Jessica
Faelyth's duties as a watcher for the Sisterhood never seemed to end, but needy and lost souls ripe for the picking were always around, especially now after the do-gooder prince of Alynthi decided to meddle in a particularly malevolent families affairs in the slave trade. Work was slow of course. Not all slaves with fresh freedom were desperate to undergo a life of murder and evil-doing but it was work nonetheless. Faelyth would have rather taken up a contract than be stuck wandering after meaningless slaves, but this was her job and its what she signed up for.

Now, the dark elf chromancer found herself wandering the streets of Lerwick, though night had fallen much quicker than she had anticipated. As the assassin walked around the town that was soon to fall asleep under the oncoming nightfall, Faelyth eventually managed to arrive at the now nearly empty market of Lerwick. All but a handful of stalls and shops were closed and dark, and those that were not were doing nothing more than closing up. Faelyth sauntered over to a peddler who was about to close their stall and offered a sinister smile, the wicked playfulness in her different colored eyes causing the man to sputter and stammer. Faelyth of course beat him to his own words.
.

"Closing already? Say- where do you store all these goods when Lunam casts our lovely planet in darkness?" Leaning over the table on the stall, Faelyth looked up at the stall owner with a grin. The wares he was selling was of course jewelry, though it was noticeably not as fine as what you'd find in a place like a capital or Khisfire. They were easily less expensive, but would sell for a pretty penny if you knew how to tell a lie on the streets. "Well? What if I'm interested in a few of these necklaces." Reaching down, Faelyth snatched a necklace with a beautiful yellow gem and threw it around her neck.

Of course, her hood was down and gray hair flowing down her neck. Lifting her hair up the dark elf looked down at the necklace, but before the stall owner could protest, Faelyth glared up at him. Each of her eyes danced, the magic within each swirling in its own way. The left was filled with a violent, yellow lightning. The right, a raging snowstorm. "Now, now. I'm only trying it on, old man."
William
*Edvard stood silently on a stool a few meters, his armor clinking softly as he adjusted his position on the chair to grant himself a better look at Faelyth. The vendor had allowed him to sit at their stall as they closed up shop. He assumed they enjoyed the sense of safety a heavily armored knight brought. Especially in Lerwick, and especially late at night. Through the small slit in his helmet, Edvard stared into his palms, using a small knife to carve a wooden block he had purchased at the market. He hated carving. He wasn't any good at it. At the very least, it was something to do. The royal family had sent him off to patrol the markets of Lerwick for a day as punishment, and the boredom was certainly adding up. He cursed silently at the thought, his mind calling back to the pretentious face of the princess who demanded he leave the castle for a fortnight or two. Something about bringing dread into the vibrant atmosphere cultivated by the royal family. Psh. He was just glad to get away, all things considered. Gerhard certainly enjoyed the ride. What he hadn't hoped for, however, was crime.*

"You'd best pay for that, madam." 

*Edvard seemed to appear at the stall in an instant, his imposing figure cast in the dim light of a lamp resting on a nearby crate. It was an almost exact match to the carving Edvard had deposited under his breast-plate. A carved lamp. To honor the god he hated so. Damned Otis. Damned gods. He stared down towards Faelyth, his voice muffled as he commanded to her through the small port-holes of the steel tomb he wore around his skull. His hand rested on the pommel of his sword, yet in a way that showed he wasn't entirely ready to draw. He didn't want to be doing this as much as anyone else. He'd rather get back to the shoddy inn he was posted up in. The silver-haired woman must pay, however. It was his duty, and he wouldn't be a knight if he didn't at least try to set things right.*
Jessica
The dark elf was having more than enough fun with the stall owner, until heavy footfalls and a metallic voice she'd recognize anywhere caused her grin to disappear. The storm in each of her eyes subsided as she rolled them over to the location of the voice. Of course there was a guard. *Oh?* A knight instead? How pleasant. Without much delay, Faelyth changed her nature from toying to genuine, even though it was all still a ruse. "Oh, my apologies, sir. I was simply trying it on. What if I had bought it and not liked it? Perhaps this fine-" Faelyth's eyes rolled back over to the stall owner, her wandering eyes taking in his form before they returned to the knight, "-gentleman's policies don't allow returns? What then, I ask?"

After a long staring contest with the knight, the dark elf let out a gentle sigh before removing the necklace from her neck and lazily handing it back to the stall owner. Her eyes were lit like a storm once more as she did so, if only to intimidate the man once more before she'd inevitably have to answer to the knight that loomed oh so close by. Turning her entire form to face him, night had eventually settled in quite nicely, and the chromancer's eyes were practically glowing even with the streetlights nearby. "Are you always so friendly to women you meet on the street?"

Carefully, Faelyth drew closer to the knight, her eyes dragging up his armor, though it was hard to tell if she were sizing him up. "All you Alynthi knights are *Notoriously* Handsome. Are you the same?" The dark elf let out a gentle giggle, her dark clothes make her relatively hard to see if she stepped into darker areas of the street not covered by lamplight, but her glowing yellow and blue eyes were always visible.
Robert
*Edvard stared down towards Faelyth, unmoving. No matter the compliment or comment provided by the dark elf, Edvard stood like a pillar of steel and sword, no hint of weakness protruding from the small cracks in-between his armor. He sighed slightly, removing his hand from the pommel of his sword lazily. He almost felt like bursting out into laughter at the woman's attempts at flirting. Who did she think he was? It's not like knights were known to have relations with any common woman providing a passing compliment on the stree- damn. Rikard. He sighed softly, shaking his head at the thought. He didn't think the influence of knights like Winrae and Rikard would extend this far out from the capital, but here he was. Raising a gloved hand to the forehead of his helm, the steel clashing softly as he swelled with disappointment. He was going to have to teach that boy how to be a knight. Damn it all. Why did a knight have to learn how to become a knight? The hell happened to being a squire? What was so wrong with that? The whole system was a sham these days. Damned royalty.*

"If this is what you take as friendliness, I'd hate to see what you deem to be hatred." 

*Edvard quipped softly, turning back to the vendor's stall he had originated from. Damn. Already gone. Packed up the instant Edvard had left the stool. It appeared he was now stranded, the only company being a thief who fancied herself a flirt and a bald cheapskate vendor selling knock-off necklaces. Psh. Jewelry. He never understood it. The decorations and all. Many knights in the guard had special helms and painted armor. Who did they think they were? Celebrities? Nobles? No. They were knights. Faceless swords. It was despicable. But not nearly as despicable as this girl's attempt at flirting with him. The part of Edvard's brain that processed love died long, long ago.* 

"No madam. Hideous, in fact. I look a regular troll. Sorry to disappoint. Best get on home now, don't you think?"
Jessica
"No one said we had to be friends first, of course." Faelyth let out a giggle, but underneath it she knew this would be a hard one to crack. She had slept with a handful of knights in her time, both men and women alike. All of them falling for her tricks. On occasion, she'd play the drunken damsel and steal them blind before morning came. Other times, she'd simply use her looks and body, which was easy enough being a woman and all. Now it seemed like very little was work, but Faelyth was no quitter. The knights answer to his looks however caused Faelyth to shrug.

"Oh, but there in lies the benefit of the dark right?" Raising a playful eyebrow, now the dark elf was in fact sizing the knight up. She had taken on bigger men and women alike, but a knight with an unknown standing in the kingdom would be difficult. For all she knew this could be the man who directly protected the prince, which would make him quite the foe indeed. *In bed and out.* Regardless, Faelyth was now only a few feet from the knight before her, her eyes playfully dancing over his form.

Realizing the bed route would not work, Faelyth rolled her eyes, instead now trying to get under the man's skin as she did so well. "Don't tell me. You've lost *All* Hope in a woman's love. Been turned down too many times, big boy?" Snaking her eyes over his helm, venom seemed to pour from tongue. She was definitely in treacherous waters whether she knew it or not. "Friendliness is a two way street, mister." Wagging her finger at him, Faelyth now had a dull and bored expression on her face. This was slowly getting boring, and all she wished to do was have some fun.

*One way or another.*
Robert
*Edvard scoffed slightly, a large grin breaking out under his helmet as the woman persisted. A pickpocket, that was certain. Edvard was a ragged man hidden under 50lbs of plate-mail. No woman in her right mind would be attracted to him, let alone this interested in sleeping with him. She wanted to steal what little coin was left. Take his sword, his helm, anything she could get her hands on. It was painfully obvious. Edvard stopped for a moment, however, caught in a trap of his own mental design. He wondered, just for a moment, if this was him refusing to move on. His love lay in Findara, untouchable and unknown. Perhaps this was just his way of reasoning his way out of finding love again. There was a vibrant opportunity right in front of him, yet he still clung to his love in a foreign land. He shook the thought from his head. He wasn't a fool. The woman was a thief, and his love hated him. He had a duty to uphold, and he would stop at nothing to fulfill it.* 

"Yes ma'am. I've been rejected far too many times and now view love as unachievable. You've cracked the case with your excellent social deduction skills. You must be magic or something of that ilk. Now, you best leave me to my infinite moping and go home." *Edvard stared silently, his composure completely in-tact. He felt too tired to be upset. The helmet certainly helped with that. Perhaps seeing only a glimpse of the woman's face through the small slats in his helmet was aiding him in this process. Perhaps not. He continued to stand stoically, holding back the urge to burst into laughter at any moment. That, or tears. To be completely honest, the woman struck up many emotions within the man. Had she caught him a year or two earlier, his reaction was likely to have been far different. Whether he would've struck her across the face or found himself in her bed was unknown to him, and irrelevant as well. The years had numbed him, and here he stood, a stoic man.*
Jessica
"What if I have no home?" The dark elf shrugged, now dancing around idly in front of the knight. Pacing back and forth, she now found herself wishing to pick this man's brain, moreso than his pocket at any case. In truth, Faelyth did not need money nor truly want it. She had what she needed with the Sisterhood. They offered her food, shelter, money, family. But it was all boring to the restless she-elf. Faelyth wished for excitement, something to keep her entertained. Whether it was combat, sex, murdering the innocent or toying with them mattered not to Faelyth. Now all this assassin was was determined, determined to learn more of this man.

Drawing even closer, Faelyth raised a gloved hand and ran it along the knights chest plate. Looking up, her eyes were soft but hard to read. "Would you offer me one for the night if I was needy enough?" Tilting her head, it was impossible to read a man with a helmet over his head. Learning of people's desires and playing off them was a hobby of Faelyth's, but this man seemed to want nothing more than being a boring old statue. "You are quite the enigma, sir." Removing her hand, Faelyth turned her back to the knight and shrugged. "You refuse a woman to accompany you to bed for what reason? You afraid of little old me?"

Letting her head fall backward, Faelyth offered and upside down, playful smile, but deep down she knew he'd likely not crack. The assassin's patience was wearing down more quickly now, and soon she'd likely get bored enough to do nothing more than slink off into the darkness and leave the man to his boring life. One last try couldn't hurt though, right?

"If you're scared I'll steal your heart, I can assure you you'll never see me again after."
Robert
"You having no home certainly explains why you'd want to steal such a cheap necklace." 

*Edvard sighed softly, shaking his head in dismay. Raising his hands to his chin, he quietly unbuckled the straps to his helmet, slowly lifting the heavy piece of steelwork off of his head to reveal his tired, ragged face. He was by no means unattractive, but he certainly made no effort to maintain an attractive look. His eyes were sunken in and darkened, showing signs of intense sleep-deprivation and insomnia. His beard was left scraggly and unkempt, clearly presenting the knight's need of a proper shave. One could find him attractive, he supposed. But he had hoped removing the helmet would send the woman away more than bring her closer. She seemed in dire need of finding answers to his mysterious position, and he found it better to give lackluster answers than keep her asking. He jostled the helmet for a moment, before finally securing it to his belt, pursing his lips as he tested to see if it would fall to the ground. He knew the helmet could take far more, but would rather avoid any unnecessary damage. Only then had it occurred to him that he had no placed himself open to attack, but it didn't matter much to him. Death couldn't come any sooner.*

"If you need a place to stay, I can purchase you a room at the inn. You won't be sharing my bed. Frankly, I'm unsure why you would even want to. If you really want the 20 stags in my coin-purse, you could always just ask. No need to rip them from my belt in the morning." 

*He sighed slightly, motioning towards the inn. It was rather close. He had gotten free board as courtesy of the royal family. He had the money. He hadn't taken a liking to the woman, and blamed his decision making on a mix of him wanting to do the right thing and him wanting to get the thief off of the streets. Besides, he was sure there was plenty to steal from the cheap room. Plenty wooden cups and plates that'll fetch a copper or two at the market. Psh.*
Jessica
Frowning at the snide comment, Faelyth turned to look at the night, her expression now one of irritation. All bets were off now. Before she could open her mouth to retort, the knight beat her to it. Faelyth's eyes widened as she watched the man reveal his face, but his talk of an ugly monster were false. In fact, she found a rugged man just as handsome as any other. Appearance truly didn't matter to the dark elf, but his expression caused her to step forward once more. Watching his eyes and movements carefully, Faelyth reached an arm up to place a hand against his chin and cheek, cupping it a bit as she did so. Though her gentle sign of compassion soon disappeared when the knight continued to be rude no matter what she did.

Groaning and pulling her hand away, Faelyth rolled her eyes and shook her head. Turning her body to the side, the dark elf crossed her arms over her chest. Half way through this back and forth, Faelyth truly had let go of the potential of robbing him, and was genuinely more so interested in a night accompanied by, well, *A knight.* Now, the skilled and deadly assassin was left pouting like a child after being told by their mother one too many times. "Did you ever think perhaps a woman simply wished to not spend her night alone?" Glaring at the knight, Faelyth shook her head, finally giving up.

"I think I've finally solved you. You are either not interested in women at all and prefer a man in bed, or you've been rejected by a woman and now do the same. Tell me, have I struck a chord in you yet, Ser Statue?" Irritated by the knight's demeanor, the dark elf gave him one last glare before deciding she had had enough. "If you want me gone so bad, so be it. Perhaps I'll go rob a store." Joking about her plans for the evening with a scoff, Faelyth began to wander off into the darkness, but by all means could she be stopped if he wished to do so.
Robert
*Edvard almost reeled at first, but leaned into the hand that touched his cheek, caught in utter surprise. It'd been a decade, hadn't it? His sunken shadows that may have passed as eyes long, long ago stared into Faelyth's, his expression completely flipped on its head. His stomach seemed to churn and his heart almost burst out of his plate armor, beating heavily against the thick bones of his ribcage. Truly, she looked nothing like her, but Edvard couldn't help but associate the young woman in front of him with the fair maiden of Findara. The common girl who dared begin her love with the Hedge Knight those years ago. Their hands, their eyes, their hair. They seemed to blend together in his mind, creating some wretched amalgamation of love Edvard feared so great. He wanted to smack the hand away and run, but was so struck he dared not move. As the hand fell from his face, he stepped back in shock, watching his composed demeanor fall to pieces in an instant. He seemed to choke on his saliva, knowing Otis was above him, cackling. Damned gods. Damned soul. Damned mind. Damn it all.*

"I- no. Wa-wh. Ple-let no I-" 

*Edvard reached out, grabbing Faelyth by the wrist as she began to leave. He seemed to latch onto it like a child fearing the loss of their mother in a busy market-place. He softly gripped her wrist, not daring to clamp down to keep her from moving. Gently, he tugged forward, attempting to bring her somewhat closer. His mind justified his actions as his prevention of a future crime, as he had admitted to wanting to commit a crime, but he knew it wasn't true. Quickly, he shot his hand away from her wrist, his words seeming to blubber like sea-foam as he spoke. His face remained stoic, but with a desperate and despaired impression boiling like a storm on his visage. He once again didn't dare move, only staring into her eyes with the shadows he claimed were once striking brown daggers that saw the world in a much brighter light.*
Jessica
Truth be told, the knight had genuinely gotten under Faelyth's skin with his words. It was hard to do, all things considered. This dark elf was a hard stone to crack indeed, but he had done it. Faelyth hated it when anyone had managed to throw her off of her normal groove and way of doing things. Normally, the chromancer was light on her feet, quick with her words and even quicker to shut others up. On occasion, she'd meet her match and call it a draw, and on even rarer instances Faelyth would find someone who bested her typical whit and left her speechless. While she didn't catch the way he had looked at her as her hand cupped his face, the slight yank of her wrist did cause Faelyth to reach her free hand to a blade at her side, but she hesitated to unsheathe it.

Turning to look at him with fire in her multi-colored eyes, Faelyth's expression softened slightly but her guard was at its peek now. *No one* Touched her. Not without her permission of course. Nevertheless, her dagger stayed at her side but her free hand gripped tightly, so much so her hand was shaking. The Sisterhood had taught her to run if her life was truly in danger, and while panic had nestled its way into her throat and chest as her heart pounded, Faelyth's eyes remained calm and unreadable. "Let-" Before the dark elf could finish, the knight let her wrist go. Now, eerie silence settled between them.
.

After a few moments of intense staring, Faelyth slowly removed her hand from the hilt of her dagger and faced the knight. Curiosity had set in once more, as his stammering and shaking demeanor intrigued the dark elf deeply. She *Had* Struck a nerve. This was proving to be extremely interesting to Faelyth, and after swallowing hard and letting the tension die down ever so slightly, the assassin spoke in a soft but serious tone.

"You're an interesting man. Though it seems like you need a drink and some company rather than a body to share a bed with." Her brow furrowed slightly, almost with a look of pity and understanding before it disappeared quickly. Faelyth's yellow and blue hues searched the knight's eyes for any sign of violent intent before she nodded her head, gesturing for him to follow her. "How about you buy me a room and I buy you a drink?"
Robert
*Edvard's hand flung down to the hilt of his sword, wrapping around the pommel with intense frustration. Who was he? He had worked to uphold his stoic and unbreaking attitude. He had cultivated a reputation as a man who hated everything, someone who pushed all others away from him. Truth be told, he wanted that life. He wanted to be regarded as a useless relic of a dying age. As someone you'd rather avoid than speak to. He felt he deserved it. He liked the silence, too. Yet, this one random thief had reduced him to a blubbering child at the slightest touch. Frankly, he was ashamed of himself. He had promised to himself that he'd never form attachments. Yet, in the decade he had been in this wretched kingdom, he'd only recently broken this rule. He upheld it for all those years, yet now he looked back, and chose to dishonor his past. He respected his prince, rejected his superiors, and worried for Rikard. And now, he followed this woman, solely because she showed him the slightest compassion he had been missing so dearly. She still likely wanted his coin, but at this point, he didn't even know if he cared.*

"If it keeps you from robbing a store, I'm willing to sit down. Just don't expect interesting conversation. I'm a very bland person." 

*Edvard quickly ripped his helmet from his belt, slamming it back onto his skull in an attempt to hide his face from the woman. He was embarrassed. He quickly tried to resume himself to his more intimidating persona, but he knew it was for naught. Faelyth had sunk her claws into his softer-side, and he knew it. He had the feeling that this would be no ordinary bar conversation. This would be a test of mental constitution and fortitude. Something Edvard seemingly lacked this night. He sighed, softly, his hand falling from his sword as he made his way towards the Inn, making sure to keep behind Faelyth. He still didn't trust her, all things considered. His mind floated towards Rikard, imagining him ripping into him for this.*
Katrina
*The two then traveled to the