Found Cake

Posted on 22 Nov 2020 @ 5:40pm by Mage Kalian Winter & Warrior Martin Josceran & Rogue Elinowy Ursulas

1,283 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Lore's Labour's Lost
Location: Refugee Camp
Timeline: Cloudreach 16th - morning

OOC: Continued from 'No Meeran or Athenril for these'


Kalian saw Cainan follow a short hooded figure away from the refugee camp, but he was still close enough to help if they got into trouble. Kalian pulled the torn flyer from a pocket and addressed Martin and Elinowy. "Why don't we try showing this to a few people, and see what they say?"

"I guess..." Martin said distractedly, eyes on Cainan, frowning slightly in concern. "I did tell him, no alms..." his hand rested on his sword, ready to intervene should Cainan appear to need it ; but so far he seemed to be handling the situation. Martin stifled a gesture of annoyance. He couldn't keep people safe if they strolled away to tend to their own business. That Cainan seemed to be able to handle himself was neither here nor there.

"Cainan seems quite capable of looking after himself," said Kalian. As he watched, the person who'd accosted Cainan and enticed him away put back their hood, and he saw it was a pretty elf-woman. "It's only one elf, and whatever it's about, doesn't appear to involve alms."

"Elves..." ELinowy uttered. The joyous exultation of the people of the camp joining the Chant in one voice suddenly became dulled. Elves brought deceit and treachery. She turned and looked with narrowed eyes at Cainan in the distance. He seemed unbothered by the wretched thing, she reminded herself that it was his business, not hers. Still Elves intervening in their undertaking boded poorly. She would need to keep her wits about her and trust the Maker would make truth known.

"I suppose you're right," Martin granted grudgingly. At least they were still close to the entrance of the camp and in plain daylight, so danger should be minimal, and they needed to get the ball rolling before he had to show up for his next shift. "In the middle of the day, the worst that can happen is for him to get his purse stolen I guess." And Monsieur Sauvage looked the sort who could afford to lose his purse.

The small crowd had begun to disperse, and the hopefuls looking for work having realized they weren't about to get hired had lost interest. The closest was a brawny man, his short brown hair turning grey at the temples, lines of worry and weariness etched deep in his face. What he had been before ending up here was anyone's guess. A farmer, perhaps, or a farmhand. A great many of them had lost everything, their land still tainted and unable to grow anything.

"How about we start with this one ?" Martin suggested.

They approached him and the man looked up, wary but lips turning up in a smile when he saw the Sister.

"Thanks, Sister," he said gruffly. He spoke decent Orlesian but with a thick Fereldan accent. "That was a mighty fine Chant you gave us. Our lot ain't used to that. Not that many services down here. Ah, huh, forgive me, the name's Breagan. I'm a good worker. I know you're not hiring right now - " there was a sort of canny world-weariness in him as he said that, " - but if you get the chance to recommend me..."

"Good to meet you Breagan. If I do hear of anyone looking for help, I will remember you." Kalian reached out and shook the man's hand. "We are looking for help of a different sort, Breagan. Can you take a look at this? Have you seen it before?" Kalian held out the torn flyer.

Martin sticked close to his two companions, hand resting on the hilt of his sword as a subtle warning not to look for trouble. He scanned their surroundings again, biting back a curse when he realized that Cainan was nowhere in sight. There was nothing he could do about that now, but he'd have to make sure Cainan did make it out of the camp in one piece.

"Oh... sure, why not." Breagan took the scrap of paper Kalian gave him and peered at it. "Oh. Oooh. That thing." He glanced at Kalian, then at Martin, narrowing slightly his eyes at him, probably seeing the Guard in him even without the uniform. "I knew it was trouble from the start. It's been going around the camp. My sister wanted me to apply but I told her, nothing honest pays that good. I was right, wasn't I ? Else the guard wouldn't get involved." His eyes rested again on Martin, who sighed in annoyance. How did they always manage to spot him as a guard, no matter what ?

Kalian smirked at Martin. So much for the guard's cunning disguise. Although in Kalian's opinion it said a lot about Martin's character – not just to him, but to the refugees - that Martin was willing to pursue this problem on his off-time. "What do you know about the work they're hiring for?"

"Huh, well, I don't know. I didn't apply and I told my friends not to." Breagan shrugged. "Maybe you can ask Isla ? She lives two streets back from here. I think her sister was thinking of taking that job. Can't blame her if she did, she's got her ailing aunt to take care of. And that orphan she adopted. And a dog. Who can afford to feed a dog, really." He rolled his eyes. "Well. I did tell her."

Now that he mentioned it, Martin noticed that a few dogs were sniffing around piles of filth, one of them lapping the dirty water that had pooled at the corner of a house. They looked like the mongrel offspring of Mabari and local strays.

Kalian regarded the dogs curiously, an idea germinating in the back of his mind. "According to Fereldans, Mabari are supposed to be quite intelligent. In battle, they fight side-by-side with them. It's said that they have some kind of bond with their master. I'd bet some of those Mabari know where people are being taken, if they could only tell us." Or… would those dogs communicate with a wolf?

"Thank you, Breagan. If I hear of work, I'll recommend you." Kalian shook his hand again, intending to speak to his sister about the man, although Tessa and Ben already employed as many people as the Raven could support.

Kalian turned to Elinowy and Martin. "Let's look for this woman, Isla, that he mentioned."

Elinowy nodded. Her dedicated protector had wandered off with the... elf... and had not yet returned. Troubling. She looked on the two gentlemen with her, they seemed more than capable of dealing with the sensitive nature of the refugee park. Kalian was highly empathetic with the poor and Martin clearly kept a presence of authority and strength. She prayed for Ser Sauvage, but her immediate purpose was to find this Ilsa woman.

"By all means. Brother Breagan, please lead the way." she requested.

Breagan half-opened his mouth then, after a last glance around, thought better of it. He'd obviously not expected to be showing them around but the day was slow, and it was the sister who'd asked. Martin suspected he'd have gotten a less positive response if he'd been the one to suggest this arrangement.

"Eh, why not." Breagan raked a hand in his hair. "Don't got nothing better to do. This way then."

Martin's suspicious nature flared ; it objected to them being led anywhere by one of the locals, no matter how honest the man appeared to be. But he also knew they wouldn't get anywhere if they didn't take a chance at some point, so he swallowed back his objections and followed meekly.

OOC: Continued in 'A Sister's story'

 

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