Church Square
[Chilly, clear, slight breeze from the southwest, afternoon]
The grand facade of the Lithmorran cathedral dominates the square, providing a stained-glass, gothic opulence to the space below. Laid in an artful pattern, red and white bricks converge in alternating bands towards a central fixture, a splendid fountain. Off to the southwest, in the tended lawn, stands a statue easily nine feet tall. Below it rests a bench, obscuring the engravings in the statue’s base. At each of the four corners of this square stands a tall stone lamp to light the square at night.
(The Square looks reasonably neat, with the fountain looking recently cleaned and polished. People wander throughout the area, conversing with one another and whispering as they talk of events that have recently passed. )
[ Exits: north east south west ]
A baroque fountain spurts gloriously into the sky. (center)
The square’s public board stands beneath a protective wood shingle roof. (northeastern corner)
A young man, with blue eyes and thick, black hair rides in from the east.
A young man, with blue eyes and thick, black hair slows to a halt.
Lien is standing on top of a bench, hopping from foot to foot. At the sight of a young man, with blue eyes and thick, black hair on the horse, she points towards a shadow at the base of the statue and glares. “I saw a rat. DO SOMETHING about IT.”
The horse that a young man, with blue eyes and thick, black hair is riding upon looks jumpy at best in the crowded church square, and as they come closer to the fountain, a young man, with blue eyes and thick, black hair pets the mane of the horse, trying to calm it down. He looks to Lien and raises an eyebrow, “A rat?” He wonders, sitting his saddle, “Did you try rhyming at it?” [a young man, with blue eyes and thick, black hair]
“What am I? An Arien bard? Can’t you just… go in there and chop off it’s head?” Lien suddenly screeches and points her finger towards a dark shadow that darts across the square and towards the bench she’s standing atop of. “THERE! Quick! Before it gets away?! Come on, your a knight aren’t you?!”
You think to yourself, “RAT. This city is full of RATS!”
“You… might be a bard, I don’nae know who you are an’ you’re far too well dressed to be a washer woman.” a young man, with blue eyes and thick, black hair explains to Lien. He looks to the shadow, before looking back to Lien, “If they dedfaddved knights to deal with rats, we’d have t’ maintain a garrison at the mills.” He mutters as he takes a small, iron woodsman’s axe off his belt. “Alright, where is it?” [a young man, with blue eyes and thick, black hair]
A young man, with blue eyes and thick, black hair stops using a steel longsword with a leather handle.
A young man, with blue eyes and thick, black hair wields a small, iron woodsman’s axe.
Lien hops from foot to foot, dressed somewhat morbidly all in black, her skirts flaring around her knees as she darts from one end of the bench to the other trying to get a look at where the creature is. “Oh, wait.. it’s just a leaf.” She says, as she spots a leaf about where she thinks the rat to be.
A young man, with blue eyes and thick, black hair twirls a small, iron woodsman’s axe around a bit, readying to throw it. “Oh, well. I could get a rake if you want… ” He states in a deadpan, putting his axe back into a navy satchel adorned with Crossed Swords on a Chalice, “Is there any other vegetation that needs Knightly attention, m’Lady?” He wonders with a snort.
A young man, with blue eyes and thick, black hair stops using a small, iron woodsman’s axe.
A young man, with blue eyes and thick, black hair wields a steel longsword with a leather handle.
Her relief is short lived, when the rat in question does indeed appear and darts up the side of the bench and atop the seat. Lien literally screams as she jumps off the bench and takes off towards the fountain, putting a good few feet between her and it before scrambling up to stand on its edge. “GET IT!” She demands, pointing again.
A young man, with blue eyes and thick, black hair snatches a small, iron woodsman’s axe from his belt and in a fluid motion throws it end over end at the rat. The axe head splits the rat in twain, sending the top half of the rat scurrying away from it’s body before it plops over head, “Sinful little rat, pesterin’ a maiden fair, scurryin’ all about, an’ giving her a scare. So I’ll yell ‘be gone!’, and if you don’nae leave-her, I’ll get quite annoyed, and kill you with a cleaver.” He snorts loudly and looks to Lien, “Hey, maybe I got what it takes t’ be a bard after all.”
a young man, with blue eyes and thick, black hair appears to be capable at throwing.
A young man, with blue eyes and thick, black hair drops a small, iron woodsman’s axe.
“Is it dead…?” Lien asks cautiously, peering in the direction of the beheaded critter. “Maybe it has friends… probably a whole demon litter of them there. You should probably check. Just in case.” Lien says anxiously, hopping still from foot to foot, looking only slightly impressed by the tossing of the axe and the accompanying rhyme.
A young man, with blue eyes and thick, black hair swings his legs off of a shaggy, yellow courser and jumps down in an ungraceful manner. “Looks dead, I think.” Bryne decides, looking to the bifurcated rat with an interested look. He looks back to Lien, “Why did you come t’ Lithmore if you can’nae stand bein’ around rats?” He wonders with a chuckle.
A young man, with blue eyes and thick, black hair swings his leg over his mount, preparing to dismount.
A young man, with blue eyes and thick, black hair easily dismounts from a shaggy, yellow courser.
Lien isn’t ready to hop down yet, her eyes fixated on the bench and where the bloodied corpse lies. “Not my choice. Studiest idea ever. Ward with my cousin, he says, become a proper Lady he says. Get a husband he says.” She rolls her eyes skyward, fingers tugging at a black silken sash threaded through a delicate silver ring anxiously. “I think I saw its tail twitch.” She says, eyeing it.
Lien stands atop the fountain’s edge, eyeing a beheaded rat on the bench
A young man, with blue eyes and thick, black hair says OOCly, “Bifurcated – it was chopped into two even pieces >_>”
Lien stands atop the fountain’s edge, eyeing a bifurcated rat on the bench
Lien stands atop the fountain’s edge, eyeing a bifurcated (certainly not beheaded) rat on the bench
“Yeah, things do that for awhile after you murder them. I saw a guy run fifty feet without a head once.” a young man, with blue eyes and thick, black hair explains as he reaches down and yanks the axe from the remains of the rat, “Who’s your cousin again? Refresh my memory.” He wonder as he brushes some of the blood away on a crusted, browned, silken rag. [a young man, with blue eyes and thick, black hair]
“Help me down?” Lien directs as much as asks a young man, with blue eyes and thick, black hair with a hand wave towards the cobblestones. “My cousin, Ariel op Orban. Affawemdwe he also has business ties with my Father, so he’s making him do it or some thing. Don’t think Ariel is too happy about it none either. Don’t you want to know who I am?”
A young man, with blue eyes and thick, black hair hangs the axe from his belt and offers a pair of hands to Lien, “Oh, you’re Ari’s relation? He’s a good friend o’ mine. Wants me t’ move into his house.” He states with a chuckle, “Do I want t’ know who you are? Sure, you’ve piqued my dooweaoodede now.”
Lien takes the hands on offer, her own glove clad fingers sliding over his as she gingerly steps down from the edge of a baroque fountain. Obviously descending post-rat, is much more difficult than leaping up with the fear of a rat on your heels. “I am Lien le Storm, heiress to the Barony of Ddwamddaoo in Tubor. Who in Lithmore are you?”
A young man, with blue eyes and thick, black hair kicks away the top part of the rat when Lien descends, “Ah, Lady le Storm, lovely t’ meet you then, an’ protect you from vicious mousies.” He explains with a crooked smirk. He offers a small bow, “Sir Bryne ab Porter, o’ the Knights Wedvmawwam.”
[Action: a young man, with blue eyes and thick, black hair is here heroically slaying rats.]
Lien is here, being heroically saved from rats
Lien releases a young man, with blue eyes and thick, black hair’s hand and passes it over her brow, removing stray dusky locks as she watches him with her capacious eyes. “Most people call me Stormy. We’re not ones for titles much back home. But… here, affawemdwe I can whip someone for not using them? How Arien awesome is that?”
From here on you will remember a young man, with blue eyes and thick, black hair as Bryne ab Porter.
“Very well, Lady le Stormy.” Bryne ab Porter states with another bow, “Never had t’ have someone whipped, dvawwemded someone t’ a duel once when he spat on me though. That would o’ been pretty awesome if he did’nae refuse t’ fight me himself.” He grins crookedly, and places his hands on his hips, “With Ari’s maman here, it seems his bringin’ his whole extended family t’ Lithmore.” [Bryne ab Porter]
“Well, if I ever need to have some whipped, I’ll call for you edfedeawwe so you can have the pleasure?” Lien says, her hands adorned in gloves coming up to expose the palms. “I mean, would be pretty silly if I were to do it hmm? Kind of pointless.” She takes a few steps over towards the bottom end of the rodent surprisingly reaches down to pluck it up by the tail, examining it.
“Still havin’ some problems with your Wedvmawwam, eh?” Bryne ab Porter states with a chuckle, resting a hand on a steel longsword with a leather handle, “If you’re goin’ t’ have someone whipped, I’ll let you do it yourself, my Lady.” He notes with a smirk, “Not so scared o’ the rat anymore – now that it’s insides have been made outsides.” [Bryne ab Porter]
I might demand you to. I can do that you know.” Lien says, eyeing the bloodied creature before tossing it off to the other side of the square. “And if you refuse, I could have you whipped. And yes. Not speak well yet.”
“I think you would need a Reeve t’ get someone whipped, my Lady, not a Knight.” Bryne ab Porter states with a nod of the head, “An’ I’m sure Ari would protest if you had his friend scourged. Not very lady like now is it, eh?” [Bryne ab Porter]
“Pretty sure a Knight can do it if I can do it.”Lien says with a pout upon her lips as she turns back to face Bryne ab Porter. “So, you’re not much of a Knight really if you can’t whip people for affemdemd a Lady?”
“Who exactly has earned your scorn so badly that you want t’ whip them?” Bryne ab Porter wonders with a loud snort. a shaggy, yellow courser has wandered over to the remains of the dead rat and cautiously picks it up and starts chewing on it. “Oi!” Bryne ab Porter shouts out ot the warhorse, “Strangler! Drop that! Drop it!” He commands. [Bryne ab Porter]
A shaggy, yellow courser a shaggy, yellow courser snorts loudly and drops the chewed, spit covered carcass of the bisected rat.
“Your horse -eats- -rats-?” Lien says with wide eyes, what ever retort she had been about to give to Bryne ab Porter forgotten at the revelation of this new piece of information. “EATS RATS?! What kind of Knight exactly are you?!”
“Strangler would eat his own shite if he wanted to.” Bryne ab Porter states, moving to a shaggy, yellow courser and giving it a whap across the snout, “Bad horse.” He scolds. The horse responds by snapping at Bryne ab Porter. He looks back to Lien and shakes his head, “Strangler is just a bit… odd, sometimes, I got him for a discount.” He looks to a shaggy, yellow courser, “An’ I regret it every time.” The horse just looks at Bryne ab Porter blankly. [Bryne ab Porter]
[Action: Bryne ab Porter is here having an arguement with a horse.]
“Maybe you should burn him. Pretty sure eating rats is something demonic horses do.” Lien suggests helpfully to Bryne ab Porter, stepping backwards a couple of paces and gesturing widely towards a shaggy, yellow courser. “I have a lantern with oil, if we douse him well he’ll go up real good.”
A shaggy, yellow courser a shaggy, yellow courser lets out a small grunt, and slams his hoof against remains of the chewed, chopped rat, flattening the carcass.
Bryne ab Porter looks to Lien and shrugs, “We will’nae be lightin’ my horse ablaze. Not yet at least, my Lady. If it were on fire it would be a bit hard t’ ride him without burnin’ my nethers.” He looks back to a shaggy, yellow courser and gives him a scratch on the snout, which leads to the horse snapping at Bryne ab Porter’s hand again, “In his defense, he did spit it out. He was just makin’ sure it was well an’ truely dead.”
“He spat it out because you told him to, he was going to wolfe the whole thing down and go for seconds.” Lien argues, stepping around a shaggy, yellow courser and approaching Bryne ab Porter’s side. She grabs a handful of his cloak, and lightly tugs. “It might be catching. You could end up eating rats next and then wham, you’re in the tower and thinking Mmmmm wish I had of listened to Stormy.”
“If Ddwamdwew wanted t’ eat the rat, he would o’, even if I had told him not too.” Bryne ab Porter assures Lien, offering to pat her on the shoulder, “I don’nae think you’ll have t’ worry about me snoopin’ around the sewers, tryin’ t’ put on a rat on a spit, my Lady.” He grins a bit, “Suddenly concerned that Brave Sir Porter will be locked in the tower? Who will defend you from pesky rodents then?” [Bryne ab Porter]
A young boy, with short black hair, and green eyes arrives from the south with a humble stride.
A young boy, with short black hair, and green eyes slows to a halt.
“I think your demonic horse is smarter than you give him credit for.” Lien says next to Bryne ab Porter, trying to come up to the tips of her toes and extend her height by a couple more inches, but even so, it doesn’t even come close to bringing her to eye level with him. “Right, then. You’re hired. Rat, critter and demon killer. I’ll arrange it with my cousin who will see to your salary. I think we’ll start you off on a gold coin a week and if you do a good job and only if, we’ll talk pay rises. I don’t want to see a single rat again though mind you. Ever. So you better be good.”
A young boy, with short black hair, and green eyes enters smiling, he gives a nod of the head to Bryne ab Porter “Gonna be a rat killer?”
“MY rat killer, get your own.” Lien warns a young boy, with short black hair, and green eyes with perhaps, a hint of a grin.
Bryne ab Porter a shaggy, yellow courser looks to Lien and whinnies a bit, taking a cautious step towards her. He looks back to Lien, and noticing that she’s on her toes, he slouches down slightly to shorten the gap. “I’m afraid I’m already pledgin’ my services t’ another Noble house, my Lady, but I’m sure the Chancellor dislikes rats just as much as you do.” He notes with a crooked smile, before looking to bryd, “Eh, I don’nae think I’ll be givin’ up the knights t’ follow my dream o’ becomin’ a Rat Catcher just yet, laddy.”
A young boy, with short black hair, and green eyes chuckles “Not gonna share?” he glances to Bryne ab Porter “I sure hope not. Since you’re a knight now.”
A young boy, with short black hair, and green eyes holds a book entitled Erra Pater in his hand.
A young boy, with short black hair, and green eyes flips through a book entitled Erra Pater, reading brief sections.
[Action: Bryne ab Porter is talking with Lien and byrd.]
“You can unpledge then, I’ll give you a week to arrange it.” Lien says, resting her right hand delicately on Bryne ab Porter’s shoulder when he lowers himself down to almost her level. “Can’t be too hard, offer a bribe, say you have a more needing client who is a MORBID fear of rats. And critters.” Lien eyes a young boy, with short black hair, and green eyes cautiously from across the square, “Maybe small boys too.”
“The Knight o’ Rats or the Knight o’ Fleas, what has a better sound to it?” Bryne ab Porter wonders to a young boy, with short black hair, and green eyes with a faint laugh. He looks back to Lien and shakes his head, “Ari’s pledged t’ the Dvamdewwaw, too. If I’m aroudn the both o’ you often enough, I’ll see to it that no mamddewaood rats will harm you. As for boys… ” He looks to a young boy, with short black hair, and green eyes and gestures to him with his thumb, “I don’nae think I can rhyme him t’ death.” [Bryne ab Porter]
A young boy, with short black hair, and green eyes chuckles “Please, spare me your rhymes. I would prefer a thrust of a blade.”
A young boy, with short black hair, and green eyes gives a slight wave “I must be on my way.”
A young boy, with short black hair, and green eyes begins to move south.
A young boy, with short black hair, and green eyes leaves south with a humble stride.
“Then it is mighty greedy if she gets the both of you…” Lien starts to say more when boy’s words reach her ears. “Ahh yes, I heard his rhyming earlier, and have a similar sentiment—” Again, her accented Lithmorran words are cut off and she screams. She attempts to leap on Bryne ab Porter’s back and points towards the shadow of the statue across from them, peering. “There! Did you see it?”
[Action: Bryne ab Porter is here with Lien on his back.]
Lien is strangling /Bryne with her arms around his neck
Bryne ab Porter grunts loudly as Lien hops onto him, “Ack, bugger hell lassy!” He exlaims, taking a broad stance so he can support her weight. He takes a tentative step forward, before pitching right over, falling face first onto the cobblestones. a shaggy, yellow courser nickers nervously, and approaches Lien, poking her in the shoulder curiously with his muzzle.
Thankfully, with Bryne ab Porter to break her fall, Lien is fine. And she makes no attempt to get up right away, stretching slowly out she tests her limbs and curses, “Arien, you could of killed me!” She says, lightly thumping him on the rear. It is at this point she notices a shaggy, yellow courser and holds herself suddenly very still. “I think your horse.. is trying… to eat me..” she whispers.
Lien is sprawled atop of /bryne on the ground.
“I think I bit my tongue.” Bryne ab Porter laments, picking himself off of the ground, a spitting a small glob of blood onto one of the cobblestones, “Why did you jump on my back? I am’nae a horse! If you wanted t’ mount me, you should o’ wedded me first.” He yells, before looking to a shaggy, yellow courser, “Oh sod off! She’s’nae your type!” The horse takes another cautious step towards Lien and begins to gently lick the side of her head. [Bryne ab Porter]
Any witty retort that Lien was going to give is stalled as a shaggy, yellow courser starts to lick the side of her head. Her small body held very, very still, and her fingers trembling in her lap. She eyes a shaggy, yellow courser very cautiously, not moving an inch.
A shaggy, yellow courser continues to work his big, stinky tongue along the side of Lien’s head, until he’s satisfied that he’s impressed her. His work complete, the horse takes a few steps away from Lien. Bryne ab Porter rolls onto his front, and burries his face into his hands. [Bryne ab Porter]
Lien bravely edges backwards across the cobbles, keeping a close eye on a shaggy, yellow courser. When she is close enough to do so, she lays a gloved hand on Bryne ab Porter’s shoulder. “Sorry. You okay?”
Bryne ab Porter lets out a few small whimpers. After a moment it becomes clear that he’s burried his hands in his face to suppress laughter. His cheeks are bright pink, and he has to take a few moments to regain composure. “Yes, yes, I’m fine. Sorry about the bath you just got.” He says, clearing his throat lightly. He takes the end of a blue cotton cloak bearing the Crossed Swords on a Chalice and tabs it across Lien’s face, “How are you?”
“Can we burn your horse now?” Lien asks quietly, one hand still on his shoulder and holding still as Bryne ab Porter clears off the slobber from her cheeks. “Pretty sure licking a Noble is a burnable offense. At the very least, it’s a little bit demonic don’t you think?”
“It just means he likes you.” Bryne ab Porter explains as he works his best to clean the drool off of Lien’s cheeks, “Why are you so convinced about killin’ my horse? Would’nae serve for a Knight such as myself t’ run around on foot.” [Bryne ab Porter]
“Do all Lith morran’s lick people they like?” Lien asks with a raised brow, still occassionally looking over towards a shaggy, yellow courser, checking his position before returning focus to Bryne ab Porter. “Just.. he .. scares me I guess. Rats do too. And boars.”
“Some do, not best t’ do it in public though.” Bryne ab Porter explains to Lien as he pulls himself off of the ground and offers Lien a hand up, “Strangler’s nice, just jumpy around ddwamdewd. If he’s lickin’ you, it either means he likes you, or he’s wonderin’ how you taste.” He chuckles quietly, “I hope he did’nae give you too big a spook.” [Bryne ab Porter]
Lien takes the hand on offer and awkwardly comes to a stand. Showing some bravery, she then approaches a shaggy, yellow courser, but doesn’t yet let go of Bryne ab Porter’s hand. (Not quite that/ brave yet), and extends the fingers of her free hand out towards the creature’s head. “If he bites me, we burn him.” She declares, waiting.
“We’ll get Ari t’ buy me a new horse, can afford it.” Bryne ab Porter agrees, with a nod of the head. a shaggy, yellow courser approaches Lien’s offered hand and gives it a sniff. The horse then turns around, swishing his tail about, and moves to the other side of the fountain. Bryne ab Porter chuckles slightly and looks to Lien, “Was’nae so bad, was it?” [Bryne ab Porter]
[Action: Bryne ab Porter is talking to Lien, bleeding slightly from the mouth.]
“Not so bad. I still have my fingers.” Lien says as she releases a held breath and pulls the glove from her right hand, tucking it into where a black silken sash threaded through a delicate silver ring wraps around her waist. She brings the base of her palm up, and with slippered tip toes, wipes at the corner of Bryne ab Porter’s mouth. [Lien]
