The Bard and The Ranger: Chapter One.
It was after working hours in a nondescript tavern. A bard played a viol as people mingled and chatted amongst themselves.
The woman eyed the stranger through the corner of her eyes. The Smoke brought some interesting looking individuals into its bustling streets and rowdy taverns, without a doubt, but this one was more interesting still than most of the people she had been lucky enough to come across so far.
Elven, but more so. Red, unruly hair fell over skin the colour of red oak leaves in the height of autumn. A fox, an unusual companion for the busy city, kept tightly to the stranger’s ankles, an orange shadow in the light of the oil lamps. The leather armour the elf wore was exquisitely designed to incorporate the pattern of autumn leaves. The woman thought the stranger was probably a “he”. Sometimes with elves it wasn’t so easy to tell, but the stranger seemed to radiate a masculine confidence in the way they moved. The woman sat down at a table in the tavern where she could get a better look at the stranger’s face without arousing too much suspicion, and opened her journal to take some notes. The next time she shot a sideways glance at the stranger, she saw eyes of deep pools of amber staring back at her, taking her in, reading her in much the same way she read others.
“Ah,” she thought to herself, “Seems I’ve been caught out”
Closing the journal, the woman took a deep swig of her drink before returning the stranger’s gaze directly. She flashed them a broad, welcoming smile and a half wave, before gesturing to the empty wooden seat next to her.
At first the stranger didn’t move. He stared at her as though he was trying to read her soul, and it would have made the woman uncomfortable if she didn’t know that same look so well as the one that she gave others. Rather than discomfort, she felt curiosity ignite within her, and desperately hoped that whatever he read would lead him to accept her invitation.
After what seemed like an eternity, the stranger moved from his position on the wall and gracefully stepped forwards. The fox clung to him as though they were one, and as the stranger sat down and placed his own drink on the table, the woman noticed the fox position itself protectively between the two persons.
“You’re not like the rest of the people in this tavern” he volunteered.
“Neither are you, though perhaps more obviously” The woman retorted with a smile in her voice. “Samantha Gibbons, nice to meet you!”
She extended a hand.
The stranger took the woman in again. Her extended hand had ink stains on the fingertips, and her other rested atop a well-used handbound book. A writer then. The curiosity in her big brown eyes was endearing, though he could tell that this human attempted to make herself seem more plain, more average than that spark would suggest. Brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail, no less than 3 pencils resting in the hairband. Her clothing was unimpressive, unflattering, but clean and well looked after. Someone who took pride in not being noticed. But he had noticed her. His own curiosity got the better of him and he placed his hand in hers for a firm shake.
“Faelin, and this is Leena.”
“An impressive animal, and clearly loyal. You are lucky to have her in your life” Samantha commented. “It’s nice to meet you Faelin. May I ask what brings you to the Smoke?”
“I’m looking for someone” Faelin replied shortly, his eyes giving a cursory glance around the many revellers filling the room as though to reinforce his point. Samantha noticed a finger on his left hand start to tap ever so slightly, then stop. Perfectly still again. Nerves perhaps? Was it a woman? A target?
“Someone specific? Or maybe you just found a someone?” Samantha flashed him a cheeky smile.
The facial expression returned to her was almost impossible to read, and Samantha wondered what was really going on inside the head of the striking individual sat before her. She noticed his lips slowly start to curl into what might have been a smile. It was attractive, and she decided she wanted to see more of it.
“It was someone specific, but you’ve caught my interest. I can take a break for the evening if you like?”
Samantha looked away from the intense gaze briefly. It wasn’t often someone made her blush and she didn’t want to give too much control away so soon. The smile she offered in return was warm and grateful as she sat back in her seat, making herself comfortable.
“Actually, I would like that very much. I would start with asking about who you’re searching for, but I think there are probably more interesting things to discuss, don’t you?”
Faelin’s eyebrows raised in surprise. This human woman caught him off guard, and judging by the expression on her face, she knew she had as well. If he was curious before, now he was captivated. He felt Leena press reassuringly against his leg, and he leaned down to scratch her chin in just the spot she liked.
“Let’s start with what it is that you are drinking here? If I had to guess, I’d say you were used to a higher quality of imbibement than what’s usually available in this place, but I can definitely recommend whatever it is that’s in my mug right now. My treat?”
Faelin glanced at the nearly empty cup he had set down before him, and back to the confident woman now spearheading the conversation. Skilled at not being noticed she may be, but the ease with which she spoke to him made it clear that she wasn’t hiding in plain sight for lack of social skills or shyness. It felt like the start of the first real conversation he had had since arriving in this grey, drab little plane of existence. “Sure”.
“Perfect!” said Samantha as she took care to tuck her journal back into her rucksack before heading to the bar. A short time later she returned with two fresh mugs of something hot, strong, sweet, and totally unidentifiable in one hand, and a saucer of milk in the other. With a slow, soft movement, she stooped and gently offered the saucer of milk to Leena. The fox hesitated, and looked towards the elf, who continued stroking her chin as he eyed up the crouching woman through narrowed lids. Samantha picked up on the tension, and brought the saucer to her own lips, taking a small sip to demonstrate the honesty of the gesture before resting it on the floor.
“You are cautious” she stated as she sat back in her chair and placed the drinks on the table. “That’s probably sensible in this city. The mugs are untampered with, you choose your preference.”
“And you are intuitive” he replied, taking the mug to his right. “Though I suspect you probably have good intentions, it would not be the first time.” Faelin took a deep swig. The woman had been correct with her recommendation, the drink was actually pleasant. Nothing compared to the sweet liqueurs of the Feywild of course but much better than the swill he had consumed over the last few weeks since he had joined the material plane.
Samantha watched him closely. There was pain attached to his words, not as well hidden as he had hoped. She considered lacing some charm into her own words to loosen him up, but something about the pure force of his personality made her decide against it. The hard way then. The right way. Maybe the stranger could even be a friend if she proceeded carefully.
“So, what about yourself would you be willing to share with the lonely individual who was kind enough to buy you a drink?” Samantha fidgeted with the gold ring with blue enamel twists that decorated her index finger as she asked the question.
Another drink. Another careful look. “What do you want to know?”
The woman smiled a wide, happy smile, and leaned forward to rest her chin upon her hand. Faelin noticed her smile was actually quite sweet, and despite the caution within he began to feel the corners of his lips creep up his face in response. Meeting his stare intensely, and wordlessly challenging him to be the first to look away, Samantha eventually replied.
“Everything.”
Several hours later, in the small hours of the night, the two people and the fox stepped from the warm and yellow lit tavern into the misty, dim streets of The Smoke. Faelin began to offer his hand for a formal goodbye, and to thank Samantha for a charming evening. She pushed his hand to the side and interrupted him to wrap her arms around him for a tight hug. Faelin, surprised, was unsure at first where to put his hands, but eventually rested them on her shoulders. Her hair smelled clean and sweet, and against his better judgement he found himself enjoying the physical contact he had not felt since…
Best not to think of that.
Samantha pulled away with a flushed face and eyes that seemed brighter in the dark.
“I hope I see you again Mr Lithviel. If you want to find me for any reason, your best bet is through the press.”
She reached forwards and with warm hands, pressed a business card into Faelin’s. Then with a wink, and another of the wide smiles she had been so free with this evening, Samantha turned and walked away.
As Faelin watched her go, he thought about following. She would be easy to track after the drinks she had consumed. But she had given him another option for communication. He looked at the business card and saw “Samantha Gibbons, Pinch Press” printed in beautiful common script. The hard way then. The right way.
