Hunger [John Griffin, Markus]

[Dusk]

PLACEHOLDER Sorry guys, I'll get to this this weekend!

[Dusk]

"That won't be necessary, either of you," came a soft voice from beside the men. While they'd been preoccupied with each other, a dark-haired woman seemingly appeared from nowhere. She wore brown and gray leathers that John would recognize quite well as those denoting a higher-ranking Knight - for only those who had proven themselves above and beyond the common grunt were taught to fight in anything but plate mail. The Windoak crest was sewn into the right shoulder of her tunic, done in a shining silver thread that matched the same pattern worked into the black leather sheath of her sword. The most important feature, however, was the three silver pins hovering just above the crest, marking her rank as Stewart Knight. "Stand down, Ser John," she said just as softly, ice-blue eyes flickering to him a moment. Then they slid back to Ash'eny, shifting to a terrifying scarlet hue, and pinned him with a glare of fierce disapproval. "Have you lost your ever-loving mind, boy?" she hissed, reaching out to wrench the mace from his grasp without even a moment's hesitation - and the twist she gave it left his fingers stinger. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't bash your skull in with this right now. What use are you to me that couteracts the trouble you've given?"

[Ash'eny]

Ash'eny grunted heavily as he looked at John, he was moments away from giving in and surrendering his weapon to the young knight when an oddly familiar voice reached out to his ears. Perhaps he should have been overjoyed that they wouldn't have to hunt through Syliras to find her, but there was something in that tone that was similar to that of a mother scolding a child. And sure enough, after her short command was tossed to John, she turned her attention, her full, undivided, and anxiety-manifesting attention. She reached out and snatched at the mace, which Ash'eny wouldn't dare to even attempt to hold from her, he allowed the weapon to part from him, which felt like a blow to the genitals to be blatantly honest. He closed his eyes for a moment before looking back up at the woman. "Perhaps I have. I've been trying to find that out for myself for many days now. My sanity is in a complicated state." Ash'eny heard himself speak, not even certain he knew himself what he was trying to say, but it sounded somewhat decent in his eyes, or ears. "A good reason Sergeant? I suppose you being a Knight of Syliras could be a good one, unless my actions are more suited for death than exile. Perhaps it would be mercy, if I am no more use to Syliras." Ash'eny had still been trying to figure out whether he ever really was useful to the knights or not. Ash'eny lowered his head, not in shame or lack of pride, but to actually give Tucesi a perfect shot at his head, a quick death should she dub him worthy of it. "I'm sorry. I've been paranoid and hungry. Not of or for food, but something else that I don't have in my possession. These hands have not... done what they usually do..." Ash'eny rephrased his sentence, so as not to alert John unless Tucesi was to say he was good to know Ash was a thief. "At least, not for the typical reason, and I've found that my urges weaken while I am more confident that what I do is correct, even if it is small in comparison to the Knights themselves." Ash'eny glanced at John a moment, there was almost a pitiful look that revealed his desire to someday be a knight, but he wasn't even worthy of Squire material. He was halfway to thirty, combats skills did not exist, and he stole do to the feeling of necessity, not for the actual cause of survival. "I've been meaning to speak with you Ma'am, but I have no ways to get your attention or beckon for your presence unless I require your assistance to keep myself free." Ash'eny lowered his head again, once more offering his undefended scalp ripe for the bashing. She could say he attacked her, tried to murder John, nobody would know or care for his loss. It was his alone, unless she did indeed have a use for him still.

[John Griffin]

John sheathed his sword immediately, coming to a startling realization. There were five thousands knights in the Order, a staggering amount making it nearly impossible to know every knight, or even every Sergeant Knight, made more difficult due to many knights being sent abroad. But of Stewart Knights there were only a hundred. Their lofty and oft visible position made them much more likely to be recognized. When his captive had mentioned a Sergeant Deerstalker, he had thought it maybe a relation to the Stewart Knight, when in reality, the rogue had simply given the wrong rank!

The young knight snapped to attention. "Yes Stewart," he said respectfully, taking a step back in deference to his superior. He listened intently to the discourse between the Stewart Knight and the scoundrel, not daring to interrupt. He would speak only if the Stewart asked him a question.

[Dusk]

When the man finally finished his speech, Tucesi heaved a deep sigh and rolled her eyes, though when she focused them on Ash'eny again they settled into a banked-ember sort of gold instead of the furious and deadly red they had been. She glanced to John once more, eyes narrowing a moment. "You," she said sharply. "You're in Konchessa's company, right? Then you'll understand the worth of what I do," she said with a tilt of a smile. "Have to know subtelty, working under an Eypharian. Keep your mouth shut on what happened here today and there'll be a favor in it for you." One elegant eyebrow rose, and made it clear that a favor from a Sergeant of one of the city's espionage companies wasn't such a bad thing to have. "You know," she drawled, turning her attention back to Ash'eny, "I chose you because a season ago you didn't seem like an idiot. How is it you've gone off your rocker in such a short time?" she grumbled, twisting the mace up to take a look at it. She swung it first one way, then another, before tossing it with a flick of her wrist and catch it just below the head so she could extend the handle back towards Ash'eny. "I have an office. All you have to do is send a note if you've the need of a meeting. Give it to any Knight in Syliras," she said with a wave of her hand towards John as an example, "and they'll be sure I get it. Now," she said, her eyes settling once more into the cold, crisp blue they'd been when he met her. "Tell me about this hunger."

[Ash'eny]

Ash'eny winced as she more or less called him an idiot. He couldn't really deny it, he had been awkwardly maniacal over the past many days. He nodded lightly, accepting the insult entirely. "I'm sorry." There were some things Ash'eny could tolerate with ease, such as insults he knew to be true, liars, deceivers, manipulators. None really bothered him to the point where he either detested or despised them, yet when he was accurately described as the fool he was, and by one of the few he really respected, though he hardly knew her, really struck him hard. Ash'eny felt himself wince again as Tucesi pointed the mace at him, and a third time when she tossed it, it wasn't until a moment later she was handing it back to him, and he took it timidly. "I've had a hunger, ma'am. I desire to be of... use I guess. I know I've done a few small tasks, watched the streets, kept an eye on petty crimes that are easily overlooked, but I feel that my cause it righteous, but trivial. As you know, I have broken the law, and even since then, I cannot keep myself from doing so again. I've tried to deny my desires, and to some extent I have, but that leaves a void in me that gnaws at my core. It wants to be fulfilled. I am not pleased with myself, my duty, my life." Ash'eny lowered the weapon to his side, allowing the head of the mace to hover a few inches above the ground. He glanced at John, Tucesi urged him into secrecy, but did that mean it was okay to let him know? "I do have information you will want to know." He was talking to Tucesi, though his gaze lingered briefly on Griffin. "Should we speak in private, or can Sir John here be trusted?" Ash'eny turned his head back to Tucesi, a smile spread across his face as confidence was once again, gradually, returning to empower the thief. He awaited for her to either send John away, or give the okay for him to hear. "I have been spending several days in the Bazaar recently, and on occasion the Rearing Stallion (it was much more than 'on occasion', which was probably obvious by his breath that John got more than a desired taste of) and I have noticed a man, two men actually, who seem to be fairly active in the city. They meet on a daily basis, or at least have been for ten straight days that I've noticed. Their conversations are always hushed, but I've heard them mention a shipment. I know it's possibly nothing but some men expecting a boat with goods, but once I sat at an adjacent table to them, and for the rest of the night, they did not utter a word. When they feel someone is near, their talking stops." Ash'eny paused, he knew his story was very weak, held no real proof or even information to suspect them, but if she had seen what Ash'eny saw, the way to watched everyone. Ash'eny knew the look all too well. Swindlers, thieves, and generally paranoid figures, they all watched people like that. "I feigned sleep one night at the Stallion, once when I sat uncomfortably close for their conversation, and eventually they spoke again. They mentioned a shipment on the fifty-first of Winter they needed to collect. I do not fully remember the conversation, but one made it absolutely clear that not a soul should know of its existence, its arrival, or its distribution in Syliras. I have a feeling that a significant amount of stolen goods, perhaps steel, or something else of significant value to Syliras, is to be smuggled inside." Ash'eny felt a lump in his throat, he was worried that Tucesi would find his story weak or unimportant, because he knew, one way or another, he would check it out. "Pardon me if I ask questions which I should not know the answers to, but has their been any reports of city ships having missing cargo? Maybe some expected caravans that are significantly late?"

[Dusk]

Moderator's Note: John, it has been over 45 days since you last replied to this thread. Please reply, or I will close it and continue the scene with Ash'eny in another thread.

[Accolade]

Ash'eny

Experience

Skill	XP Earned
Intimidation	+ 1 XP
Brawling	+ 1 XP
Persuasion	+ 3 XP
Intelligence	+ 1 XP

Lores

•	Lore Earned
•	Ditch and Wait
•	John Griffin is a Knight
•	Saved by Tucesi

Notes :

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