Stealing Dreams

[Araelle Ruane]

There was a time when Araelle Ruane would have, in her innocence, known no better than to stroll easily through the streets of Dort - wide-eyed in wonder at the buildings, the people, the sights and smells of a thriving town.

Brought up on a small farm in the Midlands, townlife was once a source of wonder. But that was certainly no longer the case.

For the young woman, the streets were now a familiar sight and experience, but no more comforting for that. She may have been at home, in a manner speaking, amid the narrow backstreets of the Knot and the Marketplace - but she knew all too well the threats that could lurk around every corner.

The redhead had grown more confident of late, but that was not to be mistaken for cockiness and her own personel means of survival did not sit easily on her young shoulders. She wasn't exactly proud of what she was growing - learning - to become. She simply did it to get by - she had no other choice.

Clutching her hooded cloak closer around her as she stuck to the shadows out of habit as much as possible, Araelle heaved a weary sigh. For all her dreams of forging a better life for herself - this was as far as she had gotten and pickings were slim. All she could do was hope and pray to Pecunia that her fortune would change ...

[Adanedhel]

(OOC: for convenient purposes I timestamp this thread at TradeTide Chyril 27th. Place: The Knot)

The streets had been quiet the past few days, more so then ever before. The people were acting out of the ordinary and those that she could identify as members of the Water Street Gang were walking the streets since yesterday in groups of no less than four. It seemed as if they had set patterns. The same streets and about the same times each day.

Rumours on the street were that something would happen soon. One of the wenches of the Scandalous Seamonster, who at night doubled as a prostitute, had told Araelle that one of her regulars had told her the local government was about to put a stop to the Water Street Gang.

As Araelle was hiding in the shadows the best she could, a group of WSG goons strolled by, armed with clubs and daggers. One of them turned his head toward her and stopped. "Hey guys" he addressed the others. They replied with a few grunts and stopped, turning around. As the first pointed toward Araelle, he asked "Any of you know her?". None of them seemed to have a positive answer in that instant, and the larger one of the troupe did a step towards the Midlands girl.

"Aye, lass! Yer not from 'round 'ere, are ye?" he asked, crossing his arms as his eyes scanned her up and down.

[Araelle Ruane]

Araelle knew - as everyone who haunted these streets did - that something was afoot. An unknown, undefined but undeniable something. There was a tension among the Knot's regulars - an air of nervous expectation and the redhead had heard the rumours. Rumours that remained unsubstantiated as yet - but that stubbornly refused to fade away.

Just like everyone else who ran the risk of crossing their paths, she knew the members of the Water Street gang by sight and knew to be wary of them - she much preferred to stay well off their radar, having heard their reputations, and had previously had very few dealings with them.

Now though, it seemed they were equally aware of the stirrings and speculation and were understandably on red alert. It stood to reason that they wouldn't really know her and that they would be keen to suss out anyone they preceived as a stranger. In fact, she was surprised it had taken this long for such an encounter.

Naturally wary herself, Araelle had spotted the looks she was attracting from the men and her sharp gaze also took in the fact that they were, without exception, armed. That in itself was nothing out of the ordinary for the patrons of these streets - she too carried a small concealed daggar - but she could tell these men wouldn't think twice about using their knives or clubs.

For a moment, slinking further into the shadows and with her dark cloak clutched close, she thought she would pass without further comment. A hope that quickly faded when the largest of the men stepped forward and addressed her.

For a flicker, a sharp retort sprang to her tongue, but she hastily thought the better of it and bit it back. But something told her confidence was the way to handle this - you had to be sure of yourself to get by on your own in life ...

"Round these parts exactly?" she said, trying to keep her tone casual. "Not always maybe, but I guess I am now. And I've never known anywhere but Dort my whole life."

Meeting his gaze curiously, she stood her ground but remained ready to take off in a flicker if it became necessary...

[Adanedhel]

"Well, ye certainly aren't a Knot. With rumours spreadin' ye better head out of here. If things get hairy, we will only protect ourselves, y'see." he said, pointing back at his men. "Everyone not from these parts won't be spared. Just sayin'... I'd hate to see a looker like ye go down in a fight." he added.

"If there's anything I'd do, if I weren't from here, I'd get to Dort proper. If ye want, I could escort ye there, make a lil' stop at my place. Y'know?". The guys behind him started laughing and he took a few steps toward Araelle. "So what exactly do ye do, love? By the looks of it, ye ain't no farming woman." he asked, waiting for her to reply.

"Maybe something I can help ye with?" he asked, closing in on her some more.

[Araelle Ruane]

"What do I do?" Araelle echoed softly, "Same as most people round these parts, I'd imagine - what I have to."

Though she forced herself not to back away as the man moved closer to her, she couldn't help the shiver that coursed down her spine at his ominous vision of the future - it was as she had feared, something bad was going to happen. It seemed almost inevitable.

That, coupled with his casual mention of not looking like a farming woman, brought memories of growing up on her father's farm flooding back to her. As hard as that had been, she instantly longed for the protection of her brothers - she knew that, had she been in their company, this group of men would have most likely thought twice about approaching her. Of course, her brothers - protective as they were - would hardly have brought her to this area in the first place ...

But, pushing thoughts of them to one side, Araelle knew she was in this alone and focused her gaze back on the man in front of her. She'd always been quite a good judge of character and it was a skill she'd been forced to hone during her time on the streets - she just hoped it wouldn't fail her now and she would be able to determine, even roughly, how much of a risk he posed.

She was well aware of the reputation his kind had and was particularly wary of his laughing companions ... but she also knew that, these days, she would hardly be considered an upstanding member of society herself in most circles.

Perhaps she should have turned heel and ran but, with a notion his more suggestive remark was for the benefit of his friends, she couldn't help wondering if she should be weighing up what was the more dangerous prospect - throwing in her lot with much more hardened criminals than herself or continuing alone through the hazardous labyrinth of the Knot ...

Again feigning more confidence than she felt, Araelle looked up unflinchingly at the man as he drew closer.

"What makes you so certain I'd go down in a fight anyway?" she asked, cocking her head to one side.

[Adanedhel]

The youth looked her up and down. "I ne'er said ye'd go down easy, lass. Just sayin' I'd hate ta see yer pretty face butchered by them City Guards." he said. "Ye weren't really thinking we'd be fightin' ye, now would ye? We don't fight our own. I'd flee myself, but me allegiance ties me to this place, y'know." he continued and came closer, extending his hand.

"The name's William. How be ye named by yer parents?" he asked Araelle and awaited her reply. "Would ye like us to walk ye towards the Tapestry Quarter? We won't get near it, but we can lead ye the way to there without problems of the Gang, y'know." he offered her, as she finished speaking.

As she looked around, she saw several passersby shooting her glances, quickly turning away when she looked in their direction.

[Araelle Ruane]

Her defences still in place, the redhead let him take her hand, albeit a little warily.

"Araelle." she supplied softly in response to his introduction, before pausing to consider his offer.

She was worried about staying in the Knot, things being as they were - but, for her, what was the alternative? She'd lost her way, so to speak, in recent times - so preoccupied with merely surviving that she hadn't truly been living and had no real purpose but to continue to survive on her own. At least that gave her no real reason to stay in one place. Unlike her new acquaintance it seemed.

"You say you have allegiance." she said with sudden curiosity, "But what could keep you here that's worth risking your life for?"

"I would appreciate your help though, I suppose." she added, her smile hesitant and with a certain tinge of ... something that could have been sadness, had she let it linger, as she noticed the glances of passerbys. She didn't suppose offers of help would be flooding in exactly for someone like her.

Not that she blamed them - she could remember the same sort of reactions on the rare occasions she had visited Dort town with her brothers and they had spotted some less fortunate soul lurking in the shadows.

"Don't stare, Arae!" Zeff would scold, diverting his small sister's childish curiosity and tugging her along by the hand.

"Are you sure your friends wouldn't object?" Araelle asked William, glancing at them unsurely as she pushed fleeting recollections to the back of her mind. They didn't exactly look the type to go around helping people for the sake of it ...

[Adanedhel]

William smiled as she told him her name and shook her hand. "A beautiful name that is, miss."

He looked at her and shook his head, but only slightly so. "It's been me home since I was born. Me family lives 'ere for generations now. Ne'er have they been outta the Knot. I got to defend it with all I have. I'm part of the Gang. They are my family now, and one doesn't turn on them. Not I at least. Some have already turned themselves in, but not I." he said and looked at her "But I guess you wouldn't understand that."

"You'll be fine, lass. I'll see to it." he said, moving a hand toward her arm, "Let me lead the way."

"Me friend won't mind. They know who's in charge, 'n a fight like th'one we expect... well let's say we do a little bit of honour in our hearts, y'know. Ye shouldn't die or get hurt because of people like us." he said as he started walking. "They be detailed t'me and will do what I say, as long as I don't jeopardize the Gang that is." he continued.

They walked for a quarter of a mark when he stopped. A lot of people had seen them, some of who seemed in a hurry, others took the time to greet them. They had passed a few more rag tag groups like William's who only let them proceed when the young leader told them he was escorting Araelle out of the Knot. He turned to Araelle. "I can't go any further than this. Just take a left at the next intersection 'n follow th'road. It'll take ya to straight into the Tapestry Quarter. Probably a few guards there, but they'll let ye through I think. Maybe we'll meet again sometime, but for now, I have to say goodbye and may the Gods be with ya."

[Araelle Ruane]

Araelle smiled softly at his explanation. Wanting to fit in, be a part of something, not wanting to let go of everything you knew ... she might understand better than he thought.

With his hand on her arm, she let him guide her through the narrow streets, seeing the curious gazes of passers-by - though many of them seemed in too much of a hurry to really be bothered by them. And she could tell by the people who did greet them that William really had spent his whole life in the Knot.

Turning to look at him as they stopped, Araelle wondered just how many people would be harmed - or worse - in what was to come. Whether the young leader and his men would survive to tell the tale ...

"Look after yourself, William." she said softly, "And thank you."

[Adanedhel]

He took her hand in his and brought it to his lips, kissing it gently. "Twas my pleasure, milady. I will look after myself and me boys as best I can." he said and followed her gaze, looking with concern in his eyes. "Don't worry, most of them won't be part of the action if there's any to be had." he continued and shrugged his feelings off, "Next time, I hope we meet under better circumstances. I'd love to show y'around the Knot someday. It's better than it looks, y'know."

With that being said, he let her hand slip through his fingers.

OOC: is there anything else you want to do in this thread?

[Morg]

Archived due to player inactivity. PM me or Adanedhel if you want to pick this back up or would like advice on how to continue.