118th of Vhalar
Evening
Four in Hand
It looked like the weather didn't agree with the fact that Ronan was in desperate need of money. The layer of snow that covered Scalvoris was a definite herald that Zi'da was nearing. Ronan had a brisk pace going through the snow towards the seedier part of town where the Four in Hand was located. He seemed quite keen on getting there, his pace an energetic trudge through the snow. After all, tonight was his first fight night of the season. If everything went according to plan, perhaps it would be his first fight night of a very lucrative career in Scalvoris. His mind wandered back a few trials when he'd met with the owner of the Four in Hand for the first time.
The trial after they'd met in a more appropriate setting. At first the blonde haired, blue skinned woman had been stubborn in her denial of his request but his show of strength the night before and the fact that she was most likely just as interested in making money as he was had worn her down somewhat. In the end Ronan had agreed on keeping only a tenth of the first fight wins and that future fights would have to be negotiated in advance. He saw it more as an investment than a loss for now. If his share didn't grow over time, however, he wasn't sure if he could keep it up. Perhaps waiting until the night was done and he'd seen just how much a tenth was was the better option for now.
The door to the Four in Hand opened just as easily as the last time he was here. His greeting, however, wasn't one of lost coin and bad food but voices buzzing all over each other, excitement and placing bets. Ronan pulled the door close behind him and made a mental not to get himself a proper winter cloak once he got paid. He rubbed his arms quickly and shook what little snow had fallen from his shoulders and hair. The Four in Hand looked the same as always, except for the buzz. Ronan walked up to the bar and motioned for an ale to Mixie, once again on duty. "Anida said to come to the back as soon as you got here." Ronan nodded and left the bar without the warmth of alcohol in his body. He walked through the establishment and out the door near the back.
The warmth of the place only lasted a moment as he stepped back out in the cold. The back of the Four in Hand seemed to be some sort of a courtyard or perhaps a wide, dead-end alley. A very nice location for a brawl. A rather rudimentary cloth or sail had been pulled between four pieces of wood and now covered an area of the ground where the snow hadn't fallen as much. It was still very cold, too cold, but Ronan had to admit that it did look like a ring of some sort, a dirty, seedy, most-likely-to-get-stabbed-in ring but a ring none the less. Anida looked up from the conversation she was having with the man in front of her and waved him over. "Ready for your first fight then?" She seemed a little less frigid than the first time he'd been here. "It's not my first fight." That he was big and strong was undeniable, that he was a veteran arena fighter with several decades of experience under his belt didn't seem to get through to her.
"Quite a crowd in there. I hope they'll all fit without standing in the ring." She pulled her own scarves and cloak closer around her. "Let's get you inside and introduce you to all these gamblers." Ronan followed her back inside. He had no idea what the plan was from here on in until he got into the ring so he simply followed the woman. As he walked back in with Anida in front of him, more eyes were on him than before. There was a certain tension in the air, as if people could feel that things were about to start, that they were about to witness the birth of a new and amazing sport for them to enjoy. Anida seemed to sense it as well or had simply planned on doing this from the very start, he didn't know, but she pulled one of the empty chairs up and stood up on it, finally managing to come on an eye level with Ronan who stood next to her.
"Alright, you lot. You've waited long enough, right? Tonight, for the first time in the Four in Hand and probably in Scalvoris, we're having ourselves a good all battle of the fists. Now, I know you're all here to see a good fight and probably a lot of blood as well but what you're all really here for is money! So before you go and place any bets that you might regret later or forget about in the heat of the bout, let me introduce you to tonight's fighters. This way you can arrange all your bets before the fighting begins. Not to worry though. Those of you that aren't sure yet after this, the bets will remain open until the final blow is landed. That said, the longer you wait, the less you'll make of your bet." There were various shouts of encouragement from the crowd throughout her speech and Ronan had to admit that the owner of the Four in Hand knew her clientele quite well.
The system she had put in place also wasn't something to scoff at, especially considering she'd only had 3 trials to come up with it. "So, without keeping you any further... Let me introduce you to tonight's fighters!" The Four in Hand exploded with cheers as she looked over the group of people. To call it a crowd would be a disservice to the crowds back home in the arena but the twenty odd people in here were definitely into this whole fight betting idea. "Mixie!" Anida shouted over the crowd and pointed towards one of the many doors leading behind the bar. The small, friendly and somewhat aloof girl piped up from her job and disappeared within the door, coming out a moment later followed by another individual.
Evening
Four in Hand
It looked like the weather didn't agree with the fact that Ronan was in desperate need of money. The layer of snow that covered Scalvoris was a definite herald that Zi'da was nearing. Ronan had a brisk pace going through the snow towards the seedier part of town where the Four in Hand was located. He seemed quite keen on getting there, his pace an energetic trudge through the snow. After all, tonight was his first fight night of the season. If everything went according to plan, perhaps it would be his first fight night of a very lucrative career in Scalvoris. His mind wandered back a few trials when he'd met with the owner of the Four in Hand for the first time.
The trial after they'd met in a more appropriate setting. At first the blonde haired, blue skinned woman had been stubborn in her denial of his request but his show of strength the night before and the fact that she was most likely just as interested in making money as he was had worn her down somewhat. In the end Ronan had agreed on keeping only a tenth of the first fight wins and that future fights would have to be negotiated in advance. He saw it more as an investment than a loss for now. If his share didn't grow over time, however, he wasn't sure if he could keep it up. Perhaps waiting until the night was done and he'd seen just how much a tenth was was the better option for now.
The door to the Four in Hand opened just as easily as the last time he was here. His greeting, however, wasn't one of lost coin and bad food but voices buzzing all over each other, excitement and placing bets. Ronan pulled the door close behind him and made a mental not to get himself a proper winter cloak once he got paid. He rubbed his arms quickly and shook what little snow had fallen from his shoulders and hair. The Four in Hand looked the same as always, except for the buzz. Ronan walked up to the bar and motioned for an ale to Mixie, once again on duty. "Anida said to come to the back as soon as you got here." Ronan nodded and left the bar without the warmth of alcohol in his body. He walked through the establishment and out the door near the back.
The warmth of the place only lasted a moment as he stepped back out in the cold. The back of the Four in Hand seemed to be some sort of a courtyard or perhaps a wide, dead-end alley. A very nice location for a brawl. A rather rudimentary cloth or sail had been pulled between four pieces of wood and now covered an area of the ground where the snow hadn't fallen as much. It was still very cold, too cold, but Ronan had to admit that it did look like a ring of some sort, a dirty, seedy, most-likely-to-get-stabbed-in ring but a ring none the less. Anida looked up from the conversation she was having with the man in front of her and waved him over. "Ready for your first fight then?" She seemed a little less frigid than the first time he'd been here. "It's not my first fight." That he was big and strong was undeniable, that he was a veteran arena fighter with several decades of experience under his belt didn't seem to get through to her.
"Quite a crowd in there. I hope they'll all fit without standing in the ring." She pulled her own scarves and cloak closer around her. "Let's get you inside and introduce you to all these gamblers." Ronan followed her back inside. He had no idea what the plan was from here on in until he got into the ring so he simply followed the woman. As he walked back in with Anida in front of him, more eyes were on him than before. There was a certain tension in the air, as if people could feel that things were about to start, that they were about to witness the birth of a new and amazing sport for them to enjoy. Anida seemed to sense it as well or had simply planned on doing this from the very start, he didn't know, but she pulled one of the empty chairs up and stood up on it, finally managing to come on an eye level with Ronan who stood next to her.
"Alright, you lot. You've waited long enough, right? Tonight, for the first time in the Four in Hand and probably in Scalvoris, we're having ourselves a good all battle of the fists. Now, I know you're all here to see a good fight and probably a lot of blood as well but what you're all really here for is money! So before you go and place any bets that you might regret later or forget about in the heat of the bout, let me introduce you to tonight's fighters. This way you can arrange all your bets before the fighting begins. Not to worry though. Those of you that aren't sure yet after this, the bets will remain open until the final blow is landed. That said, the longer you wait, the less you'll make of your bet." There were various shouts of encouragement from the crowd throughout her speech and Ronan had to admit that the owner of the Four in Hand knew her clientele quite well.
The system she had put in place also wasn't something to scoff at, especially considering she'd only had 3 trials to come up with it. "So, without keeping you any further... Let me introduce you to tonight's fighters!" The Four in Hand exploded with cheers as she looked over the group of people. To call it a crowd would be a disservice to the crowds back home in the arena but the twenty odd people in here were definitely into this whole fight betting idea. "Mixie!" Anida shouted over the crowd and pointed towards one of the many doors leading behind the bar. The small, friendly and somewhat aloof girl piped up from her job and disappeared within the door, coming out a moment later followed by another individual.
