Departing From the Duchy of Pirates

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Shiroinami

Departing From the Duchy of Pirates

Post by Shiroinami »

OOC - As the Duchy has closed, I am taking Ula elsewhere. This thread starts still in the duchy, but I'm hoping to get it out on the road quickly.

Night

On quiet feet, Ula approached the camp of the gypsies. A mere darker speck in the darker night, the girl flitted from shadow to shadow, avoiding the light as if it burned. She had one destination in mind - the pickets where the gypsies tethered their horses.

The Pirate's Duchy had not lived up to her expectations. Her first acquaintance, Roland, with whom things had started so well, had turned out to be a scoundrel. Luckily, she had discovered this on the very first night she met him, when he had been unable to pay for the food he had scoffed. Beyond that, she found the whole atmosphere disappointing. A city of thieves where one couldn't steal and make merry? Oh no, not for Ula. She would leave, and this time not on foot. She'd go in style, on horseback!

And so, the little theif made her way around the gypsy camp, her eyes ever searching for the wandering folk's horses.
Halduril

Gypsy camp

Post by Halduril »

The Gypsy tents were scattered around in random fashion. When Ula got closer, she could see several fires burning here and there between the tents, and wind carried sound of fast paced music. The music was fierce drumming combined with some other instrument making strange whining sound. As she passed, she got a glimpse of people sitting in a circle around the campfires, as well as few figures dancing around them with fierce tempo. It was enthralling music, and many of the people sitting around the fires concentrated on it, keeping their eyes closed and moving their head with the beat.

To her right, just beyond the outermost tents, was a herd of grey and black horses grazing peacefully.
Shiroinami

Post by Shiroinami »

Ula saw the people, heard their music, and was forced to admit it was quite catchy. Under other circumstances, perhaps she might have stopped to listen - but as was, there were more important things to do. And there, as if by magic, was her goal. Horses! Black and grey, a mass of them, grazing.

Ula took a deep breath, calming her nerves. She was about to steal something that was really worth something. That was not what had her feeling jumpy, though. The girl had never ridden. Oh, she knew the theory, of course. Pull the reigns, kick your heels, that sort of stuff, but she'd never had a chance to practice. No time like the present to learn! she thought wryly to herself. She could have left the place on foot, she supposed, but she was sick of walking. More, what a shame it would have been to leave the city without performing at least one illicit act.

Even more cautious now she was closer to her target, Ula crept slowly forward. She could see people by the fire, but she couldn't see people by the horses, and that worried her. She crept forward, as close to the horses as she dared, and peered out into the night-dark, looking to see if there were any more figures nearby.
Halduril

Post by Halduril »

As Ula crept closer, the nearest horses lifted their heads and their ears perked up. They smelled air, trying to catch her scent. One of them neighed as if to greet her. Soon a second one did the same.

That’s when a figure stood up from the grass some ten paces to Ula’s left, close to the grazing horses. It was too dark to tell what the figure was. All that the young girl saw was a little darker spot, possibly bipedal form which had just moved silently, against nearly equally dark background.
Shiroinami

Post by Shiroinami »

Ula winced as the horses whickered. Knowing very little of the animal's behaviour patterns, she hadn't counted on their better hearing and excellent sense of smell, nor their instincts as a prey animal. A human, she could usually sneak past - but a creature that could smell her? That was an entirely different matter.

But, just then, something much more disturbing happened. Another figure appeared, where before there had been none. Ula froze, cursing inwardly. Lousy, good for nothing cursed wary folk! She thought to herself. This was becoming much more difficult than she had first supposed. More, she was slowly beginning to realise another folly - she had no means of controlling the dratted animal once she was on board. As much as the girl hated to admit she had made a mistake, it appeared the fact could not be avoided. But she would not back down now. Oh no. She'd got this far - she'd carry it through till the bitter end.

Slowly, and with infinite care to make no sound at all, Ula unbuckled her belt. Her eyes, all the while, were trained to a spot just beside the blackness that suggested another figure. She knew enough about night vision to know looking directly at it would cause it to disappear from her awareness altogether. Meanwhile, her ears were open, listening in case she heard sounds of yet another person.

After a time, Ula removed her belt completely. She would use it to attempt some sort of control of her horse, once she had it - wrap it round the animal's neck, pull it left and right. She wouldn't worry about the stopping part yet.

Then, slowly, carefully, she began to track her way back around the horses, away from the blackness she perceived as a guard, praying her movement was soundless enough for them not to notice.
Halduril

Post by Halduril »

While Ula unbuckled her belt the figure she was keeping an eye on moved closer towards horses and started to sooth them with quiet voice.

“Hush hoo, Ironhoof, what do you smell old friend?” A raspy male voice said, barely hearable. The horse the man spoke to had been the one which had noticed Ula’s approach.

When Ula backed around the horses, she lost visual contact to the man. Other horses raised their heads and stared at her as she passed. One of the horses started to walk towards her, perhaps mistaking her one of its owners, or thinking she had food or sweets for it.
Shiroinami

Post by Shiroinami »

Ula's brow furrowed with displeasure as she passed the horses, and each curiously lifted its head. Silly beasts, she thought to herself. Can't they just eat in peace? Then, as she paused to listen to the night sounds, she was most surprised to see one of the creatures actually approaching her! She hesitated only a moment - the opportunity was too good to miss.

Reaching into her jerkin, she took out a piece of bread she had saved from dinner specifically for this purpose. When the horse was close enough, she held out her hand, palm up, offering the bread. Then, as the horse nibbled at it, she took a step closer, placed one hand on its whither and one on its back, leaped lightly up, where she lay flat along the beast's neck, her legs dangling either side of its barrel, praying it wouldn't spook.
Halduril

Post by Halduril »

The horse accepted the piece of bread and nibbled it. When Ula leapt on it, it raised its head, one eye looking at her as if wondering what she was up to. For a moment Ula hang on there flat on its back and it looked like she had succeeded. Then the horse suddenly backed up, lowering its head and fore quarters so that Ula had to struggle not to fall on her head. As she tried to prevent that from happening the horse moved again and she fell. Luckily she fell to the side her feet were. Her legs took most of the impact but momentum took her backwards so that she tumbled over, ending up sitting on the grass. She didn’t get injuries other than sore bottom, and perhaps slightly hurt confidence.

“What do you think you’re doing?” A raspy voice asked her angrily. She noticed the man she had spotted moments earlier was standing behind her, few paces away.
Shiroinami

Post by Shiroinami »

For a moment, Ula exulted silently from her precarious perch. Only for a moment. Her fingers spasmed, twisting through the horse's mane as it suddenly moved beneath her. She briefly thought she might be able to hold on, but then it dipped. By sheer force of will, she prevented herself from crying out when she slipped and fell. Then, she sat very still, hoping she might not have been noticed. Too quickly, however, that hope was dashed.

Slowly, she rose and turned around, wearing her most brilliant smile. "Me? Just out for a night time stroll!" she said brightly. "Lovely night, don't you think?"

Unobtrusively, she dusted off her bottom.

"I'm afraid one of your horses here got a little friendly, and pushed me over with his nose," she said, with a brief, slightly nervous laugh.
Hal

Post by Hal »

“Did it now?” The man said to Ula, his raspy voice betraying he didn’t quite believe her. “Well maybe it doesn’t like strangers. You have no business being here. You scare the animals. We don’t like to see strangers in our camp unless they’ve been invited, and more than anything we don’t want to see strangers anywhere near our horses, were they invited to our camp or not! So get a hike, lass, unless you grave for trouble!”

Despite of his threat the man didn’t come closer, keeping the distance. Sign of healthy instinct of self-preservation, perhaps.
Shiroinami

Post by Shiroinami »

Ula's smile grew more rigid as the man spoke, then gradually faded until it was replaced by a scowl of terrific proportions. If there was one thing Ula hated above all others, it was being scolded. And when Ula didn't like something, it very quickly fired up her temper. She clenched her jaw, her hands balling into fists, her blue eyes flashing with her anger. She attempted some control, trying to keep her breathing steady. Only her recognition of the danger she was currently in kept her in check.

"Maybe," she said softly, from between clenched teeth, "strangers don't like you much either. Your hospitality certainly hasn't left me with a warm fuzzy feeling," she said, in a voice as silky smooth as honey, though the last few words carried a hint of venom in their delivery.

Having reigned in her temper for the moment, she gave the gypsy a sweet, slightly mocking smile, batting her eyelids, before moving off past him into the night. Under her breath, she cursed her ill luck. It seemed she'd be walking after all.
Hal

Post by Hal »

The gypsy man shrugged. “You aren’t welcome here. Now go!”

The man stared after her as she passed him and left. Ula couldn’t make out if the man followed her further or not.
Shiroinami

Post by Shiroinami »

Ula smirked at the gypsy's comment, but did not pause. Instead, she kept moving off into the dark, muttering the foulest curses she knew as she went. All thought of stealth was forgotten as she tramped through the grass, grasping at the long stalks and ripping at them savagely. Until a sharp one grazed a cut across her palm. "Bloody-!" she cursed, pausing to look at her palm. Unfortunately, she couldn't see it, having moved into the shadow of a rather large tree. She touched it instead, and her finger came away wet. She cursed again. This was all that stupid gyspy's fault.

In a moment of sheer temper, she bent down, picked up a stone, turned around and through it as hard as she could towards where she had last seen the gypsy.
Hal

Post by Hal »

The stone flew in the darkness. Perhaps it landed on the grass because no recognizable sound of it hitting anything could be heard.

In the gypsy camp, small distance away, the drumming had gotten slightly more intense. The gypsies could have a party and still look after their possessions, as Ula had just witnessed. Obviously leaving the town with gypsy horse was now out of question.

The rogue would have to figure out some other way to get past the guarded gate.
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