38th of Summer, 518
Summer continued to trudge on in Sunberth. Gangland violence continued to increase, with the Daggerhand and the Sun's Birth engaging in a battle for supremacy. Farris was, for the most part, isolated from it, but members of the Night Eyes often came to the Fence to trade in goods and their expressions were often grim. It was rather infuriating, the clerk often wished they spoke of their misgivings and experience with the violence, but he was sorely disappointed each time. A pair of such people stood before Farris, and on each of their backs were bags. By the strain visible on the straps of each bag they were full, their contents as of yet unknown to Farris. He looked over each of the gang members in turn. One was a short woman who Farris wouldn't judge as older than twenty. She wore leathers dyed in black, strapped to her hip a long, curved dagger that Farris figured was put to use on a regular basis. Her companion was similarly dressed, several inches taller and male. Strapped to the male's back was a bow, a quiver beset with arrows beneath it. They both had a look that meant business and Farris was by no means one to hinder such efforts.
Two bags fell onto the table, the till shaking with the weight and bringing to the ear a heavy rattle of mizas. Zeke clearly expected a wide scale of business this day and Farris was certain that he'd get it. Both Night Eye members began to pilfer through their bags, setting a wide expanse of varied finery for the store clerk to see. Farris saw such treasures on a regular basis, but these were different. Some of the items were flecked with what Farris could tell was dried blood, and the wizard was fairly certain he knew how the pair had come across their treasures. The violence seemed to grow with each passing week, though it was kept quiet and bodies were hidden away from the public to see. The anarchy within Sunberth was quite intriguing, in that murder and looting weren't prohibited by any governing force and yet human nature compelled such practices to be hidden.
By the drying of the blood on a particular dagger, Farris could assume that their work began much earlier, perhaps even last night? He didn't bother expressing his thoughts aloud, waiting without speaking or acknowledging the pair until the entirety of their loot was brandished for Farris to see. Several necklaces of silver and copper, some beset with a jewel and other left bare. A number of weapons poked out of the opening of each bag, and these items looked far less bloody by comparison.
Ah, they got the drop on someone. That's good for them. Makes the job easier, I suppose, he thought as his gaze continued to flicker across the table. A number of rings were also set on the table, most of which were different sizes but all made of a gleaming, bloodied silver that, if sanctified might even be appealing to the wizard. When one spent so much time around such metals, they came to grow on a man. Farris never thought himself to be fascinated with treasure, but there was a covetous nature coming about him and even a temptation to pocket one arose in his thoughts.
Stop, you fool. Their ill-gotten gains already caused the deaths of a few people. Adding yourself to the list is stupid. The slow reassurance was met with the woman at last parting her lips to speak, addressing Farris with an air of superiority. An air that Farris detested immensely, but could do nothing about. She was his superior here. While Farris himself was not a Night Eye, the Fence was bound to their gang and thus he tolerated it with great displeasure.
"We're selling, obviously. What's your best price, clerk?" she asked, clearly not of a mind to mince words with him.
"Give me a moment," he'd reply, letting his fingers brush along the unbloodied material of one of the necklaces as he formed some calculations in his mind.
Summer continued to trudge on in Sunberth. Gangland violence continued to increase, with the Daggerhand and the Sun's Birth engaging in a battle for supremacy. Farris was, for the most part, isolated from it, but members of the Night Eyes often came to the Fence to trade in goods and their expressions were often grim. It was rather infuriating, the clerk often wished they spoke of their misgivings and experience with the violence, but he was sorely disappointed each time. A pair of such people stood before Farris, and on each of their backs were bags. By the strain visible on the straps of each bag they were full, their contents as of yet unknown to Farris. He looked over each of the gang members in turn. One was a short woman who Farris wouldn't judge as older than twenty. She wore leathers dyed in black, strapped to her hip a long, curved dagger that Farris figured was put to use on a regular basis. Her companion was similarly dressed, several inches taller and male. Strapped to the male's back was a bow, a quiver beset with arrows beneath it. They both had a look that meant business and Farris was by no means one to hinder such efforts.
Two bags fell onto the table, the till shaking with the weight and bringing to the ear a heavy rattle of mizas. Zeke clearly expected a wide scale of business this day and Farris was certain that he'd get it. Both Night Eye members began to pilfer through their bags, setting a wide expanse of varied finery for the store clerk to see. Farris saw such treasures on a regular basis, but these were different. Some of the items were flecked with what Farris could tell was dried blood, and the wizard was fairly certain he knew how the pair had come across their treasures. The violence seemed to grow with each passing week, though it was kept quiet and bodies were hidden away from the public to see. The anarchy within Sunberth was quite intriguing, in that murder and looting weren't prohibited by any governing force and yet human nature compelled such practices to be hidden.
By the drying of the blood on a particular dagger, Farris could assume that their work began much earlier, perhaps even last night? He didn't bother expressing his thoughts aloud, waiting without speaking or acknowledging the pair until the entirety of their loot was brandished for Farris to see. Several necklaces of silver and copper, some beset with a jewel and other left bare. A number of weapons poked out of the opening of each bag, and these items looked far less bloody by comparison.
Ah, they got the drop on someone. That's good for them. Makes the job easier, I suppose, he thought as his gaze continued to flicker across the table. A number of rings were also set on the table, most of which were different sizes but all made of a gleaming, bloodied silver that, if sanctified might even be appealing to the wizard. When one spent so much time around such metals, they came to grow on a man. Farris never thought himself to be fascinated with treasure, but there was a covetous nature coming about him and even a temptation to pocket one arose in his thoughts.
Stop, you fool. Their ill-gotten gains already caused the deaths of a few people. Adding yourself to the list is stupid. The slow reassurance was met with the woman at last parting her lips to speak, addressing Farris with an air of superiority. An air that Farris detested immensely, but could do nothing about. She was his superior here. While Farris himself was not a Night Eye, the Fence was bound to their gang and thus he tolerated it with great displeasure.
"We're selling, obviously. What's your best price, clerk?" she asked, clearly not of a mind to mince words with him.
"Give me a moment," he'd reply, letting his fingers brush along the unbloodied material of one of the necklaces as he formed some calculations in his mind.
