Arbok

Arbok

Well-known member
Crownshold, the great port city of the North. Everyday a hundred ships and every day a thousand strangers make their mark on the bustling heart of trade and wealth of Northern Illica.

The modest crew made their way to the gatehouse and in their motley midst a full head above even the tallest on a horse that seemed half monster was Arbok, giddy with excitement.

She couldn't believe it, the City was new to her and while the streets smelled of horse muck rather than cloves and the tongues of folk swore more than anything else she found an enchantment in the vastness of it.
She had never seen the city of trade before and it was almost stunning to her more rural experiences.

Passing under the gatehouse they hitched their horses and paid the dues for the week ahead. No plans to leave for a five day and there was work to do in the meantime.

Arbok had mission, private and deeply personal to her it concerning the question of her origin and heritage such as it was. Saskia had given her the idea to search Crownshold for answers. Gruki, who was perhaps Arbok's closest friend, was good enough to come with her socially savvy brother Roki. Last but not least was Alouette whose generous nature and disposition made any journey feel like no journey at all.

Everyone was eager to come and it humbled Arbok's heart, so much that she had started each day with thanks to them all until one morning Gruki and Roki, quick of wit, spoke her thanks in tandem with her and she knew she'd said it enough but only stopped repeating the ritual out loud.

Each night at camp Arbok stayed up speaking to them, Alouette it seemed more than the others, telling stories and sharing quiet hopes for each other that seemed too fragile to survive the light of day.

Now they were ready to begin.

The city was home to thousands and hundreds travelled through every day. Surely there was some clue here.

"So, what do you guys think we should do first?"

@Saskia Kerraelas
@Gruki
@Roki
@Alouette D’aureville

(Hey all this is an open thread to Squires and pretty much anyone who would like to join but it's supposed to be a fun jaunty week in the city so keep it light please)
 
The Planter, that was the Knight's of Anatheaum base was called in the kingdom's capital of Crown's Hold. The old barracks compound was from a time long past, and housing a fresh crop of knights and squires from the Monastery itself was, something of an honor.

Least, that's what Syr Von Hammersmark had said. Syr Martigan on the other hand, she didn't seem none too impressed, or honored. Just seemed rather angry really. All while Syr Adelard seemed to eternally tend a big bellied pot of chowder.

But that was all behind them now. As were all the chores and duties they had picked up. And Syr Saskia was here now! Alongside Gruki, and Arbok, Lou and himself.

"So, what do you guys think we should do first?"

Roki's eyes flit up, head rested against laced fingers from hands held up behind his head. "Hmm, I've heard they have some cool plays here," he grinned wide at the idea. Looked to Lou, to then the others in turn, eyes set to sparkle. "We should go see one!" he hop stepped and wiggled about. Hands still laced behind his head, and elbows fanned aout.

Almost made him look like a brightly colored snake.
 
"Oh, they do!" A thick and large needle in hand, Saskia was busy mending her leather boot. It had seen some tough days, but until an actual hole had been worn into the soles, the dusker insisted she could fix it until she could retire the pair. In a bid to save her coin, Saskia took to the library back at the monastery to learn how to mend gear and clothing.

She pulled the needle through, and watched as the sturdy thread settle in a steady stitch. Her concentration was unwavering as she took every care to ensure her work was even. "I have been to the amphitheater here before. We should all go when we have the chance." Saskia continued, voice slow as she took her time with her work before sighing with relief at a job well done.

Setting down her gear, she shook out the hand that held the needle for so long. A grimace came across her features, her hands not used to holding something so nimble and small for so long.

"Dinner and a show?" She grinned, looking to the others to see if they were interested in Roki's suggestion just as she was.
 
Gearing up for what was left of the day, Gruki couldn't help but snort at her brother's suggestion. 'Oh, nononono!' Sitting down to lace her boots, the big she-ork shook her head, red tresses swaying as she smiled. Or sneered. 'Nuh-uh! Nope! Last time we went to see a show, Roki ended up with singed fingers, on account of his fiddlin' with the pyrotechnics.'

She still remembered how he had tried brave-facing it afterwards. The firework specialists had all apologised profusely, though that hadn't spared them a stern talking-to from their stage chief. Poor fools. Didn't they know better than to trust a wizard?

'Wanted to work on his "pyrotechnique", he said.' Switching left for right, she finished lacing up her boots, gave them a quick pat down. 'If we go, best bring some water buckets. And restraints.' Saskia seemed taken with the idea, and Lou and Roki were like two peas in a pod. Which makes me the momma pea, thought Gruki, looking around at the others.

'I did hear tell that Myrshela's Mystical Menagerie was in town,' she said, bowing under the weight of eyes. 'Dantellion's Imp Emporium, too,' a shrug, and a shuffle. The bench beneath her creaked as she stood up. 'Could be fun!'
 
"What's a Menagerie?" Lou asked, holding up the pomengranites she had purchased to her nose. She gave each one a sniff. Not ready, not yet. She was careful in putting them back in her bag, not wanting the shiny fruits to bruise even the slightest. Green eyes flit towards Arbok, a soft smile on her face. Their late-night chats had been a welcome surprise that soon turned into an expected event. Lou liked staying up late while everyone slept, whispering to Arbok all the things she usually never said out loud. This was a much better trip than when she had to watch Ketyl and Winnika flirt with each other day and night.

She shrugged her pack back onto her shoulders, took hold of Arbok's arm with her own, and gave the much larger squire a squeeze on her arm. The shortest squire and the tallest squire were a sight to behold for many. Not that Lou didn't get the same stares as when she stood too close to Gruki. Lou reached up on her toes, looking up at Arbok. Did it even make a difference?

Probably not.

"We can see if there are any libraries." Lou offered. Hardly as exciting as anything everyone else said, but Lou knew Arbok liked the steamy books, same as her roommate Ulrika. "But, I am good with anything," Lou added quickly.
 
Arbok was almost not listening, her eyes were drawn upwards to the tallness of the buildings about them. The exterior wall itself was very impressive.

It was Lou's touch that brought her back to earth and she scrunched a smile at the small girl as she stood on her toes.
"Hmm? Oh, yeah!"
Her hand was over Lou's before her mind caught up with the conversation that she ironically started.

"Well I'm thinking..."
The gurgle that came from her stomach lasted longer than even she was comfortable with but she rolled with it. Smiling through the embarrassment.

"I think I'm starving!"
She bent and hooked her arm about Lou's waist to hoist her up if her feet and hold her for a moment to give her a bit more height.
"We're getting food, no shows. Sorry Roki but we can catch one before we leave."
She threw him a smile, feeling maybe that she was taking liberties now, orders were weird for her but this was her idea, she supposed that meant she was kind of in charge.

"Gruki, Saskia, You two know the city lead the way to food!"
She struck a pointing pose out towards the main street and suddenly felt not very much like herself at all.
Lowering Lou back to the ground and shrinking a bit she sheepishly tucked a braid of her hair behind her ear.

"If that's okay with you all!"
 
Roki was on board. "Dinner and a show!" he said with a big grin, clapped broad fingers against heavy palms. "That sounds-"

Nuh-uh! Nope! His big sister cut in .. ended up with singed fingers, on account of his fiddlin' with the pyrotechnics.

"What?" Roki cut back. Laughed nervous. Eyes flitting to Saskia, Arbok, and Lou. "That was ages ago!" He assured them. Palms raised to the wind as he gave them all a shrug. Eyes turned sly as slippery butter on a hot pan. "'Sides," he said, voice thick with sly and conspiracy. "My Pyrotechnique, has improved a ton since then!" He nudged Saskia.

Blew a raspberry at the call for the menagerie and the emporium. "What! There is hardly any-" struck out with his lanky limbs, hands fanned wide, and foot kicked out. "Theater to those productions!"

What's a Menagerie?

"Farces mostly, a collection of oddities and innocents," he said with a wistful shake of the head. Breath spilling out, all dramatique. "Tragedies, truly," popped back up with a smack of fist to palm. "Oh, I know!"

Lou mentioned the library, and Arbok pressed on with the food. Shrugged. "Hey, no sweat off these brows," he made them do a little wiggle and dance. Went on stepping, loop step with too much pep. Red coat loose, blue sash swishing behind him like a monkey's tail. "Food souns great," he beamed.
 
"Well, do we all want a cheap meal or go all out on our first night here?" Saskia looked to them all, a blonde brow quirked in wonderment as she waited for their answers. "Because I know great places for cheap, but hearty meals... but I have dined at some nice restaurants here before too, if that option takes your fancy."

Not one to make the decision for the group, Saskia liked the chaos of everyone putting in their thoughts and opinions on a matter. Being surrounded by others, especially friends, always made her more than happy to get out of her comfort zone of being alone.

Saskia looked to her friends, a sly grin growing on her lips. "What you think Gruki? Should we create an itinerary for the remainder of our stay here and show our friends how to eat well in Crown's Hold?"
 
Gruki levelled a disbelieving stare at her brother. 'Uh-huh,' she grunted, rolling her eyes, and yet not quite able to keep a grin from her face. 'Food it is, then,' she nodded, patting her stomach, the thought of something tasty inspiring her to rack her brain a bit, in case something just so happened to shake loose.

'Didn't get t' see much of the city, last time I was here,' she said, strolling over to her brother's side, 'fore seizing him in a headlock. Not too tight, mind. Just enough to put a temporary end to his tomfoolery.

'An itinerary could come in handy,' she gruffed and grinned, allowing her lil' brother to slip away, lest he deign to show them just how much his pyrotechnique had improved by singeing her behind. 'Cheap and cheerful, if'n you please! My purse's feelin' light enough already, an' that's without the pickpockets tryin' their luck.'

Everyone had to make a living. Sometimes it felt like cityfolk had no morals whatsoever, but the she-ork knew that wasn't always so. Still. Wouldn't hurt to keep a hand on their valuables. Maybe she could try looking mean? She was good at that.

'I recall their bein' a eatery just uphills a bit. North North-East. Thataways,' she gestured. 'The Dog 'n' Crown, I think it was called? Big on crowns and royalty around here,' she smiled. 'Dogs, too.'
 
Back on solid ground, Lou's eyes flitted from each person. What a wonderful group they had; it brought a smile to her face. She watched Gruki and Roki, wishing she had a sister. Or maybe a brother? She stared a moment too long at Roki until her face was too warm. No, definitely a sister. Lou glanced up at Arbok until she felt a familiar pinch in her neck. Eyes landed on Saskia, a different sort of admiration tickling her cheeks.

"Are the dogs wearing crowns?" Lou could imagine it: the large, fluffy working dogs with a white underbelly and a nose, wearing a cheaply made wooden crown. She liked their droopy face and the black around their eyes that made them look like raccoons. Or maybe they had the smaller dogs with sleek builds and their bones on display? She thought a wooden crown would be too heavy for their little heads. "Or maybe the dogs bring the food out to us in little baskets. It would save on labor." Lou mused quietly. Unfortunately, not many would be keen on getting a glob of drool on their food. Perhaps the dogs would be for show? Some nice scenery while enjoying a meal. But what a shame it would be if they could only look and not touch.
 
"I hope so, that would be cute."
Dogs in crowns, what an idea.

"Okay, that sounds good to me. To the dogs and crowns place then, come on."
Arbok strode out a few paced before reaching back for Gruki to link her under the arm.
"Please show me the way I feel so lost in all this noise."
Her voice whispered, probably not as low as she hoped it would be.

The dog 'n' crown was indeed all that Gruki had described, in fact outside was a lazing old wolfhound which might have been alive when the cobbles on the street were put in.
It watched them with the kind of placid disinterest that only the truly aged of his kind possessed.

All the same Arbok had to stop and pet him massive head, which felt rather normal in her large hand. It earned her a half hearted ear move and a single wag of the lazy tail.

Inside the air was thick with grease and salt. The orders came in hot and the food went out sizzling.
Straw flooring over the wood soaked up the spills and was piled high in the corners for changing.
Voices, so many voices all talking over each other. Arbok felt it might knock her down but she just had to stop and adjust for a moment.

"IT'S LOUD!"
She stated obviously.

"I DON'T SEE ANY FREE SEATS. DO WE NEED TO BOOK IN ADVANCE?"
Great as her voice could be she felt it muffled in all the cacophony of clatterings and chatterings. Someone bumped into her but we're gone before she could even turn to look for them.

@Roki
@Gruki
@Saskia
@Alouette D’aureville
 
Golden eyes bounced along each voice as it chimed in. Purple shock of hair trailing about the rhythm of their conversation.

Dogs and Crowns sounded good. Almost like it had something to say. A big grin split his face at the idea of the little mutts wearing their golden laurels and five pointed bands.

Did they wear funny capes too? He couldn't help but wonder.

Arbok settled it, and on they went.

The big dog almost seemed normal beside the big squire, all long limbed and strong as she was. While his sister, the knight he always had to remind himself, seemed all the warmer and brighter. Lou looked all the smaller and cuter, and Saskia the more refined. Like the shaggy old hound had some power to bring out the beauty in others.

He approached the dog, breath rushed into his lungs as he wanted to pet it hello. All of him scrunched up and wound with excitement as he reached out a hand.

The dog sniffed it. And turned away.

"Oop," Roki sounded, lips pursed, brows angled, and eyes wide with wondering. Why? Did he smell funny?

And in they went.
Into a crush of conversations and laughter, and all manner of chatter.

Roki peeked out from behind Arbok. "I don't think so!" he exclaimed over the noise. Saw a table that just cleared up. Struck a finger out. "There!" he called bright, and hurried over with a quick zip step. Wove through the ladies and gentlemen that laughed their way toward the exit. Hopped over the wiener dog that trot along behind them. Smirked, nod, bumped into another person but was able to round about them before it turned full crash, and plopped his butt right down on the bench of a table big enough for... most of them.

Looked around.

Saw someone get up from their stool. Swiped it and turned it and plant it. Popped up onto it with each foot and whistled to the crew. "OVER HERE!" he said tusky and smiling as he waved them over.
 
Saskia was fast. The moment Roki bounded into the crowd to snag a recently available table, she had been quick on his heels. She probably would have made it before him if she had not been faced with every being he cut off or bumped into, and her face immediately took on an apologetic expression as she flitted by with a breath of "I am sorry! SORRY SIR! Oh my, so sorry! I am not normally like this!"

The lie was that she was.

Saskia fell into a seat, ignoring immediately how warm it was but a seat was a seat.

"Move your arses!" She called out to the rest of their group, her smile large and proud, until a few faces looked her way and she gave them unimpressed faces in return.

"How many drinks do we want?" From her pocket, a small pouch of coin. One by one, she placed twelve pieces onto the table, effectively offering to buy the first round of drinks. "Do you think this is enough?"
 
'As cute as that sounds, I think the pups're more likely to eat our food than bring it to us,' the she-ork replied, shooting Lou an appreciative grin, only to get ambushed by Arbok a moment later. Well. Maybe not ambushed. It was hard to hide seven feet of werebear, especially when you knew all of her tricks.

Gruki had never met anyone taller, and yet Arbok never seemed to look down on anyone. Indeed, Arbok was big, but her heart was bigger still. 'Best time to find things is when you're lost,' replied Gruki, whispering back. 'Try to enjoy the experience. The Hold's a daunting place, even for folk who've been here before.' The orkin had never been too fond of big cities. They smelled funny, like a midden heap spritz with perfume. At least Crown's Hold was prettier up close.

Inside the Dog 'n' Crown, all was pandemonium. Chairs grated. Steins clunked and clattered. It must've been kickout time somewhere, for the place was brimming with bodies.

Giving her friend's arm a reasssuring squeeze, Gruki untangled herself in order to chase after Saskia, who seemed far more interested in catching the purple-haired buffoon than watching where she was going. 'Kids these days,' the she-ork sighed, rolling her eyes theatrically. She followed after them all the same.

'Don't you have duties to attend to come the morn?' Gruki inquired with a smile, a large hand settling on Saskia's shoulder whilst the other swept the coins back towards the dusk knight. 'Might want to keep your glint hidden, 'less you plan on sharing with the entire tavern?' Gruki whispered in her ear, leaving a couple seats free for Arbok and Lou to take, if'n they chose. 'I'll get the drinks in.'

The bar was easier to reach than the way out at least. Golden eyes went to each syr and squire in turn.

'Y'all want the usual?'
 
Lou was right behind. Roki took a seat first, then Saskia. Arbok and Gruki strode through with ease, people instinctively making room for the two that stood taller than most of the men. It left Lou to keep her wits about her, side-stepping here, sliding through there. There were still two seats after Gruki took her own, settling in easily next to Saskia. Two more seats left: one for Arbok, then one for...

"Oh, um," Lou took a step back from the man who took her seat, giving her a look laced in both weary discomfort and gruff grimace. "Never mind," She mumbled. He looked like a man ready to start a fight, and that was the last thing any of them needed. First night here in Crown's Hold and already throwing punches? At least let Arbok eat some dinner first. He huffed and hawed, rubbing a rough hand over his thick, unruly beard as if some philosopher. The wooden stool creaked as he turned his back to the bunch of them.

It would have been nice if she had longer legs. If she couldn't have that, then she wished she had at least the presence that made others notice her enough in a crowd so they wouldn't get in her way. It didn't matter, she was used to standing, and so she squeezed in, raising her hand to grab Gruki's attention.

"Something without honey for me," Lou said, nose wrinkling as a bowl of potato and leeks fried in bacon grease went out. "Unless they have nothing of the sort, then never mind." She mumbled. A loud voice beat out all the rest, even amongst the cheers and whistles, as woven mats with bright pictures caught Lou's attention. Little cups of dried beans were passed around to people who offered coin for a mat, each slightly different than the last, pictures similar but in different places. The squire brought her green gaze back to the busy bar, a small terrier yipping at a towel one of the barmaids used to wipe the handle of a tankard.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom