[Location: Docks] Trails of Smoke [Nydryn]

[Syndre]

Syndre began to follow her down the opposite side of the arcing bridge

from where he had arrived. The beautiful stone structure they walked
upon was only illuminated at either end, but the darkness had consumed
most of the bridge after he had extinguished the centralized lantern.
Nydryn's laughter and child-like behavior created a happy feeling within
him, but it also left a dreadful tingle in the back of his hazy mind. He
had learned, from years of careful observation, that you could only draw
so much attention to yourself before trouble took notice. One would
consider the rogue to be that kind of trouble, but there were some that
were worse than him.

"That depends on what you feel like doing...," a nonchalant glance was

given over his shoulder while answering her question, peering behind them
to make sure they were indeed alone. "There is the Plaza of Dark Delights,
I spend a lot of time there for... entertainment...," a short laugh was
given as fleeting memories of easy women and slave fights flashed over
his thoughts. "Or... I can spend some coin and have us pampered for the
evening...," either of these options sounded good to him, both would later
lead to the vagabond's hidden intentions.

He managed to catch up to her with his steady, but quiet footfalls. He

came up behind her dark silhouette as she was in the middle of another
playful twirl and the black leather of his gloves gently captured her
slim waist, interrupting her spin. The smooth surface of his left cheek
came to rest against the right side of her head, the delicate touch of her
golden hair was soft against his face. The position he had claimed brought
the warmth of his mouth along the edge of her sensitive ear, his whispering
voice tickling lightly, " Anything you want... as long as it doesn't get
us killed..."

That last comment was serious, though made with a tinge of humor. Syndre

was a lot more careful than people who knew him gave him credit for. There
was definitely a carefree atmosphere that accompanied the alluring effects
of the blended herbs, but once the drug became habitual, you learned through
various experiences that you had to control yourself during the heightened
pleasure. These were not the streets of Syliras, this was Ravok. Perhaps
there was a mixture of his unlawful lifestyle and paranoia induced fix that
made him so overly cautious. Such a concoction of shifting emotions was amazing,
and at the same time difficult to rein.

[Nydryn]

Nydryn had been to the Plaza of Dark Delights once before, and the women around that area disgraced all the honorable women of Ravok. Shaking her head at his first suggestion, the smile on her face remained. Soon came his second suggestion, which sounded more appealing to her… being pampered. How long had it been since she had been spoiled? Too long. The simple state her mind was in made her think of only pleasure, and being pampered was very pleasurable. Her playful spinning had made her a bit dizzy, and as Syndre stopped her twirl, the world around her spun. Nydryn felt more carefree, and it was good for her… or so she believed. Her soft laugh could be heard after Syndre had whispered in her ear, but it was more at the sensation of his breath on her ear rather than what he said. Anything she wanted, he would do. Anything… her mind wandered for a few seconds, imagining what it would be like to have so many mizas that she could have whatever she wanted. Of course, Syndre’s mizas were not unlimited, but he had more than her. Her soft, pink lips remained in a smile as she decided what she wanted to do. The idea of alcohol wasn’t totally out of the picture, and part of her still wanted that feeling of completely losing control, but she would get that later. If not with Syndre, then on her own time. “I figured out what I want to do…” Nydryn’s whisper slowly traveled to Syndre as her face turned right, looking at him. There was still a trace of earlier smiles and laughter on her face in the sparking in her eyes. “Being pampered sounds good,” her voice still a whisper, “better than good…” She didn’t bother wondering why Syndre was doing this for her, she just accepted that an old friend wanted to spend some time with her. She wanted to spend time with him as well, and tonight was going to be fun. “I’m following you…”

[Syndre]

Seasonally, the thief's currency varied drastically. The Mizas in his

pouches all depended on how much he could take from the citizens of Ravok.
Stealing the hard earned coin from others was his main source of income, with
entertaining card tricks and false fortune telling assisting in the flow of
money. The small time rogue had bigger plans in the future to increase his
wealth, much bigger plans. As of right now though, the Fall Season had filled
his pouches quite nicely. Never a one to pass up on a good experience, Syndre
didn't mind ridding himself of excess gold when it was spent on luxuries.

With her heart warming countenance turned to face him, his head tilted slightly

downward so that the surface of his forehead came to rest against her own. The
tip of his nose lightly touching hers while responding to her whispers," I'll
bet that it has been a long time...," he let his words trail off into silence,
coaxing her mind into manifesting mischievous thoughts. His head then moved
slowly to the left, never leaving the touch of her features as his cheek softly
glided over hers, his pleasant voice washing over her other ear,"...since
you've been treated like a lady..."

An evil smile was given, one she couldn't see, before the gloved hands

holding her hips began to guide her forward. His leather touch would leave her
body after a lingering moment and he moved to her side so that he could walk
next to her. Not far from there current location was Tarsin's Boarding House,
a place where he had spent many a season. He actually already had a barely
sufficient room there, if one could call it a room. It was simply inhabited
when he needed to rest his eyes, otherwise its only purpose was to store his
extra belongings. That hole in the wall wasn't their destination this evening,
for the Boarding House held more extravagant rooms upon the third floor.

It wasn't long before Syndre led her thru the doors of the popular Inn,

their dilated eyes taken aback by the brightness of the main lobby. Shaded
digits grazed her fingertips as he moved ahead of her to the business counter,
leaving Nydryn a few feet behind so she couldn't hear his quiet conversation
with the Inn's owner. The rogue knew Tarsin fairly well since he had spent so
much time here, and the two men spoke to one another as if they were old friends.
After the brief negotiation, Syndre patted the man on the shoulder and summoned
a single gold rimmed Miza from what seemed like thin air. His sleight of hand
was only impressive to those that didn't understand the simple trickery, but the
tip brought a smile to Tarsin's face.

The thief turned upon a booted heel after offering the gentleman the tip

and gave Nydryn a quick wink. He couldn't stop smiling. Whether it came from
Ny's innocent appearance or from the coursing high that flooded his tall frame,
it didn't matter because he was enjoying himself. He then performed a very
slight bow in her direction, his right arm sweeping in a languid fashion toward
the base of spiraling stairwell that led to the upper floors," After you..."

While his attention returned to his beautiful companion, Tarsin signaled his two

teenage daughters over and began issuing instructions to both. They were soon
sent off to collect everything Syndre had requested, giggling quietly amongst
themselves at the rogue's dramatic actions. The two girls enjoyed Syndre's
presence for he always acted silly around them and gave them a good laugh. Not
only was he the charming type, but he also gave better tips then most of the
visitors that occupied the Boarding House.

[Nydryn]

Syndre had come to rest his forehead upon Nydryn’s and it made her smile. Her smile remained as she hears him say a few words asking how long it had been since she was treated like a lady. Way too long. She hoped tonight would make up for all that time being treated as a street rat, and not a lady. He had guided her ahead of him at first, but then had come to walk beside her. Nydryn’s footsteps were unsteady, for she was still under the drug’s influence. Walking through the streets of Ravok, they all blended together, making it impossible for Nydryn to decipher where they were headed. Even after growing up on these streets, she was still unable to get any clue of where they were. They soon approached a white building that looked quite pretty. Still having no idea where she was, she let herself be led inside by Syndre. He stopped her for a few minutes while he talked with a man, some distance away from her. She couldn’t tell what they were saying, but she didn’t mind because she was looking around the inside of the building. It had been a while since she had been inside any sort of structure, and generally being enclosed like this would make her wary, but the drug kept that feeling away. Looking back at Syndre, he generously tipped the man that he was talking to and then said something that made her laugh. He motioned up a set of spiral stars and she took a step forward, but lost her balance. Laughing at her own clumsiness, she started toward the stairs. Looking over to where the man that Syndre had talked to was, and she saw him talking to two teenage girls, most likely his daughters. They giggled at Syndre’s antics, and Nydryn smiled. He charmed many people, women especially. Her skirt moved around her legs as she walked up the stairs and looked behind her to see Syndre. Still being a bit woozy from the drug, and having never been here before, Nydryn had no idea where to go. It seemed like this was some sort of inn, she had decided after looking around where they had entered, and now where they were standing. She moved aside to let Syndre lead again as the stairs ended, a small smile still on her face. The smile had not left her face since receiving the drug, but she didn’t realize it. While waiting for Syndre to approach and guide her, she began wondering exactly what pampering meant. Of course it sounded good, and Nydryn was not concerned about anything, she just let her mind wander imagining what tonight would hold.

[Syndre]

A quiet laugh escaped as she stumbled by his tall bowing frame, and

when she reached the wide spiraling stairs his gaze began to drift. Those
observant voids of hazy blue followed the wooden grain of the floor boards
as he slowly turned his head, their creeping path eventually reaching the
young woman while she took her first upward step. His investigating sight
rose without caution, moving pass the length of her high brown boots to
the slight exposure of her supple legs. The soft movement of her flowing
brown skirt and the area of her body that it concealed had captured his
wandering attention as she walked up each step. Nydryn's attire wasn't
meant to garner such a brazen stare, one would need to use a little bit
of imagination to determine the curvature of her figure. His imagination
was running rampant.

His villainous concentration didn't break when she turned to see if he

was coming, instead his undressing gaze lingered before finally lifting
his alluring eyes to meet hers. In that moment, when their blue eyes
connected from a distance, he heard Tarsin call out his name. There was a
brief jingle of metal as a pair of iron crafted keys twirled thru the air,
which Syndre nimbly caught with a bit of nonchalance. With smiles abundant
tonight, he offered her another before turning toward the Inn keeper. Another
quick conversation took place that was silent to Nydryn's ears. Tarsin gave
the rogue a simple nod and Syndre then left the lobby, bounding up the twirl
of steps until reaching the second floor where his friend waited.

"Wine alright with you?...," he asked as his swift steps took him pass her.

He didn't wait for an answer or pause to see if she was following. Seconds
slipped by and the intoxicated thief was already down the main hall of the
second story, moving up the next stairwell with a quickened pace. Reaching
the third floor, Syndre found the door to one of the Inn's finest chambers
and worked the iron key within the lock. He then gently swung the door open
with a light touch of leather, causing a faint creak to sound about the rug
graced hallway. He removed the candle that illuminated the hallway and stepped
inside, using the small source of fire to ignite the other various candles.

A soft glow spread through the expensive room, uncovering the shadowy

presence of cushioned furniture, extravagant paintings, an immense bed large
enough for three people, and an iron wrought tub positioned near the archway
to the balcony. His approval of the room, if even for one night, was evident
on his features and he made his way back to the entrance. His attention
wandered for once, perhaps from feeling like a child again, and with the hall's
candle in his gloved hand he firmly collided with Nydryn's entering form.

His forward momentum was greater than hers and the collision took them both

back into the hallway, their booted feet catching the lush rug at the base of
their door. Stumbling in his doped state, Syndre quickly latched an arm around
her slender waist to keep her from falling to the floor and the opposite
appendage immediately reached for the wall behind her. A shrouded palm braced
against the wall's wooden surface, the lean sinew of his left arm tensing
with their falling weight. His strength was sufficient enough to sustain
their deeply leaning bodies, apologetic eyes looking down as he held her lithe
figure at a forty five degree slant.

A familiar giggle sounded as Tarsin's daughters slipped by the two in their

comedic pose, woven baskets filled with the goods Syndre had requested in
their cradling arms. The girls remained quiet but giddy, setting one basket
on a knee high table near the tub and the other on the waist high table in the
center of the room. The rogue meanwhile lifted Nydryn carefully from their
dance-like lean, his playful laughter following a whispered apology. The teenage
youths slipped back out, still silent, leaving the woman alone with her
evening companion once more.

"Pour me a glass?...," he asked as he guided Nydryn into the excessive room.

The basket in the center of the decorated chamber held a tilting bottle of wine,
two tall cups, and premade miniature cakes wrapped neatly in napkins. Syndre
walked across the room after presenting the question, gently kneeling beside
iron worked bath. He examined the area beneath the tub while taking hold of a
nearby candle, lowering its flickering warmth to a metal pan that was attached
below. A multitude of wicks were set aflame, their sole purpose initiated as
the numerous plumes of fire began to heat the water.

[Nydryn]

When he passed her, he said something about wine, and any mention of alcohol when Nydryn was feeling like this made her pleased. He didn’t stop to see her response as he brushed by her and continued down the hallway. Nydryn followed the disappearing thief through the main hall of the second floor. Her footsteps had become a bit steadier, but not steady enough to keep her from stumbling every so often. The inn itself was very nice, and her eyes scanned the second floor before continuing on up to the third floor. Syndre’s vanishing act had made Nydryn a bit disorganized, for she still didn’t know where she was going, but at least she knew that he was on the next floor. After reaching the third floor, she still didn’t see the thief, and a small frown crossed her face. But after walking down the hall a bit, she could see an open door. After pacing toward it, she saw Syndre headed her way, and without having any time to move, they collided. The force of his body hitting hers, along with the dizziness from the drug, made her unstable and his force carried them both back into the hallway. His arm quickly wrapped around her waist, catching her before she hit the ground, and his arm against the wall on the other side of the hallway. While in the strange pose in the hall, the two teenage girls that Nydryn had seen earlier approached. They quickly set a few baskets down in the room, one by the bath and one on a table in the center of the room. Syndre carefully helped Nydryn stand up while the girls were there, whispering an apology before laughing softly. She couldn’t help laughing along with him. He let her go and entered the room in front of her. This gave her a chance to look around the room. It was beautiful, so extravagant. Gorgeous paintings, lovely furniture, a large bed, and a tub occupied the grandiose room. Slowly walking into the room, she dropped her bag by the entrance and shut the door softly. After entering the room, Syndre had asked her to pour him some, and after looking in one of the baskets, Nydryn saw the bottle of wine. Taking it into her small pale hands, Nydryn poured some into two glasses which she had set down on the table. The cups were filled quickly, and she put the bottle back down. Cupping one of the glasses in her hand, Nydryn brought it up to her face, swirling it around a bit before smiling and taking a sip. She noticed Syndre heating the bath, and she tried to remember the last time she had bathed. It had been a while, and it had been even longer since she had had a warm bath. Standing, her vision began to go blurry again, and she sat down on the edge of the grand bed. Her hand went to her head as she tried to clear the blurry edges of her vision. Syndre had finished with the tub, and Nydryn watched him stand. Narrowing her eyes, she blinked. His form seemed to be moving, but his feet were still. Confused, she squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them again. The room was only slightly clearer, but it was an improvement. She was able to then stand and walk over to the table once again. She hadn’t noticed before, but the basket that held the wine also contained splendid food, and right on cue, her stomach growled. Taking the food out of the basket, she also set that on the table, and then gently put the basket on the ground. The aroma of the food was so gratifying that a small smile returned to her face. Syndre had gotten the best. He must have spent a fortune on all of this. Hoping there was some way she could repay him, Nydryn sat beside the table, glancing up at Syndre. Her wine glass was still in her hand, and she took another sip, her eyes meeting his.

[Syndre]

Syndre rose from his kneel, satisfied with the job he had done with

the iron wrought tub. Bathing wasn't always an option unless you were either
rich or decided to take a dip in one of the canals. Nydryn was like him in
a way, the life style they choose wasn't the easiest or most rewarding, so
he knew this kind of comfort would be deeply appreciated. His gaze traveled
over the dimly lit room, his slightly disoriented vision enjoying the sheer
number of shadows that danced against the painted walls. They called to him
in a fluid language he could not understand, as if begging for his attention.
There were a few occasions when his Mother would speak to the darkness itself,
so he knew it was possible.

Wide pupils, surrounded by rings of effervescent azure, drifted from the

playing shadows to Nydryn's form, meeting her equally blue gaze. Gloved fingers
took turns upon each slender forearm, carefully unclasping the dark straps that
held his leather gauntlets tightly against his skin. Silent steps took him back
across the room, over the lavish rugs, to where she stood. His stare at times
could be the most adorable sight one could imagine, and at other times they
could be down right wicked to observe. At this moment it was a mixture of both.
The attention he gave the drugged woman made the shadows jealous, he couldn't
explain the distain that they emitted, but he certainly felt it.

Ignoring the shadows' displeasure with slight amusement, he closed the distance

between himself the beautiful woman. The iron teethed gauntlets were gently
tossed against the center table, followed by smooth material of the gloves that
almost always adorned his hands. It was time to get comfortable and such types
of attire weren't needed at this moment. He took the glass of wine she had
poured him and lifted it up between them, lightly tapping her own with an
audible 'click and swish of crimson fluid. "To lost friends... who are lost no
longer...," he offered a quiet toast before bringing the beverage to his lips,
allowing the alcohol to slide into a welcoming throat.

Drinking deeply, the mixture of wine and blended herbs would surely put him

into a whole never level of petched up. There would be no worries the rest of
the night, no looking over shoulders or running from authorities, just an
absorption of various pleasures. He took another long drink and set the empty
glass upon the table, kneeling in front of her with his head tilted back so
that he could watch her. "Is everything to your satisfaction?...," his question
drifted upward while bare hands moved to the apex of her tall boots. Pale
digits worked slowly at the criss crossing laces, sliding them out from the
many tiny holes that ran down to her ankles. His right hand gently cupped the
back of her left knee, lifting her leg off the thick rug so that he could slip
the brown boot off her foot. The process was then repeated for the other boot,
freeing her small feet from their confines.

The articles of clothing were casually tossed aside, the soles of her boots

thumping loudly behind him near the edge of the sizable bed. His six feet of
height rose once more with each coiled braid swaying lightly, their twisting
black length framing his attractive visage. A slow breath filled his lungs as
he regained a confident composure, suddenly feeling the quickly downed wine
effecting his bodily senses. He normally didn't partake in this type of
intoxication, for alcohol effected his balance and movement much more than the
herbs he smoked. Tonight was different though, it was a night to be enjoyed.

[Nydryn]

His form had approached her soon after he had finished with the tub. The teethed gauntlets that he had used to scare her at one time on the streets were tossed on the table. It was obvious that he would not need them for the room was void of anyone besides her and him. Her eyes had met his, and he touched his glass of wine to hers. Smiling, she replied, “To friends… to us,” her voice was soft, for there was no need for anything louder. He had then knelt in front of her kneeling form. Unsure of what he was going to do, Nydryn watched as he gently took off her boots. His hands were slow, and her boots which were worn from so much wear slid off easily. After he took off her second boot, he tossed them beside the bed, and stood once again. Pointing her toes, and stretching her legs, one at a time, Nydryn sighed softly, glad for the freedom her small, delicate feet had now. He had asked before if everything was to her satisfaction, and raising her eyes to meet his, she replied, “Everything is perfect,” The wine was good, the room was comfortable, and she was with a friend. How much better could things be? Lifting the glass to her soft pink lips, she took a large sip, smiling as she felt the alcohol mixing with the drug, giving her the effect that she desired. She had wanted to lose control, and that was exactly what she was in the process of doing. Her mind was so unfocused, that it took a significant amount of effort to focus on Syndre. His handsome face was focused on hers as best he could for he was also under the effect of the drug and alcohol. She rose slowly, and while giving him a half smile, inquired softly, “Can we eat?” It had been such a long time since she had any sort of good food, and her taste buds craved the taste of the splendid food. The sight of the food had made her forget about the warm bath for a few seconds, but it wouldn’t be long before the sight of the tub would make her long for a warm bath. Syndre’s intentions were still unknown to Nydryn, but she didn’t mind. Truly, she didn’t care. She wanted to lose control, and that’s what she was doing. No plan was set in her mind other then to indulge in activities that she had not done for a very long time.

[Syndre]

Her question reminded him of how hungry he really was. When partaking in

the smoking of these wonderful herbs, a notable sign that you had reached
and even passed your peak was an unsettling hunger. Such pleasing sensations
effected all of one's senses, including taste. Ever had a bowl of luke warm
portage from the Silver Sliver Tavern? It actually tasted good after a little
indulging smoke. Without the herbs enhancing properties, he wouldn't touch
the stuff. But here, at this moment, they had delicacies from Tarsin's Inn.
The sweet tidbits were thrilling to one's mouth without any stimulants,
could you imagine how they were with them?

Syndre reached around Nydryn's shorter figure, enveloping one of the cloth

covered cakes with a pale hand. Lifting it from the table he brought the
dessert back around between them, almost dropping it due to his numbed state.
He carefully unfolded the thin cloth and brought the white frosted bread to
parting lips, taking a large bite that caused half the cake to disappear into
widened cheeks. A playful smile was given and was soon followed by an
exaggerated sound of gratification. He couldn't help but offer a muffled laugh
with a full mouth, the explosion of sugar creating another burst of happiness.

The intoxicated rogue then turned the uneaten half the dessert and slowly

lifted it toward his friend's beautiful countenance, as if he was going to
gently feed it to her. He allowed the frosted surface to softly graze her
pink lips, waiting a second for her mouth to open in acceptance of his gift.
The sweet bread then quickly slipped away in a teasing manner, his appealing
visage displaying a single rising eyebrow. The facial expression was a spirited
taunt, daring her to do something in response to his banter. Expecting a swift
reaction, the thief instead struck first, quickly smashing the fragile cake
against Nydryn's unexpecting face. The white frosting and crumbling bread
smeared against the plush expanse of her upper lip and over the bottom half of
her little nose.

Not waiting to receive her certain wrath, Syndre dashed away, managing to

secure the elongated neck of the wine bottle as he did. He choked a bit as
his stimulated laughter interfered with the swallowing of his food, his
black attired form slipping through the lightly glowing chamber to the archway
that led to the open balcony. He reached the ivory railing that protected
citizens from falling into the canal below and stumbled into a swift turn,
placing his back against the carved stone in a deep backward lean. Lifted
elbows rested against the rail to keep his composure steady, his cobalt gaze
filled with mischief while he prepared for her revenge. The uncorked bottle
of scarlet wine held tightly between his tingling digits.

[Nydryn]

Syndre had reached and grabbed a cake, taking a bite before holding it up to her mouth. But she had realized that he wasn’t going to simply let her eat it. Situations with him were never this simple. Nydryn turned out to be right. He taunted her for a few short seconds, seeing if she would react, but then changed his mind as he shoved the rest of the cake in her face, and then ran out onto the balcony. The little bit of cake that made it to her mouth was delicious, as she ran a finger over some of the remains on her face, and then licking her finger. Her vision was still blurry, and the first few attempts to pace forward resulted in failure as she stumbled, almost falling to the ground. Revenge. That was what she needed, but her drug induced mind was lacking on any in depth plan to get back at the rogue. The last cake was still on the table, and thin pale fingers grasped it. Slow deliberate steps were taken in the man’s direction as her other hand came to unwrap the dessert. Not willing to waste the whole cake, the pale fingers holding it held it up to her mouth and her mouth took a bite out of it hungrily. It tasted so good, even better than the small amount she had received from the smashed dessert in her face. Bright blue eyes glancing up at Syndre, she could see the laughter on his face, and wondered how incredulous she looked, stumbling across the floor with nothing more than a cake in her hand as a weapon for revenge. Realizing that it probably would have been better if she had something else to throw at Syndre, she snorted at herself. She truly hoped that the intoxicated state of the rogue’s mind didn’t allow him to remember tonight, and her pitifully euphoric state. A small piece of the cake slid down her nose and onto her chin. Wiping it off with her spare hand, the hand that held the cake went behind her back. “Syndre…” his name was a whisper as she approached his laughing form. Coming close to the dark figure on the balcony, the hand that grasped the cake came out from behind her and tried to hit his face with the cake, just like he had done to her. But even in the drug induced state he was in, the rouge was able to avoid the cake… mostly. It merely brushed his cheek as the thief stepped aside. The rest of the dessert sailed over the railing. Laughing, Nydryn approached the railing of the balcony and watched as it dropped. Her eyes could barely focus on it, but she saw the general outline of the dropping cake. Laughs bubbled up from inside her, and for a few short seconds, the man beside her was forgotten. She hadn’t even noticed the bottle in his hands, and thinking that no more would come of their petty food fight, Nydryn’s gaze remained over the balcony’s edge.