Elissa
Cecily-Edith/Mouse
Tonate Proper

With summer on the rise, so was the beating heat of the Southern Isles and Mouse was, frankly, not having it.

So the rat catcher had to set up shop in the shade of some trees, (begrudgingly) becoming a stop for those desperate to get out of the heat of the crowded market. Her caged rats were not too happy about it either.

She stood leaned against her cart, her skirt hiked up to her belt so her petticoats were showing, blouse unbuttoned and cuffs rolled up to elbows. Her bald head did little protection from the sun so every showing inch of skin was either tanned or burnt, though that wasn't what seemed to bother her so much.

The "Merchant" Passed her time with dull conversations, idle gossip and a few sweet words traded with a passing seamstress apprentice or a stable boy-praying to the gods for something exciting to happen on such a dull day.
Clarence
Daud Grimaud
Tonate Proper

Daud stood idle in the market, leaning against a wooden stall and conversing with a clearly tired merchant. He took an apple from the merchants stand and began flipping it up in the air, watching as gravity did its work and brought it straight back into his hand. 

Glancing around, everything was illuminated. Everything in this godforsaken market was boiling and burning under the intense heat of the sun, and whilst that usually wouldn't bother him, he was clad in his black clothes like always. The heat seemed to rip through his garments, but not burst back out, and he began to feel like he'd been plunged into a furnace. 

Flicking his hood up to shade his face, he threw the apple up once more, allowing it to fall back into its crate. Smiling, he turned away and passed a woman, patting her on the back, a gesture for her to pass whilst he stopped and waiting. As he pat, his other hand grabbed her purse and yanked it from the back of her belt, completely unnoticed. 

Going into the shade of the trees, Daud took off his cloak, as well as his heftier pieces of leather armour, leaving a black shirt, trouser and boots. He cracked his neck and sat in the grass, Mouse being a few metres from him.

He turned and smiled at her, "Awful weather out there, is it not?"
Elissa
Mouse
Tonate Proper

Somehow the vendor got sucked into a rather dry conversation with a nobleman who was admiring a fancy rat, explaining that he'd like to buy a pet for his young child.

As the conversation began coming to a close, Mouse had taken out the black spotted rat and showed it to the man, only for him to suddenly become very nervous around it's teeth. So, she wished him well and groaned when he was far enough away.

Turning the rat to face her she frowned,"Lit'l bastard ye'." She scolded it, as if chiding a young child.

It was then that she was spoken to and her moss coloured eyes flickered to the man sitting on the grass. Suddenly she felt a little silly talking to a rat.

"Wonderful wea'er, actually," She spoke, putting the rodent into the cage with the others," 'at's eh fuckin' probl'm."

She perched on the side of her cart and looked the man over. He wasn't bad looking, a little on the rough side (but wasn't everyone in Tonate?). If she hadn't noticed the armour, she might even have tried sweet talking him.

"Yer nah dressed fer it a'all, are ye?" She pointed out with a slight chuckle,"Jus' arrived?"
Clarence
Daud Grimaud
Tonate Proper

Daud listened intently to what the woman was saying, almost confused by her thick accent. He had no wrongful disposition however, he simply listened as a passive thing, taking in words and spewing them out . She was pretty, decent features and he admired her shaven head. Daud has always despised long flowing hair, especially in his line of work. Practical as it looked better. Her figure was slim and he was rather intrigued by to rats in the cages. He had his suspicions but he didn't pry. Slim frame, bald head, rats in cages. Shitblood for sure, but there was something else. A history that he formulated, a history that intrigued him.

He smiled again. "Very new. I'm not dressed for the day, I'm not dressed for this weather..." He was cooling down, but was still extremely warm, so he untied the string on his shirt, exposing his shaven chest. He leant back on the grass and looked up at her. "So what's your job, girl? Pays well?" He was clearly just making small talk.

As he spoke he took out the purse from earlier and started flipping it through the air, just like the apple, making sure his gaze kept half on the girl, reading her expression and body language.
Elissa
Mouse
Tonate Proper

She liked the man's voice, it seemed a good deal too friendly for the armour he had donned. She felt a pull on the back of her bodice and tugged it free from the rats in the cage behind her which had undoubtedly been about to feast.

" 'am a rat catcha', pays 'bout as much as ye'd think." She sounded light hearted now, as if she had accepted her fate. *As if*.

"I catch 'em, sell 'em to the guards or whateva' rich bastard wants 'em for 'is sweet'eart." She explained, moving a little to the side so he could see into the cages behind her, four small and stacked two by two.

She nodded to his armour,"You look'a good deal too fancy for th'slums. Might wanna watch yerself too."

Cecily hadn't had much trouble with the bad parts of the city since she was quite young, but she knew anyone who stuck out would certainly be a fresh plaything for all those who lurked in alleyways and gutters.
Clarence
Daud Grimaud 
Tonate Proper

Seeing the rat cages properly, he was decently impressed with the girls work. Being a rat catcher was no easy work, he had known other Shitbloods who had the same job. He had queried if that line of work was ever for him, then pickpocketing had come up and his heart was taken to it in an instant. She spoke as if she were happy with being a rat catcher, and Daud was almost disappointed by her cheerful disposition, she spoke like she accepted her job and was resigned to it for life.

She noted his armour, dulled, black leather. A piece for his torso, right shoulder and his forearms. He could go without it. Hell, he wanted to go without it. Sell it for some coin and set up a little market, live a quiet life maybe. He laughed at the thought, as well as the comment about him being too fancy, "Fancy? For these streets? A Kingsblood could walk through your market, clad in gold and he'd be seen as an equal." Although the comment sounded silly, he meant it. He thought the caste system was unfair. "But I shall watch my back if that is what you advise." 

He stared at the girl for some time, deep into her eyes, trying to suss anything out that she wasn't saying. He caught himself staring and apologised, "Sorry, it's rare I find people akin to your looks. It's also rare that people do not introduce for longer time than this..." He clearly wanted her to give her name first, to see what type of person he was talking to.
Elissa
Mouse
Tonate Proper

The corners of her lips upturned into a grin at his comment," 'ere's honour in armour 'roun' 'ere. Thieves fight dirt'y and bare breasted if they 'ave'ta." She warned him. Though she knew a good thief wouldn't have to fight. 

Cecily cared little for the caste system. She knew she'd never rise above a shitblood, though that didn't stop her from hoping she would make a name for herself.

The rat catcher's thoughts had taken hold of her, distracting her so that when the man apologised she had to shake her own head to adjust her attention-only to laugh a little at his words.

The shitblood was alright looking, she knew she could catch the occasional boy or girl's eye and she didn't mind a flirt, she she stood from her cart and walked over to sit on the grass closer to him.

"Usu'lly, 's the gentleman's job to intr'duce 'imself first," She pointed out with a teasing edge to her tone, fingers tugging at the grass."But it d'pends who ye' ask. Mouse is wha' am known by."
Clarence
Daud Grimaud
Tonate Proper 

Daud watched the girl as she spoke, and he watched with intent and pleasure. She was good at out-wording him, she had the gift of the gab for sure. Every time she smiled and spoke, he knew she was lightening up to him. The more she spoke, the more confident he was to speak back.

He took careful note of the warning of thieves, and smirked to himself. *A thief around here then, is often a shit one...*, he thought to himself. If a thief has no protection from a blade, and gets into a fight, then that's two shortcomings. Daud only wore armour to scare away potential attackers, but he knew that if he fought dirty he could best most. He never was one to brag about his fighting or thievery, but he would take pride in his work.

As she walked over from the cart, Daud looked up at the sky and smirked again, he had confidence that she had at least some amount of trust, or interest, within him. Either one was good. Sowing this seed in her mind was better done sooner than later. 

"Mouse, eh? Well if we aren't exchanging full, then I am known to many as Raven." He laughed to himself, "Who would've thought, a Raven and Mouse coming together..."

*And I am no gentleman...*, he wished to say, but he decided to keep it to himself. Friends in low places would serve him as well as in high, he didn't want to scare her away with grim talk.
Elissa
Mouse
Tonate Proper

It really wasn't hard to get Mouse interested in you. Toss something shiny at her and she'll play, as the saying goes. And there was rarely something shiny in the slums of Tonate.

She laid on her back next to him, a hand dragging through the stubbles remnants of her hair. She'd grown quickly to like her shaved head but it was still strange not to have anything to tug on idly.

"Raven? 'Ow *Cute*." She teased, scrunching her nose up at him as she spoke. She almost laughed as well as he kept talking, her mind going ridiculous places with the phrase.

"Buy me a few drinks la'er and maybe I'll letcha know m'real one, Mr Raven." Mouse suggested, eyes flicking to his and then back to her hands as they ripped apart blades of grass she had picked up."Where are ye' from? Ye'don't sound like yer from 'ere."
Clarence
Daud Grimaud
Tonate Proper

Daud laughed at her cute comment, looking across at her and smiling broadly. She was funny, slightly strange, the type of Shitblood to get you into trouble because they wanted a slice of cheese. She seemed intelligent, much more than the average person he talked to, and he enjoyed her company. 

The comment about buying drinks made him laugh again, as got up on his elbows and looked down at her, smiling again. *Booze is all I need to get her name? Then it is sorted...* He thought to himself, taking a single coin and passing it through his fingers on one hand, before flicking it up into the air with his thumb and repeating, not ever looking at the coin, but knowing exactly where it was and where it would go.

"I am from many places. But I started out in Terresol." *He raised his hand up above him as he lay back down, pretending it was a bird in flight, following as he spoke, "Then I flew, all the way to Ibethiel, before returning to nest in Terresol again. Then, this little Raven flew all over the place, before landing...", his hand fluttered down and landed on the grass, "Right here. Right next to a mouse." He spoke fantastically, and anyone could tell that he was a good storyteller, with a tongue like quicksilver.
Elissa
Mouse
Tonate Proper

She watched The Raven's hands as they tossed a coin between them and then again as he told the "Story". Suddenly, she felt the way she had when she was little and her pa was telling her a story before bed.

Turning her head towards his on the ground, she gave a grin and then looked towards the clouds,"You a bard?" She joked,"Sing me a song, songbird."

Perhaps she was being naive. Talking to a stranger with such interest and joking with him only ten minutes after meeting. This man wore armour and looked no less rough than the ones she looked up to as a kid. Would she fall down that rabbit hole of crime again for a few nice words?

Maybe she was beginning to want to. 

"Y'suit bein' called Songbird, I think."
Clarence
Daud Grimaud
Tonate Proper

Daud didn't laugh at her comment but he did smile, copying the girl and taking up some grass in his other hand and playing with it. There was a certain innocence that the girl had, "I am no bard. But I am knowledgeable in how to make people smile, so instead of a song, may I tell you a tale?" 

He felt bad for wanting to tell her the same story his mother told him, but maybe with that, she'd know why he was called Raven. Why he wasn't back in Terresol. Why he was kind to Shitbloods yet higher in the caste system. Why he was even here. Maybe the story would make her think and deduce his name. Maybe. He didn't even know if his name was as infamous as it was in different places, he doubted it severely, but things never turned out how he truly wanted them to.

"And songbird? Songbird... Sounds a bit too... Whimsical..?" He laughed again, "Songbirds aren't in my story either, so I'd have to change it around a bit if I wanted to tell it..." 

He was sure of himself now. Sure that telling her this would shed at least something upon his past. The past he loved, and the past he was proud of.
Elissa
Mouse
Tonate Proper

Mouse rolled onto the side to look at him properly."Aye, tell me a story, *Songbird*." She teased, fingers plucking daisies from the dirt. Her dress would need a wash after today, she was sure.

Taking the daises, she looped them together over and over, creating a rhythm of a sort to do with her hands and keep them occupied as she waited for him to begin.

"Y'suit Songbird ov'r Raven. Raven's too dark, I think. And not at all resp'ctable enough." She babbled, focusing on looping the stem of a daisy through another.

Daisy chains reminded her of the ropes she would help tie together when she was little, the older kids would use them to sneak down the dumbwaiters of houses they were in service to. Once she didn't tie the rope tight enough.
Clarence
Daud Grimaud
Tonate Proper

"Right, well you will be pleased to know Ravens aren't dark, Miss Mouse... It is merely your perception of them...", he started. His mother had told him part of a folktale of the Raven, mainly built around his father, Daud Crawford, but he decided he'd make a new story. One especially for mouse, about him. No point telling a tale about the father you murdered in war.

"Long ago, before you were born, lived a handsome King. Every animal swooned over this King, even some men too. His name... Was... Songbird." He smiled as he spoke, clearly enjoying the sound of his own voice when he told tales, and enjoying the tailoring to suit Mouses wants. "Songbird was a just king you see, very fair. He had no gold, no coin, and his castle was a tree. Nothing a man could ever want, nothing any of the animals could ever really crave. But he did have something that belonged only to him. Bright, beautiful feathers that shimmered in the sun, and the best voice in all the animals kingdom." He smiled and closed his eyes, rolling into his side and facing her, before opening them again. "Every single animal was jealous of Songbird and his talents, so to make them happy, he gave his son away to the poor so they could see him up close, or rather a part of him..." He stopped and waiting for a bit, hearing the market place bustling in the sunlight, sitting up and looking at the people, like giant ants rushing around in the distance.

"But Songbird tricked them all, you see. Songbird has taken his name from his son, and gave him a new one, one that had never been used before... Raven... Raven was as handsome and sung as well as his father, but because he was amongst the people, because he was not a king, no one cared for his talents. So he lived like the other animals, getting by in the bare minimum, using his wit and cunning to steal and survive, until one day, he tried to steal from Rat..."

"So he flew into Rats house, and he rummaged around, trying to find some cheese or bread or something to help his new family survive, when out of nowhere, Rat pounced, slashing Raven from jaw to eye. In an instant, Ravens voice became hoarse with pain, and his feathers burned themselves black from hatred, and he struck Rat with his talons, killing him." Daud's expression went somber, almost ashamed to be saying it out loud. "So Raven flew away from his new family. He flew away to the furthest reaches of his land, and ended up in another one. People there didn't know who Songbird was, they didn't know where Raven had come from, or what he looked like before so he stayed. But instead of mourning his lost beauty, and crying over his now indistinguishable voice, he embraced the dark. Because in all honesty, that's where a Raven feels at home..." Daud stopped speaking, sat upright and staring at the people in the distance still, the smile removed from his face. "That's why I'm known by Raven. The Songbirds didn't want me..." He smirked at his own comment, looking down at Mouse, hoping he hadn't scared her away by telling her it all.
Elissa
Mouse
Tonate Proper

Mouse was not stupid, she was actually quite smart considering she could read nor write and had a very basic perception of numbers - but, she was slow. 

So she listened to the story, loosing herself in the imagery of birds and vicious rats as nimble fingers looped daisies around each other. An action so repetitive she seemed to be able to do it while looking at the Raven. 

She didn't realise that it was not a story the boy was telling her but rather an allegory. But she didn't know what it was about. 

Cecily was quiet for a long moment, hands stilling a little as she slowly came to understand. It was another short moment before she knew what to say after that.

"Oh," She exhaled,"Their loss."

It was a lot to take in in such little time, especially about a stranger. But at least it kept her day interesting.
Clarence
Daud Grimaud
Tonate Proper

"I suppose." Daud smiled and exhaled slightly in a semi laugh. He stared back at Mouse. "You really do know what to say after everything don't you?"

*Smart,* He thought, *Too smart for a rat catcher.* He stood up and dusted himself off slightly. "So, Mouse... What's your story? If you don't mind me asking?" 

He looked off in the distance at the market again, his eyes like and eagles, darting from person to person, purse to purse, deciding which ones would be easy pickings and which ones would. He shouldn't have work on his mind, but he did. Daud always thought about the next purse he would pick, or the next person he would be tasked to kill. All for coin supposedly, but like he said, it was because he liked it. He loved the rush of stealing, the fear of getting caught, the rush of killing. All of it.
Elissa
Mouse
Tonate Proper

She watched the man stand up as she stayed on the ground, it wasn't as though she had anywhere to go. 

The hint of a frown showed in her features as he asked about her story. Not that she had much of one."No offence, lit'le Raven," She began.

"We're still strangers and yer story could be completely made up," She explained, face and voice apologetic,"Maybe some other time-"

She was caught off as she noticed some children sneaking around her cart, sticking their fingers through the bars and trying to pick a lock.

Standing, she waved her arms at them,"Away wit'yah!" She scolded,"I know who y'wee bastards work fer, fuck aff!" 

The children scattered and she went to check her locks quickly, grumbling about what little shits kids could be.
Clarence
Daud Grimaud 
Tonate Proper


Daud looked slightly hurt by the strangers comment, but he wasn't too affected by it. Mainly because she was completely right. As she spoke he saw the kids approached and scanned every single one of there faces as they worked on the locks.

Before he could speak, Mouse beat him to it, shouting at them to scram, and Daud backed off slightly, treading away from Mouse as she stood.

"And who do they work for, Mouse. I may be a stranger, but a Raven would be happy to find the little worm who causes you trouble..." 

A slight smile set across his face. He wanted to prove to the woman that he could be trusted, even as a thief and an assassin, that he wasn't a bad person. He was just inclined to bad habits.
Elissa
Mouse
Tonate Proper

Mouse checked on the rodents, throwing some grass and the daisy chain she had made into the cages for the animals to eat, hoping the kids hadn't scared some of the fancy rats. Scared rats tended to lash out and they were much harder to sell.

Politely, she smiled at the Raven, freckled cheeks crinkling her eyes,"I don't really know," She admitted when she was sure the kids were out of ear shot. 

"My connections aren't what th'used t'be and fer all a'know, they could jus' be tryna act cool in front of each other." She explained, a sigh soon escaping her lips. She looked at the sky to see where the sun was and she figured her day of peddling was probably over.

She took the cart by the prongs at the front, lifting them up like a backwards wheelbarrow,"I should get 'ese 'ome."
Clarence
Daud Grimaud 
Tonate Proper

"Well Mouse... If you ever need my help... You'll find me. Somehow." He smirked and waved her off, before he picked up his armour and put it on himself, before putting his hood up again. He took out a dagger and looked at her, "You have one of these?" He tosses it up in the air before catching its blade and thrusting the hilt toward her. "If you don't I suggest you take it. If there is someone after you..."

A subtle test. If she took the dagger maybe he had a chance to make her his apprentice, and if she refused then maybe he had none. He would know by the way she reacted, the way she would respond.
Elissa
Mouse
Tonate Proper

Seeing the hilt in front of her, Mouse studied it for a moment. She had a dagger at home but this one looked a good deal better than the old one, and she could always sell the other one to a less fortune family. 

So she took the hilt and carefully twirled it finger by finger as she had learned when she was younger, though her hands were not so practiced anymore.

"See you around, Mr Raven." She told him, giving him one last smile before heading towards her house.
Clarence
Daud Grimaud 
Tonate Proper


Daud smiled widely as she took the blade and spun it in her fingers. Worthy skills, and a worthy apprentice. He bid her farewell and vanished into the market, not leaving a trace that he was there in the first place.