It Begins With A Map... (Medieval RP)

[Frundette]

"It looks like one, maybe a... A griffin! See? It has the head and wings of a eagle, but the body of a lion, just like Calhoun spoke of!" Fleta said, a little louder than she intended, and apologized. She looked back to the map, staring at the X, Where could that be... she thought.

(OOC: I promise I'll try to keep the exchange with Dotta to just a couple posts so that we can get Glenn and Fleta back to the Fountain Inn soon!)


At Fleta's exclamation, there came a stirring from behind a closed door off the back of the kitchen. "Glenn?" came Dotta's voice.

"Sorry ta wake ya, Ms Dotta." Glenn said, even though he found himself smiling at the idea of a griffin. The map seemed to him more and more proof that all of Cahoun's wild tales were true.

"Oh, hello Fleta," Dotta said pleasantly as she emerged from the bedroom, not seeming upset that they woke her. She was a relatively young widow, no older than her mid-thirties. When her husband had died in an accident a few years back, his cousin, Glenn's father, had sent his son to live with her to help her out with the homestead. "What are you two looking at?"

"A map we found up at Calhoun's place!" Glenn announced proudly before Fleta could stop him. "We're tryin' to figure out where it leads!"

The woman looked over their shoulders. "Goodness!" she exclaimed. "Is that Vralia?" Vralia was the neighboring kingdom to the north, and a land rumored to have great swaths of untamed territory.

 

[Frundette]

"There is someone upstairs, a man, he broke into our room and is trying to kill my bro-- my cousin!" She corrected her mistake very quickly, realizing that when they had last spoken by the wagon she had referred to themselves by their fake identities.

Unwin reached the bottom of the stairs and entered the common area, there she was, Jem, speaking frantically to a heavy-set man. Unwin sneered at the girl as he realized that, with Christof so limp and Unwin's own blood splattered on the man, he looked lifeless.

Oswin's brows scrunched worriedly. Not really out of concern for the girl or her brother or her cousin or whoever he was, but for the unwanted attention that a murder might bring along. That would involve the local lord and maybe even a constable poking around if the town happened to have one. Oswin certainly didn't want caught up in all that. "Well... um... settle down here, I'll see if I can help...." he said. Even if all he could do was convince the man to commit his murders elsewhere. But even as he took a step toward the stairs, the man was already coming down with a body draped over his shoulder.

"Oh!" Oswin took a step backwards, not exactly wanting to be in his way if the man was still feeling in a murderous mood.

The proprietor, who had been staring from the back of the room with his mouth agape, finally found his voice, "What... what is the meaning of this?!"

 

[LoveThatChick]

(OOC:  I promise I'll try to keep the exchange with Dotta to just a couple posts so that we can get Glenn and Fleta back to the Fountain Inn soon!)


At Fleta's exclamation, there came a stirring from behind a closed door off the back of the kitchen.  "Glenn?" came Dotta's voice.  

"Sorry ta wake ya, Ms Dotta."  Glenn said, even though he found himself smiling at the idea of a griffin.  The map seemed to him more and more proof that all of Cahoun's wild tales were true.  

"Oh, hello Fleta," Dotta said pleasantly as she emerged from the bedroom, not seeming upset that they woke her.  She was a relatively young widow, no older than her mid-thirties.  When her husband had died in an accident a few years back, his cousin, Glenn's father, had sent his son to live with her to help her out with the homestead.  "What are you two looking at?"

"A map we found up at Calhoun's place!"  Glenn announced proudly before Fleta could stop him.  "We're tryin' to figure out where it leads!"

The woman looked over their shoulders.  "Goodness!"  she exclaimed.  "Is that Vralia?"  Vralia was the neighboring kingdom to the north, and a land rumored to have great swaths of untamed territory.

(Yeah, we need to get them on their way!)


"Hello, Ms Dotta," Fleta replied, slightly uncomfortable that she had woken the women. Before she could respond to Dotta's question, Glenn jumped in, but Fleta didn't mind him telling her about the map; Dotta was not the gossiping type, and Fleta had known her for years, buying eggs and the like, when they could afford it.

"Vralia, I do not know, I have heard tell of it, but never seen any maps." Fleta said when the Dotta asked about the map.

 

[Frundette]

"I've never been there, of course," Dotta said. "But remember when that map maker came through a few years back? Quinn I think was his name. He had a map of Vralia. This looks like it, I think." She yawned then. "Well, I'm back off to bed. Oh! Fleta, take this to your mother please," Dotta turned and gathered up a small basket of squash, tomatoes, and an onion. "I've been meaning to get over there and visit, but the animals and garden have been keeping me busy." Rumor had it that the family was going through a rough time and while Dotta did not have a lot of garden produce to spare, giving away a small bit to help out the family would not hurt her.

She yawned again, "Goodnight, you two."

Once she had returned to her bed, Glenn looked at the map again, trying to remember if Calhoun had ever talked about Vralia. "I guess I'd better get changed," he said after a few more minutes. His clothes were still damp from earlier, so he went to the corner of the main living area where his cot was located and opened up a flat topped trunk to retrieve a dry shirt.

 

[LoveThatChick]

Oswin's brows scrunched worriedly.  Not really out of concern for the girl or her brother or her cousin or whoever he was, but for the unwanted attention that a murder might bring along.  That would involve the local lord and maybe even a constable poking around if the town happened to have one.  Oswin certainly didn't want caught up in all that.  "Well... um...  settle down here, I'll see if I can help...." he said.  Even if all he could do was convince the man to commit his murders elsewhere.  But even as he took a step toward the stairs, the man was already coming down with a body draped over his shoulder.  

"Oh!" Oswin took a step backwards, not exactly wanting to be in his way if the man was still feeling in a murderous mood.  

The proprietor, who had been staring from the back of the room with his mouth agape, finally found his voice, "What...  what is the meaning of this?!"

Unwin answered the proprietor quickly, in a venomous tone, "These two, are in possession of something that dose not belong to them, that thing is valued by those that have payed me, to retrieve them and what they have. Know, do not step in my way, I have no patience for fools!" He looked to Jem, scowling, he knew that if she should run now, he'd be heard-pressed to catch her without risking the escape of Christof, now that the proprietor of the inn and the heavy-set man were involved.

 

[LoveThatChick]

"I've never been there, of course," Dotta said.  "But remember when that map maker came through a few years back?  Quinn I think was his name.  He had a map of Vralia.  This looks like it, I think."  She yawned then.  "Well, I'm back off to bed.  Oh!  Fleta, take this to your mother please,"  Dotta turned and gathered up a small basket of squash, tomatoes, and an onion.  "I've been meaning to get over there and visit, but the animals and garden have been keeping me busy."  Rumor had it that the family was going through a rough time and while Dotta did not have a lot of garden produce to spare, giving away a small bit to help out the family would not hurt her.  

She yawned again, "Goodnight, you two."

Once she had returned to her bed, Glenn looked at the map again, trying to remember if Calhoun had ever talked about Vralia.  "I guess I'd better get changed," he said after a few more minutes.  His clothes were still damp from earlier, so he went to the corner of the main living area where his cot was located and opened up a flat topped trunk to retrieve a dry shirt. 

Fleta did remember the map maker, but had only seen one of his maps. She thanked Dotta for the vegetables, and promised to take them to her mother, knowing she was doing her family a great kindness. After Dotta went back to her bed, Fleta look back to the map, then up at Glenn as he spoke and went to change, "It should be close to midnight, about now..." She noted, not able to hide the dread that was slipping back into her at the thought...

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Jem's eyes opened wide as Unwin came into view carrying her brother. It took her a couple of seconds to process the scene, but when she found her voice it was not that of the smiling, timid girl she had been until now. "We have nothing belongs to you," she spat. "You will get nothing from us, and you deserve nothing. Go back to the hole you crawled out of and leave us alone! Let my brother go, and scram!" She took a couple steps forward towards him, hands clenched into fists along her side.

 

[Frundette]

Glenn removed his damp shirt and hung it on the side of the cot to dry, then pulled on the dry one, which was a faded burgundy garment that looked to have been patched up in various locations. "Oh..." he frowned. He wasn't exactly sure what Kenrick had meant by favor, but assumed it was something Fleta found objectionable.

"I'll walk over with you," he said awkwardly, not exactly sure what he would do once they got to the stables.
--

The innkeeper stammered and demanded weakly "If.. if you're a bounty hunter, then... show me the sign from your patron. This business isn't proper inside my Inn!"

Meanwhile, Oswin took a step away from the pair, wondering how to either diffuse the situation so that law enforcement need not get involved or, perhaps, work it to his advantage. "Dear sir," he said, addressing Unwin, "it seems the matter could perhaps be resolved by offering some token to the proprietor of this fine establishment for providing an opportunity to conduct your business here." He had yet to meet an innkeeper that could not be bought.

 

[LoveThatChick]

Glenn removed his damp shirt and hung it on the side of the cot to dry, then pulled on the dry one, which was a faded burgundy garment that looked to have been patched up in various locations.  "Oh..." he frowned.  He wasn't exactly sure what Kenrick had meant by favor, but assumed it was something Fleta found objectionable.

"I'll walk over with you," he said awkwardly, not exactly sure what he would do once they got to the stables.  

"Thank you, Glenn..." Fleta reapplied, and though she was uncomfortable with the idea of Glenn delivering her to Kenrick, she was thankful for his company. Fleta rose from her chair, and waited for Glenn to return, removing their bowls and placing them on the washstand.

 

[LoveThatChick]

Jem's eyes opened wide as Unwin came into view carrying her brother. It took her a couple of seconds to process the scene, but when she found her voice it was not that of the smiling, timid girl she had been until now. "We have nothing belongs to you," she spat. "You will get nothing from us, and you deserve nothing. Go back to the hole you crawled out of and leave us alone! Let my brother go, and scram!" She took a couple steps forward towards him, hands clenched into fists along her side.

The innkeeper stammered and demanded weakly "If..  if you're a bounty hunter, then...  show me the sign from your patron.  This business isn't proper inside my Inn!"  

Meanwhile, Oswin took a step away from the pair, wondering how to either diffuse the situation so that law enforcement need not get involved or, perhaps, work it to his advantage.  "Dear sir," he said, addressing Unwin, "it seems the matter could perhaps be resolved by offering some token to the proprietor of this fine establishment for providing an opportunity to conduct your business here."  He had yet to meet an innkeeper that could not be bought.

Unwin ignored the girl, shaking his head slightly, the situation was getting way out of hand. He spoke first to the Oswin, in a low voice, "And that, I always do..." Unwin then turned to the the innkeeper, pulling out a small roll of parchment from an inside pocket of his black coat, "If you wish it, you may see my contracted..." He said in a mocking tone, holding the contracted out for the man to grab, "and will you except payment for your silence?" Unwin said in the same tone, he didn't really care if the man would tell of this or not.