The Willow Root Tavern

Camulous Smithson · Post by **Camulous Smithson** » Thu Jun 01, 2006 9:28 pm

"Well well, there's one of them now..."

The captain stepped back and turned so he could look at the door without fully losing sight of Kamar. Like Orion, he wasn't about to trust anyone in such a situation, but his hand went instinctively for his sword rather than his gun and he drew it with a loud ringing sound that cut through the voices in the tavern.

The ringing and shine of the sword managed to get the attention of the other patrons, which was what the captain wanted. His place was at the center of things, in the way of any fighting that would take place. If anyone was going to take the first blow, it was Camulous. His demeanor made it obvious that he wasn't afraid of the wolves.

Wielding his sword with both hands, he pointed the tip at Wolfhound, poised to cut down anything that got within striking range. He could see that the man was in some kind of a rage.

"STAND DOWN NOW!" He bellowed in a practiced field voice, hoping to get through.

Post by **Laz** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 11:20 am

Wolfhound slowed his breathing, he wouldn't reply to Lanya's comment, but he would act upon it. Standing still, he was ready to transform and draw blades instantly if nessercary.

Turnring to the guard behind the chair, he laughed "You think that thing will actually work! Only fools rely on weapons like that". As if to demonstrate a Knife appeared out of his hand as if from no where momentarily, before dissarearing again.

"Stand down!" His eyes bulged with fury, but he kept his place, not moving, yet. Growling, "I'll stand down when that filthy assassin is dead. Do you have no honour, making alliances with Assassins, and one that's after an innocent woman as well!"

Kamar Deythal · Post by **Kamar Deythal** » Sat Jun 03, 2006 3:56 am

Kamar remained where he was, watching the reactions, gauging enemy and ally alike. He watched Camulous draw his sword, and was duly impressed with the authority in his voice when he told Wolfhound to stand down.

But when the wolf-man called him an assassin, his face seemed to fall, a look of misunderstood sadness crawling across it and holding for a moment. His eyes met Lanya's across the room, holding them for as long as she would look into his. It would seem a well of sadness and remorse dwelt there before she looked away.

He speaks up before anyone can react to Wolfhound's words, still looking into Lanya's eyes if she continues to look into his. "Assassin is such an ... uncouth ... word for what I do. I bring people back to where fair justice can be meted out for their crimes. Violently, if I have to. Alive, on occasion, is specifically requested by judge and jury, as well as family. They like to see the criminal, the guilty, the murderer!" he hisses the word at Lanya, "The one who has caused them so much pain. They like to see them twist in the wind at the end of a noose, or in front of the firing squad."

His eyes flicker momentarily to Wolfhound. "Innocent, you say? Have you even asked her why she would be hunted by a bounty hunter?"

The corners of his lips curl up in a mocking smirk as he returns his gaze to Lanya, all traces of sadness and remorse suddenly locked away, back where they came from.

"You haven't told him, have you?"

Post by **Laz** » Sat Jun 03, 2006 12:43 pm

Wolfhound growled, "For someone like you, Assassin describes you perfectly. If someone has committed a crime, leave it to guards and courts to decide, you have no aurthority to do what you do. You commit murder!"

He looked to Lanya, "Stay close, I don't want anything happening to you" Whispering to her. Looking at the two guards, his eyes widened, they seemed to be siding with Kamar, "She isn't going with you, I promised to protect her, and she leaves with me, thats all there is to it, and unless you want filth like that littering the streets" Nodding his head towards Kamar, "I suggest you rethink your perception on Scum who murder for money"

Camulous Smithson · Post by **Camulous Smithson** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 4:31 am

Camulous took a step closer to Wolfhound and looked the stranger square in the eyes. He was ready to fight, but he wasn't going to make the first move. The captain's armour made him look even bigger than the shifter. His eyes narrowed from behind the helm.

"I don't care who you are or what you think he is, you're not going to start a fight in my city without going through me."

His grip tightened on the handle of his sword, stretching the leather glove to its limits. If Wolfhound tried anything, made a single move, the sword would be ready to intercept in an instant. Camulous didn't look like the sort of man who was afraid to get blood on his hands, be it Wolfhounds or his own.

Lanya Caliope · Post by **Lanya Caliope** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 3:08 pm

While naked pain blazed in her eyes at Kamar's taunt, her mind worked furiously to take a full assessment of the situation. He'd as much admitted he was a bounty hunter, to her ears, but it was all so rhetorically done that she wouldn't be surprised if no one else noticed. She eyed Kamar silently for several long moments, and then, from one storyteller to another, gave him a short nod of approval. The best lies always used truth as their foundation.

Lanya grabbed Wolfhound's arm from behind, as a physical reminder to keep himself betrayed. That guard had referred to this as his city, which meant if wasn't the highest guard here, he was certainly close. Lower ranks were paid for their loyalty, but they didn't believe in it the way the higher ups did.

They were in serious trouble if this went any further.

"Stand down."

She tightened her grip on her wolven charge, now fixing her gaze on the assassin once again. The guard would hopefully react to a calmer situation with equal restraint. The assassin was the real threat, for now.

"Stand down, Wolfhound. A fight in here would get someone hurt or killed, and not necessarily one of us."

She looked around the tavern meaningfully, then fixed back on the assassin.

"We need to leave, and quickly. Stand down, wait for the guard to do the same, and let's go."

At that moment, Lanya burst into song. Not with her voice, mind you, but with the enchanted bird and guitar. Both of them began a tune simultaneously, and the melodies rose above the din of the tavern as they both magically enhanced their voices to be heard above the clutter of the tavern.

Lanya called herself several hundred kinds of idiot. 'Let's go' was what she said before any concert, and her magically gifted bird and guitar had both recognized the quiet command.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 7:25 am

An awkward silence followed the bard's musical interruption. The tavern was filled with tension that Orion savored, tenderly running his tongue over it in this tenuous moment before it would burst--or would it not? The situation was complicated by a series of deeply personal involvement, but with each party's intention toward each other clear Orion saw this tavern room as the center of a chess game. The king stood with its queen-guardian posed in the front facing two rooks, and a black horse sitting behind them... and all of them hiding their colors. The possible outcomes depended solely on whoever acted first. Orion assigned to his reflexes a short list of actions to take should it break out in battle, and probed the situation furiously with his mind.

Instinct cried out for him to jump the wolf and take down the wolf-man presumably controlling the creatures. In truth Orion very much felt the desire to fight the enraged man in front of him, to take on his hidden blades. To kill a man in the very prime of his rage--what better death could anyone ask for? But these urges were better savored at the right moment. Tactically he also leaned towards attacking the pair in front of him. There would be no reason for the assassin to hinder with him or the captain--the guards were a formidable force within the city, and the battle-mages would in any case side with the guard rather than a bounty-hunter; betrayal would not be a desirable course for this assassin Orion mused.

But forget all that he thought--Captain Camulous and himself, they were the City Guard of Marn.

"How presumptious of you to assume we side with anyone," he started, addressing Wolfhound, "it was a simple choice to point my gun at the enraged wolf rather than at a man merely sitting at a tavern."

"Both the use of magic and possession of magical objects are regulated in the province of Thar Shaddin. Follow us peacefully for proper procedeurs and you will both be under the Guard's protection until the end of due processes."

Orion glanced toward the captain for his acknowledgement. Of course should the two be assessed threats to the city, they would be dealt with later, perhaps at the end of said procedeurs. He eyed the man in front of him, the one who had been throwing all kinds of accusations every which way. The woman he had no doubt would see the wisdom of submitting herself to the procedeurs and by function the protection of the City Guards, but the man was a wild-card. He wondered if they would get to lock their blades here and shuddered in anticipation.

Kamar Deythal · Post by **Kamar Deythal** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 9:22 am

The sudden burst of song was an oddity, and the silence that followed was deep. As Orion finished his little speech, there came a movement from the corner, the shuffling of cloth moving against wood, the scrape of a chair leg across the floor. Kamar's eyes were drawn to the movement, away from Lanya's. They lit upon the corner where his men sat, nearly forgotten in the moments of intense emotions. One of the men was standing, hands held up palm out, and not being quiet about it. Kamar's brow raised slightly as if in surprise, before his gaze flickered back to Lanya, Wolfhound and his wolves, Orion and Camulous.

Kamar remained outwardly relaxed, though every muscle was tensed. Inside, he was bubbling over with rapture, enjoying the scene unfolding before him like it was a play written especially for him. A smirk played over his lips as he watched, even remaining when Orion offered to put them under Marn City Guard protection.

He knew there would be other opportunities. He knew there was nowhere she could run that he couldn't find her. He loved to watch them run, knowing he was there, knowing he might find them at any moment. He enjoyed the attempts at hiring bodyguards, or in this case, falling into them.

Kamar had been playing this game for years, and he rarely lost. Only once... but even as the thought crossed his mind, it was gone again, forced away by his conscious mind to dwell in the depths.

His smirk slipped, ever so slightly, at the thought, but widened again as his hand tightened on the Shadow Siangham sheathed in his shadow.

Should I? he thought, waiting to see if an opportunity presented itself from the distraction of his cohort.

Post by **Laz** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 10:07 am

Wolfhound watched the three, his eyes flickering from guard to assassin, and back. His hand fingered a hidden knife sheath.

At hearing Camulous speak he growled, "Start a fight? I'm just trying to protect someone...Kamar here's the one trying to kill someone"

Sniffing the air, in a tavern, it was hard to distinguish the different smells, but with effort, he could just about. There was a faint smell of eagerness coming from on of thee guards. Wolfhounds eyes almost buldged with shock.

Before he had time to think upon it though, he saw Kamars eyes flicker to something behind him and Lanya. Reacting on instinct, he brought one hand up, knife unsheathed. The other he used to grab hold of Lanya and swing them round so they faced this unknown threat as well as the old.

His eyes moved from the two. There was no way he could defend from both angles. My brothers...seek them out, find them, don't let them attack. He sent it after having calmed down. He kept his eyes open whilst doing it, but they were rather unfocused during the time.

He smiled now, the wolves could easily find these assassins friends, their stench was unique, leaving him with just the old threat. The wolves had already begun pacing towards the men, slowly.

Camulous Smithson · Post by **Camulous Smithson** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 10:15 am

His fellow guardsman followed procedure fully, taking it by the book, exactly the way the captain liked it. If there was to be blood and death on the hands of the guard, it would always be by necessity and after due course. He believed strongly in his honour, as did many of the guard, and their honour was at stake here. To side with the assassin was an easy way out and one he wouldn't take. Even after the magic, the accursed magic that twisted instruments to play and wooden birds to chirp, he wouldn't hurt Lanya or even Wolfhound unless they fought or tried to run. All people, even criminals, had the right to protection from other criminals.

He quickly began to believe that letting the bounty hunter have his way meant her death without trial and without any questioning of justice. It would put her blood on not just his hands but the hands of all the guard. That blood, if it should be on anyone's hands, belonged on the hands of the judges. They would decide if she should die. Not him, not the guard, and certainly not a stranger like Kamar.

He saw the wolfman make a move - spin around as if they would be attacked from behind. Things were getting messy. If there were others in the tavern working for either side, it could be too much for him and Orion to handle alone...

Which didn't matter. Their job had to be done.

"You are coming with us, and we will strike down anyone who makes an agressive move. All of you."

His eyes glanced between all three of them, including Kamar, indicating that he had no intention of letting him get away without at least answering some questions.

Lanya Caliope · Post by **Lanya Caliope** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 3:09 pm

Now they were in quite the spot, and to be truthful, it was all Wolfhound's fault. If they'd simply walked back outside the moment he'd spotted the bounty hunter, at most they may have received an unwarranted questioning. But no, here she stood, being threatened on nearly all sides, and it was his fault.

"Can't you men ever be sensible?!"

She growled this complaint just under her breath, her mind whirring desperately, searching for some escape from being taken into custody. But no, there was nothing - if they ran, they were not only guilty but wanted. And perhaps being in custody wouldn't be so bad. At least it was a certain form of protection. This assassin seemed like the type who liked to watch the light fade from someone's eyes. She wasn't too worried about arrows coming through the prison window.

As the guard indicated all of them, she felt some relief. At least he seemed fair. Now it was time to test that fairness.

She finally spoke.

"I wouldn't dream of making any sudden movements, though I can't say as much for this cursed guitar. I suggest you don't try to remove it from me. It has a tendency to fight back of its own will."

She looked at the assassin here and raised a brow. If he actually knew what had happened, perhaps he'd consider mercy.

She sighed. Then again, maybe not.

Kamar Deythal · Post by **Kamar Deythal** » Fri Jun 16, 2006 5:11 am

Kamar listened. Kamar waited. He allowed them to go through their asinine rituals and rites, the guards going 'by the book', Lanya making her token plea.

He allowed the smirk to fade a little as Lanya mentioned the guitar, just enough for Lanya and anyone else looking at him to notice. He knew she was thinking she would be safer in the guards' care than in the wolfman's. Kamar knew differently. No where would ever be safe for her again.

He shrugged his indifference to Camulous' glance his way, letting everyone know that it didn't matter either way if he went to the questioning or not. And when Lanya finished her brave little speech, he spoke up, turning to the guardsmen.

"You see, Master Smithson, Master Black. She as much as admits that she carries magical items, and even admits that she has no control over those self-same items! Evidenced by the fact that they both just broke into musical song! Is not a magic wielder without control even more deadly than one who has control, who can show restraint when the situation warrants it?"

Kamar turned his gaze to Lanya, blinking lazily, much like a predator that sees the prey finally turn to defend itself. His tongue flicked out to lick his top lip.

"Give her to me, and I will take her back where justice can be done. You can keep the guitar and that singing-bird walking stick she carries with her, and dispose of them how you like. The family, and judges, who hired me have a right to see justice done."

He put on a sad smile, as if the whole situation that brought him into Marn saddened him. He lowered his head, though watched everything from beneath his eyelids. He whispered just under his breath.

"For Great Justice..."

Post by **Laz** » Tue Jun 20, 2006 10:28 pm

Having calmed down, he smiled. To all but the trained eye he now seemed relaxed, but to those who knew what to look for, he was anything but. His entire body was on alert, ready to attack at a moments notice, the wolf inside him contributed to this. Guesturing with his hand, "If you think for a moment I would trust you, 'specially after I've seen you talk with scum like that..."

Wolfhound left it there, If Lanya decided to go with them, so be it. He would not, instead if they were seperated in that way he would watch, and guard her from outside the guards place, making sure nothing happened untill she was let out.

He growled deeply at the mans words, as did the wolves, feeling Wolfhounds frustration, "If you want a fight...I'll happily take evvery single one of you down". He was being completly serious, after all, what could a mere human to to him in his transformed state, nothing, they never had before.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 9:05 am

This was a pointless stalemate was Orion's thought as he looked at the situation as a whole. Neither side was willing to give up what they wanted. The hunter played with the rules, pleading in politics. The woman clearly did not want to be taken in but seemed to be cracking. The wolf-man only wanted a clean escape... out of the three the least unreasonable request, yet this energy to break the rules dictated the flow of events here.

To be honest this was taking way too long for Orion's tastes. Most 'domestic' affairs such as this usually did not involve such processes. However he and the captain did not come prepared for such a situation; Orion would have liked coming with a full battalion and strong-arming the situation within minutes. But there was a certain thrill to situations like this that he cherished and Orion could no longer convince himself that there were better actions to take. His brain did what he trained it to do and in his head a clear picture of the situation was drawn. On two ends, the hunter by the wall, unknowns on the farthest end closest to the entrance. Between those two extremeties Orion stood to one side of the assassin at an angle while Camulous stood more at the center of it all, the wolf-man and the woman making the third-point of a triangle by standing at about an equal angle to both the unknowns and the guards/assassin. Orion had a clear shot at both the group of men, Kamar, and the wolves. He did one last thing before he started, which was turn his gaze to the captain to meet his eyes. He did this in a slow, deliberate manner, implicating nothing but the act itself; an act that explains nothing at the present but would explain itself in the next few moments. It was the closest thing to justification Orion gave to the captain for what he was about to do.

He started by relaxing his body, the end of his arquebus gun swaying just half an inch as his entire body seemed to minutely collapse--this he did to draw a subtle kind of attention to him. Anyone with a trained eye for battle would expect a violent motion of some kind. But unlike a bladed weapon the gun was ranged and took only a split second to fire, travelling at speeds no man nor earthly creature could dodge within this distance. With just a half-second pressure to the trigger the gun exploded, shooting sparks and a large amount of smoke accompanied by a thunderous clap that resounded within the relatively confined space of the tavern. He felt rather than saw the shot connect with his intended target--one of the two wolves that the wolf-man controlled. All the better for the smoke from the gun made it hard to see clearly. He dropped the gun and rushed forward, leaving no time for thought for neither himself nor his opponents. A thrill sang up his body as his powerful legs propelled him forward. Time seemed to slow down and Orion felt every cord of muscle in each of his steps--one, two, and on the third he was just at the tip of his reach. The familiar rush of adrenaline flooded his body as Orion swung his sabre in a horizontal arc, aiming to disembowel the wolf-man. It was to him a difference of equipment--in a straight-forward battle the knife had much less value than his sabre, purely for its lack of reach. Orion had stopped at the edge of his own reach, which placed him far from the wolf-man's knives. But the time for thinking was now over--battles were often won by the initial strike. Orion enjoyed a well-executed victory, but to him nothing was more thrilling than a battle of reflexes, of counters and counters ended by a fatal blow that came all too fast and all too soon. Which would the wolf-man be? No questions to his victory formed in Orion's head even now and his eyes held within it a look of wild exhileration.

[ooc: I've already talked to wolf-hound about the result of my shot]

Post by **Laz** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 12:23 pm

Wolfhound howled as he felt the bullet enter his wolf friend. As he howled, he transformed, his many years of doing it allowing him to finish it in a matter of seconds. Now stood a man much bigger than before. His eyes were the exact shape of a wolves, with fur covering his pointed ears and slitted nose. Apart from that, he still looked mostly human.

In his new state, the guards movements could almost be described as slow motion to Wolfhounds eyes, but not quite. A mixture of skill, speed and slight of hand allowed him to produce a knife seemingly from nowhere. His anger could be seen in his eyes, that man had killed one of his wolves, without provocotation, and for that, wolfhound would not rest untill he was dead.

Using his enhanced speed his knife came up, blocking the sword. He pivoted, bringing a foot forward, almost too fast for a mere human to see, spinning, another knife appeared in his hand a second before he slashed at the mans throat, this was war now, and wolfhound intended to win it.