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Post by Sea Of Darkness on Nov 24, 2006 17:04:13 GMT -5
Arrok grinned slightly as she saw Frankie's mild confusion of the codes of thieves. Then tapping her chin thoughtfully, thinking of the best place to go to sell she said "Ah, there's old Mannor's place not too far from here, old friend of my dad's, he'll give you a good price for those goods, although...He is in fact a sly one, cant be too careful, he'd kill his mother for a dime if he had the chance. Anyways, its not too far, as I said, all you have to do is....ah its too complicated, not too far from here if your a citizen of this mucked down village, no one here likes new comers, unfortunately, luckily theirs an alternative route, no one really knows about, I found it when I was younger, trying to get away from the baker's wooden ladle..." Arrok chuckled at this memory, that day she stole a biscuit, the fat frier then would have chased her half way down to the Rook Mountains if it hadn't been for her dad that stopped her, coming home from business and making her give it back. Ah yes, her father, such a thin man yet cunning and bright, he was so full of charisma he got the baker out of his fit and had him laughing about it.
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Post by Frankie on Mar 11, 2007 0:50:48 GMT -5
Frankie followed this conversation, still confused. "Another route?" She asked. "And where would that be?" She hefted her bag, filled with various animal skins, herbs, and other paraphernalia she had come across while traveling. It really was quite full, and it bulged. Looking up at the sky, she noticed that the sun was slowly creeping down past the horizon. "Hmm." She murmured. "Does this... Mannor... work late hours? Or should I find some place to sleep?" She stroked Aatu's head, then thumped him on the shoulders. With a soft exhaling noise, he crept past her and disappeared, headed towards the forest where his pack lived. He couldn't really be called her pet. She would go without seeing him for weeks, or months, on end, and then he'd show up. And her cat, well, he lived in the little country town. He was hers, and yet not at the same time. Frankie sighed, suddenly sad. It seemed that nothing in her life truly belonged to her, not even her own life. Then she looked at Arrok, still saddened by the realization, but determined that she would not have one of her sad moments again. Or ever, for that matter. Sadness made her weak, and that wouldn't do. Especially not with a thief around. Oh, sure, she trusted Arrok, at least a tiny bit, but there was no telling if she didn't have a gang of thieves all around her, ready to pounce and steal her goods. That's why she was so eager to sell the silly things. That, and she was rather hungry.
((Should we just move this to the Umar board? I can't see anything bad in it. Just like... Three swear words. All censored.))
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Post by Sea Of Darkness on Mar 25, 2007 20:57:36 GMT -5
((Yeah, that'd be good, I forgot how to move threads so after you.))
"A place to sleep...Good luck trying to find a tavern without any thugs...Well, I bet I could get Mannor to take five more minutes, if we catch him we can sell those goods of yours...Out of curiousity..." Arrok glaced nonchalently at the bag "What things do you have in there-" She shook her head "What am I saying, dont take it personally, just curious, not trying to rob you, I dont need anything for now. Anyways," She nodded over to a small alley way between various huts and stone shops "Follow me, stick close though, you cant expect anything in Umar, an old lady would come and beat you with a broken log or a toddler will steal your purse, cant trust anyone in Umar, I hate this place. I swear if I find my brother I'll kill him, tie him to a tree, sprinkle corn all over him and watch the crows eat him alive, you cant trust anyone, I learned that lesson various times the hard way....Pity really. Anyways..." She led the girl through the narrow cracks and down the alley ways, now that the sun was setting hardly anything was visable, a few torches were lit out in the open. Finally, Arrok moved aside some old crates and they appeared in the back of a shop. Arrok took a few sideways glances, whisled quietly and nudged her shoulder, letting Aquil fly to the top of the shack as she pulled out a small pick, a few clicks and the door was open. She nodded to Frankie and stepped inside.
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Post by Frankie on Apr 3, 2007 19:35:46 GMT -5
Frankie listened, silent. She hadn't really minded Arrok asking about her wares, but the girl seemed so bothered by asked the question that it was better to just let it drop. When the thief picked the lock of the shop door and entered, Frankie felt her heart leap up into her throat. Breaking and entering into your friend's house was one thing, she thought, but a store was something totally different. However, the woodswoman swallowed her fear, not wishing to appear anything less than confident and brave in front of Arrok. Almost too cautiously, Frankie crept over the threshold and into the store. She stared around, wide-eyed, and shaking just a tiny bit, though whether from fear or insane mirth, or a mix of both, she wasn't quite sure. Finally, Frankie's gaze settled on Arrok, and she whispered, allowing a bit of trepidation to crawl into her voice, "What now?" She winced when she heard her voice, silently praying that nobody would hear her and freak out. The last thing she wanted was to be chased out of Umar for "Attempting to steal the wares of a fine and honest salesman!" She remembered the tale told in "her" village about Sticky-Fingered Wort, who was caught drunk, crashing through the general goods store. Apparently, the owner of the store, a rather frail and fragile old man, had taken a broom and knocked out what little sense was left in Wort's drunken brain. Ever since then, the tale was told all around town, especially from parents to children, who told them the moral of the story was that stealing was wrong. Personally, Frankie believed the moral was over-drinking leads to terrible mistakes, but she kept that to herself. Now, though, she wondered if this Mannor would do the same as the tiny old man with the broomstick - or worse.
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Post by Sea Of Darkness on Apr 6, 2007 19:32:19 GMT -5
Arrok made no attempt to keep quiet, she knew Mannor well and as long as-- "Who's there?" A gruff voice interrupted her thoughts. Arrok grinned slightly, looking back at Frankie, who looked a little nervous, this made her laugh quietly to herself inside. "Oh, I don't know Mannor, just another thief breaking into your overpriced shop I suppose..." She hollered back. A low chuckle could be heard "Arrok? That you? Well, come on in, I wont bite." The voice shouted. Arrok beckoned Frankie to follow as they rounded a corner into a dimly lite room. "A traveler here wants to sell some goods to you Mannor, she's got some things that I think you'll find useful." She said nodding Frankie on to set her bag on the counter.
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Post by Frankie on Apr 7, 2007 1:56:49 GMT -5
Frankie nodded her thanks to Arrok, then set her bag on the counter. "Yes, good sir, I have in this bag many things collected on my travels. I have the hide of a bear so finely skinned it would make a fit rug in any house, arrows made of the highest quality wood and trimmed to perfection, and more." She opened her bag and pulled out a smaller bag, which she dumped onto the counter top. Several roots and plants spilled out. Picking up a plant bulb, Frankie continued her spiel. "This, sir, can only be found in the Forest of Karia. Even there, it is rare, only appearing every three months on the night of a full moon. It is able to cure most, if not all, fevers, and speed recovery of all but the most dire illnesses. For this, I will accept no less than twenty gold pieces." It was expensive, yes, but if her mentor Kuran had taught her well (and she knew he had), this bulb was so rare, it was certainly worth it. In all of her travels, she had come across two - the one she held now, and the one planted in Kuran's garden. She picked up a small handful of ginger root, and held it out for inspection. "These, while nowhere near as rare as the previous bulb, are of good quality. These were a gift from my friend, so I won't sell all of them. There are ten here, and I will sell five of them for a silver piece each. The woman who grew these made a tea from them, and it was superior to all ginger teas, I assure you. Her secret recipe for growing them adds an extra punch, and they are worthy of any piece of silver." Frankie paused, looking thoughtful. "Of course, I will also accept trades for any of my items. Except the bulb, of course." Quickly, she overturned the bag. Nuggets of copper and silver spilled out, along with the bearskin, arrows, a slim dagger, a golden necklace, even a haunch of deer meat from last night's hunting that had been seasoned to prevent rotting. Several rabbit skins fell out as well, along with much more. She gestured to Mannor. "Feel free to browse, my good sir."
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Post by Sea Of Darkness on May 13, 2007 20:52:55 GMT -5
Arrok blinked and her eyes became wide for a moment. She hadn't seen such material being sold. She glanced curiously at the bulb and replayed in her head what Frankie had said. Adventures, that would be wonderful, Arrok was even now more curious of what Frankie had seen on her travels. She ran a thin hand down her greasy hair and pulled out a black feather that was ensnared in her snarls. Mannor gave her a glance and she gave a gesture with her head to check it out. While Mannor rummaged through the various items Arrok looked over at the golden necklace and smiled slightly remembering her very first stolen item, a necklace much like this one, when Mannor snatched it from her hands she looked up apologetically. Mannor sniffed and looked up at Frankie "I'll take the necklace, the ginger roots, the bulb and some of those bear pelts, so, how say you to..." He counted with his fingers "Forty pieces of gold." He finished.
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Post by Frankie on May 22, 2007 1:25:10 GMT -5
Tapping her chin thoughtfully, Frankie mused over this price. It seemed fair enough, and she pushed over the goods she had just sold, and placed the rest back into her bag. The next town she stopped in might be interested in buying the rest, and the deer, well, that would probably be this week's supper. And breakfast. And lunch. "Thank you, my good man." She flashed a quick smile at Mannor, and then she turned to look at Arrok. Frankie didn't know if she wanted to stay in this town at night, or if she should move on. There was a camp farther out in the woods, and she was companions with one of the men there. Suddenly Frankie grinned broadly. It was odd. Most women did not directly associate with men, unless they were courting or entertaining their husband's friends. One time she had told a gentle lady who ran an inn about some of her male friends. The lady had been shocked, and had gone deathly pale. "You shameless hussy!" She had gasped. "What are you - some kind of... of..." She didn't need to finish her sentance. Frankie had been mortified when the event had taken place, but now she looked back on it and laughed. She could never be a gentle lady, not even if she tried. The blood of the forest ran through her veins, and she had grown up like a half-wild urchin, supervised rather leniently by Kuran. Frankie returned to the present and found she was still looking at Arrok. "So," she said to the thief. "Where's a nice place in town that I can set up camp?" She sounded rather bold, even to her ears, but she didn't permit that blush to creep up into her cheeks. It was a harmless question, and if anybody took it the wrong way, well, that was their problem, not hers. With a half-shrug, Frankie swung the bag over her shoulder and awaited Arrok's answer, almost completely forgetting about the tradesman behind her.
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Post by Sea Of Darkness on May 31, 2007 17:04:19 GMT -5
Arrok looked up and thought about it, "Well...you cant exactly camp around these parts...However, I suppose I could make some room at my home...Well, its not exactly a home, more of a deserted alleyway corner, but if you like you could stay there, Aquil wont be much of a problem, 'specially if you keep that wolf of yours around..." She stated casually, scratching her head. Come to think of it, Arrok never really had company. This might as well be her first time actually inviting someone in her own private santuary where no one could find her. Oh well, Arrok had the feeling she could trust this girl, after all, Frankie was just a travler so it would be very unlikely she would tell the watch. Even if she did, Arrok knew the town up and down and could make any where a hiding place.
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Post by Frankie on Jun 10, 2007 2:50:47 GMT -5
"I see." Frankie mused. "Are you sure I wouldn't be a bother? I don't want to upset anybody. But if it's alright... Then I'd most certainly be happy to stay with you, and thank you." She ignored the comment about Aatu being "her" wolf, and just grinned amiably at Arrok. Aatu simply followed her about on occasion, though he was nowhere near a pet. They could be considered 'friends' but that was as far as it went. Aatu came and went as he pleased, and Frankie expected that she wouldn't see him for many moonspans. It didn't bother her overly much anyway. With a start, Frankie realized that she probably looked as though she were brooding or angry about something. Smiling again, she looked at Arrok, doing her best to radiate friendliness, though in reality she looked rather scary. It just wouldn't do for Arrok to believe that she didn't want to stay with her, or to think that she was planning on stealing all of her things and leaving in the middle of the night - though Frankie didn't see how she could manage to steal from a thief. Still, though, it was the principal of the thing. The smile slid off of her face after a second or so, and she fiddled restlessly with her bag, waiting for Arrok to confirm that no, she wasn't a nuisance.
((Crap post. Sorry.))
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Post by Sea Of Darkness on Jun 14, 2007 10:49:11 GMT -5
Arrok laughed, a more hoarse sort of laugh, with a sound like an old rusty bell ringing. She coughed and grinned her usual mischevious smile "You cant call yourself a nusense until you deal with Aquil. Believe me, it would be an blessing to have you stay there, that way I have an excuse to now let Aquil hang around." She scratched her elbow and tucked a bit of her greasy dirty hair behind her ears. "Well, if you would follow me out here I'll lead you." While she was about to walk out the door she hollored over her shoulder "'Til next time Manor." The buisness man looked up from his new goods "Stay out of trouble you rouge."
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Post by Frankie on Jul 26, 2007 0:31:22 GMT -5
Frankie barely remembered to say "Goodbye, sir," before she was out the door. The slight jingle of coins, tucked safely away in a bag that was in turn tucked in her pocket, added a slight musical accompaniment to her steps. She felt gruesomely rich, and had to stop a sick grimace from creeping onto her face. Instead, she hummed a few bars of a nursery rhyme, stopping when she couldn't remember any more of it. She followed Arrok quietly, unable to think of anything to say. Her hands fidgeted a little, tucking her hair behind her ears, snapping occasionally, or just clutching each other and wringing. Once, she stumbled on a small rock that had rolled under her foot, but she just shrugged. After a little internal arguing, she moved up to Arrok's side and said, "So... How did you meet Aquil?" It was a terrible conversation starter, and she knew it, but she felt that if she were to remain silent for one more second, she'd burst. And besides, it might make time go by faster. Frankie couldn't help it - she was eager to see where Arrok lived. She wanted to get there.
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Post by Sea Of Darkness on Aug 4, 2007 13:50:08 GMT -5
Arrok tapped her fingers against her legs for a moment, putting the story of the meeting of her familiar together so she wouldn't miss any important details. "Well, about the time my father died and my brother left me I was living on the streets, as I am now, but I wasn’t a thief quite yet. I was busy scavenging for food in the waste piles and I heard a squawk. When I looked over the pile of scraps I saw for the first time, Aquil. He had a broken wing and quickly and in fact almost eagerly hopped on my hands. He hated to be touched but quickly took a liking to me when I began to feed him little bits of raw meat I would find and dead mice. I kept him alive.” “After a while his wing started to heal, I can’t explain why, I'm not a doctor, but eventually he could fly again. I thought he would leave me and carry on with his normal life but no, he would follow me wherever I went and always kept a firm grip on my shoulder, he even brought me bits of food he'd find. He’s about the only true friend and family I’ve really had…” She paused to let Aquil catch up with them. “Well how about you, I mean, how did you get to know that er…wolf?”
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Post by Frankie on Nov 25, 2007 4:34:49 GMT -5
Frankie tapped her index finger against her chin for a few seconds. "How? I'm not too sure, really. Hmm." She walked along for a few minutes, trying to remember everything she could about the encounter. Finally, her eyes lit up with recollection, and she began.
"Well, I was traveling with some minstrels at the time - a very nice group they were, too. Anyway, we had a big bonfire lit, and another smaller fire on which we had some meat roasting, deer, I think it was. There was a lot of singing and laughter, and the smell of meat was intoxicating." There was a pause as Frankie scratched her head, a most unladylike and unprofessional motion. "We kept hearing an odd rustling sound at the edge of the clearing we were camped in, and finally Aatu appeared from the bushes. He was skinny and mangy, and he had a big cut on his flank. He kept looking at the deer, but he wouldn't come close to us, even though we were now being incredibly silent."
The girl paused again, trying to remember what had happened after that. With a shrug, she resumed her story. "So, I threw a scrap of the meat near him, and he ran off with it. Nobody saw him for the rest of the night, and one of the minstrels, Parker, told me he was probably half dog, and by the looks of it, abused. I decided to call him Aatu, and he began to come by more and more often, because we kept feeding him. Finally, he allowed us to clean up his cut, and he just...stuck around."
Frankie flashed Arrok a grin. "Not the most exciting or romantic of tales, but hey, the truth is the truth." She chuckled. "He sort of comes and goes when he feels like it - like a cat, y'know? I don't know where he goes, but he always comes back. And he makes for a lovely pillow on cold nights."
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Post by Sea Of Darkness on May 27, 2008 18:37:44 GMT -5
Arrok grinned sheepishly. "Well, sometimes its the simplest tales that are the most interesting." She said while turning a sharp corner and kicking away some broken boards. The boards revealed a tight, closed alleyway. Arrok looked back at Frankie, "Here we are, its not exactly the king's estate, but y'know, it works." She looked around a little, awkwardly shifting from foot to foot. After a small awkward silence she gave up on warming inviting attempts and plopped down on an old moth-eaten sack. "Make yourself at home, kick around a few things, whatever...Just don't let that wolf of yours eat my bird."
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