Scimitar & Spear

[Wayfarer]

Silver was not his favourite colour.

 

Especially not when it was wrought by the One Power.  Stepping through one of those Dragon taken gates that the Asha'man made was not his idea of a smart idea, indeed, Fakhir Aswasim felt slightly tainted by the whole experience.  Not that it would last long, there were plenty of things that were worse that he'd done and seen than walk through some strange portal of the power that could transport one many leagues at once, but it was discomforting nonetheless.  Others seemed to take it far better, others had required coaxing to go through the portal, but Fakhir wasn't particularly troubled by the thought of them.

 

No, what had his attention beyond his discomfort was the sight of a Citadel in the process of being built and the many tents that surrounded its base.  A goodly number of people walked amongst them, easily in the thousands though how many he could not have counted.  It didn't really matter how many there were, except to know that if he went to battle with the red band on his arm that he wore, a good many of people were likely to die before he was.

 

Not that he was going to die anytime soon either.  He'd been a sellsword for the better half of his life, and while there were bold sellswords and old sellswords, there were rarely both and he planned on being the latter.  Coin was little good to anyone if you didn't survive long enough to spend it.  Besides, while some of the idiots with him were more than happy at the thought of fighting and even dying for the Dragon, because the idea was so heroic or somesuch, no that wasn't for him.  If he had to pick between being the paragon about to fall to evil, or to be the evil that was about to vanquish the last bit of good in the world, he was definitely going to be the one holding the sword in his hand.

 

But such musing did him little good, he had carried all his possessions that he had left after Illian had fallen.  He'd lost his horse to thieves and most of what had been in his saddlebags, so all that was left was the backpack he wore which had what coin he had left, some clothes and other odds and ends.  Then there was simply the clothes on his back, his armour and the spear in his hand.  Eight feet long, he knew his way around it well enough to give anyone on horseback pause to come at him and he'd been told that he'd be signed up with the infantry as a result.  Suited him just fine, horses were all well and good but when it came to fighting, he did prefer his own two feet to the hoofs of a steed.

 

Two feet that were going to take him to wherever he was meant to be billeted, except he had no idea where that was.  Looking about, he grabbed the first person that came to hand, one of the women of the Band who played at being soldier.  Women had no business with a blade as far as he was concerned, they were all well and good until they lost and lost more than a bit of pride or their head.  They were more useful after the battle was won, or for consolation after it was lost.

 

"Do you know where the infantry are meant to be billeted, girl?"

 

 

Fakhir Aswasim

Infantry

[TaeaDawn]

Why had she decided to come out at just that point in time?  She shook her head as she looked at the man before her.  A man of the sword, scarred like Carnhain but not near as gentle she bet.  She'd not yet a man that was for all the disbelief she would get if she actually said that to anyone that knew Carnhain.  Still, it was a bit irksome to be called girl, no matter that she was still young.  She'd been through her fair share of trouble and come out on the other side a little wiser for it.  She hoped. 

 

She smiled at the man no matter that she was a bit grumpy with his words.  You never knew when a new customer was right before your eyes.  "Girl?" She said with a smile.  "If I do be a girl, perhaps you be putting me over your knee and giving me a sweetie to suck on." She batted her eyelashes.  "But I suppose we can be putting that aside.  You be new to the Citadel so I do no be wanting to make you look bad.  After all, you hardly look like you have anything sweet for me just now." 

 

Jatasha

[Wayfarer]

Letting go of the woman, Fakhir wasn't sure what impressed him less, the girl's attitude or the fact that she was fishing for coin.  He wanted a bed, or at least somewhere to lay down his bedroll, that was the first priority.  Maybe he'd go fill it after that, but priorities were priorities.  Still, maybe the camp follower would be worth keeping in mind, it had been a few days after all and maybe a good massage and more would go a long way.  He could always get acquainted with people around him later, wasn't as if any officer had claimed him or he'd been given any jobs.  Until then, his time was his own as far as he was concerned.

 

But first things first.

 

"I only give sweets to good girls.  Maybe if you could find me some lodging, I could give you your sweet."  Pausing, Fakhir added.  "Does my good girl have a name?"

 

She almost laughed, but kept it to a warm smile.  "I do be Jatasha Danica.  And if you be needing a place to stay I can be taking you in the right direction at least."    She started down the way looking behind to see that he was following.  "Come along now.  You did promise me a sweet."

 

Balancing his spear on his left shoulder, Fakhir caught up with the shorter woman easily enough with a dozen strides and kept pace with her.  She wasn't so bad to look at he had to admit, she had a chest and hips and she also had all her teeth, more than what could be said for the eminently average campfollower.  Then again, it usually wasn't their teeth that was important, but a nice detail nevertheless.  Another detail not lost on him was her accent, was she new to the Band as well?  "You are new to the Band as well?  Your speech marks you Illianer."

 

She thought about it for a moment then looked at him with a smile.  "I be here more than a few months, but I do be Illian born.  I do no be denying that even if my voice did no give me away."  She had a hard time believing sometimes that she'd managed to be at the Citadel for so long.  That Carnhain was still interested in her.  Of course the time in her native Illian had made things a bit more interesting and she still got nervous thinking of how close he had come to catching her in her trade, but there was little to do about it here.  "Where do you be coming from?" She asked her new friend.  "And I do no believe you be giving me your name yet."

 

"Fakhir."  A group of men walking past grinned as they saw him, one of them even had the grapes to crack a joke about his spear compensating for a lack elsewhere.  It would have been tempting to simply mash the man's face in right there, but he simply contented himself with remembering the man's face, he could always find him over the next few days and deal with the man then.  A bed was a higher priority, and his new company was a touch more diverting.  "I'm from Tarabon, though I've lived less years there than I have abroad.  Wherever there is fighting there is coin, and elsewhere is always more lucrative."

 

"So you do be a man of the sword." She said with a smile.  "That do be a good thing.  I do no need a man that do no know how to handle his sword." She teased as they moved among the crowd.  She saw the way he looked at the others and the joking among them and knew they had been together for some time, though the when and where were beyond her. 

 

"You be knowing these men?" She asked.  "So you say you be from Tarabon, but have no lived there in a while.  Where did you come from then?  What battle found you turning our way?"

 

Fakhir was surprised at the first of the questions that the woman asked her, girl she was to not recognise blind baiting.  The rest of the questions he kept in mind as he answered her first.  "No, I don't.  A couple of them were Domani, they just recognised my clothing for what I am.  I'll find them over the next couple of days and have a chat with them."  Chat was a polite enough euphemism, though the tone hid nothing.  "I was in Illian when it fell to the rebels, or the patriots, or whatever, it was confusing.  With Queen Sofia who wasn't dead, and Queen Sofia who was releasing many of us from contract, a lot of sellswords need work.  I figured I'd come along and see if there was any to be had here that was worthwhile.  If it is, great, if not then I can leave and go elsewhere, simple enough.  What won you over to the Band?  Easy pickings?"

[TaeaDawn]

Now this was a problematic question if there ever was one.  Easy pickings?  Sure, she made good money with the Band and she'd thought if she ever managed to get out of her feather tossing she just might contact one of the girls she used to know to come and learn to take the easier path.  Not that it was all peaches and cream of course.  Some of her customers liked things rougher than the normal street thug.  Or at least, they could pay to make it private enough to do.  But it was safer than the streets and if a girl screamed in the middle of the Citadel because a man wasn't taking no for an answer, she was likely to be heard instead of just stared at and looked around. 

 

However, her real reason for staying with the Band was a bit different than easy pickings.  Carnhain.  As hard as it was to believe, he seemed to like her and she had no idea what to do with the man.  She knew how to bed a man.  That was really where her experience ended.  She had never taken a lover of her own, just for the sake of loving a man, and he seemed about as new in all of this as she was. 

 

She thought about her response for a second, opened her mouth, then closed it again, still unsure of what to say.  She laughed then, realizing she looked like an idiot to the man.  "I do be in a spot of trouble when a man of the Band do be helping me out.  I came with him here and do no be leaving.  It be safer on the streets here than in Illian and the men do tend to be cleaner." She said, still smiling.  "But someday, I do be joining the Band." She confided.  "I do no know what I be doing, but when I do, then I do be joining."  

 

Jatasha

[Wayfarer]

The confusion on the woman's part might have been interesting, but if he were honest with himself he really didn't care that much.  She was a bit of prospective entertainment so far, that was about it, and that was about as far as it went.  There was a simple truth he'd learned a long time ago, and that was that trust was a very scarce thing.  You couldn't put your trust in men, women or the Creator to help you in a tight spot, except if it suited them.  The only thing you could trust in the end was your sword arm and the steel in hand to see you through the worst that could be thrown at you.  There could be friends, acquaintances and more, but never trusted.

 

The thought of her joining the Band proper though, that made him quirk his lips.  Whores spread their legs for the coin of those who fought, they didn't take up arms alongside them.  They were what they were, it was rare that a woman ever became a fighter of any worth and they were still worthless.  Those that didn't quail and run as women did were damaged, and damaged women were worth even less.  But, he wasn't about to argue the point with the woman who was guiding him to a place where he could be quartered.  She'd be the problem of whoever was left in charge of her.

 

Time to change the topic, and to something that concerned him far more.  "So, where is this place where I can be quartered?  You do know where you're going don't you?  Company is all well and good, but I would like to set my things down at some point, been carrying them all morning."  The sooner they got there, the sooner they could attend to other matters, like giving her a sweet.

 

 

Fakhir Aswasim

Infantry

[TaeaDawn]

So.  That was the sort of man he was.  Not hard to tell really, but it was always best to know.  Some men looked at a whore and thought they could make something else out of her, but others only saw their way to the mattress.  He was of the latter and that was fine by her.  Not that she'd expected much else, but one could always hope.  It was fun with the other time sometimes, to pretend you were really being courted.  They brought flowers and real sweets, bangles and perfume.  It made them feel like their experience wasn't as cheap for having bought a girl.  Normally they were the type that had problems getting a real girl for whatever reason.  She let them have that illusion.  When the chance came.  She'd had a bit more of it when she'd been trying to clean her act up in Illian, when she had worked the inn and had found herself working in the up rooms instead.  Still, it had been a while since she'd had that.  Of course, she had the real thing with Carnhain.  Kind of.  Well, he didn't really buy her things like that.  He just... he was there with her.

 

Taking a deep breath she nodded as she continued on.  She knew her way among the soldier's barracks well enough and they were close to them now.  She didn't bother to tell him so, knowing that anything other than 'take that off' or 'oh baby that's it' probably weren't necessary.    She poked her head inside an opening and found it empty, then turned to Fakhir.  "Home Sweet Home."

 

Jatasha       

[Wayfarer]

Soldier's barracks.

 

Fakhir normally had an aversion to such a place, mainly because barracks were where soldiers in the pay of some lord were.  The sort who thought themselves better than him and were quick to be sour when they lost at their dice and coward enough to turn on you when the numbers favoured them.  Not that Fakhir was a paragon of virtue by any means, but he didn't need a dozen friends to hold someone down while he pounded them into a mess.  Still, it would serve for now and if anyone took his things, he would hunt them down and they wouldn't be able to walk properly afterwards.

 

Laying his spear next to the nearest unoccupied cot, he tossed his backpack underneath it and his unclasped cloak followed after it quickly enough.  He didn't strip down though, as much as he didn't care who saw in the middle of the night with the darkness to hide, he preferred a bit privacy and didn't fancy putting on a show for whoever happened to wander in.  That meant not here, clearly they would have to go somewhere else.

 

Turning to her, Fakhir was to the point, there was little point in them dancing about the issue.  "I don't suppose you know of a place a touch more private?  It might be empty now but I don't fancy putting on a show for whoever wanders in."  A thought came to him after that, one he voiced before she could answer.  "Do you actually enjoy this work?  Or do you simply play the part?  I've known enough to tell the difference, but I'd rather hear it from you."

 

 

Fakhir Aswasim

Infantry

[TaeaDawn]

Jatasha cocked her head to the side for a moment, thinking about what to say to his question.  She was trying to get away from the business, truth be told, someday she would, but there were good times and bad.  "It do be depending on the company." She said with a small smile.  "I think you do be having to tell for yourself if I be enjoying my work today or not."  She took a few steps away and nodded towards the door.  "I do have a place not far from here.  If you do no be minding a little more walk."

 

She was out the door then and he followed as she knew he would.  It wasn't a long walk but the longer you walked the more you were likely to lose their interest so she kept smiling softly at him, making sure he was still there.  Getting to her place, she opened the door and let him in.  It was small but it served the purpose well enough.  A sturdy bed with a small table at it's side was back in an alcove that opened to the rest of the room giving a small semblance of a private bedroom.  She hoped someday to be able to have a place with a separate room, but this was fine for now. 

 

"Make yourself at home." She said with a smile as she closed the door behind him.

 

Jatasha         

[Wayfarer]

Stepping inside of Jatasha's quarters, Fakhir was mildly surprised at it.  Most camp followers had nothing better than the meanest soldiers, which suited both fine usually because it meant they were always on hand for business.  That or the camp followers would be grouped in another place in the camp so as to keep things moderated, depending on how prudish the commander was.  That the woman had her own room was strange, but she must have made someone happy he supposed.  Either way, it wasn't really much of a worry for him because his mind was on something else altogether as he turned from the furnishings to the reason he was there.

 

Reaching for his weapon belt, he began to loosen it as he looked her over, she was pretty enough and she had all her teeth.  More than what could be said of the daughters, wives and mothers of defeated foes who had been ravaged by the victors and left with little other way to make their livelihood than what lay between their legs.  It was difficult to respect women like that, Fakhir didn't even bother because that was a pointless exercise.  They could always choose to be different if they wished, once the victors were done they could have gone and lived lives elsewhere.  But instead they decided to trail men like the ones who'd reaved their villages, they chose to sell themselves at that point.

 

Not that there was much pity for them beforehand, if they chosen husbands and bred sons who couldn't defend them, that was their own doing.  But just because he had no respect for them didn't mean that he felt the urge to beat them either, there was little pleasure to be had in beating something that had done nothing to deserve it.  Besides, whores did have their purposes, if it weren't for them then it would be some fine upstanding young woman who was too proper and prim for such things that would end up bedded instead.

 

That and no whore would go near a man who had beaten her twice if she had the choice and some would make the effort for those who were kind, or at least didn't brutalise them.  It was amazing what small kindnesses could achieve.

 

So when Fakhir tossed aside his belt and wrapped an arm around the woman's waist, he pulled her to him gently rather than with cruelty, and kissed her rather than tore her skirt.

 

 

Fakhir Aswasim

Infantry

[TaeaDawn]

It was some time later that Jatasha found herself laying on her side, looking down at the man in her bed who seemed to be resting peacefully.  Sometimes they rushed out the door and sometimes they took their time.  She preferred them to relax, at least most of them.  It gave her the feeling that she had done something right to give these men a little quiet in the middle of the chaos of the world.  It never lasted long, only a moment or two sometimes before it was gone, but it was something she enjoyed, something that she looked for when she could get it.  It made her work less crude really, to her own mind anyway.

 

She ran a hand up his side lightly, just touching to see how he reacted to her touch now.  He didn't move but she knew he was awake and very aware of her presence.  "When do you be needing to report in?"  Something she probably should have asked about the time they were closing her door, but it hadn't seemed all that important to him at the time.  Now that he had taken care of his own needs, it might be something else though.  She didn't want him to miss something important if she could help it.  Thinking she was a distraction from his work would guarantee he didn't come back.  And whether she thought much of him as a person or not, he had been a good lover, not cruel as she had feared he might be when he had asked for privacy.  She tried to keep them all, after all the cruel men had to pay more to lay hands on her more than once, but the kind men were the ones that she preferred and if she had enough of those ... well the need for the other disappeared.

 

"I do no want to be a cause of trouble for you when you do be first getting here." She said with a small smile as she leaned over and kissed him gently.

 

Jatasha

[Wayfarer]

It was a nice gesture on her part, or so Fakhir thought to himself.  Most whores would have simply done the deed then demanded the coin, even when not mistreated and that wasn't a bad thing in itself.  Enough men would skip out of paying their coin once they were done, also why women usually asked for the coin first.  Strange that she had done neither, but then maybe she had enough friends that it wasn't a problem.  Someone who skimped on their coin was liable to be in trouble with those who did pay their coin.  Besides, it didn't trouble him, far easier to pay the coin and know what you were getting rather than trying to blunder with a woman who seemed to ask nothing.  Best to keep it simple.  "I doubt there'll be trouble, enough new people came today that a few missing won't be a problem, but I only get paid from the day I start."

 

Tracing a finger along her side as she had with him as he turned to her, it was tempting to forget about it for another half hour longer, she had enjoyed it and that was always an attractive thing amongst her other assets.  But, coin was coin and there would be another time he was sure.  Kindness aside, coin would draw her back and that was enough.  "You wouldn't happen to know where I could find a Lieutenant Morrow would you?  He is the one I am to report to."

 

Jatasha nodded.  "Easy enough to find him.  They do be keeping the boys close together." She said with a smile.  She thought about saying something else, something that might entice him to stay longer, but decided against it.  There was a fine line between making a man feel wanted and making him think you're pushy.  There were ways to correct the first, but once the second was established, it was hard to step around.

 

He was already moving out of her bed and she sighed as she watched him collect his clothes and dress with the efficiency that she grown used to with military types.  Instead of making small talk or anything else, she gave him the directions as he pulled his boots on, only allowing herself to run her hand along his back as he sat on the edge of her bed.  When he was finished and turned to look at her.  "Do no be a stranger.  I do like to be knowing my men do be getting settled in OK."  She added with a smile.

 

Her men.  Steady customers then, not that it was a surprise if there weren't enough whores to be found, a woman could pick and choose all too easily.  He just hoped that it wasn't a scarcity that translated itself in price, while he didn't mind paying he certainly didn't want to be extorted.  Only one way to find out about that though.  "I will be fine, but before I go I believe I owe you something, even if you didn't name it.  What would you ask?"

 

She thought about reaching for his pouch and hiding it behind her back, but he didn't know her yet and she knew all too well what would happen if a man thought you were trying to cheat him out of his money.  The fact that he was willing to ask her price instead of throw down an insulting penny on the table was comforting though.  "Four copper pennies." She said with a small smile waiting for his reaction.  Some men tried to bargain and some men walked out without paying.  You never knew until the time came.

 

Calculating the price in his mind, Fakhir was fairly certain that some things had factored into the choice the woman had made.  Not beating her, not trying to run out, wanting his coin in the future, but he didn't like to feel like he was indebted.  He would have liked to have thought that was the reason that he didn't hold onto money long, though that would have been a lie so he didn't bother trying to tell himself the self aggrandising thought might be true.  Instead he shook his head.  "Take five, and perhaps I shall see you another time."

 

Jatasha took the coin and set it aside.  It was business but part of her business was making people forget that she was just there because of the coin they handed her.  Holding onto it too long while they were there tended to remind them of just that.  So she set it on the table, not with the rest of her coin for him to come back for later if he turned out to be that sort, and came off the bed and to her knees.  The blankets fell from around her as she looked up at Fakhir.  A final kiss and then she smiled.  "I do be hoping so Fakhir."

 

The last kiss given and last words spoken, Fakhir only paused a moment before turning and leaving, the door closing behind him.  It had been fun enough, but he had no illusions about what had just happened.  Fun, perhaps a little expensive, but that was all there was to be had, and not just from whores.  But, he wasn't going to let that dampen his mood, after all, if it hadn't been worthwhile then he wouldn't have spent the coin, or given the extra.  He'd go back there, later, after he had sorted things out with Lieutenant Morrow and found out what role he was assigned.

 

Later.