Of Sword Thieves and Wolf Thrones

[MidgetNinja]

The waves of the Great Snake River, rolled uneasily as the Union river boat glided over it's choppy waters, oarsmen pulling hard at their labor, compelling and controlling the direction of the vessel as it sailed into the heart of the Impereich proper. A trading vessel of sorts, carrying refined goods for trade in the city of Pelam, it's cargo was of little import, it's passengers however were another story.

A Knight Judicator of the Swords States specifically, abroad, and indeed far from his jurisdiction, his presence was a mystery to the crew at large, and the royal blue sash he wore, marking him a Master of his order, a symbol of something to both fear, and respect. He stood an impressive 6'5", black of hair cut short, and a face covered by a thick, but similarly trimmed beard. Eyes a steely blue, reflecting a stoic, but solemn glaze where ever he looked, earned him few friends among his companions of convenience, but there was little room for anything save duty in this one's heart.

He stood statuesque at the front of the boat, as it reached the final legs of it's journey to Pelam, the city in question in sight now, the crew moving with a practiced ease in the choppy waters, and indeed the steady stance of the Judicator betraying his past a River warden, but that was neither here nor there.

Indeed this venture was a mission handed down to him personally directly from the High Master Judicator himself, with the backing of the authority of the High King of the Union. A crime, both heinous, and sacrilegious had been committed to one of the Royal Line of Princes, and the perpetrator had fled here. As far as he, Rommel, the Judicator in question, had been charged with seeing justice done...

However the rather... murky political waters of the Impereich complicated matters somewhat, and regrettably, he had been forbidden to act without a representative of the Wolf Throne present. He was to meet the King's 'Fang' or some such barbaric thing in Pelam, and work with him in hunting down the law breakers. A task that would be most trying to his rather limited patience.

The time for reflection drew to a close for Rommel however, as the boat pulled into port, ropes mooring the rivership to the docks, as the crew began unloading their wares, and the Judicator disembarked.

[CromTheConqueror]

Vamen stood at the busy docks of Pelam as the cargo ship from the Sword States moved toward port. He was dressed in plain clothes that would suggest a participant to a humble merchant class. This would ensure that the less savory sailor types would mind their own business but it also meant that he hardly stood out in the bustling area. Vamen found it remarkable how often looking like you belonged would convince people that you did. This was fortunate for the Fangs who consistently found themselves in places they did not belong.

Putting his hand over his eyes to block out the sun, he focused in on the oncoming vessel. A seemingly typical vessel, one would never guess that it bore one of the elite Knight Judicators onboard. Vamen let down his arm and sighed. He could already tell it was going to be a long day. It was bad enough that he was tasked with coming to Pelam during the summer season, when the humidity reached almost acidic levels, but he also had to play baby sitter to boot.

The nobility in Pelam had only been too pleased to prove their friendship to the Sword States in hopes of increasing trade but the Wolf Throne had been more hesitant. The last thing the king had wanted was sword-happy knight running free and killing tribesmen of the land. As Judicators from the Sword States were not known for their patience, it was common enough occurrence for innocents to be harm in their pursuit of justice.

Still, the king was not interested in sparring with the nobility in Pelam, nor souring relations with the Sword States. And so Vamen had been sent as a compromise to ensure the Judicator behaved himself. Vamen was also supposed to help him accomplish his task. He would aid the knight in the name of justice, but more importantly, to get him back on a boat back to his homeland as soon as possible.

[GrayWatch]

Sen tossed a copper coin idly, tracing it's arc in the air.

A boat northeast would just be so convenient. But getting a captain willing to transport Maldin was proving unexpectedly difficult.

Mad these people. Everyone knew a Maldin wouldn't harm a fly, and with two they wouldn't even go getting lonely and baying at night either. Okay so maybe most of them hadn't heard of Maldin, and got a bit antsy about carrying large carnivores in their boats. It was hardly his fault no one in this backwater (which, he had to admit, was rather more metropolitan than his homeland, but it was the principle of the thing damnit.) knew what Maldin were.

He sighed, and reclined on the tarp covered heap of mercantile goods.
It whuffed at him.

"Hush" he hissed, gently elbowing it as something shifted under the tarp.
He'd snuck the two down here before dawn, certain he'd find a berth that would take them. As it was he was liable to cause a panic if they came bursting out from underneath the pile of goods unannounced. He'd be lucky to get them back to the discreet stable he'd housed them in before nightfall.

He watched as a ship sailed in to port. It looked big enough... perhaps after the assorted bustle and hullaboo that always surrounded a ship docking was over he could have a word with the captain, and maybe just gloss over the precise details of what his 'beasts of burden' he needed to bring north were. Assuming the ship was turning about and heading north...and wasn't already booked solid...

He squinted. Some sort of fellow decked out like one of those foreign traders from foreign parts (which, he kept reminding himself, happened to be these parts. The ones right here. That he was standing on.) waiting on the dock.
Ah, a big shipment being unloaded then? That meant room on boards after right? He perked up. Maybe it might be better to see about having a word with the captain sooner rather than later...

He rolled off the tarp and ducked under it. Two huge doggy grins greeted him. He'd stretched the tarp on towers of boxes to give them a bit of head room, but it was still undeniably cramped. He shoved Zem aside, his total body force maybe moving the beast 2 inches and prompting a curious wurr?. Enough space to pull out some auxillary funds.
"Good boys. Stay."

Extricating himself from the covered pile of goods and over-sized hounds he turned towards the ship again, and began strolling towards it just as a man decked out in steel and blue sashes stepped off the gangplank...

[MidgetNinja]

Rommel arched a brow at the figure standing at the end of the gang plank, eying him appraisingly in an effort to get his measure. From that glance he gathered he was looking at a merchant of some manner, good, he would serve.

"You there," he said, moving to Sen purposefully, "Are you familiar with the lay of this city?"

He would need a guide, seeing a the Fang was no readily apparent on the docks, their meeting place was an inn called the Wolve's Den, but Pelam was not a small city by most standards, and Rommel was not one to ask directions.

[CromTheConqueror]

Vamen's expression remained smooth as the Judicator trudged down the gangplank. Several dockworkers scurried past him as he moved unto the docks. They had planned to run aboard as soon as the ship docked but had decided it was better to let the knight armed to the teeth come down first. As the Judicator approached him Vamen allowed himself a moment to appreciate his foresight. Moonlighting as a humble merchant had not only afforded him free access to the docks but had also ensured he would get an opportunity to scope out his charge. The Judicator was probably smart enough to guard himself around the infamously manipulative Fangs but he was less likely to do so around a pleasant merchant helping him around town.

"The Wolf's Den you say sir? I'm afraid your information is a little outdated from your journey south. That inn was closed months ago!"

Vamen held back a slight grimace as the man stopped in front of him. Vamen was comparable to the man in height but the man was nearly twice as wide. He looked more ox than man and not for the first time Vamen wondered exactly what he was supposed to do to stop the man should the need arise. The Judicator's long sword rested at his hips nearly three times the length of one of Vamen's fighting knives. If Vamen got anywhere near his blade in a fight he knew he would be done for. The man could crush him with his body alone. If Vamen was forced to take martial action he would need to be at a distance. The man's thick chain mail and various bits of plate mail would definitely make the task difficult – though not impossible for the expert marksman. It was quickly becoming clear that a more diplomatic approaches would be best served in this situation or else he could quickly end up as one of the very innocent victims of the Judicator he had been sent to protect.

Vamen's voice was rough as he continued, "No sir, you are looking for the Coiled Riverside that replaced it. Allow me to show you myself as I'm already headed in that direction to meet with associates of mine. These dockworkers know their jobs. I was merely here to ensure the ship arrived safely. My wife is from Tryvoldia you see and she speaks much of the Judicator that hunted down her father's murderer. She would never forgive me if I told her I let you go walking into the city unawares."

He paused for a moment before deciding not to offer his hand.

"Names Bennet Grugher by the way. Pleased to meet you sir...?"

[MidgetNinja]

Few, and fewer still outside the boarders of the Union, fully... appreciated the spectrum of a Knight Judicator's abilities, duties, and responsibilities. They were judge, jury, and executioner, and too often all focus was placed on the latter two of the three with little regard for the first.

Judge.

And as an experienced Judge he could tell quite plainly that the man, 'Bennet' so called, was lying to him, or at the very least had an agenda. The fact that he so readily approached him was the first indicator, no one approached him, even if they didn't know any better, unless they had to for one reason or the other.

"Rommel," said the Judicator, sufficing to level a stern even gaze on the stranger before him, if nothing else then to see what this 'agenda' of his was, "Your help would be most appreciated."

He turned back to regard Sen for a moment, frowning just a bit, before moving to glance at his covered cargo, "Captain," he called abruptly turning back to the Vessel, as the man in question turned from instructing his crew in the unloading of their goods, "Aye Milord?"

"This man's wares are breathing," he said, indicating Sen, "I'd recommend looking into that..."

With that, he inclined his head to skipper and turned back to Bennet, "Shall we?"

[CromTheConqueror]

Vamen gave his best smile - which he was oft told wasn't very good at all. In the past various companion had worried about that insincere smile but he found it relatively useful. Most people weren't very happy. Well people can tell your smile is insincere they generally felt more comfortable. At least that was how Vamen chose to look at it.

"It's not far from here," he said.

The Judicator looked less than impressed with him. But at the very least it seemed as if he hadn't identified him as his contact - unless he was just playing along with the ploy. Something told Vamen that playing along wasn't something a Judicator like Rommel did very often so he decided to proceed as planned.

Starting to walk briskly toward the city road he asked as hesitantly as possible, "So what are you doing here in Pelam? I mean this is a little far from Tyvoldia."

He paused for a moment and added as with a stutter, "I mean if you don't want to say that's fine. Not trying to intrude or nothin."

[Tentacle Therapist]

Aeliana tucked her head behind the haunches of the dog she had named "Fluffy". A man peeked under the tarp she had been hiding under since the night before, for she had nearly been caught in the hold. The dog let out a loud whuff, and the man responded with clear venom in his voice. Then he ducked under the tarp as well, shoved everyone around, and nearly stepped on the hem of her dress; the savage.

When he finally slipped out and gave her and the two cute doggies some room to breathe, she sighed in relief. One of the dogs turned towards her and gave a curious wurr? that the man seemed to have mistaken as directed towards him. Aeliana was convinced that the man was abusing these dogs, and she would have to do something to help the cutesy-wootsy little fluffy wumpkins.

She would kill two birds with one stone. Aeliana would get these poor doggies away from that bad bad man, and meet Gwynlyn in the port! Gwynlyn couldn't come on the boat for some reason... Aeliana never quite heard why, just grumbling, but they were going to meet up at an inn now that the boat had landed.

Finally clambering up onto the back of "Fluffy", she pulled at the tarp covering them, let out a yip, drove her heels into the sides of him like he was a horse (and he practically was compared to her). "Let's go Fluffy!" She yells, as the gigantic dog bursts from the pile and makes for the side of the boat.

[GrayWatch]

"Ghrrk!" Sen spun as he heard the tarp start tearing from it's moorings.

And there was Wat, leaping out from the carefully prepared hiding place, with...a...little...girl on his back?

And there was Zem, lifting her head curiously into the air, and watching Wat go bounding away, tongue lolling out, stumpy tail wagging furiously. And there was Zem bunching up to leap after Wat and join in on the romp...

And there was Sen, envisioning a very near future of guards and accusations of destruction of property and willful negligence and having to flee the city, and still not making any money.

"Ah! Zem! No. To me!" Calling after Wat would be a lost cause, the shrieks (laughter?) of the child on his back would probably drown out his voice and more to the point, Wat was probably having a great deal of fun.

Rushing over to Zem, as Wat bounded well away Sen hitched himself up on the oversized collars most used to hitch the Maldin to wagons. Wedging his foot tightly and gripping Zem as tightly as he could he closed his eyes and gave the most insane command of his new life thus far.
"Chase Wat Zem! Chase 'im!"

Moments later Sen realized something from the most-definitely-already-crushed-when-he-landed-on-it vegetable cart. While he was definitely bigger and stronger than a little girl, he also had much more mass to get flung around, and the strength of his arms didn't increase linearly with his total body mass, and so couldn't compensate.
This would be why he had been flung off at the first sharp turn.

Blearily he watched Zem happily leap a parked cart, and go trundling through a tight alleyway in her attempt to catch up with Wat.

With a groan he picked himself off and brushed off some pulped rutabaga.
Nothing for it now but damage control. The worst part was his staff, which he could have used to polevault up onto the roofs of some stalls, and from there onto the roofs of buildings, was currently lashed to Wat's harness...

"Follow the screams Sen. Follow the screams."

He began running.

[MidgetNinja]

The smile wasn't helping 'Bennet' Rommel decided, and neither was his curiosity...

"I'm here to retrieve something that was stolen," he says with a simple solemnness.

And then, as the tarp tore and the giant dog charged down the pier, Rommel, without looking up, very casually side stepped the ensuing stampede of horse sized dogs, watching disinterestedly as they raced off playfully with a small child dangling on one of their backs... and a grown man clutching frantically off the other.

He spared two blinks at the sight before turning to regard his guide/possible ambusher, "Is this a common occurrence in these parts?"

[Tentacle Therapist]

Fluffy took off as a startling speed, and Aeliana could just barely hold on if she did nothing else. This precluded rational thinking beyond "WEEEE." The speed dropped sharply as Fluffy entered the back alleys and he was met with the resistance of narrow walls and PEOPLE that couldn't get out of the way in those close quarters.

Rational thought returned to the pint-sized princess in a great enough amount that she began to get her bearings. She could meet up with Gwynlyn if she just took a left turn h-

They burst past the turn before she could do anything else. Maybe the next o-

She was now hopelessly lost as the side-streets whisked past them, and the trail of broken awnings and frazzled citizens grew larger behind them.

There was only one thing to do... "SLOW DOWN FLUFFY!"

The dog stops dead in its tracks... relatively speaking, and Aeliana is thrown head over heels into a stand on some sort. She quickly hefts herself atop it and dusts her dress off in time to see some rather suspect men eyeing her suspiciously from the entrance to the dead-ended alley she and fluffy had careened into. They must think that she is some kind of wealthy noble that would fetch a hefty price in ransom... Oh.

[CromTheConqueror]

Vamen couldn't help but be slightly suprised by the arrival of a massive Aldish maldin suddenly bursting from the canopy of the ship. As the Judicator deftly sidestepped the frantic beast Vamen did his best to fake a stumble as he avoided the dog. Regaining his posture he glanced back up as he saw the beast race into the city with - was that a little girl on his back? Vamen shook his head.

"You're getting old," he thought to himself, "Starting to see things."

The Judicator asked him if these things happened often and he confessed honestly that they didn't. The Aldish beast of burdens were rarely see this far west. In any right it was high time they left the docks and motioned for the Judicator to follow him into the city. As they walked Vamen realized that his ploy to play as a helpful merchant was not going to cut it. The Judicator was too suspicious and Vamen just wasn't that charming.He'd have to try a different tact and a far more believable one for a merchant - greed.

"Stolen? It must be very valuable to bring a Judicator all the way south to Pelam," he smiled again as he spoke, "You know I told you I have associates. Men with connections you understand. They could help you find your missing item I promise you that."

[GrayWatch]

Sen leaned up against the wall, waiting for his knees to stop shaking, panting in heavily.

Apparently Zem had lost the trail, after the fourth or fifth alley, so now she was trundling along the streets, nose snuffling along the flag stones, occasionally bursting into an enthusiastic scramble, during which he inevitably lost her again.

He'd call to her, but all being equal her doing just what she was doing now was probably his best bet for finding Wat in any case.

===================================================

Happy.
Little Pup fun.
But why off?
More!
Play! Play!

Head and chest down tail up. Play! Play!

But little pup doesn't respond...

Ah! Little pup found a pack! Good pack? Pack want to play!?
Play! Play!
Ah! None of them see him. Maybe play if see?


And that was when the entire alley heard the sound of an animal the size of a grizzly bear, with jaws larger than a wagon wheel:
"Whurf! Whurf!"
======================================================

Sen perked up at the low, reverberating sound. So did Zem, who immediately abandoned her trail to go diving into an alley.
Groaning, Sen started jogging after.
The chase was on again.

[Tentacle Therapist]

Aeliana was just a little bit nonplussed at the moment, but the deafening barking fixed that problem. The two men near the entrance were on the ground writhing, obviously far too close to the barking for their own goods. The path out was mostly cleared, but the man closest to her recovered too quickly and would catch her before she could get past the relative safety of the wall-like dog.

She thought as fast as she could be expected to in this situation. She pointed at the man advancing on her with greed in his eyes and yelled "Fluffy! He has Yum Yums!" before starting her dash away from the immediate threats.

[GrayWatch]

Yum Yums! Yum Yums! Yum Yums!

"Whuff! Whuff!"

Wat reared back on his hind legs excitedly, jumping slightly from side to side, before his front paws came crashing down, and he surged forward his tail wagging so hard that his back hips were wiggling in time.
====================================================

Sen veered left, as the continued sounds of his Maldin in deep distress or great excitement resounded out. No more than a single block away now...He'd actually pulled ahead of Zem, when he could squeeze through a tight alley she couldn't.

[Tentacle Therapist]

She slips to the ground in a sprint, dashing away from her landing point. It is not long thereafter that Fluffy passes her, a mass of fur and death. Aeliana knows better than to look back as the man yells out. A moment later her ears are met with a sharp cracking followed by a dull thump and splat. The man isn't yelling anymore.

Little feet patter to the entrance still flanked by men clutching their ears and stumbling about. She looks back and sees a sea of red, and fluffy drenched in it. The man was unable to talk anymore for reasons quite obvious even to Aeliana.

His face was covered in the red-spattered dog's massive maw. It dripped red and black and white, with its paws firmly on the man's chest. Fluffy's mouth moved again and again in an endlessly repeating motion, licking the remains of the watermelon stand off the hooligan's face.

All she could do was stare dumbstruck for a moment.

[GrayWatch]

Wat licked his chops a few times.
Yumyums gone. Tasty yumyums

He turned in a tight circle to lay down facing Little Pup, front paws splayed wide, head held low as his tongue lolled out. He completely failed to notice the fellow under himget caught by a fold of skin, before being caught and pinned under his bulk.

Play?

[MidgetNinja]

Rommel regarded his companion of convenience at that offer, his opinion of the man shifting one way and then the other. He truly had to wander if 'Bennet' understand the blade's edge he was walking upon, both figuratively, and less so...

"I'm sorry to say I've never met a successful merchant I could trust, least of all with something of any import," he says sternly, and plainly before turning to his guide and leveling an even look at him, "But you're no merchant are you?"

He didn't let him answer moving on to the next topic as if it were already decided, "After all, hard labor isn't really the skill set of a merchant, especially not one so 'practiced' as yourself..." he motioned to the callouses on Vamen's hands, before continuing, "'Bennet' there is something I feel you are ignorant of that is of some importance to your continued welling being... I am not a fool, and I do not suffer deception idly... If you harbor any ill intent in your frankly disturbing offer to act as my guide, no matter what trap you think you lead me into, know that you will die first."

He let that sink in for a moment before continuing, "So unless you fancy finding yourself noticeably shorter I would have you speak plainly or not at all... and yes, I can tell the difference."

[Tentacle Therapist]

She was home-free now, but she couldn't just leave Fluffy there with those people. They would surely want to sell, or otherwise profit off the large dog. She knew what it was like to be used only as a tool.

"Fluffy! Come on! It is time to play horsey again!" She calls out over the increasing din of the residential dead-end.

[GrayWatch]

Wat leaped to his feet.
Play! Play!

He nipped over to the little pup and picked her up by the back of the neck. The back of her neck tasted like cloth.

Then stepping high, he trotted out into the street, picking a direction at random and wandering off into the city.
================================================

Moments later Sen stumbled into a blind alley, dimly recognizing that there were people in and that his lungs were on fire. He bent almost double panting, and leaning his hand up against one wall.

"Ha-Has any-ha anyone see- seen my dog? Bi-Big thing. Mi-might have been with a little girl? They g-got away from me..."

He looks up.
Oh.
Oh there were a lot of people. And some crushed stands. And boxes. And large doggy prints in the mud that gathered in alleyways. And a few of the people were picking themselves up. And one of them was covered in a startling quantity of a Maldin's thick, almost syrupy drool.

And now they were drawing knives and truncheons and other assorted unpleasantries.

"Well..."
"Fuck."

[CromTheConqueror]

The jig was up. Vamen's hastily gathered disguise had been pentrated with the type of deft ease only seen in those experienced in such deception. But Vamen's scheme had been a success. He now had a much better understanding of the man and his abilities. He was observant, untrusting, brusque and very clearly violent. Vamen would have to be very careful with this one. It was clear that his mind was as strong as his sword hand - a potent combination. But every man had a weakness Vamen knew. Even the king of the Impereich - though what it still escaped Vamen at this time.

"The name is Wilhem Barret," he said while holding out his hand, "I'm glad to see that the reputation of the Judicators is well deserved."

He continued on, "I am the king's man you were supposed to meet. Tell me. What brings a Judicator to the Impereich?"

[MidgetNinja]

"I'm afraid it wont be that easy now," says Rommel sharply, eying 'Wilhem' with a speculative contempt, "Before anything is discussed I'll need to see the three methods of identification that were discussed in our correspondence."

His hands stealthily, and subtly moved to the hilt of his saber at that, the motion hidden by the length of his half cape. In truth only two methods of identification were discussed in the letters, though only the man whom had actually read the letters would know that. If Rommel was not corrected in this matter, it would very swiftly clear things up...

[Tentacle Therapist]

The sudden bereavement of solid ground was a strange feeling. One is not often suspended in the air for long periods of time that are not punishment. Gwynlyn has even put her on a clothing hook before! But this is an entirely different feeling.

The rush of helplessness abated quickly when she realized that she could steer Fluffy by turning her body left and right. Fluffy's head would jerk in one direction or another, and continue onward like nothing had happened. She finally had the control she needed, like being in the driver's seat of a wagon.

Aeliana ignored the fact that she was slowly getting even slimier, in favor of the thrill of it all. "Yah Fluffy! Yah!" Then she lapses into a very poor impression of an elderly man "We'll be getting where we're goin' before nightfall, yesum." The only problem now was that she still was missing turns because of the speed. It might take a little longer to reach the Inn... Gwynlyn won't be happy.

[GrayWatch]

Sen started backpedaling, as the contents of the alley turned on him.
"Now, I uhm. I see that maybe this is not precisely the best time to be ah, impinging upon your hospitality so, why don't I just go and we'll-"

"With a rusty billhook boys."

At this command, given from one very drool covered, very fur coated, very very enraged man, the entire mob surged forwards.

And Sen began to run. They were city gang members. They fought in alleys, in tight, mean, close little fights. They had never had to cross the Aldish highlands, with weights on their legs,and Master Darius at their backs for an hour. The didn't know how to stride properly to eat up the distance in moments, they didn't know a lot of things. But.
But: They also had not been running almost non-stop across the city, dodging bystanders, could still feel their legs and weren't winded.

Maybe he wasn't getting away with this one.

===========================================================================================
Zem was happy. She had found a park, with lots of pups!
Their mothers were screaming lots of things, but the pups were mostly screaming "Doggie!"

Zem liked pups. Pups always did the thing.

So she flopped down on the ground and rolled over. And the pups did the thing.
The thing where she got lots and lots of tummy scratches.

[Tentacle Therapist]

Joran had worked as a tailor for over thirty years. His shop was family owned, tucked in a little nook near the old guard barracks. As the city grew over the years, the barracks expanded until it was practically on top of the little store, but that hadn't hurt business. It especially helped security though, with his little boutique standing un-burglarized for almost as long as it had been standing.

So it was that Joran was a little bit, understandably, confused when his store was robbed for the first time in his life. Even more so because the burglar was a little drenched girl being carried by a horse... dog... thing. All he could do was quickly bag up all his newest fashions and throw them at her in a frantic haze of confusion.

After the whirlwind had left (through the same new hole in his shop) he did the only sensible thing. He went to the guards next door.

==========
Elsewhere
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"Weeee! Puppy! Now all three of us can play dress-up with Miss Gwynlyn! ... Wait, slow down! I think that place has candy! Gwynlyn likes the minty kind! Let's goooo!"

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