Private Pormont Another's Treasure

[Catherine Haust]

Catherine groaned, rubbing her eyes as she pulled herself out from the sheets. She'd spent the past day going over testimony from the locals in this small town, trying to get some kind of information on the bandits that were running wild in the area. Most of the landers had provided little in the way of hard intelligence and the few starcalled residents were even less helpful. Most of them seemed to not exactly have a good opinion of the Lion's Pride and that made it hard to make any headway. Still, the report had been sent to the guild and the order had come down. She sat up on the bed and leaned on her knees for a moment before standing up, throwing on her shirt and walking to the open space on the floor.

She went through her morning routine, stretches, push-ups, sit ups, and squats to get the blood flowing. When she was fully awake she turned to the nearest window and cracked it open so a tiny sliver of light pierced through the gloom. She dropped to her knees and lowered her head, pulling the holy symbol out of a pouch at the foot of the bed and offering a quiet prayer to Endra. She pressed her forhead to the ground as she moved from her morning prayer.

"Scalebearer, Goddess of Law, Sightless Lady of Order. Let your sightless gaze fall upon your servant, unworthy as she is. Let the law protect Astorea, and let my blade be the gavel by which it is enforced. Should I draw my sword, let it be in accordance with your laws, and by your grace, your servant be forgiven should she take life."

She sat up straight and let out a breath as a form shifted on the bed. She turned and spotted a mess of red hair poking up beneath the sheets. She smiled and got to her feet, grabbing her britches and belt, slipping them on before walking over to the side of the bed. A pair of green eyes peeked up at her in fascination as she pulled on her boots. She and the innkeeper's niece spoke briefly after that before parting ways, their evening tryst already in the past. Breakfast came next and she was in the midst of digging into her meal when the innkeeper approached. His expression was a bit firmer than the previous night.

"Thought you might want to know, Ser Knight. One of the local landowners is in town this morning, you might want to go meet with her before she leaves. Her name is Kamala."

She glanced up at him and then at his niece who was suddenly very focused on the dishes she was picking up. She smiled easily and nodded, popping the last few bites of food in her mouth before getting to her feet.

"Goddess be with you."

He harumphed but said nothing as she left, he must have interrogated the girl when she'd shown up a bit late to her work in the morning. There was nothing Catherine could do to smooth things over, so she simply left with as much gratitude she could provide and accept the consequences if any came. From the inn she made her way across the town square towards a small gathering of people around what looked like a small caravan of wagons. Catherine came to a stop at the side of the gathering and peered into the crowd, trying to spot this landowner named Kamala. Ultimately she was forced to draw attention to herself. She cleared her throat, calling out over the crowd;

"Pardon! Is the Landowner named Kamala here?"

@Kamala Graham

 

[Kamala Graham]

‧͙⁺˚･❀･˚⁺͙‧

Adventurers Guild

Barracuda by Heart

Kamala sat on one of the wagons, playing her wooden zither to the delight of the small crowd. The instrument had been given to the elf by the nature spirits she had bonded with over the course of her adventures and made from the trees of her elven homeland, Yladia.

While Kamala knew she wasn't the best musician in all the land, she felt it would've been disrespectful to hide the instrument, keep it locked away, and not share her music through it. It was a gift meant to be shared with others. So, whenever she could, she played a little something for everyone, including herself.

Spoiler: Thank You, Shrek

"The real thing don't do the trick, no! You better make up something quick! You gonna burn, burn, burn, burn, burn to the wick! Ohhhh, barra-barra-barracuda! Woo!"

The elf had initially intended to sing a less upbeat tune, but when she saw how the farmers she was traveling with looked like they needed a quick boost, she decided to go with something more interactive, something they could all dance to. Viridian Fields, where they had all come from, was not that far from this town, but this was just their first stop. With stocks of their products, the farmers, including Kamala, needed to travel to Stokbon to do their respective businesses. It was the rest of the journey, which was usually wrought with peril, that drowned the farmers in worries and concerns. Thank Gwyndolainn for her zither then.

As her performance came to an end, she heard someone call out her name. A young male beastfolk with ears as big as that of a fennec fox suddenly stepped in front of Kamala, a scowl on his face, his back to her. When the elf placed a hand on his shoulder, however, he turned to her with a sigh and helped Kamala down. "Are you sure? Lions are more trouble than they're worth," the young man scoffed at the knight but Kamala just smiled at him.

"I'll be fine, Tariq! Shoo!" Kamala approached Catherine without any fear, the big smile on her small face never faltering. "Peace walk with you, friend! I'm Kamala! What can I help you with on this fine morning?

Kamala extended a hand toward the taller woman, admiring her armor. Compared to the elf's lighter clothing, the lady knight seemed better equipped to get into a fight. She just hoped this wasn't because someone from their caravan did something less than legal again. Some of the farmers had been used to just being given things, with little to no knowledge that outside of their commune and just like in Stokbon, ya gotta pay for stuff.

@Catherine Haust

 

[Catherine Haust]

Catherine waited patiently at the edge of the crowd. A few dark stares turned in her direction for more than one reason. She was wearing two symbols on her person. The Lion's Insignia attached to the joint of her left shoulder, signifying her as a Knight. The Lion's Pride were well known for putting their nose into other people's problems, she was well aware of the reputation they had among the common landers. The other symbol, though, was a bit more problematic. The Inquisitor's Seal on her right shoulder meant that she was a lawbringer for the Church of Endra.

That unfortunately came with some baggage. Most people saw them as people with a license to do whatever they wanted, even kill, and them claim it was to uphold the law for whatever reason. It was an unfortunate distortion, but one that Catherine didn't have the time or energy to clear up with words. Actions spoke louder. The Law was the Law and she was as governed by it as anyone else within this domain.

She frowned a little when a beastfolk moved to position himself between her and someone who was approaching. The scowl on his face told her exactly what he thought of her, and his eyes were fixed on the Lion's marker on her shoulder. She didn't budge from her spot, returning his stare, her verdant green eyes flecked with red showing not an ounce of give. She didn't try to listen in on what was said between him and the mysterious person, but he eventually gave way.

Then she approached. She was so small, on the shorter side for an elf, with a delicate figure and bright eyes that sparkled. She showed no hesitation in approaching Catherine and thrusting out a hand in greeting. Catherine's expression remained stony and resolved.

Meanwhile, inside her head...

CUTE! AHHHH! WHY IS SHE SO CUTE? SHE'S ADORABLE! SHE'S AN ELF, RIGHT? ARE THEY ALL THAT ADORABLE? I WANT TO HUG HER! WHAT AM I GOING TO DO? KILL ME NOW! I'M ON ASSIGNMENT! I CAN'T FLIRT RIGHT NOW! AAAAAAAH!

...she took a deep breath and managed to force herself to relax, smiling brightly.

"The Law Presides, Miss Kamala, I am Knight Catherine Haust, an Inquisitor for the Courts of Endra. I was hoping to meet someone in your position here in town, thank you for coming out to meet me."

She said it with a completely straight face, even as the faintest hint of a nosebleed formed from the strain.

@Kamala Graham

 

[Kamala Graham]

‧͙⁺˚･❀･˚⁺͙‧

Adventurers Guild

Pormont

Kamala tilted her head to one side, a finger finding its way to her lips. She was confused. Why did a knight, an inquisitor at that, want to meet little ol' her? The Courts of— Oh, the Grand Emporium! Kamala's face lit up with a smile, her hands finding their way to her back. She was obliviously incorrect in her assumption that the Courts of Endra were one and the same as Endra's Favor, but her innocent confidence betrayed that fact.

"Oh, did Master Roche send you? I think he might have mistaken me for someone else: I'm just a simple farmer, just like everyone else here—"

The elf turned toward Tariq, the beastfolk who had been so protective of her earlier but was now combing his massive furry fennec fox ears without a care in the world. He seemed oblivious to anyone else watching him, even though a sickly girl was sitting beside him, on the edge of the wagon, letting her feet sway to and fro. At the same time, the same sickly girl had her head bowed to make sure she could avoid any unsolicited eye contact. With a brief chuckle, Kamala turned to face the much taller woman again.

"—but we'd appreciate the company of a formidable warrior on our journey! The paths from Pormont to Stokbon have been a little...rough recently. We wouldn't say no to some extra protection!

Kamala had never had any dealings with the Courts, at least none that she could remember, but she's had a pretty good experience with Endra's Favor, the so-called Grand Emporium. As a farmer who often journeyed to Stokbon with others to share their produce, she was one of their favorite...donators.

Kamala wasn't that interested in making excessive amounts of gold, only that they were able to share their blessings with the people of Stokbon. Fortunately for her, some of the farmers were better at negotiations, so the Fields never went home empty-handed. They weren't bringing back tons of wealth, only enough to make sure that their farms wouldn't suffer any lackluster seasons.

@Catherine Haust

 

[Catherine Haust]

Catherine snapped out of her momentary delusion when the girl's face brightened. Almost having to shield her eyes from the gleam of her cuteness. When the young woman spoke, Catherine blinked as well, a little confused by her question. She stared blankly at the woman and opened her mouth to correct her as she raised a hesitant hand only for the girl to continue, at this Catherine brightened a bit as well and a smile crossed her features. She had picked the right person to approach after all. This was what she was looking for.

Catherine raised a hand to her heart and bowed once before standing up straight and offering as easy a smile as her gritted military demeanor could manage.

"I do not represent Master Roche of the 'Favor. I am not a Merchant Guard, lovely miss. I am here on behalf of the Falderen Legal Courts as blessed by the Goddess' dominion over the Law, rather than her dominion over Coin..."

A few of the villagers glared at her even harder, to them, there wasn't much of a difference. After all, most crimes in Falderen could be swept under the rug with the payment of a fine, which essentially made such acts legal for those with 'Coin'. Catherine was aware of this, but the law was the law. She cleared her throat and crossed her arms behind her back in an attentive posture.

"...The 'roughness' of the paths between Pormont and Stokbon are the very reason that I've come today. I have been sent to investigate word of the organized group harrying the area and deal with them accordingly," She inclined her head into a small bow of gratitude. "If you'll have me in your caravan, I would be grateful. Your cooperation is much appreciated."

She stood up straight and offered a lopsided smile.

"For the duration of your trip to Stokbon, this knight will be at your disposal."

It was the best outcome she could imagine, fortunately this leader among the farmers was open-minded enough to take an opportunity when it presented itself. Though Catherine also had to consider the fact that an Inquisitor like herself was an agent of the law and therefore couldn't take payment while on assignment. She was essentially a free mercenary as far as these people were concerned. But that was fair if they wanted to see it that way.

@Kamala Graham

 

[Kamala Graham]

‧͙⁺˚･❀･˚⁺͙‧

Adventurers Guild

Ready to move!

Once again, Kamala tilted her head to one side, a finger finding its way to her lips. She returned to being confused. Why did the Falderen Legal Courts send someone that, uhh, wasn't a Merchant Guard? They were a merchant caravan. Why send a court knight? Oh, no, did someone commit a crime? Her innocent eyes widened in horror as she turned to take a quick look over at Tariq, who has had his fair share of physical disputes with MIT students as of late.

"O-oh..."

Fortunately for the elf, Catherine eased her worries and concerns when she revealed her actual goal for joining them. Kamala didn't think of anything else, most of all ulterior motives, and immediately gave the daunting warrior the benefit of the doubt. As she always did. With everyone else. Which, to be fair, has gotten her and her farmers in trouble but all's well that always ends well. Especially when you have a druid like her on your side.

"Oh!" Her face brightened up as her hands came together, palms meeting as if she was about to start praying. "Well, that sounds very helpful! We would be happy to have you onboard!

Kamala awkwardly gave Catherine a salute, mimicking a stern soldier, though she was unable to hold on to the stereotypical expression of absolute discipline. Instead, she turned toward Tariq and Khadija. Tariq simply raised an eyebrow, looked the knight over from head to toe again, and then looked away, preferring to stay where he was sitting so he could continue grooming his giant ears. Khadija, on the other hand, meekly got off the same edge of the wagon and scurried toward Kamala.

"We still have room for a knightly guest, yes? Are we ready to move out, sweetie?"

Khadija stole a glimpse of Catherine and cowered in place, but another stolen glimpse, this time of Kamala warmly smiling at her, gave her a much-needed confidence boost. "Y-yes, Kamala! We're all ready to move out. I-I think the lady knight can join us in our wagon if she pleases?"

Kamala turned to Catherine with a huge grin on her face, her hands finding their way to her hips. With the confidence of a toddler that just managed to stand on their own for the very first time, she pointed toward the same wagon Tariq was sitting in. Kamala was proud of that wagon. It was the first wagon she acquired on her own.

"That's our wagon, my fair knight! We'll be leading the rest of the caravan toward Stokbon...hopefully safely, but with you with us, that's probably going to be a breeze." She then introduced the sickly human girl beside her before nodding toward Tariq. "This is my best friend, Khadija, and that's, well, you've met Tariq. He's a little protective, and very sus of everyone new, but he's pretty good with his bow and arrows, if not a little slow, so he'll be of great help!

Fact was, Tariq could take out all the bandits that would come for them, but that took time, and between reloading arrows and not having someone who could fight the brigands with swords and axes, his defense of their caravan wouldn't be enough. Besides, bandits also had bowmen of their own and they were learning the way of ducking lone arrows from farmers, so the knight's arrival was truly the boon they desperately needed. Praise be Gwyndolainn!

@Catherine Haust

 

[Catherine Haust]

Catherine visibly relaxed, it was certainly a relief that this was going smoothly. Having to negotiate her way into a caravan promised to be difficult on it's own and she had her faction's reputation working against her. It was her good fortune that she ran into Kamala. Her green eyes sparkled at the adorable persons antics, following the direction of her finger to the wagon where Tariq was sitting. Yes, as long as she was able to travel with them she should be able to put the bandit problems, at least in this small area, to rest.

Catherine offered a generous bow to Kamala and tilted her head up to offer the girl a playful wink. Probably as far as she could go while she was on business. Even then, even that tiny flirtatious action was probably a bit much. But she couldn't help it! The girl was just too cute! Aaaah when this was over...

"You have my gratitude, Madam Kamala," she said, turning to Khadija and Tariq. She inclined her head at them, "A skilled bowman! That's good. It's a pleasure to meet you both, I will do my best to stay out of your way and your affairs. And if it puts Master Tariq's suspicions at ease, I am only here with a warrant for the bandits, I don't have legal authority to pursue anything else unless it's a serious matter."

With that she made her way towards the wagon and stepped up to a spot out of the way of the others, reaching up to thumb at the holy symbol around her neck. She settled in for the ride, knowing that her opportunity to help would come with patience. For now, she would pray for the safety of those she traveled with, it was the least she could do.

@Kamala Graham

 

[Kamala Graham]

‧͙⁺˚･❀･˚⁺͙‧

Adventurers Guild

Moving!

With Kamala watching them with a smile, a subtle reminder to her friends to be friendly to their new friend, Tariq bit his tongue and simply looked away when Catherine addressed him, still snooty as ever. Khadija, on the other hand, also looked away, but mostly only because she felt too anxious to say anything or do anything else. That girl really needs to work on her social skills. Oh, well.

"Oh, you don't have to call me madam! Just call me by my first name, Kamala!"

Once Catherine was onboard, Kamala and the other farmers made the necessary precautions before heading on out as a caravan. Their wagons weren't all great, more so just practical, which was a double-edged sword in these journeys.

On one hand, because they didn't look like they had as much money as nobles traveling, most bandits would ignore them. On the other? They didn't look like they had much protection or would put up a good fight, still, a lot of bandits would take to them like easy-pickings. Why risk yourselves against nobles who pay good soldiers when there are farmers with just their pitchforks and rarely-used crossbows?

Kamala was humming to herself inside the wagon, playing a few random notes on her zither's strings here and there, when a stray thought came to her mind.

"Oh, you said you have a warrant for the bandits, right? Is this going to be your first arrest?"

Kamala was genuinely curious as to whether it would have been more of a veteran move to bring another knight or two. Then again, with how the common folk takes to knights joining in on their journeys, it might not be the best idea. It would be pretty safe for knights to do so, yes, but why would they protect the common folk for free, especially in such a tiring scenario? As much as Kamala would love for that to happen, she could see why it wouldn't be so practical for such lawful institutions. Too many people, not enough knights to protect them.

@Catherine Haust

 

[Catherine Haust]

Catherine didn't mind the dismissive treatment, she'd seen it all before during her work. It was normal, and she couldn't exactly change people's opinions with words. So she kept to herself, settling into her seat and reclining a little. She hadn't stopped moving since she woke up, it was early, but a little relaxation could be nice before she had to work. She thumbed her holy symbol thoughtfully as the caravan started to move, glancing over now and then at Kamala while she plucked at her zither.

She turned to fully address Kamala when the woman spoke up;

"For this assignment it will be my first, yes, I have been party to a few subjugation missions before,"

She reached into her traveling pouch and produced an envelope, handing it over to Kamala. It was a formal writ to investigate the harassment of traveling merchants and farmers in the region and to exercise whatever means necessary to end the problem. The writ was filled with legal jargon, conditions under which she could use lethal force, and license to commandeer a caravan if necessary. Catherine had decided very much against using that kind of tactic, it wouldn't do her or the courts any good to build resentment among the people.

She rubbed the back of her neck and looked at the floor.

"Dealt with a serial killer in the city a while back, most of my jobs are investigating organized crime and dangerous elements like cults."

She glanced up at Kamala and smiled easily.

"We try to rehabilitate who we can, but it isn't easy. Some just don't want to step away from the life they've chosen. Though I guess you could say the same about anyone. What about you? What brought you to this kind of work, Kamala?"

@Kamala Graham

 

[Kamala Graham]

‧͙⁺˚･❀･˚⁺͙‧

Adventurers Guild

Traveling!

Kamala nodded her head as the lady knight spoke, following her words intently. She imagined Catherine fighting with her sword, defending others with a shield, and inspiring even her foes with her wise words of persuasion. The elf herself wasn't that bad when it came to talking enemies out of violence, but there was something much more...interesting about a paladin doing all that and more compared to just a small elf.

"Subjugation? Serial killer? Those sound very serious...and very dangerous!"

Despite the fact that Kamala herself had been in similarly dangerous situations, she had always downplayed her part in them. Most people always focused on the fighters, the fighting, who gets the last hit, who deals the most damage, that healers are often forgotten, only remembered when they need healing.

Kamala has accepted that fate, having loved the role herself, and never lets the negative thoughts overwhelm her. It was what it was, and she herself felt the same most of the time. The DPS, the tanks, those were usually the admirable heroes. The healers? Only when things get grim, and if both the DPS and the tank were THAT good, things rarely get grim.

"It never is, but I'm glad there are people like you who make the effort to help first instead of just taking them down."

She offered the lady knight a warm smile, firmly believing her own positive view on life and everything associated with it. It was her nature, and it was also the people that nurtured that mindset in the girl.

"As for me, I've always loved this work, being with others, working with others, making things grow, and helping feed people, especially those who need the help the most... Life's not worth it if you're not sharing your blessings with others!"

Everything that she has, everything that she is, Kamala owes to everyone else that have crossed her life, good or bad, and now she must give back, pay it all forward, so the cycle of kindness and goodness can continue even when she's gone.

@Catherine Haust