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[Nerys Lamia]

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Nerys waited on the bed for Sablerose to finish changing. Her feet swung beneath her, barely brushing the floor. That was a discouraging observation. Al had removed herself from the woman's shoulder and appeared to be asleep on one of the pillows.

"Don't get too happy. Don't forget that you're here for a reason. You have to become good so that--"

"I know!" Nerys interrupted, unwilling to hear any more. She knew what she had to do. She knew why she was here. This wasn't a vacation. This wasn't time to be making friends. She had a mission. Her people were depending on her, waiting on her to become a good witch.

The two sat in silence, Nerys swinging her legs beneath her while Al attempted to sleep. It was impossible. They couldn't sleep alone. And the thoughts that trouble the young woman, troubled them both. What was she doing? Trying to be friendly? Had she hoped to make friends with an outsider? That was the sort of thing that had gotten her into trouble in the first place.

She flung herself back on the bed, bouncing slightly on the mattress. She placed an arm over her eyes, closing them in thought. "Al? Do you think I'll ever be good?"

The nightingale hopped to where her partner lay and nuzzled the side of the blonde's face. "Probably not. But we'll try. However long it takes. Of course, that could take centuries with you...."

Nerys frowned. They didn't have centuries. She wouldn't live for centuries and she sincerely hoped that wasn't really how long it would take. The other princess's voice floated toward her and the young witch held out a hand to silence her familiar. Acts of defense that would make a fool of the criminal...?

She jumped up, clapping her hands together. Yes, that was perfect. It wasn't entirely good, but it was getting there. It was a baby step. For the first time in a long time, the young woman was sincerely delighted and the smile that spread across her lips danced in her off-colored eyes. "Yes! That sounds absolutely perfect!" Her smile softened as she turned to her familiar. "Maybe I can finally do something good..."

[Sablerose]

Greystreak echoed Nerys' words to Sablerose while she finished dressing. So, she had been correct in her assessment of Nerys after all. But why would she be so determined to do good? Her people, though known for their taunting trickery of foreigners, were not necessarily evil. Yet there actions had often begun wars, intentionally or not. At the very least, the general populace had very little trust for her people.

Despite all that, the Druid had to admit that she actually liked Nerys. She had a sweet innocence that seemed too ingrained to be false in character. Granted, that did not eliminate the possibility that she was a far more accomplished actress than Sablerose gave her credit for. Yet, even if she was, the fact that she was willing to carry out these acts of impromptu charity was good enough for the Druid, even if the intent was not quite a motivated from good.

I wonder, though, Greystreak mused, whether or not there's more to her reasons than a selfish need to perform trickery in some form. You are right about one thing, in that there is certain sense of desperation. It's in her voice, as well as in the way she holds herself. I would still be careful, Calla. A desperate person is still quite dangerous, for they have nothing to lose in taking foolish risks.

In that, the Laurelian Princess agreed wholeheartedly.

As she exited the washroom, Greystreak came to all four feet, though a wee bit stiffly. The trip had been long, and neither of them had been able to get much sleep the previous night. She leaned down and whispered a few words under her breath. Her hands glowed briefly as she placed her hands on either side of the wolf's head. He gave a loud sigh as the healing spell washed away quite a bit of his exhaustion. It wouldn't eliminate all of it, but he would be good for a few hours still. Unfortunately, she couldn't use it on herself in the same manner.

"Thank you for the use of the washroom." She patted the saddle bag. "I've packed my royal togs for the moment, and I'm ready to follow your lead. I'll drop it off with Nightwind on our way out."

She stepped out and approached the bed, taking a seat next to Nerys. "So, what did you have in mind?"

[Nerys Lamia]

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Nerys watched Sablerose with curiosity. She had seen healing magic before, but only of the witches' sort. She had never seen it performed by a non-witch. It required whispered words and it seemed that it could be used on a familiar. She glanced at Al out of the corner of her eyes. The nightingale injuries were all transmitted to her with partner, whether that was desired or not. She became fatigued with her partner, not on her own. She was merely an extension of the soul.

The blonde was thoroughly interested and highly curious. Druidic familiars, it seemed, were incredibly different.

She took the position of command in stride and nodded, the smile on her face fading into the utmost seriousness. She had rarely ventured to the inns and taverns on that side of town, her best instincts telling her that they were trouble. In retrospect, that would have been good reason to have gone.

Well, alright. A bit of wandering and they were sure to find something. At least, she decided, she knew in what general direction to go. Leading the way as though it were the most natural thing to do, she locked the door to her room as they left and waved an amiable goodbye to the crowds in the tavern.

Again, the walk did not seem entirely long and was in the opposite direction from which they had come. Slowly, the streets became moire crowded and the cobblestone became covered in dirt and grime. Lights were dimmer as lamps that held the flames were stained. Few such lights lit the darkened street as the sun began to sink below the horizon.

She stopped in front of a particularly badly lit pub, the sign signifying its entrance cracked and broken. Yes, this seemed like a place where trouble would surely happen. The young witch tossed a smile over her shoulder as she opened the door and stepped into the grungy room. Yes...this was where she would be able to find trouble. She could tell from the nature of the glances thrown their way.

[Sablerose]

Calla decided it was better -though 'wiser' was not a term she would have applied at the moment- to follow Nerys' lead. If nothing else, she obviously had been in the city longer and knew her way around far better than the Druid who had never been there before that day. Add in that Calla was far less comfortable in so large a city as Venus, and it became clear that Nerys was far better suited for the role of leader here.

The trip through the danker aspects of Venus was a lesson in just how many new stenches she and Greystreak could name, though the wolf hid his own discomfort well enough. Nerys' choice certainly seemed to fit what Calla would have considered a likely trouble spot. They were being given enough looks, though Greystreak's presence did deter several less ambitious contenders.

"So now what?" she asked, leaning in and whispering.

[Nerys Lamia]

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People tended to stare wherever Nerys and Al went. It was the clothing. Leather, lace, and frills were uncommon in most parts of the world: Lunaria seemed to be some sort of exception. Lunaria seemed to be the exception for a lot of things.

Now what?

Well, that was a good question. She had almost been hoping that some sort of trouble would find her as soon as she stepped into the pub.

"Unlikely..." the small voice echoed.

The witch gave a small sigh. Here she was, getting her hopes up again. And again, she was met with the same question: why was it so difficult to be good?

The whisper caused the young woman to jump, hand to her chest in surprise. It had been unexpected as she took a few deep breaths to still her furiously beating heart, Al's laughing echoing in her soul. Yes, now what...that had been the same exact question she had been asking herself.

A quick moment as brows furrowed over off-colored eyes and arms crossed over her chest. And then, she remembered.... "We get something to drink...!" she exclaimed somewhat tentatively. "You said...you would pay for me...right...?" she added, a nervous whisper to her companion.

"Get the most expensive thing! Come on, don't wait for an answer. She might change her mind!" Nerys nodded to the small bird perched on her shoulder before weaving her way through the crowd - apologizing the entire time - and finally making it to the bar. "Fire whiskey!" she ordered excitedly.

How long had it been since she had done this? In Lunaria, she had been forbidden from drinking....

[Sablerose]

Calla nodded her affirmation of her previous promise. She had a more than enough trade coin for purchases, with more coming when her actual baggage train arrived, though that would probably be a week or so from now. Having enough spending money did not concern her; keeping that money from improper hands here did.

On the other hand, if she is looking to have trouble find us, Greystreak began the glint of coin will always gather unwanted eyes.

I'm surprised at you, Grey. Surprised that you're willing to make such a suggestion.Calla looked down at the wolf, smiling.

I wouldn't under normal, less foolhearty circumstances. However, if you two insist on unnecessarily playing hero, then I might as well make some contribution.

As she followed Nerys toward the bar, she made certain that her change purse was visible (though out of immediate reach as she passed by), and that the sound of coins could be heard easily enough. With almost no loud conversation at the moment as all eyes followed their passage, the sound of the coins seemed unnaturally loud suddenly.

Calla slid on to her seat cautiously. The hairs on her neck stood up, and she felt a prickling in the center of her back, as she seemed to await the proverbial dagger in the back from a patron. Honestly, it was a foolish fear, at least here. Between Nerys and Greystreak, she would have plenty of warning. And the latter would probably had torn out the throat of anyone who tried so blatant an action. Familiar or not, he was still a wolf, and those claws and teeth were very much functional.

"An ale, please," she said to the bartender. Calla rarely drank other than wine with meals, especially given her position as a Princess. Even then, she had never drunk in excess. She saw no reason to begin now.

[Nerys Lamia]

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She was completely oblivious to the conspicuous way in which Sablerose had presented her coin bag. She was also oblivious to the way that the looks of anger, curiosity, and distrust had changed to those of covetous hunger. A rather large mug filled with something red and steaming made its way to her over the counter and the young witch took it carefully with both hands. "Ah, it's hot!" she declared with surprise.

"And you were expecting...?"

"I've never had fire whiskey. I don't know what to expect...but Sybil used to tell me that it was good!" That was a long time ago. And that was Lunarian fire whiskey. She stared curiously at the mug held securely in both hands as though expecting it to tell her what to do next.

With a shrug, she took a long, quick drink. Now, that had been a bad idea. "It's hot!" she exclaimed again. It must have been true as her face was already beginning to take on a pink tinge. She turned to her companion with a large smile spread across her lips. "What did you get, Sablerose? Is it good?"

She was much more excited than she should have been. She met someone who would help her do something good. She was drinking fire whiskey for the first time. And it was good. Nerys took another swig from the gently steaming cup as her good-natured smile grew wider.

[Sablerose]

The bartender, with a resigned look, gave Calla her requested ale. She seemed to see the possibly impending chaos that the entrance of the two women represented. She guessed that his establishment had seen more than enough fights in the past. This would just be another, if it happened, though with the extra unknown of the wolf at the redhead's side.

She took a sip of the ale. It was a tad more bitter than she would have preferred, but it still washed away much of the dust of the road. And, she hoped, it would leave her far more clear-headed than downing a rather specialized drink like fire whiskey, especially if she took it in small sips.

"It's not bad," she replied honestly. "But I've never been much of a drinker, admittedly." She used her mug to point at Nerys' drink. "It seems that you've found something you like, though."

Let's hope that she doesn't like it too much, my dear, Greystreak began because I really don't know how reliable she will be if it all goes to her head.

The concern had come to me about that. On the other hand, she just might be able to handle something like that far better than I could.

Greystreak looked up at the Lunarian, and Calla would have sworn that she saw the wolf raise his equivalent of an eyebrow. I wouldn't hold my breath about that idea.

[Nerys Lamia]

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Nerys noticed the wolf's glance in her direction and she frowned. They were talking about her. The link between Greystreak and Sablerose was admittedly strange. It could all take place in apparent silence. She glanced at the bird on her shoulder as Al tilted her small white head to the side.

It wasn't Al's fault. Much as the witch would have liked to take out her frustration and place the blame on her familiar, Alstroemeria was her only companion. The only one who had stayed with her all this time, pushing her forward.

Each sip of fire whiskey warmed her body. It had been like stepping straight from the cold to sitting in front of a cozy fire. It was comforting. A sad smile found its way to Nerys's lips as she remembered winters at home. Winters of laying on her stomach in front of a fireplace, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Winters of her parents sitting in their large, comfortable seats in the library, watching over their daughter while they read.

She missed those Lunarian winters. And this was why she had to become good: she wanted to get those winters back.

Realizing that the warm mug between her hands was empty, she placed it on the counter and grinned broadly. "Another fire whiskey!" she called. And then, turning to Sablerose with a faint blush across her cheeks, "If you don't mind.... I can pay for this one!" she added with sudden determination.

But her determination was lost as another mug was placed in front of her. Once again, she took it with both hands and took a long swig. Yes, she decided. She liked fire whiskey. She hadn't noticed that when she had spilled some of the warm liquid onto another of the bar's patrons.

[Sablerose]

Sablerose looked at Nerys' face as she drank. Despite strength of the fire whiskey, the Lunarian visage still seemed troubled, tense with some unspoken pain or stress. The Druid doubted that it had to do solely with her drive to commit heroic acts. Nerys carried her own troubles well enough, but even the relaxing aspect of the alcohol could only work so many wonders.

Once the first drink was finished, Sablerose reached into her pouch, not bothering to look for a suitable coin. Once she found one large enough, she placed it down on the bar. Only then did she notice that it was one that could probably have paid for the entire next round of drinks for the entire establishment.

That should set more than a few would-be thieves to drooling, Grey commented as he saw the image of the coin in Sablerose's thoughs.

With both of their first drinks now paid, Nerys seemed quite content on ordering another fire whiskey, and Sablerose could see the flush in the pale girl's cheeks. The drink was starting to have an effect, though just how much of one, she couldn't say for certain. Meanwhile, Sablerose was still barely half way though her first drink when she noticed that Nerys had spilled some of the drink on someone.

The howl that went up from the victim's scaled arm made almost every head that had not been looking their way come about. Needless to say, he was not a happy man, and the glare that he offer Narys was none to subtle about his displeasure. Sablerose's instinct was to try to soothe the ruffled feathers, but she stopped herself. This might be opportunity the quartet had been looking for.


Now, they just had to survive it.

[Nerys Lamia]

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Nerys, having only had the occasional sip on rare formal occasions, did not drink alcohol. And fire whiskey was much stronger than she had expected. When it hit, it hit hard. She glanced, dizzy, at the rather large, imposing figure glaring down at her.

It hadn't registered yet that he may have had a reason as she took another long drink from the gently steaming mug. "C'I help you?" she asked groggily.

"Are you seriously getting drunk? That's just sad..." Al complained, virtually unaffected by her partner's current state.

Was she getting drunk? The witch wasn't entirely sure, but the hands holding the mug no longer felt like hers. The man was yelling something which the young witch was sure was important. She tried very hard to listen, staring intently at the large man. "Jus' a apology won't cut it," he growled.

The blonde laughed. He was slurring his words. Silly man, must have been drunk. He was talking completely incoherently, at any rate. An apology for what? "An' now yer laughin' a' me? Just cos yer some rich girls don't mean ya can come here and do whate'er ya want."

Nerys looked away. Whoever he was yelling at, it clearly wasn't her. She wasn't doing whatever she wanted. She was trying to be good and do what she was supposed to do. And here this man was coming over and yelling at her for no apparent reason? Well, clearly, he had the wrong person. "Ya got a attitude. But ya know, that's a pretty face.... I think I know how ya can make it up ta me..."

A large, rough hand reached for Nerys's face and brushed against her skin before she stumbled back, dragging the mug of fire whiskey with her. The hot liquid splattered across her dress as the mug clattered on the wooden floor. Fortunately, she and her dress were left entirely undamaged as though nothing had happened. The blonde clutched at the counter as she bumped into someone while attempting to regain her balance.

[Sablerose]

So much for the thought of her being able to hold her drink.

Calla frowned at Greystreak's blunt assessment. Nerys had quickly gone from slightly buzzed to nearly falling-down drunk. And Calla's plan had gone from decent idea to disaster in almost the same amount of time. In truth, she had not counted alcohol into the equation; certainly not in the case of either one of them becoming so inebriated.

Time began to move slower to the Druid's eyes, and she doubted it had much to do with the small amount of ale that she had consumed. The man reached for Nerys, his intent etched in his lecherous grin. Nerys fell back, the two whiskeys having their way with her balance. The second drink, though not fully drunk, tipped inward as Nerys nearly collapsed to the floor. Despite its heat and reddish color, it did not either burn or stain the pale girl and her pale clothing. As Calla suspected, the clothing at least had been treated to resist stains. As for ignoring the warm of the drink, that could have been an enchantment as well, or just the result of how drunk Nerys really was.

Either way, the scene seemed to slow even more as Nerys wavered drunkenly to her feet and collided with another patron, knocking his drink out of his hand, which splashed yet another patron. Though the first one glared at Nerys, the second one glared at both the first and Nerys.

Then, without explanation, time seemed to shift back to normal speed. Greystreak had somehow gotten between Nerys' first victim and the Lunarian, his low growl punctuated by the very visible and sharp teeth in his snarl. For the moment, the man was sufficiently cowed that her backed off from Nerys.

Unfortunately, the wolf could not be everywhere at once. The man that Nerys had collided with hopped up from his seat at the bar. "Hey, girl, watch yerself!" he bellowed.

"Ya shoulda took yer own advice!" declared the man who had been soaked by the former's drink. He gave that man a none to gentle shove, sending him all but flying at Calla. The former's surprised matched Calla's as the pair slammed into one another, and the man's momentum carried the two nearly a dozen steps back, causing them to fall onto one of the tables not far from the bar.

Crashing to the ground, the Druid felt the weight of the man as he fell on top of her, but bounced off. The patrons at the table glared as a whole down at the pair.

That's when the real chaos began.

[Nerys Lamia]

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"Thank you, Greystreak," she said gratefully as the wolf got in between her and the man in front of her. Al perched neatly on her partner's shoulder, dark eyes narrowed in the wolf's direction. Nerys patted the miniscule bird. "Don't get mad, Al," she laughed. They both knew why she was upset.

This was a reminder of her powerlessness, her physical uselessness. On the bright side, Nerys had discovered a spectacular ability: from sober to drunk in just over one drink. That was certainly remarkable.

As to just how drunk she was, that much was entirely certain. She was still lucid enough to notice the argument that sprang up behind her and to recognize that much at least as her fault. She had bumped into him. "Sorry, sorry!," she apologized sincerely, saluting the man awkwardly.

What caught her attention was the man falling atop her friend and quickly bouncing off into a table. Let the chaos begin. The witch was in no way fond of the scenario, but she reminded herself of what she needed to do. This was one of those things. "D'you think this`ll make me a good person?" she asked her familiar who gave no response.

Well, maybe one night of chaos would counteract years of doing the wrong thing. "I think you should 'pologize t'm'friend..." she said as the nightingale perched on her shoulder began to glow and small, swirling black orbs took form in her hands.

"Nerys, I don't think magic is such a good idea.... The place is too small. The entire building would disappear..."

The blonde frowned. "He didn'apologize...." she complained.

[Sablerose]

The ringing in the Druid's head would not cease, nor did the blurred vision straighten out as she tried to make sense of the scene around her. Sablerose winced as she found the lump at the back of her head, most likely from where it had struck the table.

Well, I hope you're happy, Princess, Greystreak said dryly, using her title as a reminder of how she should have been acting, Sablerose realized. You're new friend is likely to raise the level of conflict with a few spells.

Sablerose groaned, and it wasn't just due to the lump.

"Lissen here, lady," a voice said, though Sablerose couldn't focus enough yet to tell where it came from "you two waltz in here, trying to show off yer coin, order a drink ya ain't able to handle and wonder why we're more than a little angry when you spill that thing on one of us and turn try to turn it inta a brawl." Her vision cleared just enough to see that the speaker was probably a patron at the table she had crashed into.

He turned to the rest of the crowd. "We might be drunkards, miss, but we ain't stupid. We've been through enough bar fights to know when one's real and one's been a setup. So, boys, do we give 'em what they want, and play into their hands, or do we go back to why we were here, puttin' our worries behind us for a few hours?"

There was a heavy blanket of silence that fell upon the place, though Greystreak made his way over to Sablerose's side, prepared to defend her if need be.

[Nerys Lamia]

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Tears welled in Nerys's eyes as the black orbs in her palms faded away. A setup? She glanced in Sablerose's direction before her tear-filled gaze returned to the speaker. She hadn't meant for that to happen. She had been looking for trouble, yes, but she hadn't intended to find it.

She had sort of hoped that it would happen upon her.

The young witch crumpled to the ground. "I didn't mean t'set anyone up..." she mumbled softly, trying in vain to wipe tears from her eyes.

She felt something tug at her heart. She was being wrongfully accused. She hadn't done any of those things on purpose. She had come here hoping trouble would find her. She hadn't intended to cause it herself.

"I jus'...wanted t'do somethin' good...." It was hopeless. Whatever she did ended in failure. And now...being accused of doing something so horrible as setting up a fight tore at her heart. Miserable, Al returned to Nerys's shoulder, burying herself in blonde hair. "I didn't mean t'set anyone up..." she repeated.

How was it that when things were starting to look right, they always tended to go horribly wrong? At this rate, Nerys would never be able to return home. Her heart sank further at the thoughts.