The Flirt and the Zealot (Cassandra/Willow)

[Cassandra]

Ryerde really wasn't much to look at. In all reality, it didn't amount to much ever, and only became somewhat relevant ever since the destruction of Ostia. Luckily for people like Cassandra, that meant there was plenty of work to be had. But tonight was the night of her arrival in the city, so she wasn't planning to look for work just yet. Rather, she intended to head to the rowdiest tavern she could find, and have a grand old time for the whole evening, and into the early morning. Her tavern of choice this time? The Wayward Traveler.

Once she arrived at the Wayward Traveler, Cassandra pushed the wooden door open, making sure to make as impact full of an entrance for the men that every tavern tended to have. The kind that watched the front door, making sure that they get the first sight of those voluptuous maidens that tend to be the only reason they even showed up in the first place. Even if she never intended to court or entertain any of these men, she had to admit it was rather fun to lead them on sometimes. As such, she made sure to put a bit more strut in her step than normal to help accentuate her already reasonably curved features. Making her way to a table in the corner of the tavern, Cassandra sat down, alone, leaning her bow against the wall, still within arms reach.

Before any of the wannabe lovers could get the chance to walk over, Cassandra called over one of the waitresses. "Yes? What can I get for you, miss?"

Cassandra responded fairly quickly, already knowing what she'd be wanting, "I'll be having one, no, wait.. Three! Three glasses of ale, please!" Cassandra's playful tone was almost deceptively young, even despite her outward appearance, but that aside, the waitress seemed very confused.

"Oh, so do you have some friends arriving soon? Or.. Oh, I know.." Leaning in a bit, she got a bit of a sneaky look on her face, "You're trying to get yerself one of those fine men over there, huh? Well I'll bet you've got a good shot at it, miss!"

Cassandra chuckled, sounding somewhat girlish, "Heheh, nope! Nobody else is coming that I know of. Those three glasses will be just for me! Trust me, lady, I know how to handle my alcohol. I wouldn't be ordering three of 'em if I didn't." As Cassandra's face grew a bit more serious, the waitress nodded nervously in understanding as she rushed off to get the drinks. Propping her legs up onto the table, Cassandra began to think briefly, Ahh, this is gonna be a fun night! I don't see how anything or anyone could possibly mess this up for me. Now, which of those guys am I gonna try and go after first?... Hmm...

[Willow]

The door opened, and a figure stalked in, dressed in well-made traveling clothes. Although they were not ostentatious, the one clear insignia they bore was that of the Etrurian Inquisition. Willow of Faresh had arrived. She had orders from the Inquisition, business to handle, but she also had quite a bit of time. She had received word that her meeting would be delayed due to travel occurrences. For now, she was stuck in Ryerde. She had offered her services earlier at the Church, and had scouted with a few of her escort for monsters, but had not run across any. For now, she was getting a drink, at a tavern recommended by a local priest, and was obtaining information on the status of Lycia through conversation and observation.

"A red wine, please, and a small plate of vegetables with one lamb chop."

Taking the proffered glass of wine, she sat down at a table alone, her back to the wall. While she was in the center of the wall, her position allowed her a decent view of the whole establishment. There were some rough folk, a few quiet patrons, and, near the door, one of her escorts, who did not acknowledge her presence, as ordered. He wore no distinguishing clothing, and was merely there to ensure her safety. Under his cloak he had a short dagger, akin to a wide-bladed knife. For now, he gently sipped a cup of water and lounged.

Willow continued her examination, sipping the wine. It was not that good, but she had not expected it to be anything special. When her food arrived, and the tavern cook had disappeared into the back with a bow, Willow noticed that she had been given a fork, but no knife. Sighing, she raised her hands skyward and softly murmured a chant to St. Elimine. Lowering her hands, she brought them together and then slowly apart, shaping the air between them as if manipulating unseen clay. The area she worked with grew brighter, and then there was a knife there, which seemed to be made of gold and glowed dully with a fine sheen.

Taking it in her hand, she cut her meat into chunks and then dismissed the knife, which turned into gold sparkles that floated skyward before dissipating into nothingness once more.

The Valkyrie continued to eat in silence. So far, nothing had caught her interest. The tavern was nothing special... It showed how the commoners and nobles differed in tastes, at least.

[Cassandra]

Just as Cassandra was about to call over one of the men over that were staring at her like dumbfounded children, another woman walked into the tavern. However, unlike Cassandra, it seemed she was a woman of the cloth, and carried herself with a certain amount of dignity as she sat down to order her meal. Huh, wonder what the church is doing here of all places. I wonder if they're after somebody important... Well, nevermind, guess I'll carry on with what I planned to-

Just as Cassandra was about to look back over at the group of men, one of them was already standing right in front of her, his hands on the table as he leaned his head in a bit towards her. "Hey there, pretty lady. You got a name, or do ya just like to cut straight to the point with these kinda things?" Grinning, the man laughed a bit. He was clearly very crude, and very drunk, which was likely the cause of his crude words, but Cassandra couldn't be certain.

Scowling a bit, Cassandra spoke up, "That's, uh, not exactly the type of greeting I'd expect from a person interested in what I have to offer. As for my name? I don't really think you're worth the time for me to tell you my name. I don't deal with people who are just gonna talk down to me like I'm an object. I expect some amount of decency, even if someone is drawn in by my looks. So if I were you, I'd screw off before you make me even more impatient with you than I already am."

Getting riled up himself, the man was clearly displeased with Cassandra's answer. "Now you listen here, lady. My friends and I came here to have a good time, and that don't just include drinkin' 'til we're ravin' like madmen. We come here for nice women too, and ya see, we don't get too many fine ones like you 'round here, so if ya don't mind too much, I think I'll just take ya out behind the tavern, and we can have a jolly ol' time, heheheh! Maybe I'll even let my friends have a bit o' fun too."

Reaching her limit in patience, and also starting to get slightly worried, as she hadn't really been in a situation like this before, where she felt somewhat cornered, Cassandra lifted her feet up off the table, which was supported by a single central leg, and slammed them down on the half towards her, bringing the other half slamming into the drunkard's chin. Taking his moment of agony to her advantage, Cassandra grabbed her bow from its position leaning against the wall, and she prepared to ready an arrow as the man started to recover from the blow.

[Willow]

Willow looked up from her meal at a loud noise, and saw a man go reeling backwards as a table smashed upwards into his chin. Three flagons of ale also fell to the ground, and a red-haired woman grabbed a weapon from a position on the wall behind her. A bow? In a crowded, small tavern? A poor choice. Willow scowled. She didn't exactly fancy this type of entertainment. Perhaps that was what the local priest had meant by a great tavern - a place for cheap drinks and live entertainment. Regardless of her distaste, she would not stand by while a woman was demeaned and imposed upon. So she raised her hands and barked a command under her breath, summoning might from her spirit and convictions and manifesting it forth in the corner of the room where the conflict was occurring.

As the man straightened, a golden shield appeared before him, hanging in the air. The kite shield glowed brightly, a shimmering, translucent work of gold, slightly concave and suggesting a mighty barrier between the woman and her aggressive suitor. While its real nature was not as robust as it appeared, it served to provide a menacing deterrent. Hopefully, it would work. Maintaining the shield's 'float' was easy, but still the Valkyrie spoke slowly to ensure that her show of force did not waver.

"Back off. The woman told you nicely. I am telling you less nicely. She is uninterested in your advances. I am not amused by your spectacle. If you wish to pick a fight, you will contend with the might of the Inquisition. Do you truly wish to continue your foolish quest to take advantage of this young woman? Or do you perhaps find it wiser to back away, concede defeat, and search for love...or lust... in another setting?

I have given you my warning. The choice rests with you."

[Cassandra]

"Why you ungrateful little..." The drunkard was furious now, readying his fists to presumably pummel the girl who had made him angry. He didn't care that she was getting ready to fire off an arrow. How good could her aim be inside a crowded building, anyways? Taking a few steps forward, he began grinning with malicious intent as he imagined what he'd do to her once she'd received a proper beatdown.

Cassandra, meanwhile, was reaching into her quiver for an arrow, readying it in the bow, which she was now pointing straight at the man. Ugh, it's moments like this that I wish I learned how to use a sword or something. Come on, do the dodge this... please be too drunk to even think about dodging... Damn, I don't even have enough time to get this off, he's right there! Gods, what do I do, what do I-

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a golden shield appeared in midair, stopping the man from reaching Cassandra. Wondering at first who or what made it, the question was soon answered as the very same woman of the church who had entered just a short while ago began uttering a fierce warning to the drunk man. Shuddering in terror now, the man exclaimed, "L-Look, miss priestess lady, I-I didn't mean no harm, really! I-I was just jokin', is all, heheh! Me and my friends'll just be, uh, seein' ourselves out now, heheh.." At that, he took a look at his companions, and they all made all dash do the door, running away with their tails tucked between their legs, as it were.

Staring in amazement at what happened, Cassandra headed over to the woman who helped her, after picking up the table that had fallen over, and after explaining what had happened and apologizing to the bartender as he cleaned up the he broken glass from her fallen drinks. Once she reached the robed woman, she set her bow against the chair opposite her seat, and stood next to the chair, unsure whether she should sit or not. "Hey, I figured I should thank you for helping me just then. I figured I'd be able to handle the guy, but in hindsight, using a bow in a place like this might not be too wise. My name's Cassandra, and it's a pleasure to meet you, miss..?" Cassandra hung on that last word for a moment, waiting for the woman to hopefully fill in the blank with her own name.

[Willow]

"Hey, I figured I should thank you for helping me just then. I figured I'd be able to handle the guy, but in hindsight, using a bow in a place like this might not be too wise. My name's Cassandra, and it's a pleasure to meet you, miss..?"

Willow took a drink of her disappointing wine and motioned sharply to the chair across from her.

"Mrs. Oya. I am Willow of Faresh, holding the position of Valkyrie within the Etrurian Inquisition. I am married to Oya of Caledonia, who holds the position of Offensive Coordinator within the Etrurian Inquisition.

You either are overconfident, completely unfamiliar with how the world works, or both. You don't provoke drunken men in a tavern if you are not prepared to fight them off. You don't use a bow to shoot at a man in a crowded tavern if you have not considered the possibility of hitting someone else. You don't try to instigate fights, period, unless ordered to do so or unless there is a clear benefit for you to do so. Fighting for no reason is stupid.

What if I had not been here, or if I had not cared? You would be in a world of pain. Clearly, you were ill prepared for the situation that arose. You did not expect it."

Willow shook her head in disappointment and frustration.

"This is why you don't desert the Church. You had a promising career as a cleric, but then you had to go and elope with that idiot boy. Using a bow, now instead of a staff? No wonder you aren't proficient with it. You left your parents in a world of pain and in shame, and you clearly didn't think twice about it. That saddens me...that you threw away what you had for this. If you were living a full life, experiencing all the world had to offer...then I would accept it. But this? Unacceptable."

[Cassandra]

Cassandra immediately began regretting approaching the woman, Willow, who was apparently a Mrs., as what she had assumed would be a nice friendly conversation turned into her being chastised over her reaction to the drunken man, as if she had some sort of higher authority. Well, in some sense she did, in fairness, but it still aggravated Cassandra somewhat. Still, she wasn't going to be so rude as to just walk away from the conversation without a word, and so she stayed to hear Willow out to the end.

She began to feel immediately guilty as she was told how idiotic it was to raise tensions with the drunkard, and to use a bow in close quarters, especially in a crowded tavern. Maybe fighting for no reason is a bit stupid, but it sure is fun. Geez, lady, you know how to have fun? You definitely sound like someone who would have a nice fancy title like "Valkyrie of the Etrurian Inquisition". Wait, wait a minute... What did she just say? Desert the church? Career as a cleric!? What the hell? I never did that! I may not have gone to church THAT much, but I didn't desert it...

Taking a breath as she decided how to address this apparent misunderstanding, Cassandra spoke up, "Look, lady.. Er, Willow.. Er, um.. Mrs. Oya. Yes, let's go with that one! Mrs. Oya, I have literally zero clue what you're talking about. I've never 'deserted the church', as you claim, and never in my life have I even considered being a cleric. Nothing against the church, it just wasn't for me. I never eloped any boy, or used a staff as a tool. I've always used a bow, at least for the past few years, and uh.. Well, you're not actually wrong all that much on the parents part. They were kinda jerks though, so I could care less. So honestly, um, Mrs. Oya, I think you've got the wrong girl here." Taking a deep breath after her lengthy tirade, Cassandra stared at Willow expectantly, waiting for her answer, and fully expecting to be scolded even more for even more things she never did.

[Willow]

"So honestly, um, Mrs. Oya, I think you've got the wrong girl here."

Willow blinked.

Then she blinked again.

Finally she let out a long sigh. The girl looked just like Cassie from Faresh, but, as she thought over the tone of speech, the rhythm of the words, and the peculiar language this Cassandra used, she realized she had indeed been mistaken. This was just a red-haired girl named Cassandra who happened to look very close to her Cassie. Interestingly enough, the girl was Etrurian. Intriguing. Willow grabbed the cup on her table, taking another drink, and then evaluated the girl in front of her.

"My apologies. It appears I have mistaken you for someone else. Now, I do still think that you've got a lack of common sense for trying to shoot a drunk with an arrow in a tavern, but I'll overlook that for now. What interests me is that you're an Etrurian, as you admitted, and you are here lounging in Lycia. Are you an expatriate? Perhaps you're a thrill seeker? Just don't tell me that you're a deserter from the Inquisition. If you do, I'll drag you back to the nearest camp in chains."

Willow laughed brightly. That would be quite a spectacle.

"So you tote around a bow and arrows. Are they for decoration, or are you proficient with them? The reason I ask is that you seemed to be a mix of conflicting reports earlier. You, as we have established, lack common sense. But you were quick to grab your weapon, quick to aim, and...slow to fire. If that tells me anything, it is that you are able to use your bow, but you've probably never shot at a man before. You most likely haven't been on a battlefield, where each shot could mean life or death. Am I correct?"

The valkyrie gave a small smile. Her instincts could be wrong, but more often than not they were close to the bullseye.

[Cassandra]

Cassandra started to calm down as Willow began apologizing. She was thankful that the woman hadn't simply continued on with the assumptions she had about her and just taken her away anyway for something she hadn't done. Smiling a bit, Cassandra started do reply to the woman's words, "Yes, I am Etrurian, but I assure you that I'm not an expatriate." Realizing she was still standing up, Cassandra assumed it was alright to now sit down across from Willow, and so she did.

Once she was comfortably in the chair, Cassandra continued her explanation, "I don't live in Lycia, but I've wandered around the Lycian territories for a couple years now. I'm... afraid to return to Etruria admittedly, mainly due to my parents. They drove me from my home because they didn't agree with the life I chose to live. Well, technically they game me a choice, and I chose to leave, but it was that, or stay and be bound to their strict idea of how an upper class daughter is 'supposed' to behave..."

After Willow began apparently laughing about dragging her off to the nearest camp as a prisoner, Cassandra's smile grew a bit more shaky and awkward. "I assure you, I'm not a deserter from the Inquisition. I've actually never had anything to do with the Inquisition, unless hearing news about its actions counts as involvement."

Cassandra got a bit upset at the valkyrie's doubt of whether or not she was actually proficient with a bow. She tried not to let it show though as she responded, "I'm actually fairly proficient with the bow. I spent many afternoons while growing up practicing on targets, and occasionally animals, but only in the last couple years mainly. I'll.. have to admit that you're right about your main point though. I haven't actually ever killed another person though. And I've never been in any formal military group of any kind, so I suppose in that regard, you probably just see me as some kind of weakling, huh?"