Aylie and the Leaky Tankard...
OK, got inspired again, so I'm revisiting my Aylie story. First part's here, second's here. And here's the third part:
"Thank you. I will then start there. I wish to retire for a little peace this evening, and I will come back here tomorrow to begin the search. Good day." Aylie bowed slightly, ending the meeting. The Representatives nodded and turned toward each other to discuss the procedings. Aylie took her leave and left the hall, heading toward the Leaky Tankard, best tavern in the High City.
Aylie pushed open the door and took in the sight. The crowd here was not quite what she was used to, but that didn't mean their ale wouldn't still quench her thirst. Almost-nobility and wanna-bes turned to assess her, and finding nothing to interest them, turned back to their business. These are the days I'm glad we don't have a uniform, Aylie thought as she sauntered up to the bar.
"Mug of your best please," she said to the bartender, then turned and leaned her back on the bar, looking out at the crowd. A lot of money was floating around there, but little worry - woe be to the silly thief that tried something in High City. The king might not favor magic, but that didn't mean he wouldn't use anything he could to secure his home, the kingdom's central city. Most knew better than to even try something in these walls.
Taking her mug and nodding her thanks to the bartender, she dropped her coins on the counter then wandered over to a free table near the door to look, listen and think. Having almost nothing to go on as far as this artifact was concerned was troubling. No Destination even more so. She was a Pathwalker, NOT a detective, prior thoughts aside. She found strange things because she was strong enough to bring them back, but she always knew WHAT is was she was retrieving. She was going to have to find a clue, some idea as to WHAT this Storm-Stopper was going to be, and that probably meant a trip to the Archives to look through myths and legends. Not that the King's men probably haven't already scoured the Archives, but it always seems that learned men overlook the most important details, onea that lead to answers.
As she pondered what it could possibly be that the Magi thought her Guild could find, let alone retrieve, a small movement caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. She casually glanced a few tables over and saw some rustling and sighed. Looks like not everyone knows better Aylie thought as she downed her ale and waited for the fireworks to begin.
It all happened so very fast.
One minute the would-be thief was rummaging as quietly as he could through someone's bag, the next he was yelping as his hand singed and a mark appeared on his forhead - the red squiggle over a circle, the sign of a thief. The bag's owner jumped up from the bar and ran toward the marked man as two of the King's men burst through the door. There was a clear look of panic as the man frantically looked around the room. Then his eyes locked with Aylie's.
A split second too late she realized what he was about to do. Slight of build and quick, he nimbly lept over the table in front of him, rolled under the next, then grabbed Aylie and pressed a knife to her throat. "Come with me, pretty," he hissed into her ear as he used her like a shield to get out of the Leaky Tankard. "Like Hell," she hissed back, but his grip was like a vise, so she stopped struggling and just walked. Then Walked.
Walking the Path is never easy. It is a sort of pseudo-magic, not really able to be learned unless you already have a talent for it. Usually a Pathwalker does not display any other talents, and many choose to ignore that ability, resulting in a rather small number of true Walkers. Even though it comes naturally, being able to fully control and utilize the ability takes years of training and guidence, and only the best even get considered for the Guild. The level of concentration needed to fully control Paths usually required trained Walkers to use talismans for speed. That's why Aylie's so unusual. Most Walkers don't really master the Path until into their thirties. At 21, Aylie's a bit of a prodegy. She trined very quickyl, and never needed a talisman, though she hums to focus. She also has the unique ability to bring others with her, something that had never been seen before. She used that ability now.
One minute the two of them were walking out the door of the Leaky Tankard, Aylie humming and the man looking at her oddly. The next there was this odd sensation of their bodies being pulled in multiple directions all at once. There was a shift in the air and both Aylie and the thief slipped onto a Path, about three people wide, shimmering a liquid blue. The world around them faded into translucent shadows. This Path was short, curving right slightly.
The man squeaked and grabbed his stomach, letting Aylie go. "Shows you, grabbing a random person for your get-a-way," she huffed at him as she watched the green fade a little from his face. "Jarring, huh?" She smirked.
"What... what just happened?" He staggered a little, the caught himself and stood up.
"You picked the wrong victim, buddy. I'm a Pathwalker, and we're on a Path." As his eyes got big, she laughed. "I'm not going to kill you or anything. I'm not the law. I just don't appreciate being taken advantage of, people assuming I'm a helpless wench. Walk with me and we'll be out of here in no time."
He nodded and slowly joined her side. "You know, I was just looking for something I could sell, something I could use to feed me and my wife. I wasn't really going to hurt you. I just could not get taken, Kyra can't fend for herself..." his voice trailed off. "Sorry I grabbed you. Guess that was pretty dumb. Even wenches aren't all helpless." He grinned sheepishly, looking her at Aylie. His dark brown hair just brushed his light brown eyes, making him look young.
Aylie tried to look stern, but he looked so pathetic she could not help but laugh again. "Fine, it's ok. Here, have some coin, just don't EVER do that again, to wench or warrior." She tossed a few coins at him, which he caught deftly.
"Thanks. I'm Rafe, by the way. And, uh, if you don't mind me asking, what's a Pathwalker doing in a tavern anyway? Aren't you, like, nobility or something?" He shuffled along after her as she Walked to the end of the Path. She kept glancing at the shadows, but turned to face him, a smile playing on her lips.
"Well, if you MUST know, I'm working, and I needed inspiration. Thought a nice drink would calm me enough to focus on the matter at hand. Didn't intend on getting nabbed." She mock-glared at him. He looked properly chagrined.
"Working? Inspiration? Don't you, uh, go places?"
"When you don't know the place, it's hard to get there."
"Oh."
They got to the end of the Path. Aylie reached for Rafe's hand. He hesitated, and she said, "Well, do you want to stay on this Path forever or do you want to go back? It'll be a little disorientating again, but this time you'll know it's coming. But you have to touch me to go back." He gulped, nodded, and took her hand.
As their feet took the last step off the Path, the pulling sensation re-occured, the air shifted again, and their feet landed on solid ground. Aylie appeared to be fine. Rafe was a bit green around the gills again.
He looked around and gasped. They were right by the enterance to the city, far from the tavern and the busy market near the center of High City. "Yeah, we travelled a ways in a short time. It's that thing I do." Aylie grinned and let Rafe go. He teetered slightly but seemed otherwise OK. "I figured you lived out of the cty bounds. Go, be careful, and for the Kingdom's sake no more thieving here, it's just not safe." She bowed a little bow and turned on her heels to walk back into the city.
"Wait!"
Aylie turned to look at Rafe. "What?"
"You said you need help. You've been more than kind to me. Let me return the favor."
Aylie almost laughed, but then she remembered her own chiding of the nobles overlooking the helpful and thought better of it. "Yeah, ok... I need information on any tales that deal with an item that can stop a storm or save the world. Ask around and meet me back at the Leaky Tankard tomorrow night. I know it sounds silly, but any tales you can find might help."
He looked confused, but nodded. "Tales, ok, I can do that. I'll see you then!" With a wave he was off into the night, vanishing in the darkness.
Stiffling a yawn, Aylie started her long walk back to into the city, toward her lodgings and her soft, soft bed.
"Thank you. I will then start there. I wish to retire for a little peace this evening, and I will come back here tomorrow to begin the search. Good day." Aylie bowed slightly, ending the meeting. The Representatives nodded and turned toward each other to discuss the procedings. Aylie took her leave and left the hall, heading toward the Leaky Tankard, best tavern in the High City.
Aylie pushed open the door and took in the sight. The crowd here was not quite what she was used to, but that didn't mean their ale wouldn't still quench her thirst. Almost-nobility and wanna-bes turned to assess her, and finding nothing to interest them, turned back to their business. These are the days I'm glad we don't have a uniform, Aylie thought as she sauntered up to the bar.
"Mug of your best please," she said to the bartender, then turned and leaned her back on the bar, looking out at the crowd. A lot of money was floating around there, but little worry - woe be to the silly thief that tried something in High City. The king might not favor magic, but that didn't mean he wouldn't use anything he could to secure his home, the kingdom's central city. Most knew better than to even try something in these walls.
Taking her mug and nodding her thanks to the bartender, she dropped her coins on the counter then wandered over to a free table near the door to look, listen and think. Having almost nothing to go on as far as this artifact was concerned was troubling. No Destination even more so. She was a Pathwalker, NOT a detective, prior thoughts aside. She found strange things because she was strong enough to bring them back, but she always knew WHAT is was she was retrieving. She was going to have to find a clue, some idea as to WHAT this Storm-Stopper was going to be, and that probably meant a trip to the Archives to look through myths and legends. Not that the King's men probably haven't already scoured the Archives, but it always seems that learned men overlook the most important details, onea that lead to answers.
As she pondered what it could possibly be that the Magi thought her Guild could find, let alone retrieve, a small movement caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. She casually glanced a few tables over and saw some rustling and sighed. Looks like not everyone knows better Aylie thought as she downed her ale and waited for the fireworks to begin.
It all happened so very fast.
One minute the would-be thief was rummaging as quietly as he could through someone's bag, the next he was yelping as his hand singed and a mark appeared on his forhead - the red squiggle over a circle, the sign of a thief. The bag's owner jumped up from the bar and ran toward the marked man as two of the King's men burst through the door. There was a clear look of panic as the man frantically looked around the room. Then his eyes locked with Aylie's.
A split second too late she realized what he was about to do. Slight of build and quick, he nimbly lept over the table in front of him, rolled under the next, then grabbed Aylie and pressed a knife to her throat. "Come with me, pretty," he hissed into her ear as he used her like a shield to get out of the Leaky Tankard. "Like Hell," she hissed back, but his grip was like a vise, so she stopped struggling and just walked. Then Walked.
Walking the Path is never easy. It is a sort of pseudo-magic, not really able to be learned unless you already have a talent for it. Usually a Pathwalker does not display any other talents, and many choose to ignore that ability, resulting in a rather small number of true Walkers. Even though it comes naturally, being able to fully control and utilize the ability takes years of training and guidence, and only the best even get considered for the Guild. The level of concentration needed to fully control Paths usually required trained Walkers to use talismans for speed. That's why Aylie's so unusual. Most Walkers don't really master the Path until into their thirties. At 21, Aylie's a bit of a prodegy. She trined very quickyl, and never needed a talisman, though she hums to focus. She also has the unique ability to bring others with her, something that had never been seen before. She used that ability now.
One minute the two of them were walking out the door of the Leaky Tankard, Aylie humming and the man looking at her oddly. The next there was this odd sensation of their bodies being pulled in multiple directions all at once. There was a shift in the air and both Aylie and the thief slipped onto a Path, about three people wide, shimmering a liquid blue. The world around them faded into translucent shadows. This Path was short, curving right slightly.
The man squeaked and grabbed his stomach, letting Aylie go. "Shows you, grabbing a random person for your get-a-way," she huffed at him as she watched the green fade a little from his face. "Jarring, huh?" She smirked.
"What... what just happened?" He staggered a little, the caught himself and stood up.
"You picked the wrong victim, buddy. I'm a Pathwalker, and we're on a Path." As his eyes got big, she laughed. "I'm not going to kill you or anything. I'm not the law. I just don't appreciate being taken advantage of, people assuming I'm a helpless wench. Walk with me and we'll be out of here in no time."
He nodded and slowly joined her side. "You know, I was just looking for something I could sell, something I could use to feed me and my wife. I wasn't really going to hurt you. I just could not get taken, Kyra can't fend for herself..." his voice trailed off. "Sorry I grabbed you. Guess that was pretty dumb. Even wenches aren't all helpless." He grinned sheepishly, looking her at Aylie. His dark brown hair just brushed his light brown eyes, making him look young.
Aylie tried to look stern, but he looked so pathetic she could not help but laugh again. "Fine, it's ok. Here, have some coin, just don't EVER do that again, to wench or warrior." She tossed a few coins at him, which he caught deftly.
"Thanks. I'm Rafe, by the way. And, uh, if you don't mind me asking, what's a Pathwalker doing in a tavern anyway? Aren't you, like, nobility or something?" He shuffled along after her as she Walked to the end of the Path. She kept glancing at the shadows, but turned to face him, a smile playing on her lips.
"Well, if you MUST know, I'm working, and I needed inspiration. Thought a nice drink would calm me enough to focus on the matter at hand. Didn't intend on getting nabbed." She mock-glared at him. He looked properly chagrined.
"Working? Inspiration? Don't you, uh, go places?"
"When you don't know the place, it's hard to get there."
"Oh."
They got to the end of the Path. Aylie reached for Rafe's hand. He hesitated, and she said, "Well, do you want to stay on this Path forever or do you want to go back? It'll be a little disorientating again, but this time you'll know it's coming. But you have to touch me to go back." He gulped, nodded, and took her hand.
As their feet took the last step off the Path, the pulling sensation re-occured, the air shifted again, and their feet landed on solid ground. Aylie appeared to be fine. Rafe was a bit green around the gills again.
He looked around and gasped. They were right by the enterance to the city, far from the tavern and the busy market near the center of High City. "Yeah, we travelled a ways in a short time. It's that thing I do." Aylie grinned and let Rafe go. He teetered slightly but seemed otherwise OK. "I figured you lived out of the cty bounds. Go, be careful, and for the Kingdom's sake no more thieving here, it's just not safe." She bowed a little bow and turned on her heels to walk back into the city.
"Wait!"
Aylie turned to look at Rafe. "What?"
"You said you need help. You've been more than kind to me. Let me return the favor."
Aylie almost laughed, but then she remembered her own chiding of the nobles overlooking the helpful and thought better of it. "Yeah, ok... I need information on any tales that deal with an item that can stop a storm or save the world. Ask around and meet me back at the Leaky Tankard tomorrow night. I know it sounds silly, but any tales you can find might help."
He looked confused, but nodded. "Tales, ok, I can do that. I'll see you then!" With a wave he was off into the night, vanishing in the darkness.
Stiffling a yawn, Aylie started her long walk back to into the city, toward her lodgings and her soft, soft bed.