Nora
Archer
Posts: 48
Profession: Pain in Edward's A$$
Affiliation: The Etrurian Throne
Affinity: Light
Profile: Link
OoC Alias: Charlie
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Post by Nora on Sept 2, 2014 11:57:15 GMT -6
The small village of Wilderose had been a fairly quiet town for many years. Just south of Pharae in Lycia, its inhabitants made ends meet by sending their men off to the local coal mine in the nearby mountains, paired with a handful of hunters who were skilled enough to sell their hides and meat to both the town and the few traders that visited from Pharae.
Unfortunately, this afternoon would not be a quiet one for the village. Considering the population was so small, all of the villagers knew each other, usually by name. This meant they also knew who Nora and Monroe Adel were. Everyone was aware that the pair had showed up in their small town about seven years ago, with Monroe asking a favor of one of the villagers who he was once friends with. They stayed in a small cabin not far from the outskirts of town, and the two always seemed at ends with one another.
It wasn’t clear what their relationship was, even though Nora called Monroe her “uncle.” What was clear on this day in particular, though, was that Monroe was keeping Nora from doing something she wanted to do as per usual, and Nora wasn’t having it. Even in their little cabin with all of the windows closed, their muffled yells could be heard by everyone outside and in the surrounding homes.
“What do you mean we can’t go on our hunting trip today!” Nora raised her voice to Monroe. “We’ve had to cancel it two months in a row now!”
As Monroe spoke, he sounded exasperated, as if his hands were tied. “I understand, Nora, but you know this is for the best. I promise, we’ll go out twice next month to make up for it!”
“But that’s what you said last month!” Nora’s yells grew louder, clearly upset. Many of the villagers were aware that, for one reason or another, Nora wasn’t often allowed to leave their home unless she was with Monroe. Many thought it was because the girl was sick, or still recovering from her nasty run-in with the mountain lion. But today, it was clear at least her lungs were 100% fine. Monroe began to say something, but Nora wasn't having it.
“You always do this! You always say we’ll do this or that and then cancel at the last minute because you’re scared! I’m not scared, so why are you?! I’m sick of being cooped up in this damn cabin, I won’t take it anymore!” SLAM! The front door to their home was flung open, the pink-haired teen furiously and quickly walking out of the home. A few of the neighbors who had been leaning an ear out their windows to hear the fight quickly closed their shutters, though Nora didn’t notice. With pack and bow slung over her shoulder, she stormed off towards the forest.
Monroe rushed out, hand grasping the doorway to the cabin as he yelled after Nora. “Nora, get back here right now! You are NOT going to go out there alone!”
Only slowing down for a moment, the rebellious teen looked over her shoulder, yelling back at Monroe. “Watch me!” With that, she took off at a sprint towards the path to the forest trail, leaving Monroe massaging his temples as he watched her go. There were only so many times he could chase her into those woods.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 2, 2014 12:42:17 GMT -6
After getting told the details by Bonnie and First Mate he was rather happy to oblige to the job. A sort of new task for him, one to test him further almost like a graduation exam they called it. Then he learned more about it. He would be inland. Very inland, where no one even fished. This was his first red flag. He was searching for a girl his age (a welcome detail) with blond or strawberry blond hair (he hoped for the latter) but she's been missing for years. A second red flag.
It was a fully detailed job but he couldn't read the employer well. He didn't trust him to divulge the full truth to them. Besides what kind of merchant hired privateers to hunt down his long list daughter? Oh well the reward will be sweet regardless. Enough money to afford a manowar. Again though what kind of merchant makes that money? A third red flag.
"Hey! You going to fold or not? Get your head out your arse and play!" EphrIm was lost in those thoughts when the losing man reminded him he was still at the tavern playing a bit of poker.
"Oh! Sorry, sorry. Here, I think you'll find my win is in order." He laid down a straight flush and took the pot. "Well, it's been a slice but I must be going now." Ephraim stood shouldering his bag and left leaving a table of men gawking at how much they had lost. They weren't bidding very high so he needed to lose a few games to get their confidence up. Once he did he struck. Walking away with a good winning.
Once outside he felt the stifling air. No sea breeze? No seagulls? It was, well Hell. That is when he heard the muffled shouts and saw the nosey ears pressed to the window. Squatting down behind the privacy nazis he clapped his hands down on their shoulders. "What are we listening to? Anything good?"
The two housewives he bothered yelped at his appearance. They shushed him and explained a bit. "An odd girl showed up years ago and almost never leaves huh? Sheesh," perhaps his luck would be good today. Seems a bit too obvious though he thought.
Suddenly the door slammed open and the housewives ran trying to not be caught. Ephraim having been unprepared looked like a kid with his hand in a cookie jar. To his relief it seemed like the girl didn't notice him. Wait, the girl with pink hair!
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Nora
Archer
Posts: 48
Profession: Pain in Edward's A$$
Affiliation: The Etrurian Throne
Affinity: Light
Profile: Link
OoC Alias: Charlie
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Post by Nora on Sept 2, 2014 18:56:50 GMT -6
Nora fumed, tears forming at the corners of her eyes as she sprinted into the thick forest cover, the village shrinking behind her. What nerve Monroe had! They’d been away from home for years, 7 years to be exact, and Monroe still treated her like she was twelve. Maybe part of him meant well, but Nora couldn’t see any of that now, more concerned with her own personal freedoms than anything else. Sure, she’d been hurt before, but she still felt invincible, like the threat of her father’s adversaries coming to get her was one not worth a passing thought.
Even though she was running, Nora knew she’d go back. She always did, even at her angriest. In a way, she loved Monroe like a brother or a father, and while she wanted so badly to see the world, she had to think of Monroe. Her little adventures on her own were different, but leaving? She couldn’t consider it, at least not for now.
Slinging her bow over her shoulder, Nora slowed her sprint to a jog and eventually down to a walk, realizing she had gone a ways into the woods. How long had she been running? It didn’t matter, she thought as she looked for any familiar markings she and Monroe often left behind in their favorite hunting spots. After a few minutes she spotted one of her carved “C”s in the trunk of a tree, signaling that Nora had been able to climb this tree safely and get down on her own. So they’d been here before, that was good to know.
Her breaths still heavy from running, Nora bent over, holding her knees as she did her best to catch her breath. She was so glad to just be outside breathing the forest air, but she wouldn’t waste the time she did have. Once her breathing was back to normal (or as close as she would be able to get, Nora took her bow from her shoulder, eyes beginning to look around for something to hunt. Monroe’s warnings were still in the back of her mind, but she did her best to shove them to the side as she sought out her prey.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 2, 2014 20:38:38 GMT -6
Ephraim had found his target and without her ever seeing him it appeared the chase was on. Don't get it wrong, Ephraim rather enjoyed the chase but in a very different context. He called out to the girl but she did not hear him and she had a rather large lead. He chased after her regardless keeping an agile foot and in the shadows.
After what must have been at least a mile the girl stopped running. That took her long enough. She sure has some lungs to run like that. When her pace finally slowed to a walk Ephraim decided he could take in the surroundings a bit rather than keep marking trees with slashes. He quickly climbed a tree to get a solid view of everything around. He kept an eye on the girl following from the trees. What would he say to her? Should he just snatch her now? They are in the middle of nowhere. There would not exactly be a lot of fuss.
Suddenly the girl unslung her bow and began looking around. That answers that question. Nope. He considered his options for a moment and leaped to another tree before swinging down and eventually landing near her. Peeking out from behind a tree he spoke up. "You shouldn't have to cry you know. You're too beautiful to ruin it by tears." NOW! HE WAS FLIRTING NOW!? Oh well, old habits die hard. "Uh, if I come out do you promise not to shoot me?
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Nora
Archer
Posts: 48
Profession: Pain in Edward's A$$
Affiliation: The Etrurian Throne
Affinity: Light
Profile: Link
OoC Alias: Charlie
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Post by Nora on Sept 2, 2014 22:26:30 GMT -6
Every crack of a branch, every gust of wind was apparent to Nora now as she listened for what she would undoubtedly be trying to shoot down. It was fairly quiet in the woods today, which was strange considering the weather was calm and a storm had just finished up the day prior. In fact, the woods should have been crawling with critters waiting for Nora to shoot them down. Had her running scared them all off?
CRACK! Nora’s hand instantly reached for an arrow and nocked it, spinning around to see what creature had decided to make itself available to her. If it was a deer, she’d likely have to let it get away without Munroe here to help her skin the animal. She’d be able to easily snag a crow or a pigeon, but whatever had snapped that twig was bigger than a bird.
SNAP! Another twig broke under foot of the mysterious game, causing Nora to look around in confusion. Whatever was coming was loud, and it sounded like it was somehow slashing at the trees as it approached. Nora backed away from where the sounds of rustling leaves and tree branches were coming from, bow still out in front of her. Was it possible someone had followed her? She knew it wasn’t Monroe, as he was somehow quiet as a mouse as he moved through the forest. She felt a pinprick of fear course through her, though she did her best not to show it. Eyes narrowed, she looked from left to right with her bow at the ready, waiting for whatever was out there to reveal itself.
Or rather, himself. A deep voice sounded from behind a nearby tree, causing Nora to jump, spinning around with arrow still nocked and now aimed at the forehead of the blonde-haired man who’d revealed himself. He was no more than 20 feet away from her – how had he gotten so close without her realizing? But with her bow drawn and at the ready, Nora had something of an advantage over the man who had just appeared out of nowhere. She wouldn’t dream of actually firing an arrow at the man, but Nora was certainly willing to act like she would.
“That depends,” Nora said, her voice full of resolve. “What are you doing out here? And why are you following me?” Arrow still nocked and trained on the man, she waited for his response. He didn’t look too dangerous from where she stood, but Monroe’s years of telling her to not trust anyone she didn’t know were kicking into overdrive.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2014 0:36:52 GMT -6
Walking out from behind the tree he gave Nora a charming but roguish smile. He held his hands up in a casual pose of surrender. "Easy there gorgeous, easy." Her voice was firm telling Ephraim she meant business but in her eyes he could see tell of her wavering resolve. She would not shoot him. Least wise unless he gave her good cause. He attempted to move closer but the arrow pointed at his head from point blank was a strong deterrent of such action.
He rolled his shoulders and looked around the forest. "It's nice and quiet here. Nice place for someone to take a good snooze methinks." He sat on a moss covered rock. There must be a creek or stream nearby he thought. Looking the girl over from head to toe he analyzed her. She had only the bow on hand so that was a boon.
"So, this is how my story goes." He leaned in closer resting his left arm on his leg and his other dangling by his side. "I was passing by when I heard some muffled out yelling. There were these two housewives listening in and I honestly let curiosity take hold of my better judgments and wanted to see what was so special. After giving the women a good start they told me about how you were trapped in that home."
Ephraim wasn't going to lie to a woman. Especially not one as beautiful as she, but he never agreed to not withholding a fact or two. He grabbed a stick and had begun drawing a picture in some loose dirt. He looked up at Nora once again as he prepared to continue his story. "Er, could you... lower that? It is making me rather uncomfortable." He gave her a teasing laugh but it really was. He didn't want her hand to slip. That would be a terrible way to go.
"So anyway, that is when I saw you running out and into the woods. I was surprised and without really thinking I chased after you. I called out but you never seemed to have heard me. I would like to extend an offer though. I can take you away from here if you want. You can go anywhere you want." These types were easy sells, usually. Be a nice guy and offer them away out of their sheltered lives and they came running into your arms. Especially if they knew there was a ship.
Then again this girl might be different. This was the first time he could recall making the offer with an arrow to his head. "Obviously the choice is yours and you're free to refuse."
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Nora
Archer
Posts: 48
Profession: Pain in Edward's A$$
Affiliation: The Etrurian Throne
Affinity: Light
Profile: Link
OoC Alias: Charlie
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Post by Nora on Sept 3, 2014 20:52:35 GMT -6
Nora made sure the tip of her nocked arrow followed the man exactly as he moved. In her frustration and haste she hadn’t noticed the man following her, she supposed, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t try to keep him from trying anything. He looked like he was around her age, and his compliments made her a bit uncomfortable considering there wasn’t anyone else out here. He was much taller than her – not the greatest of feats, considering how small she was. Still, their size difference meant that lowering her bow would give the man a free advantage against her, and Nora didn’t like feeling like being that nice right now.
Cheeks flush and red with more than just tiredness from running, Nora was embarrassed that the man had overheard her fighting with Monroe. Her and her protector were often at ends with one another, but rarely did it evolve into big blowouts like the one this stranger had overheard. Still, the heart of the matter still stung at Nora. She was tired of being cooped up like a child, unable to make her own choices and live her own life. She was nineteen years old, she didn’t have any friends, and she barely had conversations with anyone but Monroe. Hell, the cooper’s son left home when he turned sixteen to go to Santaruz, and she was still fighting to be able to visit the market alone!
Focus, Nora! The magenta-haired girl snapped her drifting thoughts back into reality, steadying her bow as she tried to decide if the man really was a threat or not. She felt bad making him feel uncomfortable – to be honest, pointing a bow and arrow at another person made Nora a bit uncomfortable too. She subconsciously started lowering her bow slowly as the man continued, describing how he had tried to catch up with her. She was surprised the man wasn’t as tired as her; he must have spent more time out and about than she had.
”I can take you away from here if you want. You can go anywhere you want. Obviously the choice is yours and you’re free to refuse.” Maybe he thought he was being nice, but instantly Nora brought her bow back up, arrow aimed back between his eyebrows. She was young, not necessarily in the best shape, and a bit naïve, but she had a bad feeling about this.
“Why would I go anywhere with you? She questioned him, her voice heavy with skepticism. "I don’t even know who you are.”
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2014 21:58:09 GMT -6
Ephraim raised his hands up in defense. "Okay okay okay!!! It was merely an idea! As I said, your choice and I see you are choosing no!" BOY WAS SHE WARY. That delivery was spot on. It never failed this badly. She must really be the target, or a dame with some more sense than a loaf of bread. Heh, he just thought of a funny joke and began to grin. But back to the matter at hand.
"My name is Ephraim. I am a sailor normally but right now I have taken a bit of a trip into the main land. Making some special deliveries and such." He removed a light rune from his pack and a jeweled necklace. Why was that there? Oh yeah, the last raid, he hid it there to use later. Woops. "See. Valuables. I can tell you my life story if it would make you feel better about me but I'm afraid it would make for a terribly boring time." He slowly got back to his feet keeping his hands out in an easy girl fashion. He was secretly terrified she'd shoot.
"But on the subject of your first question, why? Because I can take you on a ship that will travel to any of the countries you desire, eventually, and it is a free ticket out of this town. I'm telling you, it's cozy if you want to stay at home but it has nothing on the cities or... most anywhere else actually."
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Nora
Archer
Posts: 48
Profession: Pain in Edward's A$$
Affiliation: The Etrurian Throne
Affinity: Light
Profile: Link
OoC Alias: Charlie
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Post by Nora on Sept 5, 2014 11:37:49 GMT -6
“Ah, just go get her, Monroe, you know she’ll stay out there until after dusk if you don’t.”
Monroe, a tall man with a crisp jaw and short, navy hair, crossed his arms and shook his head, leaning against a cabinet in his home’s kitchen. “I don’t know, Jon, maybe Nora’s right. Maybe I have been keeping her cooped up too long. It’s been seven years...”
“Do you think they care?” Jon, who was sitting at the small table Nora and Monroe ate at every day, motioned around with his hands, but both Jon and Monroe knew who ‘they’ were. “Monroe, just because seven years have gone by doesn’t mean those nut jobs have forgotten that they’d be out of a job if Nora ever showed back up on their doorstep? There’s a reason they killed Edgar and Amelia and-”
Monroe sighed, cutting Jon off. “I get it, I get it Jon. It’s just... she was just a kid, and now she’s a... woman.” Monroe paused, the word feeling strange when he used it to refer to the young girl he’d raised as his own.
“All you can do is get her to come back and talk to her,” Jon explained. “Maybe you need to tell her everything. She knows her dad was killed, but does she know everything else?”
Monroe shook his head. “She’d hate me if she found out I’ve been keeping that from her all these years.”
“Can she really hate you any more than she does right now?” Jon’s question stung, but Monroe knew he was right. Maybe explaining things would help. She didn’t realize how important she could be to a lot of people. All Nora could see was that she wasn’t being treated fairly, while Monroe insisted it was just the way things had to be.
“You’re right,” the former advisor conceded, straightening up and grabbing his cloak. “I’ll go get her and bring her back, and explain it all. I owe her that much, at least.” With that, Jon stood and walked towards the door as Monroe finished pinning his cloak. The soldier eyed his blade, deciding to slip it into its sheath and bring it along. It had come in handy in the woods before, but he prayed to The Light that he wouldn’t need to use it as he walked out the door.
---
Nora’s narrowed eyes watched Ephraim as he spoke, still considering his words as he did his best to prove his authenticity to the young woman. She felt like a cat backed into a corner, not sure what Ephraim intended to do if she decided to leave. While she wanted to hunt, Nora didn’t want to be out here alone knowing that her new “friend” was somewhere out here too. But he didn’t look like a hunter or anything, so maybe he would just head back into town.
As tempting as the man’s offer might have seemed to the sheltered young woman, Nora knew she couldn’t go with him, even if part of her desperately wanted to. Monroe would be heartbroken, and even if they fought like caged animals, Nora didn’t want to think about disappointing him. Ever since their escape from Etruria, Monroe had been the closest thing to a family Nora had. Even if the man’s ship was a free ticket out of town, she wouldn’t want to leave without Monroe.
A part of Nora felt bad for keeping the man at “arrow-point” for so long, so she decided to relay her final response. “Thanks, but no thanks,” Nora said, deciding to put her drawn arrow into its quiver, slinging her bow over her shoulder as she started taking small steps backwards. “I like it here. Besides, I wouldn’t want to go anywhere without my uncle.” She turned on her heel, adjusting her direction and pace so that she could head back towards town. At this point, she just wanted to get back home and back to Monroe.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2014 22:48:16 GMT -6
Ephraim let out a relieved exhale as the arrow was put back into the quiver. But she refused the offer and backed away. Could she sense malicious intent? He was not going to hurt her. Well, not physically anyway. He intended fully to woo her and then leave her heart broken upon her return to her father. It was a tad cold hearted but it would not have been the first time he broke a woman's heart.
She said something about liking it here? She was not going to fool him with that. Although it did make him worry about how she really felt toward him. She was suspicious and quite possibly scared. That would be problematic. The girl turned on a dime and moved with a sense of urgency. Yup, this was NOT going as originally planned. Maybe he would ultimately be forced to kidnap her. He was hoping to just trick her too.
"Okay, I'll uh, I'll see you later then." He quickly climbed the tree he was beneath and caught up to her from the trees. He ought to at least make things interesting and himself standout in her mind more. "Could you at least grace me with a name? I did offer mine own freely after all." He had to jump to the next tree in order to keep pace with her movement. Assuming she would stop walking he sat on the branch and hung upside down so his face would face hers on equal level.
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Nora
Archer
Posts: 48
Profession: Pain in Edward's A$$
Affiliation: The Etrurian Throne
Affinity: Light
Profile: Link
OoC Alias: Charlie
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Post by Nora on Sept 6, 2014 12:49:29 GMT -6
Still tired from her run out to the woods, Nora did her best to walk fast. She knew she was about a fifteen minute walk from town, but once she saw the Tiller’s house she’d be about two minutes from home. They weren’t too far out, of course, but it was far enough out that, when she was alone and Ephraim was there, she just wanted to get back.
But man, was Ephraim was persistent! Nora heard as the man moved in the trees above her. Nora stopped for just a moment, looking up to see tree branches bristling against the man’s movements, some leaves falling as well. She tried to spot him up above as he asked her to give him her name, her eyes narrowed and searching but not seeing him any longer. How could someone be so nimble to just run through the tree-tops like that? Did people who made deliveries need to be able to run like that?
Nora huffed, frustrated as she turned on her heel again, ready to move again. But the guy was kind of right. He had given him his name, so she guessed she could give hers to him. Besides, what could it hurt? She turned her head back to her intended path. “It’s-AH!” Nora jumped, not expecting to be face to face with and upside down Ephraim, hanging from the tree. She stumbled back a little, shaking her head before regaining her wits. “It’s Nora. Now, I really need to go.” With that, Nora side-stepped around upside-down Ephraim, not looking behind her as she continued to push on towards town. She was still trying to decide if she should tell Monroe about this little encounter or not. She sighed. No matter what, he would likely be furious with her either way. Oh well.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2014 13:30:30 GMT -6
Ephraim had startled her and he simply smiled at her surprise. "Huh, you have a cute yelp there. Not many people do," he teased. She hurriedly gave him her name and went around him. "It's a pretty name!" He called after her. He let her walk a bit further. Let her gain distance. She would not see it coming this way.
He flipped down to the ground and sighed. Time for plan B it seems. He quickly and silently rushed Nora closing the gap without a sound. "I'm sorry but-" He chokes her cutting off blood flow to the brain causing her to quickly lose consciousness. Before she faded to darkness she heard the other half of his statement, "I am supposed to take you home."
Nora fell limply and Ephraim caught her as gently as he could manage. He loathed taking physical force against a woman but in this case it was necessary. Ephraim lifted her over his shoulder. It was not the most comfortable or gentlest way to carry someone but he was in a hurry and had a long way to go. Perhaps when she wakes she will become more sociable due to necessity. Or try and kill him. Speaking of, he took her quiver and bow. He could not risk leaving them and there being a trail, nor could he allow her access to a weapon.
The plan as of now. A: Go deeper into the forest, B: Taking this long way around he can avoid being followed, C: Hide out a day or two and finally get to the ship. This was going to suck.
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Edward Zobek
Sage
Posts: 46
Profession: Viscount of Ligure
Affiliation: Knights Radiant
Affinity: Light
Profile: Edward Zobek
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Post by Edward Zobek on Sept 7, 2014 22:27:06 GMT -6
It was dusk when Edward entered Wilderose. Avoiding the long, treacherous hike that it would have taken to reach this small mining town, the old knight had instead caught a coal barge out of Badon. The sailors hadn't been eager to have a stranger on board, not given the current, dangerous climate in Lycia. At first they had given him a flat out no, but when Edward became more persistent, they tried to dissuade him by saying the trip would be slow, or that they might be raided by pirates on the way there. The Etrurian decided that he wasn't in any particular hurry to arrive, nor was he afraid of some ill-fated pirates that probably didn't exist, and from the sound of it this would be the only boat out for a week or two, so made it worth their while. Being a viscount did have its perks.
The trip had been, predictably, uneventful. Edward was no stranger to the sea, and had sailed in much rougher waters, so he wasn't at much risk of getting sea sick. If anything, the calm waves of the Lycian gulf did little more than create a peaceful, flowing rhythm that helped him get to sleep at night. He had spent much of the week in his cabin, meditating and reading over the magic tome he kept in his satchel to keep his mind sharp. For exercise he also challenged a few of the deckhands to sparring matches when time allowed for such things. Free time on a boat could be dull, so the sailors were always looking for something to do, and fights were a great way to pass the downtime. Predictably, Edward wiped the deck with the untrained sailors, but it had all been in good fun. He'd ended up teaching them some basic offensive and defensive techniques that they could perform with nothing but the mops they used to swab the decks. He'd told them to practice in case they ever did get attacked by pirates. It could be the difference between life or death.
Edward and the sailors had departed on a much higher note than they had met, and after a half day's hike from the coast, now he was here. First line of business was to locate a... Edward reached into his satchel and pulled out a rolled up piece of parchment. He unfurled the slightly scuffed animal hide and read over the letter given to him by one of his subordinates. Adel; That was his name. Sir Munroe Adel. Supposedly he had Eleanora hidden in his care. Edward would have to admit that he would be impressed if this turned out to be true. Kraft's eyes and ears were not dull, and they were always searching. To keep the crown princess of Etruria a secret for so long was a real feat. Now he just had to find the house where they lived. Supposedly it stood right next to the forest edge, near the tillers. The scroll said that he'd know it when he saw it. Good. He was looking forward to meeting his future ruler.
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Nora
Archer
Posts: 48
Profession: Pain in Edward's A$$
Affiliation: The Etrurian Throne
Affinity: Light
Profile: Link
OoC Alias: Charlie
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Post by Nora on Sept 7, 2014 22:57:42 GMT -6
”It’s a pretty name!” Nora heard as Ephraim called after her, feeling a bit of warmth come to her cheeks. She always felt so awkward and embarrassed when boys her age complimented her, not sure how she should react. The same thing had happened with the Cooper’s boy; he’d tried to kiss her after telling Nora she was pretty, but Nora had responded with a punch to the nose before running back home. Yeah, she wasn’t too good with boys liking her.
She wasn’t really comfortable with anyone but Monroe and the few friends he brought around, though she thought that was largely because of all of those years in their little cabin. Part of her still loved learning from strangers, but her ingrained sense of “stranger danger” kept her from socializing too much any longer.
Her mind having wandered, Nora hadn’t noticed Ephraim sneak up behind her until he’d caught her neck in between his forearm and his bicep. Nora yelped, her hands grabbing at the young man’s arms as he tightened his hold around her neck. Nora tried to yell again, but her ears began to tingle and a pressure was forming in her head, her vision darkening as she struggled harder. Little did Nora know that struggling more against the man’s grip would only cause her to pass out faster. So after only a few seconds, the young woman’s eyes rolled to the back of her head as she slowly stopped struggling, her body falling limp as everything went dark.
----
Monroe knew Nora was out in the forest at this point, but instead of running straight out to grab her, he walked quickly towards a small shop on the south side of the village. He planned to pick up a pack of travel rations for him and Nora so they could stay out for the day, considering she would already be out there. It was his way of trying to apologize to her for the fight, as well as do his best to keep his promise to her of taking her out for the day.
A few minute’s time was all Monroe needed to get in and out of the shop, travel rations stowed away in his pack as he exited the small shop. The morning was almost gone now, so he’d have to hurry to make sure Nora didn’t grow too hungry out in the forest alone. He knew she wouldn’t have more than small pouch of berries on her belt, so he quickened his pace, his sights now set on the forest path that would lead him to his runaway princess.
But in his haste, Monroe was careless; with the foot traffic on this side of town a bit heavier at this time of day, Monroe found himself trying to bob and weave around people in the narrow village path. But the former soldier was no good at a task like this, so it was no surprise when his shoulder crashed into the middle of an older man’s back, nearly sending him to the ground with Monroe’s inattention. Monroe stumbled forward but then halted, looking to the man, his features apologetic but visibly harried. “So sorry sir, are you alright?”
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 7, 2014 23:22:28 GMT -6
Ephraim had been carrying Nora for an hour now. She was light but the weight still became drearily heavy after a while. He had readjusted her to carry her piggyback. It was not as if he wanted to knock her out like this. It was that he just had a job to do and his hand was forced. Maybe when she wakes he could explain it better. Boy would she be mad. He chuckled to himself. Maybe staying asleep would be for the best. He thought about it more. She would likely think he violated her. He may be a rogue but he was still a 'gentleman.'
The forest was growing thicker and thicker. The air was heavy and brought a furious sweat upon you. He wiped his brow and stopped to gain his bearings. "I think this is far enough into the woods. I'll loop around and make for another town for now." The trees were nearly impassable here from growing so closely together. He did not exactly have the option to go deeper carrying dead weight around.
Changing his course he kept moving. Further and further he trudged on. Hopping over a rock Nora shifted causing her head to land on Ephraim's shoulder next to his face. She looked peaceful like that. He felt the guilt again, was this wrong? Moral was not an issue for him normally, having lived his life by a different creed but he always swore to never hurt or harm a woman physically or emotionally if it could be avoided. He sighed, this time from internal conflict. "I may be taking you back to somewhere you don't want to be... I get that. So... I don't know if you can hear me but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and say you are smart. I'm giving you my lightrune. Use it right and you can be free again." He placed his rune into her bag for her to find. "You know what else? I always come back for my treasure and I never got to ask you on a date so... I'm giving you my necklace so that I have a reason to find you again." After fumbling through his pack a moment he placed the necklace around her neck. The sapphire shown brightly. He smirked, she would likely sell it later but, in his own weird way he felt like he was doing some good.
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