The Red Diamond Tavern {Open}

[Khamina]

Summer day 12, 511 AV ~ Late Evening ~

The large wooden doors of the tavern flung open spilling forth the icy winds of Taldera in to the warm, cozy looking pub. The door slammed shut as the sound of thick leather boots trodding along the smooth floor echoed off the solid walls. The scent of food, alcohol and tobacco drifted heavily around the winterflame chamber, inviting any and all who happened to wander by. Khamina pulled out a stool from underneath a worn out looking, wooden table and took a seat not too far away from a large fire that sat at the far end of the tavern. Not to long after she had sat down a pretty looking barmaid would approach the female huntress to take her order, "The usual Khamina?" The barmaid would ask curiously which was quickly responded by a nod of the head followed by a slight grunt from the Frostfawn Vantha.

Khamina took a good look around the room untill her eyes fixated on a large animal head at the far end of the room. She had not attended the last hunting game but it seemed they had caught quite the beast. The Vantha had just come back from a hunt herself, her clothes stank of fresh animal blood and the fur that lined her leather was stained red as well as the axe that now rested against the side of the table. After the barmaid had returned with a mug of warm ale and some bread to go with it Khamina payed her the respective amount of coin and began to slowly gulp down the content of the mug. The tavern was quiet tonight but it was always like this, one moment it would be silent then the next it was suddenly booming with activity.

[Mortemor Thane II]

Summer 12th, 511 AV | Late Afternoon “I can’t believe I slept all morning,” Mortemor yawned, tears forming at the edge of her eye lashes. The frigid breeze lapping against her cheeks caused the tears to sting her eyes; helping her to shake off the sensation of tiredness. The cold of Avanthal was something Mortemor was completely unprepared for, and each day she felt herself tire faster. Today she had awoken in the afternoon to a loudly growling stomach. She managed to muster up enough strength to face the cold, and set out into the streets of Avanthal in search of a place to eat and warm her feet. The smell of burning wood, mingling with the tantalizing smell of hot chocolate, freshly baked bread, and other delicious scents wafted past her, immediately calling the redhead’s attention. “Ah! That smells so good!!!” Mortemor’s toes would have curled if she could have felt them in that moment. Following her finely tuned nose, Mortemor happened onto a large wooden building with a warm inviting glow emanating from its quaint windows. The worn wooden sign at its entrance read, ‘The Red Diamond Tavern’. Hopeful that she would find a source of nourishment inside, the young woman pushed past the doors and into the establishment. A blast of tepid air licked at Morte’s skin, allowing her some comfort from the cold environment. The tavern had a mild atmosphere, there were no arguments raging and no fights were about to break out; which was a far cry from the taverns Mortemor had grown up knowing. In Zeltiva, salty sailors were always looking for a fight, and each time she had gone to pick up a keg of Kelp beer for her father, she would nearly get caught up in the middle of a bar wide brawl each time. It was a welcomed change of pace. The bar was divided into two floors; the second floor was etched into the building directly over the bar. At the far end of the room sat the mouth of a fire place, its mantle had been decorated with the head and horns of some large unidentifiable beast. The young Halfling found herself marveling at it as she came closer to the fire pit. She quietly joined a few other patrons who had decided to gather near the main source of warmth in the room, and choose to sit in one of the cushioned chairs surrounding the fireplace. A barmaid approached her soon after and asked in broken Common if Morte wanted anything to eat and drink. Mortemor decided to start off with some hot chocolate, and gave the woman a silver miza for the drink. Out of the corner of her eye, Morte spotted an intimidating looking woman with wild hair and an even more wild look in her eyes. She wore the pelts of many animals, and her equipment and garments had been stained with a fresh kill. “I wonder if she’s a huntress…” Mortemor thought, remembering wanting to search out a hunter to help her navigate the country side, and possibly teach her a thing or two about survival. Maybe, this was her chance. When she was sure the wild woman’s eyes had glanced in her direction, Mortemor nodded at her; not exactly sure how to strike up a conversation with such a ferocious looking female.

[Khamina]

Khamina had been placed in some sort of trance as she peered on at the horned beast that lay above the smoldering flames of the fire beneath. Hundreds of question floated around her mind such as how was the animal killed? How many people did it take? What weapon was used? The huntress would take another long gulp of warm ale as she washed down the remains of the softly crusted bread. The sound of wood scraping on wood was heard as a chair was pulled out from under the same table that Khamina had been seated at. Her eyes, now a shade of turquoise veered from the table and on to the figure who was taking a seat.

Flaming red hair was the first thing the huntress could take note of, a young, slender looking girl with bright red hair. Clearly this young woman was not from around here as Khamina had never seen such pale skin and vivid hair colour. The red head took her time to settle down and ordered some hot chocolate from the barmaid nearby, Khamina continued to stare at the peculiar looking female making sure she hadn't missed out on any other bizarre features. The girl would glance up at the huntress for a moment and when she did she gave a kind of half nod at Khamina, who in response grinned with bared teeth. It was obvious that this red head had wanted to engage in conversation yet she seemed hesitant, unsure of what to say.

Assuming she would have to be the one to start the conversation, Khamina mustered up whatever common she could remember and said "You not from here, yes?" Her voice was accented in an almost musical tone, the same tone that can be heard in most Vani syllables. She had not used the common language often and hadn't practiced it in over ten years thus it was rather rusty. The huntress pulled back her chair slightly and rested her thick leather boots on the table waiting for a response from the timid young lady.

[Mortemor Thane II]

Summer 12th, 511 AV | Late Afternoon Mortemor watched the dark haired woman turn to muster what could have been interpreted as a smile (or a threat). In this vicinity the red-headed halfling could now see that the wild woman's face was marred with several thick scars running across her cheeks; despite this she still held an untamed beauty within her aquamarine eyes. Her fur-trimmed garbs hung heavy about her athletic frame, damp with snow and blood. The sizable Axe sitting at her heels also hinted that the woman might have been a survivalist. "You not from here, yes?" The large intimidating woman spoke with a heavy Vanthan accent; giving the words a slight melody as they left her lips. Mortemor felt a bit relieved, but was still nervous. Growing up in rowdy place like Zeltiva had taught the girl to mind her tongue, especially around people who were bigger than you.... and who also wielded an axe. "Uh-uh... Yes! I mean-- No!" Mortemor tumbled over her words, mentally cringing at how stupid she must have looked. She took a deep breath determined not to make a bigger fool of herself. "What I mean to say is... I'm from Zeltiva... and I'm on my way to the Kalea region... uh, you wouldn't happen to be a hunter would you?" Mortemor uttered the last part of her sentence cautiously eying the axe at the woman's side.

[Khamina]

"Uh-uh... Yes! I mean-- No!"

Khamina chuckled at the red heads blunder of words whilst taking another long sip of warm ale. The huntress listened carefully to what the young lady had to say, apparently she had traveled from a place that Khamina had never heard of and was headed toward the Kalea region. This meant she would have to travel through the Northern Wastes and Khamina deducted the girl was neither built nor equipped to travel through it alone. Then came the good part...

"uh, you wouldn't happen to be a hunter would you?" The flaming haired lady would ask almost hesitantly, her emerald stare fixated on the axe that rested on the side of the table.

"...and if I am?" The huntress would reply as her tongue licked the corner of her own lips, her eyes shining a bright gold from excitement. "You need guard? There be pay?" The musical version of the common language returned as she removed her feet from the table and brought herself closer toward the pale-skinned lady. Truth be said she had been looking for a good excuse to get out of this frozen wonderland, payment would have just been a bonus, besides, imagine the beasts she would get to fight along the way. "Barmaid, bring us two mug's of ale!!" Khamina yelled in Vani, if the red head didn't drink then the huntress would be more than happy to consume her share of alcohol to.

[Mortemor Thane II]

Summer 12th, 511 AV | Late Afternoon Mortemor eyes ran down the length of the woman’s boots, even beneath the skin of leather that hugged her limbs, the red head could see the sturdiness of the woman’s calves and thighs. The woman must have run through the wilds daily to become that fit. Mortemor’s heart grew hopeful, ‘Maybe she can teach me how to hunt!’ She thought “…and if I am?” The huntress’s eyes shined in a gilded light, causing Mortemor pulse’s to quicken slightly. "You need guard? There be pay?" The larger woman took her heavy leather boots from the table, and leaned forward; peering over at the younger miss. Mortemor could anticipate a business negotiation about to come about, especially when the lady huntress yelled something in the local tongue toward the bar. She could see the barmaid scrambling to fill two tall mugs with ale. Mortemor had never drank before, except for the occasional time when her father would dare her to drink a whole glass of the Kelp beer concoction back in Zeltiva. She figured whatever they served here couldn’t possibly be as bad as that, and she wasn't about to turn down the woman's hospitality. She took a deep gulp of her hot chocolate first, preparing her taste buds for whatever the barmaid was about to bring over. The taste of warm, rich, and sweet coco practically melted whatever chill she still felt in her body; and the pleasant, welcoming aroma wafting from the cup put her in a good mood. Mortemor asked, pulling her attention away from the contents of her mug. She wasn’t sure how much common the woman spoke or understood, but she’d figured she’d at least try and see how far she’d get. “I can pay you a fair price for services rendered. I will also pay for any repairs you may need on your weapons or equipment… but I’m not only looking for a guard, I want to be taught the skills you know.” She set her mug on the table the Vanthan had just had her feet perched upon. “You see I believe ‘if you give a man a fish, he’ll eat for one day… but if you teach him how to fish, he’ll never go hungry.’… Although I appreciate your protection, I would really love to be able to fend for myself!” She began to dig through her robes again for her purse. “How far will you be willing to escort me and teach me? And what amount do you think would be fair?” From past experiences, working at her father’s shop, Mortemor knew how to open for negotiations. Starting with how much the seller would let go of an item for. You usually negotiated down from there, but Mortemor had no intention of cheating the woman. If she could truly teach her how to become a hunter and how to defend herself in the wild, Mortemor would repay her handsomely! "by the way, my name is Mortemor, Mortemor Thane the second. At your service!" She extended her hand in a greeting.

[Khamina]

Khamina watched eagerly as the red head finished off what was left of her hot drink, gulping heavily as to finish it quickly before speaking.

“I can pay you a fair price for services rendered. I will also pay for any repairs you may need on your weapons or equipment… but I’m not only looking for a guard, I want to be taught the skills you know.” The fragile looking lady would respond, a small spark of confidence seemingly burning within her emerald eyes. As naive as the young lady had seemed she sure knew how to negotiate in under the table deals, not only had she made quite a satisfying bargain but also she had demanded more from the huntress than Khamina had originally pressumed. This was no ordinary person that would empty their pockets just to get home safely no, this girl had some form of experience.

“You see I believe ‘if you give a man a fish, he’ll eat for one day… but if you teach him how to fish, he’ll never go hungry.’… Although I appreciate your protection, I would really love to be able to fend for myself!”

The huntress cocked back her head and resisted the overpowering urge to burst out laughing, sure she could teach her a thing or two about surviving in the wilderness but hunting was on a whole new level, afterall, Taldera was one of the few places where the beasts hunted YOU. The red head's hands would scurry around for her coin bag as she continued to negotiate about payment.

"by the way, my name is Mortemor, Mortemor Thane the second. At your service!" The red head exclaimed cheerfully as she held out a hand toward the huntress. Khamina took the fragile looking hand and squeezed, the girl would feel some pressure but not enough to cause any kind of pain as a wicked grin formed on the corner of Khamina's lip. "Twenty gold Mizas, to end of Taldera, after that more negotiate, fair?" Rusted common came whirling back as the huntress attempted to seal the deal, twenty gold mizas was a fairly reasonable price, many others would charge double even triple for what the red head had demanded. Just then the barmaid returned with two large mugs of warm ale in each hand, she placed them both on the table whilst Khamina removed some coin from a pocket. "So what you say?" The dark haired Vantha would probe, sliding a mug of ale across the table in Mortemor's direction. "Call me Khamina..."

[Mortemor Thane II]

The brunette huntress looked as though she were amused by Mortemor’s request, and answered her in a sing-song voice. Mortemor listened closely to the woman’s counter offer. She asked for only 20 gold for the travel across Taldera, and would renegotiate the deal when they had crossed the border to Kalea. The young red head mulled over the offer for a bit, considering that it was a very fair price, for what she had asked. She in fact had expected the barbarian woman to ask for something more in the range of 50 gold, but this was a satisfying and unexpected turn. The huntress slid the mug of ale in front of Mortemor; mentioning that her name was Khamina. “Deal!” Morte finally chimed happily. “I’ll give you half at the beginning of the trip, and half when we get to the border.” She eyed the drink cautiously and snatched up the mug and raising it to her lips, the bitter smell nipped at her nostrils, but she still took a large swig. The amber colored liquid went down roughly, earning a turned face from Mortemor, followed by a few hacks. “I’d—like to… get to know you—better, Khamina…. If you don’t mind.” She sputtered, the taste staining her mouth.

OOCSO so sorry for the freaking lateness -.- My brain was soooooo fried from playing like 20+ hours of mass effect just to beat it and get it out of the way. I’m also sorry this is so short. I just wanted to get back into the groove of things before I start getting rusty >.<

[Khamina]

“Deal! I’ll give you half at the beginning of the trip, and half when we get to the border.” The red head would exclaim as they both took a long hard sip of ale from the mugs on the table. Khamina mused at Mortemor as she scrunched up her face and coughed violently after the drink. Once the young lady had leveled her breathing, she talked about wanting to get to know the huntress a little better. "We have plenty time to talk on journey but, I am interested, why Kalea?" The barbarian woman responded, her grammer was improving slightly as common started drifting back after so many years of non-use.

OOCLikewise, sorry for the short post, didn't have much to work with XD

[Mortemor Thane II]

"We have plenty time to talk on journey but, I am interested, why Kalea?" The Barbarian woman asked, eyeing her closely after taking a much smoother drag from her mug. Mortemor stared into the mug in her lap for an instant. The yellowish brew held her reflection and Morte suddenly felt very nostalgic. The same look she imagined having on her face when she told her mother she would leave, would always somehow find its way back onto her face each time she explained her pilgrimage’s purpose. “Have you ever dreamt about flying, Khamina?” Mortemor’s expression was one of serene yet steeled determination. “I want to fly… so,” She continued slowly, her emerald eyes flashing up to the larger woman’s eyes. “I want to go to Wind Reach to become an Endal…” Her words were sure and her tiny voice rung clearly as she spoke. The fire dancing in the mouth of pit, set a deep orange glow across Mortemor’s face; causing the color of her bright green eyes to seem like a dusky sunset. There was passion burning deep within her, as hot and red as the hair on her head. “I feel like this is what I was meant to do… I want to see this through…” Morte casted a far off gaze toward the fireplace, allowing its swirling flames to take her mind elsewhere, briefly. “Could you imagine it Khamina? Flying on the back of a giant eagle! There’s virtually no where you couldn’t go!” Excitement was swelling in her heart as her mind’s eye frolicked with thoughts of endless flights on giant wings.

OOCAgain sorry for the lateness~! I promise if I am ever absent it will never be for more than two days XP This one is still a bit sucky, but I feel like I'm coming out of my slump ^.^