[Exalted] Protectors of the River Province

[LadyTevar]

"Merely a gentleman well-placed within the city," the false Kolth averred, which in the River Cities could mean a council member or other high ranking official. In Lookshy, there were a lot of people who could fall under that umbrella ... including a certain Exalted Gunzosha soldier.

"The lady Tahalshia met my employer by chance as she was out shopping, and he is now ... quite taken by her." The words were pretty. The sly grin 'Kolth' gave Master Wildstream let the Caravan Master know the courtesean had done as courteseans do and charmed her way up the social ladder. "I was asked to find you and request that her belongings be sent to her new abode."

A moment was given to allow that to sink in, before Kolth added. "The lady also asked me to deliver a more personal message to you." The grin was a smirk now. " 'By your next visit to Lookshy, you may find Wildstream merchantiles to be in high demand'." In truth, Tevar was throwing the merchant a bone, a mere promise that the courtesean would be able to gain enough influence to make his next trip far more profitable. Kolth's mannerisms and face only added to the subterfuge and manipulation, added by the anima illusion's own magick to get Master Wildstream to trust 'him'.

Of course, Tevar would then need a place to store her travel chest ... but she did know which berth the ship was docked. Yes, that would work. "So," the false Kolth grinned, throwing an arm around Master Wildstream's shoulders. "Shall we fetch the lady's belongings? Will I need to rent a cart, or is she a miracle who actually packs light?"

[The Nomad]

Blood drained from the Caravan Master's face. He seemed at a loss for words, when he finally regained some composure: "I do hope, for your master's sake, that he never lets her out, lest she flies out of his grasp like she just did..." He turned his head in disgust. "As for her belongings," he added, "I'm of a mind to burn them to ashes, but I doubt the authorities will appreciate if I incinerate four hundred pounds of fashion clothes and jewelry inside the city. I'll have the trunks out of my cabin in the hour. Make sure you are there to collect them, because I'm in no mood to look after these... things." Indeed, his mood seemed quite down, almost to the point of tears. He hurriedly headed towards the District's gates without looking back.

[LadyTevar]

Kolth reacted with confusion. "Was it something I said?" As the caravaner rushed off, the scout shook his head whistling "Four hundred pounds.... Yeah, I'll need a cart."

Once down the alleyway and out of sight, the illusion faded away. "Idiot," Teamhair sighed softly. "You knew my nature when you took me on. I made no promises to you to stay."

Either way, it would probably be safer to find the true Kolth now. He'd know where to beg/borrow/steal a cart for her luggage. "Four hundred pounds my tail... it's no more than two."

[rhoenix]

"Hey guys, I'll meet you back at the ship - I have to make a stop real quick," Kolth said to Orduin and Yvela as he began walking in a different direction suddenly.

In the back of his mind, he was curious about this caravan keeper Teamhair had described. Since she wasn't at the meeting, and given that she and Orduin were essentially glued together now, she might be trying to settle things with her former employer. Kolth may be an unabashed scoundrel at times, and there are few safe from his jokes or pranks, but he still was brought up with some measure of chivalry.

Going the rooftop way, he soon found the Caravan Master...and himself. This caused him to blink and shake his head vigorously before staring much more intently at the scene. He watched the byplay between "himself" and the caravan master with fascination - it really was like watching himself, though a few subtle mannerisms were a little off. For instance, Kolth might've taken a substantial drag off of one of his pre-rolled blunts and blown it in the man's face, just to keep him off balance.

After the conversation ended, and "he" walked into a nearby ally, Kolth followed soundlessly from the shadows above, his eyebrows raising as "his" form shimmered and reformed into Teamhair. This caused Kolth to sit down on the edge of a rooftop overlooking the alley below, and chuckle. Since there wasn't anyone else around, he even gave her a slow, clapping applause. When she looked up, he seemed to fall from the rooftop, twist lazily in the air, and landed lightly on his feet, despite the height. "Okay, I'm impressed. I'm going to have to keep a better eye on you, it seems."

He was smirking as he looked calmly at her, but there was a subtle edge to his voice as he was thinking of his friend, Orduin. They had appeared to fall for one another rather quickly, and if this was what she was capable of...well, she would bear a bit more watching.

If her intentions were pure though, he might have someone to discuss and coordinate certain...projects with. This thought made him fight to prevent his smirk from turning into a full-fledged grin.

[LadyTevar]

After the conversation ended, and "he" walked into a nearby ally, Kolth followed soundlessly from the shadows above, his eyebrows raising as "his" form shimmered and reformed into Teamhair. This caused Kolth to sit down on the edge of a rooftop overlooking the alley below, and chuckle. Since there wasn't anyone else around, he even gave her a slow, clapping applause. When she looked up, he seemed to fall from the rooftop, twist lazily in the air, and landed lightly on his feet, despite the height. "Okay, I'm impressed. I'm going to have to keep a better eye on you, it seems."

He was smirking as he looked calmly at her, but there was a subtle edge to his voice as he was thinking of his friend, Orduin. They had appeared to fall for one another rather quickly, and if this was what she was capable of...well, she would bear a bit more watching.

If her intentions were pure though, he might have someone to discuss and coordinate certain...projects with. This thought made him fight to prevent his smirk from turning into a full-fledged grin.

Kolth's sudden appearance surprised her but Teamhair was quick to recover. "You saw, hmm?" she asked, casually. "Then you'll be able to help me obtain a rental cart as well? While he was exaggerating about my luggage, I do have three chests that I would prefer not to lose."

She could tell he was trying not to break into a grin, and had a good idea what he might be thinking. "Yes, I am planning on going with you. Meeting you here means I don't have to attempt to track you down at the docks." It was clear she'd gotten to hear some of the meeting by some means, and the sly smirk she gave him let him know she wasn't going to tell how. "I only really need one of the trunks, the contents of the other two are not suitable for open travel." Even as she said that, she thought of a couple dresses she'd take just to show off to Orduin.

"Either way, will you help me, now that you know the score?"

[rhoenix]

Looking calculatingly thoughtful, Kolth nodded after a moment. "Definitely - come on."

Though he waited for her, he did walk at a purposeful pace into the market, and made a direct course toward one of the smaller cart lenders advertising for his wares. As he examined the remaining carts, he smiled as he saw a suitable one, and began walking off with it. Almost immediately, the owner of the cart-rental business ran out from behind the counter yelling. "Hey, you have to pay for that!"

Kolth stopped, and looked nearly offended. "What? But your sign says I get to try it out before I rent!"

The shorter man's face flushed with anger. "It most certainly does not say that! I should know, since I painted the damn sign!"

Looking at the man with a patient, almost pitying smile, Kolth just shrugged. "Maybe you crissed when you should've crossed then, since that's what your sign says."

The man stomped over to the sign. Initially, he was yelling at full volume, but his voice quickly dropped in volume as he read the sign. The flush in his face was quickly replaced with a pale look. "It does NOT say that! It says RIGHT HERE, see, it says...what? How the...?"

With that, the man examined the sign, looking increasingly perturbed, while Kolth looked as if he were fighting a losing battle trying to stifle his impatience. He walked quickly over to the man, and gave him a flask from his coat, and a blunt from one of his many voluminous pockets. "Call this a down payment, then. I'll bring it back by tonight."

The man stared in shock between the sign, the flask of high-quality alcohol, and the brown cylinder in his hand.

As he rejoined Teamhair, he caught a glimpse of her facial expression. "What?" he said defensively. "I didn't change his sign. I was going to tell him about it sometime today anyway; this just seemed to be a good opportunity for him to fix his sign. He's been complaining about people stealing his carts for the past week, after all - I heard some of the Lookshy patrols talking about it earlier."

[LadyTevar]

Teamhair had her hand up to her mouth to hide her grin during the altercation. "Now you see why I borrowed you," she teased, her gold eyes twinkling in mischief. "We'll have to make a small stop before we get to the Caravan ... I'll need to change."

What, or who, she was going to change into this time would be very interesting. At the first opportunity, she stepped into an inconspicuous corner and shifted to the form of a teenaged boy she'd known growing up. Nothing really stood out about him, just another of a hundred young street rats across the Thousand Kingdoms who made a living by whatever odd jobs they could get. Disguise illusion complete, the teen fell into place beside Kolth. "Ready, sir. We pick up the trunks, and take 'em where she can sort through 'em, right?"

[Marcao]

He had been fortunate to find a place of lodging within his price range. It fit his needs although a part of him could not help but feel as if something was amiss. He could not remember a time in this life where he had been surrounded by luxury and yet he had memories of palaces of marble and gold that seemed to stretch for miles into the sky. He sighed softly and leaned back against the bed that dominated the room. The dreams that occasionally bubbled to the surface of his mind had served him well and yet they always filled him with sadness.

He sighed softly and closed his eyes aware that in a few hours he would be thrust into an unfamiliar situation, serving a city that was using him as he would undoubtedly try to use it. It was a wretched tangle but one that he could not afford to avoid. At the very least he would be on the water again. He drew comfort from that knowledge and yet the water had lost some of its appeal since his arrival in Lookshy. Something had changed; it was the sky that called to him now. He heard a loud sound above him and sat up. The sounds of heavy steps and loud words being exchanged met with a mutter.

You get what you pay for.

It did not take a great deal of effort for him to overlook the sounds and noises coming from above his small room. He would only be here a little longer. He could bear the situation for one more night. His thoughts shifted to the black ship and all that it could entail. Naval combat was something that he was familiar with. He spent an hour considering the options, arranging possibilities from most likely to least until he was satisfied with his assessment. Still, one singular truth remained. His information came from experience and the bulk of that experience emerged from the west. He was no longer in the west and as such, had to be prepared for the possibility that this so called Black Ship was something that he had never encountered before.

If that was the case, then he would require a plan of action that was flexible enough to prepare for that possibility. It was then that the noises coming from the top floor began once again. They were different this time, a scraping sound and thumping. It took him three heartbeats to realize what it was that he was hearing.

"You can't be serious!" He muttered in the river tongue. For a moment he considered staying or going upstairs and expressing his displeasure but in the end he settled on a third course of action. He left his small and cramped room and walked outside of the inn. The night was cool and he could use some time to think.

[rhoenix]

"Ready, sir. We pick up the trunks, and take 'em where she can sort through 'em, right?"

Kolth almost did a double-take. Shaking his head for a moment, his amused smirk returned. "Yes indeed, lad. And take care you don't drop any, lest the lady be truly vexed!"

[LadyTevar]

Kolth almost did a double-take. Shaking his head for a moment, his amused smirk returned. "Yes indeed, lad. And take care you don't drop any, lest the lady be truly vexed!"

"Wouldn't want that, sir. She might rip our heads off if something got broken." The voice was light and joking. The words were meant to be a very serious warning.

[The Nomad]

The trunks were indeed near the Caravan. Master Wildstream was nowhere in sight, probably drinking off his sadness and burrowing his nose against a new courtesan's bosom - no match by far for the one he just lost, though.

The night was still warm, but pleasant. Yevala could see that some cafés offered a quiet and intimate atmosphere, propitious for introspection.

As for Orduin, while he still lodged at the Gunzosha barracks, he had both a private rooms - where he could practice his powers without making his old comrades uneasy - and his old bunk in the common quarters.

[Marcao]

He walked through the streets of Lookshy until he found an establishment that attracted his interest. He wasted little time in seeking refuge within, tea ordered as he sought an ideal spot within. He quickly found it, a location near a corner that was placed away from the main points of traffic. He wasted little time in getting comfortable, his attention drawn to a nearby window. There was a shadow gliding through the darkened sky. He watched more closely and managed to catch sight of another one of the cities air vessels cutting through the air in its way to points unknown. It looked like a flying fish.

Manta class.

The thought came and went as the transport disappeared from his line of sight beneath one of the districts larger buildings. The tea arrived and he took his time enjoying it. The excitement of what was to come in the next day momentarily forgotten. It was only when his mind was at ease that something bubbled to the surface. He knew the sensation well at this point; he only hoped that it would be something of immediate use this time. It was with that thought in mind that reality seemed to shift as it was momentarily displaced by a waking dream. His right hand moved, the tea cup brought towards his lips as the dream began.

“What has brought you here Dawn caste?â€

[LadyTevar]

The trunks were loaded onto the cart quickly and without complaint from the 'youth', who seemed to have a little more strength than most would expect. As Kolth turned the cart around and started rolling it away, the youth quipped, "Now that we have her stuff, where are we taking it? She'll need a place to store what she's not needing at the moment."

It was Kolth's city, Teamhair was the stranger here, no matter what form she bore. Absently she wondered if Orduin had his own abode. If not, he was going to need one.

[rhoenix]

Without even a backward glance, Kolth answered the youth. "Oh, I can think of a certain grease-covered mech jock who could use a roommate. Come on - I'm sure he won't mind."

The last part of his sentence held a half-hidden laugh.

Kolth led the "youth" through the less-traveled upper paths of the city, which brought them to the soldier's section of the city surprisingly fast. They were stopped by the guards, one who looked at Kolth suspiciously. "You again, and in broad daylight this time. What's the matter, did you get a dare to top what you did last time?"

Kolth almost looked offended. "Oh, come on now! I don't have the rabbits or the green stockpiled enough to even try. No, we're dropping some stuff off for Orduin."

Now the two guards looked both much more curious and much more suspicious. "Now, don't you be messing with him again. I'll not be having that. It took him almost a month to clean all of those chicken feathers out of his armor, I hope you know. By the dragons, friends like you should come with a warning label."

Looking exasperated, Kolth protested immediately. "Oh man, why did you have to bring that up? That was more than a year ago, it was because I got really really intoxicated. Besides, it was because of that time that I don't even drink anymore!"

The guard who had spoken up before just shook his head. "I think what you meant to say was that Orduin promised to tie you to a tree and step on you with his armor on if you did that again."

This just caused Kolth to roll his eyes. "Yeah, yeah - Orduin can't even catch a cold properly. It would be a snowy day at the Pole of Fire if that happened. Come on - this cart's stuff is for a lady friend of his he has moving in with him."

This instantly caused their demeanor to change. The other guard spoke up for the first time, looking wistful. "Oh wow, was it that redhead that was with him last night? Lucky bastard - what the hell did he do to deserve a catch like that?"

"It's probably that he's smart enough to pilot Gunzosha armor," Kolth answered dryly.

This instantly earned him two glares. "Alright smartass. Just for that, pay up the toll."

At this, Kolth just rolled his eyes before reaching in his jacket, and handing each guard a small flask and a pre-rolled blunt. "You two are some of the worst corrupt guards I've ever seen. Just so you know."

The guard who had spoken up more answered while his compatriot lost no time in lighting the blunt he was given. "Yeah, and don't you forget it, you little sneak. What'll you do when the main Office doesn't need a scout that causes all the trouble you do, huh?"

Walking past them with the cart, Kolth answered over his shoulder. "I'd go back to an honest living plowing your mom every night, probably."

There was some muttering and glares from behind him as Kolth and the "youth" walked toward Orduin's section of the barracks.

[LadyTevar]

"Chicken feathers?"

That, and a raised eyebrow was all the youth said, even as she inwardly preened at the guard's wistful jealousy

[rhoenix]

Looking somewhat embarrassed, Kolth related the story. "He was complaining one night about the bruises he got from the armor under extended heavy use, and he and I were taking shots - we'd started hanging out and talking only a few months before this. So, later that night as I was really, really drunk, I got the bright idea of giving him more cushion inside of his armor..."

He began to look a bit more embarrassed. "I stole every last bag of feathers from the nearby chicken farm, snuck into the barracks, and dumped them all into his armor. He woke me up shortly after he'd gotten up and done inventory of his armor, and he was about ready to cause a incident. So, he and I had a talk, and I agreed to not drink anymore. And that I'd help him clean out his armor - which I did, but he kept finding feathers for the next month or two. Every time he did, I'd get shit for it."

[SirNitram]

"And will continue to get shit about until I find something new to harass you about." Orduin had appeared in the doorway to the BOQ he was given. It was a little roomier than most, but special circumstances. "Need any help with the rest, or just coming to tell me everything is ready and prepared?"

[LadyTevar]

"you were just trying to help, I understand," she commiserated.

[rhoenix]

Not looking especially surprised at Orduin showing up, Kolth just began helping the "youth" unload Teamhair's bags. At least he had the grace to look somewhat embarrassed. "Yeah, yeah. Remember that the next time I'm doing scouting for you in gopher country."

Though he did turn to the youth and smile. "Yes, exactly - I"m glad someone understands. I was just trying to help, that's all."

[LadyTevar]

"Well, I am very grateful for your help," said the young man, someone that Orduin had never seen before, although he'd seen dozens like him; a simple street-rat out to try a (mostly) honest living.

Then the young 'man caught Kolth in an embrace and kissed his cheek soundly before saying in a sultry voice "Thank you for -everything-"

Yeah, let him live -that- one down....

[SirNitram]

Orduin's smirk? Priceless. "C'mon, Kolth. Can't keep everyone waiting on us. Unless you're getting old and weak already, but I'm the Gunzosha here." Oh yes. The boy's comments would be barrack gossip inside the hour.

[LadyTevar]

The 'youth' started walking out the door. "I'll return the cart for you, Kolth... And you have to let me meet Orduin's new girlfirend later." Teamhair's plan, if Kolth wasn't fast enough to stop her, was to take off with the cart, leave it in some side-alley, and then walk back to the guards at the gate as herself so they could let Orduin know she was there (and give the poor men a thrill).

[rhoenix]

That Kolth was shocked by the actions was plain to see, though his response was only delayed by a heartbeat. Reaching out, he swiped the youth's hat off of his head as he closed the door ahead of the young man. "That's gonna cost ya," he said, crossing his arms.

[LadyTevar]

That Kolth was shocked by the actions was plain to see, though his response was only delayed by a heartbeat. Reaching out, he swiped the youth's hat off of his head as he closed the door ahead of the young man. "That's gonna cost ya," he said, crossing his arms.

"OwowowowowoW!"
The hat did not go flying, as it was all part of the illusion. Unfortunately, it was part of the illusion covering Teamhair's Tell: a set of fox ears that Kolth had just smacked soundly. Hands to head, the 'youth' shimmered silver before the illusion dissolved into Teamhair's true form.

Tattoos of ancient symbolism shown silver under the sheer blouse she wore. Her hair changed from the dark auburn of a winter-fox to the brighter russet coat of the red fox. Her hands came down, revealing the foxy ears perched atop her head, as her still golden eyes threw Kolth a nasty glare. "So, you can dish out the jokes, but can't take them?" she spat, her voice still the same. "Happy now that you've boxed my ears?"

[SirNitram]

"And here I thought I would be the only one with metal tracery..." Why no, Orduin's eyes aren't roaming at all. Ahem ahem. Cue moment of staring then collecting wits.

"If you're done with the comedy routine, we do have pirates to bludgeon." He said, trying to change the subject that existed mostly in his mind.