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Post by Maura Bracken on Nov 25, 2009 4:59:51 GMT
The sun had yet to rise so the slums were quiet. It was the transition from drinking and thieving to honest work, people catching a few more winks if they could or like Maura, walking to their job.
Maura worked at the palace stables so she had a bit of a walk ahead of her. She walked without a care, tilting her head to look at the bleeding sky or listening at the sound of fighting within buildings. Women and men screaming at each other. Once, Maura had walked through the richer parts of the city to see if the house fighting happened there too. It did. Marriage seemed like the worst thing a person could do to themselves.
Up ahead, a door flew open and a group of people tumbled out. They were grabbing at each other and facing up, trying to prove who was the biggest man. Maura halted and considered an alternate route.
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Post by Henry Renold on Nov 30, 2009 20:20:28 GMT
Henry dodged the mass of brawling men who were fighting outside of the Black Bear Tavern. He had been inside sorting out a job he had been offered with one of the city merchants who was a little less than snow-white.
It was of course not a job doing any sort of respectable trade. He was in fact employed to rob a rival traders store. Simple work.
The air outside the tavern was cold and his breath clouded in front of his face as he breathed out. It reminded him how close winter was, and nagged at him to get a new place to stay.
He was walking along head down, hands in pockets when he walked straight into something or someone.
"Uh sorry." He muttered, looking up into the face of a young girl.
Oh great He thought, Another girl. Over the last few weeks, Henry felt like he had met more girls than he had in his entire life. They were beginning to do his head in.
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Post by Maura Bracken on Dec 1, 2009 23:21:35 GMT
"Watch it!" Maura snapped when someone ran into her. Her hand snapped out and grabbed the man's shirt front to stop him from walking away. With her other hand she patted her purse, quickly, checking to make sure the guy hadn't stolen anything. The last thing she wanted was to find she couldn't buy any bread. A moment later, even when she felt that the guy hadn't stolen from her, Maura tightened her grip on his shirt front and glared up at his face.
"If I find I can't afford ta eat cus someone stole me purse, ye can carry blame fer my rumbly gut. Y'hear?" Behind the threat there was fear, Maura did not know this person. She didn't know if he was the sort to slit her throat for daring to scold him or if he would just leave her with a black eye. But she would not let fear of what might be rule her. So Maura hid her fear behind a mulish set of her jaw.
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Post by Henry Renold on Dec 6, 2009 10:58:11 GMT
"Huh?" Henry grunted out of both annoyance and surprise as he felt a sharp tug on the back of his shirt. He knew that it was his fault that the pair had collided, but had not expected a reaction of this sort. And he didn't take kindly to it either.
"I havent taken anything!" He half yelled as the girl tightened the grip on his shirt. "We're not all stinkin' thieves ya know!" He was annoyed now. Sure he was a thief, but he hadn't stolen anything from her, and he hated being wrongly accused.
"And if I'm left with dark bruises, you can carry the blame for pinching me so hard!" He scowled and pulled away from the womans pincer grip. "Honestly!" He thought.
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Post by Maura Bracken on Dec 7, 2009 5:17:20 GMT
"I know we aint all thieves," Maura corrected a little annoyed she had been thought of as some richer person. "But thieves don't wear bloomin' badges do they?" Yelling she could take and she unconsciously relaxed. No strangeness here and it seemed all her items were safe.
"Whats yer name? So's I can assure other folk that ye're honest. I'm Maura, work up at the castle stables. Live at the edge of the slums."
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Post by Henry Renold on Dec 7, 2009 20:37:31 GMT
"Henry." He grinned holding out a hand for Maura to shake. "Live riiiight in the heart of the slums."
He left out the part about being a thief, and a member of the brotherhood and being barely able to scrape a meal together. His initial annoyance at Maura had faded and he had pretty much accepted the fact that he was destined to only ever bump into women. His thoughts began to stray towards those of Gill again, but he forced them aside and instead decided to be as friendly as he could to Maura.
"Mind if I walk with you? I'm on my way to the market and it seems silly us both travelling alone?"
He offered an arm, a gesture previously unheard of by Henry. It felt good to be a gentleman for once, but at the same time he found himself gritting his teeth. It just wasn't him.
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Post by Maura Bracken on Dec 7, 2009 22:22:44 GMT
"Sure," Maura stared at the arm Henry offered and then raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm no lady, so don't treat me like one." She began striding down one of the alleyways, mindful of the fight that was spilling on the street, veering erratically from one side to the other. She had no wish to get caught in that.
"So what do ye do for a livin'?" Maura asked as she walked. Down this street were small homes clustered together. A shallow gutter on the sides of the street was going fetid and someone's chickens had escaped from their pen. Now they clucked and scratched at the road, beady eyes peering at Henry and Maura in alarm.
"I've always wanted some chickens. Get some egg and meat, although I'll need someone ta teach me de-feathering."
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Post by Henry Renold on Dec 9, 2009 15:24:24 GMT
Henry ran his hands through his hair in polite acceptance as Maura told him off. In a way he was relieved, but also quite annoyed that the one time he had tried to make a nice gesture, it had been refused. Before he had barely had time to notice, she was several paces down an alleyway and Henry had to literally run to catch her up.
"Do you have to walk so fast?" He muttered under his breath, as he arrived at her heel. She was turning out to be quite different to his first impression.
Ignoring Henry's mutterings, she proceeded to question him about his occupation. He knew that he definitely couldn't say "thief" after the conversation they had already had, and he struggled to think of an occupation that a Low might have.
"I'm a butchers apprentice." He said suddenly, having seen a chicken on the road before them. "Up at market." He smiled, pleased that he had managed to cover his true identity so well. With a smug grin on his face he marched along beside Maura, still having to jog every now and again to keep stride.
As they continued more and more hens began to appear, clucking at the pair as they passed them by. Henry laughed to himself, some poor sod was going to have a job on their hands trying to catch that lot later...
"I've always wanted some chickens. Get some egg and meat, although I'll need someone ta teach me de-feathering."
Henry almost choked on air. Of all the things he could have chosen to pretend to be...He just had to choose a butcher didn't he?
I just hope she doesn't ask for instructions...
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Post by Maura Bracken on Dec 10, 2009 23:12:58 GMT
Silence. Maura glanced sidelong at Henry, nope. Not Sir Talk. Slipping her thumbs under her belt Maura walked a little more in silence then started humming to herself. Another side long glance at Henry and then she added,
"Look, if ye're not chatty go run ahead. I'm not doin' the talking for both of us. Tell me about butcherin'."
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Post by Henry Renold on Dec 12, 2009 20:27:08 GMT
"Erm." Henry began, he wasn't used to Maura's defensive attitude and it was unnerving him somewhat!
"It's interesting?" He started but the look on Maura's face told him it wasn't good enough.
"Well I do talk! But work? It's not my idea of fun conversation. Why don't you just tell me about yourself, like where are you from? How's life working for the royals?" He smirked after the last question, he didn't imagine it was especially exciting being stuck in a dung filled shed all day.
He hoped his little outburst had been enough to prove to the girl that he wasn't rude, and he also hoped his cover story was still holding well enough. If she did trip him it wouldn't be the end of the world, just a little awkward perhaps.
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Post by Maura Bracken on Dec 14, 2009 2:57:05 GMT
"Whats the look for?" Maura teased. "I'd rather be workin' with my living beasts then your dead animals. Jealous? I'm from here." She waved her hand vaguely to indicate the slums. She was as native as she could possibly get.
"What about you? Or aren't we allowed to talk about you? Got the whole Mr Mysterious thing going, eh?"
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Post by Henry Renold on Dec 15, 2009 21:06:50 GMT
Henry had to admit she had a point with the living beast remark. He smirked and nodded, letting her now she had won that battle but that she wouldn't be so lucky next time.
"Ah slum born and bred are ya? I was expecting an exciting tale of how you had had to" (at this point he put on a dramatic voice) "battle bandits and thieves in order to track your way across moor and mountain, rivers and roads!" He swung himself onto the creaking pole of an old street sign, putting a hand on his hip and pretending to look out to the horizon.
"A tale full of lies and deceit and tragic woe!" He started to laugh and dropped himself down beside Maura again.
"No such luck 'ey?" He grinned and shrugged as she mentioned his background.
"Yep, I'm an enigma!" Usually fancy words were not Henry's forte, but recently his good friend Dante had been using more and more, and slowly Henry was beginning to increase his vocabulary.
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Post by Maura Bracken on Dec 17, 2009 5:34:16 GMT
Maura stared at Henry. First he was a mute, now he was a freaking bard. She laughed helplessly as he began leaping around the street like some kind of wet cat. Truly, Henry was an enigma. She mock scowled at him as he confirmed her thoughts.
"No, no such luck laddy-buck. I'm the eldest o' three. I left me home and I battle thieves to the stables an' back." She patted the small dagger she kept on her hip. "And will draw blood whenever the time calls. So Sir Enigma -- are ye a bard or somewhat? Or just a bored butcher?" Maura grinned at Henry to show she was kidding.
"So what do ya do when ye're not butcherin' or confusin' the lasses?"
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Post by Henry Renold on Dec 18, 2009 20:53:26 GMT
Henry laughed at how proud Maura was of her tiny dagger. He couldn't imagine it would do much damage in a fair fight, and if it really did draw blood it would likely be more of a pin prick.
"Well i suppose that story is exciting enough." He laughed, falling back into step with her again. They were nearing the city already and Henry was surprised at how quickly the time had passed.
"No, a bards life isn't quite exciting enough for me." he winked, "Well, when im not chopping up animal bits, I like a nice quiet drink and some civilised company." He pretended to look down his nose at Maura, before sticking his tongue out and dodging out of the way before she could swipe him for being insolent.
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Post by Maura Bracken on Dec 19, 2009 2:18:20 GMT
Maura just shook her head as Henry dodged away and patted her entirely effective dagger.
"Careful kid, I wasn't lying about the battling. I'm not afraid of blood." She grinned at him, her grin toothy as if daring him to try her. Then abruptly she tossed her head and removed her hand from the hilt.
"So I reckon that ye want everyone else ta be excitin' cus your life is dull. Butcherin' and drink -- sounds thrilling." The look in her eyes was teasing.
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