do anything until he learned more about who he was dealing with. Keeping her near, he analyzed her body language and words, careful to keep an ear and eye out for motivations and instinctive reactions.

[Hazel Richardson]

Hazel felt the grip on her wrist before she had time to react and slip away. Perhaps she was not as agile as she had come to think she was - or perhaps, definitely not as agile as she thought she was. That was evident through the commotion she had just caused. And, despite the eyes boring into her and the looks of passers by who were beginning to return to what they were doing, she couldn't help but show a only partially suppressed smile. She had to laugh at herself and her foolishness; she would perhaps have gotten away with pretending to have tripped, rather than still trying to capture a few measly coins. But then the look of amusement was soon wiped from her face as her mind turned to the matters at hand. She knew she was in trouble - but if not with the law, then who? Although Hazel did not like to admit it to herself, this man with his emotionless stare did not seem the best sort of person to be caught by. He looked too smart to be fooled by some made up excuse, or to become distracted and give her some time to make a break for freedom.

Her wrist was caught in his tight grip, and even if she had been stronger, she knew she'd still have little chance of escaping. Her natural skinny build had always been something of annoyance to her, and in situations like this the annoyance grew. So, rather than aimlessly trying to struggle against him, she held herself as still as possible. It would have been easy for the man to call out to the others for help or to shout for guards, but he hadn't. So he didn't want to get her in trouble, but if that was the case, what did he want?

Immediately, Hazel allowed the hood of her cloak to flop to a level of ridiculousness over her face, in an attempt to hide her more kelvic features: bright hair and slightly feline eyes. She remained silenced, waiting for the man to make the first move before she did anything stupid - her track record for the day was proving that her abilities in theft were rather lacking, and she wouldn't be at all surprised if her speech failed her, too.

Instead, she gave the man an icy cold glare, with what little he could now see of her eyes. Although the growing blush on her cheeks was much harder to hide, as embarrassment began to mingle with the thoughts processing in her head.

[Kelmar Hedos]

The thief was slight and skinny as well as being short. Her body looked somewhat lean, not frail nor fragile but not a bastion of health either. Hood pulled down to cover most of her face, she seemed careful to keep most of it hidden, though he could still see the barest shreds of her gaze beneath the lip of fabric. A flush was beginning to fill her cheeks, but her hard set jaw gave away that she was glaring at him. She was not struggling, which showed that she was smart enough to know she was caught, and she did not beg for mercy which suggested that she was defiant of the consequences that would come and spirited in the face of adversity. This pickpocket could be quite useful. Of course, she was not giving him anything either. Time passed as he waited for some sort of response, but none came and Kelmar wanted to do something more actively engaging. Keeping his grip tight, he tried to consider his options and devise a plan of action. He needed to confront her eventually, otherwise they would never become acquainted, but here was not the best place to talk freely. If he were to drag her off into some dark corner it would be the most guaranteed and straightforward way, but he did not want to escort someone who could try to escape at any time, not to mention the suspicion and attention it would garner. So no, not a good option. After a bit longer, he came to a conclusion, his still set eyes looking into hers. Then he let go of her wrist.

[Hazel Richardson]

Hazel paused a moment as her wrist was released. She allowed her arm to flop down to her side, and raised her eyebrows as disbelief passed over her. But, then she spent no more time on her emotions - she quickly turned around, and began to thread through the crowd.

Again, she kept her hood up, to hide her bright hair, and her head down. Only once did she give herself a second to look back, but by this time she had become engulfed in the crowd again and had lost sight of the man. Her only intention now was to get away as quickly as possible. Where could she go? She thought aimlessly as she began to pick up speed, moving to a quieter area with less people, she could make her movements a lot more hectic.

An alleyway or side road seemed too much of an obvious space to hide. Although there was many dark streets which were empty and secluded, he was more than likely to search for her there first - if he had managed to keep up with her. So, instead she turned her mind to new ideas.

Her haste meant she had soon left the areas of shops and jugglers, and was now instead by the water. She could see where the stone floors ended, and a black railing bordered the edge of the murky water - only a few gaps here and there for when boats pulled in to trade their wares and set new people upon the city of Ravok. There were a few boats tied to the posts, smaller ones which carried less of a load but were still valuable.

Hazel quickly skidded to a halt, and looked behind her. There appeared to be no one following her, at least in sight, and so she changed her pace to a quick walk. She was out of breath, a slight mask of sweat had formed on her forehead both from the running and the adrenaline pumping through her veins. Her walk became brisker as her energy levels began to even out again, until she came to a sudden halt beside a small boat.

It was large enough to carry a few barrels and perhaps a few people, but nothing more than that. And at the back it had been covered in a tattered square of material to prevent any of the contents from being damaged by rain. However, there was nothing on board right now, so without a thought on the consequences, Hazel leaped from the edge.

To someone behind her it may have seemed as if she had thrown herself into the running water below, but there was no splash from her landing - only a very slight, barely audible thud as her feet hit the bottom of the wooden creation. Hazel quickly made a burrow beneath the material, her body completely hidden from sight. You'd only know she was there if you were to lift away the dirty rag from the creaking body of the boat.

Hazel's heart beat quickly, and her breathing was still heavy. But after a few moments trying to calm herself down, she managed to return her excitement levels to normal. She could wait here a while - at least until she knew the coast was clear.

[Kelmar Hedos]

As soon as the young girl took off, so did Kelmar, his long strides carrying him a few paces in a perpendicular direction before changing abruptly and following the pickpocket. Her cloak was a small speck of color within the crowd, but the agent's trained eyes picked up on it soon enough, and before long he was following, not in pursuit yet but tailing her, watching where she went, careful to keep himself in a position where he could dive into a crowd if needed. Drawing his own hood up to cover the parts of him she'd seen, Kelmar walked briskly through the people, resisting the common shoves and pushes he received and keeping his eyes trained on his target. There was something off in the way she moved, distancing herself from the small pathways and alleys leading to other canals less often traveled. Did she know he was onto her? Was she perhaps a skilled observer, who noticed his intent? Regardless, he was confident that he would not be seen, and as she moved closer to the water's edge he made an arcing route, a tad roundabout but he was sure to keep her in sight. He moved briskly through a crowd of people, breaking his line of sight momentarily but also break hers, and ended up beside the black railing leading out onto the piers. Leaning against it, he turned to the side a touch to allow the thief to reenter his vision. When she jumped, Kelmar at first was afraid she was going to swim away deeper into the city and cursed himself. He himself could not swim, one of the many things he should learn to do, and so if she was truly going to take the canals away or even go under the docks then he would be powerless to follow. Just as the agent was about to rush over, he realized that he had not seen or heard a splash, which there should have been had she jumped into the lake. The absence of one encouraged him to briskly walk over, his long strides carrying him over to where he saw the girl jump. Consciously, he made sure his feet were as light on the wood as possible, his footsteps barely making a soft padding noise barely audible to anyone near. This was not the first time Kelmar had to sneak up on someone suspicious of followers, so he knew to keep himself from pressing against the ground. Looking over to where the pickpocket had jumped off, he saw a small boat with nothing on top but a small tarp towards the back. It was clear what had happened. Careful to minimize the noise he made, he grabbed the edge of the dock and lowered himself into the boat, gently resting his feet on the deck with a soft thud. He crept forward, standing just above the tarp. Trusting his instincts, he decided to assume she was there at the risk of looking silly. "We can talk freely here," he said aloud. "I have a proposition for you."

[Hazel Richardson]

He hadn't lifted the fabric from her, but she heard his voice and immediately her body tensed. For a moment, she thought of perhaps just lying there, but he was no fool and was bound to lift away the sheet before he left the boat to search for her somewhere else. He must have been following her, although how he had done so without raising even some of her awareness she did not know.

Slowly, she lifted away one corner of the dirty fabric, peeking out from behind it with wide eyes. She looked a little startled, her hair ruffled and her clothing coated with a small sheen of dust from the boat. It obviously hadn't been used to carry much for a while. But, her courage began to grow and she stumbled onto her feet, gripping nervously onto the wall beside the boat to keep steady as the wooden bottom began to rock from her movements. She didn't want her lack of swimming skills to be evident before the man - if she did topple in she would probably be able to doggy paddle to the edge, but not much further; at least without shifting into her other form.

She remained silent for a good few seconds after he spoke, her eyebrows rising at his words. That was not what she had expected. In fact it was quite the opposite. Immediately, however, her guard was brought up. Had he worked out her kelvic origins? Was it an offer of slavery? Hazel took a small step back, as far back as she could go without tipping the boat over, as she glared at the man.

"What sort of a proposition?"

Her words were quiet, yet the mistrust was evident in them, although she tried to hide what she was feeling. She was ready to jump and run again, although she decided she'd listen to what he had to say before she made an illogical decision of escape. If he could find her once, he could find her again if he wanted, she supposed.

[Kelmar Hedos]

Watching as the thief tentatively emerged from her hiding place, Kelmar waited patiently as she rose from her hiding place and steadied herself against the dock. The boat was not very large, the edges rising to about his shins, and as such it was not very stable. She had to lean on the wooden pier to remain standing, her scruffy hair falling to either side of her face. At first her eyes remained hostile, but soon they became curious, her brow raising inquisitively at the mention of a proposition. Though he also sensed a sort of fear, suspicion in the way she tilted her head and looked at him sideways. Perhaps there was more to her than meets the eye? "A proposition that puts food in your belly," Kelmar said, "or at least some coin in your pocket. It's not every day that I come across someone who works on my side of the law, and I could make use of someone like that." Hood still up and casting part of his eyes and forehead in shadow, Kelmar stood stock still, examining the girl, trying to gauge her reaction to his words. "Your technique could use some work," Kelmar stated bluntly. "That, and you could benefit from knowing how to conceal your steps and calculate where people will be when you are so you avoid collisions. I know a skilled larcenist who might be able to show you a few tricks, and as for moving sneakily I can provide some lessons in that. However, these are not without a cost. I may have use for a pickpocket like you, and at the very least another set of ears running around couldn't hurt." His proposition was out there and exposed, a deal of sorts, but with whom she did not know yet. "Before I tell you any more, I need to know that you are on board. How much more I say depends on how well you can keep secrets."