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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Mar 24, 2015 22:16:19 GMT
Crouching slightly to try to stay below the worst of the smoke, Liam glanced around. Inside the cottage seemed to be more smoke than fire, though flames blazed brightly along the walls, particularly close to the fireplace. A young couple lay on the ground halfway across the room, positioned as if the wife had been dragging her husband towards the door when she collapsed. Liam dashed forward, bent, and scooped up the lady, then turned to run back out of the cottage.
Moments before he reached the door, the first section of roof fell in, landing just in front of the entrance. Liam didn't hesitate but instead leapt past, into the clear air. He immediately dropped to the ground, letting go of the woman, and rolled to put out the flames that had caught his tunic.
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Post by WookieeElf on Mar 24, 2015 22:36:54 GMT
((Oh gosh...there's an unmarked car and two cop cars in our driveway...I may not be able to get back for a while...they told us to stay in the house...I'm scared, please pray.))
"Liam!" Vala forgot manners and decency as the knight burst out of the house. Dropping the bucket—but making sure not to spill—she knelt by the woman's side and batted the flames from her dress. "Is there anyone else inside?" She asked over the roar of the flames.
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Post by jliessa44 on Mar 24, 2015 23:32:28 GMT
Name- Aristos Dorsey Pronunciation-Ah-ris-toes (or toast without the last t) Alias(es)- Kurt Fowler, Triston Abbey, Andrew Marksman, Drake Simmons, Pierce Ramsey, Dodger Age-17 Gender-Male Position-Rogue Race- Human Appearance- brown eyes, wavy brown hair a couple inches long. Light tan skin. Personality- Acerbic, sarcastic, realist, bitter, untrusting, sneaky. Clothes-black boots, gray trousers, green long sleeved shirt, quilted gray jerkin made in a stylish cut and of good cloth but only middling expensive. Plain brown cloak that hides mud well. Weapons/Tools -Lock picks, fighting knife, deck of playing cards Strengths- sneaking, burglary, pick pocketing, card sharping, lying, knife fights. Weaknesses-The truth, brawls, hates heights and will complain loudly if forced to brave them, his family. History-born the youngest of five to a bankrupt nobleman and his wife. Soon after his father and brother died and he picked up slide hand to supplement the income that his mother & sisters brought in through seamstress work. When his mother grew sick and died, he and his sisters were taken in by their aunt and uncle who forced him to pay a rent he couldn't afford through honest living. So he continued thieving with minimal success until one day he picked the wrong mark. The man was a sore loser with powerful friends. So even though there was no evidence he was (rightfully one must admit) convicted. Because his cousin was training to be in The King's Guard, a huge fuss was made and his aunt and uncle ran him out of the town. Since then he's wandered around doing work as a con man and a few honest odd jobs. Until his youngest sister married recently, he was still forced to pay his aunt and uncle rent which has made him sort of bitter. Other-Has no use for horses.
((So where can I bring him in?))
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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Mar 24, 2015 23:46:58 GMT
Liam nodded, coming back to his feet. "There was a man in there, and I think I saw a cradle in the corner. He grabbed his cloak and dunked it in the bucket of water Vala had brought, then once it was fairly soaked, tossed the rest of the water on the blaze in the doorway, temporarily dousing it. "I'll be back- once you've made sure she's all right, get another bucket of water." Holding the cloak over and in front of him as a makeshift shield from the flames, he dashed back inside and knelt by the man. He winced, seeing what he hadn't seen before: a bloody wound in the man's chest. He must've been dead almost since before the fire started.((@liessa: Ooh, I like him. If you want to bring him in with Liam, Vala, and Zey'er, he could happen across the burning cottage and either go in to try to help or lurk in the bushes to figure out what's going on, whichever would fit best. Or if you wanted to bring him in with Kenneth, Linnea, Elevie, Mart, and Kealade, you'd be best off to have him happen upon them on the road.))
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Post by jliessa44 on Mar 24, 2015 23:56:35 GMT
((Okay. I actually have a fairly good idea. I think. Lol. ))
Aristos stumbled out of his hiding spot in the burning cottage, coughing into his cloak. Of course he'd pick a house soon to be set on fire to burgle. "You always did have bad luck with that." He murmured to himself, squinting through the smoke.
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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Mar 25, 2015 0:03:28 GMT
((Hehe, I like your idea . . . though, one question before I reply: he's still in the cottage, just out of his hiding spot, right? Because at first when I read it, I interpreted it as him stumbling out of the cottage.))
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Post by jliessa44 on Mar 25, 2015 0:11:14 GMT
((Sorry. He's still in the cottage, but out of his hiding spot. ))
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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Mar 25, 2015 0:15:25 GMT
((Ok. Thanks for confirming.))
A noise- a voice, maybe?- caught Liam's ear, and he rose from his crouch, peering through the smoke. He made out the shape of another person, slightly shorter than Liam himself. "Hello?" he called, moving carefully towards the shape, his voice muffled by the cloak over his face.
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Post by WookieeElf on Mar 25, 2015 0:16:03 GMT
Vala watched Liam run back inside, then she turned to the prone woman. "Ma'am, are you awake?" She gently shook the woman's shoulder. "Ma'am? Please, wake up." The woman stirred slightly, giving Vala some hope. She dragged the lady farther away from the fire before scooping up the bucket again. "I'll be right back." She said, dashing back to the stream and filling the bucket again. When she got back, she used her blade to cut off a piece of her sleeve and doused it in water, wiping the lady's soot-streaked face. "You're safe, ma'am, you're safe..."
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Post by jliessa44 on Mar 25, 2015 0:21:11 GMT
Aristos startled and turned towards Liam with a curse. It would seem his luck was at an all time low. "Is someone else in here?"
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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Mar 25, 2015 0:22:31 GMT
((@wookiee: You're back! Is everything ok there?))
The woman coughed violently, her eyes fluttering open. "Wh-wha- wh-who-" She struggled to sit up, still coughing. ---- "Aye." Liam drew close enough to identify the person as a young man, perhaps around Vala's age. "Are you hurt? Are there others with you?"
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Post by WookieeElf on Mar 25, 2015 0:22:46 GMT
((Yes, I'm back! Everything's okay, I guess. Some guy just ditched his car in our driveway, have no idea why...police are gone, but I'm still jittery))
"You're okay, ma'am, you're okay. You're safe now..." Vala looked back at the house and the growing flames, her heart leaping to her throat as the groaning of wood grew louder. "Liam, get out of there!" She shouted. "It's coming down!!"
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Post by jliessa44 on Mar 25, 2015 0:29:56 GMT
"I..." He broke off coughing. "I'm fine. No one else with me. But there was a baby screaming earlier.
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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Mar 25, 2015 0:36:55 GMT
((Oh, good.))
The woman managed to get herself into a sitting position. She shook her head. "My husband- ohhhh-" She swayed, her face going paler as if she might faint. "My baby-" ---- "Right." That would make sense, with the crib he'd seen earlier. Liam looked towards the entrance as Vala's shout rose above the crackling of the smoke and the ominous cracking and groaning of the walls. "Get out, now. I'll follow with the child." He dashed towards the cradle he'd noticed earlier. Yes, there was the babe, deathly still- but there was no time to find out if it was still alive or not. Liam snatched the child up and wrapped his still-somewhat-damp-cloak around them both, then charged for the door.
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Post by jliessa44 on Mar 25, 2015 0:41:59 GMT
Needing no further urging, Aristos dashes towards the exit. Hopefully, if he was quick enough, he could be gone before anyone had the chance to figure out what he was doing there.
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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Mar 25, 2015 0:49:14 GMT
Liam made it out a few steps behind Aristos, mere moments before part of the cottage wall collapsed inward. Liam, meanwhile, threw himself backwards onto the ground some distance from the cottage, smothering the flames that had caught on his cloak. Satisfied that he was no longer on fire, he sat up and checked the child for a heartbeat. He breathed a sigh of relief as he found a pulse, faint but there.
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Post by jliessa44 on Mar 25, 2015 0:51:27 GMT
Aristos had unclasped the cloak and stomped on it unhappily.
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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Mar 25, 2015 0:54:28 GMT
Liam turned to look at Vala and the woman he'd rescued earlier. "She's all right?" He looked to the young man. "And you? Were you burned or injured?"
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Post by jliessa44 on Mar 25, 2015 1:00:30 GMT
"I'm fine, burned my wrist a little. What I get I suppose." He groused, examining the holes in his cloak. Then he glanced up. "You alright?"
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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Mar 25, 2015 1:03:53 GMT
Liam nodded. "I believe so." He glanced back at the cottage. "I found the man dead, but from a blade, not flames. Do you know what occurred?" He winced slightly as the woman let out a gasp and then fainted. Perhaps 'twas not the wisest thing to say in her hearing . . .
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Post by jliessa44 on Mar 25, 2015 1:09:36 GMT
A little twinge of guilt and shame twisted in his chest. He'd heard a scuffle, but he hadn't thought the man was killed. "I don't know what happened."
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Post by WookieeElf on Mar 25, 2015 1:11:48 GMT
Vala caught the woman before she fell, looking warily at the stranger who had leapt out of the cottage with Liam. She laid the lady down, using her pack as a pillow for her head. "Here, let me see the babe." She said quietly, holding her arms out to Liam.
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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Mar 25, 2015 1:13:18 GMT
"A pity." Liam sighed. "Perhaps the lady will be able to tell us, once she has awakened." Still holding the child, Liam rose and walked over to the stranger. He offered his hand to shake. "My name is Sir Liam Woods, by the way. And yours?"
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Post by jliessa44 on Mar 25, 2015 1:17:17 GMT
Aristos shook his hand. He hesitated before voicing a name. "Tristan Abbey."
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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Mar 25, 2015 1:19:29 GMT
Liam nodded. "A pleasure to meet you, Tristam." He turned to Vala and nodded. "Of course." He crossed the distance with quick steps and handed the child over. Then he turned back to Tristam. "Those who owned the cottage, are they friends of yours?"
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Post by WookieeElf on Mar 25, 2015 1:21:09 GMT
Vala cradled the child close, rocking her gently. There were faint signs of life, which meant Vala had to work fast. Pulling the smoky clothing away from the baby's chest and back, she began rubbing gently between the child's shoulder-blades. Her chest began to rise and fall slowly, making tears come to Vala's eyes. "S-she'll be alright." She murmured.
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Post by jliessa44 on Mar 25, 2015 1:24:04 GMT
Aristos shook his head. "No. I was passing through."
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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Mar 25, 2015 1:24:32 GMT
((@wookiee: Look at my post right above yours.))
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Post by WookieeElf on Mar 25, 2015 1:25:44 GMT
((@leilani: Just edited it.))
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Post by Eruanna on Mar 25, 2015 1:26:12 GMT
((*holds hand up for a question* Is there any post here that explains the story line, or what's happening here? If not, would you pretty pleeeeease be so kind as to give me a quick rundown of the lowdown here. XD))
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