The BEGINNING!

[calendar]

Lallie frowned.  That didn't sound very true.  "But you just took it.  Where'd you put it?  Take me there, so I can get it back.  We need it, Miss Thief."

[Bean Bandit]

Jean shrugged.

"I gave it to the innkeeper on the way in," She explained. "He's put it in the strongbox for the night. You can go ask him for it, if you like. As for me, I'd like to go to bed, unless you insist on fighting now."

She considered a moment as she let her cloak drop to the floor. "Well, you know what I look like, so keeping it would be more trouble than it's worth. come back in the morning, and I'll return it."

Jean watched the elf girl, debating her options.

[Rezantis]

Fred blinked, looked around for a moment and blinked once more before clapping John across the back.  Hard.

"Never fear, Friend James, for we are on a mission for the CAUSE!  Trust in the CAUSE, and it shall LEAD us TO her!  For the CAUSE is JUST, the CAUSE is GREAT, the CAUSE is WISE!  The CAUSE is ALL!  Indeed, the GLORY, the POWER, the the MUNIFICENCE of the CAUSE can truly be trusted!  For the elf is one of OUR COMPANIONS, in our GLORIOUS, HEROIC mission for the CAUSE!  And in serving the CAUSE, the CAUSE shall stand by us!  It shall be our COMPANION, our GUIDANCE, our PROTECTOR!  TRUST IN THE CAUSE, friend James!"

There was a long pause, followed by an embarassed cough from the cleric.

"Well, last I saw she was outside with you."

[calendar]

OOC:  . . . I dunno about this.  Bean, I tried to give you some leeway as to how to respond, but I don't know.  *sighs*  I didn't know how to respond.  ^^;


She didn't know what to do.  Lallie stared at the thief, considering.  Purposely, she blocked the door and stayed near the windows.  What was it her mother said about thieves?  Chop them into tiny pieces with a knife?  No, that was lettuce.  Pound them with a hammer and then marinade them in lemon juice for an hour?  No, that was her recipe for steak.  Goodness, she was really hungry.  What did her father say about food?  Oh yeah.  Tie up the rabbits so they can't escape.  No, that was for thieves.  Really, she needed to listen closer.

Wait, thieves?  Lallie grinned.  "You mind if I stay here for the night?"  Without waiting for an answer, she took off her long cloak, revealing light green armor that hugged her frame tightly.  Her own long braid hung down past her hips, smooth dark green.  She twisted the cloth in her hands anxiously, grinning lightly.  For a moment she just stood there.  Then she lunged, putting her supernatural speed to use.  Thieves were fast, they had to be, but Lallie had years of training with the bow and although speed wasn't her greatest strength, elves were fast.  She could have most humans tied up before they'd have a chance to react.  And a cloak would work just as well as a well-braided rope.

[Bean Bandit]

OOC: It's ok, Calendar. This is what i was expecting. ^_^;;; though maybe not quite with the tying up though, but still, Good job.

IC:
Jean looked at the elf girl, slightly startled by the speed with which she was bound. Slowly, a grudging smile formed on her face.

"I should have expected that," She admitted. "Are you satisfied I won't disappear now? I'd like to go to bed. We can go get the money in the morning."

[TannimFodder]

Hammerfist Axebeard casually sauntered over to where Fred the Cleric was standing.  Well, as casually as a dwarf decked out in armor and weilding a huge battle-axe could.

"Eh, this Cause thing wouldn't be against impossible odds, would it?" he asked hopefully.

[Rezantis]

OOC:   You should have known better than to ask about the Cause.  Ask any more cause-ish stuff at your peril.  ^_~

IC:

"Well, no.  Impossible odds would imply that we could not win!  But with the CAUSE on our side, NOTHING is impossible!  We shall SMITE EVIL, CRUSH EVIL, and BURN it like the HERETICAL thing it is!  HAIL TO THE CAUSE!"

[calendar]

Sitting down on the bed, Lallie grinned.  "Sure!"

OOC:  . . . Sorry it's so short.  I don't have anything else for her to do.  >_<

[Bean Bandit]

Jean smirked at the elf girl's cheer. A bubbly type, but deceptively sharp. She gestured with her bound hands.

"Do I sleep here on the floor," she asked bemusedly, "Or will you help me onto the bed? Manuevering with these isn't easy..."

[TannimFodder]

Hammerfist causually glanced around, as if the answer to his next question didn't really concern him.

"Weeeeell...  Y'see, I was wonderin' if I could journey with you for a mite, seein' as how you're probably going to be getting in fights from time to time."  Grimnir KNOWS that he hadn't been getting enough battle-time in recently.

[calendar]

Lallie grinned bashfully.  "Oops!  Here!"  She grabbed the thief with one hand, pulling her up and setting her on the bed.

"So, what's your name?  I'm Lallie!"

OOC:  I suppose we could just end the scene there, assuming Jean introduces herself, so the night will be shorter, or we could go further.  Whatever you feel like, I guess.  ^^

[Bean Bandit]

Jean hesitated a moment, adjusting herself on the bed.

"Jean," She allowed, smiling gamely at the elf girl.

That did it. Jean relaxed on the bed, wondering why she gave her real name. She had no choice but to return the money now. The bonds were not a problem, thanks to the small knife in her sleeve, but now that the elf-girl...no, Lallie, had her name and a general description, running would be unwise. Her decision made, she nodded to the girl beside her.

"Pleased to meet you."

OOC: We can stop, if you like. Or we can go on. Going on would kill time until our GM decides to move the plot more...^_^

[Carthrat]

OOC: Bah! Blame it all on the GM...

IC: Somewhere far away...

"So, a bunch of church-hired heroes are out to rescue you from me? Hah! I shall eat you long before then!"

The princess struggled against the ropes that held her, but they stayed firm.

"How can you do this? Why do you hold me here?!"

"For your fathers insolence!"

"What?!"

"Ahh... you do not know... and you never will! Hah ha! HAH! HAH!"

*****

Back in Escaville, the next day...

A band of odd-looking travellers entered the village, each dressed in a low cowl and cloak. They all wore strange armlets, and seemed to be searching for something.

Six of them approached the town inn, while a couple of other went around asking questions about the OTHER band of travellers seen recently.

So... two of them went to where Jean and Lallie were.

*THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!* Three rythmatical knocks on the front door..

And in the inn, they simply barged inside, and began making enquiries at the lobby...


Edit: Since Rat's too lazy to fix his own typos, I'm forced to do it... ^_^;;

[Bean Bandit]

Jean stirred slightly at the commotion that echoed through the hall. Cracking open her eyes, she say nothing, save the unwashed sensation of sleeping in one's clothes. She tried to sit up but her was motion impeded. She looked down and saw the bonds.

Sighing, she managed to get herself to a sitting position. She shrugged her shoulders in a very specific way, and a small dagger dropped out of her sleeve and into her tied hands.

From there, she made short work of her bonds.

She turned to the elf-girl sleeping soundly nearby. "Now, I'm not running away, so just stay here, ok?" She murmured softly.

Now freed, Jean slipped silently from the room to investigate the noise downstairs. Taking up a position just ouside of view of the lobby, she began to eavesdrop.

[CyMage]

Once again Graysol sat in front of the crystal ball.  A frown appeared on his face as the new group showed up in the ball.

"So, the Ebon Hand begins to reach for the heroes."

Taking a long drag on his pipe, he continued to ponder these events.

"I do hope the young ones will be able to escape their clutches."