Thief Antics

Upon hearing the knock at his door, Cestrah's father stood up from his chair, a bottle of ale clumsily falling from his grasp. He grabbed the kitchen knife and walked over to the door cautiously. The guards had just left his house after asking him the circumstances of his daughter's "kidnapping". Holding the blade, he leaned against the wall near the door. "Who the fuck is it? I'm not in the mood for any bullshit, so if you're trying to sell something, I'll fucking gut you." He said drunkenly.

"Ooh what a pleasurable sort." Sinjan joked to Calliara and waggled his brows, "I am Sinjan Koru, family Koru of Denerim, ambassador to the throne and the Grey Wardens. It has come to my attention that there was an altercation here this day and need to speak to you of it; however, if you wish to try to gut me then go ahead and see how long it takes for the king, and the Warden Commander, to become pissed off and hang you for treason."

The last part was no joke. Well, not much of one considering that Nygozy would not leave it to hanging. That woman was likely to disect him on the spot instead.

Cestrah's father stepped back from the door in shock. Grey wardens? On his front step? The brat really was going with them... His breathing quickened. These bastards took his income from him. What were they here for? Some sort of satisfaction? His face snarled in fury, quickly grabbing one of his tools from when he actually had a job. A bear trap. He quickly laid it out front right in the doorway, making conversation to distract them. "I'm sorry but I'm really busy now. Could you maybe come back later?" And he was done. The trap was set. With everything in place, he walked silently from the door, slipping into his room with his knife in hand.

''Threesomes? Well, I'm not against them'' Calli looked at him curiously ''Dalish moral is different than humans it seems, I don't mind that kind of things... But I know I'd be jealous if it would be with another woman, and I supposse Drake would feel the same with another man, so that's it, I guess...'' She shrugged

"I'm sorry but I'm really busy now. Could you maybe come back later?"

Calliara frowned, and took Sinjan's hand to stop him. She pressed his fingers and looked at him with her cold stare what meant problems, and then at the door. Her ears, half covered by her hair, twitched

''No, we don't want to come later. We will speak NOW'' The Wolf demanded calmly, while writing with one finger on Sinjan's palm. Trap

Sinjan had smiled about the threesome discussion but when the man had said to come back later and then was making weird sounds he had trouble keeping his eyebrow from rising into his hairline.

Calliara wrote in his palm and he backed up to whisper to her, "How stupid does he think we are? It is a wonder the man was able to copulate with that little amount of brain cell capacity. I'm sure the girl's mother had a very sore belly button."

He walked up to the door and smiled while he spoke, "Very well. I will just send the guard to say hello to you. I am sure they will appreciate how you greet guests."

He leaned against the wall while investigating a hangnail, "Damn. And these were fine this morning."

Calliara chuckled silently and nodded, sniffing the air and checking the front door without touching it. Then she moved closer to Sinjan and sighed, leaning her back against the wall as well

''Maybe we could set the house on fire. That will make him go out and the guards would come faster, don't you think?'' She asked casually. Her ears twitched again and she looked up, listening.

Then Calli looked at Sinjan and pointed to the back of the house down the alley, and wrote on his shoulder. Back door

She smiled at him and the moved silently down the alley to check it

Ianto nodded sheepishly, face still beet red but glad that he hadn't walked in on anything . . . more. That thought effectively drained his face of color.

"Ah," he said, a bit shakily, though he smiled back at Jez all the same. "Maybe I should stay out here? I don't want . . . her to feel uncomfortable or anything." Forget walking in on any woman, but a stranger and a young girl to boot? "I mean - your book sounds nice, but it would be rude to just . . . that is, if she was hurt she probably doesn't need any more stress . . . ." No. Stop. Stop rambling. He resisted the urge to slap himself as he took a deep breath, calming down. Focus on something that wasn't completely loaded.

"Is she alright?" He asked, his brows knitting together as concern laced his voice. A young girl, hurt and in Jez's care? What on earth could have happened to her?

Ianto was so sweet when he got all blushy and stuttery, nervousness exuding from him like ... like whenever she got like this. Jezarine stood up on her tip toes and kissed his cheek, "You're so sweet. Always."

She looked at her feet for the moment, "Maghai found her. The poor girl has been stealing for her father's alcohol addiction and when she tried to leave he hurt her. Broke her rib and punctured a lung as well as threatened to cut off her legs. I think Calli has gone to do something about the father. She had that ... hunting look to her when she left with Magpie."

Jezarine sighed, "Well, if you don't think it good to sit in the front room with us then you can hang out in the bedroom. I bet you need a nap and that way you won't have to go too far." Her eyes lifted shyly as she brushed her toes on the floor nervously.

If Ianto thought he'd been red-faced before, it had been nothing as to how he was now. As Jez settled back down on her feet he coughed nervously and looked away, but then looked right back because he didn't want her to think he was avoiding her or . . .

"Oh," he said smartly. "Well," he cleared his throat, "That's horrible. I mean, really. I would have liked to show the bastard a bit of my mind, myself." He said the last part quietly, because he didn't want the girl to overhear - bastard father or not, he couldn't know if she'd take offense to him saying so.

"I'll, ah, maybe I'll wait in the bedroom . . . your bedroom, that is. If she - or you - need anything, just holler and, well, yeah. I'll be right there."

Cestrah's father was leaning against the door, making sure to listen for any sounds of them entering. He then remembered something he could use for a serious advantage. He ignored their comments to him, blinded by rage. "If you fuckers want me I'll be in the cellar!"

He then opened the door downstairs, unsteadily going down. It was a super narrow staircase, and upon reaching the bottom, finding a box containing the one thing he refused to sell. His crossbow. The wardens didn't know that he had it, so That was a clear surpised advantage. Also, the stairs down were so narrow, even a drunk man could hit a target in it. Taking a place near the bottom of the stairs, he aimed the weapon towards the cellar door, simply waiting.

Sinjan nodded and went to the back, whistling all the way, off tune still, and simply kicked in the back door. He could hear what had been going on within the shambling walls so didn't bother with much besides walking into the next room, fully avoiding the door to downstairs. He pointed to a spot for Calli to wait just out of sight from the basement door then lifted a bottle of booze.

"Hey!" He called out with pleasure in his voice, "Look at all this booze. I suppose that if this guy ran out he mustn't want all of this stuff." With as much noise as possible the fighter started picking up bottles making sure they claned together with a resounding ting to the process. He then sat down, waving a bottle about and waggling his brows at Calliara.

Calliara smiled and nodded, moving to the shadows to hide herself. Just in case she had her skinning knife in hand, ready for anything.

When Sinjan started picking up bottles and speaking she looked around, studying the place. A bear trap was prepared just in front of the door. So the guy knew something about traps. That wasn't expected, but she didn't care. After all, it wasn't her intention to kill him, unless he tried to kill them or pissed her.

She moved silently to study the trap, and the crouched to disarm it in silence, checking Sinjan and the stairs with the corner of her eye, her knife now in her mouth

His eyes going wide upon hearing his ale being taken, he stepped from his overwatch spot. He couldn't let them get away with something like this. Taking his daughter was one thing, but taking his booze? That wouldn't fly. He silently stepped up the stairs, stopping just before the living room.

He stepped around the corner with a jolt, aiming at the figure that was hunched over the trap he'd set, hoping that she couldn't see him. "All you wardens can fuck off and die with my bratty little daughter!" and he fired.

Steps. Calliara was standing up again when the man appeared and yelled.

"All you wardens can fuck off and die with my bratty little daughter!"

And he fired. At first she didn't realize that he was aiming at her. All she thought was Sinjan is not covering himself. The Wolf stepped forward without thinking, seeing the arrow, and then she realized that she was the target.

In half a second she had to decide either to throw herself to the floor, to continue, or go away to have a drink. Personally she would have prefered a drink, but things were other way.

Icy eyes stared coldly at the man, and a wolvish, almost evil smile curved the Dalish lips when the arrow pierced her right shoulder deeply, making her go backwards a few steps, but almost immediately she started to walk towards him again, her swords in her hands suddenly, but silently praying the man would not see that she was trying not to faint from the pain

''Being a Warden is a nice thing'' She growled, low, with a completely cold and uncaring voice ''You learn that there's always a most painful pain''

Upon seeing that his attack had failed, Cestrah’s father started stepping back, gripping for the knife. He held it in front of himself, trying to intimidate them. He hadn’t even expected two people… or have two shots. He placed the crossbow on the table and turned back to the wardens. “H-how about the three of us forget about all of this? You killing me will be horrible for the reputation of the Wardens, it’ll make you all seem like murderous bastards… S-so if you walk away now, I won’t tell anyone you broke into my house and you can even take my daughter… How about it?” He still hadn’t put down the knife; he realized they may still kill him so he wasn’t going down without a fight.

What in the ...?

Sinjan swore under his breath when Calliara went away from the spot he'd set her up in and wondered what in the world had possessed her to leave it when they knew that man was downstairs. Sure he was a normal, drunken idiot but someone crazy enough to beat their daughter then put out a bear trap for wardens while they were just outside was not the brightest thing to deal with and was likely dangerous.

Just as he thought it that man proved his assumption correct. Sinjan got up from the chair in time to come closer but Calliara was already shot and moving towards the idiot.

The fighter took off his plated glove and threw it at the man's head, aiming to knock him out, "Not a chance, mister. You get to see the king for this one."

Using his arm to deflect the glove, the man snarled in anger. “No! I’ll never go see the king for this! I’d sooner die!” With his slightly injured arm from the thrown armor, he shook it but still held the knife. “What the hell do you people have against me in the first place?!” He yelled.

“Is it that bad to want to survive and feed a vice at the same time? If anything I just wasn’t wasting the resources I had!” He then lunged towards Sinjan in a do or die attempt to kill the warden.

"Oh, well, that's horrible. I mean, really. I would have liked to show the bastard a bit of my mind, myself."

"It is horrible. I hope she will be able to come to trust others. She is a nervous sort but she does seem to like Maghai, almost like he's her savior or something. Well," She shrugged, "I guess he is."

"I'll, ah, maybe I'll wait in the bedroom . . . your bedroom, that is. If she - or you - need anything, just holler and, well, yeah. I'll be right there."

Jez smiled happily as he said he would wait in the bedroom and took his hand in hers, moving back into the room, "Thanks Ianto! Here's the book, just in case you want to read. You've been learning about herbs really well and I think this will give us something to work on together later."

She looked at Cestrah with a proud smile, "Ianto will be relaxing in my bedroom while I clean you up so don't worry. He won't let anything happen to either of us."

"Sorry to deny you your fun trying to push around wardens but only Calliara is a warden here."

Sinjan rolled his eyes as the man went to attack him and put a foot right under his to trip the man up as he pulled out a cloth he'd gotten ready to put over the human's face. Being a former soldier helped his skills a lot as he used what he knew to pin the other person while keeping the rag over the mouth.

He waited, humming off tune, as the toxin in the rag would take effect soon.

"You know," He said to Calliara, "Nygozy has some pretty neat knock out toxins. You've got to ask her some day to give you some samples. They work rather well on difficult people you're just too bored to beat up."

Cestrah glanced at the man shyly, unsure of if she could trust him or not. Jez seemed to trust him but… things just seemed odd. It may have just been because she was recently in a huge change, so she was still getting used to people being near her without worrying if she’d pick their pockets.

She then turned to Jezarine with a timid look, unused to people being in a room with her naked, even if she did have the towel. “O…Ok…” She then put her gloved hand under her body to draw attention away from it.
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His vision fading… Everything becoming so hazed and off, even if it was just in his head. What was this amazing feeling? The toxin seeped into his system, and then he realized what was happening. If he were knocked out, he’d be brought to the Hero of Fereldan. They wouldn’t just execute him; they’d humiliate him. Cestrah wouldn’t get that satisfaction from him. With the remaining consciousness he had in his body, he brought the knife to his kidney, plunging the blade deep into his body.

“Alright… Fuckers. You… win…Hope the girl gets torn to… shreds…” He then fell forward, landing onto the floor, the last of his life escaping through the knife wound in his stomach. The last thing he saw was a spilt bottle of ale from when he’d gotten out of the chair and thought to himself. ‘Damn… I sure could use… a dri…nk...”

Ianto came into the room after Jez and carefully kept his eyes on anything in the room that wasn't the injured girl in Jez's care. Poor thing, to have been so hurt - she definitely didn't need to feel uncomfortable with him being in the room. Still, being in Jez's room would mean he could keep an eye on the elf - and on the girl, apparently, since she seemed to need it.

He took the book from Jez gratefully, and flashed her a smile. Reading about herbs was interesting, of course, but it was being able to talk to Jez about them that made it worthwhile. Well, that and you never knew when you'd need to know what plants would cure or kill you faster. He was no healer, but there was some things that everyone should know.

"Thanks, Jez," he said with a nod, and then glanced over at the timid girl. No, probably not timid (it was hard to be a street kid while being timid) - frightened, maybe, or just nervous. Either way, he couldn't blame her, and he couldn't help but give her his friendliest, most sympathetic and reassuring smile. It was one thing for bad things to happen to adults - you were kind of expected to go through some hard time or other by the time you were fully grown - but for a child? The natural urge to protect rose a little in that, and he was glad that he hadn't gone to this child's father's house. He might have beat him in to death.

"Hey. Feel better, yeah? Jez will take good care of you." He looked back at Jez, then, and nodded again before moving off to the bedroom, his book under arm.

Poke poke. Poke. Toe to side. Poke. Blood from knife wound. Poke poke.

"Uhm." Sinjan moved slightly to get a better view of the body, glanced up at Calliara then back down to the body, "Uhm ... I think he is kind of dead, Calli."

''I can't say I am sorry'' Calliara grunted, touching carefully the arrow still in her shoulder. She moved slowly to crouch by the corpse's side and studied it. ''What a waste of a sentient being. Too selfish to care for his own blood''

The Wolf sighed and rose, a hand on her hurt shoulder to keep still the arrow until Jezarine would see it.

''Sometimes I wonder what's best. Not having known your parents at all, or knowing then and then loosing then'' She muttered, then faced Sinjan ''It seems we're done here. We should alert the guards and tell them what happened here. And I know about toxines and poisons, you know. I don't use them so often, but I know about them''

Jezarine smiled as Ianto went into the bedroom and hardly realized she had been watching him until he vanished from view behind the door. The door was not fully closed but it was enough so that they could not see each other. She sighed, another reaction she did not notice that she was doing, then went back to the couch where Cestrah lay.

"Let's get you all clean." She said as she took the cloth and did as she said she would, making sure that the girl was completely clean. The healer did not say anything about the many wounds on the girl but she did notice them and trace a few with the cloth to make sure they were completely healed over and not partially healed scarring that could reinfect.

Once done cleaning she touched the gloved hand and then gazed at the young girl, "You have had a rough life already. Here." She handed the rinsed cloth to Cestrah, "Clean that hand and I will get you some fresh clothes and a new glove."

Jezarine got up and walked towards the bedroom.

Cestrah shook nervously each time Jezarine touched the cloth to her skin. She was noticing the marks, Cestrah knew that much. She just wasn't saying anything, which was making her more nervous if anything. All she could do was try to zone out. Upon Jezarine touching the gloved hand, Cestrah jolted back into reality, her hand jerking back quickly. Had she felt it? She couldn't tell for sure... But then Jez simply handed her the cloth and told her to clean it while she went to get some more clothes. She slowly removed the glove, a silent yelp of pain escaping her mouth as the base pulled against the wound.

Now with the glove off, Cestrah started trying to avoid looking at her hand to try cleaning it, but eventually her eyes found it. It was still pretty bad... She gently washed the wound and the memories rushed back to her. She tearfully finished cleaning her hand, but her curiosity got the better of her. She started inspecting it more carefully, checking if it would ever heal. Her finger traced along the wound, and she raised her hand towards a torch, fanning her hand towards it. Yeah... You can still see light through it... That made Cestrah's hopes fall as she realized that she'd have that scar forever.