Ercassie wrote: ↑Wed Mar 22, 2023 2:49 pm
Gwandhyra Harion – Interrupted
‘Needful Things’ store (before it’s official opening)
Middle of the Night. With @Rillewen
Brown eyes narrowed, seeking in the darkness for the stranger he had last seen right in front of him. It was tempting to reach out with his free hand, but he did not want to compromise his stance at all. She could not see him any more than he could her, which levelled the field so to speak. And though he did not hear her shy out of his path, when the girl spoke he knew immediately which direction she had moved to.
Her words were quiet but not steadily so, and so
Gwandhyra knew that she was moving further from his reach the longer that her efforts carried on. Her words, such as they were, did not sound extremely far fetched. They suited the silhouette which he had seen take flight, and the shake about her shrill voice matched the story that she spoke.
Of course, the reason why she was afraid might be quite something else than the reason she had described. The word ‘safe’ had snuck into her explanation at least twice. And though she claimed to have been chased by ‘some men’ .. that could be some criminal element, or the City Guard. Or an outright lie.
Placing himself certainly in front of the door, as that had clearly been her goal, the Man sighed, and lowered his blade some, bringing it in closer toward his body. Not only to relax the weight of it ..
“
Why do you not tell me how you got in at all ?” he asked for another answer, rather than betray his reaction to any that she had offered him.
If it was a pack of lies that she was telling him, then diverting her away from what she’d already said, would make it easier to determine if she kept to the same story when he returned to query it later. He was not only a father. He had survived this long by becoming grossly paranoid and evolving a practiced history of lying himself. That he could recognise these traits in another human being did not make him any more inclined to trust her. Even if she had stumbled into his sanctuary on an accident, which was possible; that just meant that now there were a potential pair of perils out there, instead of just the one he was trying to establish it was safe from, before reaching for the bait that had brought him here in the first place.
Strawberry
with '
Gwandhyra'
In 'Needful Things' shop
Middle of night - some point before its grand opening
The question was rather unexpected, although hearing his words did tell her that the man had not moved from the door. She paused, considering her options. If he was determined to stay there, then maybe she could go back up the stairs and get out through a window. Although… if he realized it, he’d surely be after her pretty quickly.
She was getting a little tired of having to run from everyone, if she was totally honest. It seemed every town she came to, someone eventually came after her. Even when she didn’t do anything wrong. Once, she’d only walked into a shop to buy supplies, and had to flee the little town with all the guards on her heels, and nearly became a pincushion for all their arrows. Thankfully, she’d lost them in the woods, but it was not an experience she’d like to repeat. Since then, she had learned to disguise herself and sneak around at times when she was less likely to be spotted. And avoid people, for the most part.
Having spent plenty of time just roaming in the wilds between towns, and keeping her distance from people when she did come into any city or town, Strawberry had gained very few friends in the last few years. Precious few. Three to be exact. A boy who’d once helped her, whom she hadn't seen since. A young apprentice healer in Rohan… and a young noble-lady in Dol Amroth. A tiny smile flitted across her face, unseen in the darkness, as Strawberry recalled meeting the latter under similar circumstances. Having sneaked into the obviously rich house to sneak a little food one night, she’d ended up coming face to face with one of the inhabitants, who seemed near to her own age, best she could tell. Dina hadn’t tried to kill her, though, and had even given her food and sneaked her into the attic and kept her hidden for weeks while Strawberry recovered from some injuries.
The memory of that made her wonder if maybe there was a chance that she could turn this situation around. The man obviously had a wrong idea about who she was, and why she’d come. She had tried to sound like a frightened little girl (which, in some ways, wasn’t too far off from the truth, though she’d never admit to being truly afraid). That hadn’t entirely worked. So, maybe it was time to drop the act and just answer honestly. She didn’t do that often, mostly because she didn’t often get into a place where she might do so freely without being hunted… but three times in the life that she remembered, she had tried it. She had three friends that had each helped her, as a result.
“
Why do you not tell me how you got in at all?” The man’s question had hung in the air for only a couple of seconds while Strawberry’s thoughts raced and she considered all of these things.
Alright. He wanted to know… she’d tell him. She let out a slightly amused scoff. “Please. Have you
seen the lock on your door?” She asked, somewhat rhetorically. “It’s got to be the simplest lock I’ve ever encountered. You hardly even need any skill to turn those tumblers. I would've been out of here by now, but..” She paused, a little embarrassed. “Well with you chasing me and all, I dropped my pick.” She admitted, then cleared her throat awkwardly.
“Look, I don’t know who you are, or who you thought I might have been,” She added hastily, trying to listen for any sound that he might make, to indicate he’d left his post by the door. “But.. how about we start over?” She suggested, hopeful. “I’ve got no interest in doing you any harm…
if you stop trying to kill
me.” She assured him. “I meant it when I said I was just looking for someplace to sleep.” She paused. “But, I
will defend myself I have to.” She added, letting a little bit of a hardness enter her voice at the last bit. trying to make it clear she would fight, if pushed. She’d had to defend herself more than enough times before, in more places than she could even keep track of, and from various sorts of foes. She really just wanted to be able to relax for a while, without the threat of dying or being captured looming over her every second.
Taking a slow breath in, Strawberry made an extreme effort to appeal to the swordsman. “I could help you.” She mentioned. “I could show you how you can make this place more secure, if you’re worried about someone getting in here?” The offer spilled out soon after. “So that even
I would find it difficult to get in here uninvited. And, so that whoever you thought I was.. couldn’t get in here at all.” She suggested, since it was obvious the guy had expected someone else. An assassin, perhaps? She had heard rumors about such things, but had never really encountered any, herself. Thankfully. Hopefully, that would remain the case.
“I just..” She hesitated. “I need to stay out of sight for a little while.. that’s all. Someone’s out to get me, too.” She added softly. “Someone very dangerous. Someone corrupt.. and in the guards.. who has a lot of influence.” She elaborated as much as she dared, hoping that little piece of information, spoken with such raw honesty, might convince the man that she was not a threat to him, and that perhaps they might be able to work together and therefore, outwit and thwart both their pursuers. “I’m called Strawberry, by the way.” She added with a hopeful smile, risking a tentative step toward him. And thus, an unlikely alliance was begun.
(
Just wrapping up a story that was previously placed on pause. Ercassie, you are under no obligation to post back to this one, I just felt like it needed some closure. *hug*)
@Ercassie
Strawberry
with '
Gwandhyra'
Upstairs in 'Needful Things' shop (some weeks later)
Around noon - the day after Erulaitalë
When Strawberry had first met Gwandhyra, and suggested they might work together, she’d had no idea that she would end up staying as long as she had so far. Nor that their enemies were linked, somehow. She’d only thought, then, that they could both help each other, in small ways perhaps, and she’d spend a night, maybe two, here.. and then she’d be on her way. But then she’d had two weeks to wait before she could even pull her heist of those files for the Crooked Guard, and then.. well, she hadn’t been able to get out of the town when she’d planned on it. And while she was worried about overstaying her welcome, there was also some loneliness to be dispelled, on her part at least, and perhaps on his too. She'd been on her own, and on the run, ever since she could remember.
She didn’t remember any sort of father figure in her life, but had often craved that sort of relationship. Or any sort of family, for that matter. If she’d ever had any, they were lost to the depths of her memory, and may never be a part of her life again. She tried not to think too much about that subject, as it saddened her. But, anyway, she wouldn’t have admitted it out loud, but after getting to know Gwand a bit, she couldn’t help wondering if this was how her own father might have been like. Or, if she’d even known him. Perhaps, she’d always been alone. She knew that Gwand had a daughter, probably around the same age as herself. Maybe that was why the man was nice to her. Well, after he got over their initial meeting, anyway.
She had found it difficult to pronounce the whole name he’d given, and thus after several times getting it wrong, she had simply shortened it to Gwand. During the past few weeks, staying here, she had been surprised to find herself laughing at times, even being a bit silly. The fact that she felt comfortable enough to let down her guard slightly and joke around sometimes… that was unexpected, but not unwelcome. Laughing lightly at his comment about the dummy, she was reminded again of how easy it was to let down some of her guard around Gwand. “Don’t worry, there’s no way it’d fool anyone if they actually came in here. But just seeing the shape in the window...” She shrugged. “Should work, I think.” She tilted her head as she thoughtfully appraised her work, and gave a small nod.
The next words spoken by her cautious host, however, brought her thoughts back to the serious matter before them. Narrowing her eyes thoughtfully, Strawberry gave a slow nod as Gwand made a few very good observations about how they ought not let that secret thing get into the hands of the guards. She quite agreed. Though she had no idea what this
thing was, she felt it was a bad idea to let anything important fall into
their hands. But, she also knew that for his own reasons, Gwand didn’t want his brother to know he was here. She frowned, trying to make her sleepy brain work a little more clearly. “Maybe, instead of you going to talk to her,” She spoke up with an offer that seemed quite reasonable to her, “I could just slip over there tonight, and get it from him?” She shrugged. It was no secret to Gwand, by now, that she was a thief. And despite the fact that she had admitted to having been sort of pushed into that ‘trade’ due to having little other option… she was quite confident in her skills. And not without cause, either. “I can get out the window much easier than you can,” She reminded him with a shrug.
A smile tugged at her face then, when the man recalled how good she was at handling herself and taking people by surprise. But, as his thinking unfolded, she was a bit surprised to hear him suggest that, if the evil guy tried to come here, she could get away while the enemy was distracted by the dummy. Her own thoughts had been more along the lines of.. if the creep did come after Gwand, he would quickly be distracted when he saw her there. And if necessary, she could draw him away from Gwand and his family. Or, they could fight him together, and maybe between their combined skills..defeat him. But of course, slipping away to find Gwand and warn him was also a good option. Still, to hear him speak, she wondered… was that.. concern? for her? She hadn’t really expected that. Unbidden, her thoughts flashed briefly back to that rainy night she’d returned here, after her successful heist at the guard tower, with her hands skinned up from the mishap upon her exit. She recalled how kind he had been in putting some sort of salve stuff on her palms to help them heal better. She was not used to anyone being concerned about her, but rather, having to take care of herself any way she could. She considered his words briefly before nodding. “Something like that,” She agreed vaguely, deciding not to mention what her own thoughts had been.
She grew thoughtful then, after hearing Gwand mention that the guy had apparently been watching his family. Yes… that was troubling. Strawberry frowned, some thought deep in the back of her mind stirring a nagging worry. As if.. she should know something, but couldn’t put her finger on it. “Do you really think your brother would break in here?” She wondered with a change of thought, tilting her head curiously. “I mean.. he’s all.. law-abiding and stuff, right?” She was aware that there were those who actually did have limits to their curiosity, and that some people wouldn’t dare break the law no matter how curious they might be about something. And whether anyone was watching or not. From how Gwand had talked, she had the feeling his brother was in that group.
Tobedir Thôrmaetha
Wood Works shop
Around noon - the day after Erulaitalë
Upon hearing Addhor’s confession that he did not think that this mess was Toby’s fault, he did feel somewhat more relaxed, even if there wasn’t an obvious change. A subtle shift in his shoulders might have been evidence of a little less tension, but there was still plenty of other things about this situation to make him anxious. The problem wasn’t just Addhor, standing over him so intimidatingly. There was Tessa to consider, too.
Furthermore, he did not need to be reminded that Addhor was back. It was quite obvious, of course, since he was standing right there in front of him. But Tobedir nodded slightly. “Yes, sir,” He agreed quietly. He was, most definitely, back. The next moment, he caught his breath and somehow managed not to tense up again, when the man grabbed his shoulder! Well, not so much
grabbed, as rested a hand on it, but still... Toby sat very still for a moment, and then to his relief, Addhor went over to stand by the register. The nervous young man let out a slow breath he hadn’t quite realized he was still holding.
Next, his dark eyes flicked over to Tessa. She looked angry. Even though her back was turned toward them, he just.. felt that she was angry. Probably seething inside, waiting for a chance to catch him alone and punch him, just like she hit the mean boys at school who had dared try and mess with her. He watched her silently from where he remained on the ‘horse’, and wondered what to expect at school tomorrow. It really didn’t help him any, that his all his grandmother could teach him to do was cook and sew. ‘Girl stuff’ as his classmates teased him. Perhaps.. perhaps that was why Toby had not utterly rejected the idea of coming to work for Addhor, after all of his grandmother's nudging. Because.. well, even if he was just sweeping up sawdust and wood shavings, there was still a slim chance he might get to learn some sort of ‘manly skills’ in the process, right? Or at least watch how some of the tools worked. And maybe he could even figure out how to help fix some of the stuff in their house.
But that wouldn’t be happening at all, if Tessa ruined this for him. With his gaze locked onto the floor, Toby swallowed silently, a slow frown growing on his face as she made her claims, in her sweet, innocent tones. Then he looked up in slight alarm at what Addhor said. Wait, did he actually think Toby had been throwing the coins at
her? That was absurd! He actually opened his mouth, with the thought of protesting and denying this accusation, but swiftly thought better of it. Tessa, meanwhile, was even claiming that it wasn’t her idea. So, whose was it, Toby’s? He couldn’t believe what he was hearing, and looked back toward Addhor, slightly distressed to think he might actually believe any of this.
Before any words had managed to spill out of his mouth, however, Tobedir shut it again. He had just remembered that he did not want to make an enemy of Tessa. And, to his relief, he realized that Addhor was presenting a logical argument to her claim. Right. There were only the coints that Tessa had thrown at him, near the door.
‘Tell a lie once, and all your truths become questionable,’ The thought popped into his head unbidden as the girl. It was something his grandmother often said, and he found himself wondering if Addhor believed a word she said. Because, well.. the lies were starting to become obvious, he thought.
“Honestly it was just a bit of fun,” Tessa claimed next.
“Fun for
you, maybe,” Toby muttered under his breath, too quiet for Tessa to hear from where he was seated in the corner. He made no answer to her when she tried to pretend like they were friends. Like they did silly things like this all the time, for fun. He kept his own gaze down, even as she looked toward him in hopes of having her claim confirmed. The only friends he had lived too far away to see regularly, but he didn't mention this. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he half-remembered saying something of that nature only yesterday.
He did look up, however, when Tessa declared that he was helping her. What? He gave her a rather baffled look for a second, but it took little time to realize what she meant. He fidgeted in his seat and looked down at the floor. He felt torn. He wanted to speak up and tell Addhor that none of this was true... and he also wanted to refuse to help her. But, he also knew that she would be angry if he spoke up. And he didn’t want to be a tattletale, either. Trev and his friends always used to get so upset with him for telling on them about some of the things they had planned… and now, well... Tessa was not someone to make an enemy of.
He was really in a tough situation, now. Find a gift for Tessa’s mother? He had never even met the woman. He had no idea what sort of things she liked. He frowned, a little perplexed with this dilemma. He’d never even met his own mother. What sort of things do you get for your mother? Flowers..? He stared down at the floor, thinking. He used to ask Trev about their mother, back when he was very little. His brother, however, never wanted to tell him much about her. It was almost as if he wanted to hold onto his memories of her for himself, and not share. He used tell Toby to go away, and he'd say he didn’t want to talk about her. He’d even said - once - that it was
Toby’s fault she was gone. Grandma, of course, had assured him that it wasn’t his fault, and had made Trev apologize, but the words had stung just the same, and he had not asked Trev anymore about her. Grandma had only told him a little bit about her. That she loved singing, and that Toby looked a lot like her. He knew very little else about her, except that grandma said she loved him and Trev very, very much. Talking about her seemed to make Grandma sad, so he stopped asking her, too.
And now, Tessa wanted him to help her find some great gift for
her mother? Realizing he was biting his bottom lip rather hard, he stopped and also loosened his grip on the seat. With a hand on either side of his legs, he had been gripping the plank seat so tightly his knuckles were almost white. He was not one to lose his temper, like Trev always used to do so easily. But he also wasn't immune to feeling upset and angry, once in a while. He just tried his best to keep anyone from seeing that. Drawing in a slow, slightly shaky breath, Tobedir laid his now-relaxed hands on his knees. He let the breath out slowly, forcing himself to stay calm the best that he could.
Yes, flowers were always an option, he supposed. That was what he brought to his mother’s grave each year, on her birthday. He used to tag along with Trev when he did it. But now, with him gone… Toby had taken on the ritual for himself. The only other option he could think of for a gift was the sort of gifts he made for his grandmother on her birthday. But that wouldn’t seem right to give something like that to Tessa to give to her mother. Besides, there wasn’t time to make very much. Flowers would have to do. He risked a glance toward Tessa and gave a tiny nod, wordlessly accepting the fate that had been thrust upon him by his classmate. He just hoped she wouldn’t ruin his chances of getting this job.
