Information Bought (Arlo Berakailen)

by **Amora Jade** on August 7th, 2013, 6:28 pm

Amora couldn't take the chance of someone knowing who she was and continuing to spread the name like wildfire, so of course she wanted to accept his job proposal. It was a desperate attempt she hoped would work.

The man who's life she spared didn't look like a thief so she wondered how he was able to 'acquire items without the target's knowledge'. He must have enough money to pay off a thief to do it for him. Hmm..

Hesitating for a moment before she moved, she decided to go ahead and follow him. Sure to keep a safe distance, she listened as he spoke. He seemed to doubt her thieving ability, and why wouldn't he? Amora was young and clumsy. No where near the expert her mother was.

The man he asked her to observe was very large and intimidating. There was no way she would actually try to steal from someone like that on a normal occasion. How was being able to point out someone's obvious traits better than being able to snatch their coin purse? To her he was starting to sound insane.

"He's big, and bald. His coin purse looks heavy, but I'm sure he has the know-how to hold on to it." She was sure to speak very quietly, afraid to catch his attention in case he wanted to be randomly violent. Neither of them would be able to handle a man like that.

by **Arlo Berakailen** on August 7th, 2013, 7:31 pm

Arlo took a moment, watching the big bald man, observing his movements for a few moments.

"Yes. He's big. Obviously strong. But look at his arms; they're the arms of a laborer, not a warrior. Large muscles, built up from a lifetime of lifting heavy things. You can see the cuts, just there on his scalp, from something being smashed across his head. So he's a brawler, not a disciplined warrior. Which isn't unusual for this city."

Arlo paused a moment to observe some more, then continued.

"Man like him, what's he doing in the marketplace at this time of day? If he's a laborer, he would be slaving away, earning his keep. Laborers can't afford to lose their comissions so easily; you'd only find them out and about at night, drinking their lives away in a tavern. Now he could be on break, but the overwhelming likelihood is that he isn't a laborer at all. So what is he?"

Arlo indicated slightly with his hand.

"Could be an enforcer, for a local gang. Notice the tattoo on his right arm ... there, just as he turns. Gang sign. He isn't shaking down any of the merchants, and he has the calm, confident swagger of a man who knows where he's going. So He's probably a punisher, then, sent out to send a message to someone."

Arlo pointed to the coin purse.

"Notice how the purse is not that large, yet he carries it out in the open. Foolish. I doubt you'd be able to snatch it but an expert cutpurse could grab it in seconds. He's using it to intimidate. The more expert enforcers are confident enough in their own ability, they don't need to rely on cheap tricks."

Arlo sighed slightly as he concluded his lesson.

"What does all this mean for us? It means the man is related to a gang but just barely. He's a new enforcer, eager to please. If I do this correctly, we should get what we need in a few rings. Wait here."

Arlo approached the big bald man confidently, his face a mask of neutrality.

"They aren't coming." Arlo announced to the man evenly. The big man started, then stared at Arlo and growled.

"Whaddaya mean, they ain't comin'?" he grabbed Arlo by the scruff and held him up. "Who da petch are you?!" he grabbed

"Does it matter?" Arlo asked calmly, despite being a foot off the ground. "You might want to put me down."

The big bald man laughed, his crooked teeth glinting in the sunlight. "Yeah, or I could squash ya, bug!" he sneered.

Arlo smiled, a coldly calculating smile. "Sure," he agreed. "Just, before you do, I have to ask, do you know Farik the Ragged?" Farik was a fairly high-ranking member of the Sunberth "Bloods", a relatively small gang making its name by roughing up merchants. It was their tattoo he had spotted on the big man's shoulder.

The big man narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, what about 'im?"

"Just asking. You sure you don't wanna put me down?"

"What about Farik?!" the big man shook Arlo like a rag doll.

"Put me down, bring him here, find out," Arlo replied calmly after the shaking stopped, and his teeth stopped clattering in his head.

The big man paused for a long moment, then put Arlo down, like he knew he would. He had to. A low-level enforcer like him couldn't afford to bother a big-shot like Farik. If he annoyed the big shot too much, next day it would be his head on the chopping block. That was how gangs worked.

"Waddaya want?" he asked, glaring at Arlo suspiciously.

"An apology, for one. Unless you want me to mention this to Farik, next time we meet."

The big man started at Arlo as though he'd grown an extra head. "What if I smash your skull in, then, so you don't meet 'im?" he growled, dangerously.

"Then Farik will miss his next eight shipments. And believe me, he'd find out why. Let's just say I have an associate or two watching this exchange. Should anything happen to me, I promise you, word will get out."

The big man's eyes opened in panic and darted this way and that. To his paranoid mind, every merchant was staring at him, every cutpurse was casing him, everyone was a potential witness. He didn't even notice Amora in the dark alleyway.

"S ... s ... sorry." the word came out as half a choke, half a growl, and sounded as though it was being windlassed out of him. Arlo shook his head and held out his palm.

"I'm goin to need a little more than a half-hearted sorry," Arlo bit out, harshly. His face was an iron mask. The big man snarled, his face full of barely suppressed rage. For a moment, it looked as though he would attack Arlo. Finally, after a moment, the big man took off his pouch and handed it over.

"Whats does ya wants, anyway? Ya comes here, yas threatens me, and I stills don't know whats ya want!"

"I told you already. When we first met. They aren't coming. You know who I'm talking about. If it were up to me, I'd have delivered the message and left. You were the one who was looking for trouble." Arlo gave the man a hard look. "Go home. If I were you, I'd hope we don't meet again."

The man spat out a few more choice obscenities before fleeing the scene. Arlo returned to Amora, calmly opening the pouch and counting its contents. Fifteen gold Mizas, plus an assortment of silver and copper. A reasonable amount.

"Information is a weapon, Amora," Arlo explained, off the girl's look. "If you know how to use it, it is as lethal as a knife. The next step will require light fingers."

He tossed the small pouch to Amora.

"We'll need that pouch. Leave six gold miza in there. Keep the rest."

Arlo looked up at the sun. What bell was it? He wasn't sure, but he had a feeling the bells were slipping away quickly. They needed to do this before sunset.

"Do you know how to plant an item on someone?"

by **Amora Jade** on August 7th, 2013, 10:16 pm

The things about the brute man he described Amora hadn't even taken a second look at. To her, he looked like every other large man that trudged through the streets of this city. He was right though, she didn't pay much attention to anyone enough to know anything about them.

The urge to reach out and grab him shot through her briefly before she realized she really didn't care if he was hurt at this point. Almost laughing at the stupidity, she watched as he approached the bald laborer. The first words that came out of his mouth set a fire in her. Suddenly she felt as if she had been set up, like he lured her here to meet with the brute man to gain the information he wanted.

The fire subsided when the information broker was lifted clean off the ground. For a moment she almost felt sorry for him, there was no way he could defend himself, but then she started to listen. He was able to manipulate his words to confuse the man into believing he was more of a threat than he appeared to be. The information he knew about the gang put him in a greater position, and the fact that the larger man wasn't very intelligent worked in his favor as well.

Amora couldn't help but to laugh when the bald man began to panic and walk back and fourth as if he were lost. It was almost like the two were brothers and one was threatening to tell on him to a parent. It amused her and she really was enjoying the show, learning more and more about her soon-to-be-employer the more he spoke.

The fact that he was able to con the man out of his coin without using any sort of stealthy trickery amazed her. It was something she thought about for a moment: being able to actually get someone to hand over their miza without brute force.

When he re-approached her with the bag of coin in hand, she was pleasantly surprised he handed it over to her. This was turning out to be a pretty good day after all. She did as he asked and put the remaining miza in the pocket of her breeches.

Fondling over his question for a moment, she rolled her eyes at him as if he were crazy.

"No, I don't typically give people things." Of course she knew what he meant, to plant something on someone to frame them for something, but she was more into taking the items off them for her own personal gain.

by **Arlo Berakailen** on August 8th, 2013, 2:06 am

"Then you will have to learn. And quickly."

Arlo sighed.

"Fundamentally, the principle is the same as that for taking an item from a target. In reality, it may require a certain degree of ... practice. Which would require time. Time we do not have."

Arlo had seen the technique many times, though he himself did not possess the skill to use it. He wasn't as small or as light as Amora, nor did he have the time to train in the abilities necessary for such work. His value was in analyzing the data once it was there, not in getting it in the first place.

"We are going to need to practice at least once, however. As the basic idea is similar, I think we should practice lifting an equivalent-sized package from a feasible target."

And this was also a way for Arlo to see just how this girl chose her targets. He desperately hoped she'd developed some sense of analysis from her days here in Sunberth.

Arlo spread his arm to indicate the market, with people bustling to and fro.

"Pick a target. But before you move a muscle against that target you must tell me why you picked it."

by **Amora Jade** on August 8th, 2013, 2:18 am

The fact that Amora would have to be learning something completely new on the spot and have to apply it made her nervous, but if it kept things quiet she was up for the challenge. Taking the purse would be easy, she had done it a thousand times. Well, maybe not easy because of how many times she had gotten caught, but it would be easier for her to do than to plant something.

Scanning the area slowly, she found a few worthy targets. She weeded them out by picking the weakest-looking and oldest of the bunch.

"The old man in the cloak." Pointing him out discreetly, she explained, "He has a bad limp in his right leg, seems to have really bad eye sight due to the amount of people that have had to dodge him, and doesn't appear to have a weapon on him." Proud of herself for her explanation so far she continued, boastful, "It helps that I'm pretty sure I've stolen from him easily before too. The purse is on his bad side right under the cloak. It shouldn't be tied to tightly because his hands are so thin and weak."

After that she looked up at him, almost looking for his approval before she darted out into the crowd to claim her prize.

by **Arlo Berakailen** on August 8th, 2013, 3:43 am

Arlo pursed his lips slightly. Not bad. Not bad at all, but it could be better.

"Hold a moment, Amora. There is no rush." he called out, when he noticed her almost straining to go after the old man.

"It's crucial to understand a fundamental principle, when doing this sort of thing," Arlo began, as he, too, began scanning the people in range, comparing heights and clothes.

"And that is risk versus reward. In your line of work, of course, risk comes as part of the territory. And taking on more risk then you are able to handle is, of course, very often likely to result in your early demise."

A pause.

"The reasoning for your choice is sound. There are a few problems, however. The most significant of which is reward. Take a closer look at the old man. See how his cloak is torn down the right side, and was not stitched up. Also note the detritus in his hair. The hair tells us he lives in the tent city; anyone living in the Sunset Quarters would not get detritus in their hair. It's Spring now, but the tear looks old, look how the edges have frayed badly. So that cloak has been torn some time ago, probably during winter when he needed it most. In an apartment in Sunset, having a torn cloak may not be that bad but in a tent ... and if he doesn't even have enough to fix his cloak, I doubt he'd have enough to feed you."

Arlo paused again. She had looked so proud of her analysis, and he didn't want to crush her spirit so completely.

"But I do agree that he would have been an easy target to hit, just that you would not have really gotten much out of it."

Arlo bit his lip as he analyzed the people passing by. His eyes were searching for distinguishing features; cloaks of a higher material, indicating wealth but not position, lack of identifying marks, to avoid gang retribution, someone who ... ah.

"As I said, you need to base your choice on both risk and reward. Focusing just on risk will make you a safe thief, yes, but it won't feed you for very long. For example, the merchants are far too high-risk. They are too stationary, and they return to the same location every day. Even if you succeeded, you could never return. Same with any members of a gang. Look for tattoos, conspicuous clothing, colored sashes tied around the head or arm. Avoid them. Because even if you escape, the gang will then be on the lookout."

Arlo thought for a moment. "Sunberth does a lot of trade from the outside. 'Tourists', we like to call them in my business. Merchants from ... out there are usually too well-guarded to hit. Their entourage, however, enjoy no such protection."

Arlo indicated one such person. He looked fairly normal.

"Observe. Sunberth can get quite ... severe during the summer. Most residents here have at least some amount of tan, as standing in the hot sun during summer is almost inevitable. If you watch his sleeve when he reaches ... there ... you'll notice he doesn't have one. Not a native then."

Arlo waited a few more brief moments.

"Then there's his clothes. Wool, not cloth. Non-native materials. Look at the hue of the shirt underneath his tunic ... there ... as he turns. That sort of dark metallic blue, is not a dye common here in Sunberth. If he were a native, he'd have to be very wealthy to afford that. But the rest of his attire does not scream wealth."

As Arlo explained, he also calculated the man's probable height and weight. About right, he figured. Perhaps a bit on the heavier side, but with a half-running start...

"The foreign merchants usually come with helpers. Aides who help them move material, or count money. He doesn't have the burly appearance of a porter. Note the lack of callouses on the hands. Probably an accountant. Or a scribe. And unlike his master, no armed guards. And as a stranger here to Sunberth, no one to call on for help, even should you fail. I see no buldge in his breast pocket, so we can assume he keeps his pouch either on his belt or in his pockets." Arlo held Amora back for a bit more, his steely eyes glued to the man. A moment later, he reached into his back pocket, lifting his cloak to do so, and pulled out his coinpurse. "There. Now we know where it is. Come on."

Without warning, Arlo took Amora's hand and led her toward the man, making sure to try to stay out of his line of vision. A few feet away, he let go of Amora's hand and made his way toward him, breaking into almost a short sprint as he reached the accountant.

"Ouf!" Arlo looked, for all the world, like a man who, in his hurry to get somewhere, had collided with the hapless tourist. "My apologies, my good sir!" Arlo cried in mock chagrin. "Please, let me help you up."

As he was hauling the man to his feet, and brushing the dust off, Arlo thought, come on, Amora. Now's your chance!

by **Amora Jade** on August 8th, 2013, 5:43 pm

The fact that Amora wouldn't get much of a reward for her efforts didn't even cross her mind. Picking weaker targets was the easiest way she could be able to get some money to buy a meal, being rich wasn't even a concern.

Never had she really paid much attention to the shipments, or the people in charge of them. The way they dressed intimidated her even if they didn't have a weapon. People who could afford nice things usually had a body guard or two standing near to fend off thieves like herself.

His speaking was turning into a lesson about other cultures as he explained what he thought of the people they were observing. Having no idea of where fabrics came from, she just assumed that all other regions had the same things and that the "accountant" had enough money to afford them.

His power of observation both confused and amazed her.

It never seemed important for her to know where people came from, all that mattered was how easily she could claim a reward. All that he was telling her would really pay off in the future.

Suddenly, and without notice, her new 'mentor' grabbed Amora by the hand and was dragging her out into the open. Frightened, she used her other hand to pull the hood of her jacket low over her head. Watching as he ran and knocked into the man he identified as the accountant, she began to think he was completely insane and this whole plan was about to go south.

A golden opportunity. Arlo had gotten the man in a perfectly vulnerable position for her to snatch his riches. Quickly, she darted around the people in the area and made her way up to the two. Without any hesitation she firmly grabbed onto the purse and ran to conceal herself in another crowd, hoping she hadn't been seen.

Her nerves began to work on her while she walked with another group of people away from that area. There were a lot of larger people who were working with the shipments and they might have tried to defend him if he called out for help.

I should just leave.. just keep all of this coin and leave him.. Her thoughts were haunting, screaming in her ears. Even if she had managed to get away with her reward, he could easily find her. Just like he had in the first place.

Instead of running, she slipped out of the crowd and hid behind an old abandoned warehouse. He will find me..

by **Arlo Berakailen** on August 9th, 2013, 1:41 am

Arlo had, of course, known where to look. While hauling the man to his feet, he'd spotted Amora sneak up from behind. Good. Snatch and run. Don't think just do, and you will be fine.

She performed beautifully, taking the purse and slipping behind an abandoned warehouse to hide. Arlo surmised it was possible that she would then break into a full-on run, and flee him, but he didn't think so. First, even if she did, it would be relatively easy to track her down. More importantly, his read on her told him that, this was probably the most profit she's earned in a long time. She'd stay.

After making his excuses, Arlo blended into the crowd, leaving he befuddled merchant's accountant behind. He didn't turn, run, or react when the man gave a cry, bemoaning his missing purse. By that time, Arlo had already vanished, yet another face among dozens.

He rounded the corner and found Amora there, just has he'd predicted. Very well then. It was time for the plan to reach its final stages.

"Good work," he complimented brusquely. "Clean, quick and efficient. In the future, if you can spot targets of opportunity such as that, you need to take it. But more important than finding a good target is avoiding the bad ones. Under no cirumstances should you steal from someone you can neither outfight nor outrun, understand?"

Arlo waited for the girl to acknowledge, before continuing to walk, with confidence that Amora would follow.

"You might be wondering what all this is for. It's a good question, but I didn't want to talk about it where we might be overheard."

Arlo looked about, searching for hiding spots or other places where unwanted ears might be hiding. Satisfied that he did not find any, he continued.

"The 'Bloods' were one of the first gangs to take over this particular section of the marketplace. They won't be in power long, but while they were here, they wanted to flex their muscle. To do that, they thought that removing one of the more notorious fences might improve their reputation."

The problem with gangs filled with brutes was that they completely lacked subtlety. Not only was it childishly easy to obtain that particular information, it was almost as though the Bloods were bragging about it. A few rumors here, a dropped hint there was all it took for them to swallow Arlo's bait.

"There's a great deal more other work to be done, but that is work I will do alone. I will need to set up countervailing rumors, contradictory stories, that sort of thing. But first, this."

Arlo started walking, slowly and deliberately. Every few moments, he held his fist up and motioned for Amora to stop, his eyes searching the rooftops. Spies abounded here, he could not afford to be seen. Finally, they reached another section of the market. It was quieter, with fewer shouting people and longer shadows.

"Welcome to the home of the Crimson Cutters," Arlo said, by way of introduction. "They're a rival gang to the Bloods, equally transient and puny in the grand scheme of things. But today they will be useful. You see, one of their lieutenants is going to receive a payoff from the Bloods. In front of his commanders."

Arlo looked at Amora. She seemed so small in this light. So fragile. It was crushingly unfair to ask her to do this, but this was Sunberth. Even someone like her had to earn their keep.

"This lieutenant was the one who brought up Rayana's name to the Cutters in the first place. If he is disgraced, his word won't be trusted. More importantly, the commanders will have to make a show. They cannot sit still while the Bloods pay off their men, they have to go to war. When the dust settles, neither one will have the clout or men needed to continue spreading her name."

Arlo didn't add that he had also manipulated events so that the gang taking their place in the market district owed him a fairly big favor. If he helped him reach a position of greater power, Arlo would have eyes and ears in the market. It seemed a fair trade.

"I'm sure you know what I'm going to need you to do. You'll know when the time is right. I will distract the lieutenant, separate him from his guards. Follow us dscreetly, and wait for the moment."

Arlo then gave Amora one of his very rare smiles.

"You'll be fine. Don't worry. Just remember! Quick, clean, and efficient. And if you get caught, run."

by **Amora Jade** on August 14th, 2013, 7:14 pm

Amora had not sat in the dirt for very long before she was found again. Somehow he knew everything she was going to do, no matter how much she fought herself in the decision. Quickly, she sprang up onto her feet and followed closely behind her.. "employer" in order to keep out of sight from anyone that might have seen the act she had just performed.

Watching him scan the area like a paranoid fool was very entertaining. There was no reason for her to believe they were being followed or watched so it didn't make much since to her, but what did she care? He could jump up and down and scream like a banshee if he wanted to, as long as he got her name off the streets.

As he began to explain the series of events that had to unfold in order for her to be in the danger she was, she became irritated and angry. It wasn't even a personal attack on her mother, it was just to put the gang into higher respects. If she had known that before, she wouldn't have been near as paranoid and careful when roaming the streets, and probably wouldn't have to have gone hungry like she had.

Their trail began to slow, he seemed to know they were coming up on someone or something. Every few steps she took she was ordered to stop, making her feel as if it were all a big game of "Follow the Leader." Finally they reached their destination. Here it wasn't near as loud or crowded, and had an eerie feel to it which made her a bit nervous.

At last her job became clear, she was going to have to help frame someone in this clan so that his words wouldn't be trusted anymore. It seemed easy enough, though at the same time she still had nerves about placing the bag on his person. That lieutenant was the one who had made their lives so hard in this past season. Her rage was difficult to control, all she wanted to do was force her dagger into the throat of that scum so that he never spoke another word. The only thing holding her back was the fact that it would possibly make the problem worse.

Instead she decided to listen to her instructor. The small smile that spread across his face made her feel more confident in her ability to perform. In some ways he was beginning to remind her of her father, someone who had always believed in her and knew her potential. The thought was very refreshing. She allowed some distance to form between them so that she could follow without being seen, and waited for her time to shine.