[The Quay] Working the streets (Zand)

[Aider Silander]

11th, Winter 514 AV

His breath was frosted by the chilled air that nipped at his skin. The man walking the grounds to clear his head was accomplishing anything but that. His mind was running ragged by everything that had been happening within the season. Though it was early most people would stick to their homes or the establishments that dotted the city of chaos. Some roaming the streets for food of some sort. The harboring of substance that was becoming hard to get within the cities boundaries. It made it harder for a man like him to gather intelligence.

His method was easier when there were crowds walking the streets and a flow that most seemed to just go with. Picking out the target and following them was a lot harder with the bare streets that winter brought about. "Petching cold... This winters frost that clings to the ground is nothing more then a blockage. There is no beauty to it." he said kicking up some of the loose powder that lined the ground.

The city had become more violent as of late. A raid upon Daggerhand territory had happened just the day before. Lot of violent acts and even a building being brought down by fire. A building that could have held many secrets. "Dira why am I cursed to be in this hallow hole of a city? Is it because I long to be beside her?" he asked aloud. Mostly to himself as there were very few people joining him in the courtyard.

Of course he probably wouldn't get an answer, at least not from the Goddess. She would be much more occupied with the delivering of the many souls that had left the plane of earth he walked the day before. His eyes turned to the building that was the Quay. He hadn't had the pleasure of really meeting many of the members that used the building as a secret base. He had really only had the pleasure of meeting two on the day that he was knocked around in the season that had come before. They had been pretty through in their trail of him. Leaving him with bruises and beatings that lasted more then a few days. Though his ego had stayed fairly in tact. Or what was left of it from the damage that this city had brought upon it day by day.

The Myrians words echoed in his mind. Her plea to get him to leave the city. To pack up and walk away without her and without further damage to his body and mind. Her plea that he had fought and argued with her about. He shook his head, he still believed that what he was doing was in the right. Staying here and trying to strengthen himself against the onslaught that the city brought. He wanted to become better in everything he did before he would try to convince her to leave the city with him. To not stay in the cursed lands of death and despair that was Sunberth. "Dira guide my path and lead me to my goal."

[Zandelia]

“Dira guides those who guide themselves in my experience Aider,” she responded as she stepped out from her position against the inside of the wall of the Quay beside the gatehouse, “or rather if one puts their trust simply in death and not at all in themselves they find Dire very quickly but guidance not at all” she finished as she held out her hand for him to shake if he so desired.

She had not been waiting for him per se, she had simply been listening to the nattering of the people in the street beyond from one of her more favourable spots to stands and think in security. Not to mention that of late she found it conducive to take up watch by the entrance to their home from time to time, it kept both herself and those with ill intentions upon their toes and she was somewhat spoiling for a little scuffle. She had hoped for a cut purse to arrive perhaps, a thief wishing to scope their abode, she would settle for one of their new associates she had been informed of though – it was perhaps wiser to do so. She had not met him so far though one of the benefits of bedding with the leader was knowing what was going on and whom had been involved – intelligence abilities notwithstanding.

“You have not had the pleasure yet, my name is Web. If you have heard of me then excellent, if not then perhaps you can discover who I am and what I do with a little smarts,” she smiled then and after their greeting indicated for him to follow her as she clasped her hands at the small of her back, “I hear Bitzer had a little fun with you? Please forgive her, she does so love her schemes. A passion we share, if in differing ways” she continued smoothly as she looked around their developing compound and wondered ever so briefly how long it would continue to stand.

Hopefully for a long time indeed,though in Sunberth long can sometimes be measured in days depending upon the context she noted with a grim bitterness.

“So what brings you to The Quay this fine day? Were you hoping to meet with her again? If so then I' sorry but she is otherwise indisposed. I can be just as good a host though should it take your fancy. Tell me though, and truthfully now,” she paused to look at him directly for a moment before continuing her slow pacing towards the house once more, “what is it that you do in the city? How do you fit into our little band?” she asked, she thought she had a decent idea by inference of information from Fallon but she liked to get the individual's own opinion where at all possible.

“Or perhaps you would like to know what I do? I would tell you but it's more revealing to see what others think than outright reveal it. So...what do you see when you look at me? And have no fear, I know I haven't washed today so you can be honest about the impression”she chuckled warmly as she continued her slow pace.

It would be interesting to hear his response,garbed in her combat gear of black leather and tools of death as she was. The cloak was gone for now, she liked a brisk chill every now and then, though she had decided to take to wearing her eye patch again as it covered her disfigurement quite neatly. There was something about being with someone that she loved that made her want to look her best, infrequent bathing to one side. They had made it to the door now and she leant against the wall beside it with loosely crossed arms as she awaited his revelations. Her fingertips throbbed still every now and then though they were improving, she was glad the cold had numbed them for now otherwise she would have winced, not a good greeting in her mind.

“Or have you come simply to gaze in well feigned awe at our little fortress?” she asked jovially.

[Aider Silander]

"Dira does indeed. But that does not mean that I can't ask from the bit of guidance from the lady of death." he said with a smile as he turned to the woman that joined him. "One who follows death would have to have confidence and trust in themselves wouldn't they? Or could one walk the same path of death as a fool though they would surely met a swift end, just like you said."

"I am Aider Silander, unlike you and the Wulf I have no nickname or call sign. Though I do not really look for one" he said, he took her hand in a form of greeting and gave it a firm shake. He paused for a moment and nodded his head. "Fun is defiantly one word for it, her and her trident wielding friend tried to beat me and put me into an almost unbeatable situation. But there is no reason to ask for forgiveness she did what she had to do. It was an interesting experience and one that I will learn from." He shrugged and scratched under his chin. "It is nice to meet you Web and I can not say that I know much about you. But a game of smarts would be a welcome challenge."

"I've come to see if there was anything I could do. Or what exactly it is that I was suppose to do. You can only follow rumors so long before they lead to the end of the line and I doubt that there are many rumors that I hear that have any benefit to the Scars as a whole" he said. "And no meeting her was not really high on my list, I guess you could say that I was just snooping, trying to find something out. Something that I am not even sure that I am looking for. Maybe the chance to meet other members." he shrugged. He had only been part of the group for a short while, and knew little about who was apart of it. This person who called herself Web, the Wulf and the Trident wielder were all he knew.

"As to what I do in the city... I gather and sell information. Mostly dealing with some of the different establishments that surround the area as well as the gangs. But I tend to stay away from the gangs as it is. It will cause to much trouble for one I hold dear and myself of course." A simple poke into fact that he was not suited for the ways of combat. He was in fact lacking in several areas of self defense and of course the one weapon that he would even consider himself decent with only worked if you were fast enough to use it. He was not sure that he was. "I don't know how I fit in with this group. I don't know why she had her eyes on me to begin with."

"What do I see? Hmm someone who could hold their own. But you don't seem like the one who does most of the fighting. You talk with a different tone, like you do something more... Behind the scenes as it were" a guess just by listening to how she spoke. The various tones in her voice as she spoke. It was something that anyone could pick up on if they tried. The way someone spoke was a sign of how they held themselves as a person. He followed behind her like he had done before. He had no reason to answer her last question as he had already given it to a question she had asked before. "Tell me if you see a way I fit into this group" he said.

[Zandelia]

“No situation in unbeatable,” she responded with consideration, “perhaps that was the point of what she put you through. To show not just that she needs tp be sure whom she can trust but also that there is always a way out. Even if it doesn’t seem that way” she continued.

“But you should know this already, if your interests lie in information and its gatherings. It’s all a puzzle, it requires only that you look at it with the right perspective. Observe,” she pulled out her tonfa and whirled them expertly before flipping them over and juggling them a few times then slipping them back, “how I look and sound less physically dangerous…yet I am probably actually more” she grinned then and clapped him on the shoulder.

She led him into the Quay and set about pouring them bot a drink of wine and bidding him sit at the table in the main room. Placing her cup down she sat opposite the man and gave him another assessment. He was well turned out for a Sunberth citizen, less dirt than most and he seemed to pride himself on the fact. It was not an unpleasant characteristic, it spoke of both dedication and attention to detail. Pride, however, was sometimes a weakness. She sipped her wine deeply before placing the cup back down and lacing her fingers underneath her chin and leaning upon her elbows. The silence drew out slightly longer than she had intended as she pondered the best way of going about what was a path forwards.

“The way you fit is by helping me Aider, with various types of job and activity,” she opened with the simple truth as she began to lay it out before him, “you may not see how you can fit but then a newcomer never understands as well as the tried and tested leader of the group does. Perhaps you feel yourself lacking? Should you not then do something to redress that than wonder what will fall before your advantage? Seek it out instead, utilize you own powers” she tilted her head as she spoke and looked at him directly, pointedly perhaps.

“You may be surprised at what strength you have. You say that rumours are not likely of interest to us. I say that you are wrong, very wrong indeed. I am starting to wonder why you think it though. Do you think so little of your occupation? Or is it your skill that you doubt?” she asked him simply – there was no need to skirt around the issue, she needed to know his strengths and weaknesses in order to use him appropriately.

Not to mention helping him, he is of no use if he does not improve. Doubtful that he will become anywhere near my ability, not for a time yet, but improvement is always good for one’s character she noted to herself privately.

“No one follows Dira without the knowledge that they are stronger than most, whether they realize it or not. Called to worship there are more forgiving deities to pick. Therefore I tend to believe that you are useful. Besides, it strikes me that helping you and getting Dira on side is not exactly the worst plan in the world so…tell..” she paused and sipped the wine once more.

“What do you see a rumour as?” she asked him, there was a challenge to the tone of the question – a lesson or two had begun.

As she waited to his answer she pulled out her money pouch and sited through it to set a random assortment of gold, silver and copper before her in stacks upon the table. It was not too much, enough to use for her purposes during the conversation at hand. It also proved perhaps a slight distraction, to see if he could maintain tracks of thought whilts the strange and curiously mysterious was happening before him – she had not told him why she was doing it after all.