Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » Mike and Ralen - Meet Cute

The Blind Eagle was a small wooden building squeezed between the blacksmith's shop and the just up wind of the tanner. Prices tended change with wind around here. Mike's dark hooded cloak laid over the back of her chair. The wizard leaned back in their seat, half a pint of beer in hand. Across the small round table sat Caleb, the wizard's nearly constant traveling companion. The fighter was gawking at one of the barmaids, making faces at her to try and get her attention. The fighter may have thought he was sending the woman 'come-hither' looks, but to everyone else it just looked like he had a facial tick. "Will you stop," Mike muttered at him as she lifted her mug to her lips. "Huh? Stop what?" the younger adventurer asked. "Turn back around and finish your stew," his companion scolded him, "It cost us enough, so you might as well eat it and not let it go to waste. I should never of let you order anything," the wizard grumbled into her glass. They returned not long before from doing a job a fellow that turned out to be one of the cooks at the tavern. On top of their fee he'd offered them a round of free drinks which had been nice, but of course Caleb had to have stew to go with it and that hadn't been free. Mike's eyes drifted over the collection of adventurers and locals that were seated at the other tables to see if it would be worth stay around a few more days or if they should move on to the next town in the morning. Work had been better in the last week, but jobs were always hard to come by in their line of work and it didn't always work out well for them stay too long in one town.

Ralen had just been finishing up with business that had gone surprisingly well, when he passed by a small hole-in-the-wall tavern called The Blind Eagle. He couldn't help but grin at the name and entered, kicking off the mud and grime from his boots just outside the door.

The place smelled fantastic, and he made his way over to the bar, passing various people as he went. Some rowdier fellows were tucked at the far end of the bar, with a quieter couple at one of the round tables. He couldn't help but snicker as he caught the twitches on the younger man's face as he sent looks at the barmaid, and he shook his head. Some people couldn't be helped.

He settled down at the bar, shaking out his dark blue cloak and throwing back the hood to reveal short-cropped black hair.

"I'll take a shot of whatever's best around here," he told the barkeep, before twisting a little more to get a good look at the tavern. At his angle, the glint of a sword hilt could just be seen on his left hip.

(Every so often I'll be typing a post and either I hit a key or something and the page redirects to the front page and my post gets eaten.)

"Dark ale," the barkeep said with a nod as he filled a shot glass for the newcomer. "Ten pence, fifty for a pint," he told the man. The wizard watched the new fellow over the edge of thier mug. The blue cloak stood out from the draber clothes of the locals. Mike didn't care if the man noticed that he was being watched, as the wizard wasn't the only one staring at him. At one table some local men were keeping an eye on the stranger and talking quietly among themselves as they tended to do whenever someone new came into their town. "Wonder where he's from?" one asked. "Don't see cloaks like that in these parts," another pointed out. "Could be he's looking for work," the first said. "Or trouble," a third pointed out, "Dressed a bit too fine for a working man."

The barmaid Caleb had his eye on walked farther away from the fighter's table to fill drinks at a bar near the wall. Caleb leaned back in his seat to try and keep her in sight while still trying to catch her eye. As he leaned back his wide brimmed helm slid and feel to the ground with a loud CLANG. His dark mustache and goatee contrasted sharply with his now uncovered brown hair. The fighter, still seated, groped around on the floor for his headgear. He came within a hairsbreadth of it several times before the annoyed wizard sent it skittering a few inches closer with a nudge of the foot. "You can't let them do their job can you," Mike said to Caleb as the later picked up his helm and placed it back on his head. "What did I do?" the younger man asked innocently. "The list is ever growing of what you've done," the wizard said flatly. "Now, finish up and stop clowning before you get us kicked out of here," Mike hissed at him. Caleb blinked in confusion as he poked at his stew, still not understanding why his big 'brother' was upset with him after they'd had such a good day. Maybe Mike was tired, the fighter thought. Mike never slept much so this theory made sense to Caleb.

Ralen caught the few whispers aimed in his direction, but chose to ignore them. It wasn't that he was afraid of their comments, but he didn't particularly want to reveal who he was unless he had to. He downed the shot, and waited for the burn, before making his decision.

"I'll take a pint," he told the bartender. When he heard the helm hit the ground suddenly, he turned and looked over at the two strangers at the table, one eyebrow raised. As he suppressed the urge to raise his hand from his side.

Then once the bartender had handed over the pint, he paid the fare and threw in some extra for a tip, before getting up and heading over to the two strangers.

He flashed a smile at them as he approached. "Better be careful with that helm...won't do much good if it's dented." Then, because he couldn't help but offer his unasked advice, he added to Caleb, "If you want her attention, it's best not to gawk at her--instead catch her eye occasionally and act like you appreciate her every gesture of kindness." Right...not that he had any experience with that kind of thing.

Mike glanced up at the stranger. He had a nice smile or at least he was putting on a nice smile, the wizard thought. Mike might even say the fellow was easy on the eyes, unlike so many of the men in the tavern, but the wizard was a bit more concerned with how the man acted than how he looked. Mike cursed her boyish looks for a moment as the man tried to instruct her brother in the ways of wooing women.

"No it wont," Caleb informed the man cheerfully as he pointed out a few small dents in his helmet, "It has dents already and it still works just great. So long as it doesn't leak it makes a good stew pot if I need it to. If it had holes in it I couldn't use it for stew anymore, but I could still wear it." Mike smiled at Caleb's thick-headedness. "Somewhere a village is missing an idiot," Mike said half to herself, "One day we may find it. Then you'll be a hero wont you, Cae?" Caleb smiled at Mike,

"Sure." His face fell for a moment than he said, "I don't think I was gawking. ... What is gawking?" The wizard set her mug down. "Gawking is like staring, but the way you do it."

If only Ralen knew that one of the two men at the table was actually a woman...alas. He winced when Caleb showed him the dented helm, and then seemed to put two-and-two together. "Oh, yes. Well, we'd hate to lose a stew pot, wouldn't we." Never mind the head that was in said improvised stew pot.

"I'm not one who likes to fight, but I can see you've been in a few as a warrior?" he guessed.

At Mike's comment under his breath, Ralen couldn't help but chuckle. "Yep, what your friend said: gawking is like staring, but ruder. Try my suggestion, should help. Also, if you can't think of anything to say, try not to complement the obvious."

He turned his attention to Mike and with a wry grin said softly, "Seems like you've got your hands full. You stayin' in town for long or just passing through?"

"Yep. I am. I'm gonna be a knight one of these days," Caleb boasted. "I already have the armor for it," he said as he tapped his breastplate. "My father was a knight and his father ..." the man paused in and seemed to be thinking hard as he counted on his fingers. "... my ... grandfather," he said brightly as if he'd figured out a great mystery, "They were both knights. And I will be too." Mike bite back a chuckle and turned in her seat to address the man standing over them. "Who wants to know?" she asked him. "What business are you in and what business of yours is it if we stay or not?" The closer the man got to her the more the wizard wishes she had some sort of curve or shape to her figure that might give him a hint that she was female as otherwise having a somewhat charming man so near would become very awkward very quickly, especially as the wizard's the beer was starting to get the better of her, causing her to blush a little as his seemingly forward manner. "He's like family," she said of Caleb giving the man a small smile.

Ralen chuckled at Caleb's pronouncement of his grandfather and figured he didn't have much to worry about the other guy--short of his wits.

He took a small swallow of his ale, feeling it burn all the way down, before answering Mike.

"Sorry, I meant to introduce myself first. I'm Ralen," he purposely left off his last name, "here on business--or, well, post-business. I just finished up, and thought I'd come get a drink to celebrate. Then your friend dropped his helm and I thought you two looked interesting..." he shrugged and took another sip of his ale, clearing his throat afterward. He wasn't much of a drinker so when he did drink, it tended to catch him by surprise.

"Who might you two be and what brings you here?" Assuming neither of them protested, Ralen gestured at a chair just out of arm's reach, dragging it to him telekinetically, before plopping down on it and joining them at their table as if nothing had happened.

Yes this fellow a certainly forward. Though there were times when forwardness was a good trait to have. "Mike," the wizard said pointing at herself,"Caleb," she pointed at the armor clad man. "Mr. Ralen, that's a neat trick," Caleb said nodded at the chair that seemed to come to the man like a puppy on a string. "Mike can do tricks too. He can do one where he lights a candle without flint or nothing. ... Of course lot of times the table catches fire. But it's a neat trick all the same." Mike narrowed her eyes at her little brother. "Caleb, Caleb, Caleb .... why do I keep you around," the wizard ask herself as much as the two men sitting with her. "Ignore him, please," she asked Relan. "We're adventurers, travelers, ... We do odd jobs, quests Caleb calls them, for money or trade. Preferably money," Mike told Relan

Ralen nodded as Mike introduced himself and his companion. "Pleasure to meet you, then," he agreed.

Then Caleb was talking about tricks and Ralen's brow arched over his eye as he glanced at Mike. "Really? You can light a candle without flint and steel?" he seemed curious if intent about that little fact.

At the mention of their adventuring, he grew a little more serious. Granted his business trip out here was done, so he'd be heading back home--but perhaps his father could put these two to use. He rubbed his chin briefly.

"Well, I can't promise much of anything here or now, but my father may have a task or two for you--if you're interested. He pays well."

"I can put out said fires too. Any pitch forks and torch and angry mobs can be pointed else where," Mike replied not caring to go into detail about how she spend her free time. "How well?" the wizard asked as the talk turned toward the prospect of a job, a good job at that. "We're staying in the inn a few streets over. Should be here until morning unless we find work here between now and then," she told Relan.

"I like chicken," Caleb said blissfully. Mike found that statement a bit random, given what they'd been talking about. "since when?" she asked Caleb. The young man smiled and his face got a peaceful excited look as he spoke with awe, "You know that day when there was that chicken and it was on fire and it amazing! We had free cooked chicken."

Mike groaned as she corrected her sibling, "Burned to death chicken and insane fees for property damage. ... That was not a good day. People need to stop making barn roofs out of straw." Caleb's face fell and he stared at the table. "It was a good day for me," he said sullenly. "It wasn't a good day for the rest of us," Mike replied not seeming to care that her words could hurt her companion. She was far too worry about how things would sound to Relan, he was offering them a job. If Caleb messed this up Mike would have to have words with him later about it.

(Not the best timing but I had just thought up the chicken thing.)

(I love the chicken story!)

Ralen cracked a smile at the story. If ever there was anyone who needed a time-charm to re-do something, it would be these two.

He took a hearty drink and set the mug down, crossing his ankles under the table and his arms over his chest as he eyed the two potential candidates.

"Alright, how's this: I'll pay for our travel arrangements on the way back to my father's city. It's about a two-week long trip depending on the weather--and we'll pass through three towns on the way." Yeah, he'd come a fair distance. "Should my father decide to hire you, he'll pay you handsomely for your troubles. If not, well," he lowered his voice slightly, "you'll be able to find other jobs in the city--better ones than you would here. What do you say?" He was, after all, paying for everything. What did they have to lose?

Mike thought the offer over silently. Two weeks was a long time to be on the road, but she and Caleb had gone farther distances to get turned down before and this fellow was paying their way there, that was something. "Do you tents?" she asked. Charming as he might be she was going to take steps to ensure her own safety on this trip, she barely knew the guy after all. "What kind of job is it?" Caleb asked finally getting with the program, "Do you have mules, camels, donkeys or something to ride?" the younger man asked hoping they may have lucked out for once and meet someone who didn't use horses.

"I've got one tent for myself, but if you and Caleb need one, I don't mind springing for an extra one." As far as steeds went, Ralen shook his head. "I'm afraid horses are all I use to get around these parts. As for the job, it'll more than likely be to fetch a particular item or to deliver one to someone of importance. My father makes...shall we say, valuable keepsakes. But lately he's been sending my brothers and me all over the country on important errands. I'd tell you more, but he'd be the one to really ask."

He paused for a moment before adding, "I'll give you until tomorrow to decide. I'm staying at the inn on the east side of town. If you want to travel with me, meet me at the stables at noon. If not, well, it's been a pleasure getting to meet you two." He smiled and then drained his ale. "And maybe," he added as a non-sequitur, "I could help you with that trick of yours, Mike."

"We can share a tent, that wont be a problem," Mike said, "It's better than being out in the open." Caleb paled and stuck out a hand to try and halt Relan. "Could you maybe get a donkey or something that's not the horse. Mike doesn't get along with horses, he really doesn't get along with them," Caleb said trying stress how important it was that Mike not be made to ride a horse. "... I'll ... walk," Mike said as she did her best to suppress a shudder at the mention of the terrible creatures. "You can't out run a horse," Caleb pointed out to his 'brother'. "I don't have to, just you," Mike replied nodding to Relan as he made to leave.

Ralen realized that the comment about the horse was actually an issue so he made a decision. "I'll see what I can find that's...not exactly a horse." A mule might have to suffice, perhaps a pack mule if he was desperate. Mike was a bit tall to ride a goat or sheep.

He stood up and headed back over to the bar to drop off his mug, thank the bartender, and then drew his blue cloak back around him again as he prepared for the walk back to his inn. He really hoped he'd see them again, but if not, well, at least he'd learned some interesting things: Darien and Zane weren't the only ones with fire and water ability.

Mike sank down in her chair as Relan left. "Sit down and finish your stew so we can leave," she ordered Caleb. The man sat and stuck his spoon into the bowl. "Are we going to take the job?" he asked his big 'brother'. "It's the best offer we'd had since the cook paid us to do his grocery shopping. A city would be a nice change of pace. If this Relan's anything to go by he likely don't judge magic too harshly," Mike said slowly. "Let's sleep on it and let me think about it a little more before we jump into anything," she told her brother. "Okay, but if we take it we'll be sharing a tent. So don't complain if I snore or something or you could just go share with Mr. Relan instead. Bet he'd have a thing or two to say about that," Caleb chuckled as Mike began to walk out the door. The fighter followed her. "Bet he'd have something to say about those frilly night clothes you wear if you did share his tent with him," he laughed at his 'brother'. Mike's face turned a bit pink at the idea as she pulled Caleb's helm down over his face pushed him in front of her. "This way, genius. No more talk about what I wear or don't wear when we're around this fellow. You don't want us to loose this job, do you?" she told the young warrior.

"No. ... but you -," Caleb protested, but Mike cut him off, "Quiet. I'll go over and talk to him in ... in the morning and see if he's made the proper arrangements and we'll go from there." The wizard guided her brother back to the cheap inn they'd been saying at and paid the innkeeper for the night and next day before heading for the room they shared.

As usual Mike didn't sleep much that night and so she was up plently early at the much nicer inn to call on Relan as he'd requested. Caleb was at her heels yawning and wishing he'd be allowed him a few more hours of sleep.

"It's barely daylight," he whined though it was well into morning, since he'd refused to come without getting breakfast and the wizard preferred to have him with her for this trip and to leave him behind in this remote town.

Returning to the inn on the far side of town had its drawbacks. Yes it was nicer, but it made for a longer walk than he enjoyed. Unfortunately, traveling by horse only made him stand out more in a town he'd rather not stand in at all.

But, well, what was he to do? He was just the messenger. That night he slept soundly--the ale had put him right to sleep--and when he awoke it was with the sun dawning.

He went down to the stables to inquire about arrangements, but only got to the doorway before recognizing two faces from the previous day. He grinned and waved them over, not hard to find as his blue cloak flared out from a soft breeze.

"Hey, I was just on my way to check out the horses--figured we might be able to get Mike a calmer pack horse if that's alright with you," he said, offering a slight smile at Mike. "You want to come with and have the final say?" He gestured in the direction of the stables.

Thanks to her insomnia Mike had got maybe three hours of sleep, but she was used to functioning on very little sleep. Lack of sleep meant more time to think the offer over and study magic.

"I uh .... Is the cage you keep the hell demons in secure?" she asked not caring if she sounded a bit crazy for calling the stable a cage or calling the horses in her eyes, what they really were. "You don't have to come," Caleb told his 'brother'. "I could pick a nice mule or donkey for you. You like them. They're nice," he reassured his sibling. Caleb hated seeing his big brother like this, Mike was the oldest, the brave one that didn't back down. Unless there were horses around. "And I wont pick a zebra this time, I promise," Caleb said firmly. "That was not a zebra," Mike spat, "Zebra are sweet lovely fuzzy things you ride on with pretty stripes, that was a evil demon from hell painted to look like a zebra! It was NOT a zebra, it was a lie!" Mike knew that, that wasn't quiet true. She hadn't seen a zebra before, only heard of them. If she'd seen one sooner she'd have never wanted to ride one. She'd honestly thought it was something like a giant dog with stripes and truth had hit her very hard.

Caleb edged away from his sibling. "He has a therapist for this. It wont be a problem with the job," he said quickly to Ralen, "He'll be more upset if we loose the job. I think he'll just wait here and we'll find a nice donkey or something and then everything will be better."

Ralen looked between Caleb and Mike, uncertain. Riding double was always an option. "Would you rather ride double with Caleb then?" A draft horse would work in that case, and they were calm--usually--if big.

With Caleb at his heels, he entered the stable and looked at the variety of horses. His own, a black mare, was stabled quietly at the near end in a guest stall. Next to her was a fiery chestnut gelding that he wasn't even going to look at twice.

"I think the calmer ones are stabled further in," said Ralen. "These are usually reserved for messengers needed to go in a hurry. So...do I want to know why Mike is afraid of horses? Bad experiences, I'm guessing?"