Jugglenauts in Baerlon

[minisamus]

“Bangles!” She advertised, illegally, without a license, but after the cursory evaluation of her respectable-poverty-look the passerby’s barely gave her or the clean rags another look. “Bangles”, however, weren’t like the other necklaces or broaches being sold by other illegitimate merchants. Tris snatched the fairy pink sleeves of one young woman, holding up the crimson insignia to the lass’s reddening cheeks.

 

“This one looks so cute on you, darrrrling!” crooning, “oh you must wear it on your stubby stubby ears, every day!”

 

“Augggh! Get away from me idiot child before I call my fiancé over”

 

“But he too might appreciate a red Hand bangle on his headdress; every man should wear the glory of the Dragon—oh please Miss Pink, Pinkerton!”

 

“Let! Go!”

 

“Hahahah, make me pretty lady”

 

Thump!

 

Too late did Tris dodge, and was left smiling appreciatively, rather confused for a moment staring at the dots in front of the woman’s bosom "Ahhhhhhhhhhh."

 

“How dare you, you horrid boy! I’m alerting the patrolman”

 

She watched the woman in pink leave, “If you get one now, you can have another bangle for just a piece of silver! Oh ho ho what a bargain!”

 

Looking around she was not particularly surprised how quickly the streets emptied at the mention of patrolmen. “Guess I better pack up then” stuffing the hand-made Red Hand Bangles into her pack, she grumped “still have to give some rousing speeches about the Dragon in the Mitherest next. Wonder if I can give some away there.” She had not sold a single one yet, and was already warned for being bad for the street business on the corner of View and Ave.

 

[Quibby]

As part of their plan for improving relations with the surrounding areas and towns, the Band of the Red Hand had taken to occasionally sending out teams of engineers and medics to help with the sick and hurt, as well as to aid in the improvement of infrastructure and the design of more efficient mechanisms.  The excursion to Baerlon was no different.  Jehryn had volunteered to accompany this particular endeavor in an effort to distance himself from the smothering claustrophobia of the Citadel.  Everybody needed a break, even if it meant having to deal with more coughs and sniffles and imaginary illnesses than he ever saw in the Citadel.  But it also afforded him afternoons off to explore the small town.

 

With so many new people around, Jehryn did find himself becoming a bit self-aware.  The white bandages wrapped around his face, leaving only his eyes and mouth exposed, made him a bit conspicuous in the crowd.  Again, Jehryn found his mind drifting towards the injustice of his plight.  It had been six or seven years since the incident, but it was never far from his mind.

 

A commotion ahead caused Jehryn to slip out of his self-pitying thoughts and return to the real world.  A woman wearing far more pink than was practical or attractive had just slapped a ragged-looking child who had been accosting her.  In the rapidly-clearing streets, Jehryn saw what the skinny child had been selling: pendants of some sort, probably pewter, in the shape of a...  Jehryn shook his head.  This kid was out to get into trouble.  Increasing his pace to a fast walk, Jehryn approached the child, trying to look as unthreatening as he could manage, and rasped, "What's that you're selling..." as he approached, Jehryn was able to see more detail about the features of the child in question.  Filthy, but unless Jehryn's guess was far afield... "...young woman?" he finished.

[minisamus]

The stranger looked at her sadly, although most of his expression was obscured by bandages. More distracting however had been how easily he picked out her gender when thus far none cared.

 

"Ehhh," she said loudly in the deepest voice she could manage "I'm a lad, don't worry many people make that mistake." She turned to her wares, not meeting his eyes.

 

"Interested in bangles, good sir? I did not tell you this!" hush-hush library voice "But a special discount for the hurt veterans. Give them to your invalid friends, just a copper penny! It has healing properties you know, made by the Dragon himself, Light's blessings be."

 

She never actually made it to Mitherest tavern, although she kept walking as she talked. A gate was slammed into a wall of the artist walk, half a dozen uniformed men piled out and rounded on them with a sorry, hassled look on their faces. She threw herself into the grass, never minding the strains on her newly washed outfit. Tris was hoping they wouldn't take any aggression out on her if they couldn't see her. Not all attention is created equal.

 

"I'm so glad you've made it . . . Hi! what is your name?" She asked when he caught up.

[Quibby]

"Pardon me, sir.  We've had reports of some urchin causing trouble.  Have you seen anything?"  Craning his neck, Jehryn looked up at the armored man addressing him.  The man was obviously not excited to be roused from whatever he had been doing to chase down a troublesome child.  Jehryn decided to make the job easier on the man.  "I have seen the boy in question, sir," he rasped, causing the soldier to look at him with some slight trepidation.  Just as well.  "He has been marketing false insignias of the Band to the townsfolk.  I'll take him off your hands, though, sir."  At the last, he handed the man a leather wallet and a small purse.  The document inside the wallet with the commander's seal would confirm his identity and position with the Band, and the purse would buy drinks or whatnot for the patrol.

 

"This seems to be in order.  Thank you for your help."

 

"No, thank you, sir.  I'm so sorry for the trouble you've been caused," Jehryn replied, inclining his head slightly.  "Please, have a pleasant day."  Even though it would be all but hidden behind the bandages, Jehryn smiled.  His mind, though, was doing anything but smile: No, sir, there is no problem here.  Just a girl who I am either going to drag to the Citadel or drug to the gills.  I'm just not sure which yet.

 

The girl- everything that Jehryn had seen in his years of treating injuries and illness screamed that she was lying, for some reason- had not gone far, but she was too far to have heard the quiet conversation.  As Jehryn approached, a burn in his chest and lungs warning of potential problems in the near future, the girl had the gall to cheerfully chirp, "I'm so glad you've made it...  Hi!  What is your name?"

 

"My name is Private Jehryn do'Holcaran, medic," he replied as he produced another folder, this one lined with small pouches holding tiny sealed containers.  If the girl tried to run...  "And you have some explaining to do, methinks.  Tell me, why are you selling these... these trinkets?"

[minisamus]

Well she might not be in the tavern but she could still deliver her speech. “This is a badge for those of us that consider ourselves as people following the Dragon, loyal sons and daughters who sworn fealty and left their old lives behind, even though I’ve not met his holiness in person I feel as though we’re all a great family so hopefully this will change” Annoyance surged for a moment, not at him but at her mother who betrayed the Landorin family, as she stared at her bangles. No need to fake shaking, she convulsed like a leaf trembling in a whirlwind, clinging desperately to her branches of lies.

 

“Oh please, sir, don’t report me. I am Tris, short for Tris—tram." A neutral name "My little brother lives but ten ells hence, in the mountains. Please don’t report me to the bad men who’ll take me; Rhue has no other family” bunching her fists “Wah, Rhue's part of the Dragonsworn family too I'm sure they do not mind my selling these. I won’t let those guards take these bangles, unless they pay good money; you seem like the compassionate type as a medic? You understand don’t you?“

 

Had his eyes seemed sad before? They were bright with intelligence now. Her old tutor had exuded the same commanding presence. Careful to show due deference to the man she shrugged, resisting the temptation to ask–A medic, like one of those who makes people more comfortable when they die?

 

She punctuated all this with a sunshine smile. "And you know what? You may even call me Tris. We're friends, now."

[Quibby]

Despite himself, Jehryn found a corner of his mouth trying to twitch into a smile.  He had to concede that the girl- it was really too much of a bother to consider the possibility that she was telling the truth- was quite the talker.  Running from a patrol?  Trying to sell Red Hand bangles to a member of the Band of the Red Hand?  Granted, the kid probably had not made the connection of his rank to the Band.  Likely, she had no idea of her proximity to the Citadel.  If she did know, she would probably have been a bit less dogmatic and reverent in her praise for the Dragonsworn.  Despite all this, Jehryn knew a con when he saw one.  At least, he liked to think so; in all probability, he only knew a bad con when he saw one, and  he never noticed the good ones.

 

Having listened to this Tris's tale, Jehryn looked up from his folder of cylinders, though his fingertips still brushed along the rows as if he was caressing them.  Around them, the sounds of returning crowds could be heard, a babble of voices and the slapping of feet on packed streets.  "A few words that you may wish to heed, Tristram.  First and foremost, the baubles that you're selling?  That insignia is not that of the Dragonsworn, but of an army, the Band of the Red Hand.  Although technically Dragonsworn, I suppose, the average member of the Band would probably disembowel you for that implication.  As for a 'great family...'"  Jehryn found himself chuckling, a raspy, croaking sound that sounded more like a cough than a laugh.  "If we're a family, then it is by far the most dysfunctional family under the Light."

 

There.  It was out.  If that did not shed some light on his allegiance, then this Tristram was as thick as a mountain.  Another twitch of the corner of his mouth.  His fingers had found the cylinder with the series of raised bumps that he had been looking for.  Out of another pouch, he withdrew a long thorn with a bit of wool on the blunt end.  "And as for my compassion... well, I am a medic.  Which means that, off the battlefield, I serve as a physician of sorts.  I've been doing that for years.  On the battlefield, though, I generally perform triage, choosing who lives and who dies.  Sometimes, I have to help them pass."  As he spoke, Jehryn dipped the thorn into the cylinder, scraping it on the sides before withdrawing it.  Precaution never hurt.  "So, I now put it to you, Tristram: are you what you claim to be?  Are you looking to make money off those who actually are what you claim to be?  Are you looking for the Red Hand?  Or are you a foolish child who is not worth my time or the ten silver crowns I payed the guards to leave you alone?"

[minisamus]

Where are you?

 

"It's been a long time since I left my family to wander the world. It was also the last day that I saw her. Every passing day only fills me with more anxiety, how can I be happy when she's not in my life? For my sake, I must sought out the Red Hand and find her or else I shall never have any peace."

 

She had been weaving a little chain of clovers as she spoke. Tris then stood up slowly, scuffing the grass with the heels of her straw sandels.

 

"Well it's been good talking but I cannot rest with you any longer. She must be further along, somewhere in the area around. Take care, Jehryn of many questions and thanks for bribing the guards I appreciate it. Good-day!"

 

Throwing the chain at him she broke into a run, certain she'd be fast enough to outlast a medic with the tell-tale bandages over his face.

[Quibby]

Instinct caused Jehryn's hand to jerk towards his face to deflect the clover chain, though he managed to override the instinctive action before he could stab himself with the dart he held.  That would be bad.  However, there was no time to dwell on that.  Tristram was escaping, and Jehryn had no intention on letting it go at that.  Lifting a hollow tube from his belt, he pulled the wrapping away from his face and slipped the dart into place in one swift motion.  She wasn't too far away, and he still had a clear shot.  However, she was angled away from him.  The thigh.  Jehryn took a deep breath and quickly released it through the tube.  He couldn't see the dart, but in a couple seconds...  The girl flinched and brushed at her thigh, then ran a few more steps.  Where she collapsed.

 

Jehryn barely registered any of this.  The sudden rush of air was enough to send screaming protest through his scorched lungs and throat, leaving him on his knees and coughing painfully.  It was an odd reaction, considering that it really only made matters worse, but the tickling of the scorched tissue only served to aggravate the condition.  Breathe slowly.  Calm down.  You'll be fine.  This happens all the time.  Relax.  It was a gradual process, but Jehryn had learned to master his body's reaction to this the hard way, and it was soon functioning properly again, though he was dizzy from mild loss of air.

 

It took a few moments to stagger to the miscreant, and when he did reach the now-crawling girl, Jehryn plucked another dart from his pouch and added the same viscous salve to the tip.  "Do you have any idea how difficult it was for me to procure the material for this?" he asked the crawling child with an air of exhausted amusement.  "Partially based on snake venom, but mostly from a plant in the swamp outside of Tear.  I neutralized the toxicity of the venom, but kept its effect intact.  The plant itself would be more than enough, but I needed a way to make it more effective at moving through the body."

 

Kneeling over the crawling form, Jehryn quickly jabbed the dart into each of the child's shoulders.  She yelped slightly, then continued to crawl.  "You'll notice a slight burning sensation.  That's just the acid from the thorn.  It doesn't take long from there to notice a warm, numb sensation spreading from the site of contact.  After that, well..."  With a grin that pulled the burn-scarred skin around his exposed mouth, Jehryn watched the girl's arms give out completely.  "Well, you see."  Sitting on the ground in front of the girl, Jehryn added, "So, shall we continue our conversation?  After all, you don't seem to be going anywhere, and the guards will be here in a relatively short amount of time."

[minisamus]

What does it really matter

 

"I was a child once you know, crawling on my knees" her legs were aching "picking bugs off flowering plants" arms were pins and needles starting to burn "so imagine how relieving it is to my health and wellbeing. You've discovered the potion for incontinance" she said dismayed as sweat poured from her pores, unbidden. Helpless words lashed out in an angry stream:

 

"You know, you were breathing fairly hard. I'm straining to work out if there's a reason why you'd experiment on me, or are you just into kids that way? Ooo, burn.

 

Yea, an insult!!! Shall we have a fist fight, me the way I am? Go on and hit me, buddy. Take a swing, I beg you! Maybe if you're lucky I'm not going to kill you, ya motherless goat.

 

I wonder when you're going to reach in and inject me with the antidote. Although that's going to be one more lavish commodity you spend on me. After giving a purse to the guards, oh my goodness that's quite a markup! I like you Jeh, may I call you that, Jeeeeh? Your burn marks are very cute but still. I can't stay with you. She's the one I am looking for! Either take me to her or leave me be, don't give me any crap about helping me, hmfh. And also, I don't hear the guards, lazy bastards."

 

A moment later "I'm going to die aren't I?" It was hardly a question

[Quibby]

Jehryn smiled again.  "No, you're not going to die.  Far from it.  You'll have some bruising where the dart struck, and there will be some soreness, but you're not going to die."  Settling down, Jehryn continued.  "You know, if you had chosen to relax and listen for awhile, I would have told you that I have every intention of bringing you to the Band.  I don't know what the Commander's position is on people discrediting the Band, no matter what the intention."

 

People were beginning to give the two of them a wider berth.  If a person collapsed in the middle of a street, there was no telling what caused it to happen.  Better to stay safe.  A sudden thought struck Jehryn then.  "There is an antidote for this, but there's no need for it.  I generally use it when I have to cut a person in order to treat some injury or ill that is beneath the skin.  It works well for the suppression of pain and reflex.  Absolutely no long-term effects, either."

 

Absently, Jehryn tugged the scarf back over the bottom of his face.  There was some commotion from nearby.  The word that a masked man was assaulting some innocent child must have reached the guard.  Never has the Band's motto been so appropriate.  It is, indeed, time to toss the dice.  "Now, if you're healthy and react like a normal person, this will wear off in about fifteen minutes, give or take a few minutes.  Let me assure you that I can help you find whoever it is that you're looking for, but if you try anything on the way to the Citadel, I will dose you with something that will make you sleep for days and leave you feeling so ill that you'll wish you were dead."

[minisamus]

"Yes, I'm glad!" Wanting to hug him she realised he knew where the Citidel was, "And I'm . . . sorry. Continuing our discussion, alright! There is a clothing shop in Tanchico, they call it the Landoran stretch. One day somebody from there who was very special to me ran away with somebody wearing your band's insignia. You're the first real clue that happened to me in the years I've searched for her, I'm sure you're very proud of that. All the other leads were crap particularly those who wanted to report me. They didn't understand, she was my everything" She looked like a kicked cur. "I would never try anything on the way, sir. Although I was not discrediting your band, I have every intention of signing up, even brought an entrance fee. Uhhhh, how many more minutes left?"

 

Tris tried to wiggle her toes. Man, what is going on. I'm not sure this is a good idea. But I haven't got any other ideas, have I.

 

Wait, had that been a smile? Her hands attempted to curl into fists, "augh, feels like I'm trying to pass wind or play the dulcimer"

[Quibby]

OOC: I'm about to move things ahead rapidly.  Fasten your seat belt. :P

 

IC: The clatter of armored footsteps caught Jehryn's ear.  The patrols in Baerlon, it seemed, were not generally rapid in response.  "You really do not have to worry about how long it will be, Tristram.  We shall soon be going for a walk."  It was about that time that the guards arrived.  Standing to greet them, Jehryn suddenly found himself with a spear to his throat.  Hmmm.  I had not expected this.  Suppressing the sudden unease he felt, Jehryn attempted to adopt a more relaxed and commanding air.  "There's no need for this, soldier.  I am Private Jehryn do'Halcaran of the Band of the Red Hand.  This miscreant here-" Jehryn kicked the unmoving figure on the ground, feeling a touch of guilty pleasure.  The girl was not going to like that.  "-attempted to lift my purse.  His current immobile state is only temporary."

 

The words were enough to cause the spear to move.  Behind his wrappings, Jehryn smiled.  They were actually going for the story!  The guards hauled the girl to her feet, where she promptly collapsed again.  Perplexed, the guard picked her up again, only to see the same effect.  Light, this girl is going to kill me!  "Please stop doing that, sir," Jehryn pleaded in a voice that could plead with the best.  I'll respect her wishes in one way, at least...  "He is experiencing temporary paralysis of his left leg and both arms.  He should still be able to move his fingers and hands, but he won't be able to-"

 

"Private, where is your purse?"

 

The smug self-assurance felt mere seconds earlier faded away into the despair of a man who had discovered that his tuft of grass to which he clung was, in fact, a lion's tail.  "I... umm... I..."

 

"Sir, come with us."

 

********

 

"For the last time, Lieutenant, I feel that my actions were appropriate."  Jehryn had not yet been allowed to leave his cell, much to the delight of the commanding officer of the excursion.  There was a downside to any delight that the man felt, though; during his processing, the guards had removed the thin scarves around Jehryn's head, revealing the fissured, fire-scarred face beneath.  Looking at a man who had no ears to speak of and a hole where his nose had been could not be pleasant.  Nevertheless, the man was outside the bars, taunting him with his freedom.

 

"You feel that drugging a young boy, a child, with a paralyzing salve was appropriate?"  The lieutenant shook his head.  "Boy, you have some strange notion of 'appropriate.'  What would have happened if she'd reacted to the drug?"  Out of the corner of his eye, Jehryn saw Tristram react to the word 'boy.'  There would be no hiding that fact from her anymore.

 

Irritated, Jehryn rasped, "There is no chance of that.  Nobody that I've used the paralytic agent on has ever reacted adversely.  Well, I say 'nobody,' but there was that one man who was on the bridge, and when he-"

 

"Shut up!"

 

"Shutting up, sir."

 

Rubbing his eyes as if he had a headache, the lieutenant sighed and said, "Well, private, since you've been so kind as to saddle us with this boy, you can babysit him."  Raising a hand to forestall the argument already forming on Jehryn's lips, he added, "That's a non-negotiable order."  Stepping away from the cell, the lieutenant turned to the captain of the guard.  "I guess I'll claim him.  A boy that ugly won't get any sympathy anywhere else."

 

"Bastard," Jehryn muttered as he stepped out of the cell.  His scarves were nowhere in sight, and Tristram was still sitting there, apparently fine.  "Bloody hell."

[minisamus]

Watching Jehryn's back stiffen she grinned. How sweet it was to see the 'boy' finally upbraided by the Lieutenant who ignored her presence this entire time, focusing on Jehryn as a stern parent might on an older sibling who had led the younger astray. No problem I'm still safe as a boy she shrugged figuring they could ditch him if the Lieutenant insisted on coming along. Besides, it might serve to put a fair distance between herself and some of her pursuers so long as she ultimately got to the Citidel. Then she could find her mother. Unless she managed to defeat Jehryn and force him to spill his beans. Well there's no way that's going to happen. He's much bigger than I am.

 

"That was quite an interesting trick you pulled back there, har, har!" she stuck her tongue out at him, pretending she didn't know he was young rather than old and raspy. Then again he sounded raspy and probably was never young. She would stick with Jehryn . . . this time. Wish he would stop breathing so hard though, Tris frowned; he was regulating his breathing so this was bad "Still, I don't think we need to be concerned. He obviously missed a lot of sleep. Come to think of it, the same goes for me too. Let's just get some rest now before they miss us"

 

Hours later . . .

 

She peered at the simplistic tavern and bunkhouse set up "This settlement . . . it is . . ."

 

"Ugly?"

 

"Yes but that's not what I was thinking of."

 

"Most towns are ugly these days, kid."

 

"Hmm?"

 

"Never mind."

 

"Well now that you mention it . . . Baerlon wasn't very impressive either"

 

The soldier shrugged "It isn't pretty, but we should go have a drink anyway."

 

"Okay, I am right behind you." Turning to the other, who was silent for some time "Coming, Jehryn?"