Closed A Lost Day Dawned[Maya Frostfawn]

[Moritz Craven]

5 Summer 523

Information. The longer he stayed in Sunberth, the more Moritz came to understand how important it was. Thinking to himself as he walked along, the Kelvic pondered on the information he was lacking, the information he had, and what was in between those two. A lack of information meant danger. Having information, while not meaning safety, was certainly a step along that route.

Information was the reason Moritz found himself today alone, walking the route between the castle commons market and the docks where the Drunken Fish was to be found. He had walked that route before while doing his job, but had been forced to go in blind. And so today he was searching for information so as to make his next trip safer. Information like various routes to reach a place. The people that frequented those routes... Which ones were safer or quicker than another... Where problems were likely. Where to go to run if an escape was needed... All of those he tried to observe as he walked along the route he picked, planning to at the end backtrack and take another route. He hoped that by repeating this process enough he would garner some useful intelligence for his job, and make his job that much easier.

As it was he was traveling a bit on the light side, having left most of his things back at his home other than what was stowed in his magical storage items he did not expect anyone to find or unravel. To any outward appearances he was mostly unencumbered, and he hoped appearing not worth getting into with. And anyone with the magical ability to find or work his hidden items, well he knew that was unlikely in Sunberth. Plus he was a bit short on funds, having dropped a good bit on his house, so even were he to be robbed he would not have much. It meant on this day the main things Moritz needed to worry about was scoping out routes and people, and keeping himself safe. Not necessarily in that order by importance, the Kelvic silently chided and reminded himself.

Wearing his button up one piece suit, the Kelvic had his usual items on him he could not remove, such as his charm bracelet. He also had a pair of daggers on his waist, one on either side of his belt, and he had his sand gauntlet extended to cover his left arm. The blades were currently retracted, making it appear he had an odd piece of bluish green armor but no other visible weapons or oddities other than its color. Having been caught needing it before he had extended the item before he left home to avoid anyone seeing him equip it, though he left the blades retracted to avoid any problems with those. The Kelvic was certain extending blades out of nowhere from a gauntlet would be odd, but not quite as odd perhaps as manifesting the gauntlet itself out of nowhere.

Moving along, Moritz checked out the people along his route. Walking down a street he saw several children running off to the side. There was also a large rat walking down the street nonchalantly as if he owned the place, a bone partially covered in meat in its mouth... Moritz hoped that was from an animal as the giant Sunberth rat suddenly vanished into a small opening on the side of a building. He also saw a few men walking about even more armed than Moritz, and without thinking he focused on each of them in turn to check their combat presence. Willing it into action one by one he inspected each of them, finding none had a crazy amount of presence. All were close to his own. Not that it meant he would win in a fight, particularly since there was more of them, but that he would not be instantly overwhelmed.

Luckily none of these men seemed interested in starting a fight for no reason and no gain, and so they silently walked by heading the other way while eyeing Moritz in turn. With that he inwardly let out a sigh of relief, before further inspecting the route he was taking.

WC: 701

[Maya Frostfawn]

Maya was low on supplies. It had become a constant in her life as a nuit--although she no longer needed food or water, or even to sleep or breathe, her delicate body required shelter, which she had already secured. Although it wasn't in ideal shape, as was the case in most if not all of Sunberth. She also needed to shelter her body from discovery for the nature of her life--a thread hanging between the realm of the living and that of the dead, was one that most frowned upon. One that most didn't understand and feared for they worried that their body would be taken next and put to nefarious uses before it simply... fell apart, decayed. Although Maya didn't need a new body just yet, she did need to protect her body from prying and unwanted eyes at all times. She did this in a number of ways, to the best of her ability, but mainly through the use of disguise. And this, of course, was where being low on both supplies and funds became a problem. Because if she was low on funds, she couldn't afford the things that would help her disguise her body and she had to find other, more "budget friendly" options to keep herself alive. Lately, she had been experimenting with the things she found around Sunberth and could gather (relatively) easily on her own. Things like dirt. Let's be honest, it was mainly a mixture of dirt and dust. And so far, her work had been less than ideal, less than satisfactory. She wondered if this was simply because of the nature of the dirt surrounding her house. It was caught somewhere between light and dark and was also, fairly dry. Perhaps a sample on either end of the color spectrum could be mixed with it to create a better earthen paint, or perhaps one on either end of the spectrum would serve her needs better. Maybe something even drier or wetter would serve better and maybe she could find some wild plants she could use to make dyes or other effects through crushing and destruction. Maya simply wasn't sure. She hadn't really had to travel this path before although she had been a nuit for some time now. Disguise wasn't a necessity when you were in Sahova, surrounded by others of your kind and those who clung to true life, to the need to breathe, eat, drink and sleep, were the strange ones, the outsiders who were looked down upon. But now, disguise was a necessity and she needed to conduct some research and review all of her options in order to ensure that she had the best chance of never being discovered for what she truly was and to maintain her best chances at survival... which in truth, she should have considered more closely before coming to Sunberth, but that was another consideration for another day. After wrapping herself in her usual attire and throwing her Akajia robe over it, pulling her hood high over her head to cast shadows along the length of her face, Maya quickly rubbed some dirt into her hands and up and around her wrists to make her appear dirtier than she actually was and help disguise the nature and color of her skin. She delicately did the same with her neck, although most of her neck was obscured and hidden by her attire, and the same with her cheeks, although the same could be said for it. When she was finished, she emptied her bag and slung it over her shoulder, so that she'd have something to place any supplies she found within. Although, if they were loose piles of dirt, they'd simply make a mess and she'd have to clean it out later. She supposed she should consider buying some cheap but relatively durable containers for that purpose, but knew she should obtain some more funds before actually doing that. When she was as satisfied as she could be with her budget disguise and form shrouded in the mystery of her attire, the nuit set out from her flat, locking it behind her, although she once again wondered if that would even make a difference or matter in a city such as this. The day was fine and she had not been within Sunberth's limits for long, so she wasn't the most familiar with its pathways and layouts, and she soon found herself in an unfamiliar part of the city. She wandered absently, taking her time as she moved so she could survey her surroundings--some whores headed to work, dilapidated buildings, rubble lining the pathways she traversed. So many things came and went in her travels and although her eyes didn't catch on any vegetation, she noticed tons and tons of dirt and grime as well as rocks. Sometimes the dirt was dustier, sometimes it was damper. Sometimes it was darker, and sometimes it was far lighter than the samples she was accustomed to seeing around her house. Although the dusty dirt might come in handy, a part of her wondered if she could simply dry out the dirt around her house, and she kept from gathering it. Although a part of her longed to do so, there were a fair amount of people about and she didn't want them to find her actions suspicious. Another thing she really should have considered before heading out that day. Perhaps she was losing her touch, a bit of her more logical and analytical mind, but then again... she was new here and she chalked most of her newfound problems and considerations up to her not needing to consider any of these things before. She kept walking, and as she kept walking, she gathered shadows. Long and dark, as the sun stretched over her head. OOC: Feel free to take it from here; I'll follow your lead on the next bit we discussed.

[Moritz Craven]

As Moritz continued on his way, he suddenly had to stop. Mentally placing the route he had taken before over the street before him, he saw a change. Namely, someone had built an entire ramshackle structure across the opening that would normally lead along the street and blocking the entire flow of traffic. Looking around Moritz saw several others had known of this, and were cutting down an alley before running into the obstruction. With no other path possible, Moritz started to head back, watching the people crossing into a side street that he believed would lead around the obstruction.

As he did the Kelvic paused for a moment, watching several people head into this street. It was still technically a street, not an alley, but somehow it was darker and more shadowy than the others around it like the one he had been walking on before. Looking more closely he soon saw why, the structures around it were oddly lopsided at the top, leaving Moritz to wonder if the entire row of buildings would one day just topple over. Still, eying the shapes and angles, he did not think he was in immediate danger of being crushed. Not being a builder himself he could not be sure, but he felt sure enough to go in.

Just as he finally worked up himself to enter an odd somewhat suspicious person walked into the shadowy street. Looking at them they were shorter than he was, though admittedly being on the tall side this was not uncommon. Something about them seemed off to the Kelvic, eyeing them as they moved. And it was then as they walked a few more steps that he grasped it, his knowledge of body motion from practicing both combat and acrobatics coming in. She did not move right. How she moved wrong he did not know, but somehow... He could tell there was something off with her.

Of course, with the ever present stench of burning coming off the heap smell was not a factor, and in open air likely would have set off the Kelvic much faster. But with that foul smell covering the dead rotting body and preservatives used on it, he was left with only other senses. And looking at her walk, he could tell she was... Wrong. Her gait, looking at it, he could tell she walked wrong. Slow, and a bit jerky, but not so obvious to a casual observation. For some reason it reminded him of someone dragging another persons limbs along, rather than a person walking. Like someone else was moving her. It was the feeling the Kelvic gathered from observation, whether it was totally or even partially wrong or right.

Without further thought Moritz slowly began to follow along the street, and focused on the person heading off away from him while activating his combat sense focused on them. And when he did, the Kelvic saw something he did not think he had seen before. Nothing. Nothing at all in terms of combat presence. As if the person had no ability to fight or defend themselves. It was odd, since Moritz had used it before in Syka on children, and even they had some sparks of presence. Some more than others. Not to mention a certain stuffed animal he had been shown which even outstripped his current presence. How then did someone with no presence at all manage to get by here?

More confused the more Moritz inspected them, the Kelvic considered talking to the person. Surely there was some story, some explanation, to explain the oddity. For now he just kept walking at a steady and a bit slow pace behind them, tailing behind the person a fair few feet. The Kelvic was not overly stealthy in his approach, nor was he trying. To most it would just seem though that they were just walking along at the same direction and not passing.

As he considered his options though, two youth came out of a side alley connecting to the street, and began following in between Moritz and the person before him. These two while not overly stealthy, were clearly to an active observer trying to be sneaky. One was walking on either side of the person, a few paces behind. As if trying to box the person in... Eyeing them in turn Moritz checked each of their presences, and found they were normal. Weaker than his own, but not bad for someone who did not even appear to be a preteen. Both were smaller than the other person, but had strength in numbers. They also seemed to have some kind of weapon on them, something Moritz had seen move about their person, though he could not tell what. Was it a proper weapon? A chunk of rusty metal broken off something? A random scrap or shiv? He could not tell.

Walking along silently he then noticed something else he was unsure the other person had noticed. Of course, he was also unsure if they had noticed himself, or the two preteens tailing them even more closely from behind. The new thing he had noticed was a person peering around a corner, standing just out of sight but peeking out from another side alley of the street.

It all made sense then. The two were behind, to box her in there. And the other was... What, going to jump out in front of the person and stop them, while the two from behind acted? Something like that. It seemed a simple enough thing, a trap of sorts, though they were children. As the odd combat less person before him walked nearer and nearer the alley, Moritz pondered what he should do. Wait and see what would happen? Of course if he interfered, the others would likely act... And what reason did he have to get involved, besides them being weak?

With such thoughts in mind Moritz waited, checking to see what would happen, before deciding what he would do when the time came. For himself he readied his body, stretching a bit as he walked to limber up, in case he suddenly needed to leap into action if he decided to help.

If they did nothing though, and just kept walking, they would inevitably walk into the trap, with the two from behind blocking her, while the other holding a glinting weapon that appeared to be a small dagger came at them from the front and accosted her.

WC: 1,080

[Maya Frostfawn]

Shadows clung to each step she took, slithering in her wake as she moved through the city. She could hear them, their steps against the dusty earth. Their breathing, growing steadily louder, as though in excitement, or perhaps even exhaustion. Although the day was young enough, everyone kept their own schedule, a different schedule, and it was possible they had been up for some time. And as those shadows crept closer to her, so did the shadows cast by her surroundings. Those that could not move, those that could not follow. She soon found herself enclosed in gray, and unable to find a way out of the darkness, simply because she knew not what path to take, being as unfamiliar with the city as she was, ensnared within a spider's web. There were two youths behind her, and another in front, his weapon obscured by shadow. His lips curled into a cruel grin. She stopped, and simply stared at the child. (Everyone was a child to her, these days). When no one spoke for what felt like quite some time, she quirked her right eyebrow. "Yes?" she said simply, in no mood to deal with the youth, his antics, and their cohorts. The youth didn't back down, his dark gaze was roaming over her shrouded form, as though trying to drink her in and size her up. His hand tightened around his weapon as his friends hovered behind her, presumably waiting for some sort of signal from what she assumed was their leader. "Hand over your valuables or we'll cut your throat," the boy replied. Maya blinked, what is it with youth these days never being very nice? she wondered as she gingerly pulled her bag off her shoulders, opened it carefully, and then turned it over. Nothing fell out. She shook it a few times, as though she expected something to come tumbling out if only she shook the bag hard enough. But nothing came out no matter how hard she shook. "I'm afraid I don't have anything of value," she replied in a calm tone, devoid of emotion. "In fact, I have nothing at all, save for the bag and the clothes on my back." The boy made a sort of tcking sound, as though he didn't quite believe her and motioned to his friends; they quickly came and relieved the nuit of her bag. She didn't even put up a fight. There was no way she could win and there wasn't anything worth defending on her person. Perhaps, if she simply remained calm, she could make it out of this situation alive. If not, she would finally join the ghosts. Or the dead. One or the other. Actually, both, since ghosts were technically dead. Really dead. Not this sort of dead that Maya was used to being. The sort of dead that wasn't quite dead but wasn't quite alive either. Unlife. "She wasn't lying," one of the two boys who had taken her bag said as he moved away from her, his sandy blonde hair falling over his eyes as he continued to move his hand through the empty bag. "There isn't anything in here, and no false pockets from what I can tell." "How can that be?" the leader growled. "Surely, she can't be that poor. Look at how she's dressed." Maya looked down at herself. She didn't exactly look like she was living in the lap of luxury--her clothes were old, a tad worn, and dusty. She couldn't say she knew what the youth was talking about. The boy holding her bag shrugged. "How am I supposed to know?" he asked as the boss growled again, as though to complain about his friend's stupidity. "You're going to pay for this," the boss said. "For what? My lack of belongings?" "Don't be smart with me," the boy replied. Maya imaged it was something his mother had said to him quite often, and still said to him quite often, if she was still alive. Youth didn't speak that way, to her knowledge. At that point, she didn't have so much as a moment to blink before the boy charged at her with his weapon; it glinted ominously as it caught a shred of light that trickled down through the shadows. Maya barely had time to lurch out of the way of his charge; she couldn't afford to get hurt--Niut couldn't heal. The boy ran past her toward his friends, weapon exposed, teeth clenched together in anger. Kids these days... Always such a nuisance...

[Moritz Craven]

Slowing his walk as events began to unfold, Moritz kept a bit back to see what would happen. It was simple enough to listen in on the conversation, and all of the parties involved were so focused on each other that none of them seemed to even notice his presence other than as another random person walking down the street.

In the end things turned violent, though not exactly in the way he had expected. The person, a woman he believed, had nothing on her. She was possession less, and had nothing but a empty sack and the clothes on her back to steal. Well, that and her person, but he did not take the children to be slavers. They clearly were not equipped to subdue someone and drag them off to sell them as a slave, and did not have the strength to likely do so even if they had the proper stuff. No they were simply ruffians looking to rob a random lone person who looked weak.

Regardless, it was not the score they had been expecting clearly. They were also children, and emotions were running high. The woman's somewhat curt responses also did not help deescalate the situation any. Yes she was just speaking the truth, not too unlike how Moritz used to talk back in Lhavit. But this was not Lhavit, this was Sunberth, and such curtness was not a good idea if you did not have the skills to back it up.

In truth, in terms of years lived, Moritz was definitely the youngest of all of them, the woman and the children, but being a Kelvic he did not age quite the same as them. Physically he was an adult, and in certain aspects mentally he was more advanced. In others though he was just as immature as these children.

Suddenly things escalated when their talking reached its end, and the woman lurched and almost fell out of the way. It more than likely would have been a decisive hit, at least if the youth had actually been aiming at her instead of his comrade who was his actual target. Clearly he was annoyed that he had spotted and tailed a miza less woman rather than someone of worth. It was the back ends of the traps work, he assumed, to pick out and follow a target. The front end then pinned them in place and they worked together to come at the person. In the end it had failed though, as they had chosen poorly.

Finally deciding to act, Moritz stepped forward a few paces swiftly to put himself within the scrum of youth. Reaching out with one gauntlet covered arm he swept said armored limb upward, aiming at the boys wrist. His aim was a bit off, not used to dealing with people so short, and hit instead on his forearm. All the same in the end it was enough to slow the boy down in surprise and make him lose his handhold on his weapon. Gripping the front of the youths top Moritz peered down at him, meeting his eyes with a glare.

Not understanding what was going on one of the two from behind, who had been about to be stabbed, came at Moritz as well. Without letting go of the grip he turned his body partially to inspect him. He was in fact holding some weird piece of jagged metal, a broken off shiv, rather than a proper weapon. Waiting until he neared Moritz held his place, and then as he got close Moritz kicked upward with his right leg aimed at the youths gut. At the impact he dropped his weapon and let out a huff of air. Moritz had hit hard enough to sting and wind him, but not hard enough he hoped to seriously hurt him.

"That's enough, all of you. Get out of here."

For a few moments Moritz met their glare, stern faced, and waited. Eventually though all three of the trio ran off, though Moritz was unclear what for. Perhaps he was just that intimidating... Or having been unarmed so easily perhaps they had realized they were outmatched... Or they had just decided it was not worth the trouble of keeping after the woman. In the end all three ran off, grabbing there fallen weapons as they did before vanishing into an alley.

Left now amid the open street, with quite a few eyes starting to gather, Moritz eyed the woman.

"And you... Yeah we should get out of here. This way, alright?"

Expecting the woman to follow along Moritz headed off back down the street. He assumed the woman would follow, since it did not seem like they were gathering the good kind of attention. He would make sure to keep his pace slow to allow her to keep up, turning as he walked to question her if she followed.

"Yeah so whats your story? You a slave or something, or recently escaped? How did you end up here, without a Miza to your name? Not to mention, how the petch are you so weak? I mean other places maybe, but Sunberth? How are you still alive and not enslaved with skills that lacking? Or dead in a alley..."

WC: 877

[Maya Frostfawn]

Maya just barely managed to keep herself from falling and making herself an easy target. Well... an easier target than she had been a moment before, when she heard footsteps approaching. Another one? Had she been human still, her heart might have raced and her breath might have caught in her throat, but she was one of the undead, and emotional responses did not come easily to her, nor did they feel entirely natural when they did occur. She might have been afraid, could she truly feel, for she was surrounded by youth who clearly meant her harm, but another moment passed and a new, older sounding voice filled the air. Its owner came into focus a moment later and... joined her side? What in the world? She couldn't say she had been expecting that. Although she hadn't spent long in Sunberth, she could tell it was the sort of city that wasn't exactly known for its hospitality or plethora of kind and caring folk. A few blinks, what would have been a few human heartbeats, and it was over. At least, as inconveniently distracted as she was, it sure seemed that way. And then he was calling her, telling her to come away. Maya nodded. "Lead the way," she said, as she stepped into his shadow and did her best to keep up. "And thank you for helping me," she wasn't sure why she was following the stranger, or why he had helped her, but doubt there was little that could be worse than the situation she had just escaped. For a nuit... anyway... Maya blinked. Well... the stranger was a bit curt and to the point. "No," she answered. Although she could see how he would come to such a conclusion, she thought her attire, which wasn't exactly rags but not exactly fine either, would keep her from being confused with a slave. "Not everyone was made for fighting," she continued, simply. "Some hands were made for other things... for other vocations. For healing as opposed to hurting." He must be younger than he looks, she thought to herself. The Kelvic reminded her of the younger Vantha from her earlier days--the ones that were always trying to prove themselves, to outdo the others with feats of bravery and strength. Things that always came down to weapons, fighting, and blood... and stitches at the end of the day. "My hands were made for healing and although I cannot fight, I suppose that's what's kept me alive." She paused, considering her words, losing herself in the rhythm of her steps and the distant sounds of people shouting and footsteps on a mixture of dust and gravel. Voices lost in conversation. "I'm more use to people alive, as a lady of herbs and medicine than anything else." She didn't suppose that explained why she hadn't been enslaved for her skills, but she supposed it was enough of an explanation as to why she was still alive. "Have you been fighting long?" she studied him. He didn't seem particularly well built, but also, not as flabby as a child or something either.

[Moritz Craven]

Moritz, not one for beating around the bush, immediately asked his questions of the woman once they had moved a bit away from the scene of the encounter.

Simply nodding along at her quick thanks, Moritz moved, keeping his eyes open for anyone approaching with malicious intent. Getting involved in things in Sunberth was an easy way to paint a target one both of their backs, and so getting away from the spot seemed like a good idea. However with her odd movement their escape was somewhat limited, and he had to force himself to keep a pace that would not leave her far behind.

"Eh, your welcome. Honestly, you looked like you needed help... And just leaving you to get caught up in things did not seem like the right thing to do."

If nothing else the... Person? Woman? Whoever it was, Moritz thought to himself, they seemed willing to follow along. Of course, trying to help out seemed a likely reason. That or she just did not think it would get worse by following along. Plus if he wanted to, Moritz acknowledged, he could easily abscond with and sell her there in front of people or somewhere else which meant no change to her in terms of danger. So following along then seemed logical enough to do. Either he was malicious, in which case she would be no worse off, or he was not and then she would be better off. Thinking in that light, her following along seemed to make more sense.

When she answered no Moritz grinned to himself, finding it satisfying that the stranger was at least following along with the conversation as they moved. It was at about that point Moritz noticed something odd. After all of those events, and now moving off at a clip, the stranger was not short of breath. He had assumed from her lacking combat presence she was just physically weak, but perhaps not if she did not have any trouble keeping up without speeding up her breathing. Of course he did not notice they were not breathing properly at all, that still eluded him.

"Not everyone is made for fighting. That is true enough. But this is Sunberth. I don't know that such a statement really applies here. If your made for living, your likely made for fighting. At least if you want to stay alive. That or you know someone who is made for fighting to watch out for you. If your gonna stay in this city, I would advise doing one or the other, learning to fight or having someone to watch out for you who can. That or if you don't want to fight or hire someone, at least get better at running. Heck even I do that if I run into someone too clearly strong to face."

Listening to the strangers response, Moritz tried to ponder over what she meant, and ending up feeling like he had met others with similar professions but not recalling who exactly. By this point the two of them had moved far enough away from the conflict that they could slow down, and Moritz was able to focus more on their route than simply getting away. At the moment he still wanted to find a path to the market area, and so focused back on finding a way there. As he looked about, not often meeting the strangers eyes, he continued talking.

"Yeah I'll be honest. Just from my short time in this city, it seems like half a miracle you are not dead or enslaved. I mean how in Dira's name have you gotten by so far with that sort of plan? Having a skill of use is fine and all, but that seems a good way to get yourself enslaved if you cannot protect yourself or have no ones name to protect you. I can protect decently enough with most basic situations, but I'm not strong enough to protect by name alone just yet. I've gotta be actually there, glaring and looking menacing and throwing a few punches if I want people to keep off my charges. By the fact that your alone, it means either your making a bad judgement, or you secretly have some backer with a scary name that would spook someone off... Which for some reason you are not mentioning now or back then."

Nodding along to his own words, Moritz wondered again at the woman not having ended up in chains.

"Fighting? Yeah, I think I started learning how to fight when I was little. Maybe... When I was a few seasons old at most. My old combat master Kyra had a firm hand, and liked to knock lessons into me. I can do a few other things as well, but I've probably spent more time learning to fight in my life than not."

Not fully considering how odd what he was saying would be considered when applying it to anyone but a Kelvic, Moritz thoughtlessly named off the rough time when he had begun his training. But while a human would not even be walking at a few seasons, Moritz had been full grown within a few years and able to begin instruction at only a few seasons of age.

Thinking back on what the woman had said though, after hearing her response and question and answering one of his own, he went back to her earlier words.

"Ah, so you practice... Ah, what is the word... Uh... Medicals? Or Herby? Whats it called? Do you make house calls?"

Walking along Moritz paused to meet the strangers eyes if he could, before continuing walking without meeting her gaze while talking. Instead he kept moving, which in Sunberth was perhaps the better option than standing still in the open chatting,

"I'm fine, but you never know when you might need someone who can do that sort of thing. Hey maybe we could barter? Skill for skill. Some amount of trade of you helping at some point, and in exchange me going somewhere with you to make sure you don't end up dead, robbed, or enslaved. I actually do it for a living, I'm a guard for the Drunken Fish. Though nothing says I can't trade some... Service! Thats the word. Nothing says I cannot trade service for service."

Pausing for a moment, Moritz finally realized something quite obvious he had not asked yet.

"Oh yeah. I guess I should ask. Where are you actually headed? To begin with away was fine, but I suppose now that we are clear a bit I should focus on direction. I was heading to the market, or finding a route there, for my job I mentioned earlier, before we got involved. Not working now, just preparing for work later. Oh and my name is Moritz. Guess I never did ask yours or give mine before."

WC: 1,149

[Maya Frostfawn]

Maya listened as they moved. She wasn't entirely sure where they were headed, as she was still fairly new to the city and wasn't entirely certain of its layout as of yet, but she felt it best to move away from where she had once been, and did not question where their feet led. "Wise advice," she said before falling silent for a moment. "Although, I cannot afford it at the moment. Perhaps a dog would do." And they have the decency not to talk back... or eat as much as the average person. "I always liked them." When he slowed, she slowed her pace as well. It made it far easier for her to keep up with him. Although she did not tire, nor even breathe the way humans did, there was a frailty to the nuit that did not exist in other races, which made it difficult for them to achieve the same physical feats as the others. Although, arguably, they could outlast even the most physically fit beings, their physical abilities weren't exactly anything to write home about or brag about either. "Sometimes the best laid plans are for naught, when there's someone creeping up behind you, tearing up cobbles and breaking bricks." She smiled softly. "Don't you find that to be the case? I couldn't tell you how many times I've had to throw my plans to the wind because of a variable I could not account for. Although they can be nice, I find it best to keep things... vague. Go with the flow, be flexible." Were I still human, it would also keep me from getting frustrated when things don't exactly go according to plan. Her smile deepened. "Do you honestly believe a name can carry that much weight? Can strike fear in the hearts of men when its owner's presence is elsewhere if not obscured in shadow?" She'd fall silent after that. Listen as the tide shifted in their conversation, flowed against his banks, urging him to fill the sea air with the sound of his voice. Classic male. Lost in a realm that knows only fighting and war and its trappings, and nothing of books. Easy to dismiss, even if he was, perhaps, more equipped than her to keep himself alive, despite the fact that she no longer needed to eat, or drink, or sleep... "Medicine." She paused, fought the urge to shrug. "Although, there is some crossover--numerous herbs are used within the medical realm." A frown. What an odd question. "I can't say that I do. Although, no one has ever asked me to do so." A pause. "Why?" Maya listened intently. "Yes... I'd be willing to exchange my skills for yours. Assuming it's within my power to help you, I would be willing to do so, as a thanks for helping me. And in exchange for helping me in the future." She picked up her pace just a little, so she was nearly walking beside him. "I guess... the market? I was looking to pick up some supplies whenever I get paid for some work. I'm running low on quite a number of things, but I'm not really sure what things go for around here. So I thought I'd take a look so I'd know how much I'd have to save up." It wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't precisely the truth either. And the whole truth, of course, was something she'd have to keep concealed in order to keep herself safe. People weren't exactly fond of her kind, after all. She smiled. "It looks like we were headed in the same direction." Her smile deepened; she forced a gentle laugh. "I wouldn't worry about it--there was no time to get properly acquainted when we initially met." A pause as she fought the urge to tuck an errant strand of hair behind her right ear. "It's lovely to meet you, Moritz. I'm Maya."

[Moritz Craven]

At the mention of getting a dog to guard her Moritz smiled, recalling his own hound from back home. He assumed it was doing okay, but was unsure what all was happening in Lhavit and so could not say for sure. He hoped his mother was caring for the dog, and if not then Infinity Manor surely would. The place had been so protective of him he expected it would at least take care of his dog Nymon...

"I mean, a guard dog... Yeah, not sure, I've never had a guard dog, only a normal one. But not sure how much it would help with people attacking you. Better than nothing as a deterrent, but not gonna do much if someone really wants to hurt you. Not as much at least as a decently skilled person defending you."

When the woman began speaking about roads and broken rocks, the Kelvic once more became confused. He felt for a moment he had a vague idea of what they meant, only to quickly realize he had no idea what she was trying to say. When she came at it another way, talking about plans not going well, he found himself now understanding what she meant but all the while even more confused what her earlier words about roads had to do with that.

"I'll be honest, a lot of that made no sense at all. Maybe you should work on explaining things more clearly. Like that bit about roads and stuff, that doesn't really seem to connect well to the other stuff you said about plans. I at least get that bit, but not how they connect. I mean yeah, plans don't always go as you want. But then, doesn't that mean you just make plans for those plans to fail, and open up your capabilities so you have more options? I try not to limit myself. I can fight, or run, or talk to someone, pay them, I keep my options open."

Rather confused, and not helped by the fact that they were busily walking along, Moritz tried to keep up a conversation but had increasing trouble when from his perspective the woman went off on odd tangents from what he had said. As best he could tell he had asked her a question, only for her to respond with odd stories about roads and things and things not going to plan... Which was not in his opinion in any way actually answering his question. That, he felt, still remained steadfastly unanswered.

"And honestly I don't really get what planning has to do with anything I said... Or what bit of what I said that was supposed to be a rebuttal to... Besides, your talking about plans not going accordingly, but did you even have a plan before? Or did you just luck into not being robbed or enslaved? Planning at least implies expecting a problem in advance and making preparations for it, even if it doesn't work as you want."

Letting out a sigh Moritz panned his vision, going from the woman walking along with him to the people passing on the street, and back the way they came before looking ahead. He tried to stay ever vigilant while guarding someone, even when that someone was only himself. Any time he left his home he tended to do this, as he knew in Sunberth he was not safe. Particularly out in the open.

"As for names, petch yeah it can. What, you never heard of Goldfinger? I did some business with him, not his main business but some other stuff. Seems his main business is money lending. And it seemed like he had most people scared to Dira they would be in trouble if they tried to not keep up their end. Names can certainly protect you, if you know the right ones. Of course, if you don't actually have permission and try to use a name without backing, your liable to get in trouble with whomever name you used... But even in Sunberth, I think its possible to have protection from all but the stupidest thugs if you are under someones wing. Who knows, maybe some day I'll be tough enough and scary enough that my name will carry such a weight. Not there yet, but something to aim towards."

When she finally gave him voice to some of the terms he was struggling for, Moritz nodded in reply. He knew a fair bit, and honestly compared to the average Sunberther was fairly well educated. Schooling in Lhavit was comprehensive... But there were some things Moritz had not been interested in or had failed to learn. And with him being a Kelvic and going through school so fast it made sense his knowledge would be patchy. Sometimes he would know a complex topic, and then not know a common word for something most anyone would know. He could only learn so much in his short time at learning institutions.

"I think I've met some medicine people before, but I've not really had any lessons or anything in it. So my knowledge is pretty basic. In general I try to keep the pointy ends of blades out of me, my bones unsmashed, and my blood inside me. Seems to have worked decently so far."

When the woman seemed keen to take up his offering, Moritz nodded again, glad the woman seemed if nothing else logical and open to making deals. The same could not be said for many in Sunberth, who understood and respected nothing but violence and strength to cause it.

"Sure. I'd just need to know where to meet you, and you would need to let me know when each time. Probably easiest to contact me at the Drunken Fish where I work, or at my house. My house is a bit off the beaten path though, up on the ridge near the cemetery. Can't miss it, its the only house for awhile."

Having been newly built, and sitting on a acre parcel of land, his decently sized place by Sunberth standards did indeed stand out. For Lhavit it would have been modest, but for Sunberth it was pretty nice if out of the way.

"We can head to the market now, that's fine. I was heading that ways anyways. Just follow along. And nice to meet you Maya."

With that said Moritz focused even more on their route, pausing for a few moments as he got his bearings and tried to mentally navigate from where he had began, where he had turned off the trail he normally took, where they were now, and where he wanted to go. And he knew that if he was here... Then to get there... He needed to go... This way. After a short wait Moritz struck out again, heading along the same path, before making a left turn at the next crossing among the ramshackle buildings. Heading off in this new direction Moritz tried to keep his eyes peeled,and on the lookout for any new trouble.

WC: 1,176

[Maya Frostfawn]

Maya simply smiled to herself, her eyes glimmering. This one was a tad slow, wasn't he? Not too surprising, he seemed young enough, and she was older than she appeared. She'd had a lot more time to acquire knowledge than the Kelvic had, that was for sure. It wasn't until he had finished going on about plans that she began speaking again. "I suppose it would depend entirely on the situation one found themselves within. It would be a combination of multiple variables, would it not? The dog? The attacker or attackers? How skilled they all were? The love between beast and master? The devotion the dog had toward me?" She paused. "There would be too much to consider without more information." A pause. "As for the rest of what you have said... plans have their place, but they are not everything." It didn't address everything Mortiz had said, and it would probably not be the most satisfying answer. But she didn't really care. She had never been particularly interested in the topic and didn't want to address it anymore. Perhaps, if he took the time to consider, he'd understand her words... in a few more years. "I think I would be more surprised if you hadn't met anyone in the medical field before, given your inclinations." A pause. "Even the strongest fighters, the best strategists, those who are more careful than most, get hurt sometimes. Sometimes, the daggers come in the dark, and wounds are inflicted by things one cannot see and can scarcely understand. Sometimes... the body simply betrays you when you need it to stand the most. Sometimes, it matters not how much care you put into its maintenance, it simply fails. As is the case, sometimes, with old age. The body simply... gives out." Silence fell between them, although it was only fleeting in nature. "The Drunken Fish it is then. We can make all of our plans there... although, I know not where it is. What part of town can it be found in?" What might have passed for a bashful smile, had it not been shrouded in shadow. "I'm afraid I'm still figuring out the layout of this city." A pause. "The same with the cemetary, although, I imagine if I ever happened across it, I wouldn't soon forget where it was." It wasn't common practice, to her knowledge, to use buried corpses to acquire a new body of a nuit. But she hadn't been a nuit for very long and the vast majority of her life as an undead had been spent in Sahova, where there was always a steady supply of bodies. And well... she'd never actually bothered to ask where they came from. And when she had been alive there... not caught between worlds, she'd always had a sense but never dared question for she had always feared what she might find out. "Nice to meet you too; lead the way." She would follow in his wake and do her best to keep up; it would not do to fall behind, although it would be far to easy to do so given the limitations of her body. "Have you been in the city long? You seem to know your way around, well enough." She was out of conversational topics, but humans always seemed to ask trivial things like this. Maybe, this was all part of her disguise. Act natural, act human. Stay alive. Caught between worlds.