Winter Business(Selphia)

[Dante Grixis]

Dante walked down the cold streets wrapped in his thick fur cloak. The streets had been shoveled of snow and he almost slipped on an icy patch in the street. He managed to regain his footing and continued down the road.

Despite the weather conditions the market was operating as usual, vendors with their stalls open and shops glowing with candles in the windows. People walked every direction to their various destinations, though less than usual.

Winter was a relatively new concept to him having grown up in a warm climate. Snow was still beautiful and mysterious to him as it would be to a child. Aside from the cold winter seemed to be a beautiful part of the year.

He approached a stall and began to conduct business. He was trying to sell some stolen items and was hoping the merchant would not ask many questions. After a few minutes Dante had sold the few things he had and walked away with his purse a little heavier.

As he began to walk away he slipped on another patch of ice and slammed into the ground with a thud. A few people laughed. He tried to stand up and fell again and resigned to lay there for a few moments. He gripped the spot on the back of his head that had made contact with the stone and groaned.

[Selphia Dek]

The day was chilly much like most of the days during the winter months. Most people with their wits about them would forgo venturing out during terrible weather, then wonder about in it. Selphia was armed with a robe she had purchased recently, navy blue in its colours, with a lighter fringe about the edge of the hood. It was warm against her form, for it had fur lining the inside as well. She had opted for boots; leather soled rather then the cotton slippers that she wore indoors and in the warmer months. Beneath the robe she wore a chemise of cotton, white in its colouring. With a surcoat of the small navy blue colouring, it had no sleeves but pieces of fabric wrapped and stitched about both arms. Beneath her skirt was a number of petticoats, used to keep her warm.

She quickly made her way along the busy street pretty much keeping to herself. The last few days she had not done well on the receiving end of kindness from the people of Camelot. That was why the robe and hood, to remain hidden as she went about her daily chores and duties. Though today they were minor and personal. She had ventured to a nearby shop to see about acquiring a few items she had need of.

She would visit herbalist. Obtaining a few items for a charm she was trying out. She would then pay a visit to the shop next to the herbalist, more out of curiosity then anything else. She saw a few items that gained her interest. One being a rose quartz stone embedded into a bracelet of tarnished silver. It was indeed beautiful, as least to her it had been. She would have to gain a few more coin in order to purchase such a piece. She smiled briefly to the man that worked within the shop. Her pale gaze turned sharply away and heading out the door.

Once outside she could feel the chill upon her cheek within seconds. Her hands curled about the edge of her hood and drew it forward. She would tuck her hands beneath her robes and start out. When she looked across the way it was then that she saw a man, a rather large frame of a man having a little trouble with the ice beneath his feet. She turned to start off in the opposite direction when she stopped and turned in the man’s direction. With ease she made her way to where the man was now laying. She would take her time to steady herself upon the ice. Making sure that she did not slip like the man that now laid upon his back looking rather disgruntle with his situation.

“Patience is a virtue sir.” She told him as she looked down at him from a standing position. She did not think it wise to tease a stranger, but something told her that this man would prefer her aid then the laughter of the others. She was not so certain about helping the man, but she could not walk pass him. “Do you need a hand?”

She would offer thinking that the man would brush aside her aid for various reasons. Selphia tilted her head to the side and slowly knelt down neat to him. Her thoughts racing as she tried to figure this man out while he lay there.

[Dante Grixis]

Dante groaned. "A virtue I never learned." He countered with a small smile to show he was joking. He opened his eyes to see a young woman kneeling next to him. "And thank you miss, a hand would be quite welcome." The blow to the head almost had him speaking Spanish. He allowed himself to be helped to his feet and he steadied himself.

"I am actually quite unfamiliar with ice. I now know that it is something to be avoided." He said with a smile. "Thank you." He brushed himself off and cracked his neck with a tilt of his head. The girl was strange though he couldn't quite figure out why. Maybe it was just the blow to the head. She was pale but that was probably just the cold. Regardless, she had been the only one to offer him any help.

"Anything I could do to repay you for your assistance?" Dante asked without even thinking. It was such a small think she had done for him she would probably think him mad to have offered to repay it. He stood waiting for a reply anyway.

[Selphia Dek]

Selphia tilted her head to the side as she helped the man up. She would grip him by the forearm with both hands and pull him toward her. Making sure to stay balanced so that she didn’t topple over on the ice. Her boney structure would possibly feel like knives upon the poor man. She would smile slightly and tug him forward.

“Not familiar with ice?” she stated, her hood form bowing slightly toward him. Making sure to support his weight with what little she had. “You are new to this region then? Oh…and your welcome.” She would add quickly before pulling him to his feet.

Once he was right she bowed her head and prepared to head on her way. She would pause and look to him. Pondering his question as she did so. “Why do you think I do anything for something in return sir. You were simply in need of assistance. I assisted you and you are…better for it…are you not?”

She furrowed her brow at the way she spoke to the man. “Oh…I am sorry. I did not mean to lecture you about.” She started, her left hand had risen to her lip as she sucked it under her top and gently chewed upon it. Reflecting her thoughts and wondering how to correct her poor behavior.

[Dante Grixis]

Dante chuckled. "Don't worry about it." He replied. He was used to being lectured for small things, most of his childhood at the monastery he was being lectured at for wondering about things he shouldn't, looking at things the wrong way and all manner of trivial things. She was a little strange, but then again so was he. He brushed a patch of snow off his cloak and looked back at the woman.

She had an air about her that seemed to vibrate. "You're a mage." He said without even thinking about it. If she wasn't that could cause a bit of an awkward moment but he usually was right when he assumed that one had magical powers.

[Selphia Dek]

She watched as he stood up. Taking a step back to avoid him. She didn’t need to knock him down again, nor have herself taken down. The soft snow crunching under her foot called her attention to the ground behind her. When she turned about he was standing before her. He chuckled, a good sign that he was in better spirits. She smiled briefly, before tucking her hands beneath her robes to ward off the chill once again.

~You're a mage. ~

Her pale gaze darted from him to those passing by within earshot. She looked a little surprised by his claim, and turned from him. She did not know if she should confirm or deny. Camelot was only getting use to the aid of magic users. But Selphia had not been here for long, and did not know if her brand of magic was seen as useful or intruding. “Please, keep that to yourself.”

She was pleading more then telling him. Her pale features were even paler, if that was at all possible. She looked a little panicked as she stood there before him. She wanted to make sure he kept it to himself, but she could not be certain. She didn’t know him. He was very intuitive that was for sure. Her second thought was to not linger long in his company. But she was not rude and would not depart so abruptly.

[Dante Grixis]

((Sorry! I forgot to check this one...)

Dante took a step off the ice and smiled. "I'll keep your secret safe. I'm sorry." He apologized. He probably shouldn't have outright said it but then again he never knew when to keep his mouth shut anyway. It became quiet for a moment. He was struggling to find something to say and he ended up coming up with, "My name's Dante."

He realized that the woman was not likely to want to know his name nor remember it but it was as good a thing to say as any.

[Selphia Dek]

There was little to keeping a secret. Just keep it, pure and simple. She looked to the man, who had just graced her with his name, Dante. She could not help but tilt her head to the side, looking at him. “Dante is the name of the devil’s servant.” She said, not meaning any harm by what she said, in fact she had not realized just what she had said. “I am Selphia.”

She continued to study him for the entire time that they stood there. He looked uncomfortable. She was thinking perhaps he did not like mage’s. Many here didn’t care for mage’s, or as they called them here, magic users, those that call upon the dark forces of nature’s blessing.

His entire was dark, darker then most in the city that she had seen thus far. She recalled a few gents with equally as black attire when she was lost in the slums earlier. They did not give off a good vide, at least not to her. “Are you a mage? I mean to ask because you were able to pick up on my energies…I wonder how that is?”

[Dante Grixis]

Dante laughed. The name of the Devil's servant. A fitting name for him then. His work could be seen as the work of the Devil to a bystander, but there were reasons for things that they could not, or would not understand.

"Me? No, I'm not a mage. I know a few, and you all seem to radiate some kind of energy is all." He looked to the ground and back up to Selphia. "Sorry." He apologized again. He seemed to make the girl uncomfortable. Perhaps she knew what he was, maybe she could sense evil in him or something like that, that made her uneasy. He couldn't offer any words to try and calm her down, he didn't know what to say because he didn't know what she was thinking. She was one of the more mysterious people he had met in Camelot, that much was for sure.

[Selphia Dek]

Selphia had not meant to sound as rude as she figured she had been. Dante’s look upon his face was one of indifference, until he laughed. Was he laughing at her, more then likely? She seemed to set herself up to be laughed at. She would try to stop it from occurring if she knew just what it was that she was doing. She tilted her head to the side, her hood shifting a little back from her face as she did so. Her right hand moved to catch an edge before it came completely off.

“I did not mean to offend you.” She stated, as she drew her hood forward. “It was merely an observation. Names mean lots of things. I just read that Dante was such a name.” She was rambling now. She stopped short, claming her mouth shut for the moment. Waiting for a burst of laughter to come from the man.

He replied with his answer to her former question, “if you are no mage, you must be sensitive to magic.” She was trying to figure something out, and failing miserably at whatever it was. Conversation would have been her first thought, but who spoke in such a manner to folk. Galeon, her brother was the one that spoke easily to people, gained their trust that he was able to get room and broad with no questions asked. Selphia was the shy one. Perhaps this was why people were a little taken back by her when she spoke. For her choice of topics seemed to be odd to some.

Selphia was normally uneasy anywhere she went. She looked to Dante. He looked to be trying to get along in his travels. She stepped back, “I do not mean to keep you here. When you fell no one seemed to …well…help. Not that you needed help, for I am not the one to provide help for I am…. well not much….” Rambling again, “help.” The last words were spoken after a short pause. Her cheeks were a slightly rose in complexion. She was not trying to keep him talking to her. She would nod and go to leave him if that was the case. She had helped him up, her good for the day done. “I am sure you have else were to be. I shall not keep you.”

She bowed forward, her left hand rose to brush a pale lock that had fallen free of her hood back. A finger snagging the edge of the hood and drawing it further then she had intended it to go. Pale features, accompanied by pale ice blue eyes looked down then up at him. Her hands darting about behind her head in order to get her hood back in place.