Mira hesitated, looking them all over for a moment. Uncertain and a bit confused, that seemed to be a constant state for him to be in. The escaped slave was frowning slightly and then slowly he nodded to Hunter and moved to sit where Viridis had indicated.

Hesitantly, Mira would get a small amount of food before sitting down. When Viridis asked him how he had slept, Mira smiled slightly. "I slept well." He had, despite the storm that had raged that night, he had slept rather well. That bed had been far too good for some one like him to sleep upon. He shifted a bit in his seat and focused on his breakfast.

The food was good, just as the food last night had been good. Why were these people wasting such good things on him? Mira was silent as he ate, just wondering and comparing all the things that were much different than he was used to.

((I'm currently out camping and don't know when I'll be able to rp reliably again. I'm almost thinking of writing Viridis into a coma or something...))

ooc: its ok with me if its ok with kry ive been helping a friend with something family stuff and havent had time to get on here

][I don't mind waiting][

ooc: thanks

Happy to keep to herself she watches the man and woman for a minute and then returns to the remains of her breakfast. Soon enough she'll pay for her meal and be on her way.

He cant help turning his attention to Raven when it seems like shes being left out even if it seems like shes fine with it he doesnt want any of his guests to feel slighted. Going back over to whats left of his breakfast he leaves Viridis and Mira to enjoy their breakfast and sits back down across from Raven. He gives her a smiles at her as he finishes off his coffee. "Can I get you anything else?"

ooc: think im good now if you all want to continue

Finishing her breakfast she smiles at Hunter and lays a few more coins on the bar in front of him as she thanks him for the meal gathers her things and makes a mental note to come back after she finishes her task. Standing in front of the inn she looks down both sides of the road that sits in front of the inn. Not seeing anyone a wind blows across the road which causes her long cloak to sway enough to reveal her wings underneath. Glancing back at the inn to make sure no one is watching she shrugs her cloak off her shoulders and spreads her wings to their full length. A quick flap of her wings sends her soaring up into the clouds and out of sight.

He watches Raven leave wishing her safe travels as she does. He pockets the coins she left and the cleans up her dishes and wipes down the bar. With all that done he cleans up his own dishes and goes to tend to the fire.

(Thanks so much for your patience guys. I ended up moving because of a job I got.))

Viridis smiled at Mira, then turned to watch Raven as the other woman paid for her room and food. Where would she go now? Had she really decided to leave so soon after the storm? The bookseller didn't know what to do, whether to try and convince the other woman to stay until they could travel to wherever they were supposed to go together. There was safety in numbers after all.

Shaking her head, she turned back to Mira and Hunter. "Well I suppose I should be looking over my things, making sure all the books survived the storm..." But what to do about Mira? The brunette wanted to help him adapt to his freedom so much, but didn't know how to go about it.

"And maybe we could help Mira what to do next?" She glanced at Hunter, automatically including him in the conversation, before turning back to Mira. "Do you have any plans, any idea of what you want to do next?"

Mira was silent when the other girl left, there was nothing he could or should say to her. It wasn't his place, he was content to finish his breakfast for the moment. All it took for him to finish off the wonderful food was that moment. It had been so good and still he questioned why such grand food had been wasted on him. Even beyond the walls of the estate, surely there were still rules to follow? It was very hard for him to imagine those rules being very different, yet it seemed they were.

When Viridis spoke to him, he frowned slightly. Plans? Did she mean the future? He couldn't plan that far ahead, not yet. Right now he had to plan for the immediate, staying alive and ahead of whoever might have been sent to retrieve him. He could only plan day by day at the moment. He glanced towards a window, the storm had long subsided, he should go now. Run while he still could, put more distance between him and that place. Mira looked at Viridis and his lips parted to speak, just as the door opened again. A very bad feeling settled over him as his gaze shifted from the woman to the figure in the doorway.



The figure in the doorway was damp, his boots and pant legs caked in mud. He had traveled all through the stormy night. His features were hidden by the clothes he wore, all black, a hood attached to his tunic covered his head, a mask covered the lower half of his face. Leaving only bright violet colored eyes and a sliver of dark skin around those eyes showing. As if he were trying to hide his identity behind the layers of clothing.

The sleeves of his shirt were tight, and ended in black gloves that he clearly could not remove without taking off his tight fitting tunic. His pants also black and tight disappeared into the boots he wore, they came up to his thighs and hugged his legs very tightly. The heels of his boots were low, ideal for traveling, hunting. A black sash hung around his waist, a belt of sorts. A black quiver of arrows hung across his back, accompanied by a bow. The arrows were fletched with black feathers, and the shafts made of ash wood, but darkened to an almost black color. The bow was expertly carved from some sturdy dark wood, with whorls and ancient runes etched into it.

He expected no warm welcome, if they could tell what he was just by the sliver of face left unhidden by his hood and mask, he expected to be turned away immediately. Those bright purple eyes danced over the room. There were three, an obvious innkeeper, a lady, and his gaze stopped on the pale youth. The escaped slave. Those eyes narrowed. He had lost that trail hours ago, hadn't expected to find his quarry here.

The dark elf's movements were deliberate and purposeful as he placed one foot in front of the other, that confident stride carried him towards Mira. "You should have gone farther, little one, before stopping to rest." His voice held an exotic accent, but one that most would not recognize, as his kind only came to the surface to lay waste to towns and make slaves out of those that survived.

The door opened and with it came a rain smelling breeze and a dark stranger. Viridis glanced from Mira to the other man with trepidation. What to do? Was this someone who'd come to take the escaped slave away?

The stranger's first words made any doubt the book seller's daughter might have had scatter. Impulsively, Viridis stepped between Mira and the stranger. Her eyes took him in, trying to place him. Something about the way he carried himself, his bow and arrows, was familiar. Maybe she'd seen an illustration in one of her father's books of someone similar, but for the life of her she couldn't make the connection.

"Excuse me, sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if you had any books with you? I'm looking for new merchandise for my family's shop, and someone as well travelled as you seem to be is sure to have unique and interesting volumes no one in this area has ever seen before." As she tried to distract the new comer, Viridis tried to hint at Mira through subptle movements that it might be best for him to leave. Or maybe Hunter would see them, and take the hint instead. She hoped at least one of the pair would get the idea anyway.

Meanwhile, her gaze remeained trained on the purple eyed stranger, firmly interested and filled with unfeigned curiosity. She did with she had a staff with her, in case things went bad ...

A woman stepped between him and his prey, causing him to stop and stare at her. His vibrant purple eyes narrow slightly as he studied her. It was clear, despite her interest in books, that she was trying to protect the slave. The smile that touched his lips was hidden by the mask that covered his face, but it reached his eyes. It made them twinkle with amusement.

"My dear I carry no books, I cannot read but a few characters of the Human language, and books from my own Homeland are forbidden from being brought to the surface. Regardless I would not carry any reminders of that place with me even if books could be brought from that place."

His gaze danced from her to the slave, his smile faltering. The slave boy hadn't moved an inch, he stared fearfully at the man with out meeting his eyes. "You can both relax, I have not yet decided to return the boy to his master." He stepped around the woman and took a seat at a nearby table. Still watching them both.

Viridis frowned as the stranger spoke. There had been a book, just recently found, that spoke of a reclusive and violent people who often raided lands and disappeared without a trace. Could this man be one of them? He was a hunter, that much was obvious, but a merciless killer? Someone of another race, oft spoken of to scare children?

It was tempting to the book seller's daughter go upstairs and rummage through her recent purchases to find the book. Instead, Viridis turned to give Mira a reassuring smile before taking a seat between the youth and the stranger. Mira was safer with her between them, wasan't he? Besides, she had so many questions to ask.

"You aren't ... human, then?"Viridis shook her head a little. She found it hard to believe. Yes she'd heard of others, other peoples, and yet she'd not met a one during her travels. And then there was the fact that he couldn't read very much of any human language. "If you'd like I could give you a book, and help teach you how to rea. The language we're speaking now at least ..." Of course that would mean the stranger would have to stay, to linger, and so would she ... But she did like teaching.

She turned to glance at Mira with a smile."I could do the same for you, if you don't know how to read that is." For all she knew, Mira might have been a scholar.

That amusement danced in his eyes again when she sat down between him and his quarry. She completely blocked his view of the slave, but he made no motion to peer around her. He merely watched her, curious and amused. "Indeed, I am not human. I am an elf of some unimportant type." He spoke the words casually, as if his race was unimportant.

He lifted a hand and waved it dismissively at her offer to teach him to read. "I have no interest in reading your language, I know enough to get by and gather work as a mercenary. The offer is appreciated though." He watched her carefully, as if to gauge her reaction to his words, before he leaned over a bit to peer at Mira.


Mira was trembling slightly, but the tall, dark man had said he wouldn't take him back yet. He wasn't sure he could trust him but Viridis seemed to have the situation in hand. When she mentioned reading, Mira just shook his head very slightly. The movement almost imperceptible and he remained silent. Uncertain and afraid.

Paling at the elf's revelations, the young woman glanced nervously over her shoulder at Mira. But wait, so far the stranger had done nothing to make her doubt him. He'd spoken only the truth as far as she knew, he'd not made a move to harm a single soul in the inn.

Coming to a decision, Viridis nodded to herself as she turned to face the mercenary again with a slight smile. "I've never met a mercenary before, though I've travelled quite a bit. The ones I've seen were usually marching off to their next jobs, all in the straight disciplined lines of their companies." She could have spoken of what he was, might have if she hadn't thought it would be rude. It was so tempting to just ask him about what his life had been like, and yet ... something stopped her.

Mira fidgeted slightly in his seat, so very uncertain. So very unsure, and to afraid to run. He had no idea what to do, how he was supposed to react, he felt that maybe he should run. He also felt that he could trust Viridis to help him, to protect him, but what could she do against this man? His body trembled with the emotions that were overwhelming him.

The dark elf could sense something amiss, and once more he leaned over to peer at the slave. This was not a job he had wanted to take, it paid well, and he was the best at tracking and hunting. Learning how to do that sort of thing in the caves that meandered beneath the surface world made tracking and hunting on the surface very easy. The signs were so visible. He could sense the slave's unease, almost taste it on the air. "Little one, I have no intention of carrying out my task, now that I've seen the prey I hunt. You are not what I was told you are. A fierce and wild thing. I had my doubts as I followed your trail." His tone was sincere, and his attention returned to the woman.

"I am a creature of solitude, no mercenary company would allow me to join their ranks, and it is far easier to hunt when there are no others to cloud the trail." He studied her carefully. "I too have been a slave, now that I have seen the truth of this one, I will not return him to his master." He remained sincere, but he didn't expect them to believe him. Why should they? He was a Drow of all creatures. His kind were liars and murderers. He wasn't sure if this woman had figured it out yet or how much she might know of his kind at all, there were some that knew nothing and others that knew far too much.

As of yet he had no intention of revealing his heritage, but he could see the curiosity that swam in the girl's eyes. She was burning with it, like the slaves unease, he could nearly feel it.

Viridis reached out to try and touch the mercenary's hand. "Thank you. I know there's not much I could do to stop you if you truly wanted to take Mira back."

Her chair scrapped the floor as she left the table to try and reassure Mira. Viridian smiled at him as she settled down beside him, doing her best to remain calm for his sake. "Mira, Lok at me. Breathe. It's not over yet. You're still free, and I really believe him when he says he wants to let you go." She glanced at the elf a moment before turning back to Mira. She wanted to hug hug him and comfort him, but didn't want to terrify him more then he already was. She just didn't know how to react so she settled for reaching out to give his shoulders a gentle
squeeze.

"He's probably the best of hunters sent out looking for you. That means you have every chance of truly being free. I mean I wouldn't be surprised if the others gave up because of the storm." At the last Viridis glanced over her shoulder, questioning him silent as to how true her statement really was. She couldn't be sure of what he was without going to check one of the books, and she found she could wait ... At least for a little while.

He watched her carefully as she reached to touch his hand, she was grateful and relieved at his words because she believed him. Surface dwellers had such odd ways of showing gratitude, at least, compared to what he had known. He didn't move a muscle, only watched her carefully. Then she was moving, going to comfort the slave, he felt sorry for the boy, it seemed to him that slavery had ruined the young man. The dark elf had been a slave once, and that slavery had only made him much stronger.

The Drow nodded slightly at the woman's words. "Indeed. Even I lost the trail in the storm, but I am used to following quarry that leave no trail. Still it is mostly coincidence that I found you this morning, the others have all gone the wrong way from the very start." He had also made up his mind to fight off the others that might come for the young man, assuming they did find him. He didn't think they could, the storm had destroyed the trail. His purple eyes watched Mira intently.


When Viridis sat down next to him, he unconsciously flinched away from her for a moment. Once he realized it was just her, he leaned closer to her, but his eyes were on that hunter, he stared at the dark elf before slowly looking to Viridis. Mira seemed to calm some at her words, her presence so close to him, and her touch.

Hesitantly he reached up to touch her hands on his shoulders, to grasp them with his hands and hold on tightly to her. As if she were his last life line in this world that he was drowning in. Though he seemed a bit calmer, still afraid and uncertain but calmer now. He still wanted to run away though, the man said he wasn't going back, but how much could Mira truly trust of what this mercenary said? A man who would get paid and undoubtedly great sum of money to return him?

Mira was frowning deeply, but he said nothing, just silently clung to Viridis.

Startled, Viridis froze for a few moments before moving to turn her hold upon Mira into a hug. It felt right, and good, to give some modicum of comfort to someone who had so obviously been mistreated. What more she could do was beyond the young woman. She was a caretaker of books, not of people. The last thing she was equipped for was taking of someone as lost and fearful as Mira.

"I really don't know what to do to help you, Mira, except to ask you to travel with me when I decide to leave."

Her eyes turned to the elf once more. "Or do you have any other suggestions? What might be the best thing to do next?" She blushed a little as she suddenly realized how rude she had been not to have introduced herself. "My name is Viridis, and I'm a book seller." She did help her father do everything in his store after all.

Mira remained silent, only clinging to Viridis and relaxing abit against her. He trusted her, she would keep him safe from those he wished to escape from.

The dark elf was silent as he watched the interaction between the woman and slave, wondering at how quickly the young man had become emotionally attached to her. He supposed it shouldn't be that unusual, she was showing him kindness and offering him safety. For a moment his hand clenched into a tight fist, then he relaxed. The females of his homeland were nothing like the women of the surface, his society was matriarchal and the women ruled with fear and cruelty. Compassion was not in their vocabulary.

He spoke finally, after the woman introduced herself as Viridis. "I am Veldrin Veresi." He bowed his head ever so slightly but respectfully. "As for the young man, leaving him to fend for himself would certainly invite disaster upon him. Taking him with you might prove challenging, but I think being with a patient and compassionate person would do him good." He eyed Viridis carefully as he spoke those words. Almost as if he was uncertain of her sincerity.

The young woman pulled herself away from Mira, though she kept a hand on his shoulder. The escapee hadn't pushed her away yet, and Viridis felt protective of him already. He just seemed so vulnerable and frightened ... He reminded her of stories she'd read, and not all to the good. Sometimes the horrors described in books were too much to bear. Often reality could be so much worse, though Viridis hadn't yet come face to face with with anything more horrifying then a few bandits she'd frightened off with her staff.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Veresi." Viridis returns the elf's slight now with one of her own, and a tentative smile. "So long as Mira decides e wants to travel with me, he's more then welcome. I would like to hear more about the challenges you mentioned though, and how best to meet them." She laughed softly. "This isn't exactly the kind of situation books can help with."

Mira shifted in his seat a bit when Viridis pulled away, her hand remained on his shoulder though and that was still comforting. He was watching that stranger with a mixture of curiosity and trepidation, wondering if he could really trust this man. His master had sent this man to find him, had sent others. Mira shivered as he tried not to think about ways his master would punish him if he were returned, for now he would believe this man. At least he would remain cautious of him.


Veldrin chuckled the slightest bit when she referred to him as 'mister'. "Just Veldrin is fine, Miss Viridis." He found it slightly amusing that their names shared very slight similarities, but his name, like all the dark elves had meaning. Moonless Shadow if translated to the human tongue, or that was near enough of the direct translation. It had him wondering if human names held meanings as well, he had never asked before, never really put that much thought in it before.

The dark elf also offered her a slight shrug. "He's clearly not used to life outside of his gilded cage, that in itself should offer a challenge. Interacting with others, trusting them will be difficult. There's also the possibility of events setting him back from progress that's been made." His eyes were on Mira for a moment, watching the tense young man. "If he were to befriend someone other than yourself, and they were to hurt him in some way. Emotional, physical, it doesn't matter how, but something happens, be it accident or not, such an event could ruin any progress made. He'd return to a cowering little bunny." Veldrin leaned back in his chair.

"I've seen a lot of this sort of thing, sometimes former slaves never recover from being someone else's plaything. There is the chance that you'll make very small progress or none at all with him, if that happens you could always make use of him yourself or sell him to kind master." He shrugged, there was no malicious intent in his words, the Drow was simply stating what he knew. Informing this lady of what she was in for, since she didn't seem to know what to expect at all. Veldrin half expected some of his words to upset her. Surface dwellers were nothing like his people, even the cruelest members of the surface races couldn't hold a candle compared to Drow cruelty.

Mira had flinched slightly and stared wide-eyed at Viridis, certainly she wouldn't consider selling him, or claiming him like that. Would she?

"Veldrin, Mira is my friend. Selling him or using him is something I could never consider. Though there's no knowing how well Mira will adapt to his new life, that fact will remain." Viridis's tone was kind but firm, brooking no arguments and with no room for self doubt of any kind. She set her jaw stubbornly and nodded to herself, and for Mira's benefit. The escapee might have been a new acquaintance, but already she was more fond of him then many of the people she'd grown up with. At least he wasn't a snobbish scholar who turned his nose up at her just because she'd been born a woman.

She relaxed a bit, even went so far as to give Mira's shoulder a final pat before pulling a chair back so it sat squarely between the pale haired youth and the purple eyed elf. "Could you help? " Viridis glanced at Mira. "One thing I've learned from reading so much about events of the past is how important knowledge is. The more help we're able to get from someone who ... Her eyes widened as she recalled the gold which had once adorned Mira. It was still in a canvas bag, thrown in among a pile of books in her room.

Surely a mercenary might consider working for her, helping her prepare Mira to face the world. Viridis just had a feeling about Veldrin ... She didn't often get strong feelings about anyone, but when she did, she'd learned to trust them. "We, I, could pay you. I don't know exactly what your job description might be, but ... And it might be difficult to get the gold sold because it used to be ... Mira's." Her eyes went to Mira again. Would he mind her doing this?

Veldrin hadn't upset her, but his words had struck a nerve, he could tell in the way she defended the slave. It was admirable, not something that would ever have happened in his homeland. He had to remind himself not to be surprised by such things, no matter how many years he had spent on the surface sometimes the actions of females here surprised him. They were nothing like the brutal priestesses that ruled the Underdark.

He watched her intently as she once again sat herself down between Mira and himself. He wondered at that though, it was impossible that this woman had known Mira for longer than a day and yet she was already so attached to him. "It will be dangerous, his master will send men to fetch him back." It was a warning, afterall, that man had sent him. His brow had arched curiously when she trailed off, she was thinking of something. Then she mentioned paying him.

Veldrin sat up a bit more in his chair, seeming more interested than before. After all, he was already missing out on a large sum of money by refusing to return Mira. Perhaps that really had been a good idea in the end. "Dear lady, I am a mercenary, my job description is whatever you want it to be as long as the money is good." When she mentioned the gold was Mira's and might be hard to sell, he chuckled softly. "Slave gold is easy to sell if you know the right people, mercenaries generally know the right people." He leaned back in his chair again. "How may I be of service? Would you want his master killed? It would lessen some of the complications of your lives."

Mira shifted about in his seat, trying to peer around Viridis to see Veldrin, he didn't try to hard though. He understood she was protecting him, and so he shouldn't do unnecessary things or anything that might make it harder for her to keep him safe. But what could he do? Absolutely nothing. He couldn't do anything. When Viridis mentioned the gold, Mira tensed and leaned far to look at Veldrin.

The mercenary seemed eager for the wealth, but Mira wasn't sure how he felt about it at all. He knew it would be best to get rid of the physical symbols of his bondage, but they had been gifts. He frowned deeply, chewing his bottom lip, contemplating. Trying to figure out the right thing to do, what these people expected him to do. Without commands to follow, he really was useless.

When Veldrin mentioned killing his master, Mira was horrified at first. Eyes wide and mouth opened in surprise, but Mira couldn't say anything. He covered his mouth with his hands and kept silent. Thinking, things might be a bit easier if that man were dead, but what would happen to his other slaves? They would be auctioned off to other masters, perhaps some would even be worse masters than that man was. His mouth closed, lips pressed into a very thin line, he lowered his hands to his lap.

As Viridis looked to him, he gave the smallest of nods. It would be best to give the gold to the mercenary, best to get rid of it.