Sileas apologized again, then shook her head at Oscar. "I have no doubt that you are very strong, but there are much more productive ways to use that strength. You wouldn't like it if you had a special something, or something you were selling, and someone came along and broke it."

"He should have made the jars stronger." Oscar said airily.

In reply to Nelek (msg # 412):

Lek blushed. His mother and father wanting privacy was not something he wanted to think about.

In reply to Oscar the Knife (msg # 425):


Sileas laughed and shook her head. "After we eat, we should purchase some clothing for you."

"I already 'ave kit." Oscar scoffed.

"Well yes, but they're looking a bit snug. Boy or girl, I know children your age outgrow clothing very quickly."

"They're not snug! Blimey! I just ate twice yesterday is all." Oscar was feeling insulted.

"Oh is that it? Well it never hurts to have something clean to wear when it's time for your clothing to be laundered either."

"Launderin' kit is for posh blokes. I spose yer expect ter use soap and fresh water too." Oscar wrinkled his scarred nose. Whenever he wanted to clean up he swam at the docks, gave his clothes a rinse in the saltwater.

"Oh yes indeed, there will be a bath in your very near future. And your ongoing future as well. A good scrubbing is always in order."

Oscar looked horrified. He turned to run from the crazy lady only to crash into a guard, got the guard's thick belt buckle right in his nose. Oscar bounced back but the second guard grabbed him.

"Gotcha! Now what've ye stolen this time, rat?"

"I 'aven't nicked nuffink! Oi!" Oscar squirmed but already one guard was tying his wrists together with a cord.

"Nuffing huh? Let's see what ye got in ya pockets." The guard pulled out a surprising number of coin's from the ragged urchin's pockets- some of the coins were even gold. Even the guards look surprised but Oscar was almost dropped when the royal seal turned up.

"Oh ho! That certainly doesn't belong to ye! Yer in fer it now!"

Oscar hadn't known what the seal was when he stole it from the bloke's pocket, just thought it would be worth something. He cursed the bloke for letting it be so easily stolen.

"They'll never let'm out, will they?"

"Naw, but we better break his hands just to make sure. 'old his mitts on that post..."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:24, Mon 09 May 2016.

"Stop!" Sileas cried out, pushing herself between Oscar and the guards. "This boy is under the protection of Lord Thornblade of Buckley Village. Emissary of the King himself. Lord Thornblade will deal with the lad himself."

Oscar hid behind the crazy woman. Soap scared him, but getting his hands smashed and thrown in prison scared him even more.

"You're just making stuff up. I'll bet yer nothing but another red-headed whore from the Crimson Dove." The guard said, trying to push Sileas aside.

"Out of our way or we'll arrest ye too... Actually don't, it'll be nice to take ye in. Nice little side trip through the barracks..." The second guard leered. "We'll take a collection and settle up with your madam tomorrow."

Oscar chewed on the cord around his wrists.

"I am the daughter of Guard Captain Shawn Spenser from Buckley Village," Sileas said, fighting the urge to draw a weapon on these awful men. "And the betrothed of Lord Thornblade. I am no man's whore," Sileas stated matter-of-factly.

"Your every man's 'ore." The guards both laughed.

"While we're playing make-believe I'm the King himself. Give me a kiss!" He grabbed at Sileas.

Acting from blind instinct, Sileas drew her dagger. If they bothered to look, they could see it was of high quality and not the type of thing a whore would own. "Back. Off." Her eyes blazed with anger.

They could appreciate the quality of the knife, but did not believe she could use it. They still laughed.

"What did you do to get paid with such good steel?" The leering guard asked.

Oscar spat out rope fibers, but his hands were finally free. He wanted to run away and save his own skin while this red-haired tart had the guards distracted, but he was kind of in a corner and the only way to get around her would put him in reach of the guards.

Sileas gritted her teeth. "My mother forged this blade. She is a highly respected smithy, many came to her forge to apprentice with her. I earned my keep as a school teacher."

Yehudit caught the exchange. She began screaming obscenities and stabbing the closest guard in the back with a twisted fork.

"SILEAS IS NOT A WHORE YOU DREK EATING MOMZER!"

"A woman blacksmith, as if that would ever happen." The guard laughed. "We won't be paying extra for your stories."

The guard reached as if to take the dagger from Sileas, but was interrupted by screaming and being stabbed in the back. He stumbled forward.

Oscar gave a yelp of surprise.

"Yehudit!" If she would have had another hand, she would have palmed her face. "I don't know why you people find it so hard to believe that I'm not a whore unless you think all women are whores. No wonder Papa had to go to the magistrate to get Questa's trouble with you straightened out."

Yehudit continued stabbing and swearing. Pretty soon all the noise she was making would draw more guards, though the guard she was not stabbing yet looked ready to flee, the guard she was stabbing did not look in condition to do anything but lay there.

Wulfsen quietly rode next to Juniper. He might have been more concerned about her silence, but he was distracted wondering where all of his money went. He had not needed it while he was aboard the Speeding Duck but he could have sworn he put it in his pockets before leaving the ship. Had he left it in his luggage?

In reply to Sileas (msg # 444):

"Yor not a fief, beggar or a 'oore?" Oscar sounded curious.

"Hold on a minute, little one." She walked over to Yehudit. "Stop it before you get in more trouble than even Wulfsen can get you out!"