Storm's Night

[Samhain Aeramis]

The rain battered the side of the building relentlessly. It had been raining this way for the last few days now and it would be depressing to most. Samhain however was not most. Growing up at his ancestral home, Stormpoint, these sorts of storms seemed to wage war with the estate frequently. In fact Samhain had the joy of enduring two hurricanes during his lifetime. The howls of the wind those nights still resonate in his nightmares. But the days of being a child and allowing nightmares to rule his waking mind had long past. The thud of his boots on the creaking wood floor would alert all that remained in the other room.

Flipping down the hood on his cloak the water dripped down the back of his neck. “Father, I hope you are rotting in one of the hells for making stay in this piss pot.” Samhain rolled his shoulders as the wind cut through his soaked clothing. While his clothes were of finer make the constant travel and the wear of the weather were starting to fray the cloth. Rolling his shoulders twice the quiver on his back shifted with the roll causing the arrow shafts with in to rattle to the side. His hand fell on the wooden door and pushed forward. The door creaked open to reveal a simple bed chamber with two beds on either side of the room. One seemed to actually belong there as it was built with "better" engineering then the other that had been thrown together at the last moment. In truth it had been, as the owner of the building was allowing the young Aeramis lord as a favor to his family. The owner however would not provide a full fledged bed for Samhain's traveling companion, Eallyrl. Eallyrl was a Shroudling and the owner refused to put in any more work than the bare minimum for a Shroudling, not uncommon.

"Eallyrl, you in here? The merchant handed over the gold for the items you procured the other day." Samhain dropped a small bag on the ground as he sat down on his incredibly uncomfortable 'bed'. "I managed to pick up some apples." His head fell into his hand as his fingers began to run over his temples in circles.

[Eallyrl]

The creak of the door had announced his arrival, but not until he called out to her did Eallyrl sit up. On the floor behind her “bed” the elf had been relaxing along the floor boards, the wooden planks just as comfortable as her sleeping arrangements. It didn’t matter really. She had slept in fancy beds with soft blankets and plenty of company, and she had slept alone on the cobblestones of alleyways. Ever adaptable and relatively easy to please, the shroudling offered no complaint when they were shown their meager quarters. Samhain felt differently. To her, the whole scene provided her with some amusement, but amusement she often kept to herself.

“Gold…and all you got was a bag of apples?”

Such smart remarks were not uncommon when the two here alone, but the smile on her face always made it clear she was not serious. The coin they procured was his to spend as he saw fit, she had long ago learned to accept that. Samhain kept her stomach full and her blades sharp, after all, a valuable asset needed to be maintained.

With a roll she was up on her feet and on her way over to him. Agile fingers dipped into the bag for an apple. A flick of her wrist and the red sphere was up in the air only to be snatched out of it by her other hand.

“At least they seem fresh…apples are disgusting when rotten. Trust me, I know.”

Eallryl flashed him another smile before she took a bite. Juicy and delicious, quite a surprise all things considered. Still, she wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. After another bite she plucked a second apple from the bag before she tossed it to him. He wasn't as dexterous as her, but he would be able to catch the fruit just fine.

“Regardless of how uncomfortable your bed is, you need to eat.”

[Samhain Aeramis]

The merchant’s voice had been like nails on a chalk board and would not stop talking about how his great grandmother saw this or that his father sold this or that his son learned this. Samhain not have cared any less and he had just wanted to get paid for the few items they managed to obtain. It would end up taking over an hour to sell three items. All the incessant jawing had given the young noble a headache.

Then came the sass of his long time travel companion that caused him to roll his eyes. Slwoly his eyes opened to see Eallyrl reach down and snag an apple. “Yes, with all that gold I only got a bag of apples. I am not going to spend what little money we have earned on food that we can’t even cook. So suck it up,” Samhain groaned as his fingers returned to his temples. They had been making so little money since they had come to Land’s End that it was almost becoming a waste of their time. They were going to need to see bigger returns if they were going to make any progress at all.

It was all due to his damn father’s drinking. He had spent all of the money that the family had, sold part of their land and then even more just so that he was always in some sort of stupor. His finger nails began to dig into his flesh. The man was proving to be an obstacle even after he had been dead for over six years. Suddenly an apple was thrust into his face and Eallyrl shot him a smile. A moment passed before Samhain pushed the hand away with a grunt.

“I am not hungry right now. I need to figure out what we are going to do next because our ability to stay here is quickly running out.” His eyes flashed to the window where he could see just the silhouette of one of the towers of Garnet Palace. Biting down hard his teeth scrapped past one another. “If I hope to restore my family’s honor and stature we most start making much more progress.” Samhain growled.

[Eallyrl]

A shrug of her slender shoulders was the only response to his explanation of why they would feast only on apples. She had eaten far worse dinners, far worse. The fact he chose not to eat or wasn’t hungry as he put it, did not surprise the elf. Often in the past she had seen him this way, awake for hours into the night in order to plan his next step. Those sessions often only allowed time for the occasional sip of water, food apparently too distracting.

Back in the bag the apple went, Samhain would eat eventually. As for his grumbling…

”A forest can only be planted one tree at a time. Just figure out where you want to place the next seed.” The saying was one she had heard in a tavern once and even though her own time in forests was limited, it did make sense. He wanted everything he had lost, but there was no way to reclaim it without work. As loyal as she was, her assistance only made them a team of two. Not to mention half the respectable establishments in the world did not take a Shroudling serious in any matter. Her master’s journey had just begun.

”And it is worthy to note that although the Aeramis name has the smell of ale about it, people have not forgotten it. Things could be worse.” The elf’s words were not an attempt to preach, for Samhain understood society and the dance of nobles far more than her, but it was a fact. His family name had been associated with a drunk for years, but it was yet to be forgotten. At least he had something to work with.

[Samhain Aeramis]

The ale comment stung and Samhain could not describe how much he wanted to throttle Eallyrl beyond she could ever imagine. He couldn’t though, he still needed her. She was far too valuable to get rid of right now. With a deep breath Samhain forced his anger back to the level of frustration that had plagued him. They needed money and prestige both of which was proving difficult to find any leads for.

“The merchant was nothing more than a blubbering fool who gave us the bare minimum. No information that was worth anything of value. I did see the captain of the guard, or at least according to the merchant. Have you found any leads on what type of man he is?” Samhain asked. He had tasked Eallyrl with it over the last few days. Seeing as how Samhain could not gain an audience of anyone of true prominence the captain of the guard would have to be a start.

“Or were we too busy looking at delicious apples? Or better yet the next set of knives you are going to waste your money on?” Samhain barbed back. He may have been frustrated with the situation but he still had enough wherewithal to barb Eallyrl. The wind howled once again as thunder rolled through the sky. The storm reminded him of all those lonely nights as he sat in his bed chambers thinking about what his mother would say to him. On happier nights he would dream of running about leading armies across the Garnet Isles adorned in the family’s armor. Sadly these were not days of dreams.

[Eallyrl]

Of course she had done her job. It was rare for the elf to fail in her endeavors and rarer still when they concerned the gathering of information. Despite being a Shroudling, a rare looked down upon in this world, she was able to pull information from various individual. Sometimes all this required was the ability to listen, but more often than not she engaged her targets in conversation. Through drink, the right movements and a flirtatious tongue she got what she wanted, especially when men were involved. Where the Guard Captain was concerned, what drunk fool didn't want to boast about why he was better than the crippled warrior?

Samhain’s jab caused Eallyrl to let out a soft chuckle in response. She sported a far better temperament than her Master in the recent months. It was not for a lack of care, but due to the fact she had no lofty goals, her focus only to support his.


”Admittedly I have been known to get distracted, but you should know by now such is not the case when I have an order. As for you Guard Captain, he seems to be rather dedicated to his service. Word has it the only reason he took his position was thanks to an injury. I do hear he is fond of the drink though, perhaps we can use that to our advantage. Regardless of that potential flaw in his character, we should be cautious...he has authority here.” Although she had just been relaying information, she wondered if Dawn’s fondness for a few drinks shed him in an unfavorable light before Samhain’s eyes

 With that she bit into her apply again with and audible crunch. Chewing, she kept her eyes on her master. Even when she was seriously, it was often hard to tell if she truly was. Being difficult to read was no accident and Samhain himself, despite the years spent with her, might find it difficult.

[Samhain Aeramis]

“Of course he is fond of the drink. Why would he ever be someone who is more fond of keeping his mind clear?” Samhain groaned to himself. He had heard tales of the Guard Captain in passing and most of them had been mixed. Some spoke of how he kept all of the city safe and that he was a man that knew how to get things done. Most of those that spoke this however were the ones that did not often need his assistance Those that did were not as kind. It ranged from indifference to complete hatred although from the stories he heard more often than not were people that were not fans of any law official.

“If I have to deal with a drunk I have to deal with a drunk. There is not much I can do about it much to my dismay. With luck he will be a reasonable and somewhat tolerable to work with but we will see,” the young lord took a breath. While the Guard Captain did in fact have authority Samhain’s eyes were set much higher than his position. They however must go through him seeing as how Samhain’s name carries little to no weight when it counts. For what the two of them, or rather Samhain, had planned they needed people to vouch for their skill. Or at least have heard of it.

Turning to Eallryl his eyes for a moment displayed a second of doubt. The doubt of whether he was going to be able to achieve what his dreams had driven him to do. It was those dreams that caused him to act all those years ago in his father’s bed chambers. He saw those dreams slipping through his fingers and it was those ambitions that drove him.Eallyrl was a reminder day in and day out that those dreams could slip away in any given moment. The doubt left in a split second and the blink of an eyes caused of it to fall away into the night.

“Let me ask you something, Eallryl.After all of the years we have traveled together what do you think our next five moves will be? Those that think only in the moment are blind, those that only think three moves ahead are short sighted but those who think five moves ahead know what they want out of life. So from your perspective what do we do in our next five moves?” Samhain asked with a confidence that despite the slight doubt seemed unabated.

[Eallyrl]

When the question was posed, Eallyrl was not quick to answer nor did she miss the flash of doubt in his eyes before he spoke. Part was due to a mouthful of apple, but even if she hadn’t been enjoying the delicious fruit she would have given pause. From her perspective the question felt loaded. As a thief and assassin by trade, she understood the advantage of planning ahead. That being said, Samhain wanted to accomplish something far more complicated than either of the two. Thievery and assassination both had definitive ends in her mind. In both you got your mark whether it was a golden bracelet or the head of another. There was no legacy or reputation in these acts individual even if a string of them could provide you with one. What Samhain desired was something far more complex. On top of all that, he did not seem to be fully himself this night.

”From my perspective?” Her brow lifted as if to question whether or not she should continue. She knew the answer though.

With a turn and casual gate she moved towards her own bed to plop down on the unyielding collection of hay and cloth. Half eaten apple in hand she offered him her sage advice.

”First things first, we both need to eat. Despite your disappointment with our current quarters, you should not be putting off a meal regardless of how plain it is. Second, probably get some rest. It’s been a long day and this weather is just rubbish. Then, in the morning the third thing we should do is check up on that lead I heard about, something to do with good Captain Dawn. We could use the coin and perhaps get our name out there a little. Fourth…..hmmm, probably find a cheap whore somewhere.” A small playful smile accompanied that one, leaving it unclear if she meant for him or for her.

”Now fifth or you could just go ahead and make this the first step,” For the first time since she had begun to talk her expression became serious as her dark eyes locked with his. "you need to focus. Get over the frustration and doubt I am seeing so you can lay out a real plan for us and stop asking ridiculous questions of me. Samhain Aeramis does not ask for the opinions of a slave.” Her tone was still light, not scolding, but even so she would never speak to him in such a way unless they were alone. The response was not meant to be an insult. The answer reflected the honest trust she held in him and his choices. She was no idiot, but he was the one that had gotten them here and the one that would restore his family name. If his intent had been to test her foresight and planning, she had instead responded with the faith she felt in his.

[Samhain Aeramis]

Eallyrl’s comments hung in the air. Samhain did not react to them or speak about them. She had answered his question with what she interpreted the answer to terms she was used to. The big picture of what they were working towards was beyond her. It was not surprising as she was never taught to care for such things. She was taught to fight, steal and kill. Anything other than that was either disregarded in her studies or she developed much to her teacher’s disapproval. The main quark in her personality that they tried to strip away from her was her flirtatious nature. It seemed to be ill suited for an assassin but in Samhain’s opinion it made an assassin all the more dangerous.

The room was suddenly filled with loud raucous laughter as Samhain could not longer keep his amusement contained. The bluntness of Elly’s words were often what caused him to stay young and down to earth. After the days of stress in finding absolutely nothing working the way he had hoped for that little exchange between the two of them was what he needed. The laughter would eventually die down but the smile never left his face. She was truly the closest thing he had to a friend.

“That is definitely an answer to my question. Although not quite the one I expected but knowing you I should have expected nothing less. And while a bit obscene to say outloud I may end up taking up your suggestion for step four. It has been too long and a mind can get clouded,” Samhain laughed. The day had been much too long and he was ready for it to end Which meant sleeping another night on this so called bed. Holding out his hand he waited for Elly to pass an apple to him.

“Our real plan goes much further beyond just the next day’s plans. No what I have in mind could turn everything you perceive on its head. So let me ask you another question, one that should not require a quite as snarky of an answer. What do you know of the royal family? Histories? Personalities? Habits? Appearances?” The young lord continued. He had something in mind that he did not want to say out loud for simple fear that if he did somehow fate would snatch it out of his reach. His eyes flicked slightly side to side out as his plans flashed before his eyes,

[Eallyrl]

The sudden burst of laughter that filled the room brought forth a sly smirk. He had taken it as she had hoped, not in offense but as a way to bring him back down. For all his intelligence and natural skills, Samhain at times overwhelmed himself. She on the other hand would never enter such a state, her carefree nature not vulnerable to stress. Part of that was due to the relatively simple nature of her existence. Listen, perform and when allowed, have fun. A simple life, yet one she loved. People underestimated what the life of a slave could offer. Eallyrl often overlooked the fact her situation wasn't a common one.

When he held out his hand, she knew exactly what he wanted. (Not like there were any options at the moment.) Eallyrl slid from her bed and silent, graceful footsteps carried her to the sack of apples. Unlike before she did not toss the fruit to her Master, but made the effort to place it gently in his hand. As she did, he proposed another question, one more productive than his last. Her expression remained nuetral, but she silently admitted how much more appealing he was when focused, the opposite of his drunken wreck of a father.

Ah yes, the royal family. A collection of likely inbred nobles with the authority over those who called the Kingdom home. From a young age she had often wondered how her masters were blind to their own master, the king nothing more than a decorated slaver. Ultimately she had realized land and money talked, reigned in the noble houses better than any whip she had even known. As for what she knew of them, it was the common knowledge of the streets, most of it fact, some of it tales. She shared all she knew with Samhain before she finally trailed off as her pool of information dried up.

”Can I ask what you plan to do? I do not believe they hand out invitations to the Kings court to just anyone, no matter how persuasive their slaves might be.” Her sly smile returned. She held no true respect for the lords and ladies of the court, but she had to concede that a night or two amongst them would likely provide plenty of entertainment.

[Samhain Aeramis]

“You can ask Eallyrl,” Samhain answered as he took a bite of his apple. While nothing special to make note of the crisp savory taste of the piece of fruit. A few chews and the apple within his mouth began to break down into mush. “But I am not going to tell you what it is. If I speak it, I fear that the very Fates will steal that very plan away.” Samhain said through a mouth of food. While speaking of the Fates was not common as it was often deemed a heretical by those who followed the Light and its teachings closely, Samhain found comfort in them. The Aeramis family had held onto the relics of the past in private and very few ever heard the reference made outside of direct family members. The Fates to the young Aeramis lord were nothing more than a reference or phrase he had heard his father say on occasion.

“I have a task for you to execute in your free time before we head back for Stormpoint in the coming weeks. Find out all the information you can about the royal family. I want more than just the common knowledge that every commoner knows. I want to know their habits and I want to know what these people are actually like. I don’t care how you obtain it so long as you return to my side in one piece and preferably not in shackles. Do this for me and when we return to Stormpoint I will share with you my plans for the future.” Samhain said as he swallowed the chunk of apple down.

It was a lot to ask of the slave as more than likely it would require flirting with a level of danger that they often tried to avoid like the plague. He needed this information in order to progress forward with everything he envisioned. Sure there would be steps in between that would have to be achieved but this information would dictate how they framed those achievements. Taking another bite, he awaited to hear what Eallyrl had to say to such a command.

[Eallyrl]

”As you wish, Master.” The last part of her statement carried a tricky tone. Even for him, it would be hard to tell if the title was being embellished. With him left to ponder the pitch of her voice, Eallyrl took the last bite of her apple before she tossed the core through the nearby window. As she turned back to him, her slender fingers rubbed along the thighs of her pants to clean off what juices remained. With several steps she was in front of him, hands sliding up until they came to rest on her hips. The elf’s left hip stuck out to the side slightly, her stance a precursor to the sass that came next.

”…Although, I am not sure what you expect me to find out. I am as confident in my abilities as you, but the fact is I am a slave.” As if clarification was needed, her hands motions up and down her frame. Considered attractive by many, her status was never forgotten. The fact others flirted with her and offered to share a bed simply for the pleasure of it was really for personal gain, no favor to her. This didn’t bother her, for she took full advantage of it, but when it came to nobles and their courts, she was far from a welcome sight. Now if she was to accompany Samhain with his name intact, the others would tolerate her. However, his name sat in the gutters alongside the whores and beggars, far below its rightful place. If Eallyrl ventured near any of the royal family or the nobles without invitation, shackles would be the only outcome.

”The moment I am spotted attempting to eaves drop on a highborn there will be no hesitation to chain me up. You know I am fine with doing that, but I fear it will only hurt your name when you are revealed as my master.” Unlike before her tone was clear. Eallyrl would attempt to assassinate the King himself should Samhain command it, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t offer her opinion first. If he stuck with his decision, the rogue would carry it out to the best of her abilities.

[Samhain Aeramis]

Eallyrl had a point that such a thing would be a problem and difficult. But what he had planned was something that seemed on an entirely different plane of existence. It would literally change the power structure of the entire world. But he needed information first. Taking another bite of his apple his eyes drifted to the floor. Samhain became lost in his thoughts for a moment before a gust of wind against the wooden structure brought him back to this world.

“Of course it is difficult. When has it anything that is truly worth something been easy to achieve? I am not expecting you to simply walk through the gates of the palace or mingle with the members of the court. What I want you to do is mingle with the slaves of the upper nobles. You would be surprised what people say when they think no one of importance is listening.” Samhain said with a mouth of food. Chewing a few more times he took a swallow of the apple that was in his mouth. “On second thought you probably know that fact better than I do.”

Laughing to himself Samhain rose to his feet and walked over to the window and tossed the apple to accompany Elly’s. Turning to her he took a step to his slave. He was perhaps only a few inches away from her face. It was not meant to be menacing or even threatening but he wanted to make sure she got the message.

“I don’t care if you have to rob other slaves, kill the cooks or even fuck every noble from here to Timber Crest. Just like you have done for me time and time again I expect you to get me what I desire. My vision extends far beyond my current position, far beyond that of Stormpoint, far beyond that of Land’s End, and far beyond the Garnet Isles. The information that I ask of you to obtain is to one of the most critical steps in my plan. Get me that information. Prove to me that I was right in saving you from my father’s wrath all those years ago. I do not care how long it takes. Yes, I may be overestimating your current ability but I want you to know this. I fully expect you to complete this command. If it takes weeks, months or years you need to bring me that information. Understood?”

[Eallyrl]

When it came to her relationship with Samhain, she always did as she was told. There was never a reason to play the “I saved you from my father card.” She knew that and he knew that, but he still made sure to say it every once and a while. For him it likely reinstated verbally what he had done for her, a slave who could have just as easily been hung or worse for what she did. For her it did the same, but her perspective was a bit different. She never forgot who was in charge in this duo and she didn’t care about the hierarchy. For her it reassured her that he had not lost his edge. No matter how friendly they were towards each other, the day he forgot their differences is the day she would lose respect for him.

”Understood, Samhain.” The task was not an easy one, but she would work with what she had. Her last desire was to end up in prison or the gallows. Treading lightly was the correct path this time and she would do just that. At worst Samhain was going to have to wait for the information, it wasn’t something she could ask about openly, even with other slaves. She was not the only one loyal to her master in Lands Edge. If she spoke or attempted to seduce the wrong person, both of them could pay.

Despite the serious tone of her initial response, it didn’t last.

”To be honest though, some things are easy to achieve. There was this bar wench once; at the Gnarled Root that…” She paused to throw a smirk his way followed by a casual wave of her hand. ”Oh I am sure you can figure out the rest of it.” With a playful shrug of her shoulders she dropped back onto her bed. As her eyes shifted towards the ceiling she began to run through scenarios in her head, beginning her assessment of how to approach her new task.

[Samhain Aeramis]

The way Eallyrl moved away from her master brought a smile to his face and he shook his head. The two definitely were something else, no one in the world would be given the permission to sass Samhain like her. If he were a lesser man than perhaps he would take advantage of the ownership of the elf and take her to bed. At times when he had a free moment and his mind was in the right place he would wonder what it would be like. But he was not a lesser man, he was not his father and he was not someone to prove other’s assumptions of him right.

“You and your conquests. I could learn some things from you at times. No matter where you are you manage to gain the attention of someone that you would take to bed and then like a predator you stalk, pounce and secure what you wanted. Meanwhile I am over on the other side of the tavern often times with what feels like a sour mug on my face and not a single person comes even close to me. It is like I have an ogre’s head grafted onto my shoulder,” he laughed motioning to his shoulder. Reaching into the bag he produced another apple.

“The only way I seem to be able to gain any kind of wanted attention when it comes to sexual matters is when my coin purse is ready to share the love. I mean don’t get me wrong there are a few whore houses that definitely know how to treat their patrons great and the girls are unforgettable. But it definitely hurts when your slave is out there getting whatever she chooses at the expense of others while I can only pay for attention,” Samhain finished as he bit into his apple. The young lord’s head shook from side to side as he chewed on the apple.

[Eallyrl]

On her back, Elly listened, she always listened. To her credit, the words Samhain spoke were true. The dexterous elf never found much difficulty when it came to finding a partner for her bed, even if each encounter lasted one night at the most. She would have liked to think it was due to just her charm and good looks, both of which were no doubt partially responsible, but she also had to believe the rest was due to what she was. A slave like the majority of her people and in many eyes something exotic. Her species held that air about them even after their fall from grace. To top it all off, she was far more forward than most and the markings on her body were often a point of intrigue amongst her…companions.

Her master words indeed range true, but what wasn’t said was often as important as what was. From the shit pile of a bed she had for the foreseeable future she raised one arm to wave him off.

”Mmmm, yes, I get whatever I choose, yet only in one category. Think of it this way if it helps your pride. I can get almost anyone I choose to spend a night with me, but all my eggs are in one basket. Thanks to my heritage, and this is not a complaint just facts, I will never own a land, possesses a title or have anything legitimate in the way of relationships with those above who I find in taverns. In a short while I will be out spending my nights with sexy strangers why you will be comfortable in a find bed with the woman of your choosing. Tell me, which one of us has it better?” With the end of her statement she propped her upper half up on her elbows in order to look over at him.

Her future might not be that dire, if he chose to treat her well once his family name had been restored, but she still made a point. Looks and charm got her plenty of short term pleasures, however, they did little in the long term.