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

[Frundette]

"Good evenin', ma'am," Glenn replied, missing the appraising look Fleta's mother gave him. It didn't occur to him to her mother might have different ideas about why Fleta was headed off with Glenn than Glenn himself did.

"How come you didn't tell her about the map?" Glenn asked Fleta once her mother had turned back into the house. "We might find his stash yet!"

 

[LoveThatChick]

"She doesn't need to know, yet. If we can get the journal, figure out what the map says and where it leads, then I'll tell her. But right now, we don't need her pestering about the map, or about us..." Fleta said flatly, then walked into the house, motioning for Glenn to follow.

The smile fire in the hearth cast flickering light across the sparsely ferniest room, which was separated into a kitchen/living area, and a back bad room by moth eaten drapes. Fleta walked to the wooden ladder in the corner that lead to the small loft and climbed it, closing the drapes behind her once she was on the landing.
She quickly removed her wet clothes and slipped on her nicest dress; a deep blue thing with cream colored embroidery on the neck and sleeves, her mothers favorite. She debated for a moment about taking for fathers knife with her, but decided against it.

"So, where are you two off too?" Fleta's mother asked Glenn as Fleta climbed back down the ladder.

 

[Frundette]

"...or about us..." Glenn paused for a moment before following Fleta into the house, puzzled by what she had meant by that. What about them? But he brushed it off as nothing, then stepped into the house.

He was still soaked himself, so remained standing so that he didn't get any of their furniture wet. "Uh..." he answered Fleta's mother. Keeping secrets and telling falsehoods was not something he excelled at. "Going back to Ms Dotta's house," he said after another moment of hesitation. "Then maybe back to the Fountain once I've changed outta these wet clothes." He looked away awkwardly, uncomfortable not being able to tell her the whole truth. "We got caught in the rain on the way down the hill from old man Calhoun's place," he said, beginning to ramble. Luckily, Fleta was climbing back down the ladder and Glenn looked over to her.

Before she had looked like... well, just a girl. Now she was wearing a pretty blue dress and the young man couldn't help but notice that she was pretty as well. But for Kenrick... he reminded himself, not for him...

 

[LoveThatChick]

When Unwin came within reach of his knife, Christof exploded from the bed as quickly as he could, hoping to catch the intruder off guard. He swung the weapon out with all his strength towards Unwin, aiming for his torso. "JEM, RUN!" He shouted her name at the same time, unsure if she was awake or not.

The noise startled Jem greatly and she rolled awkwardly off the side of the bed, unable to see anything at first. This wasn't the first time someone had attempted to get them during the night, but she didn't feel any more prepared this time compared to the first. "Chris, where are you?" She fumbled with the candle on the nightstand, trying to get some light in the room.

Unwin was off guard, but had extremely fast reflexives and threw up his right arm to catch Christof's wrist, but under estimated the speed at which the blade travailing. He growled in pain and anger as the knife sliced into his forearm, it was deep and blood flaw through the air, but Unwin ignored it. He quickly tried to grab the mans wrist the wielded the blade with his injured arm, and used the length of leather in his other hand like a whip, aiming for the Christof's face, ready to kick the man in the stomach once he got a hold on him.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Christof recoiled in pain as the leather strap caught the side of his cheek, drawing a thin line of blood. His right arm, carrying the knife, flailed wildly in Unwin's general direction but the man made a lucky swing in the dark and manage to grab hold of his wrist. "Jem, go, please, run!" He aimed and swung his left fist towards Unwin's head, trying to break his right arm free. Over the course of three months he had fought off many people, but this man was stronger, stronger than Christof reckoned he could outwrestle. Should he fail, he didn't want Jem in the room to see it.

In the chaos of the moment Jem dropped the match she was trying to light the candle with. Hearing Christof's second warning, she abandoned the idea and bolted for the door. If she could get out of the room and into the lobby, maybe she could find someone else who'd help them.

 

[LoveThatChick]

Unwin felt the fist hit him square in the jaw, but he held fast to the mans wrist, "Idiot boy!" He growled, as he twisted Christof's wrist to give him the time he needed to get the leather strap around the mans neck, to choke him out...

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

"Gaahh..." Christof grunted as Unwin twisted his right arm. His left was halfway back, wound up to punch him again but when he felt the leather cord wrap around his throat he barely managed to get his fingers in between. With all his strength he pulled the cord outwards so that he could suck in a lungful of air. "Son of a *****" He cursed between gasps, still struggling furiously against the stronger man's hold.

--

Jem threw open the door and made a dash down the hallway towards the stairs. Her usually well groomed long hair was sticking up in all directions from sleeping on it, and she was still barefoot in her nightgown. Barely managing to make it down the stairs without tripping on the gown, she emerged into the lobby area at a dead sprint, "someone, please, help me!"

 

[LoveThatChick]

"...or about us..."  Glenn paused for a moment before following Fleta into the house, puzzled by what she had meant by that.  What about them?  But he brushed it off as nothing, then stepped into the house.  

He was still soaked himself, so remained standing so that he didn't get any of their furniture wet.  "Uh..." he answered Fleta's mother.  Keeping secrets and telling falsehoods was not something he excelled at.  "Going back to Ms Dotta's house," he said after another moment of hesitation.  "Then maybe back to the Fountain once I've changed outta these wet clothes."  He looked away awkwardly, uncomfortable not being able to tell her the whole truth.  "We got caught in the rain on the way down the hill from old man Calhoun's place," he said, beginning to ramble.  Luckily, Fleta was climbing back down the ladder and Glenn looked over to her.  

Before she had looked like...  well, just a girl.  Now she was wearing a pretty blue dress and the young man couldn't help but notice that she was pretty as well.  But for Kenrick...  he reminded himself, not for him... 

Fleta smiled when she saw the look on Glenn's face, then walked over to her mother at the fire, giving her a kiss on the cheek before asking, "Are the children in bed?" She glanced towards the back room, where the three should be at that time.
"Yes, they went to sleep a few hours ago. When will you be back?" Her mother replied, in an odd tone.
"In the morrow," Fleta said, then turned to Glenn before her mother could answer, "Glenn, let's get going." She grabbed her black cloak, and headed out the door.

 

[Frundette]

Glenn followed quickly, not wanting to field any more questions from Fleta's mother. The rain clouds were almost gone now and the last of the daylight was fading quickly. But since both knew the path well, there was little to fear from the dark. As they drew closer to Ms Dotta's house, Glenn thought again about the map and what it might lead to. "The map get wet any?" he asked.

As they came up the muddy path to Dotta's home, Glenn pushed the door open softly, so as not to wake Dotta, knowing she would probably be sleeping already. Inside, a kitchen area was lit by a fire in the hearth and a few candles that had been left burning and were now dripping wax onto the tabletop. A kettle had been left over the hearth and a fine smell of a hearty stew greeted them as they entered.

"You hungry?" Glenn asked in a quiet voice, already getting two wooden bowls down off a shelf. "Ms Dotta must've left this for my dinner."

---


At this late hour, only two people were still in the common area of the Inn when Jem came hurrying down the stairs: the proprietor, cleaning up the mugs and plates that had been left on the tables, and Oswin, pacing near the fire. The heavy-set man took a step nearer the disheveled woman. "Dear, dear..." he said, recognizing her as the woman who had paused to comment on one of his books earlier. "whatever is the matter?"

 

[LoveThatChick]

Glenn followed quickly, not wanting to field any more questions from Fleta's mother.  The rain clouds were almost gone now and the last of the daylight was fading quickly.  But since both knew the path well, there was little to fear from the dark.  As they drew closer to Ms Dotta's house, Glenn thought again about the map and what it might lead to.  "The map get wet any?" he asked.

As they came up the muddy path to Dotta's home, Glenn pushed the door open softly, so as not to wake Dotta, knowing she would probably be sleeping already.   Inside, a kitchen area was lit by a fire in the hearth and a few candles that had been left burning and were now dripping wax onto the tabletop.  A kettle had been left over the hearth and a fine smell of a hearty stew greeted them as they entered.  

"You hungry?" Glenn asked in a quiet voice, already getting two wooden bowls down off a shelf.  "Ms Dotta must've left this for my dinner."

"No, the map did not get wet, I had it in my bodice." Fleta replied, then they reached the house. She looked around at the inside, thinking how nice it was compared to hers, then answered Glenn, "Umm, yes please. Thank you, I am very hungry..." Fleta had only eatten once that day, just before she left old man Calhoun's, and that had been before sunrise, she had been there for hours before Glenn got there.