The story of Sienna and Jake began in a Tavern in Rhydin.
Jake gone back to Taigenaeth Bay at Carolynne's behest. One thing he could say about his new boss was she had moxie. She also laid a whole lot of trust on Jake and, when he considered it, he was flattered. She didn't tell him how to do it; just told him what she wanted and when she wanted it. He was impressed with her eye for details. She had all her ducks in a row so to speak.
He was tossing around ideas in his head over an ale when she sat down next to him. For a Her accent was pure Rhdin and he relaxed quickly. They got to talking and in the doing, a plan emerged like some phoenix rising from the ashes.
Her name was Sienna. Her friends called her Si. She was wearing a cute black and tan mustache from the ale she was drinking and it looked right nice on her. Jake took a liking to her. It'd been a long time since he had a'prentice and never one as pretty or smart as this one. She was sort of looking for an anchor and he thought he could fit that bill. They started talking about this job he had in the Tavern; but he knew the walls had ears and he was going to be doing this right under old Teeja's nose. So he led her out of there and took her down to the docks. He didn't mind the cold and she didn't seem to either. They sat on the dock swinging their legs over the water and he filled her in on what his job was.
"Garret Withering was a rich old codger who died a lonely man. Even with all his money, no woman'd have 'im. So he spent all his earnings on pretty things that couldn't leave 'im; paintin's and statues and tapestries and other artsy junk. When he died, he left two manors fulla the stuff. The houses got sold but the artsy stuff, well, seems more'n my boss wants t'get ahold of 'em.
In Garret's younger days when he wasn't so ornery, he fathered a son who fathered a daughter known, Gladys Withering. The father and grandfather are both dead so everything in Withering's estate was left t'this here Gladys. M'boss has an eye for art and has always kept tabs on old Withering and his collection. When she heard he died and that his collection was waiting in a warehouse for Gladys t'come down for it, she knew it was her last chance t'get her hands on it.
Gladys lives up north in the Eranesse Mountains; so she has t'wait for the spring thaw afore she can venture down t'Rhydin t'pick up her grandda's goods. Th'big problem here is that the warehouse is in Rhydin. M'boss and I are from another arm of th'Hall and this job shoulda belonged to the Rhydin crew. It just complicates things some though, don't make things impossible."
Now he wasn't bragging; but he sure did want to make an impression on Si. He was hoping that after the job, she might even venture back to Provo with him; but that was jumping the gun. Something he was inclined to do from time to time.
"See, if some beautiful woman was to come dressed as if she had money and she was t'produce papers showin' she was Gladys, that warehouse owner'd have no problem at'all 'bout releasin' the stuff t'her. She'd say that she decided not wait for the thaw and caught herself a ship down from Edath-Thorn Bay. Was plannin' on loadin' the goods inta th'boat and goin' back that way too.
Only this beautiful woman would be takin' the stuff to Provo and gettin' paid a swack'a coin f'it. Maybe she'd take a little vacation there until the heat was off and let a certain guy show her how grateful he was."
Well, Si didn't buy into the whole thing. She was interested in the job and made Jake give her both his share and her share of the money to hold until after the job was done. The sucker gave it to her too. They made plans to meet in 10 days. That'd give him enough time to line up the papers and the boat and change his looks enough to get by as her man servant. Man servant' he liked that.
After Jake left, Sienna sat on that dock long after it was safe to do so alone, thoughts cartwheeling one over the other in her head like tumbling dice. What had her big mouth gotten her into this time? Sienna was no thief, nor did she think she had a chance in hell of pulling off the farce of being someone "well to do"....but she'd gone right ahead and listened to his harebrained scheme...and she didn't know this bloke from Adam's housecat!
It hadn't been a difficult task, actually. This Jake fella had been quite entertaining to listen to and, she had to admit, he wasn't hard to look at either. His animated account of the circumstances, sprinkled liberally with his silver-tongued flattery, conspired with the money pouch she now hefted in her hand to slip 'round her suspicious nature. Hell, before she knew it, she found herself seriously considering this crazy idea.
"Ooch, what th' hell. Ah've a need f' sommat excitin' t'do."
Naive as she was, Sienna had no idea just how much danger that spur of the moment decision was about to get her into.
Jake gone back to Taigenaeth Bay at Carolynne's behest. One thing he could say about his new boss was she had moxie. She also laid a whole lot of trust on Jake and, when he considered it, he was flattered. She didn't tell him how to do it; just told him what she wanted and when she wanted it. He was impressed with her eye for details. She had all her ducks in a row so to speak.
He was tossing around ideas in his head over an ale when she sat down next to him. For a Her accent was pure Rhdin and he relaxed quickly. They got to talking and in the doing, a plan emerged like some phoenix rising from the ashes.
Her name was Sienna. Her friends called her Si. She was wearing a cute black and tan mustache from the ale she was drinking and it looked right nice on her. Jake took a liking to her. It'd been a long time since he had a'prentice and never one as pretty or smart as this one. She was sort of looking for an anchor and he thought he could fit that bill. They started talking about this job he had in the Tavern; but he knew the walls had ears and he was going to be doing this right under old Teeja's nose. So he led her out of there and took her down to the docks. He didn't mind the cold and she didn't seem to either. They sat on the dock swinging their legs over the water and he filled her in on what his job was.
"Garret Withering was a rich old codger who died a lonely man. Even with all his money, no woman'd have 'im. So he spent all his earnings on pretty things that couldn't leave 'im; paintin's and statues and tapestries and other artsy junk. When he died, he left two manors fulla the stuff. The houses got sold but the artsy stuff, well, seems more'n my boss wants t'get ahold of 'em.
In Garret's younger days when he wasn't so ornery, he fathered a son who fathered a daughter known, Gladys Withering. The father and grandfather are both dead so everything in Withering's estate was left t'this here Gladys. M'boss has an eye for art and has always kept tabs on old Withering and his collection. When she heard he died and that his collection was waiting in a warehouse for Gladys t'come down for it, she knew it was her last chance t'get her hands on it.
Gladys lives up north in the Eranesse Mountains; so she has t'wait for the spring thaw afore she can venture down t'Rhydin t'pick up her grandda's goods. Th'big problem here is that the warehouse is in Rhydin. M'boss and I are from another arm of th'Hall and this job shoulda belonged to the Rhydin crew. It just complicates things some though, don't make things impossible."
Now he wasn't bragging; but he sure did want to make an impression on Si. He was hoping that after the job, she might even venture back to Provo with him; but that was jumping the gun. Something he was inclined to do from time to time.
"See, if some beautiful woman was to come dressed as if she had money and she was t'produce papers showin' she was Gladys, that warehouse owner'd have no problem at'all 'bout releasin' the stuff t'her. She'd say that she decided not wait for the thaw and caught herself a ship down from Edath-Thorn Bay. Was plannin' on loadin' the goods inta th'boat and goin' back that way too.
Only this beautiful woman would be takin' the stuff to Provo and gettin' paid a swack'a coin f'it. Maybe she'd take a little vacation there until the heat was off and let a certain guy show her how grateful he was."
Well, Si didn't buy into the whole thing. She was interested in the job and made Jake give her both his share and her share of the money to hold until after the job was done. The sucker gave it to her too. They made plans to meet in 10 days. That'd give him enough time to line up the papers and the boat and change his looks enough to get by as her man servant. Man servant' he liked that.
After Jake left, Sienna sat on that dock long after it was safe to do so alone, thoughts cartwheeling one over the other in her head like tumbling dice. What had her big mouth gotten her into this time? Sienna was no thief, nor did she think she had a chance in hell of pulling off the farce of being someone "well to do"....but she'd gone right ahead and listened to his harebrained scheme...and she didn't know this bloke from Adam's housecat!
It hadn't been a difficult task, actually. This Jake fella had been quite entertaining to listen to and, she had to admit, he wasn't hard to look at either. His animated account of the circumstances, sprinkled liberally with his silver-tongued flattery, conspired with the money pouch she now hefted in her hand to slip 'round her suspicious nature. Hell, before she knew it, she found herself seriously considering this crazy idea.
"Ooch, what th' hell. Ah've a need f' sommat excitin' t'do."
Naive as she was, Sienna had no idea just how much danger that spur of the moment decision was about to get her into.