Thale had been chewing on nails for days. And everyone within a thousand yards of the docks knew it. There simply was no avoiding the old fisherwoman. Normally, she was dour and as weathered as any man that had been on the sea for decades. But her sour disposition and gutteral tongue had increased in ways that the men on the docks scooted out of the old Fisherwoman's path before she could start bellowing at them and waving her fist.
One of them had approached her that morning, though. But he had made certain it wasn't he that had gone alone. News had travelled in the city as little was ever kept secret from the populace with as many eyes and ears as there were in RhyDin. The bold, aged seaman was a hardened man by the look of him -- on any other day but this one. Courage was being gathered by him, and the three others with him, even as he was approaching the old woman who was working on her nets.
Thale was perched on an old crate with her nets sprawled out on the dock before her. A large, wooden toggle was being worked in and out of the holes of it as she repaired a ruined section of it. As she became aware of the men's approach and squinted an eye at them and scowled. "What the devils do ye'three tripes want!" Her tone was steely and her words brittle, nearly spitting when she spoke.
"Good woman, Thale--" The one that was in the front of the meager pack of men didn't have a chance, at the moment, to finish.
"Oh! Good woman am I now. Can't take the rough side of a true woman's tongue, eh? Devil's teeth! Get on with ye. All of ye!" Muttering a string of obscenities, she shook her head and went back to work.
"But we have news." The man to their fearless leader's right piped up as quickly as he could be fore Thale could think of stamping out any more words.
"What news could ye possibly have that I might be interested in, eh?" Beadily, she eyed all three of them as she shoved the toggle through the hole in the net.
"That girl, that one Panther's been keepin' company with... " The man wrung his hands against his soft hat until it was being twisted tight in his callused fists.
Thale looked up again and spoke carefully, not trusting her voice. "What about her, ye ole dog?"
"The furball.. " He glanced to the other two men. "I mean, Panther's brought her back. Word's it that she took a good beating but he brought her back alive and n'ere well."
"Stupid men." Thale hit each of them with the two words and managed to get to her feet. She minded the leg that was nearly good as new after her not-so-distant break of it. "Put m'things away! I go to see S'ji. And none of ye be layin' about. That I'll hear about too! Stupid men.. " Muttering to herself as she headed out of the area of the docks and for the main road.
She intended to go to the Red Dragon and speak with the girl herself.
One of them had approached her that morning, though. But he had made certain it wasn't he that had gone alone. News had travelled in the city as little was ever kept secret from the populace with as many eyes and ears as there were in RhyDin. The bold, aged seaman was a hardened man by the look of him -- on any other day but this one. Courage was being gathered by him, and the three others with him, even as he was approaching the old woman who was working on her nets.
Thale was perched on an old crate with her nets sprawled out on the dock before her. A large, wooden toggle was being worked in and out of the holes of it as she repaired a ruined section of it. As she became aware of the men's approach and squinted an eye at them and scowled. "What the devils do ye'three tripes want!" Her tone was steely and her words brittle, nearly spitting when she spoke.
"Good woman, Thale--" The one that was in the front of the meager pack of men didn't have a chance, at the moment, to finish.
"Oh! Good woman am I now. Can't take the rough side of a true woman's tongue, eh? Devil's teeth! Get on with ye. All of ye!" Muttering a string of obscenities, she shook her head and went back to work.
"But we have news." The man to their fearless leader's right piped up as quickly as he could be fore Thale could think of stamping out any more words.
"What news could ye possibly have that I might be interested in, eh?" Beadily, she eyed all three of them as she shoved the toggle through the hole in the net.
"That girl, that one Panther's been keepin' company with... " The man wrung his hands against his soft hat until it was being twisted tight in his callused fists.
Thale looked up again and spoke carefully, not trusting her voice. "What about her, ye ole dog?"
"The furball.. " He glanced to the other two men. "I mean, Panther's brought her back. Word's it that she took a good beating but he brought her back alive and n'ere well."
"Stupid men." Thale hit each of them with the two words and managed to get to her feet. She minded the leg that was nearly good as new after her not-so-distant break of it. "Put m'things away! I go to see S'ji. And none of ye be layin' about. That I'll hear about too! Stupid men.. " Muttering to herself as she headed out of the area of the docks and for the main road.
She intended to go to the Red Dragon and speak with the girl herself.