A Renassance Adventure (Female needed/Mature)

Dust swirled around him as he reached the edge of the town. The wind had picked up and howled as it picked up surface dirt from the plowed fields and blew it around like a small dust storm. Darius pulled the wide brim of his hat down further over his face to keep it out of his eyes as best as he could, and pulled the cloak about him tighter. The clouds looked dark and ominous. A storm was coming and soon the rain would be falling in a torrent. He wanted to be out of that if he could, and he hoped there would be a decent Inn in the town.

The Guards at the gate peered from inside their Guard shack and just waved him on into the town. The blue color of their clothing and the cross on their surcoat told him that they were the Kings Men and not some hired guards to protect the town. Musketeers guarding the gate of a town. Times must be bad if the King was sending Musketeers to help guard the towns and villages. Soldiers it seemed had been pulled away, probably for the war that might be coming with England.

Once in the city the swirling dust left him and only the wind continued to blow through the street he was riding through. Not to far into the town he spotted the sign for the Inn. A nice warm bed, hot meal and a cold tankard of ale or wine would be good. As he turned his horse to the front of the Inn he noticed movement in the shadows across the street. A slight smile touched his lips as he began to dismount. His left hand on the pommel of the saddle and his left hand drawing the dagger from its sheath. As his right foot touched the ground a voice behind him said, "Stand still friend and toss your money pouch behind ye."

In one quick motion he turned, his cloak swirling around as his right arm and hand came out and he threw the dagger hitting the man that spoke in the throat with its blade. As the man staggered back, a surprised look on his face, gurggeling blood from his mouth, Darius in one quick movement reached down and drew his sword and looked at the mans two companions. All three were raggedly dressed, with dirty and torn clothing, scuffed boots and wide brim hats that had seen better days. The two other men had swords in their hands and now Darius smiled broadly. "Well friends, are you sure you wish to tempt fate?" he moved his blade about in a quick and percise display, making the men back up a couple steps.

The two men looked at each other and rushed him. Darius laughed and parried their attacks with ease. They were now swordsmen, that was for sure. Rudimentry skills it seemed, if that. The sound of ringing steel filled the street and the door to the Inn opened and a few people peered out and then exited the Inn to watch. Darius' sword flicked in and out giving the men a wound here and there. Nothing that would be life threating, just minior cuts. Finally he just disarmed both of them and the men fled into the night, leaving their dead friend on the ground. Resheathing his sword he turned and looked at the people that had been watching. "My apology if I have interupted your meals good people." he gave a slight bow and walked past them and entered the Inn. As many it had a tavern in the front of the building. Other people still sat and drank and eat as he entered, only looking up to see who had entered.

The other people returned inside and to their tables talking about the swordplay they had seen. The Inn Keeper sent a servant to fetch the local law and Darius took a seat at an empty table. A tavern wench came over and bent down low showing off her large tits, that almost fell out of her dress. He removed his hat and sat it on the table and then ordered some food and drink. He removed his long cloak and draped it over the back of the chair. He was dressed in a black shirt and pants and high top boots that were folded down. Over the shirt was a black sleevless coat of sorts, laced at the arms and sides. His sword belt and scabbard was inlaid with silver. Though not a rich man, he was not a poor beger. As he waited for his food and drink he looked about the tavern. Most were travelers from about the country and a few might have been hired guards for some rich merchant or individual that was staying at the Inn. A few looked to be locals that were there to enjoy a good tankard of wine and talk with friends.

One of the women there was only working to hide her true aim. She was normally a blade for hire, it was a better way to earn a living than sitting at home doing nothing or working here for real, plus she got a warm room out of it and some good food and drink as well as some shelter for her horse as well. She could hear the noise outside and looked to the man who bowed as he apologised, not thinking much of it. She walked around serving drinks she had to earn some money to live on at least she had a horse to care for after all and her weapons needed to be repair as well as her light armour.
She had picked up who the targets guards were and slipped sleeping poison into their drinks. She needed the money in order to save up enough to get armour repaired properly.

She smiled a little seeing the guards falling asleep and whispered to one of the other women who nodded and she headed to her room, moving back to her room she changed into her more comfortable clothes and headed to the target. Later on that night there was a scream and she opened her eyes lying on her bed with a smile. Someone walked into her room and paid her “keep the change, who knew a women could get his job done” She rustled her hair and took the money walking outside her horse began to make a racket kicking and bucking angrily “hey, hey calm down” she shouted and noticed other horses seemed wound up by the storm going outside to calm the all, people were waking up and shouting “I’m sorting it out ok” she said. Called back to the bar afterwards and began to serve drinks to people again tying her hair back and repeating the orders she was given and taking them back to their tables tolerating the drunken talk of them all, she had some blood on one of her fingers she had forgotten to wipe off but just ignored it having noticed.

The two guards stormed in "Who did this, who killed the lord!" they screamed angrily. going over she spoke softly "please, gentlemen sit down and relax, they will show themselves in time"
"You... you wench you put something in our drinks last night, we fell asleep almost instantly"
"I did not slip anythign in your drink good sirs, you msut've jsut been increidble tired and you looked it when you walked in here, now please take a seat and calm down" she said a fake smile placed its self on her lips. They sat down mubling "Gentlemen do not cause such a distrurbance, it is very late and some guests are sleeping" she said softly to them.

(not my best, sorry,also that pic is of her in ehr other clothes, although msotly of her clothes)

When his food came so did the city guard. They were a group of musketeers. One carried his bloodied dagger in a gloved hand. Darius looked up as he lifted his tankard of wine to his lips. Before he took a drink he asked, "Yes gentelmen can I help you?" Then he took a drink of his wine and sat the tankard down.

"You killed a man earlier." the one with the dagger spoke. "This dagger to be precise."

"Indeed good sir. He had the tip of his sword at my back. I thought it was a good idea at the time. I do like to keep breathing." he smiled. "But I did let the other two men live, though they may be a bit bloody."

Darius shook his head and drew his sword, flicking it down on the mans hand making him drop the
"Aye we have them in custody." he stuck the bloody dagger into the table, "From what witnesses have told us, you defended yourself so we will not be arresting you. But we will be keeping an eye on you."

Darius raised his tankard in a salute to them as they turned and left. He ate and drank his fill before getting a room for the night. Cleaning his dager off and reseathing it he stood up from his table. In the morning he would be talking to some lord about the price for his blade. Before he retired though he saw two men enter and begin arguing with one of the tavern wenches. She was a pretty thing with nice tits and a body to go with them. It seemed they were accusing her of drugging them and something about a Lord being killed. He raised a brow on hearing that. There was but one lord he knew of that was going to be in the town and that was the one he was going to see.

He passed by the two men and the woman and he looked down at her hand and saw the blood, and no cut. The two men were not in any mood to sit and be quiet. Their employer was dead and that ment they would not be paid. That would make any man angry. "No wench, you drugged us. We were not tired!" One pushed her back a very nasty look on his face. "Who paid you to drug us wench? Tell me or....." he drew a dagger and menaced her with it, "I will carve the truth out of you."

Darius shook his head as he drew his sword and flicked it across the man's hand, making him drop the dagger, drawing some blood. "Not nice to threaten a lady good sir." The second man began to draw his sword and Darius wagged a finger at him. "You are not good enough." He stopped and waited.

She frowned a little at them “Take a seat, if you wish to talk about something for all you know it could have been someone else” she said keeping calm her eyes closing as she spoke. Snapping open when she was pushed back dropping the glasses on her tray along with the drink inside them, which was coming out of her pay now, She just sighed “Please sirs, calm down, I did not do such a thing, why would I risk the only job that I have for a small amount-” she froze when the dagger was menaced at her and withdrew herself back the tray she carried drinks on held in front of her.

She watched as Darius seemed to get himself involved she did not speak a word just staying withdrawn hugging the tray to herself even though it was no form of protection form the dagger. The first man looked pulling his hand back and glaring at Darius when he made him drop the dagger it stung a little and gave an annoyed growling sound. “Why defend the wench, she still has the blood on her finger and I do not see any cut”
“I was helping the chef with the food earlier I must’ve forgotten to wash my hands of the pig’s blood” she said, that was actually true she had been helping the chef earlier.
“You lying wench” he snapped drawing his own sword and attacking Darius since he was in the way, lashing out without any care and violently catching him every now and then, an angry look on his face. “Why defend her she’s a wench nothing will come of her lose?"

The Inn keeper came over looking to Lilith and clapped his hands "Gentlemen I assure you that none of the wenches here carry poison or sleeping drugs in this Inn"
"Then we'll do a search"
"I am afraid that is out of the question people are sleeping and it is not polite to intrude on their sleep, now then Lilith clean up this mess before anyone steps on the glass or slips over" he said sternly.
"Yes, Inn Keeper" she said giving a little curtsee as she tucked the dress under her knees and carefully picked the glass up careful not to cut her fingers on the glass quickly putting them on her tray.

Darius chuckled as the man asked why he defended the woman. "Well now sir, I take it that you are no gentleman then as you threaten a defenceless woman with a dagger and accuse her of doing something she has told you she did not do."

As he drew his sword Darius laughed and with a couple swift moves had him disarmed. He shook his head. "Not very good at guarding your employer and I can see not to good with the sword as well. No wonder someone got to him with poor guards as you." he placed the point of his sword at the mans throat as the Inn Keeper moved in to intervene. The man's eyes were wide and now filled with fear. As the Innkeeper gave the woman instructions Darius grinned. "I guess I got here to late to. I imagine this is why your employer sent for me. If I had been on the job, he would not be dead now." he pressed the tip of the blade a bit more against the mans skin. "Because of your incompetence, I now out of a nice sum of money."

At that time the same squad of Musketeers reentered the Tavern and Looked over at Darius. "What now?" their leader asked.

Darius sighed. "Just defending the honor of a damsel in distress good sir." he nodded to Lilith. "This one was threatening her with a dagger." he kicked the dagger towards the Musketeers. "He claims she drugged them, which made them fall asleep, which caused their employer to be murdered. I think they just fell asleep on the job."

The Musketeer looked over at Lilith and grinned. "Well now I can see why you came to her defense." he moved forward and with a gloved finger pushed the blade from the man's throat. "We will handle it from here sir. We will take these two with us for questioning. Baron Marques has indeed been murdered this night." he looked at the man before Darius and the other man. "Come with us." he ordered them and the other Musketeers moved forward to take them with them. Their leader gave Darius a slight bow and a grin, and left with his men and the two men.

Resheathing his sword he shook his head. "Interesting town this is. Not here but a couple hours and already crossing swords with someone twice." he chuckled. He looked at Lilith then made his way to the stairs that lead up to his room.

Lilith did not speak much after that her gaze wondering to them every now and then as she listened to them all, she was glad she had finished her target off before he had got there otherwise she figured she would be in a lot of trouble. She finished picking the glass up taking it back over to the counter, once she got her pay the next day she would get her armour repaired and move from here before any suspected anything. She had only been there a short while but to her it was far too long.

In truth she wasn’t completely unarmed having hidden small dagger tied to her thigh under her dress, she didn’t really go many places unarmed anymore. Before he left she stood up “I thank you good sir for your help on this matter and I wish you a good night” she said pecking his cheek softly to thank him. She did feel sorry for him though, she had just killed the man he was hired by and had just defended her against people telling them she hadn’t done something she actually had.

She re-tied her ponytail back up and flicked it over her shoulder when he left having to continue with the long night of drunks. When her shift finished she lay on her bed exhausted and changed into her more comfortable clothes for the night in order to finally rest looking at the money she had gained, she could get her broken hidden blade fixed. Blacksmith’s prices had been raised recently although she only needed to get weapons repaired once a blue moon her armour was a different story. Placing the bag of money in a draw she rested that night.

The next morning she took the armour and blade to blacksmiths, saying she’d pay once she received her money the next day and headed back. She spent most of her day working as usual; they received their money a day early due to the Inn Keeper’s good mood. She smiled perfect I can leave tonight she thought.

That was what she did after paying off the blacksmith and collecting her light armour and blade she prepared her horse for travel in her dress. Checking the saddle and saddle bags, He snorted scuffing the ground “Calm down boy, we’ll be out of here tonight, I promise” she whispered to her stallion. She was soon ready to go herself and jumped onto her horses back clicking her tounge he moved forward into the dark paths of the night her hood covering her face. She still felt rather sorry for Darius though, if they figured things out anyway.

She made camp later on making a small campfire and leaning back using the saddle as something to rest on as she stared at the sky, her deep blue eyes jsut gazing into the night sky sighing a little.

Darius awoke in the morning feeling much better. A soft bed was a lot better then the hard ground. But the problem still existed. He was without employment. The town itself would not provide any thing that would intrest him. The Baron had come from Paris to meet him there. Darius guessed that he had hoped to outwit his enemies and hire him. He had done similar work for a couple other nobles some time back and had been highly recommended.

He kind of enjoyed the work. There was no one bossing him around, no set hours persay, no idiot captain or whatever trying to tell him how to do his job. That was what he liked. He sighed as he got dressed and buckled on his sword and dagger. He needed no armor as it cramped his style and he figured if there was one better then him with the sword, then it did not matter. But he had to find work and that meant going on to Paris where there would probably be an open market for his trade.

He came downstairs and had a taven wench prepare him some food to go. He went to the stable and got his horse and saddled it. The stable boy for the Inn had taken good care of her and he gave the sleepy eyed lad some coins that was much more then what he would have normaly received. The weight of the coins and number woke the boy up and he stared at them and then at Darius. "Should I pass through this way again lad, I will expect the same good service that you have provided." he tussled the boys hair and mounted up and rode out of town.

It was a long journey to Paris, a good week or more. He removed the two pistols from his saddlebags and placed them in their holdsters on the saddle. It was always good to be prepared for anything. With the times being a bit hard, with the King taking in almost everything to supply his army, thieves abounded. He made camp by a stream and cut a branch from a tree and trimmed it. He attached a length of strong line to it and tied a hook and a lead weight to it. He sat on the bank of the stream his back against a tree and put a piece of meat on the hook and let it sink into the water.

He rested there for the night and the next day. He planned to continue on the next day, but heard the arrival of another horse some ways down the stream. Soon enough a fire was started and he grinned. Picking up some of the freshly caught fish of the day he headed over to the camp fire to offer its occupant or occupants a good meal. As he came with in sight of who was at the campfire he stopped and raised a brow. "Well now, one should never judge a book by its cover." he spoke up.

Having closed her eyes she drifted for a bit only woken up by the whinny of her horse snapping her eyes open she sat up her hood resting on her back as she turned around, cursing a little to herself, she should’ve checked the area a little more. She did not speak for a little bit as she simply stood up and went to calm her horse down, she looked to him “It appears so, may I ask why you have come to my camp?” she said politely, she might be a blade for hire but she was by no means impolite to others without a valid reason.

She kept her hidden blades on her hands hidden beneath her cloak in silence, simply watching his reaction carefully. She noticed the fish but did not speak a word once more, she never did speak very much fi she could help it. Giving a light sigh she went back to her fire and tossed firewood on it to keep it going always watching how much was emitted from the flame. She was glad the nights were not as cold as she thought. Her stallion stood over the saddlebags like he had been trained and also would not let anyone btu Lilith take them from under him, snorting at Darius a little as he went back to grazing.

Her light armour lay on the lower branches of a strong tree as she rested, but for armour it was rather perculiar, much different to other armour usually seen, a bit old fashoined but also seemed to have been made for her by someone since it fitted her nicely when it was worn as well as her white clothes underneath the black cloak she usually wore.

(found a good pic...so I put it up, it's mostly of just her clothes though)

He moved into the lit area of her camp, eying her horse as it acted up some at his presence. "Well I thought I would be neighborly and offer the occupents of the camp some fish for dinner." he told her. "Since I have already ate and didn't want such good fare to go to waste."

He looked over at the light armor on the tree branch and chuckled. "Well now, I see that the two men were not off target after all." he looked at Lilith shaking his head, "You know you cost me a job and probably a pretty good amount of coin. My sword is not cheap by no means." he laid the fish down on a large rock that made up part of the camp fire. They had been cleaned and gutted and just needed to be cooked.

"So who paid you to do in the Baron?" he asked her, "I know he had a few enemies that didn't like what he stood for, and he was one of the King's most staunchess supporters." The Baron had not, from what he could determine, been a bad sort. Thought of himself as a ladies man but that was not a crime or what all men really thought of themselves. One that stood with the king and now was dead, seemed to bode ill in Darius' mind.

“Well I am sorry, I have not receive many jobs for a while so I took what I could get, I need to get my armour repaired, it was his wife who paid me though, sent one of her guards to give me the money the day he died” she said simply not caring much of what anyone thought anymore. “He cheated on her apparently, got paid quite well for that job.” She muttered.
She sighed “here let me” she said taking the fish from him and preparing it cooking it over the fire as she had been taught so many times by travellers that she had joined over the nights she spent on the road.

She lay herself back once more to stare at the sky as the fish cooked, only moving to pick the fish up and eat some “Although I would like to thank you for the fish and for at the Inn, for what you said was true if they were no so incompetent he would still be alive now” she said simply and licked her lips a little thinking before she took a bite from one of the fish. She had heard about other jobs elsewhere some which paid a lot in Pairs, that was where a few of the lords and ladies were at the moment as well.

“Guessing you’re now heading to Paris, loads of jobs there a few that pay more than the one you just lost and lords are very particular when it comes to mercenaries even more so if their women, everyone seems to doubt the ability to complete what is requested of them” she muttered half talking to herself.

Darius took a seat by a tree and leaned up against it. "Ahhhhh well you win some you lose some. Would have been interesting to see what would have happened if I had been there instead of those two." he grinned. "The wife paid for him to be murdered. " he shook his head, "You would have thought that she might have welcomed another woman to help keep her husband happy." he chuckled. It was usually the man that was enraged when the wife cheated, not the other way around.

He watched her eat some of the fish and he nodded as she asked if he was heading to Paris. "Well there should be plenty of work there." he told her. "But I am a bit choosey on the type of work I take." He grinned again when she talked about the lords being particular on who the chose. "Well who would expect a woman to be one in this profession."

“Well, one should always expect the unexpected” she said simply sitting cross legged by the fire as she ate some of the fish knowing she could store some if she wanted to. She tied back her hair once more and pulled her hood up mostly out of habit if anything; stretching her arms a little above her head after some point and lay back down with her head on the saddle to go to sleep soon. “Also I know there are plenty of lords that pay far more for mercenaries that carry swords that that one you just lost, you weren’t going to be paid even half of what I got just for killing him and if they'd have sniffed their drinks in the first place they would've noticed the poison”

“Some women are just like that I guess, I can’t be bothered with such things only ends up in tears and heartbreak” she said bluntly staring back up to the sky after she’d put some of the fish away, cross her ankles as her thoughts took over from her letting them travel deep within her mind speaking a few more words "and if your too picky then you have no chance of finding much work" Standing up she moved to get a drink from the river, taking her horse with her letting the horse gulp at the water as she cupped some in her hands. "Thank you for defending me though, and for the fish meal of course, may I ask your name?" she asked simply looking over her shoulder "You already know mine, good sir" one thing she had not lied about was her personailty, she just usually didn't show that side of her very much.

She sighed "I truely am sorry you lost your work, a lord in Paris who lives near the centre is offering a fair price for protection, Iheard its good pay, but not a job that I can take and this time I'm not the one taking him down either before you ask" stretching her arms above her head she wanted to rest for her long travels the next day, her horse already sleeping at the edge of the dense forest. Eventually however she did just go to her saddle bags and pulled off an old blanket to keep herself warm and settled herself sleeping within the shadows silently until morning In which she was early to get up and prepared herself and her horse for travelling.

It took a good week of travel to get to Paris and was tired from the travelling began to look for an Inn to stay at while she remained here. Leading her horse with her as he carried her saddle bags "We'll find a place to rest in a mintue don't be so restless" she said tugging the reins lightly and then walked forward leading her horse with her once more. There were plenty of offers for jobs mostly for sword carrying mercharies not for a female assassin. She pulled her horses reins and cursed annoyed under her breath.