farsickness | (no subject)

WHO: Renfri + OPEN
WHEN: 2nd half of June
WHAT: Buying a horse. Also general poking around town, feel free to wildcard
WHERE: Gazin

After several weeks in Gazin, Renfri has pretty much convinced herself that the town is no elaborate illusion of Stregobor's. Even for him, keeping up such a large-scale illusion for weeks on end seems like too much. If nothing else, he should have tired of toying with her by now and gone for the kill.

So it looks like she has really been saved by the bell. Or something of the sort, not that she thinks she had needed saving, strictly, she'd had a plan and it would have worked just fine if everyone else played along.

Life is coming along quite nicely, while she hasn't found reliable work yet she is doing well enough by selling out her sword hand for a day here and there - she's never had much luck returning to any kind of settled, orderly life anyway, not since it was first taken from her. There's always someone needing a sword to accompany them into the forest or an innkeeper needing an extra bouncer on the busier nights, or just some hunting to be done.

She may be found poking around town, trying to learn more about the lay of the land in various taverns or talking to the merchants asking for another transport which she could escort - she wouldn't mind going back to robbing them, either, but that needs a reliable crew.

Or she can be found by the stables, getting into an ever more heated argument right there on the street with the man who had introduced himself as the town's best horse breeder and trying not to stab him.

"That's a joke, right?!" she demands, getting distinctly louder now. "Do you think I've got money to waste? That horse isn't even worth half of what you want for her!"

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"Renfri," Merlan murmurs, casually interjecting herself right into the middle of this. "Would you be interested in the seller I purchased Thunder from? Fair pricing, able to take smaller payments for travellers like us, unlike some in this place. She's a good sort and has a small bit of land for the ones she isn't advertising. Better deals."

She doesn't give a crap what this loser is trying to sell. It's probably not good enough for Renfri and Merlan's got words to say about that.

Renfri turns to Merlan with relief, glad to be interrupted before she truly loses her temper and may say or do something she would come to regret - even if only for the trouble it would cause her in this place where she has been readily accepted so far.

"I would like that," she says, pointedly ignoring the man who is now puffing himself up in indignation. She turns fully towards Merlan. "Would you take me there? Thunder is one of the finest horses I've seen around here and at home, too."

"Brilliant," she says with a grin. "I know his sire and dam have a few siblings, at least one filly, and one she's been training up the same way I've been with Thunder. They're twins, the only pair she's had since she's started breeding war horses."

Ha ha. Stupid trader. No one fucks with Merlan's friends. Just a little magic and the tiny hole developing in the man's seat of his pants split embarrassingly as he straightens even further. It's loud and oh-so noticeable. She smiles at Renfri very sweetly.

Renfri may not be making a show of it but she does notice the effects of that little petty spell and her lips twitch.

"Nice work," she murmurs to Merlan as she steps closer to her, then adds louder, as if she hadn't noticed anything, "That sounds like the perfect place for me to go looking for a horse then. I'll need a sturdy, fearless horse since I'm planning to take it into Vasari Forest, or exploring beyond the forest."

There's a bright look that sticks around in Merlan's expression for a bit. Hell yes, praise is a pretty thing from Renfri. It nets her a quick wink.

"Most definitely," Merlan says with a solemn nod. "It's not far. I'm sure Thunder would be thrilled to see you again, my lady, and we are going that way."

Apparently, that's her nickname and that's that. Renfri gets all Merlan's courtesy (and not teasingly either) as the Knightly mage she has turned out to be. Besmirch her honor to your doom, ser. She pays the merchant no mind because gods she doesn't even want to look back at his ass drooping out of drawers like a...a...blobfish.

What an eldritch horror.

What a horror indeed, but Renfri who takes a certain cruel joy in horrors and vengeance does throw a good look or two back at the merchant who is finally noticing his mishap now.

Her steps are a little lighter now and she shakes her head in slight amusement. "Magic used to defend my honor, who would have thought I'd ever see the day," she says, her voice wry. It wouldn't do to let on that it truly feels nice to have someone outside her group of brigands take her side. Not that she doesn't know by now that Merlan would and will, it's just... It's different knowing and seeing it time and again.

"Let's visit Thunder then," she says, clearing her throat. No, it wouldn't do to let on how much she cares.