Post by tehvision on Jan 2, 2011 7:24:15 GMT -5
The night air was cool on his skin and the wind was settling down, the silence was broken by the tapping of his staff as the blind man made his way through the merchant quarters of Valkur's Roar. Each cobble had a distinct feel under his staff, each bump and twist sent different feelings through his hand. He stopped to take a smell of the night air, rain was fast approaching he could taste the damp on his tongue and could smell it in the air. He hurried his approach to make it to the Inn for the night.
As he made it across the small bridge way the sound of fast approaching feet could be heard, it was only one person. He figured from the sound of the footsteps it was a female approximately 5"2 and weighing no more than 6 stone. “Mister, Mister" she cried, “You've got to 'elp me, Deres a man in da street just over there and he is 'urt real bad.” He did not know the direction at which she pointed but followed the sound of her footsteps as she sped off. He followed at a hastened pace, concentrating on the rhythm of her foot steps. As he rounded the corner the footsteps had stopped and only breathing could be heard but there was more than the two that he was expecting.
He cautiously stepped into the alley way, his staff still tapping to ensure that his footsteps landed him in no peril. “What ya doing bringing a blind beggar to us Elise, wha' we gonna do eh? Shake him for fun” said a dark clad man, his voice low and resonating. Laughter erupted from around the alley, alerting the blind man to the fact there were only four potential muggers. Elise tried to protest, " Per'aps he aint a beggar, maybe he one of dose rich folk dressing down, ya know da ones", the confidence had faded from her voice and the excuse lacked the bardic quality of her performance in the street that led the blind man there in the first place. The man that first spoke cut her feeble excuse short, “Shut up welp” he thundered as his back hand landed home across the girls face, there was a loud crack followed by a quick yelp. The man remained calm and he could hear the girl’s footsteps as she ran just round the corner as not to watch what was about to come.
“Lads I aint got time for petty beggars dispatch him and dump da body in the sewers.” the dark clad man stated flatly. As the first approached the blind man, he heard him draw his blade, as he stepped in the make the lunge the blind beggar whipped round his staff and in lightning speed he arced it down onto the head of his attacker. It landed with a sickening crack as his attacker’s skull split under its forced. In a swift motion he swept the staff low in the direction of the second attacker which connected with his left ankle sweeping him from his feet, as his body impacted on the floor the blind moved towards the sound and lashed the staff out once more knocking him unconscious.
At the sound of the commotion the dark clad man turned to see only one more man stood against the blind man as the others lay sprawled out on the floor. He turned to face the blind man with a roar. “Right, dats it, per’aps I be underestimatin’ ye begger but enuff is enuff”. The two remaining men charged in weapons brandished and much like their predecessors the fight was swift and very one sided. The beggar heard the rush of feet and was able to dodge the clumsy blows; he could hear their breathing getting ragged from fatigue. His staff whipped up in the jaw of the first attacker and sent him off his feet impacting on a crate. The dark clad man’s eyes were now wide and fear was setting in, three men downed by a blind man who seemed neither large in stature nor strong of frame. Now there were just the two men left, Elise finally whipped up the courage to peek round the corner her dirty face partially cleaned by the tears that had streamed her face. Her eyes widened as she saw the three burley men on the floor and the beggar facing of to the dark clad man. She saw as the beggars staff whipped back and forth across the face of the man and saw the crimson spray of blood and tooth as it exited the mans mouth before his unconscious body hit the floor. She gasped and as she did the blind man looked instantaneously in her direct and flicked his staff to remove the blood from either end. She quickly pushed herself flat to the wall and huddled her arms around her legs as she heard the slow rhythmic tapping slowing approaching.
As the blind man turned the corner he saw the form of the girl huddled against the wall, the rain had now started to fall ever so lightly in the city and he could smell both the rain and the sweat from the girl. She dare not open her eyes and would rather not see what fate lay before her. The man knelt before her and for the first time he spoke, his voice was not weak as she thought when she first saw him. His voice had a powerful resonating calm; “You should move on child, this is not the path that is laden for you. We shall meet again I am sure but for now head to the inn and get your self a room for the night, these men will come round and will for forget or forgive this grievance.” She looked up to the man and sobbed more, “I’m sorry she whimpered, wha’ wha’s ya name mister?” her voice was laced with fear and broken by intermittent sobs.
As the man stood and began to walk away he turned back to her with a half smile and said “My name is Brother Tobias Gentivas, acolyte of Torm.” He turned back and began to move his staff tap tapping until out of sight.
As he made it across the small bridge way the sound of fast approaching feet could be heard, it was only one person. He figured from the sound of the footsteps it was a female approximately 5"2 and weighing no more than 6 stone. “Mister, Mister" she cried, “You've got to 'elp me, Deres a man in da street just over there and he is 'urt real bad.” He did not know the direction at which she pointed but followed the sound of her footsteps as she sped off. He followed at a hastened pace, concentrating on the rhythm of her foot steps. As he rounded the corner the footsteps had stopped and only breathing could be heard but there was more than the two that he was expecting.
He cautiously stepped into the alley way, his staff still tapping to ensure that his footsteps landed him in no peril. “What ya doing bringing a blind beggar to us Elise, wha' we gonna do eh? Shake him for fun” said a dark clad man, his voice low and resonating. Laughter erupted from around the alley, alerting the blind man to the fact there were only four potential muggers. Elise tried to protest, " Per'aps he aint a beggar, maybe he one of dose rich folk dressing down, ya know da ones", the confidence had faded from her voice and the excuse lacked the bardic quality of her performance in the street that led the blind man there in the first place. The man that first spoke cut her feeble excuse short, “Shut up welp” he thundered as his back hand landed home across the girls face, there was a loud crack followed by a quick yelp. The man remained calm and he could hear the girl’s footsteps as she ran just round the corner as not to watch what was about to come.
“Lads I aint got time for petty beggars dispatch him and dump da body in the sewers.” the dark clad man stated flatly. As the first approached the blind man, he heard him draw his blade, as he stepped in the make the lunge the blind beggar whipped round his staff and in lightning speed he arced it down onto the head of his attacker. It landed with a sickening crack as his attacker’s skull split under its forced. In a swift motion he swept the staff low in the direction of the second attacker which connected with his left ankle sweeping him from his feet, as his body impacted on the floor the blind moved towards the sound and lashed the staff out once more knocking him unconscious.
At the sound of the commotion the dark clad man turned to see only one more man stood against the blind man as the others lay sprawled out on the floor. He turned to face the blind man with a roar. “Right, dats it, per’aps I be underestimatin’ ye begger but enuff is enuff”. The two remaining men charged in weapons brandished and much like their predecessors the fight was swift and very one sided. The beggar heard the rush of feet and was able to dodge the clumsy blows; he could hear their breathing getting ragged from fatigue. His staff whipped up in the jaw of the first attacker and sent him off his feet impacting on a crate. The dark clad man’s eyes were now wide and fear was setting in, three men downed by a blind man who seemed neither large in stature nor strong of frame. Now there were just the two men left, Elise finally whipped up the courage to peek round the corner her dirty face partially cleaned by the tears that had streamed her face. Her eyes widened as she saw the three burley men on the floor and the beggar facing of to the dark clad man. She saw as the beggars staff whipped back and forth across the face of the man and saw the crimson spray of blood and tooth as it exited the mans mouth before his unconscious body hit the floor. She gasped and as she did the blind man looked instantaneously in her direct and flicked his staff to remove the blood from either end. She quickly pushed herself flat to the wall and huddled her arms around her legs as she heard the slow rhythmic tapping slowing approaching.
As the blind man turned the corner he saw the form of the girl huddled against the wall, the rain had now started to fall ever so lightly in the city and he could smell both the rain and the sweat from the girl. She dare not open her eyes and would rather not see what fate lay before her. The man knelt before her and for the first time he spoke, his voice was not weak as she thought when she first saw him. His voice had a powerful resonating calm; “You should move on child, this is not the path that is laden for you. We shall meet again I am sure but for now head to the inn and get your self a room for the night, these men will come round and will for forget or forgive this grievance.” She looked up to the man and sobbed more, “I’m sorry she whimpered, wha’ wha’s ya name mister?” her voice was laced with fear and broken by intermittent sobs.
As the man stood and began to walk away he turned back to her with a half smile and said “My name is Brother Tobias Gentivas, acolyte of Torm.” He turned back and began to move his staff tap tapping until out of sight.
