Free MMORPG Forums

Xenonight2

Rafael didn't even blink, although inside his mind he was giggling. (So I'm not the only one who got the message to come here, then?) He felt the urge to look around and see what other people in this crowded Inn were here at the bidding of the Comte. Probably the out-of-place type, the ones who didn't seem like travelers. People like Rafael and the bow-tied man.

"Iz thees Comte" (he pronounced the word awkwardly) "an old friend of yourz before you, ah - I mean, ah, here in your stamping lands?" Rafael said, still in his small-talk voice, and pretending ignorance.

Rafael knew he was a horrible liar, but he managed to do well by avoiding mentioning the lie or just using half-truths.

Cloud13

Edmond was disappointed that he had not kept the stranger from catching the Comte reference, but after the stranger finished speaking, he knew something was up.

"No, I only have met him once, which is when he invited me here. But from the sound of it, you may have met him before, also..."

__________________

Manic

Noticing a renewed vigor in the conversation between the two men he had spotted while coming in, Felix became even more nervous. Gripping the table at which he sat, he decided to make a move.

"What am I thinking," he muttered under his breath, "just get back to your ship, idiot." Yes, the ship; his haven, his refuge, his escape. Without another glance around, he stood quickly and knocked his chair backwards loudly. Wincing, he pretended as if not to care and made his way through the crowd to the door. Within sight of the door, he felt a firm grasp on his shoulder. Shocked, he looked over to find nothing more than a surly drunk glaring at him. From between his rotted teeth the old man grunted, "Spare a coppa'?"

This was all going wrong. He could feel the eyes around the room burning into him. "Sorry, all out," muttered Felix as he turned back to the door.

The hand on his shoulder only grasped with more pressure. "Check again," growled the drunk.

__________________

Xenonight2

"Ahh, so I'm found out!" Rafael said surprisingly loud and with a chuckle infecting his tone. His voice quited, and it became apparent that his voice was rather strained. "Sorry for not being so honest - yes, I got a letter signed by zi Komteh, and containing a dezkripshun of him, but I have never met heem personally. I take it zat you are here by his biddeeng as vell? Ah, don't look so nervous, old friend, looking nervous attracts attention--" Rafael was interrupted by a slam as an apparently drunk or fuming man knocked over a chair and began walking out. "Neveh mind! Zat attracts attention, ahah! - As I vas saying, I am razher nervous as vell, since zer was vittle information about why ve vere summoned here. Do you tsink zat it haz something to do with zi... var..." Rafael had been watching the apparently drunk man move through the Inn and get stopped. Rafael glared in the direction and spoke in a low voice, "Zer might be trouble... Zis could be a distraction... Zis could be a trap..."

It was hard to tell whether Rafael was talking to the bow-tied man or himself.

Cloud13

"It certainly could be a trap, my new found friend," said Edmond, keeping a close eye on the disturbance near the door. He wasn't quite sure what to do, as he did not want an innocent man being slugged by a drunkard, but he also did not want to be a centre of attention if he had to break it up.

__________________

Xenonight2

"How about ziss," Rafael said quietly to the bow-tied man, without breaking his vision from the accosted man. "If anyvun gets up from a table zat vhere zey had a clear line of sight towardz us, and make zere vay towardz us if and ven a commotion starts zin ve run out of here. Does that sound like a good plan, my old friend?"

He watched the accosted man like a predator.

Cloud13

Edmond looked at his friend and comprehended what he had said. Luckily for Edmond his time in foreign lands allowed him to be able to quickly understand what the man was saying. "I don't know, perhaps who we are waiting for wants to talk to us when no one else will notice."

__________________

Manic

With another fleeting look, Felix noted that the two men at the table were staring at him. Panic settled in. He shouldn't have come, he should have ignored the summons and continued on his way. Oh, how he hated being grounded.

He rummaged through his pockets and picked out a coin. Showing it to the old man, he made an attempt to hand it to him and dropped it, knowing the old bastard would be more concerned with it than with his hostage. As the coin rolled off and the old man followed, Felix turned his head once again to the door. This was a nightmare. It was blocked by a barmaid who had spilled a drink in the commotion.

As adrenaline began pumping through his system, Felix's mind finally made an effort to assist him. Running would only draw more attention at this point, and getting shot wasn't on the top of his to-do list. Instead, he made an attempt to walk casually towards the table at which the foreigner and the huntsman were glaring accusingly. He would lie to cover his story, placate his fellow customers, and make an escape after he had been forgotten.

"Gentlemen, my apologies," he choked out. "I had no intention of disturbing you. Could I buy you a round to make up for the inconvenience?"

__________________

Cloud13

"That's fine by me," said Edmond. "I'll take an ale. From the looks of it, you could use a good drink yourself," taking a look at the way the man was stammering and shaking. Edmond pulled out a chair, seemingly from nowhere, and invited the man to sit. "That looked like a close call back there," Edmond quipped.

__________________

shadowsworn

Étienne stood sipping his wine and watching. He finished the glass, and turning, ordered another.

As he turned towards the crowd again, with a sigh of impatience, he saw that the door had opened once more. He could see several men. In the lead was a tall man, with long dark brown hair and a moustache. His skin had a slightly darker cast than that of a native Saxian, probably Loubetian peasant stock. He was talking loudly to another man behind him, and laughing.

The tall man walked with an arrogant swagger, talking over his shoulder, as he did so, to, Étienne could see now, an only slightly shorter man, a Garchean, with a black tricorn hat and black mustache, and striking grey eyes, who laughed and responded in kind.

Now Étienne could also see a third man, slighter in stature than the other two, and with quick, darting green eyes in a pale face, standing behind the other two. He waited by the door, and Étienne saw his lips move slightly, as he spoke to someone who was still outside.

In the meanwhile, Étienne saw, an argument appeared to have broken out between the tall Loubretian and a drunken peasant. The tall man sneered, and, as Étienne watched, he roughly shoved the peasant backwards. The drunk reeled, and fell against a nearby table.

Two of the table's occupants began to rise, with angry oaths. As they did so, the Garchean shoved his way forward and, Étienne saw, his hand was resting on the hilt of a saber, scabbarded at his waist. He waited a moment, one eyebrow raised, then, seeing the two men sitting back down again, with angry, frightened, looks, he bowed sardonically, and, looking away, kept walking, again slightly behind the Loubretian.

__________________