Iskra pushed the door open roughly, catching all the glances by the patrons in the tavern. She scanned the crowd for a certain elf and smirked to herself when she saw him. He was at the bar, talking to a group of people. She walked up to him and put her hands on her hips, a light smile on her mixed face. Duncan grinned and pulled her into a hug, beyond happy to see her.
"If it isn't the infamous Iskra Nunan, my favorite niece!" He bellowed, earning some cheers and hollers from the drunkards. Iskra rolled her eyes and smiled. "Hey Duncan. Long time no see." He motioned Sal over and smiled.
"Iskra Nunan! How are ye'? How's that father of yours doin'?" Sal put three tankards down, nodding at her companions. Neeshka and Khelgar grabbed their ales quickly and drank it all in one sitting. "Khelgar! We should have a drinking competition!" Neeshka giggled, her tail wrapping around her legs. Khelgar grinned. "Ye're on!"
"Foster father. Not father." Iskra spat, narrowing her eyes. Sal looked taken aback, and Duncan smiled in apology. "A-Anyways, what're you doin' here? I thought you'd stay in West Harbor forever!" Iskra smiled faintly. She was forced here after West Harbor was attacked. She never wanted to leave. She wanted to stay at home with Bevil and Amie, like old times. But everything was different now; Amie was dead, and Iskra was being hunted by the githyanki. West Harbor was no longer her home. She didn't have a home any longer.
"I was sent here by Daeghun to come to Neverwinter to seek out Aldanon about this shard," She pulled the shard out of her pack. "And I presume you have one as well, lest I wouldn't be sent here." Iskra raised a dark eyebrow at him. Duncan nodded, giving a small motion to Sal. He went behind the bar for a few minutes before coming out and handing a shard to Duncan. "I've had no use for this, so it'd be best for you to have it." Iskra smiled warmly and put both the shards in her pack.
"Though, if you want to get to Blacklake, it's closed for the moment, so-" The door opened and a tall elf stepped in, wrinkling his nose at those who were in there. Iskra narrowed her eyes. He looked like a pompous ass, so this should be interesting. He stepped over to the pair and stared down at them. "Ah Duncan, my favorite drunken idiot."
"Sand." He sneered, glaring at the elf. Iskra stared boredly, yawning a bit. Sand turned his gaze to the young elf. "And who might this be? Don't tell me it's one of your kin." He said in disgust. Iskra rolled her eyes. "Iskra, sorry to disappoint. Though I really don't like beaches, so don't be offended if I don't like you. It's just what I think." She gave him a sarcastic smile, and he gritted his teeth at her.
"Stop it, both of you. Let's get back to the matter at hand." Duncan sighed, rubbing his forehead. They watched each other like hawks getting ready to fight. Sand was the first to look away, but he crossed his arms at Duncan. "As I was saying, Blacklake is closed off due to that lord getting killed, and so you won't have immediate access. You can join the Watch and get access from there, or-"
"Join Moire's little band of thieves. It won't be easy, and it's most likely more dangerous than joining the Watch." Sand cut off, earning a glare from Duncan. Iskra nodded, crossing her arms now. "I'll take my time with the Watch. I'd rather not get in trouble with Nasher or any of the annoying councils." She huffed. Duncan smiled while Sand rolled his eyes.
"Do what you wish. I'll be at my shop if you need anything." Sand turned and made his exit, his long black hair blowing behind him. Duncan turned to Iskra and smiled. "Your companions can stay here when they don't go with you. A friend of yours is a friend of mine. Feel free to rest, and do whatever." He patted her on the shoulder and walked away, leaving her to her thoughts. Iskra looked around to find any empty seats. The only one was on a stool in the bar that was away from everyone. 'Guess that's where I'll be sitting.' She quipped.
She sat down on a bar stool away from others and waved for a drink. Little did she know there was someone next to her.
Iskra waved away a long blonde strand of hair and rested her head in her hand. She watched as Neeshka and Khelgar were laughing and drinking, having a good time. Elanee was sat in the corner near the fire, humming along quietly as she was reading a book. Iskra gave a nod to Sal and chugged her ale down quickly, frowning as she realized how weak the drink was. It didn't surprise her though; Duncan was as cheap as a beginning whore, and he didn't really care much on quality, only on making money. She had met him once when she was young, and she never really saw him that much ever again. Daeghun wasn't too keen on seeing him, and tended to stray away from when Duncan came down. They got into a bad fight during a visit, and he stopped coming after that. Iskra wasn't really saddened by it; she was used to things like this.
She ordered another ale, a stronger one this time, and stared ahead at the wall. So many things were happening all in the matter of a week. It wasn't like she was gonna die from the stress, but she needed to do something to get her mind off of things. She sipped her ale and cringed; this one was definitely stronger. Sal walked by her and set a tankard down next to her, picking up the gold on the table. She looked over to find a dark figure next to her, eyes straight on her. She couldn't see his face too well, and she had just realized how close they were. She looked away.
"Well hello." She spoke, sipping her ale. The figure snorted and drank his ale too, in silence. She snuck a glance at him. With the light now illuminating them, she could see the figure clearly. His face was handsome, a scruff on his face and sharp, dark honey eyes glaring at the wall. His hair was short, but it was messy in an attractive way. It was like he didn't care about his appearance, but he still managed to somehow look good. He looked over at her and raised an eyebrow. "Need something, or are you gonna gawk at me all night?" He jeered, his eyes back onto her. She froze. The way he stared at her was predatory, like he was going to eat her once she turned her back. He was intimidating, dangerous, and incredibly attractive.
"I don't know, I've got nothing to do for the rest of the night, so maybe I just might." She said cooly, looking down at her ale. He snorted again and took a swig of his drink. She looked over at him. "So, what's your name, stranger?" She asked. He sent her a dark look.
"You really want my name? I'd rather tell a whore than any of Duncan's kin." He spat sharply, glaring at her. Iskra gaped at him in shock. How dare he! He barely knew her, and he flat out disrespected her! She slapped him right across the face, a challenging glare on her face. His head snapped back to her, a murderous look that went straight through her. If looks could kill, she'd be ripped apart and burned. "Touch me again and you'll regret it, wench." Iskra rolled her eyes, drinking her ale. She'd rather deal with a young child than an old child.
"I'd rather bathe in acid than touch you again." She said in a mocking tone that was like his earlier. He rolled his eyes and didn't respond to her. Iskra stared at him, trying to analyze him. He was dark and clearly dangerous. He had a wolf with him, so he was obviously a ranger. He seemed to hold onto that dagger of his almost all the time, and he looked...distant. Like he was barely there. He seemed to be an intense observer, but to himself, he was empty. Like he had no compassion or any feeling at all. She wanted to get to know him more, she wanted to understand who he was. Maybe that makes her an idiot, but she was curious just to know who this stranger really is.
He glared over at her. "Stop staring at me." Iskra smiled and set her head on her hand, staring at him intently. He glared again and grunted. Why was this elf being so goddamn annoying? He swallowed his ale and glanced over again. There was a gleam of curiosity in her pale green eyes. Her long, blonde hair was in a ponytail that almost reached the top of her hip, and she had several strands of hair that were out of place. Her pink, plump lips were curled up in a smile, as if she were mocking him. He tried to ignore the look he got from her, but he finally broke.
"What in the hells do you want?" He snapped maliciously, getting close to her face. Iskra just gave him that stupid smile of hers, as if she wasn't afraid of him. 'She should be,' He smirked to himself. Iskra sat up and reached a hand out. He stared at it in confusion. "My name is Iskra Nunan. I am a nineteen year old weapon master that uses a scythe that is way too big for my body. How about you?" He looked up incredulously.
"You seriously think I'm going to even think of touching you? Let alone tell you my name? Sorry princess, but I don't work that way." He snarled, frowning. Iskra didn't flinch once, just kept a steady smile on her face. It infuriated him to no end. He put down some coin and gave her a dirty look. "How about you go back to your "friends" and piss off?" He stormed to the door with his wolf in tow and left, letting the tavern door slam on the way. Iskra smirked, lifting her mug to her lips.
"I will find out who you are, ranger boy." She purred, licking her lips.