Quineve
Cleric
Posts: 37
Profession: Cleric Adventurer
Affiliation: House Tydeus Girviat
Profile: Profile
OoC Alias: Eizer
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Post by Quineve on Mar 23, 2016 12:33:52 GMT -6
It was a pretty day. The sun was high, the weather was good with a very soft breeze dancing around the trees. Quineve was traveling for a few hours now inside a small merchant caravan with a obese man. He was the merchant that accepted to take the cleric with him for this trip. He didn't charge her for that though, he enjoyed the company. Both of them were sitting next to each other at the front of the caravan looking far at the horizon. She listened to the merchant telling tales of exotic places he went by and even more. Quineve would just nod and smile at him as she didn't want to impolitely stop him from talking. And boy did he had a lot to talk about.
It took them a few more hours to reach village of Eldore. It was a pretty small village built on one main road with houses on each sides of it. There were curious people that couldn't help but to stare at the newcomers but that didn't really bother her. She simply looked left and right and wave a people. Stopping the caravan in front of what looked like a small shop, the merchant jump off and rubbed his hands together. He then turn around to help Quineve get off the caravan and then he told her that he would be going to see if he could sell his merchandise. After wishing him good luck, Quineve would go toward the Inn.
Once she got inside, it was filled with people drinking and gambling. Most of them didn't even realized that someone came in. Making small steps, the cleric went looking for a table but everyone of them seemed occupied. So she just stood still near the entrance with a bit of concerned look. And then someone stood up and toward her general direction. lifting a finger to get his attention, the lady began to talk. "Excuse me..." And the man just ignored her. Quineve sighed and decided that she could go take his seat. "Excuse me sir, may I sit down with you?" She asked softly but also very shyly. She would wait for him to answer her before taking a sit.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2016 13:13:54 GMT -6
Inns and taverns, believe it or not, were two very different establishments. A tavern's sole purpose for the vast majority was to get face-on-the-ground drunk. Plastered after a long hard day of working for little money and throwing most of it away on taxes. Taverns existed to keep the average citizen placated, prevent rebellions and promote camaraderie between neighbours and villagers and so forth.
An inn? They were just built to house travelers. Pretty much everywhere in Elibe got a solid amount of income or trade from outside of themselves. Every nation had something to offer. As a result travel was needed, and to promote travel affordable places of rest needed to exist. Hence: inns.
At least that's what Venford's uncle had told him, years ago when he had been travelling with the family caravan. Of course his uncle probably would have told him that the very concept of a griffon was the dreams of a mad shaman whose sanity had been lost to the void or the nether or whichever evil place they conjured their magic from.
Yet there Venford was, carefully securing his griffon in a stable built for horses. Luckily for him Prince was not necessarily the type to complain. He stayed quiet and observed, his hawk-like eyes taking in more details than Venford could ever dream of knowing about. Still, Ven always felt a little bad and a bit worried. What if someone provoked or attacked Prince while he was in the inn? If Prince did nothing he could get hurt or worse. If he defended himself they might think him a monster.
"Hasn't happened yet. Won't happen today." Venford comforted himself with this thought as he gently patted the side of the griffon's head. "I'll be back out soon, I swear it buddy. Just need to see if anyone's got a job in there."
The village was a sleepy one, anyway, and nobody seemed to be using the stables. So Venford turned and walked out, making straight towards the inn.
Once he stepped inside he soon understood why the village was so sleepy: many were inside the inn. Gambling and drinking was the main course for just about everyone present. Venford tried to scout out the area for anyone who looked like they'd be hiring. He knew the type: dainty fellows and ladies who needed protection getting out of this town to another. Probably to Lycia, honestly. That trip always required protection.
It was hard not to get caught up in the atmosphere, but Venford's worry for Prince overwhelmed the urge to partake in some of the activities and happenings of the inn. However his mind went positively blank when he saw a promising mark.
"Damn." She looked dainty all right, with long pink hair and delicate skin. Everything about her seemed meek, maybe a bit noble as well. A quiet voice, restrained mannerisms. Almost overly feminine and definitely Etrurian. Clergy if not nobility. Yeah, either way she stuck out like a sore thumb amidst the sea of drunken oafs. She seemed to be waiting on someone else, perhaps to take their seat? Nonsense!
"Excuse me, miss. With the pink hair." He made sure to be loud enough that she could hear him, his eyes racing around the sitting area for a free table. He found one, but a middle aged couple was making their way towards it. Sorry, but not today! "If you need a place to sit I've one right here!" Before the lady could look Venford moved to the table and secured it, grabbing a chair and pulling it out, as if to offer the lass a seat.
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Quineve
Cleric
Posts: 37
Profession: Cleric Adventurer
Affiliation: House Tydeus Girviat
Profile: Profile
OoC Alias: Eizer
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Post by Quineve on Mar 23, 2016 14:15:32 GMT -6
When Quineve asked if she could take the free seat, she didn't get any answer. Just cold silence. So she just took a step back and bowed a bit to say that she was sorry to have asked that question. After that, she went to scan the room for a moment to see if there were any other free table. Unfortunately for her, she wasn't very tall but most people were already occupying doing whatever so she could see the whole room with just a bit of difficulty. However the room was kind of loud with people speaking, and sometimes yelling at each other. She sighed heavily for a moment and almost thought of getting out of this busy inn.
And then she heard a voice calling her. Pink hair, that should be her, right? Quineve turn around to see if there were another girl with her hair color but saw none of them. Moving her head from left to right, she finally saw the man with the deep red hair. Waving at him to show that she indeed took notice of him, she went forward, zigzagging between tables to get to him. Once she was in arm's reach, the cleric bowed gently at him before taking the seat.
She didn't notice the middle aged couple that was going to sit down as well so she didn't felt bad about it. "Thank you, sir." Quineve said before brushing her hair to one side with her gloved hand. In most case, she would remove one glove to greet him but she felt that in such place, it wasn't necessary. So she just smiled at him. She notice how well kept his hair was but it was his eyes that really took her attention. She took a mental picture of his face for later on. She couldn't guess his age but was pretty sure that he should be in his early twenties or so.
She then realized that she was kind of staring at him impolitely. She felt her cheeks turning pink for a moment. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare at you," she apologized to him. She then took a quick breath and very softly laughed that it was barely noticeable. "My name is Quineve," she told the man with the deep red hair. "Quineve Tydeus Girviat, from Aquleia." She didn't know if he was from around here but she still thought that she should tell him her full name. A lady should always tell her name before asking for one and that's what she did. Or maybe it was the other way around? She always presented herself first though. "It's my pleasure to meet you, sir."
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2016 15:13:19 GMT -6
Venford was delighted that the lady accepted his offer, even giving him a ladylike bow. Once she took her seat Venford moved on over to sit across from her, shooting her a cheerful grin before stating: "Not a problem, miss..."
Venford had intended the question to lead on into her introduction, but she did the rest for him anyway. She seemed to study his face before blushing, and oh did Venford take note of that. A good sign, as good as they come. Still she seemed rather shy, making a bold move would likely be his undoing with this one. She apologized for staring and introduced herself. Name was long, fancy, incredibly Etrurian. Quineve, her first name, was the important part. Her last name wasn't so well known that he recognized it at all, so he didn't pay much mind to that.
"Again, it's not a problem, miss Quineve." He was tempted to call her Quinny or Quinn, but it was best to stay at least a little bit formal. After all he wasn't necessarily here to meet a beautiful woman: he needed work. "Remember Prince outside."
"My name is Venford Aelfgar, but you can just call me Ven if you wish." He preferred it anyway. Ven wasn't necessarily nobility, though both halves of his family were rather wealthy, but his name did sound a bit more prestigious than it actually was. "Hope you don't mind if I ask you a quick question, now that we've been introduced. Are you an Etrurian highborn at all? I couldn't help but notice the way you carry yourself. It's so much different from...well, take a look around." Ven chuckled and gestured to the inn around. They weren't necessarily brain dead peasants, but they certainly lacked Quineve's humble grace.
Of course he could have just asked what she was doing there, but subtlety was never Ven's strongest suit. It's why he was a mercenary and not a spy. A bodyguard, not an assassin.
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Quineve
Cleric
Posts: 37
Profession: Cleric Adventurer
Affiliation: House Tydeus Girviat
Profile: Profile
OoC Alias: Eizer
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Post by Quineve on Mar 23, 2016 16:00:32 GMT -6
Quineve couldn't help but to chuckle a bit. She wasn't nobility per say. House Tydeus and house Girviat were both well recognized but they didn't have any royal blood in them. Actually, maybe they did generations ago but now, no they weren't nobles. But she did appreciate the comment. "No, sir Venford," she said with a smile. "Royalty or nobility do not run in my blood." And she paused to lower her eyes, studying the table for a second before looking back at Ven. "And I do not mind the questions at all, feel free to ask any and I'll do my best to answer them." It was also a good way to start a conversation.
"May I ask you a few questions as well, sir Venford?" Calling him sir was a habit of hers. She wasn't sure on how he felt about being called that but until he tells her to do it, she would most certainly still call him sir. She would then paused for a moment before talking again. "You too seems, well," and she looked around them with a shy smile. "Not like everyone else. Should I presume that you are also not from around here?" She also noticed his sword. Not that having one sword wasn't common, but she couldn't help but to think that he had that for a good reason.
So far, Quineve did not met any trouble coming here with the merchant. But that doesn't mean that it would stay that way. And she had that bad feeling that it would go bad very soon. She couldn't put her finger on why she felt that way but there was that odd feeling of dread. Shaking her head to chase that thoughts, the cleric began asking another question. "I'm only here for a brief moment. I came here with a kind merchant and we are heading to the next village a bit south of here if I recall correctly." And she paused to chose her words. "We will might stay for the night and continue forward at dawn."
"Would you happen to know the surrounding?" Quineve wasn't sure if her merchant friend had a map on him or if there was a real road to that next village so asking people might be a good idea. "I would be very grateful if you have some information concerning that."
"Would you like a drink? A meal perhaps?" Quineve wasn't starving but a good meal would be surely welcomed. Even if she did left her hometown for quite while now, she was far from poor. Maybe not rich, but certainly not broke. Unfortunately, she actually had no idea who to talk to get that said meal. Secretly hoping that Ven would know that, Quineve just blushed. "I hope that I'm not bothering or boring you, sir Venford."
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2016 16:56:39 GMT -6
To Ven's slight surprised Quineve wasn't actually a noble. Perhaps her family was just very old then, what with a name like that. Either way if she said she wasn't nobility Ven would have to take her word for it. He didn't exactly have any informants or spies to snoop out the truth, and even then he didn't have a vested interest in that truth anyways. So instead he nodded along and allowed the pinkette to continue.
While she seemed perfectly open to questions Quineve was quick to turn the questioning onto him. All right, Ven didn't mind this...though the whole "Sir Venford" thing was rather amusing. Best address that right away. "Sorry, miss Quineve, but I'm no 'sir'. Travelling mercenary, so just Ven or Venford will work just fine." He didn't really mind, and in hindsight if the pretty lady wanted to call him sir he ought to just let her do it. However he'd had too many awkward experiences in the past with people thinking he's something that he wasn't. Ranging from a poacher to a prince...twice!
"As for why I might stick out. Well...for one I'm not drunk yet." Ven answered with a chuckle and a grin. "And again, wandering mercenary. You are right that I'm not from around here. Was born in Nabata with Lycian blood in me, the latter probably more obvious than the former. I've been all over much of Elibe...and a bit beyond it, so I guess I carry that experience with me where I go? Depends on what you think makes me different from these gents."
Venford crossed his arms and pondered Quineve's situation. Said she was travelling with a merchant? That just happened to be his specialty. And, of course, they wanted to head south.
"I'm vaguely familiar with the immediate surroundings, but the main path that leads down south...yeah, I've been hired plenty of times to cross it. There are more dangerous places to be, but it's not exactly known for being a safe, welcoming path. Deviating from it lowers the chance of bandits but there are some fu-" Language damn it! Can't be cursing like a sailor in front of such a lady. "...er, strange things out there these days."
If he was trying to make a sales pitch to convince her to hire him, he'd feel horrible. However he spoke the truth. South meant near Ostia, and near Ostia meant those...monsters, and that demon. That's where they all were.
When she offered him a drink and meal he opened his mouth to accept her offer whole heartedly. Then he remembered, of course, that she was a lady. So he cleared his throat and smiled. "Sorry about that, miss Quinny, I mean, Quineve." Damn him and his incessant need to create nicknames! "I should have made you that offer long ago. And uh, worry not. You're neither boring me NOR bothering me. I find that I'm already enjoying your company."
Venford raised his hands to signal over a server, and of course what he got was a tired older woman with a fake smile. Well...no sense dwelling on the falseness, so he just flashed her a real smile. "Sorry, but could you start us off with a pint...no, er, a water for me and...what would you be having, Quineve?"
If he was going to be getting a job out of this then that would mean preparation and likely flying. Flying with a bellyful of ale was probably the single stupidest thing a man could ever do.
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Quineve
Cleric
Posts: 37
Profession: Cleric Adventurer
Affiliation: House Tydeus Girviat
Profile: Profile
OoC Alias: Eizer
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Post by Quineve on Mar 23, 2016 17:46:07 GMT -6
Quineve nodded when Ven told her that he was no sir but a mercenary. She met a few mercenaries in her life and not all of them were that polite. Some of them just wanted the gold and that's all. She would rather have more gentle people but sometimes, you just cannot choose. Maybe today would be her lucky day. She could ask him protection and good company as well. Price isn't a issue for her, she would be willing to pay the right price. Better be safe than sorry. Now she just have to ask the merchant to see if he would be willing to have another guest in his caravan.
As for his name, she will try her best to simply call him Venford but she knew that she couldn't make any promises. It was an old habit of hers and old habit die hard. Maybe she could call him mister instead. So she took a moment to ponder a bit before taking a decision. "Mister Aelfgar, I mean, Venford." She said with hesitation. Maybe calling him by his last name wasn't going to cut it. "Venford, I'll do my best to call you simply by your name." And she smiled at him.
And then she listened to him talking about where he came from. It was interesting know more about his origin. herself, it was the first time going down south so far away from Aquleia. "I would love to have you with me, I mean us, on our journey." She blushed a bit upon saying "me" instead of "us." "I don't think that my merchant friend knows the road as well as you do. It would be a blessing with you by our side." And then she paused for a moment. "What kind of strange things were you mentioning about?" Bandits were one thing but strange? Nah she would call them strange. There must be something else down that road and she was quite curious about it.
Quineve then chuckled when he said that he wasn't drunk yet. She always been someone that tries to stay away from alcohol, but a good cup of wine was good from times on times. But beside that, water was better. "I'll just take water as well, thank you." And she laughed again when he called hey "miss Quinny." A lot of people had a hard time saying her name at first so she didn't mind the nickname. But instead of telling him that, she just smiled. She would do so for a while, just smiling and looking at his eyes. They were beautiful, she had to admit that. "Oh sorry again," she then apologized. "I'm staring at you again. Sorry I just find you..." She didn't know which word would be best to describe him. "Lovely?" She wasn't sure if it was appropriated to call someone she just met as being lovely.
But that was too late to undo that so she just did her best not to blush too much, in which she failed, and just hope that it wouldn't make it awkward. Quineve then changed topics right away. "So tell me, Venford. How much do you want for protection?" The transition wasn't very well done. She felt that he wasn't going to charge her that much seeing how gentlemanly he was so far. And that he would certainly not take advantage of her. "Money isn't a issue for me," she then explained. "And I'm sure that we can find you a place inside the caravan."
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2016 18:35:40 GMT -6
After a brief struggle Quineve seemed to grasp the idea of simply calling Venford "Venford". Either way he was a little bit relieved by this. It was just so odd to be referred to with a title or anything, especially since he'd done nothing to deserve or earn said titles.
She expressed interest in having him along with her. Which was perfect, really, but it did mean that payment would have to be a discussion sometime down the line. When Ven was younger and inexperienced he had been successfully seduced or persuaded by female and male clients respectively. They convinced him to more or less forget about payment one way or another, without directly mentioning it. Then when payment time came around they could not deliver, or he got a mere pittance. He didn't think Quineve would be the sort to cheat a merc she hired, but experience was still enough to make Ven take a mental not to NOT forget payment.
Quineve also took water as her order, and with that the server went on. Ven smiled politely as the server walked away before shifting his focus back onto the pinkette. She studied him again, another good sign, and once again acknowledged it.
"I've had far worse people and creatures staring at me in the past. It's refreshing for one such as yourself to do so instead. Believe me, Quinny." The nickname was sticking. After all she hadn't shown any signs of distaste towards it. However Venford started to chuckle and grin as he kept going. "But again, if any of us is the lovely one here its you. I don't think anyone's ever referred to me as lovely before. Bouncy and kind, even silly and funny. Lovely's a new one."
Venford would have liked nothing more than to return the favour. To study her, and drink in the details of her features. How soft her hair looked, the richness in her brown eyes. But this was no date, and he had priorities that he had to keep in focus. So he leaned back just a little bit and gathered his thoughts in preparation to shift the topic towards business. Pleasure could, no, definitely WOULD come later.
"I'd be honoured to join you. For a price, of course, assuming I'd be doing bodyguard and escorting work. But that can be discussed in just a moment." Ven's good cheer did, unfortunately, die down a little bit as he prepared to address her question about the strange things. Honestly he had hoped she'd just nod her head and move on, but he supposed it was better that she was sharp enough to ask. Now he just wanted the discussion out of the way, but he didn't want to be rude about it either. "The uh, strange things. Heh, honestly I don't really know how to describe them. Twisted undead...things. Might have been animals once, but they are something far worse now. Perhaps you've heard of the strange fiends and monsters that come from the ruins of Ostia?"
He did not want to get into detail about such ghastly creatures with the lady. Their fetid flesh, bones exposed through the rotted and torn away meat. The stench, the savagery...He wouldn't soon forget any of it. Rather than jump straight onto prices he wanted to see what her response would be to this question. The topic of monsters and fiends was best crossed off first.
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Quineve
Cleric
Posts: 37
Profession: Cleric Adventurer
Affiliation: House Tydeus Girviat
Profile: Profile
OoC Alias: Eizer
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Post by Quineve on Mar 24, 2016 15:47:21 GMT -6
Quineve was quite happy seeing that Venford seemed to have already accepted to join her. That way, maybe she didn't have to be as convincing. And of course there was a price to be discussed about but that didn't bother her. After spending a few years traveling around, she spent many months with different kind of mercenaries. More than one in most case. Back then she was younger and always thought strength in numbers. These days, she felt safe enough with just one or two bodyguards. Well, she didn't even have one on her last adventure traveling just with the merchant. It was a chance that she took, she did had to admit that she was a bit scared at first. The merchant did however told her that she got through that road many times before and that nothing really happened. And she trusted him, maybe too easily but she do tend to trust people very easily. She would always think that most people were honest and kind.
And then she heard him talking about undead. That was one thing she never encountered and it did make her feel uneasy. She instinctively looked down at the table in hope of not imagining what they looked like. The sheer thought of it made her shiver a bit and she knew that Venford saw that reaction. She didn't really try to hide it neither. "Undeads," she repeated after him. And he said that he saw way worse as well. "You seemed to have seen a lot in your life. Do you think that we would be safe enough or do you refer me hiring more people?" It wasn't that she didn't trust him, far from that. She asked that question because she trusted his judgement. "Money isn't a concern for me, if you prefer having someone with you to protect us, please tell me so."
And he also said something about strange fiends and monsters coming from the ruins of Ostia. She never been there and didn't know much about them. The more she thought about it, the less she actually wanted to follow the merchant. But he has been very good to her so she swore that she would at least make sure that he would get to his destination safely. That would be the least she could do to repay his kindness. And she will do so, one way or the other.
"When do you think it would be safer to start going there?" Quineve then asked. "It's still sunny outside but I do not know how much time it takes to get there. I do believe that my merchant friend has been through that road before but I would love having someone as you around. If only to make me less nervous. I'm not very good a defending myself." That was true, she would be able to hit someone to save her life, even less monsters or undeads, or whatever else they could have to go through to get there in one piece.
Quineve did her best to smile to chase those thoughts away, which did work, only a bit though. "Do you travel by your own?" Most mercenaries she met had horses since they travel a lot from places to places. She came here by caravan and knew that Venford could easily fit in as well but she had to ask that question. "I'm sure that there's enough place for you in the caravan." And then she paused for a moment to think. "And we can find a place for whatever you carry with you." Some mercenaries had quite a lot of personal belonging with them but Venford didn't seem to have a lot on him.
"Would you rather be paid upfront or when we get there?"
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2016 10:42:42 GMT -6
Venford was silent, allowing Quineve to take in everything he said. There was a hint of recognition in her brown eyes when it came to the monsters he mentioned. She had heard of them before. Not too surprising, word of them had begun to spread wider and wider as they became more and more of a problem.
Quineve expressed faith in his experiences and asked him if she needed to hire more mercenaries. Venford brought a hand up to his chin, thanking the server when she came with their waters and taking a sip of his own before replying. "Depends on your route. If you need to pass closer to the ruins of Ostia: you need an army. With just me, though, I can guide you well around the worst areas. My mount has extremely sharp eyes. He can see monsters coming long before we ever could."
Venford decided to leave it at that when describing Prince. Odds were Quineve wouldn't believe what manner of creature he was until she actually saw him.
"Either way there's strength in numbers, but these days finding mercenaries of quality is...tricky, anyway. Especially when it comes to mercs actually willing to deal with the undead." Venford chuckled, but the laugh was hollow. He remembered the tales of mercenaries abusing clients who needed monsters dealt with. Lying to them, stealing from them, even pretending to be the monsters themselves so more people would feel the need to hire them.
The red-head shook his head of such thoughts and let a smile return to his face once again, focusing on the beauty before him and not some darkness he'd seen. "You wish to leave today? I...wouldn't recommend that. Tomorrow morning. These things have no problems moving during the daytime, I can only imagine it's worse at night."
With most of her business related questions dealt with, Venford sat back to answer her personal ones. "I have a mount. He's got good stamina and he's probably faster than any creature you've ever seen, so I can just ride on him for most of the trip. As for personal belongings I pretty much only have a change of clothes, some necessities, and my sword. And my mount can carry most of those as well."
The girl asked if he wanted to get paid upfront, and Venford nearly burst out laughing. Was she seriously not some sort of nobility? Paying mercenaries upfront was almost always a terrible idea. Stifling himself by bringing a hand to his mouth, Venford shook his head. "I trust myself, Quinny, but you shouldn't be so trusting of a merc. If you pay a man upfront then his job his already done...if you know what I mean." With a small smile he shook his head. "As nice as it would be to be paid upfront, I prefer to work for my money. When you arrive at your destination safely, then you can pay me."
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Quineve
Cleric
Posts: 37
Profession: Cleric Adventurer
Affiliation: House Tydeus Girviat
Profile: Profile
OoC Alias: Eizer
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Post by Quineve on Mar 27, 2016 3:22:51 GMT -6
Quineve took a moment of silence to think about which route they should take. In all honesty, it wasn't her right to choose which one would be better. She was only following her merchant friend so it would be his right to decide. That didn't meant that she could give him her recommendation though seeing that she would be the one paying Venford for protection. One thing for sure, the merchant would certainly enjoy having him around seeing that he doesn't even have to pay him and that it would make the journey way safer. If it were just of her, she would take the safer road even if it would be the longest one. After all, she strongly believes that it's better to be safe than sorry.
Of course, finding good mercenaries was tricky, it always have been that way. But Quineve believes in trust and the good in each and everyone. And to gain trust, you must be willing to trust others. And so far, she has been pretty lucky. She knew that one day, trusting strangers will cost her dearly but that day didn't come yet and until that day, she would be willing to give her faith in people. After all, it wouldn't be nice to not at least give a tiny bit of faith in others. "We can leave in the morning if that's what you think it would be best. I'm sure that my friend would like a good night in a real bed. It would be good for me as well."
"And you are right, finding people willing to face those... Undeads won't be easy." And she didn't want to lie to others about what kind of dangers there would be on the road. Honesty was something important for her. "I would rather prefer to have more people with us but you are right, I just can't hire people and not tell them about the dangers we can face. That wouldn't be very fair of me." And then she paused to take a slow sip of the water.
Quineve smiled softly at Venford when he said that she shouldn't trust mercenaries that easily. Again, he was right and she knew it. However, she was a strong believer that if you do good, then other would do good as well. But it was always nice to see some people were as trustworthy like Venford. "You are a good man, Venford," she said with a slow nod. "If only everyone would be a bit like yourself, I believe that this land would be a much nicer place to live in." If only.
"It seems that I'm a lucky person today." Quineve then said while looking at his eyes. "I feel that meeting you here was something good, I guess I have to give my thanks to lady luck." To be honest, she actually believes in fate more that luck but saying that it was fate that they met each other might be not be the best thing to say seeing that maybe he didn't believe in fate. After saying that, she took another sip and then brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "Do you need a room for the night?" She then asked. "It would be my pleasure to pay one for you. It's the least I can do."
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2016 15:31:39 GMT -6
Venford gave an approving nod when Quineve decided to wait until morning. It was for the best, he had found, to leave at dawn when preparing for a journey. "Likewise. A nice soft bed sounds perfect for me." Of course, it'd be even better if he didn't have to sleep alone, but even Venford wasn't quite so bold as to say such a thing out loud. Instead he took another drink of his water, hiding a smirk.
"Honestly my plan is to avoid them all together. I don't think it would be too difficult, and wouldn't require the hiring of too many more mercenaries if any. More the merrier, sure, but that's you call to make. Your gold, your decision." Really he had no right to decide whether or not she hired other mercenaries, but he was worried that she might. Quineve seemed trusting, even aware that her nature could be a bit naive. Venford was optimist as well, but he'd been through enough to know that trust and a smile aren't always going to be repaid.
Her comment on his good nature, though, made him laugh heartily. He wiped his mouth and beamed at the pinkette. "I don't think I've ever gotten THAT compliment before. Much appreciated Quinny, but if too many more people were like me Elibe would be a very different mess. Besides, the differences between people are what make everyone interesting. When it comes to meeting new people, it's never the same experience twice."
"As for your offer of paying for my room...I'm half-tempted to hold you to that, but I'll be all right." Venford continued to smile at the pinkette before standing up. "Unfortunately I do have a few things to check up on. Namely my mount. He doesn't do too well without me for long periods of time, you know?" That was a lie. Prince was the most independent being Venford had ever met. But perhaps that was what worried him.
"Besides, the day is young! As soon as I get back we could order something to eat, and have a much lighter discussion. Too much business is bad for the brain and worse for the soul, or so I hear." Venford chuckled as he made his way to the Inn door. However, once he arrived at the door, he looked back at Quineve and considered the pinkette. The merchant was already had the potential to be horrified at the sight of Prince. Perhaps letting Quineve get acquainted with the griffon, so she could vouch for him, would lessen that inevitable scene.
"Actually, would you care to join me? My mount is...really something else, I assure you."
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Quineve
Cleric
Posts: 37
Profession: Cleric Adventurer
Affiliation: House Tydeus Girviat
Profile: Profile
OoC Alias: Eizer
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Post by Quineve on Mar 27, 2016 18:35:24 GMT -6
Quineve nodded once more when Venford told her that they wouldn't need to hire more mercenaries. She trusted him and in his capacity even if they just met. There were a slight risk that maybe the mercenary might be acting so confident but she could take that risk. Of course, the worst that could happen if him letting the merchant and herself alone surrounded by bandits and undeads. But then, he didn't accepted to be paid upfront so it would do him so good for him to just abandon her. "I'm sure that I can trust you, Venford," she said before taking a sip. "It will be simpler to have not hire any more people. And you seemed like you do know the road quite well."
She then laughed a bit when he said that he never heard anyone calling a good man before. Maybe he didn't always act like that with strangers? She knew that being a woman, some people just doesn't act the same in her presence. It could also be because she tries to be as noble as she can. Some might call her stupid to live like nobility seeing that she was far from that but she didn't mind what other thinks of her. And so far, no one ever told her to stop acting like a noble. Beside, Venford was actually one of the few that actually asked her if she was really one.
Quineve slowly finished her cup of water before standing up as well. Coming back for a meal alter on was a good idea. They should enjoy the day for now and talk about business when they come back later on. She was intrigued by what Venford said about having "really something else" as a mount. She wasn't really sure what could be so special about his mount but she was about to find out soon enough. "If you don't mind me following you, I'll be delighted to give you company for the day." And she patted her robe for a moment before walking toward the door of the inn. She tried her best to not be in people's way as she made small steps one after the other. After slowly exiting the inn, Quineve blocked the sun with one hand for a second waiting for her eyes to adjust to the sunny day. It really was a nice day.
The cleric would wait for Venford to show her around and make sure to follow him even if she wasn't very fast. It was mostly due to her long dress that were almost touching the ground, which was giving to her by her family and that according to them, would give her good luck. "How long have you been in this village?" Quineve asked with curiosity. She wasn't sure if like her, he also travels a lot. Some mercenaries would stay around the same place while other just goes where the wind goes. Venford didn't seem like having a lot of thing with him so she wasn't so sure.
As for her, she doesn't carry much on her. She had her staff, which is currently in the caravan, and the rest of her belongings there as well. Maybe they could go check her merchant friend later on. For now, she just wanted to follow Venford around, she had to admit that she did like his company so far.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2016 15:09:36 GMT -6
Venford was delighted to see that Quineve was eager to keep the day going. That meant business could segue smoothly into pleasure, just as he had hoped for. "Perfect! I'm sure I'll be delighted to have your company." Once she caught up to him they exited the inn together. Evidently Quineve was not the fastest walker, or at least preferred a slower pace. It was fine with him though it took a few moments of walking together for him to figure it out. Could be from her lovely dress, in which case the view more than made up for it.
She then asked him a curious question, about how long he'd been in the village, to which Venford had to chuckle. "How long have we been chatting? Add about five minutes onto that and that's how long I've been here. Never even stopped by in the past, just discovered this quaint little slice of Elibe today."
It was true. He had arrived on Prince, set him up in the stables, and then found Quineve. Fairly eventful for his first time in such a sleepy village.
"I assume you haven't been here long as well, either." In fact she might even have mentioned it to Venford, but it slipped his mind if she had. "Though I'm not sure if you'd been here before. Hmm...I'm going to say you haven't. Probably spent most of your life closer to home, right?" He wasn't exactly amazing at reading people, but he had learned to recognize small details about a person in order to ascertain basic information. Quineve did not look sheltered, per say, but she didn't have that sense of being a "well traveled" individual. Too much light in her eyes, too few blemishes in her skin.
Venford arrived in front of the stables and paused. Prince was at the far back of the building, so there was no way she could see him without entering. He turned to Quineve and smiled. "Now, you have to promise NOT to scream or anything. He's unlike anything you've seen before, but he's my mount. I trust as much as...I don't know, Lycia's most famous knight trusted his steed."
Not entirely true either. Venford believed in Prince, believed that the intelligent beast had good intentions. But he had already learned that Prince was not some mystical race on par with humans or the dragons of old. He was still a beast. He still functioned off of instincts first and foremost, and they were sharp.
With that in mind Venford entered the stables and shot a smile once he reached the griffon. There Prince was, staring at the duo as if he had been expecting them.
"Hey buddy. Told you I'd be back soon. I er, brought a friend."
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Quineve
Cleric
Posts: 37
Profession: Cleric Adventurer
Affiliation: House Tydeus Girviat
Profile: Profile
OoC Alias: Eizer
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Post by Quineve on Mar 29, 2016 15:53:07 GMT -6
Even with all the distractions around them, the sun, the other passing villagers, the soft breeze and everything else, Quineve attention was riveted on Venford. That was also why she was walking so slowly, she wasn't always looking on what was in front of her. She would sometimes look at her feet that were barely visible due to her robe instead of actually looking at where she was going. Good thing that following Venford was an easy task. "I'm guessing that you travel a lot then?" She then asked him before passing a gloved hand to her hair.
"I've been traveling for a while actually," Quineve took a moment to look at the ground. "Never alone though. Always with others, sometimes for free, sometimes not. But yes, I've not been around here very much. Aquleia is my home, I've stayed there for a long time before deciding to move away from it. I do seldom wonder if I should go back but I think that I'm not ready to do so yet. I want to see what this world has to offer outside Aquleia. So far, it had been wonderful."
She then paused to look at the mercenary. "How about you, Venford? Do you miss home?" She do recall him saying from where he was from. And he also said that he was a traveling mercenary so that meant that well, he surely doesn't stay in one place for very long. But she couldn't help but to ponder on if he became a mercenary by choice or not. Maybe he doesn't have a home to go back to. Quineve would look at him to see his reaction her question before going back at looking at the ground.
"So no screaming," she then repeated after him. Now she was curious. What could be so terrifying for her to scream? After hearing that, the cleric stop walking for a minute and took a deep breath. "I will try my best not to scream, Venford." She didn't even knew what to think about. She just repeating to herself not to scream over and over again in her head.
And as they entered the stables, Quineve eyes widened in surprise. She did not expected seeing a griffon in here. But she wasn't very scared,he didn't look like he was about to attack her. She did however took a step back to make sure and the studied the beast from where she was standing. And she stood silent for a moment with her mouth slightly open. "Is," she began talking with hesitation. "Is he a male or a female?" She then managed to ask after a long pause.
May I come closer?" She wasn't very sure what to do in the presence of the griffon. He wasn't going to bite her wasn't he? Quineve didn't want to take a chance. "Does he have a name? He looks beautiful."
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