"I am Valerian, can you not even tell?"
Oh, how annoying this was. These damn foolish and idiotic gaurds constantly persisting in interrogating her. Davina earned a sneer from one of the random guards as they eyed her up and down. Valerian's were known for their more intimidating appearance. Most of the Empire had blondes and brown haired individuals. Valerian's often had signature coal black hair and pale appearances. They were often mocked for looking like trouble all around. Which, they even had prejudice against one another. A man, one dressed in nothing but aged leather and stained cloth for clothes barely wore any hair on his head and was not very fit whatsoever. His friend, doing a fair bit better in that regard. However, this ugly one, this just plain bastard had decided to have one too many drinks and take it out on other people.
"Your armor isn't from here. Could just be another fucking Elf in disguise." He scowled and nearly raised his voice.
Yes, the Salynthrian Queen's failed deceit had spread about the Empire quite quickly. It made her growl under her breath a little at the very thought of dealing with this damnable fool.
"Erongar, come on. Let's leave this one alone, eh?" His friend, who was far nicer but still bad had put his hand on this ugly Erongar's shoulder.
He jerked his shoulder away.
"No. Not until we make sure she isn't some pointy eared fucking freak." He said, stepping up to her with his bulky appearance and rather poor quality armor.
She had on her sleek black Elven armor and her sword at her hip as she learned she favored over being on her back. Along with her shield at her back. As well as a satchel she was given at her other side.
'You just need to be a little wiser.' Those words stuck to her.
And, despite how much this was displeasing her and her temper, she took a deep breath and soon crossed her arms as she finally mustered up the patience not to punch him in the face.
"I'm not an Elf. I was the Captain of the First Battalion of Winter's Ark, Thane to General Lexian Dae-Xing. Need I meet any more trouble, I'll be sure to inform him of this unfortunate misunderstanding. I really don't want to." She said, speaking true to it, too. Even if it was a lie.
Erongar only had more anger flash in his eyes as he was left flustered. His devilish friend had simply rolled his eyes and patted his friend's shoulder.
"Come on, then. Let's leave this one to her duties." He remarked with a sarcastic time.
He clearly didn't believe her. That was another thing about Valeria. You were either a smart and convincing type, or stupid and probably on the route to be killed. When she group up nearly a decade ago, she remembered it being vicious. Merciless. It was more of the shady holds within the Empire.
"Fuck off, then!" Erongar yelled as he pushed her shoulder with his arm before walking off.
The other one just gave her this look before following. Davina watched them walk off for a second before being thankful for that fool's stupidity. She turned back around, eyeing her home. She had already made it in. In fact, she just passed the bridge and the gates into it. Valeria was a very wide and open Kingdom. Not extremely wealthy on the outside. It's Castle wasn't very large for a King, it's homes were mostly of sticks and stones. The quality here wasn't all too fancy, even for the Royals, but it was a home for many. She pressed on, walking forward. Her boots plopped into the damp dirt and mud of the streets as it had so many footsteps as it was and plenty of horse tracks with lines following from wagons. What a warm welcome as she usually received with these new areas. It was rarely a pleasant change in pace to come somewhere new. There were plenty of fights about the area. Displeased customers, farmers selling their trade and their vegetables. Or animals. Even their own kin was considered a trade to sell for a few crowns. So much corruption that a man could feed on. She remembered the days her family once spent here. They were wretched at times. But, she fared far better than the people in this part of Valeria known as The Wesilon Quarter. This is where most of the savagery was held. Savagery she got accustomed to.
That aside, she walked. She looked around, eyeing every little detail she could for specific types of people who were viable for information. But, there were none. None to whom would speak to her. None who weren't madmen or manipulative for their desires. So, she walked. She looked, so forth, repeating this on the edges of the Wesilon Quarter. How different it all seemed. It was surprisingly hours later before the ounce of progress she'd make was just purely unknown by her. But, she was to come to an Inn. Not a very fancy one, but one where she knew it was the next place for her to go. She wouldn't be staying, unfortunately. She had no crowns to buy a room for rest. It wasn't like she truly needed it anyways. She had pushed passed the doors, entering the rather small Inn. She raised a brow as she looked around, earning a few eyes. There were men and women drinking all around. Warriors who seemed to be taking this time to rest. Others? Simply citizens or some petty harlots slumping around for a crown each service they provide. There were bards with bad vocals singing, drunk men dancing, all sorts of gross civilization.
"This is home." Davina muttered, not earning a single glance from anyone.
She walked in further, her boot creaking against the floor as she walked up to the bar surface, placing her gloved hands upon it as she had leaned against it, having her elbows propped against the surface. She'd have to be careful who she decided to speak to and just who to converse with. Even if she couldn't die, she couldn't cause a stir and reveal she couldn't. Plus, if the Savencroner was here, she couldn't risk spooking him off to run.
"Never seen your face here." A female's voice aired.
Her head turned, finding a shorter woman with a stunning appearance about her. Her silver eyes were drawn to the hair. It was this vibrant snow white and black roots. One side cut shorter than the other as the longer side draped over her shoulder. She had this dark brown, if not black, colored orbs for a pair of eyes looking her down. A nice complexion to her face. Small in her frame and clearly wearing a dark blue dress that barely fit her. The brown corset is what held it up mainly and the strings tied at her breasts.
"It's been a while. But, yeah, I doubt you have." The Valerian stated.
This woman, she had been so skinny. Her jowls and cheeks were just a little sunk in as there was a blackness under her eyes. Either makeup or just an unfortunate look to her appearance. She looked tired, but was attractive to all the warriors who came to become serviced.
"Yeah, you're definitely from here. As much of a shithole as this place is, your lot definitely sounds defined and fancy…" She stifled a chuckle and sat at the stool.
She welcomed herself, obviously a reluctance in her movement. Davina simply turned her head straight and stood up more properly.
"I suppose." She said.
This woman, she could tell what she was. Amongst the other Harlots, she was family to them. One herself. No doubt more than familiar with selling herself by the small healing gash at the corner of her crimson colored lips. She simply played with a cup she had in her hands. Skimming a finger on the brim. Her arms were quite thin. And, there was redness on the upper left arm.
"So, who are you?" The Harlot asked, blatantly as she had sipped her drink.
She was clearly cold. Shivering a little every now and again.
"Someone looking for something." The Valerian said, knowing how it'd be taken.
But, she knew she might be helped by the Harlot since she clearly had somewhat of a memory for faces.
"Ha, you and every other person with a sword here. I wish I could wield one. Always wanted to be a princess who could best another.." She spoke, looking down as she rubbed the back of her neck as she had soon looked up at the other woman.
"Can I….Be paid before we share a bed? I'm sorry but I can't risk being played again. I promise I'll give it my best, too." She said, having a rather odd timidness to her voice.
She could barely keep eye contact with the Valerian, to whom had a far better idea instead of sleeping with her.
"You look hungry." The Valerian stated.
The Harlot nodded a little.
"I am." She answered.
Davina then sat herself down, reaching down into her satchel as she had pulled out a piece of fruit. A yellowish golden apple, with streaks of red. She held it out to her.
"How about you eat in exchange for a quick talk?" She suggested.
She was just being stared at. Her red lips parted a bit to say something before her dark eyes just scrolled down to the apple.
She took the apple, soon to take a bite of its sweetness and thoroughly enjoy it. It nearly brought a look of much needed happiness to her. Which was sad a simple apple brought such a thing for a woman.
"There are plenty more." The Valerian said, placing the satchel on its side onto the bar surface.
"What is your name?" Davina asked.
The Harlot looked at the bag, clearly more thrilled by this as she had taken another, far deeper bite. She tried to speak but then quickly covered her mouth with the back of her hand.
"Gwyndolin." She said, muffled by her chewing.
As the white haired Harlot said her name, she proceeded eating the apple eagerly. But, even as she had been starving, it was clear she had manners to eat decently and not like an animal.
"Gwyndolin. Alright, how well is your memory for those who come here?" She asked.
Gwyndolin, a native away from Valeria had then turned her head to her as she had already finished the apple.
"Decent… Why?" She asked, having a worried look begin to wash over her face.
"I'm just looking to find someone. A man." She answered, reaching into the satchel to pull out a wrap it leaves. It fit perfectly in the hand as you couldn't touch your thumb to any finger as the item had weight to it. It was a square box-like item. It was wrapped in leaves. That was held down by a vine string on each side. She gestured for the other to take it. Which, she did, beginning to slowly unwrap it.
"What man..?" She asked, even sounding a little worried as she did.
There were smaller forms of food in the wrapping. Dozens of little nuts and berries that were salty and sweet and just overall treats. She began to pick them and eat.
"Savencroner. Average sized man. Red hair, long. Yellow eyes. Not pale. He'd be dressing fancily." Davina explained to her his description.
She stopped eating, soon to look away from the warrior as she had soon lowered the treats wrapped in leaves. She suddenly seemed so very somber, resting her forehead against the palm of her hand as she put the food down.
"I'm sorry, ma'am." Gwyndolin said, quietly.
What a sad sight she was. She expected to be met with anger and even something else regarding a physical way of harm. It wouldn't have surprised the Harlot.
Davina's lips pressed together firmly before she placed her gloved hand down and pushed the wrapping of treats back to the rather pitiful figure.
"You can think about it while you eat?" She suggested.
With the kindness, Gwyndolin had looked at her with an uncertain glance before taking the food again and reluctantly plucking the berries and nuts to chew. There was silence for the moment. The Valerian had turned away and simply gazed straight ahead. She needed to start interacting with other people it seemed. As much as she felt sorry for this girl, to whom was but a couple years younger than her, she couldn't do anything except give her one good night to be fed properly. Thanks to the Elves of Orzonfol, she was supplied very well. Perhaps she'd have to dig deeper, for more… Risky means of obtaining information. She scrunched her nose a little in distaste at the thought of even meeting that kind of crowd again.
"What's your name, ma'am?" Gwyndolin asked suddenly.
The Revenant's attention turned to her.
"Davina." She said.
"Well, Davina- I am afraid I don't know who that is, but… I think it's because you're on the wrong side of town." She said.
"If you want to find a man like that, go to the taverns in Belfry. That's where you'll find the more fancy sorts of men." She added, soon to finish it off with another comment.
"People like that shouldn't share a gaze with people like us. The worthless lot." She puffed out a sigh and leaned against the countertop.
The darkly armored knight had raised a brow. The confidence this woman had was zero when it came to her belief in her own existence. That's what this Kingdom did to you. However, because of that comment, Davina grabbed her satchel and slid it to the Harlot.
"People like you need to find a better home." The raven haired woman said, soon to add.
"Thank you. I hope you'll use this to journey to a new place." She said, leaving the satchel full of food with her as she had begun to step away from the counter.
"Wait-" Gwyndolin said, quickly picking up the satchel and nearly running to her side.
"Please walk me out of here." She said, clutching to Davina's forearm with one hand and a desperate look in her eye.
"I already said we don't need to sleep together. I simply want you to live." She retorted, flustered by the new acquaintance clinging to her.
Gwyndolin soon shook her head and spoke quieter.
"Just- Please see me out. I want to leave" She said.
Then, with that, the Revenant reluctantly stepped forward with the girl holding onto her forearm wearily glancing around. She herself was curious as to why she suddenly became so important to stay with. Harlots didn't seem the type to want to stay in contact after a deal.
"As you wish." She muttered.
Then, the two had gone to walk towards the tavern doors. But… the bards then stopped singing which immediately alerted the dark haired warrior. As well as the Harlot.
"Gwyn," A man's voice aired as one individual suddenly stepped from the side of the white haired woman.
"Where do you think you're going?" He was tall, quite tall.
He had some meat on his bones, too. He was dressed more appropriately than mostly everyone else there. Dammit, the Valerian thought to herself.
"O-Oh, I…- Client." Is all she said.
Davina felt her upper arm be clung to quite tightly. In a way that thoroughly made this situation all the more uncomfortable as she knew what this was about.
"Is that so? She paid for you yet?" The man with a plenty deep voice asked.
Now, there was a scene with some people looking at them.
"Lovely." Davina openly remarked.
"Yes I did." She added.
Then, the man turned to her. Eyeing the knight down and up with a scoff.
"Where's the gold, then? Come on, Gwyn. You best not tell me you took some fucking crumbs as payment instead of doing your job." He said, eyeing the Harlot.
Davina felt as Gwyndolin stepped back a little with fear radiating off the human girl.
"Food doesn't make me a damn thing." He said, sounding quite upset as he stepped forward.
Davina had to act fast.
"Can I go and get what I paid for or do I have to pay a few petty crowns for you, too?" She asked, making herself sound more quick-tempered.
Even though she wore a sword and he didn't, he wasn't intimidated. Especially by someone he had to look down on. The Valerian purposely jerked her arm away from Gwyndolin and walked to his side to get his body to turn to her. Which he did. Looking quite amused with the woman.
"Bold little bitch aren't you?" He remarked.
He stepped forward, which made Davina step back and then she raised her hands up in the air defensively.
"Okay, fine! By the God's… Over a fucking girl." She submitted to the confrontation.
Which made him shake his head and glare in disgust of her very presence.
"Fuck off." He demanded, turning away from her as he looked at Gwyndolin, stepping towards her.
"As for you… Last fucking straw." His voice turned cold and quite sinister to the point it truly terrified her.
Unfortunately for the one who owned the white haired woman as his Harlot, the woman who "submitted" to confrontation wasn't fond of doing such things. The Valerian quickly snatched up a metal jug of mead and then took a rushing step behind him before slamming it into the back of his head to the point it cracked and shattered, spewing glass to the sides as his head jerked forward a little from it, earning a yelp before the man just fell to his knees. Gwyndolin had released a little gasp of shock. However he was still conscious, groaning in the staggering blow. Davina quickly rushed and cursed under her breath as she came to his side and then slammed a tankard into the back of his head. He planted hard into the floor and was now out cold.
"By the…-" Gwyndolin muttered, holding a hand over her mouth as she looked at her.
Davina glanced at her and shrugged a brow as she had sighed. It was probably extreme, to say the least. But, she couldn't imagine what the poor Harlot would go through. The Valerian watched as the white haired woman quickly rushed to her side.
"We have to go!" Gwyndolin urged.
With that being said, no one really seemed to care about the man being knocked out. They just glanced and went about their business. Even the other whores. Which is where Davina opened the door and had Gwyndolin run out while she walked out at a fast pace.
"What am I going to do?! I have never traveled alone before and I literally can't show my face in all of Valeria because of this!"
Gwyndolin was panicking in a spot between two stables, pacing back and forth. Her hair was soaked with water and her dress was, too. She has the satchel around her arm as she had gripped her hair and just proceeded to panic hysterically. Or… not so hysterically.
"I'm sorry. I thought he was going to… Well, I just thought by you saying you wanted to leave that you were actually not going to care if I did that." Davina reasoned her side of things.
Which was a rightful way of seeing things. Albeit she understood why the poor girl was so horrified with her new position. They were hidden in seemingly empty horse stables. Well, aside from the few horses there.
"I…- I'm sorry, I understand." Gwyndolin apologized, soon to stop pacing and just plop down and sit onto her backside and lean against the stable pillar.
She just held her head.
"What am I going to do?" She asked the God's above.
Davina stared at her. Her eyes lowered as she began to wonder what would've been better than deciding the poor girl had to escape him. Perhaps she would've been better off? No. There wasn't a point in regrets. She was worried for someone's life. Someone frail.
"Look…" The dark haired warrior spoke.
"Outside of Valeria, near the old mansion grounds, there is a friend of mine waiting for my return. He has a camp, a fire, plenty of means of protection. Why don't you go make your way there for rest? Just say that I sent you." She said.
She also sincerely doubted this friend would have trust issues with the Harlot after her name's brought up. This friend of hers had certain… Childishness. Gwyndolin then turned her head and looked at Davina with her inner brows creased upwards a bit and a frown on her face.
"Why are you even doing this? We don't know each other at all." She asked, truly curious.
Or paranoid, whichever fitted most.
Davina felt a stab at her heart from the question. Truly, she recognized such a look in the poor girls eyes. This was once her home after all.
"I know how you feel. And, I know you'd do anything to be free of this place." She said, quietly.
Almost too quietly, since the rain came down quite a bit. But, she was heard nonetheless.
"I've done terrible things, Davina." She said.
It was clear how less formal she was with people than everyone else.
"So have I. There are rarely saints who walk through and come out the same." She retorted.
"Come, he will be at the North gate. You know what grounds I'm speaking of, yes?" The Valerian asked as she walked up to her and held out her gloved hand.
"Yes." Gwyndolin replied, taking her hand and standing up.
Then, the Harlot reluctantly walked away. She used a scarf over her shoulders to go over her head as she quickly rushed down the road, passing by other peasants and such as she did. Meanwhile, Davina leaned against the post. What a tiring day this already was. Or tiring week. Fighting Elves. Bandits. An owner of women. All in the name of the good Queen of Salynthra to find the man that she would no doubt have a rocky relationship with after what she did to him. It was often that she pondered what she'd say to him once she finds him again.
"You certainly look like her." A man's voice aired from behind her.
Davina was startled and immediately turned to see this surprising presence. It was someone who wasn't much taller than her. Leaning against the opposing post for more than a few feet away. He was just averagely built with the classic nord appearance of a long blonde haired man with a half tail in the back and dressed in a leather cuirass and pants with dusty boots and a truly rugged appearance about him. A bit of a beard and mustache on him. Bright blue eyes. Some age on his forehead and cheeks. He hadn't a weapon on him. Which seemed foolish.
"And you are?" She asked, loudly.
She was already quite irritated with him. Scaring her like that. Although she wouldn't admit it.
"Gayl the Wonderous." He sarcastically remarked to her.
"Charmed." She quipped.
"You're that girl everyone's talking about, aren't you?" He asked, rhetorically.
Her brows furrowed a bit as she turned her head slightly. Her lips parted to speak but she was interrupted.
"Yeah, you are. Hair blacker than coal. Gray in the eyes. Paler than the moon. I know who you are." He said, quite observantly.
"Do you often wag your finger at women who look like hundreds of others accusingly?" She asked, sassily.
"We have to talk business. And… As it turns out, I know who you're looking for. Thing is, not everyone claims their friends with a warrior who can't die. Lucky me." He leaned off the post, stepping up to her.
"You're gonna help me with something of mine. In return, I'll take you to the rich boy." He said, making his demands clear to her.
However, she didn't take it too well. She realized how lucky she was. The guards let her go her own way even as her reputation and appearance was their ignorance. She didn't mind. It only made her more weary to be careful now that she was known. Although this man trying to blackmail her didn't bode well with her anger. And, thus it led to her face turning into a scowl. She had enough of being used. Enough of being told about deal after deal, something in return for what she wanted- nay, needed. It was time to put her needs first.
"No." She said.
"What?" His brows furrowed, flustered by the denial to his demands.
"You will either take me to Wrafe of Savencrone, or we will fight right here. You will probably lose, hence my ability to nourish my separation from death. You'll either do so, or your head will be rolling in this muddy pit of a stable. Then, and only then, I will help you. Is that clear to you?" She said, walking up to him as she had done so.
He wasn't intimidated. But, he was weary of such a standing against him. His expression didn't change much as he stared into those determined silver eyes. He knew Wrafe. Personally. In fact, he was the one who sheltered him. Even though he was a shady personality, it was him who was still needed by her and the vice versa. But, nonetheless… This man had finally tore his gaze away, soon to turn and step forward. He began to walk off and passed her. Her brow raised as she had been fairly surprised by such a response. Even though it was only physical. What a quickly ended bargain.
"Follow me." He said, waving his hand forward.
She sighed in relief and soon began to follow him. Cautiously optimistic.
Valeria was an odd Kingdom with unpredictable people in its possession. But, that didn't matter to her right now. She had someone to see. A "friend" of hers by what the stranger said.
Finally, she would find him.
She would find Wrafe.