Seeking a New Life

[Swordwind]

Over the hills and into the plains of Dentra lies the city of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Menca</st1:place></st1:City>. It is a thriving trade city deep within the Empire of Kriss. Menca is the jewel of the Empire, bringing in thousands of coins every year. But now Menca is up for grabs as the lord of the city has fallen ill and lies on death's door. He leaves behind no heir but has a budding daughter who just reached adulthood. Without a mother to guide her along the ways of political power she has lived a life of leisure and without a care in the world. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
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With the coming death of her father a number of political opponents are trying to over throw his city and lay claim to it themselves. To do such they have hired a number of small time thugs to capture and kill the daughter of the lord. For without her their will be no future leader of Menca and they will be able to do as they please. <o:p></o:p>
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For now the young girl rests within her bed within the city Manor. Not even knowing that the minor lords of the city have plotted her death and plan on carrying out the sentence that very day. We start our tale with her awakening to a new day that could very well be her last. <o:p></o:p>
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[Corvus Corax]

Another bad dream. It had her gasping and sitting up in bed, readily sweating in her terror. "Damn," she uttered softly through her still chattering teeth. These dreams had to stop, but with all the stress lately Moria saw no end in sight. The dreams were pushed to the back of her head as she got up, even if it pained her to do so. She shrugged on a loose tunic like shirt and a pair of plain black cloth pants. Its true that she stumbled about funnily to get the left leg on but she got it right and pulled her pants up and on successively after a try or two. She shot out the garden door moments after checking to make sure she wasn't needed and that people knew where she was. She knew the perfect thing to do to calm herself before visiting her father: a swim! So to the small secluded pond in a deserted part of the garden she went! Quick steps had her there in minutes and she stripped down to nothing in seconds. Moria had always loved to swim, even when she was a child. The fact that she had almost drowned a few times as she was trying to learn hadn't stopped her…stubborn thing that she was. So stubborn in fact that her father used to joke with her mother that his daughter could show up a mule in stubbornness.

The water was taken in a childish cannon ball at the deepest area when she worked herself up, a big grin on her face for the first time in a while when she bobbed up to the surface. The water was soothing and cool…exactly what she needed to chase away her stress. Moria swam to a shallow area and sat, leaning back onto the bank, the water just covering her chest. Her eyes drooped slightly in time and she let them close as she sat there thinking of her day.

 

[Swordwind]

Perched on top of the roof overlooking the back yard of the estate Vico rubbed his temples to ease the pain within his head. He had spent the night before dealing with a rather troublesome pair of outlaw's in one of the many alleyway's of the city. They had jumped him when he was walking to an inn and clubbed him over the head. They thought he was a simple traveler but that mistake had cost them both their lives.

Now his head was still healing up from the blow and he was informed that he was to watch and wait for someone to come out of this house. Lowering his hand back to the rooftop he looked out towards the backyard and notice a girl stripping her clothes off and running into a pool of water. Interest caused Vico to wake up and move to get a better view. At the very least he could enjoy a free show he thought. Moving hand over hand he creeped over to one side of the house and drew out a small telescope from the folds of his clothes.

Putting it to his eye he looked down over at the pool and watched the naked girl move about the water. She seemed to move like it was as easy as moving on land itself. Vico smiled as some thoughts of joining the girl within the water's crossed his mind but a window underneath him opened and distubed these thoughts for a moment.

Out popped the head of some servant cleaning a rug of some kind. Kicking up dust and grim from the road and making the air about Vico dirty. Cursing his luck he moved back up the roof and sat down. It could be awhile till the servant was gone but it didn't matter. He had all day to get what he was seeking. All he had to do was wait.

 

[Corvus Corax]

Moria spat out water as she sat up a bit more. She grimaced and slapped at the water childishly...her nose and throat burned. Apparently the area where she was sitting was very slippy, odd how she hadn't noticed this. In her little catnap she had slid down under the water a bit.

Sand and sediments whirled about her feet as Moria stood up suddenly and walked to the deeper end, she fell carelessly forward into the water when it was deep enough and swam to the middle of the pond. Slipping under the water in a almost inaudible move, she dove and swam a length before popping up at the other side. Her thoughts turned to her father and what his condition would be like today, it wouldn't be good most likely. The aged man's eyes were already cloudy in there blindness and it pained Moria to see how sickly he had became. One hand came up to grip the bank as she slid her hair back out of her eyes with the other. She had to get hold of her self and wake up completely or she'd be stuck in a daze all day.


Steps! A maid bringing her breakfast tray rushed forward and into sight. She breathed a sigh of relief as she realized how hungry she was. The tray was placed on the bank near where Moria was holding on presently. "Miss, would you be needing anything just now," the maid looked a bit pained as she asked this. It was plain to see that the poor thing was behind in her duties, and uncomfortable that Moria was nude in the pond. Moria placed her other hand on the bank so she could push herself up and out of the water. As she got out of the water she spoke to the maid. "I'm quite fine for now Felicity, you can go and attend to what you need to for now…although I'd appreciate it if you'd come back to tell me when my father is ready to see me." Moria nodded a dismissal at the girl and bent to grab her tunic, her wet hair falling into her face as she did. Padding over to the breakfast tray with her clutched shirt she shrugged it on just as she reached it. The long green tunic like shirt covered enough to where the young maid wouldn't look away awkwardly when she came back.


Sitting on the bank with her feet draped in the water, odds and ends from the kitchen were nibbled on as Moria spaced out. Was what the herbalist said really true…had her father really been poisoned? If so was she next? Whatever poison that had been used, if one had been used, it was weak enough to where it hadn't killed her father even though he was sick to begin with. A foot was picked up slowly and she let the water drip off it before pacing it back into the water. If her father had been poised they had a traitor to find. A traitor that was a idiot and couldn't properly poison a man, she wouldn't complain though as her father was still alive. Even if the poor man was suffering she couldn't think of a world with out her father in it. Swinging her feet back and forth in the water with her new found worry, it seemed like she couldn't sit still now.


Moria decided to swim about some more despite the fact that it might make the maid uncomfortable when she came back. She lost the now damp shirt again before she dove in and started to do laps.