Topic: Down at the Docks

Raytheon

Date: 2012-07-06 23:27 EST
Raytheon could not help smiling as he exited the inn. Seeing Valucia again had lifted his spirits; it startled him how much he had missed her, despite her continuous presence through the bond. He still could not understand why Valucia -- an Aes Sedai of tremendous power -- would want to bond a country bumpkin like himself, but he was eternally grateful for her trust and confidence.

Determined not to let her down, he hurried towards the docks. As usual, the place was utter chaos. Bare-chested deckhands carried wooden containers off the ships moored at the docks. Huge crowds had gathered to see off their loved ones or welcome them home, and the emotions ranged from loud cries to hearty laughter. Vendors hawked their wares from open-air tents on both sides of the busy streets, while young boys and girls darted among the people, delivering messages to ship captains and merchants.

The Sea Folk vessel was easy to spot. It was a full-rigged sailing ship, with three enormous masts, and its sleek design made the other ships in the harbor look like children's toys. A stern-looking, dark-skinned woman stood at the bow of the ship, scowling at the men below as they carefully carried boxes of Sea Folk porcelain objects towards a number of horse-drawn carts. She wore simple clothing, but a golden chain ran between rings in her nose and ear. Raytheon guessed that she must be the Sailmistress. He cast a glance towards the carts, where a short, bony man merchant issued loud instructions to the men, stopping only to mop the sweat off of his forehead with a light blue handkerchief. Sea Folk porcelain was worth its weight in gold, so the heat was probably only part of the reason the merchant was sweating so profusely. However, the presence of a couple dozen burly mercenaries around the carts would dissuade all but the most foolish (or clever) of thieves from attempting to dip into the merchant's profits.

There was no sign of the Red Sister, but that was no surprise. An Aes Sedai at the docks would stand out like an elephant in a pigpen, and she would further draw attention to herself if she were seen with Sea Folk, who were sometimes known to be suspicious of Aes Sedai.

Raytheon

Date: 2012-07-07 18:15 EST
Raytheon's frown deepened with the passing hours. The Sea Folk ship had departed shortly after leaving its cargo, disappearing beyond the horizon in what seemed like a matter of minutes.

Raytheon had sought out his contacts at the shipping and trade office, but they had been unusually tight-lipped, signaling to him that someone had paid them handsomely for their silence. As the sun slowly faded behind clouds, the street traffic thinned out considerably. Only fools, toughs, or a combination of the two would walk the Dockside streets alone at night.

Slipping into a dark alley, Raytheon waited a full minute to ensure that he wasn't being followed. Soft steps carried him another twenty yards, until he had reached a large storm-drain. He turned his neck upwards, then yanked on the aluminum pipe, which creaked loudly.

"The things I do for duty," Raytheon grumbled under his breath, taking hold of the pipe with both hands and pulling himself up five meters, then ten, and then, after what seemed like an eternity, another five to the roof. He clambered onto the roof, inhaling deep breaths of air. His side ached terribly, and he knew that he was feeling Valucia's pain through the bond, just as she could surely sense his breathlessness and frustration.

Getting to his feet, Raytheon scrambled in a half-crouch along the roof. As he neared the edge, he straightened, gritting his teeth.

"Don't look down!" he whispered fiercely, running as fast as his legs could manage. Just before he touched air, he leaped into the sky, reaching his arms out as far as he could. His hands scraped shingles, desperately seeking a grip, as he slid backwards off the roof of the adjacent building. His body felt weightless and vertigo enveloped him, but he just managed to clamp one hand down on the roof's gutter, the other clasping at empty air behind him. Stifling a scream as a jolt of pain rushed through his arm, he brought his free hand back to the gutter and, biting his lip so hard that he drew blood, slowly drew himself up onto the roof. He lay there in silence, his heart racing, for what seemed like forever, gazing at the stars and marveling at the fact that he was still alive.

Raytheon

Date: 2012-07-07 22:34 EST
Finally, Raytheon sat up, his chest still heaving. He shuffled to the lip of the roof and stuck his head out, peering down. About two meters below him, there was a small balcony that backed up to a large arch-shaped window.

He shimmied off the roof, hanging for a brief second before dropping onto the balcony with a grunt. He thanked the heavens for the recent heat wave, as the window had been left ajar, making his entrance even easier. He pushed it open and crawled through into a wide office. He lit a candle and took stock of his surroundings.

A quick glance at the nameplate on the desk indicated that he wouldn't find what he was looking for here, so Raytheon passed through quickly and entered the hallway. The third door on the left said "Ship Registries and Cargo." He nudged the door open with his foot and stepped inside.

Six desks were situated in two rows of three, and file cabinets lined the back wall. Stacks of papers blanketed each desk.

"Where is my needle in a haystack?" Raytheon muttered, making his way to the first desk.

He was on his second candle and beginning to lose hope when he finally found the folder he was looking for, buried in the middle of a tower of papers on the fourth desk he had searched.

Raytheon

Date: 2012-07-07 23:04 EST
With barely restrained excitement, Raytheon reached for the ship's cargo list. It was a standard form, noting in exacting detail the items, their commercial value, and their recipient. The entire delivery -- various porcelain dishware, sculptures, and other pieces of art -- had gone to Tobias Gale. Filing the name away, Raytheon guessed that must have been the high-strung merchant that had been overseeing the transfer of the boxes into carts in the afternoon.

Raytheon perused the cargo list again, but everything seemed in order. Frowning, he absently reached for the ship's crew registry. The registry were actually two lists: arrivals and departures. Given the Sea Folk's notorious unwillingness to divulge much about their affairs, both were pretty uninformative, consisting of hastily scribbled notes, such as Sea Folk -- 62, Passengers -- Merchant from Tarabon, 2 travelers from Toman Head, high lady and 3 retainers from Illian, and so on. The lists were almost impossible to decipher. Fearing that he had reached a dead end, Raytheon idly counted up the passengers... and suddenly it struck him. Alertness flooded through him as he counted the passenger lists again. Yes, there again, there was one more passenger on the arriving registry than on the departing one. And yet, the shipping official had made no note of anyone disembarking in Rhydin.

It still didn't make sense. Why would a Red Sister make a deal with the Sea Folk to deliver a passenger to Rhydin of all places? He could come up with no good answer, unless...

Bursting out of the room, Raytheon raced down the stairs. Unlocking one of the first-floor windows, he pushed his way and jumped back onto the alley. The Red Dragon Inn was more than a mile away, but Raytheon broke into a sprint.

As he ran, he channeled all of his emotions into the bond, trying desperately to warn Valucia of the danger that she might face. He hoped that it would not be too late.

Valucia Sabet

Date: 2012-09-07 23:17 EST
Within her room, she poured over the stack of papers. The ledgers and tomes had been returned to the bookshelves hours earlier, but nothing of it was entirely unorganized. She would have had to be very ill to have not kept things precise and everything in its rightful place.

Slender form, toned and trim gracefully abandoned the chair. She gave no outwardly hint that she had sat far too long in the uncomfortable chair, except for a soft exhale.

Whispers of her dress seemed loud in the room where she worked and met with her company. Strides carried her from there to the adjoining room she used for a bedchamber. As she considered resting, her black-pearl gaze lingered on the bed, she felt the surge of warning course through the bond.

The focal of her gaze was on the delicate laced edge of her coverlett at the bed, but attention was fully upon what was being felt. Danger. Without a doubt. Lips pressed together thoughtful though she didn't stand there for long. Her hand at the ties of her sleeve dropped away even as she turned and strode back into the sitting area. The window to that room as thrown open and she looked to the street below.

Already the soft glow was about her, reaching out and touching the source though only a very few would ever be able to see it. Even in RhyDin, that was not a talent for the many to possess, not for all their magic and miraculous talents.

The Aes Sedai stayed there at the window a few minutes longer, in the case her gaze could tell her more of what she felt through the bond from her Warder.