A new beginning, a new arrival

Post by **Valz Malar** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:02 pm

Valz had been in and out of villages, towns, and cities for most of the last couple of years and he had to admit that when the walls of Marn came into view he was actually excited; the blasted lands that he had traversed to get to Marn had taken their toll.

The guards seemed professional enough in their armor, standing outside the gate. Valz answered their perfunctory questions easily and was allowed through without much difficulty, even if the little rat-faced guard looked like he wanted to fight. The guards must have been nearing the end of their shift, a troll gnawing on a body could have passed their laughable “pre-entry inspection”. With the indifferent reception at the gate Valz was smart enough not to ask too many questions, going on his way after being told where a market was.

Distances always seem further when walking in cities than when wandering in woods. Something about the winding roads, buildings on either side, combined with the sights, smells, and sounds can really disorient a person; Valz was just beginning to think that he had missed the Shanty Market when he turned a corner, paused, and there it was. A jumbled collection of awnings, hastily set up carts, semi-permanent shops, and random citizens hawking their wares on blankets sat wherever there was room in the twisting warren of streets and alleys. The smell of cooked meats, furs, and unwashed bodies intertwined, while the sound, a dull roar, assaulted the ears of nearby people. Of course it had been a few years since Valz was in a city as large as Marn; in fact it would probably take a few days to get used to the number of people around him again.

A market like this is where a man can get a real idea of what is going on in a city, Valz thought, these people may be the poorest of the poor, but they are the lifeblood that holds this city together. Without their daily labors the streets wouldn’t be cleaned, shops wouldn’t be stocked, and the city would slowly crumble. Valz took step forward, intending to find out what was going on in Marn.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Tue Aug 15, 2006 4:20 pm

Molly Coles was living out yet another ordinary day. There seemed to be a lot of those since she'd taken to the straight and narrow. She got up early, ate a breakfast and headed off to the warehouses, ate lunch... like a cycle that tended to repeat itself. It was comfortable though. It helped her to forget her past and everything she'd lost.

She was starting to have a fair bit of savings, but she wasn't sure what she'd do with it. Maybe she'd take a long vacation or store it up for some kind of retirement.

This afternoon she headed to the market. Her work manager had asked her to pick up a list of necessaries. She didn't mind. It was just a minor break in routine and gave her a chance to see some new scenery even if she had seen the marketplace plenty of times before.

She took her time getting the things on her list. It wasn't that she was lazy, but if one was going to be away from the worksite for awhile it didn't hurt to extend it just a little. She had her pipe lit and was enjoying a little smoke while she was at it too.

Post by **Valz Malar** » Tue Aug 15, 2006 6:44 pm

Valz had been in and out of shops, looking at items for sale, talking to merchants, their wares laid out at their feet, and most importantly listening. There were some amazing tales being told about Marn that Valz found unbelievable; luckily, Valz was not a gullible man and was able to discount a large majority of the rumors. Clearly assassins do not openly roam the streets, guardsman do not gallop down the middle of the street, and no real guard would allow bandits to terrorize the few merchants who came to Marn, just the idle fancy of laborers trying to keep their mind from the task at hand.

So Valz was taking a bit of a break, leaning against a wall munching on some type of meat (he didn’t ask) on a stick that he picked up on the cheap. Valz lived a long time by being cautious and noticing his surroundings, which is why he instantly noticed the tall man wandering the market. Slightly shorter than Valz, this guys back was huge and muscled, close-cropped dark hair covered the back of the man’s head, and he obviously outweighed Valz. As Valz watched the man turned into an open space not ten feet from where he was leaning now, and that is when Valz’s jaw almost dropped. Tis’ was no man; Valz could see that clearly in her face now, feminine, and strangely attractive. As he watched she lit a pipe and began puffing away watching the crowds as Valz was.

She looked totally out of place, smoking a pipe, and Valz was struck by a sudden desire to actually speak to someone. Slowly he made his way across the ten feet until he was within an arms length or so from the woman. Taking a bite from his meat skewer, he jokingly said, “A woman shouldn’t be here alone, it might be dangerous”, and made what passed for a smile at the woman.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Tue Aug 15, 2006 7:40 pm

"That so?" Mol replied with a defiant alto. "Show me who's makin' it so dangerous so I can rip his balls off."

She didn't like to cater to the feminine stereotype at all. Living with Rovan's band had taught her it wasn't worthwhile. She puffed a ring of smoke in Valz's direction. "You've got meat strings in your teeth buddy boy. What are you grinnin' at?"

Post by **Valz Malar** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 5:14 am

Valz laughed, and in spite of himself began covering his mouth, picking his teeth, and laughing again like an idiot.

“She must think I’m dense, quick, say something” Valz thought…

“Sorry, it’s been a long time since I’ve had properly cooked food. Living under a tree is hard you know…wait why are you laughing, I seriously lived under a tree.”

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 5:10 pm

"And why in all the world were you living under a tree?" She asked with a cackle and a snort. "A man like you has the grit and sense to at least cut the thing down and build a shack." She smirked and puffed at her pipe some more.

"Dumbest thing I ever heard."

Post by **Valz Malar** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 5:42 am

Valz took a sidelong glance noticing a ragged little kid across the street selling bits of cloth, ribbon, and what might be called lace off a blanket. The kid was filthy and sad looking, but a cackle and a snort from the woman brought his thoughts back around.

“Well, a shack tends to draw unwanted attention, and besides who would notice a tree in a forest. There are quite a few deer in the woods missing a relative because of me who might like revenge if they could find me. Plus, well, a lady of your fine standing wouldn’t want to hear about the unsavory elements that live and prey in the woods,” Valz gave a little grunt and let his pack drop to the ground stretching his shoulder, “course, you might be able to tell me a thing or two about that.”

Valz let the silence extend for a second or two, looking deep into the woman’s almost black eyes, “I’m Valz, Valz Malar.”

He knew her…realizing know that he had seen her before. It was an afternoon, quickly darkening to evening, shortly after he entered a large forest, Valz was tired and looking for a place to bed down. Suddenly, he was snapped out of his fatigue by voices. Crouching, and slowly approaching, now on his belly, he neared a clearing, there he saw a large group of men, some random tents, shelters, huts, and fire pits and realized that he sat, not a stones throw from a bandit camp. Valz had seen enough, better to just avoid the whole situation, when one of the men leaning against a quarterstaff turned, spit into the fire, and cackled with laughter at some unheard joke. The man was a woman. No matter Valz thought, she didn’t look particularly threatened and they surely wouldn’t take kindly to Valz nosing around their camp. Tapping deep reservoirs of will power, Valz edged back and spent the rest of the night and most of the next day putting as much distance between him and them as possible.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 6:25 pm

Molly laughed. "I've been lots of places." She had followed his gaze to notice the kid with bits of lace and became noticeably agitated.

"That's a crime." She muttered, unable to look away as Valz had.

"But what's past is past."

She felt her pocket to be sure there were the five Bishani she'd put in there this morning for lunch. She always tended to eat a light lunch when she came upon a hard case.

She managed a couple more puffs on her cigar before giving in to her instincts. "We can continue this conversation over a pair of sandwiches in a bit but some things just ain't right."

She approached the child, fishing two bishani from her purse. If it was the boy's parents putting him up to selling tattered lace on the street corner then bad on them. He shouldn't be out there on his own like that. Children needed love and food to grow strong.

She offered the money to the child. "Here take this, I don't want your lace." She said.

Post by **Valz Malar** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 10:13 pm

Valz eyed Mol, waiting for a response to his introduction, but she was clearly distracted by the young child. Besides, as she said, “what’s past is past.” Thinking that more food (meat on a stick was tasty, but not too filling), sounded good Valz shouldered his pack and followed across the street. She handed over two Bishani to the boy while Valz looked over the kid’s wares. Looking the little boy up and down Valz realized that he was even younger than Valz originally thought, maybe only eight or nine.

Valz squatted down, his sword sheath scraping along the ground, “What are you doing out here son” he asked?
The boy looked into Valz’s eyes and said, “you ain’t my pa, and I’m here ‘cause if I don’t sell this stuff then I don’t get ‘nuff to eat from Sirah.”
“Who the hell is Sirah and why doesn’t he feed you?” Valz replied.
“He’s the man in charge of us boys, and we all get mealed oats twice a day, but if we want meat or fruit we gots to sell his stuff in the markets.” The little boy wiped some snot on his sleeve.

Valz stood, suddenly not hungry, and stretched out his back, blowing out a long, slow breath…feeling his heart begin to beat louder, pounding in his ears, Valz looked sidelong at the woman standing by his side…

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sat Aug 19, 2006 2:12 am

The expression in Molly's eyes flipped from curious to enraged. She set a hand on the boy and said. "I want to speak with this Sirah. Can you tell us where to find him?"

She had a soft spot for the little ones, especially the ones who were taken advantage of.

Exchanging side glances with Valz she had a notion he was equally interested in seeing some justice here. She'd heard his name and she meant to give him hers once they were going somewhere.

Post by **Valz Malar** » Sat Aug 19, 2006 4:43 pm

Valz was thinking about how he was supposed to be starting over in a new town, settling down, picking his battles and all that, and then along comes this "situation". It took him about two seconds to realize that he had to get involved now. If he didn't who would?

Apparently the woman next to him would, because she beat Valz to the punch, asking where to find Sirah.

The little boy started to answer, "he runs the boys home by the scrapyard, we like to play in the scrapyard, you never know what you are going to find," the boy paused, "my name is Evan and if you tell Sirah I told you about him he is gonna know it was me and be mighty mad."

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sat Aug 19, 2006 5:23 pm

"Don't you worry about that." Molly said shrugging her bag up her shoulder. She was apt to be late getting back to the warehouses with supplies now but she would have a clean conscience.

"So Valz, you know where the scrapyard is hon?" She asked around the stem of her pipe.

"I'm Molly by the way, Molly Coles but most people just use 'Mol' and that suits me fine."

Post by **Valz Malar** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 7:49 am

"Well Mol it is a pleasure to meet you", Valz replied rather more formally than the situation perhaps warranted. "Today is my first day in this city, I've got no clue where a scrapyard is or why an orphanage is across the street." Plus, if I'm gonna got "talk" to some bastard I'm gonna need to drop my pack someplace. If you know a place with boarding rooms and good locks then feel free to clue me in."

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 1:40 pm

"A coworker of mine's cousin keeps a pretty good boarding house, or so I hear." She said. "It's not the cheapest place around, but it's not exactly high class either, then again you've generally gotta pay for good locks. I think it's only a little out of the way. If you don't mind I've got a few supplies for the work crew that don't exactly need to come along either." She gestured to her bag with items she had just bought less than an hour ago. "Ideally I'd go by the warehouse first but that's too far out of the way." She shrugged.

This was an odd turn of events by her estimation but she felt obligated to make sure this Sirah person knew there were people who didn't appreciate him taking advantage of children.

Post by **Valz Malar** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 9:43 pm

"That sounds good to me" Valz told Mol, "you do know this is all a little random", Valz continued, smirking, "but what life is worth living if you don't follow your heart?"

"Your friends place sounds fine, hopefully this is all a big mistake and Sirah is just doing a service, because if that kid is right, well then, this guy is gonna have a real bad day." Valz's tone may have been light but the look on his face was all business.

Valz stepped aside, gave Evan another Bishani and gestured for Mol to lead the way. He couldn't help but think he hadn't even been in this city for a full day and he was already wrapping himself up in someone elses problems...