Post by Avaritia on Jan 23, 2010 0:05:12 GMT -5
Setting : Roughly a year ago; a late autumn day, a cloudy sunset. Somewhere off the main road.
Status : Part of major plot; please ask first.
It had, without question, been a very long day. An empty cart dragged along behind the tall, thin man, its only luggage remaining being empty sacks. At one point, in fact it was just earlier in the day, they held many a magnificent item, but alas, most had either been bartered or peddled off. Only one bag of the whole lot seemed to be quite full, and it was one that hung from the man's belt. It bounced against his leg as the grey man walked, making a distinctive metallic rustling.
He smiled pleasantly to himself as he went, sighing in a manner most pleased. What an eventful day.
But sleep would not come to him, as it scarcely had for the past few days. No, his mind was too busied with the exciting notion of a mystery he was on the edge of busting. He had found a species of plant said to have gone extinct some thousands of years ago. And yet, there it was, in his caravan. How did it survive, and how did it go unnoticed? He was baffled. What had happened to the specimen for these thousands of years it hid itself away from the world? A shiver traced his spine at the mere thought of getting back to his studies. He was so close. From what he had read, the plant had incredible healing abilities, as well! It would be nothing short of a scientific miracle to discover how it worked, in-depth. This was surely something that would bring him one step closer to surpassing his brilliant grandfather, and-
A petite figure in dirty, torn clothes caught his eye. It sat at the edge of the road, peering down onto the street in a manner most downcast. Something was bothering them. A beggar woman with a family to feed?
With his interest and concern piqued, he hesitantly moved towards the woman.
"Hello?"
She nearly jumped out of her skin, the poor thing. The hood she wore over her head nearly fell off, showing her striking green eyes. Her black hair, which didn't look bad for a beggar woman, was short, but he could make it out as the oranges of the sunset highlighted it. She was admittedly rather cute. She looked so young.
"Um...c-can I help you?" the girl squeaked, scrambling to pull her hood back down.
"Oh, no. I'm terribly sorry if I startled you, miss. I was just wondering if I could do something for you." His hand went to his belt, taking off the bag. His nimble fingers pried it open effortlessly, returning from the interior with a few shiny coins. "If you don't mind, I would like to give these to you..."
The woman put on what looked like an almost forced smile. She outstretched her hand and accepted the coins.
"I'm sorry I can't offer any more."
"It's alright," she said simply, "this will be more than enough for me. Thank you, sir."
He smiled sincerely as the woman got up. She stood nearly half a foot shorter than he, but that was normal. How old was she? It was a pity that such pretty girls found themselves in the streets these days. He would offer her someplace to stay if it weren't for the lack of hospitality his caravan bore. There was hardly enough room for him to sleep inside, and more often than not, he slept outside. Sleeping in the dirt miles away from here wouldn't be much better than whatever her situation may be now.
She bowed her head down a little as she started to walk away. Such a timid little thing. She walked swiftly. The sound of her bare feet against the cobblestone was clear for some ways, but then came the distinct sound of something dropping. It wasn't the money. He let go of the cart and curiously walked after her, attempting to find whatever she may have dropped.
The glimmer of the sun sent a flash over the reflective surface of the watch. It looked valuable. He stooped down, picking it up. Surely, she would want it back. "Miss? Wait, you dropped something!" he shouted in what he believed to be the direction she walked into.
No answer greeted him.
There was no way he could keep this. He had to find her and give it back.
With a clear deliberation, he picked up his pace, following the sound of bare feet down a shadowed side street. She must live somewhere down here. Hopefully he wouldn't scare her by following her. Cautiously, he moved down the alleyway, the faint sound of whispering meeting his ears.
"Oh, sister, I thought you told me you wouldn't take what wasn't yours anymore!" he whimpered, frowning in a manner most concerned.
It was at least the third time this month. He'd asked her to stop an uncountable amount of times by now, but she didn't. Maybe she couldn't help it? She probably couldn't- mother and father wore off on her too much for her to be able to now. Thievery was the only thing she'd ever known, and it was destroying her. Not just her, really. It was taking its toll on him, as well.
For instance, last month, she stole something that looked to be worth a lot of money. It was a porcelain egg, delicately encrusted with gold and gems. They had no use for it (unless they sold it off, course, but that would have been a terrible thing to do), but still, she stole it from the farmer and his wife. He heard that the man was going to sell the egg himself in order to hire a doctor for his ill wife. But barely a week after Alana took it, he also heard that the woman died. It was tragic, and it could have been helped. He sheepishly tried to return the egg to the man's home, but was almost killed in the process.
Things were getting worse, though. The man was so angry that he put a bounty on his sister's head. He couldn't allow anything to happen to her; after all, they only had each other in this world.
He smiled softly and took the girl by her hand, planting a gentle kiss on the back of it as he bowed down, pulling his hood back. "I'm sorry, my princess. I'm just very worried about you, you know that." His smile grew slightly as he looked up to her, in an image that could have been a mirror had he not known any better.
Status : Part of major plot; please ask first.
----
It had, without question, been a very long day. An empty cart dragged along behind the tall, thin man, its only luggage remaining being empty sacks. At one point, in fact it was just earlier in the day, they held many a magnificent item, but alas, most had either been bartered or peddled off. Only one bag of the whole lot seemed to be quite full, and it was one that hung from the man's belt. It bounced against his leg as the grey man walked, making a distinctive metallic rustling.
He smiled pleasantly to himself as he went, sighing in a manner most pleased. What an eventful day.
But sleep would not come to him, as it scarcely had for the past few days. No, his mind was too busied with the exciting notion of a mystery he was on the edge of busting. He had found a species of plant said to have gone extinct some thousands of years ago. And yet, there it was, in his caravan. How did it survive, and how did it go unnoticed? He was baffled. What had happened to the specimen for these thousands of years it hid itself away from the world? A shiver traced his spine at the mere thought of getting back to his studies. He was so close. From what he had read, the plant had incredible healing abilities, as well! It would be nothing short of a scientific miracle to discover how it worked, in-depth. This was surely something that would bring him one step closer to surpassing his brilliant grandfather, and-
A petite figure in dirty, torn clothes caught his eye. It sat at the edge of the road, peering down onto the street in a manner most downcast. Something was bothering them. A beggar woman with a family to feed?
With his interest and concern piqued, he hesitantly moved towards the woman.
"Hello?"
She nearly jumped out of her skin, the poor thing. The hood she wore over her head nearly fell off, showing her striking green eyes. Her black hair, which didn't look bad for a beggar woman, was short, but he could make it out as the oranges of the sunset highlighted it. She was admittedly rather cute. She looked so young.
"Um...c-can I help you?" the girl squeaked, scrambling to pull her hood back down.
"Oh, no. I'm terribly sorry if I startled you, miss. I was just wondering if I could do something for you." His hand went to his belt, taking off the bag. His nimble fingers pried it open effortlessly, returning from the interior with a few shiny coins. "If you don't mind, I would like to give these to you..."
The woman put on what looked like an almost forced smile. She outstretched her hand and accepted the coins.
"I'm sorry I can't offer any more."
"It's alright," she said simply, "this will be more than enough for me. Thank you, sir."
He smiled sincerely as the woman got up. She stood nearly half a foot shorter than he, but that was normal. How old was she? It was a pity that such pretty girls found themselves in the streets these days. He would offer her someplace to stay if it weren't for the lack of hospitality his caravan bore. There was hardly enough room for him to sleep inside, and more often than not, he slept outside. Sleeping in the dirt miles away from here wouldn't be much better than whatever her situation may be now.
She bowed her head down a little as she started to walk away. Such a timid little thing. She walked swiftly. The sound of her bare feet against the cobblestone was clear for some ways, but then came the distinct sound of something dropping. It wasn't the money. He let go of the cart and curiously walked after her, attempting to find whatever she may have dropped.
The glimmer of the sun sent a flash over the reflective surface of the watch. It looked valuable. He stooped down, picking it up. Surely, she would want it back. "Miss? Wait, you dropped something!" he shouted in what he believed to be the direction she walked into.
No answer greeted him.
There was no way he could keep this. He had to find her and give it back.
With a clear deliberation, he picked up his pace, following the sound of bare feet down a shadowed side street. She must live somewhere down here. Hopefully he wouldn't scare her by following her. Cautiously, he moved down the alleyway, the faint sound of whispering meeting his ears.
--
"Oh, sister, I thought you told me you wouldn't take what wasn't yours anymore!" he whimpered, frowning in a manner most concerned.
It was at least the third time this month. He'd asked her to stop an uncountable amount of times by now, but she didn't. Maybe she couldn't help it? She probably couldn't- mother and father wore off on her too much for her to be able to now. Thievery was the only thing she'd ever known, and it was destroying her. Not just her, really. It was taking its toll on him, as well.
For instance, last month, she stole something that looked to be worth a lot of money. It was a porcelain egg, delicately encrusted with gold and gems. They had no use for it (unless they sold it off, course, but that would have been a terrible thing to do), but still, she stole it from the farmer and his wife. He heard that the man was going to sell the egg himself in order to hire a doctor for his ill wife. But barely a week after Alana took it, he also heard that the woman died. It was tragic, and it could have been helped. He sheepishly tried to return the egg to the man's home, but was almost killed in the process.
Things were getting worse, though. The man was so angry that he put a bounty on his sister's head. He couldn't allow anything to happen to her; after all, they only had each other in this world.
He smiled softly and took the girl by her hand, planting a gentle kiss on the back of it as he bowed down, pulling his hood back. "I'm sorry, my princess. I'm just very worried about you, you know that." His smile grew slightly as he looked up to her, in an image that could have been a mirror had he not known any better.