[maikafanawen]

Alright Pio, here's the post. Once you put this up we can begin playing.

Devon kicked absently at the straw-littered ground with his boots, making scuffmarks in the packed dirt. Early April brought a cool breeze up from the harbor and the faint scent of salt tingled his nose. The familiar odor of marsh and rotten things hauled in from the south also wove into the stable and the ambassador's son was constantly blowing air out his nose to rid of the stench.

He looked up as Adeline entered the stables. A loose dark brown curl fluttered across her fair cheekbones and the pale blue dress she wore swayed as she stepped down from the doorway into the hall.

"What's going on?" she asked inquisitively eyeing the agitated expressions on the youths' faces. Devon's eyes especially were dark with repressed anger and he nodded curtly, deciding he was not the one to speak just yet.

"Devon's a bit upset by something he overheard last night," Callath explained calmly. "He was just going to tell us." Calnan moved aside so that Adeline could walk past him and sit on a stool beside an empty stall.

Resisting the urge to kick the wooden gate to splinters, Devon took a deep breath and relayed everything that had happened last night. He explained in as much detail as possible doing his best to choose just the right words to depict the exact scenario. When he was finished, Callath let out a low whistle and as a second thought, stepped away from the traitorous captain's black stallion with a look of profound distaste.

"Did they see you?" Callath asked, a thousand unreadable emotions running across his face. Devon hesitated and then shook his head.

"No, no I don't think so. He seemed to think I was a pickpocket. Anyways, they didn't come after me." Calnan's brow was furrowed and he looked very nervous. There was a pause as Devon's story sunk in.

"What do we do?" Adeline breathed.

"Well, as long as the most powerful man in Umbar is wrapped up with the idea that pirates never lie, there's not much we can do," Devon pointed out impulsively.

"Unless we do it ourselves," Callath said. He smiled mysteriously and it was obvious the beginnings of some wild idea was beginning to take place in his cunning little mind. Calnan immediately shook his head.

"No," he said firmly. "We need to be careful, and there are other government officials who can help us besides Devon's father. We'll talk to them."

"What makes you think they'll listen?" Adeline countered. "Doran is a very powerful figure. Almost everyone trusts him. And those who don't wouldn't raise a finger against him anyways. I doubt we'll get very much help from them Calnan." She smoothed a fold in her skirt and began to fiddle with her locket.

"What about people who aren't government officials?" Callath offered, disappointment written slightly on his face at Calnan's immediate dismissal of his incentive adventure. "You know like merchants or aristocrats."

"I don't think so," Devon said. "They're pretty content with the blossomed trade and business opportunities opened in Umbar. And since Doran's helped so much to make their dreams a reality, they've absolutely no reason to hate him." Devon uttered an awful malediction and slammed the oak beam he leaned against with the side of his fist. "He thought of everything I bet! Oh sorry Adeline," he apologized quickly seeing the girl's eyebrow shoot up at his curse.

The attaché shook his head and began to pace in thought. "There's got to be something he missed. I just can't put my finger on it."

"Well, can we think about this over breakfast? My stomach is just as nervous as the rest of us, but it'll be furious with me if I starve it." As if on cue, a low gurgling sound came from the stable-hand's belly. Callath smiled innocently and the four left the stables for a light breakfast at their favorite inn and pub: Snifter and Song.

After greeting the bartender, Mister Rheels, the four took a corner table by the window and enjoyed a steamy meal of sausages, biscuits, eggs, and cheese. So absorbed in the delectable meal the Snifter and Song chef provided for them, the problem of Captain Doran seemed to be less insistent of their concern and the traitorous sun, casting the shadow of the windowpane on their table, captivated them and turned their thoughts away from the treacherous pirate.

"Do you have the whole day, Devon?" Callath asked, washing down his breakfast with milk (Adeline had forbidden them to consume ale so early in the morning: much to the stable-hand's contempt). "I haven't got too much to do at the stables today."

Devon shook his head regretfully. "Unfortunately no. I have three classes and a fencing lesson."

Callath rolled his eyes and pulled apart his second roll. "That will keep you penned up until late this evening!" he complained, mopping up the last bits of gravy from his plate with the bread. Devon snorted.

"In that case I'll just tell my tutor that Mr. Harres insists I join him for a day of pointless wandering around the streets of Umbar. I'm sure he'll understand." Calnan chuckled and Callath smiled sarcastically.

"Calnan?" he asked hopefully. The attaché shook his head. "Sorry." Sighing disappointedly, the stable-hand leaned back, folding his hands on his satisfied stomach. "Looks like it's just me and you, Adeline." The girl looked up from her glass of hot tea and smiled feebly, "You know I've got to help mother Callath." Callath shook his head and sat up, looking at them all accusingly. "I don't believe this! You're going to just leave me?" The three repressed their smiles and found sudden interest in the bottoms of their empty glasses.

"Well, look on the bright side," Devon said with a humorous twinkle in his eye. "You've got that swell new horse to get acquainted with." Calnan burst, laughing into his napkin. With a look of childish disappointment, Callath slumped back in his chair, his arms akimbo.

"There is still an hour or so to go before any of us are really needed anywhere," Adeline offered, trying to cheer her discouraged friend. "We could go down to the beach."

"That sounds good," Devon agreed. "What do you say Callath?" The youth nodded his consent and the four paid for their breakfast before making their way through the city down to the shore.

-Maikafanawen

[ October 23, 2003: Message edited by: maikafanawen ]