Scene: Trouble Shows It's Face
Troubles Shows It's Face
Evening on the 26th of Fevrier in the Year 1186
Odette, Gabrielle, Kahlan, Lucrece, Dominick, Jonas, Pepe
Corner Oak Inn
Into the corner oak, talking a mile a minute on the arm of Kahlan walks Gabrielle, a smile on her face. "Their stew is very good here when they are making it and in luck we are the seats in front of the fire are freeeeee" The young courtesan burbled out, slipping her arm from his and undoing her cloak.
The popularity of the corner oak results in an almost loud din, provided by the ceaseless chattering of its patrons and guests. But over it all, Lucrece's high laughter carries from near the staircase, where she is speaking with the innkeeper in animated tones. "You're terrible!" she scolds the man good naturedly for something that is not quite clear.
Kahlan chuckles and helps the young courtesan with her cloak, turning back as he begins heading for the table near the fire. "It seem my luck never ends..." he jests looking back to Gabrielle with a kind smile. Kahlans armored plates rustle as he walks, making his presence known to the cosy little inn.
Odette is already present in the tavern, though she's in a back darkened corner trying to obscure herself from the the line of sight of others, she sees Gabrielle come in and puts her wine down but doesn't move from her little perch.
Not quite so hidden as Gabrielle when she turns to give Kahlan her cloak spots Odette. A wink for the novice she lifts a hand and beckons the girl over. 'odette! Come. I want you to meet someone"
Stopping as he hears Gabrielle's voice, Kahlan turns back to her. His blue eyes wander the bar, looking for the recipient of Gabrielles attention as he waits.
Odette curses under her breath and stands but she has a bright grin on her face as she goes over to Gabrielle and her companion. She playfully pokes her as she approaches. "I was supposed to be hiding..." She then turns to Kahlan. "Hello someone." She winks and giggles playfully.
Kahlan offers a kind smile despite missing the inside humor, "Hello....Odette?" he says almost asking to make sure the name called by Gabrielle fits the person. His head nods a little, "...it's good to meet you."
'Well, now you are found. Odette, meet Kahlan. Kahlan, odette. Kahlan is my Aragonian soldier" She uses the 'my' affectionately. "They let you loose from the house? Join us?" She looked around in the hopes that a server was somewhere near. her eyes landed on Lucrece, dipping her head a touch for the unknown woman, before scanning further.
Still keeping the innkeep's ear hostage to her chattering, Lucrece prattles on and on at him, telling a longwinded story that draws the occasional laugh or chuckle from Jonas. The fine details do not carry over the din of the parlor, but eventually the tale comes to an end - or she is simply distracted, and she waves at an acquaintance who passes.
Odette curtsies formally as she introduced but as she arises her eyebrows raises in a wicked fashion hearing the 'my' pronouced as it is. "I see. Well they didn't quite let me loose truth be told... hence the discreetness. But then again whats the worst that will happen... they'll cage me?" Another joyful and defiant look as she smiles at the pair. "So... where shall we sit, my dear.?"
The inn door opens suddenly, and in rushes a young employee. Those who frequent the joint would recognize the 17 year old as Pepe. An enthusiastic enough lad whose tendency to babble has earned him working Friday nights in the stables. When he bursts into the room, he's out of breath and his cheeks are flushed. Panting softly, he closes the door behind him wipes some mud from his cheek with his sleeve and shuffles up towards Lucrece and the Innkeeper. He waits patiently on the fringe of their discussion for a gap in conversation. When she ends her tale, and Jonas laughs, Pepe gives a brief and rushed giggle before he interjects! He bows to her, saying, 'Excuse me, Madame!' Then he turns to the Innkeeper and mumbles to him, 'Sir, they're coming back. There's three this time, sir!' he seems reasonably distressed at this. While Jonas doesn't show the same level of emotion as Pepe, he digs fingers into his eyes and gives a breath of exasperation.
'By the fire. you can sit clsoes and i'll sit across from you and Kahlan can sit and shield you from being seen" She grinned, her newlys horn locks yet again back down to pixie length. She kissed odette on the cheeks and then one for Kahlan. "You'd enjoy the cage /far/ too much Odette. How /do/ they punish valerians" She puzzled at that then looked to the commotion that was starting. "What in elua's name...."
Lucrece smooths a hand along the bodice of her gown, letting her palm travel over the crushed velvet that makes it up, and glances with mild interest toward the stablehand. She cranes her neck just a little bit, trying to catch some of the mumbled words while making every effort to look utterly uninterested in them. She catches enough to ask Jonas with a giggle, "Are the Tsinganos after your horses again?"
Kahlan lifts his head to watch the young, disheveled man who burst into the inn. His blue eyes study him carefuly and notice the sudden change in demenor of the man behind the bar. His eyes return to Gabrielle and Odette, "Why don't you warm beside the fire and I'll check to make sure everything is ok." He smiles a little and heads over to the bar, preceeded in each step by the sound of his armor.
Odette nods, accepts her kiss, and then tilts her head in the direction of the fire. "Alright then. Its a plan. Oh they have punished me by keeping me away from patrons..." She listens to Kahlan and nods her agreement. "Alright, come on Gabrielle..." She saunters over to the fireplace with perhaps more than a little sway to her hips. Perhaps she's been drinking... She takes a seat and crosses her legs at the thighs allowing her simple black gown to go which way it shall.
Jonas' portly face comes out of his annoyance in order to smile at Lucrece. He lays a chubby hand upon her shoulder, and laughs with her, 'No, milady. Everything is fine, but please excuse me a moment. Pepe! A drink on me for the pretty lady, you know what she likes.' With that he lumbers down the steps at a gallop and heads for a back room. When Pepe gets nearby while making the drink, he whispers to him, 'Lock the doors!'
Pepe drops the drink mid-creation, and scamps towards the door.
Jonas notices Kahlan's approach, and adopts his best business glee, though the puff and color of his cheeks and a slight dapple of sweat on his brow could tell a learned man another story. 'Evening, sir! Good to see you again.'
"Be safe" murmured to Kahlan, the brandy brown eyes looking back over before following Odette and curling up in a chaise by the fire. "I suppose they have to get creative with Valerians. What do you think is happening?" She mused, looking towards the others.
Lucrece flashes a bright white smile at Jonas as he leaves, pleased by the instructions delivered to the boy in parting. She watches as he sets about preparing her drink, and scoffs as though insulted when it is dropped. "I do believe-" she begins to say, but trails off when he scampers away and she is left with nobody to direct her words at. So instead she focuses her efforts on looking blissfully unaware of the notion that anything might be out of the usual.
Odette shrugs her shoulders softly and gestures to the staff. "I don't know... could be exciting."She grins and waits for the waitstaff to come. When a woman finally comes she asks for a jug of mulled wine.
Deep blue eyes study the portly barkeep for moments after his greeting, trying to get a good read on the man. His eye glance up to the lady looking intently away from the bar, but return to the barkeep, "Good evening sir. Is everything ok? Kahlan's attention falls noticibly down to the broken glass the boy dropped.
Just as Pepe reaches the door, and begins to fumble with the latch, it opens again. The three that stand there are pure trouble, anyone that knows anything could tell. The first one that enters is a shorter fellow, perhaps 5'6" or 7" but an aura of reckless abandon precedes him. 'Weeeeeellll, now, Pip! Trying to keep us out, ja? Not so nice.', he says to the boy. He brushes the kid aside and steps into the establishment, making way for his two friends. One is a much larger man, easily 6'5" or so with a meaner look to his face. The other is a chubbier man with a beard and eyes that can't be seen beneath his bushy brows. All of them wear shabby armor and have some manner of weapon aside from their vile look. Each of their heads is shaved bald, and tattooed with ugly, sloppy inks that are unintelligible. Skaldian. By look, and speech.
Jonas glances from Kahlan over to the three hoodlums and nods. 'Everything's fine, sir... Just patrons entering for a drink, no doubt...' The short guy is obviously the leader of the pack. He brushes by the kid and saunters for the bar with the other two in tow.
Gabrielle grabs Odettes hand, brows raising high as the three men enter, murmuring to the Valerian
In the process of maintaining her glossy air of blissful unawareness, Lucrece accidentally notices the new arrivals to the parlor, who set their course toward the bar where fate has left her sitting on her own. She snaps open her fan and flicks her wrist slowly, stirring the air about her casually.
Gabrielle whispers "Elua, do you there will be a fight. Companions help me, if Kahlan gets hurt...."
Odette shakes her head in disbelief. "I dont know... Ive never seen a bar fight..." Her voice sounds more curious than fearful as she watches the men. "Maybe they just want a drink..?" She tries to be optimistic for Gabrielle's sake.
Kahlan smiles a little bit, picking up the Skaldian voice. His eyes glance to the three men as he moves to the corner of the bar, perhaps making room for the men and perhaps moving closer to Gabrielle as your friend. He says to the bartender as he shifts, "If you say so...."
The short guy walks up to the bar where Jonas is, looking Kahlan up and down. He senses the "hero" factor, and thus gives him a healthy once over before passing him by. Jonas greets him with a nod. The short fellow leans over the bar, and slides a very skinny knife from his sleeve. Idly he begins to pluck his nails with it, while addressing the Innkeep: 'Now... Boss wasn't so happy with your answer before, Jo-Jo. So we're going to have try again, ja?' The two others fall in behind him. The fat one with the sunken eyes takes a spot near to where Lucrece is fanning herself. He lets his broad build sag into a standing posture, when he looks to her he smiles. There are maybe three real teeth in there. One is silver. His bushy brows lift suggestively.
Jonas breathes in rebelion and says, 'I told you before! I won't let you do that with your establishment, I don't care -who- your boss is! Kindly have a drink and relax, or please leave. You're bothering my customers.'
Fanning a little faster, Lucrece tries to perfect the appearance of being oblivious to the stare she receives from the fat man, but eventually something - perhaps the glint of light off his silver tooth - forces her to look in his direction. She gives him a cursory nod of her head, glancing toward Jonas as a little of the exchange drifts back to her. She seems to perk up with interest.
Gabrielle's hand tightened on Odettes harder, flickering her gaze flicking to Lucrece and the calm she seemed to posesses. She turned then to the jug of mulled wine and began to pour a cup for Odette, passing it over to her.
Kahlan rests against the bar on his elbow, waiting for the barkeep to finish his business with his three recent customers. He scratches his the back of his head with his free hand and looks back to the young boy. Seeing him still near the door he turns back to the somewhat tense situation.
Odette takes the jug and pours herself as glass without spilling a drop, though her eyes are still on the spectacle before them. "Well you said he was a fighter... and he's got armor right? I wouldnt worry about him, he seems to handle himself well enough." All of this said with an easy demeanor as if she has seen many a brawl in her time.
When Jonas rejects the little guy's apparent question, he palms his bald head. He breathes out heavily, then looks back up and says, 'I like you, Jo! I didn't want it to be like this, but Boss didn't send us here to chat this time.' At that, he turns and looks over his shoulder at the big guy. He's rocking on his heels, looking somewhat anxious. The little guy looks up to him and says about three sentences in Skaldian. Despite the rough and tumble sound to the language, whatever was said in it didn't sound particularly good. The big guy grins.
He lumbers over, past Kahlan, and picks up a stool. With one hand, he rotates at the trunk and slings that stool across the bar! -*SMASH!!!*- The stool explodes, and breaks everysingle bottle glass and mug within a 2 foot radius of the impact!
Jonas covers his head, and shouts, 'Get out!!'
The little guy can't help but laugh, he glances again at Kahlan as if expecting something... then back out across to Gabrielle and Odette. He looks back to Kahlan and whistles with appreciation before he starts to head over to the couple. Meanwhile, the fat guy seems to be pursuing Lucrece by inching closer and leaning against the bar near her. The big guy picks up another stool, and looks around for something else to smash!
Pepe cries.
Gabrielle jumped, the wine splashing in her cup as the stool smashed. THe brown eyes were wider, and getting even wider when one of the three started heading thier way. She shoved her galss into odette's free ahdn and lunged for her cloak, pulling it close, settling her feet on the floor, murmuring to odette. Gabrielle whispers "I have my dagger with me. in my cloak. What in Elua's name are they doing here?!"
This all fascinates Lucrece, who watches the exchange wide eyed. The smashing of glass provides a new sort of cadence to the parlor, replacing the general din which more or less falls to absolute silence with the efforts of the Skaldi. Since the fat man appears to be enamored with her, she leans a little in his direction, still fanning herself vigorously, and asks in a melodic tone, "Who is your boss? He must be a formidable man." She smiles, too. All in the name of attempting to bribe the fat man into answering her question. For what purpose is anyone's guess.
Odette puts the glasses on the table none too gently, spilling their contents and tries to rip the cloak from Gabi's hands as soon she hears about the dagger. In a forceful whisper she instructs her, "That'd be idiotic and give um another weapon. Just sit down and be calm... do what the Dowayne taught you , i bet it works with oafs like this one..." Shes not afraid just very pragmatic.
When Lucrece leans closer, she could actually see the fat man's eyes. Squeezed between bushy, saggy brows and high cheek bones is a faint glimmer. He listens to her, and takes her forwardness as a sign that she's ready to mate. A huge, hairy, calloused paw reaches out and goes directly for her bosom, while he answers her in Skaldi. What he says sounds downright, fucking disgusting. Of the two sentences he says, the only things she could really pick out of his throaty, gutter dialect is "Grosse Mann."
Gabrielle hisses somethign to odette, not relinquishing the cloak, her jaw tight as she flickered her gaze between the oncoming Skaldi and the others.
Kahlan rests idly against the bar, unwavering and uncaring with the smashing of the stool and the forcible threats. The shortman whistles and takes a few steps toward Kahlan and past in the direction of Gabrielle and her friend. As the man passes, Kahlan grabs his shoulder and turns the man back toward him, "Stick to your business."
Gabrielle whispers "I know how to use it. And a sword. I'm not dense. I've been taking lessons like I was in Mandrake. Kahlan, one of the D'aiglemrots. I'm in the woods every second morning"
The clutching hand is enough to cause Lucrece to immediately abandon the lean, using her fan to intercept its path with a chiding frown as she straightens in her seat, a safer proximity from the fat man. She shrugs her shoulders helplessly, the universal gesture for "I don't understand" carried through with his unintelligible speech.
The short fellow who had been making a course for the two women is turned by the hand on his shoulder. He finally knows what gets a fight out of Kahlan! With a wide, predatory smile of crooked, chipped, and yellowed teeth. The little guy waves the skinny knife in his other hand and says to Kahlan, 'Ahhh but I plan to make them my business. So young and pretty. Boss can sell those for a good price!' Meanwhile, in the background, the huge Skaldi is rampaging in circles, breaking furniture and stools and windows and shouting. Jonas is shouting in the background for him to stop!
Odette quickly replies her frustration causing her dialect to come on strong, " I'm not sayin yer dense, I'm sayin' its foolish and good way to make this worse than it need be. Is like teasin a drunk man. Ya jus dont do it, girl." She pauses and breathes. "Please. Your friend will 'andle.. I mean handle it."
The fat man, apparently, doesn't understand either. Interest was shown, and Lucrece is doomed! The fat man persists, of course she's only playing hard to get. He steps towards her and tries to wrap his girthy arms about her while continueing to croon at her in that filthy language. His breath stinks of liquor and gums disease.
"It's not like I'm going to just up and have a go at him Odette. It was just in case" She cringes each time a piece of furniture is smashed, and a small gasp when Kahlan and the man who had intended on meeting them speaks and interacts with Khalan. "Why is the guard not coming"
Realizing a flaw in her plan too late, Lucrece is forced to abandon it by collapsing her fan and using the end of it to jab the fat man in the chest before he can get too close. She clears her throat and glances toward the burgeoning altercation between the other brute and Kahlan. In an effort to distract the fat man, and perhaps free herself of him, she wonders aloud if his friend doesn't require assistance.
The fat man receives the jab in the chest and backs away, anger flushes hot over his bald head. He rears his hand back and tries to open-handedly smack her across the face! 'Veibchen!' he barks at her.
"Leave her alone you BRUTE!" Gabrielle yelled out as the mans laps Lucrece.
Kahlan looks back at the short Skaldian man with nothing but a smile, though the nature of it seems quite different and frightning...at least to Gabrielle. Kahlans hand just pulls off of the short mans shoulder and begins patting "Well, why didn't you say that from the star," his sentence is cut off as his his hand lifts from the mans shoulder and grasps the back of his neck, pulling it toward him as the middle of Kahlan's forehead crashes into mans. Catching the man off-guard he continues forward and tackles him to the ground, throwing fists down upon him brutally with no regard for the man's companions.
Odette holds her own forehead and shakes her head. She quickly recovers from her expression disbelief and looks to her friend. "Alright fine you 'ave yer knife at the ready then." She break a near by
glass on the table and holds it her hand. She looks around to see if anyone has called the guard.
The short fellow had just started to spin with his hungry eyes on the two pretty girls when he's turned back just in time to meet Kahlan's forehead with his mouth! The wet noise of spit and blood on impact and crackling teeth could be heard. He falls to the floor immediately under the weight of Kahlan and succumbs to his flurry of punches! Skaldians don't give up easily, however, and the knife is still clutched in his other hand. This comes flying up them the side and underneath in a haphazard search for Kahlan's ribs. The big guy is too busy breaking things to worry about helping his friend. He's off in some corner right now, scarring that poor bar maid have to death by stomping a table into splinters!
Jonas, in his ever fondness for Lucrece, grabs hold of the fat man's elbow just as he was about to crack her and the slap goes errant! This draws the portly Skaldian's ire, however, and he bears down on Jonas instead. Growling in Skaldian, he drives Jonas towards the wall and gives -him- a smacking instead! Closed fist, Jonas' smile will forever be chip-toothed now.
Lucrece has about enough time to begin to exhibit an expression of shock at the impending threat of a backhanded slap, but then the innkeep Jonas seems to become aware of her peril in a timely fashion and intercedes. As he catches the fat man's arm and a brawl ensues, Lucrece abandons her seat at the bar in an effort to make herself invisible.
"My lady, over here!" Gabrielle hissed to the noblewoman, beckoning her to the saftey of the fireplace, shuffling to the side to make room. Tablkes and chairs ebtween them and the scufflers, Winces for Kahlan at the sight of the blade, and still beckoning Lucrece over.
Kahlan's armor is thick and well cared for. He continues dropping his clenched fists into the bald mans face, continuing to bludgeon his already hideous face. The motion of his body and the quality of his armor make it difficult for the short man to find a good place to stick him without good force...not that Kahlan would seem to care if he did. His fists quickly subside, grasping the mans neck and squeezing as hard as his body will allow, slamming the mans head into the ground violently.
Odette moves about to put another chair or two between them and the Skaldic men at the bar. She picks up her broken glass again. "So... this was not what I had planned for my afternoon... you ladies? " She chuckles darkly.
With Jonas falling to the floor and clutching his bleeding mouth, the fat man turns about scouring for what was to be his new girlfriend. Finding nothing, he shouts to the big guy, 'Uwe! Brennen! Breennnen sie!' If anyone had any knowledge of Skaldi, or would know the verb "to burn", that's exactly what they plan to do. The hulk leaves the bar maid, and goes in search of the tools to do so.
The short man's knife lunge had been his last hoorah. It was an awkward strike, but a man in his dying throes will do anything for survival. The blade was thrust with wirey strength, and while the armor about Kahlan's side would dull and absorb most of the blow, he is stabbed about two or three inches deep into harmless meat. He'll feel it when the adrenaline wears off, and he notice there's a dagger sticking out of his armor.
The short man holds the knife there with a trembling grip as his face is pummelled, and he ultimately goes limp. Dead or unconscious would be hard to say, only Kahlan would be able to tell.
Skirting her way over to the little group safely out of the way for Kahlan's heroic efforts, Lucrece exclaims: "What other reason might I suffer the lower city but for a hint of adventure? There are so few brawls at court. Though no shortage of groping men!" She adjusts her bodice a tiny bit with a lingering frown of distaste, but she forces it away.
"I've never known a shortage of gro.. Kahlan!" The cloak and the dagger fall to thef loor as gabrielle's hands fly to her mouth, a horrified look on her face. She seems to dart forward then check herself and stay by the relative safety of the fire place. The petite courtesan does not look happy and grabs both womens hands tight.
Just when the large fellow comes up with a broken table leg, the fat man had produced a tinderbox. They seem to not care at all about their comrade. When pudgy womanizer strikes up a flame people in the back scream, and so does Jonas. He stands up and shouts, 'STOP!! Stop!! I'll do it...' That draws the attention of the two, and each of them cracks a grin.
Odette runs her hand thorough her friend's hair. "He'll be fine.. he's in armor.. and the guard'll come soon..." She looks to Lucrece with a wicked grin. "So.. I dont think we've met ..I'm Odette no Valerian.." She then turns to look at the flame in the back...
Kahlan watched the Skaldian man with almost a smile as his body went limp beneath him. His grip squeezed even tighter after the man ceased to move, unflinched by the knife in his side like a battle-tested soldier rushing on adreneline. His consciousness begining to catchup with him, he thought he heard something about a fire and immediately pushes himself to his feet and turns to the two other men. Drawing his shortsword sword he says impatiantly, "Your business is over..." and begins to walk closer.
Lucrece is distracted with an effort to spot the stable boy amidst the relative disorder of the parlor. Until Jonas draws her attention back to the far end where the thoroughly smashed bar undergoes its siege. She takes back her hand from Gabrielle with a brief glance and says to Odette, "How wonderful!" She cranes her neck with interest to watch Kahlan and the others at the bar.
Jonas, with a hand cupped to his bloodied mouth dashes over (as well as a fat man can) to Kahlan. The Innkeeper tries to lay a hand upon Kahlan's sword to stop him. He says, 'No, sir! Please... no more.'
The two ruffians are walking back over to Jonas, the large guy eyeballing Kahlan with his hand full of a homemade club. The fat guy seems to have taken the leader's place. He's grinning wide, baring those three teeth, and he says to Jonas, 'Gut! I vill tell zhe boss.' Pepe has been huddled up in a fetal position in a corner through the entire exchange.
Odette cannot help but laugh loudly at the noblewoman's excuse. She sighs and just smirks back in response. She turns to see her friend Gabi, watch her companion seemingly kill a man. "Hun, Gabrielle... " She tried to distract her.
"Heliotrope" Gabrielle offered up, wincing again at seeing her patron and friend now bringing hsi sword out. "Elua help him" under her breath, finger snow gripping her skirts. 'Where is the bloody guard"
Odette looks to the unknown noblewoman baffled. Then, she squeezes Gabi's hand and lets go. "Should I go get them... the guard I mean?"
Kahlan continues as he glances back over his shoulder at the battered, bloodied, and lifeless man on the ground, "...and take everything you came with when you go."
The two ruffians grin at Kahlan. The fat one extinguishes the flame, and he gestures and speaks in germanic tones to the large one. He reaches down and grabs the bloodied and battered leader by the foot and proceeds to drag him out.
On his way out, the fat Skaldi reaches out to tap a finger on the hilt of the dagger sticking out of Kahlan's side! He laughs and continues out the door, leaving the Inn in shambles.
Pepe stirs to life and comes scamping over to Jonas. Jonas takes a seat on the floor and wipes at his bloody mouth.
Kahlan watches the Skaldian men, following them to their friend and out the door. The look in Kahlan's eyes can't hide his wish for them not to listen...but his will and restraint is regained. He pushes the door shut after the men leave, dropping the wooden latch in place to lock the door for the time being.
Now, now is when Gabrielle bursts into tears, the retreating Skaldi dragging thier leader. THe petite courtesan rushes and weaves past tables and chairs to come to Kahlan's side, hands fluttering over him and checking him over, even as her cheeks Whetted. "You stupid stupid stupid man!" Spotting the dagger sticking out, a little muffled shriek.
Odette makes her way over to Jonas with a sympathetic look on her face. "Uh.. is there anything I can do to help? Glass a somethin' strong?"
Lucrece seems relieved by the departure of the menaces and their corpse-like friend, and she lifts the hem of her skirt as she traverses the blood streaked floor left in his wake. She moves cautiously to the door, trying to peek out of it at the retreating figures until it is closed and latched by Kahlan.
Kahlan looks down to Gabrielle with a small smile. He cups her cheek, inadvertantly smudging blood on his fair skin, "It's ok Gabrielle...I'm ok." Feeling Gabrielle's hand bump the dagger, he groans a little...feeling the pain for the first time. Trying to calm her, he reassures her, "It's mostly armor...barely flesh."
Pepe stammers about, saying, 'Master! They ... They broke everything! What will we do?!' Jonas grimaces in annoyance and growls, 'Shut up! Go tend to the customers, make sure no one's hurt.' He ruminates his jaw and spits out a tooth. Pepe starts to skirt the Inn, and he stops at Lucrece, 'Are you alright, milady? Did they hurt you?' His cute, young face and his big brown eyes just bleat with concern.
When Odette reaches the portly and injured Innkeeper, he extends a palm to her back and says, 'No, madame. Please, it's alright. Everything's alright. I apologize for that mess.'
Meandering near the door, and anxious, perhaps, to leave, Lucrece meets Pepe's concern with a tragic smile, feigned toward a dramatic extreme. "It was terrible! Terrible! My virtue was positively threatened! And where were you to rescue me?" She frowns at Pepe. Frowns.
Odette looks dow at the battered innkeep. "No need to apologize and I'm no madam... just Odette. And the mess.. well it happens." She shrugs softly and steps back. "So if your sure that I can't help.. I'll go see to my friend." She makes her way over to Gabi and Kahlan.
Pepe stalls. He looks at her, appalled, suddenly realizing his failures as a man. Those eyes glaze with wetness, and his jaw begins to tremble as he says, 'B-...B....' All that leads to the poor stableboy's total collapse. He falls to his knees and clasps his hands before her skirts and sobs, 'I'm sorry, Madame! I've failed you!'
'You are hurt and you have a knife sticking out of your side and you are hurt!" Gabrielle fired back at him, looking around for towels or something. ODette's appearance doesn't calm the woman any, her cheek now streaked red and tears running freely. 'Physician. Someone. Or eva. Find eva, or someone"
Odette nods and runs out the door to the street to track someone down. She returns promptly and says that she sent a boy to fetch Eva quickly. She then goes about the room helping clean up and making herself useful.
The smug satisfaction of victory glimmers in Lucrece's eyes as she watches Pepe's utter collapse at her feet. She tilts her chin upward, sticking her nose in the air, and announces aloud as much to Pepe as to anyone in the immediate vicinity that is close enough to hear her: "Surely you will replay me, somehow. Somehow."
Kahlan overhears the boy being chastized and calls him over, "Pepe." At that he grabs the hilt of the dagger in his side and pulls it out with a tight wince. He grabs the towel from the bar and stuffs it under the red-streaked plate, "Gabrielle, I'll be fine. It's nothing serious."
Jonas gathers up his bar maids and various employees. They usher out most of the customers, Jonas with his mouth cleaned up gushes apologies and promises of free drinks and meals in the future. He allows you all to stay, as you were all part of the main scuffle, and Kahlan clearly needs attention.
Jonas glances over at Pepe's bawling and shouts, 'PEPE!!! Get off your knees you runt, and go help the visitors with their horses.'
Pepe snivels and bows pitifully to Lucrece before hobbling out the door to attend to the leaving customers. The employees begin to assess the damage and to clean up.
-----------Fade to Black---------
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