Quest A Tempting Offer (Valkea Norus)

[Twister]

.

52nd of Winter, 512 AV

Pig's Foot Tavern, Sunberth (10th Bell)

The city was just waking up and it was easy to tell. Some stragglers were still wandering the street after a rough night while other more honest workers were only just now waking up to start picking up the pieces from the day before and continue their somewhat wicked but nonetheless important daily routine. The streets stunk from various different body fluids spilled over the dirt and half-buried cobblestone into some alleyways where the unfortunates after a rough week's violence were rotting away, tucked beneath garbage to mask their scents as well as possible and hide them away from the eyes that needn't see such things at the first light of day. They would likely remain there for a while longer unless a good soul went to clean them up, but eventually they would either waste away entirely or fall pray to wild animals scouring the streets in the night for any kinds of food they could find. This city was a heaven for beasts; the humans who lived here did a good job providing them with fresh bodies every day. It was enough to keep many of the city's stray cats and dogs well-fed and docile enough, if not somewhat messed up. People knew better than to walk up to the strays nowadays.

The Pig's Foot was in business as per usual. Some patrons from the previous night were still around, some still talking away merrily over a mug of cheap ale and others hung over their tables or sprawled across the floor in a drunken sleep. Staff kept itself busy, deciding to deal with the bodies on their floor later in the day once the present patrons would start to migrate back into the streets again. As long as they kept paying their due with drinks, they didn't so much mind them sticking around while they weren't causing any troubles or damaging the establishment. A lot of money was lost every season to replaced damaged or utterly destroyed furniture or stocking up on new mugs and glasses that had been broken in various brawls that weren't all that uncommon anymore.

Even so, this morning was rather calm much to the relief of the present staff in the tavern. It gave them time to rest, drink and clean things up a bit to make the area more pleasant for new patrons and customers later in the day. How this business survived was a mystery to non-locals; truth is, the Pig's Foot was probably the best around, if only for the persistance and diligence of the people who worked there. Despite various unfortunate accidents in the past, they still stuck with the place to keep it up and running for everyone's sakes.

When Valkea arrived, it was just after the tenth bell and the time was approaching noon, Syna sitting high in the sky and giving the city the most heat it would get today. The tavern was mostly empty now with many of the drunken or knocked out patrons driven out into the streets already, only a couple of tables crowded with merry sailors, mercenaries and the occasional dreg slouching back with a mug clutched between his hands.

It was quiet, which was a relief. Usually, this place was bustling in the livelier hours of the day. Now, the atmosphere was kind of peaceful. It was only a matter of time, of course, but one might as well make the most of the situation. A barmaid noted the entry of the young lady and offered a brief but nonetheless friendly greeting by inclining her head before carrying on with her sweeping of the floor, getting splinters and pieces of glass out of the way. Against the wall near the bar stood a couple of broken table-boards and a pile of broken legs rested in front of them, along with the remains of what could only have been a pair of wooden chairs.

.

[Valkea Norus]

Valkea walked right in. She nodded to the barmaid who greeted her. She looked around. She noticed the broken furnitures near the wall. She was thinking if there was a fight or they simply broke under some fat men. She didn't brother herself with it for long. She chose a table near the corner and sat down there. She didn't order anything. She thought in such a place there will be lot people. She needed a job. She took her two dagger on the table. They were bloody a bit. She hid it under her garment while she asked a rag from the maid. She raised her eyebrow but after some minute she one. Valkea waited a bit until the maid went away then put it out again and started to clean it. While she was doing that she was thinking about her mother. She should write a letter to her soon. So much time passed since they see each other. She cleaned one of the dagger she looked at it. She could see her half reflection on it. She started to clean the other one.

Valkea was "busy" with her cleaning but she would have better things to do. Like take a job right now. But the Pig's Foot nearly empty only some people were there. One of them slept on the table obviously drank too much. A couple sat near her they were whispering each others. Others just drank and drank. Boring, she thought. She maybe should go away from the place and do some pickpocket. It would be more useful than sitting here and wait for miracles. But she stayed for more. She crossed her arms and leaned on the chair's back. She will wait only for some minute if nothing happen she go away.

[Twister]

.
It very much seemed like the morning was going to be a quiet one, for once. Most of the morning's troubles kept themselves to the streets and the staff of te Pig's Foot was thus far spared the first few atrocities since the breaking of dawn. They had their hands full cleaning up from the night before, either way. Even after Valkea entered that morning, the inn remained remarkably calm with only a few patrons at present that seemed fairly calm and consistent. At least, for now they did. Occasionally someone would come and go but rarely stay; simply entering to inquire about something, someone, or purchasing a slat of ale for the road. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep the staff's hands full even until noon, most likely. Time was passing slowly in here now, however, and morning was still far from over.

Valkea would eventually feel the lightest of taps on her right shoulder. Should she turn around like prompted, she would lay her eyes upon a dark-clad man in hard, black and brown leathers from toe to neck with a ruffled blond tuft atop his noggin. Heavy bags hung underneath his eyes and his face seemed to be sunken in either from lack of proper rest over a long span of time or simply from malnutrition. It was difficult to tell at present seeing as only his face showed any of these signs, what with the rest of his body being encased entirely in these heavy leathers. At first he didn't speak to the woman even after catching her attention, his green eyes simply burrowing themselves into her facial features for a moment before he caught himself a good glance-over of her. Unless Valkea spoke up, herself, a few moments of awkward silence would follow before the man parted his dry, cracked lips and spoke meekly; "You wouldn't happen to be free today, would you?"

He raised a finger up as if to interrupt any possible response she was about to give him. "Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not a creep or anything like that In fact, I probably won't be going far from this inn for the next few hours or so. I'm no danger to you an-", he cut himself off for a moment to clear his throat following a shallow and dry cough, "...and, you look like you know what you're doing. I could use someone who knows what they're doing." Once more, he paused to heave a dry cough. He's polite enough to turn his head around and cough away from Valkea--don't want someone else to catch whatever he's got. Not if he wants to get anything significant done, anyway. After spending a short moment to recover his wits and repair his sore throat, he turns back to face Valkea again, gaze only slightly less focused than it was before.

"There's something in it for you, too. If you have the time, of course."
.