January 16, 2012
Red Dragon Inn
The Gypsy shivered a little, opening her eyes, waking slowly up. Without meaning to she had fallen asleep, the cradle of the swing still swaying gently. Sitting up, Vera yawned, one hand running through the tangle of her hair, trying to straighten it. But that never did her any good, soon letting her hand fall back to her side. She couldn't help but wonder why Katt hadn't come back.
Mercy left the rifle at home on her return visit to the inn. She also didn't slink in through the alley door like a wraith escaping the shadows; like the night prior she came riding up on the handsome bay with the ambling gait. She held the reins loosely, riding easily, but clearly distracted. The horse seemed to know where he was going, though, retracing his steps from the night before. He was a clever beast and he made his way up to the hitching post while Mercy was too busy staring into the shadows in her mind.
It was the sound of someone talking nearby that broke Mercy out of her reverie, that and the fact that her horse had stopped. She stared at the porch for a moment before she swung one leg over the bay's saddle and slid from his tall back. The bay snorted and blew at her, turning his big head to look her way. She grunted back at him and rifled through her pockets for an apple.
It was the sounds of the horse that drew the Gypsy's attention, releasing her legs to touch her feet to the porch floor. But she didn't get up, only stopped the swaying of the swing, bright eyes searching the yard again. She tilted her head a bit, straining her vision. A horse" Maybe. She couldn't make anything else out though.
She offered out the apple to the bay who lipped the thing into its mouth and crunched on it whole, while Mercy walked him up towards the porch and the hitch. She didn't like the looks of the trough, but she knew her horse wouldn't touch the water. She looped the reins lightly around the hitching post and headed up the porch steps.
Seeing the horse by the dim lighting of the porch, Vera admired the animal, her smile softening. "Very pretty." She told Mercy, inclining her head. "Been a long time since I've gone riding." The very thought made her nostalgic.
Mercy looked over at where Vera was on the swing. "Strider." She offered the name of her animal far more readily than her own. "He's my favorite." Implying she had others. "Nice smooth ride, but he bites anyone who isn't me." Which made him very hard to steal.
Her mouth moved into a grin at that, Vera looking the horse over again. "Hallo Strider." She saw no harm in greeting the horse like he was any other person on the street. But Vera did quite a few things people saw as strange. "I can see why he would be chosen as a favorite. Nice night, isn't it?" She shivered again in spite of her words.
"Calm, peaceful." Deceptive. "Good night for riding."
"Cold." She added to Vera's description of the night. Mercy was awful warm in her riding leathers, including a set of chaps over her jeans, but she could still feel the bite of the night air. "A bit too cold to spend too much time idle out here." She arched up an eyebrow. It was one thing to be moving.
Thinking about it, the Gypsy had to relent, suffering another shiver. "Yeah, yeah, it is pretty cold." She stretched out before reaching down, grabbing the bottle back up. "I came out here to wait for a friend."
Thinking about Katt again.
"I saw her leave, earlier." Looking away, she bit her bottom lip. "She was chasing after that man, the bad one. He means something to her ..." Vera shook her head, feeling frustrated. "What I don't know, she won't talk about it."
"The one everyone seemed ready to fight earlier." That wasn't quite a question, but she was looking at Vera for confirmation. She'd been around long enough, done this long enough that she could read a situation pretty well. "You have no other way of contacting this friend?" Mercy didn't use much modern conveniences, but she knew they existed.
Shaking her head, she moved a little towards the door but in the end, leaned more against the frame, tilting the bottle in her hand. "No, I have no other way then going to her shop. Katt is strange about letting people get close to her. She's opened up to me but not enough for a phone number." Looking at Mercy, she shrugged. "Yeah, the guy spoiling for a fight. Brian."
"That man wasn't who he seemed." Sometimes Mercy let it slip that she was aware of more than she ought to be. She shrugged, though and glanced towards the door leading into the inn. She pulled one of her gloves free so that she could check that odd compass-watch of hers. "I'm sure your friend wouldn't like you to freeze solid waiting around for her."
She gave Vera a look.
"If she needs you, she'll need you warm."
Okay, okay. Smirking a little she held up her free hand, palm out. "I got it, opening the door," and she did so, smiling, "going in." Slipping through, Vera held it open for Mercy, the warmth wrapping around her like a nice, friendly hug. It wasn't noticeable but she quivered a little, feeling the cold more keenly now that she was out of it.
Mercy smirked smugly at Vera as she followed the woman in. "I'm used to people being much more stubborn." There was almost a sad quirk to the lingering smile on her lips, but it was short lived. The stoic facade was back in place by the time she was inside and stripping out of her jacket to hang up by the door.
His stride to the inn was given an extra helping of humility, steps a little more careful, a little less outward spring. He caught the door with the front of his boot before it could close behind Vera and Mercy, a smile burbling up through a nod to Vera. "Vera, Hey! Pardon my, er, boot..."
She shivered again, narrowing her eyes and looking at Mercy. "I'm not the least bit stubborn." Vera told her, lying through her teeth. "It was just cold out there and ...Katt's obviously not coming back." Blinking, she peered around Mercy to Geist. "Hallo." She would not pull attention to the fact - she had no boots on herself. "You're fine."
He caught wind of Katt's name with a wince, eyes turning down a bit toward the two. "Ohhhh Katt....Pretty rough deal last night." The doorway tended to make him self-conscious, and soon enough he took a long, arcing stride to the side.
Giving Geist a look, Vera arched her brow. She had been told nothing about what happened last night with Katt. And now, there was no Katt! She was really starting to worry.
Mercy gave Geist a sidelong look. Just one of those flat looks of hers. "Should get something warm to drink," she told Vera, because she knew the woman was lying about being stubborn. Mercy was on her way to the bar already, intent on checking to see if the coffee was fresh or not.
His hands went up as he wheeled away to find the bottle of scotch and glass he'd ferreted away this morning by the hearth, stepping out of the way of....well, whatever was going to happen. Nonetheless, he sent a tight-lipped smile to Vera with a shrug.
She gave Geist a shrug in return and followed after Mercy, knowing that if he wanted to, Geist would join them at the bar. Looking around the common room, she waved at Faerran on the couch but didn't see Cooper with her. Once at the bar she settled on to a stool, looking towards the kitchen. She heard voices though he couldn't make out what was said.
Valkyrie caught the sight of that smile and she grimaced.
"Katt's dead." She knew no better way to say so.
.....Vera heard that and fell off her bar stool. Crash.
And the domino effect begins, "Vera!"
"I don't know, the green guy made off with her body after I checked to see if she was alive. I tried to heal her, but....I was too late." Val said, her head lowering.
Mercy had been in the middle of making a new pot of coffee when Vera crashed off her stool. She walked to the counter and peered over. "You okay?"
"Do y'bathe regularly?" Cooper's mouth twitched. And then Vera fell and Faerran cried out. Dark brows shot upwards. "What the Hell?"
Faerran went straight over the back of the couch and went after the gypsy, dragging her up and back onto her stool, "Wow....you just....pow! Gone! What was that"!?"
"She had lost too much blood, there was nothing I could do." Val said with an apologetic tone.
"Hahawhooooha—?" Geist jumped from his seat as the little Scath spoke, knocking over a promptly-righted lamp. The color left his face as he scuttled to the bar next to Vera, ears up to what Val spoke. "But....I saw her last night....with Leo, Janie and the brawny Boss Mare..."
A man said, "Raven. Killed her."
No sooner had Cooper gotten comfortable on the couch, the gypsy's fall and Faerran's retreat had the cowboy back up out of the couch and shambling gracelessly towards the situation. "Y'have too much t'drink, darlin'?"
Numbly she looked up at Mercy. She couldn't say anything, her mind going blank, her eyes glazing over. No, no, no. She had to of heard wrong. Mutely, she shook her head, trying to sit up. Lies, lies, lies.
It was suddenly hard to breathe, like all the air had been sucked from her lungs or simply just evaporated. Pulling up by Faerran, Vera shuddered, her whole body shaking. Too much, too much.
It just couldn't be true. She had just seen her ....Hours ago.
Gypsy Lore: "NO!" Vera shook her head, clenching her eyes.
"No...." She didn't want to hear it again.
"Whoa....just when I thought you couldn't get any whiter, girlie....Can I get a cloth over here....maybe a shot of something or other?" Then Faerran heard the Scath and everything was beginning to click. "Oh shit....Katt..."
Clearly Mercy had missed something. She canted her head to the side, mentally playing back everything she'd heard over the past few minutes, reeling back that steel trap of her mind to just before Vera fell. She look over to the woman saying someone couldn't to be saved, then Faerran. She pulled back from the bar. Something stronger than coffee was needed.
Katt....
"Katt' Naw. She was just he—-..." The cowboy's fists clenched instantly, until the audible pop of knuckles was heard beneath the din of the room. For the second time that day his pupils dilated and the iris' expanded ferally. "How" And where's the body?"
"Auuuuumumurrrrgh." He set into a slump onto a barstool and set the bottle in front of Vera and Mercy. It had a few swallows left of scotch, but they needed it more than he. His neck craned up to catch Becca stumbling in, a bit of a forlorned smile sent her way. .
"....Hey....Just a heads up, the inn will most likely be in a somber mood."
She shook her head and trembled, speaking rapidly. "Nu poate fi, nu pot fi adevărate. Prietenul meu nu este mort, am refuza să-l cred! Katt este bine, voi toti vor vedea. Ea nu este mort, nu poate fi. Refuz să cred!"
For the time being she knew no other language, no other tongue. "Minciuni. Toate minciuni."
Mercy didn't need it. She hardly knew the woman being talked about. Whatever bottle it was Geist put on the bar she shoved towards Vera. Then she was off hunting for something under the bar.
One burly arm slipped around the gypsy's slim form, before he panned a look around to the assembled again and sought an answer to his question.
"Where can we find the body?" Dark brows were knitting together furiously.
Faerran slid onto the bar in front of Vera and pulled her close, shaking her head, "Nu ascultaţi. Ştiţi că moartea este doar "rnceputul...."
Soft words in that strange tongue. The fey'ri was glancing across Vera to Cooper and she shrugged....
"That one knows," pointing to the Scath, Valkyrie.
"If'n you've studied m'kind," Cooper murmured quietly to the fey'ri. "Then you know it might not be too late fo' me to do somethin' fo' her..."
Faer nodded, then glancing as the drow arrived, "You should find your mate. Something terrible has happened....Make sure she wasn't at the shop this evening."
Feeling the cold glass of the bottle slip between her fingers, Vera stared down at it, uncomprehending. She looked at Faerran slowly and shook her head, wet eyes turning to Cooper, tear drops slipping down her face, leaving silk tracks.
"Katt nu este mort Cooper. Ea nu poate fi, eu nu-l va permite."
Mercy came up finally with a bottle of clear liquid with an old faded and peeling label. She pulled the cork from it and gave a quick sniff and replaced it. She set the bottle on the back bar to have it ready. Then she turned her attention to Vera and the others.
"As each day passes, the need for vigilante action increases, does it not?" A nod was shot towards Fear, a quick pat placed on Vera's shoulder before Cael slid through the door and murmured, willing arms to turn to wings, skin to scales. Within a moment, he had cleared the building and set about circling the area, peering down.
The bottle was promptly tugged from the gypsy's hand and flung to the far reaches of the common room. "Someone. Find. Me. Her. Body. Please."
With strength greater than his size, the cowboy scooped Vera up into his arms.
She relinquished her grip on the gypsy and watched helplessly as Cooper whisked her away.
Mercy looked long and hard at Cooper, then she drew back the sleeve of her shirt again so she could undo the latch of that peculiar compass-watch of hers. "I don't know if this will work on someone who is in the next realm," she prefaced, holding the watch out to Vera. "This. Can point you towards one you care for." She was grim.
Cooper lifted Vera easily, tipping a look to the fey'ri and jutting his chin towards the couch. "Let's get her over there where she can be comfortable." Despite his concern for the gypsy and the gentle tone to Faerran, Cooper's Rage was growing by the moment, until he was all but radiating a palpable heat. He gestured to Mercy to follow.
Gasping, Vera hooked an arm around his neck, feeling her head spin. Clutching him, she shook her head again, trying to find her axis, some sense of right in everything gone wrong.
"Katt nu este mort! Ei cred în mod greşit. Nu voi crede aceste minciuni."
She had never felt this helpless before, her eyes staring from one face to the next, not understanding this sad, macabre affair. Slowly she held a trembling hand out to Mercy. "Ceas?"
Mooneyes splash over Vera at her outburst, one white eyebrow caterpillars up.
Faerran left that blanket strewn across the back of the couch and picked it up as she approached, looking Vera over. Eyes went to Cooper and she was now somewhat frozen....rather unsure of what to do. She wasn't a tracker, nor could she raise the dead...
Mercy followed along without Cooper needing to tell her to. This was her getting involved in things again. She tipped her head towards Vera, almost like she understood the strange words. Some were vaguely familiar, related to a language she knew. When she was within range again, she placed the watch into Vera's hand. "Compass." She couldn't explain.
"It points true." Was the best she could offer after a moment of grappling for the words. She couldn't guarantee it would work for the gypsy in finding her friend. All she could do was offer it, if it was needed.
Vera was tucked gently against the cushions of the couch when it was finally reached, the backs of his knuckles brushed gently along the gypsy's cheek before he was drawing away to allow Faerran to wrap her within the folds of the blanket. He became a silent, looming presence then. He'd alluded to what he could do, so long as there was something left.
Valkyrie had remained silent, unsure of what to say or do. She just studied the reactions of all those around her before her gaze turned to Arts.
And then she was in motion and headed for the Scath, a quiet tone as she eased the female aside, "Ok, now that you have everyone's attention, perhaps you need to tell us what happened....who killed Katt....where is the body..." Details, please?" The fey'ri would be the one to glean the bare facts, since no one else would.
Taking the cloak she nodded gently before looking to Faer, her lips pursing. "He calls himself Raven, that's who killed her. The body is gone, the green man took off with him. She died in battle if that.....helps." She knew it wouldn't, it hardly did. Slowly she looked back to Arts.
Her mouth tightened, "What green man?"
The compass slipped into her hand, with Vera staring down at it. For some reason, this caused her face to crumble, pain lancing through to the very heart of the Gypsy. Tears ran unchecked and hot down her face though she didn't whimper or sob. Only kept crying those silent, silent tears - agony raw on her face.
No, no, not Katt.
She should have been warm, by the fire but all she felt was bone deep, cold. Sniffling, she jerked her head into a nod. Letting know Mercy she heard her.
The sudden discharge of the weapon produced a deep, bellowing growl from Cooper. Brown, unmistakably ursine eyes darted towards the source.
Arts" little voice gasps and purrs, intimate, a vocal caress for the Scath, "She lived when I left, pretty dear. I will share your sorrow if I may."
"I do not know his name." Val thought for a moment, considering everything then shaking her head. "I'm sorry." She glanced to Arts and nodded.
The Beretta at her waist was thought of at the report from the gun outside....The fey"ri seriously considered giving that tool the same treatment as that yellow bird from earlier...."Arts" Green man....any comment?"
Mercy had hardly reacted to the gunshots, but she looked hard at Cooper when he growled. She pressed her lips into a thin line.
Great eyes settle their weight on Faer, "She lived when I left, missy. If there was a green man present I must have missed him..." she paused, "perhaps I was preoccupied"
"Gun?" Vera frowned, confused, not looking up from the compass. "Why gun?" There was nothing more important to her than finding Katt. Proving to everyone she was still alive. "No gun, no gun."
Having rounded to the back of the couch in a slow, lumbering stalk, the cowboy ran a soothing had across the top of the gypsy's head. As the minutes ticked by, he still had no words for anyone and continued shifting his gaze to random faces within the commons for stern stares.
Faerran nodded towards Arts and the woman, mumbling, "Thanks." as she retreated back to the couch, sitting and looking Vera over, "Bri....Ravens the one who killed her....but no one seems to know who this green man is that has the body or whatever..." Reporting.
Mercy stood statue still, absorbing the information, but at a loss.
The cowboy nodded slowly, but still refrained from speaking.
She could feel a twist inside her at Faerran's words, her head jerking, shaking no, no, no.
"Katt, not dead. No. Not Katt."
Pulling in a deep breath she huddled on the couch, muttering, "Vom utiliza busola ayi pentru a ga'si ei. Veţi vedea, Katt este arn viaa"a"."
Reaching out, she grabbed Cooper's hand, "Must believe, Katt is alive." Letting him go, she looked wildly back to Faerran. "Not dead, refuse it. Refuse belief."
"Valkyrie." She said softly, her name, as her head lowered to her arm then towards Vera. She pursed her lips again and whispered. "I wish there was something more I could do."
Looking over towards Vera, Faerran took the gypsy's state in and nodded, "I do not know, for sure, pretty, but you know that death is only the beginning. Give it time....all will come to light."
Vera's hand was given as gentle a squeeze as he could manage, but if she expected a reply, none was forthcoming.
Frowning, Vera looked at the Val woman. She didn't know what to say, so she said nothing. Hearing Rayva, she blinked at her, her eyes feeling raw and gritty, too much salt.
"Vorbeşte dvs. sora cu moartea la început, dar Katt nu este mort. Nu mort."
Faerran frowned, "The Ravenlock killed Katt, or so the story goes." She looked down at the shadow dragon, one brow rising. "I'd wait for confirmation, as we do not know where the body might be. You know how this town goes..."
A low ursine chuff escaped, Cooper's nostrils flaring as he finally started to draw back from the couch. A large hand was forced into the pocket of his jeans, before he first approached Mercy and pressed one of the small cards into her hand. Two were pressed into Faerran's palm a few moments later, with one presumably meant for Vera. "Y'all should have time with y'friends." An extra wheel and increasingly bad company, the cowboy moved for the door.
Faerran looked up, surprised, "Cooper...?"
Mercy was lagging back from the little group; she felt she was intruding. She was hardly a part of the group....but she took the card Cooper gave her and she tucked it into a pocket of her jeans. Her eyes slid aside to the fey'ri. "Too much." She murmured.
There was a glance to Mercy and she inquired softly, "Too much what?"
He shook his head and gestured towards the gypsy, the door thrown open with a vicious application of his shoulder before Cooper was stepping out on the porch and pausing at the steps. He produced the pack of cigarettes a heartbeat later and tugged one free of the box with his teeth to light it. The brief flame the lighter brought served to illuminate the slow, but rising burn of his Rage.
Mercy just waved a hand absently, gesturing at....Well everything.
Vera might have laughed, finding some absurd humor to the situation. But all she could do was curl up into her end of the couch, the blanket wrapped around her until only her head and wild hair could be seen. She kept the compass, clutching it to her chest, vacant eyes staring into the fire. She had a problem with the fireplace - but that was a long story. And all she could think about was a name " Katt.
She leaned back, hunkered down and peered under the couch, "Situation being what it is, you sir, are not helping..." He did get a wink from the fey'ri, but she was back upright and leaning to the gypsy, settling onto a hip to sit in the floor and petting back blonde curls.
She drew in a deep breath and let it out as a heavy sigh. She ranged closer to Vera again, hand out to take the compass back. If the gypsy would allow it, she'd strap it to the woman's wrist. "The pointer turns if what you seek is out of range," she started softly. "Or if your feelings aren't strong enough. But if your belief is strong, it can lead you across the worlds."
There was a hand moving through her hair, Vera rolling her red, blood shot eyes to Faerran. But then there words being spoken to her, Mercy gently lifting her wrist, strapping the compass to it. Blearily she looked up to her, her lips quivering, trembling. But she never sobbed or whimpered. "Strong?" She rasped, looking back to the compass. "My belief?"
It was hard for Mercy to explain. She's not a big talker and far less of an explainer. She either understood something or she didn't. "Belief," she echoed, "That your spirit can find the way." That might be the best she could do. She patted Vera's hand awkwardly and pulled away.
Vera was not a pretty crier; her nose was red, her eyes gritty from tears, and there were a myriad of splotches on her face. She looked as haggard as she felt, weary and torn apart. But Mercy made her feel a little better, her kindness reaching her through all the sorrow and pain she felt.
"Thank you..." She told her, rasping still, as though her throat felt raw from screaming or she was inclined to drink too much whiskey.
In came the water maiden, hands brushing at the white silks at her hips. "What a mess..."
Quietly, "Vera....do you need anything....tea" Water?" The fey'ri had scotch right on the end table, but that probably wasn't a good idea.
Comforting people had never been a strong point for Mercy. "Stay warm," she murmured and then she was headed for the door. She'd reached the quota for reaching out to people for the day.
Hearing Vera's name the water maiden was quick to spring in that direction. "Vera!"
She watched Mercy leave, the fingers of her free hand moving to caress over the compass. Numbly she looked at Faerran, swallowing. "Umm....water. Please." Hearing Kai, she gave another turn of her head.
"Yes?"
She rose to her feet and trotted to the bar, fetching a bottle of water and bringing it back. She uncapped it and settled on the end of the couch, offering it towards Vera. Her own abandoned glass of scotch was lifted and sipped in her other hand.
Once outside Mercy was quick to untie her horse. She pulled herself easily into the stirrup less saddle and once the animal was turned about, she quickly heeled it into a trot. They were at a dead gallop before they were out of sight. She had some hunting to do.
Kai blinked. "What...happened? Vera you look a wreck!"
Taking the bottle of water she twisted the cap off, giving Faerran a brisk nod in thanks, quickly swallowing a large gulp before peering at Kai. "Lies, all lies."
Yes, denial was a stage.
Hello.
( I asked just about everyone for permission of this log and if I missed someone, sorry! Thanks to all the players involved! You were awesome for Vera and in a way, for Katt as well. Thank you again. I corrected as much as I could of the Romanian, all I can say is, try Google Translator until I can go through again and make a side-spiel of what Vera is trying to say. The logs tend to add symbols to the words. )