Another City, Another Dime

His hand slid through his tousled hair as he squirmed from the bed, groaning as he met the wood with all fours, the smell of alcohol strong on the filthy rags he now wore. Shaking his head, he nearly toppled over, cursing his stupidity and the foul hangover he was now stuck with. He'd wasted through nearly every one of his remaining coin last night; what he had possessed before that had all been swiped by some thieves that thought it was funny to rough up a three-foot loner. Well, three foot two, but who's counting? He laughed bitterly as he made his way to the mirror, pulled out a rather expensive looking comb he'd pinched from one of the townsfolk at the bar, and settled his multicolored hair. He looked down at the peasant rags he'd been left with, shook his head, steadied himself, and headed towards the inn's bar, snatching his things as he went out.

He hated how they other patrons treated him, hated how he was treated like a disease for being so filrthy when just the day before they would have welcomed him like the magician he was. As he heard a posh woman scoff --- what room had she to talk, sneaking from an inn bedroom when clearly there was a rather fancy ring on her finger?--- he mumbled a curse, pulling a coin from his pocket. "Cernunnos," he whispered under his breath before kissing the coin and holding his other hand out. Without any trace, the woman's coins were in his hands and then his own pouch. Unseen, unheard, and unsuspected, he continued his casual walk to the bar. If anyone would know where to find a job in town, it would be the barman ---or maid. Besides, maybe whomever would know a cure for the hangover?

The innkeeper sat arguing with the barmaid, while a bored looking woman in half-plate listened to them bicker. She had a shield with the crest of the king and a long sword both strapped to her back, and her chin-length auburn hair seemed to shine slightly red in the sun. Anyone who had spent any decent time in the city knew this was the knight-commander, Isolde, and this sort of medial guard duty was far beneath her pay grade.

His eyes took in the scene before him with the slightest amounts of confusion and curiousity. Finally, the innkeeper showed his face --- he hadn't seen the man at all that night, an observation he had found strange on a party night. The small quarrel concerned him not, because he had seen more than one man seduce her out of free drinks. The curiousity lay in the armored woman nearby. It didn't take much to conclude that she was a guard, after all the king's insignia branded on her shield. It was daytime, there was no real reason for a guard to be posted here. Unless...

Oh...

He very nearly turned right back around and headed to his room, hoping to make a run for it out his window --- a feat that he knew full well he could never accomplish. However, that would seem far too suspicious, and he'd dyed his hair [i]a lot[/] since the last official description had been released. Without his signature get-up, he was in the clear. This in mind, he maneuvered his way to the more accessible tables, whistling and spinning his lucky coin about the tabletop as he waited for someone to attend to him --- whether he was hoping it would be with drink or the kind of attention that could get him some coin, he wasn't sure.

Isolde rubbed her temples and wandered over to the gnome, "Sir, while the two of them quarrel, do you mind telling me what happened here last night?"

He raised his eyes to meet hers, tossing the coin into the air and catching it as he turned, opening his palm to reveal it empty. "I would imagine nothing more unusual than any other night," he began, lounging as best he could on the half-barrel he'd been using as a chair. "Lady barmaid over there was serving drinks left and right and didn't appear to be charging the usual currency --- or so it seemed." He shrugged, nodded towards them. "Aside from that, I could not tell you, m'lady. I took my leave from the business early, though I do believe there was a... Disagreement or two. I could not really say." He shot her a quick, easy smile and made the coin reappear, spinning it on his fingertip. "I do apologize for not having more to tell you,"

She sighed, "The two of them sure can't decide what happened. I figured someone else might be able to elaborate. Neat trick with the coin. Just make sure that is the only vanishing coins around here, and we'll have no quarrel with each other. Might I ask your name, sir? I don't think I've seen your face around here."

He cursed, hiding his alarm with his trademark smirk as he nodded to her. "You can call me Trickster, m'lady... Tristan for official purposes." He winked at her, flirty and calm. "I'm a traveller, a magician by trade." Drust tossed the coin into the air, caught it with both hands, and opened them to reveal about a dozen more, all of which dropped to the table, spinning. "No worries here; the coins' all mine."

"Magician? Do you truly possess the gift, or is it mere illusion?" Isolde asked interested.

He laughed, a mischevious grin tugging at the far corners of his lips. "The truth is all in the title, lady guard." He reached to tip his hat, forgetting it wasn't there, and instead playing it off by tilting his hand back down, a discarded flower from another table sitting on his palm. "I am an arcane trickster, m'lady. The fey in me gave me some benefits to counter-act my height... That is, besides my dashing good looks." Drust gave her a subtley flirty wink and nodded for her to take the flower.

Isolde smiled, the expression seeming almost misplaced in comparison to the severity in which she held herself, "For someone so blesséd with the gift, you ought be able to asserts in my real title. I am no mere guard, ser."

He smiled again, placing the coin and flower on the table. "Guard captain, yes, I know; 'twas obvious enough by the way the innkeeper keeps looking over here." Drust smiled, stepping down from the barrel and motioning her towards the far end of the room.

She took the flower, leaving the coin, and followed, "And who do you think I am, then, ser?"

He shrugged. "Beyond captain, I do not know." Drust made a tossing gesture with his hand, catching the discarded coin before turning and looking up at her, speaking only koud enough for her to hear. "I don't right know what's going on here, m'lady, but by your presence I assume it is nothing good. I can do some information gathering for you, if you wish, but I like to keep my abilities on the innocent side of things. As it stands, I do not know much beyond what I have told you."

Isolde looked around, "To be honest, I need someone who can operate in the shadows to aide me. Given my position, I attract attention. I sense something... Wrong here. And I feel I owe it to the people to find out what." She looked him dead in the eye, a ferocity laying beneath calm eyes, "I am Knight-Commander Isolde of Black Rain. And any friend of mine I can easily keep hidden from the guard."

A woman with long black hair walked into the inn, approaching Isolde. She wore similar armor, although instead of a shield she had two swords buckled to her belt. Her gaze faltered as she approached Isolde, but she saluted perfectly. "Arriana Corner, reporting from the barracks. I was asked to assist you, ma'am..."

"Ah, of course. One of the Lords has requested company and protection as he leaves for a hunt this evening. I put in a request to have you join me. It should be a pleasant trip for a few days out of the city, should you be up to the task." Isolde offered cordially.

Arriana remained saluting. "Of course, ma'am. I'll follow your lead..."

Drust gave her an easy, understanding smile and held his hand out to her. "I will let you know if I hear anything m'lady, and thank you for the directions." He smiled to the woman approaching, pretending he had been asking where to find some meaningless object or location.

Isolde chuckled, standing. "No need to remain at attention. We are to meet outside the city with Lord Arlund's caravan."

Arriana nodded, standing at ease. "Yes, ma'am. I'll be waiting outside..." She looked around the inn before starting to head out.

Drustan smiled and stepped away from the pair of guards, looking around the room as he fidgeted with another coin. "I will stay here, if you wish, ma'am. Send for me if I am needed elsewhere. I will find you if I learn anything."