Ranika Thorne

[fairyfire]

With a heavy heart, Ranika steps out on the porch with a pack on her shoulder. As her mother opens up the door, Ranika turns to face her as a few tears run down her cheeks.

In a quivering voice, “Mother, this is something I need to do. I need to be out on my own.” Her mother’s eyes well up with tears as she nods slightly to Ranika “My sweet daughter, do remember my door is always open to you. I do not know what you seek out in the world that your father and I cannot give you here. Do be careful in your travels for whatever it is you seek.” Ranika hugs her mother tight one last time and kisses her on the cheek. She hefts her pack on her shoulder repositioning it, as she steps off the porch, she looks over her shoulder one last time, waving goodbye to her mother. That was the last time she would see her mother.

Ranika heads to the middle of Westgate. She’s heard stories of how the city is. Where anything goes and everything has a price. She didn’t quite believe it until the next day when she bumps into an unpleasant half-elf by the name of Allesandra Windstalker. “Watch it” Allesandra says in a harsh tone. Ranika looks over her shoulder as she passes Allesandra. Ranika just keeps walking feeling it best to keep to herself.

A few days pass when Allesandra passes Ranika again. This time Allesandra grabs her by the arm, pulling her down a dark alley. Ranika starts to panic slightly, “Are you going to kill me.” Said with a hint of fear in her voice. Allesandra just smirks at her words. “You’re new around here aren’t you?” Allesandra asks in a soft voice. Ranika looks her square in the eyes. “Why do you want to know?” Allesandra just laughs. “You have spirit. I like that. As I believe The Old Man will also.” The Old Man?” Ranika asks her. “Yes. He will be pleased that I found an apprentice with such beauty.” Allesandra said with the same soft voice. “Apprentice?” Ranika asks her. “Just come with me if you want steady work.” Allesandra said. Ranika raises a brow unsure what to do. Allesandra taps her foot impatiently. “Look it will give you a roof over your head, food in your growling stomach, and riches beyond your wildest dreams.” Ranika smiles faintly, nodding slightly. “It can’t be any worse than where I’m at now. So I will go.”

Allesandra takes Ranika to The Old Man. He looks Ranika over nodding his approval to Allesandra. “She will do just fine Allesandra. You did a good job.” He said in a soft even tone. Allesandra smiles to The Old Man.

A few years past and Ranika has learned a lot from Allesandra. Ranika exceeded even The Old Man’s expectations.

[fairyfire]

While on her way through the city, she’s approached by a gnome named Brock. “Ranika Thorne is it?” He asks with a sly smile. Ranika raises a brow looking Brock over. “Depends who’s asking.” Brock just chuckles, “I have an offer to make you. I have watched you closely around the city and I have a proposition for you if you care to accept it.” Ranika draws in her bottom lip chewing on it softly, as she brushes her hair out of her face, “Hmm I’ll do anything if the price is right.” Brock nods with a smirk, “That’s good.” Brock explains to her that she is to find a ship named the Calypso’s Lie. She is to board the ship and find some important documents. She is to return the documents to him. Ranika tells Brock that she wants half the money up front and the other half of it after the task is complete. Brock agrees and walks off. Ranika decides to find out exactly who Brock is.

After a few days of following Brock around she finds out that he belongs to a guild called the Astorians. That leaves Ranika a bit suspicious of the task that she agreed to. She decides to do the task because she has never backed out of a job before and she won’t now.

Ranika boards a ship and makes her way out to the Dragonisle, where it is known that the ship Calypso’s Lie is known to dock from time to time. She finally arrives after a couple of weeks. She’s a bit sea sick as she steps off the ship. She quickly pulls herself together as to not look out of place.

It takes her a few days to find the ship. She disguises herself as part of Calypso’s Lie’s crew working her way around the ship. After a couple of weeks she walks to the stern of the ship, heading for the Captain Simol The Red’s chambers. When she gets to the door she pulls out a small thin case that holds a few tools in it. She looks over her shoulder to make sure no one is watching her. She hurriedly works at trying to pick the door’s lock. Once she unlocks it, she looks over her shoulder again making sure she isn’t seen. She softly opens the door to the captain’s chambers, slowly peering her head in to see if the captain is around. She doesn’t see him so she quickly enters the chamber slowly closing the door behind her. She walks over the Captain Simol’s desk sifting through some papers he has there. She figures if these papers are as important as Brock says they are she will find them here. Something catches her attention out of the corner of her eye. She quickly turns around to see Simol lying in his bed sleeping. Ranika turns her attention back to the task. She quietly picks the lock on his desk’s drawer, slowly opening it. In the desk she finds a rolled up piece of thick parchment with a wax seal on it. She quickly shuts the drawer the best she can as she hears Simol stirring. She runs out of his chambers. She swiftly makes her way off the ship. It takes Captain Simol The Red a day to find out that the documents are missing.


Ranika makes her way back to Westgate. All the whole time on the ship back to Westgate she keeps eyeing the rolled up thick parchment that she took from Captain Simol The Red. She picks up the parchment running her finger along the wax seal. She looks at the wax seal trying to identify it, but she can’t figure it out. She shoves the parchment back in its case.

After about two weeks she steps off the ship a little sea sick. She quickly pulls herself together and makes her way to go find Brock. Still thinking about the documents she holds in her possession she stops by a very secluded spot that she frequents to think. She looks around to make sure no one is watching her as she slowly breaks the wax seal on the rolled up parchment. As she slowly unrolls the parchment her eyes widen, as she cannot believe what she’s looking at. She looks around one more time shaking her head. Thinking to herself she cannot let these documents reach Brock’s hands or end up back in Captain Simol The Red’s hands. She breathes in deeply releasing the breath slowly. She reaches in her pack pulling out a tinderbox. She looks around for some wood. After finding some she hurriedly digs a small hole, grabbing the tinderbox and the wood, she quickly starts a fire. Looking around once more, she burns the documents then covers the hole. Speaking softly to herself “I’m surely going to die for this incident.” She cautiously looks around.

Trying to figure out what to do she quickly pulls out a map, placing it on the ground. She reaches into a pouch on her hip, pulling out a coin. She closes her eyes, dropping the coin on the map. She slowly opens her eyes, seeing where it landed she nods to herself. She quickly packs everything away and heads to her destination.