This was co-written with a great writer I once knew. So half the credit goes to him
Rain spilled from the clouds like tears from a hurt child. The large drops quickly turning the ground to mud. Kiri ran through the streets, her feet sloshing in the puddles that already covered the main street. She ignored the wet that seeped in through her worn boots. She darted her way among the throngs of people hurrying to get out of the downpour.
A yell speed her on.
"Stop! Thief".
She clutched her small bundle to her chest as she swerved into an alleyway. A dark figure watched her from a doorway, thin tendrils of smoke rising from his long stemmed pipe. Quickly she yanked the hood of her cloak over her head, hiding her face in shadow. She held her breath as the city Watch ran past her hiding place, brandishing cudgels and bellowing angry threats to people who didn't move fast enough out of their way. Kiri breathed easier. She was safe for now.
She melted back into the shadows of the alleyway, rain streaming down her hood onto her pale, oval face. A stray strand of dark red hair was plastered to her cheek; she brushed it away as she headed for her home, a small room over a rough bar. A bar the likes of thugs and whores frequented. She had never turned to whoring to scrape out an existing for herself. She prayed she would never have to but one did what one must to survive. She fingered the coin purse she had stolen from the Out-lander merchant. He had been easy pickings. Unused to the ways of Dol Mare, he had not hidden his pouch away. Kiri had only been seen because someone had bumped into the fool merchant. Her blade had already cut through his purse strings and she had fled. It wouldn't be pleasant if the Watch were to find her. She had taken many purses over the years and never been caught. She was not about to start now.
It had stopped raining by the time she reached "The Maiden's Head". Raucous laughter and the stench of soiled sawdust filled the dim narrow street. Kiri grimaced as she made her way up a rotting ladder that lead to the bars loft, and her home. Digging in her tunic for the key to her room she opened the door and hurriedly locked it behind her. Sighing she tossed her prize onto a bed of straw and hung her cloak upon a peg. Stretching she pulled off her other clothes and dropped them to the floor, revealing a too thin body. Her hair hung limp around her shoulders as she set a small fire going in the meagre fireplace. Watching the flames dance and curl she failed to hear the heavy footsteps approach her door. She stood up and twisted around as the look clicked and the door swung open. A tall, muscular man strode into her room and closed the door behind him. Kiri glared at him. "What right have…."
"Melkirianna Damedred?" he asked, his accents were cultured, a learned man. She glimpsed a pipe in his pocket. It was the hooded man who had watched her from the street. Kiri watched him, wary. "No one has called me that in years" she replied coldly. She watched him look her up and down. She was unashamed of her nakedness. The stranger would find himself with a dagger in his back if he made a move toward her. She couldn't help but notice the small ring of gold in his ear. The firelight bounced of its shiny surface. "I am in need of your skills Mistress Damedred".
"What skills would those be?" Kiri demanded. She nearly missed the man's hand movement as he launched a dagger at her. Without thinking her hand flew out, caught the hilt in mid air and flung it back towards the man. It hit below his ear and lodged itself in the wooden wall. The man blinked but his face was motionless.
"I believe those would be the skills. I am a sorcerer and adventurer. I am in need of a rogue".
Kiri watched the strange man.
"And you are?"
"Forgive my rudeness. I am Aydan Fannian. I would appreciate it if you would accompany me to a...more suitable inn."
Kiri raised an eyebrow. A man used to better things she thought. Maybe I should play along with him.
"Which inn?"
Aydan smiled. "The Traveller's Rest. Do you know it?"
Kiri nodded. Definitely used to the better things in life. The Traveller's Rest was the most expensive inn in the city. Even if this Aydan decided the place Kiri would decide the time.
"Tomorrow morning at third rise I will meet you there" she answered.
"I will be waiting Mistress Damedred" he said turning to leave. And with that he was gone, leaving Kiri to ponder the handsome stranger and just what he wanted her for.
* ***********
Kiri awoke early the next morning and dressed carefully. She combed out her hair and hid as many daggers as she could about her body. She was wary of Aydan and wanted to be prepared in case it was a trap. Pocketing some of her stolen coin she made her way down to the street.
People filled the noisy streets, crying their wares as the best in town. Kiri bought a warm, crusty bread roll from a bakers cart and ate it quickly. She wandered the streets until a bell sounded Third Rise. It was time to meet Aydan. She bushed the crumbs from her ragged coat and walked slowly to the inn.
The patrons of The Traveller's Rest inn where of a much higher standing in life than Kiri. She could feel everyone watching her as she strode through the inn's gilded door. As she scanned the room for Aydan a serving man approached her. He was tall with sandy hair and a hooked nose.
"Excuse me miss but we do not cater for your type here. I suggest you look elsewhere for a room you good for nothing little wretch. Get out of..." He stopped mid-sentence at a tap on his shoulder.
"Lord Fannian!" he gulped, "how may I.."
"This good for nothing little wretch is with me Gleb. I would thank you to treat her with respect." Aydan said coolly. "This way Mistress Damedred, if you please" he said, gesturing to a private room with his arm.
"A full breakfast Mr. Gleb as well" he shouted over his shoulder as he followed Kiri to the room. He led her into the private meeting room he had acquired. He knew that the last of Fannin wealth would be spent when he returned south to Denador. So he had decided to splash out. He would return to his shadowed forest homeland with little but a name, like many base adventurers had before him. Aydan was neither the most powerful, nor the last, but his name was something none else had had, and none would have again, for good or ill depending on his success at his… goal.
He clenched his fist briefly. Then casually flipped closed the open book, a thick aged tome. The Pact-Stones of Denador. It lay atop a family tree of House Fannin and a thin light brown journal. The journal of the last noble of Tyr de Clamh. The last Fannin, the by-proxy Patriarch of the Clan of Stag and Shield. Aydan Oron Fannin.
He smiled at her with the side of his face. He was a handsome man, in a cold hard fashion. Skin clear and whole, hair dark, shoulder length and combed. His teeth were white, brushed regularly. He turned his forceful grey eyes on her, hard and steely as they were. To the more keenly aware, his eyes belied his every charming smile and gesture. They seemed to blink less often than was human. He had a faint off-humanness about him. He was definitely a sorcerer, subtly alien in his case. He was a man of strength, of conviction and presence, though not perhaps of arm.
"Do sit, Ms. Damordred. Your reputation in secret shadowed places marks you as just what I need. You've noticed a lot since you stepped into this room, I watched your eyes. Your mind is as sharp as your vaunted talents and knifes. I won't insult your intelligence. How would you like to have a purpose in life?"
Kiri watched the sorcerer silently, her head cocked to one side. He wanted her to do something for him, something important.
"What kind of purpose?" she questioned.
Aydan studied her before he answered. He had the vague impression that he was being watched by an animal. A wolf he decided.
"I need a bodyguard, a spy and a dungeon rogue. You posses the keen eyes and wits that I need." His grey eyes meet hers, full of challenge. Yet Kiri sensed a slight hesitation, as if there was something else he wanted to say.
She stood and looked at the books upon the table. Glancing at Aydan she unfolded the large parchment that was House Fannin's family tree. It went back many generations. She noted all the names had were underlined in red ink, signifying death. There was only one name not underlined. Aydans'.
"You are the last?"
Aydan nodded his eyes cold and hiding his emotions.
"Then it seems we are both alone" she said softly.
"I accept your offer Lord Fannin. I will be your shadow."
Aydan smiled grimly at her. "I am glad Mistress Damedred. Very glad. Come we leave immediately for Tir de Clamh."
************
The wharfs and docks of Dol Mare were not quite what they used to be, fish rotted in tide's leftovers, deep soggy mud, trawled by the poor and destitute. Aydan was aware he had reached Kiri before she had fallen to this or whoring, he was glad, a damaged vessel at the end of his search would be disappointing to say the least, also he admired her strength of character, her competence. Dol Mare reared it's rickety wooden carapace behind them, like some strange giant beetle made of wrecked ships and industrious people, no worries of magic or war, just making end's meat. It's harsh practicality was almost soothing. After what had happened to his home, even living human sins and petty evils seemed like the loveable mischief of a child.
Everything did after Tyr de Clamh. They would not enter Death's Domain, not for a long time, not until the could scatter demons and break the undead.
Dol Mare was a big town, not the sprawling city Tyr de Clamh had been, but a busy industrious, less trade with the south now, only high elf's and shadows remained on those sea's, but nations fell here or there, someday perhaps the North to would be riven and sundered, but for now its gateway, Dol Mare hummed with live and thronged with work to be had and done.
Aydan's boots made dull thumps on the planks as he strode towards the ship, just taller than average, but with his heel's sounding thunder and his longcoat whipping about his imperious form, he seemed a giant to the barefoot sailor's who scuttled along the decks of the multitudinous fishing skiffs, and those few ships who still brave the journey south. It was to one of these caravel's that the stone-eyed man of the south strode.
And behind him came another figure, She too wore boots, though she made little sound, the soft leather of her soles muffled by her catlike walk, she stalked after him, a native of these places, with her fair skin and eyes, a woman in leather's and new red pants, crimson boots slinking along the salty, crusting timbers that led out to the good ship, Ri-Óg Demare.
************
Kiri sniffed at the tangy, salt air of the sea. The stench of rotting flesh mingled with the sea air. She could tell it wasn't just decaying fish. She strode along behind Aydan, her eyes continuously scanning the crowds around her. This many people made her uneasy, and harder to do her job of protecting the sorcerer.
She paused for a second as Aydan made his way up the gang plank of the ship, glancing at the heaving water below the wooden timbers.
Aydan could see Kiri out of the corner of his eye. He had noticed her split second pause. When they reached the deck he turned to face her, his grey eyes amused.
"Have you been on a ship before Kiri?" he asked.
She meet his gaze with steady eyes. "I don't like ships." Aydan was puzzled. He would have to question her about this. He had believed his research of her to be quite complete. It appeared he had missed something. He glanced the other people boarding the ship. All appeared to be from different lands. He noticed a tall far haired young woman among the crowed. She was human, As were the rest.
Aydan motioned Kiri to the quarters he had booked on the vessel. This would be a long trip. He had made sure the rooms were comfortable. Inside the room was a large bed built into the wall. A sturdy desk faced a small, round window. Their belongings had been stowed away in a corner of the room in large chests.
He had spent a large amount of his remaining gold on equipping Kiri before the journey. Good food, weapons and clothes had cost him. He believed it was a small price for the woman's skills though.
Kiri made her search of the room and deemed it safe from traps.
"There's only one bed" she stated looking at Aydan.
He nodded. "You take it. I have arranged for a hammock to be brought."
Just as the sun was setting a gruff sailor arrived with the hammock and a tray of food. Aydan thanked the man with a few coppers. As soon as the door creaked shut he magically lit a few candles, casting a dim light in the room. Kiri was on the bed, picking at the dried meat on the tray. He sat in the only chair in the room.
"Would you care to tell me of your dislike of boats?"
"When I was younger I stowed away on a boat. I was found and…punished. That night there was a terrible storm and the boat hit rocks. It sank. I was the only survivor. I clung to a splintered barrel and swam towards land with the help of the current.
That is how I came to Dol Mare."
This was news to Aydan. He would have to have a word with his sources. None of the information in his diary mentioned what she had told him.
Kiri looked at him and Aydan was taken aback. Her green eyes were glowing softly in the dim light.
************************************************************************
Aydan's yell woke Kiri. Within seconds she was wide awake and grabbing for her bag of daggers. She saw Aydan's form backed up against the door and heard the mindless jabbering of the Kobalds he was facing. He was a least twice their size but he wasn't used to combat. She crept quietly behind him and unleashed her daggers.
Aydan had managed to injure one Kobald but three more were closing in on him. There was no room or time for him to prepare a spell. He swallowed hard. He couldn't die yet. Suddenly a dagger whizzed past his ear and hit the nearest Kobald in its left eye. It fell dead to the floor.
"Aydan down!"
He crouched just in time as he saw Kiri leap over him, daggers in hand. She made an impossible twist in mid-air and landed on top of a pair of Kobalds, her knives slashing as she hit the ground. Kobalds fell around her but she didn't escape unharmed. A pirate sliced at her thigh and another at her mid-riff. Both Kobalds crowed in triumph but it was short lived. The remaining Kobalds turned and ran. Kiri disappeared after them. Aydan heard her growl as she went after the remaining pirates.
Aydan made his way to the Captain of the ship. He found out the Kobalds had been nothing but brigands searching for easy loot. They were common in these waters. Three crew members and four passengers had died in the attack. The Captain thanked Aydan for his help, the crew men nodding their approval. Kiri padded up silently beside Aydan. He looked at her questioningly. She nodded, her eyes glowing softly.
"Captain, I think you will find all the pirates dead. Do what you wish with the ship." Now that Kiri was beside him he was suddenly very aware of how little she was wearing and that she was in a room full of men, some of who were begging to leer greedily at her. "Call me when we are in port Captain." He turned on his heel and strode back to the room, Kiri following behind him.
Aydan locked the cabin door behind them. Kiri ripped up a sheet and was tending to her wounds, tossing him a bandage for the cuts he had received. There were small scars over most of her body though a large one crossed her lower back just above the line of her shorts. Her body also seemed to be patterned with the very faint outlines of stripes. So faint they were nearly unnoticeable. He blinked at this. He found Kiri oddly fascinating. Something she seemed to have noticed as she turned and winked at him before hopping in to her bunk, curling up and falling asleep as if nothing had happened at all.