Valusia VII
The next morning Lily awoke to Rosi knocking on her door, and she was still sleeping under Da'Karis's coat. "Lily are you awake dear one?" came the waitress's voice came from the other side. A quick glance at the window told Lily she had actually overslept from her night out. She needed to hurry and get dressed and report for her shift downstairs. Rosi used her key and unlocked the door opening just a little, "Lily are you alright?"
Lily stuffed the jacket under the blanket and stood up opening the door. "Sorry I had weird dreams all night. Wanna help me get dressed and ready so I don't take a lot more time? Did I say it right Rosi? Am I using the accent okay?" Lily asked her hair was a mess even though it was shorter and she was still in her nightgown. She needed to get washed up and dressed and her hair put back and then go downstairs for her shift. Hopefully she wouldn't get scolded by the owner.
"Very well and you can tell me about dinner and the opera while we get you together." she said. As they got things around Rosi asked if Lily enjoyed the opera and what she had for dinner. For a minute Lily thought of her more like Elsa than a complete stranger from a new place. When Lily got done dressing Rosi looked at the bed, "Do you want to make it before we head downstairs?" She had a mug of tea waiting for her so she would have something before starting work.
"No that's okay, We can leave it until I have time later." Lily said softly, and quickly, she told Rosi all about the Opera and even sang a few quips of it. She was quite skilled at singing it even if she messed up a few lines of the language she didn't know about. But once she was ready she ushered Rosi out of the room and drank the tea quickly. Once downstairs she threw herself into work happily and tried to use the accent and the way of speech she was taught, though it was hard for her to remember to change the way she walked when she was running all over the place.
Part way through her shift a man about her age came into the inn and sat by himself in her area. Rosi looked and came over to her, "That is a minor noble I'd hurry up and wait on him so not to offend." She then got a large tray with seven mugs and a couple plates heaping with meat. He was taller than Lily with brown hair and blue eyes and he smiled as she approached him. His manner reminded her of another young man she had met in Andor while still enamored with Gerard.
Once she dropped off the steins of mead or whatever was served and the plates of food she didn't even bother to drop off the tray she took it with her and smiled brightly at the young noble. "Hullo can I get you anything sir? Sorry it took so long we're actually pretty busy today!" She chatted a little doing her best Valusian speech and accent, she smiled brightly though and waited for this nobles order, he was good looking but she wondered why he seemed so familiar to her. Somewhere at some time she had seen him before she just knew it. She did hope he wasn't offended though.
"A stein of ale, meat and bread right now miss." he said his voice was soft and rather pleasing. "Oh and could you bring a pitcher of ale instead of forcing you to run back and forth for me." he finished before she got too far away. Rosi smiled when Lily got close, "I think you have made a new friend my dear." His order was ready quickly and Rosi was away from the door when they handed Lily the plate of meat and the bread to go with it. Most of the workers, there for lunch were getting ready to leave going back to their jobs.
Lily took the food and pitcher and stein and brought them to the table. "Here ya go sir, everything you ordered I do hope you'll like it!" Lily said with a smile as she set everything down and poured him his first Stein, plenty of foam at the top just like Rosi and the bartender showed her. She then smiled brightly at the man. "Just call if you need anything at all!" She said happily staying for a moment before leaving and getting to clean up after the customers who were all leaving after they finished.
Rosi had swept past her, "Feel like taking you know who his lunch today? I have three tables and can't be gone that long." She couldn't even wait for an answer as one of the tables called her by name. She had not seen Da'Karis since he left her off at her room last night. It brought back the memory that his coat was in her room and had been her blanket last night.
"Sure I'll do it for you." Lily said with a smile she hurried to the back to get a plate and a glass for him. Once she had those she hurried carefully to his stairs and then up them. She knocked on the door and waited until he spoke before going in. "I have lunch sorry Rosi could not bring it up but she is swamped right now. Um sorry I forgot your coat in my room last night. I will bring it by later after I get changed after my shift before training though I promise. For now eat up okay? I still have a customer so I cannot stay long but thank you for last night again." Lily said before blushing softly and setting the tray down on the table and turning to head back downstairs and check on the noble in her area.
If Da'Karis had anything else to say she would not have heard him, she arrived back downstairs well before he needed a refill. Rosi smiled and thanked her for running the food upstairs. In truth her customer did not ask for anything else, but finished and left the coins for his meal and a good deal for a tip with a small scrap of paper for her. It was a note introducing himself as Nolan and that he would like to buy her a drink sometime soon. Rosi had walked by and smiled, "he seemed very interested in you my young friend."
"He seems like a very nice person, I mean he tipped really well, and he did introduce himself. Oh crap! I have to go change! Kar said he was going to start my training after my shift today! By Rosi see you later!" Lily said happily as she put the note in her pocket and rushed to her room to change into her pants and shirt. Once she was changed and she grabbed his coat from under her bed covers she then took it upstairs with her and knocked on his door. Coming inside she smiled brightly at Kar and held out his coat. "Sorry it took me so long to bring it back to you and sorry if it kind of smells like me... Did you want it washed I could wash it if you wanted me to." Lily said thinking about it kind of hard.
"No its fine Lily." he said taking the coat from here and putting it away where it belonged. He returned and sat down and looked at Lily, "Have you thought about sending a missive home about them coming to get you? Especially now with the extra fear of your uncle now that he is here." Da'Karis watched her to see if she would tell him about sending the letter and soon she would be safe back at her home. Otherwise he needed to figure out if the Disciples or this guild had any connection to The Circle.
"Um... right now... My uncle isn't the only one my parents have to worry about and they are retrieving my little brothers and sisters from the safety of Sildea the elven city. My mom is probably worried to death about them... and she wouldn't be able to do anything while watching over all of them. That and my grandmother is pregnant and expecting anytime and so is my sister. Everyone else of course has troubles of their own and the king is making my cousin get married it's all kind of really complicated right now." Lily said trying to explain things for Kar, after all she had chosen when she would leave so she and her beloved would have time before her parents could come for her. Of course now that wasn't really working to her advantage.
Da'Karis listened to everything she said and weighed what she said before he responded, "And you don't think being away from them will make matters worse for them? With all that weighing on their shoulders the fear of you hurt or dying might be more than they could handle." his tone wasn't to make her feel bad just state a fact for her to think about. "I must find The Circle and its agents here in the city and if they are aligned with your uncle than he is my enemy as well." he said standing up. "Today will we go out into the city again and look for the man from the other night and see where he leads us." To Lily it sounded a bit crazy to go seeking the man who tried to capture her the night they destroyed the slaver camp.
"What hey wait a minute that's not training at all! That's a mission! I thought we were going to train that's why I got dressed like this! Not to mention I changed my hair and everything so they wouldn't be able to recognize me! Hey Kar what are you thinking in that big quiet head of yours huh? What'll we do if we find him? And what would we do if we found and followed him? I mean you will stand out a little seeing as it's still day outside and you always wear black you know." Lily said ignoring the first part of what he said. Her family was her business and she didn't want to think about how much she was hurting them all.
"I don't always dress in black, Lily as you will see we will need to blend into the city and be watchful." he said getting up and heading to his wardrobe. Lily had a feeling he was going to change again in front of her and wasn't concerned about being naked around her, even with her blushing like she does. "If we find him one of two things could happen, first if he has no affiliation to The Circle and just to your uncle he could live or die. Second if he has an affiliation to The Circle and to your uncle then we find out what he knows and maybe he lives or dies." Da'Karis explained as he removed his shirt. He pulled out a different shirt, boots and even coat blending into the city was something he excelled at and would teach Lily to do.
Lily couldn't even form words, his back was muscular and thin, his shoulders broad and Lily shut her eyes and dropped her whole head heavily on top of the table. A very loud and clear Thunk resounded. Her entire face was red. She couldn't believe the thoughts running through her mind just a moment ago and how violently she was reacting to them. She never reacted like this even when she was with... even with the other guy. She stayed with her head on the table for a long time just being silent.
He heard the thunk and half turned to see Lily head down on the table and something strange happened, he smiled. "Lily, had your parents discussed what many would call procreation with you. I say this because you seem to change color easily if it happens when I remove my shirt. He pulled his boots on and put his coat on before tapping Lily on the head. "Are you ready to go or shall I wait until your color drops some?"
"Of course I know about it! I have to go get a Valusian dress on. It would be weird if I walked around in pants and shirt." Lily said wanting to scowl but she kept her face covered and ran to the door and then to her room where she changed quickly into the second dress Rosi had given her. The one for her days off. It was a simple affair and it made Lily seem even more a little smaller then most people. It wasn't properly fitted to her after all, but she didn't care. She had almost got herself under control when she went downstairs to meet Kar so they could head out. Now only her cheeks were pink, it wasn't fair that she was always so sensitive to that stuff not when she had a twin like Conner.
A little while later she and Da'Karis were walking in the Eastern market watching the people hustle and bustle about buying and selling everything, looking for the man who tried to capture Lily. For his part Da'Karis had let the matter of Lily's blushing go for now, no need to make her flush red and call attention to them. At times they walked hand in hand, arm and arm, and other times close but not touching. Then Lily saw something that stopped her cold in her tracks, not more than twenty five paces away was a woman who looked almost exactly like Alehial. The woman was human, but bore a shocking resemblance to her mother and was shopping amongst the fruit and vegetable stalls.
Lily gasped out loud and watched the woman shop for a little while. "Kar... Does she look like my mother?" Lily asked she had been having a wonderful time, until she saw this woman, not only that but the woman looked like she was from Bearlon, or thereabouts. Lily really wanted to know, why there was someone from home here in this place at this moment that looked so much like her mother.
"I could not tell you I have never seen your mother, but if she looks like she is from your home then we have reason for concern." He moved them to a better place to watch the woman shop and not be seen. Standing with his back to the woman so Lily could look over his shoulder so she would be hidden. It took only a little while for him to see the woman had a escort and that man looked capable. "Do you believe you should approach her? I can distract the escort with her for a short time."
"Um... yeah it doesn't seem like she knows what to do with herself anyways. I just need a few moments. You think she's trouble? She's not using a city accent... and she seems drawn to the less expensive items on the table meaning she doesn't have a high earning job or even a lot of money to spend I don't think. Thanks for giving me a chance Kar." Lily said giving him a quick hug just a wrap of arm around his chest and then she let go. She did have a little money of her own and she could buy something off the merchant that strange woman was at to feign a reason to be there.
Da'Karis let her go towards the woman, he would check on the escort and if needed deal with him. Lily got closer to the woman and feigned interest in something nearby her on the vendors table. "You miss, can I help you?" the short merchant asked noticing she was eyeing a freshwater pearl bracelet. It was when Lily looked down at her own wrist she realized she was still wearing the bracelet that Gerard had given her, and she made the connection. It was the bracelet that was shielding her from spells of scrying and Darryl's vision, the woman looked over at her and smiled.
Lily smiled back. "I was just lookin' for a necklace to match this old thing." Lily said using the accent she had been taught by Kar. She knew she looked different with her hair and her accent and state of dress but otherwise she was the same Lily inside. "These pearls'd look wonderful on your skin, Lady." Lily said politely, obviously as a tavern girl she made less money then this lady did but that didn't mean they couldn't speak to each other. Lily looked at her bracelet a moment and looked around to see if there was any necklaces similar.
The woman nodded and began to speak with the vendor about a purchase, while Lily looked some more. She found a necklace that was just about a perfect match for her bracelet, and she lifted it up to show the vendor. "One silver, eight copper." he called back wrapping the bracelet up for the Andorian woman. Lily looked around and noted that Da'Karis had vanished into the throngs of people and she too was now alone. A group of city watch came through the market on patrol and the people gave them a wide berth.
"One silver three copper?" She asked hoping if she were busy with a merchant the guards would leave her alone. She was nervous already though once she couldn't see Kar she always got nervous being alone, not at Home but here she was. This woman seemed normal enough like a young woman who was visiting an exotic place.
Sarah felt a little at a loss, but it seemed the young woman needed some money as she couldn't afford the item she was looking at. "Here's two silver sir, for her necklace. It's on me." Sarah said smiling at the younger woman. She wondered vaguely if this was just one of those times that you found someone who looked similar to someone else but so eerily that they could have been a twin.
Not long after the woman offered Lily the coins, Da'Karis appeared and whispered into Liliy's ear. "We must go NOW, pay for your purchase and we must head away from here with purpose." He seemed fine, but Lily wondered if trouble hadn't found them or he found something. The vendor waited for the rest of the coins and wrapped the necklace up in velvet and handed it to her. Da'Karis had already turned when the call came from an alley and the watch headed that way.
Valusia IX
Stumble!