• Closed • [Andaris Library] The Search Begins

[Eir]

Arc 717th

Cylus,10th Trial, Andaris Library

The Yaralon Mercenary had found his time to shine. After several Trials were spent meandering from one part of Andaris to the other. Little time was spent actively figuring out just where he was going to be, while in Andaris. It wasn't entirely awful, at least. Eir was able to survive on what he was given. But the Mercenary needed more, he needed to make a name for himself. Thankfully, there was a bounty board, with a particular bounty in mind. Verity Philt. A girl just eight Arcs old, yet she was already off to who knows where. The library of Andaris was good place to start to figure out if she might have just snuck off to hide in there.

Despite the absence of the sun, Eir was able to find his way to the library, after spending several bits roaming into the wrong places. The library doors are pushed open, as the mercenary makes his way inside. The fur cloak is draped across his shoulders, the withered leather fasten to his torso, keeping his arms and torso warm. He was, at least, dressed and ready for the long winter of Cylus. His lantern was currently lit, kept on his waist while dangling from the clasp of his belt. Thick leather boots press against the floor, as the Yaralon man wanders his way into the library. "All this for books? They must be valuable..." The wide-eyed mercenary takes a moment to breathe in the aged covers of books made from various types of leather. Eventually, Eir finds his way towards the front desk, taking a glance around, before his eyes fall upon the bell.

Both his hands are placed onto the ledge, eyes scanning his general vicinity, to see people coming and going. But his hazel eyes were drawn to the bell. He had never seen such a device, curiosity gripping his being, as he eyes it with an intent to ring it to see what could possibly happen. Gloved fingers tap against the wooden counter, as Eir contemplates ringing the bell in rapid succession. Eventually, his left palm taps the bell, a 'Ding!' resounding from the front desk, before several 'Dings!' ring out shortly after the first. The bell was rang no further than four times, within three trills. The echoing sound of metal clanging still clung to his ear drums, as the mercenary resigns to waiting patiently, for some aid.

[Edalene]

x
Her teeth chattering, Eda pulled her coat ever closer in the hopes that she could keep the Cylus weather from seeping into her bones. She stepped up the frozen steps to the Andaris library, respite from the chill closer with every step.

As a rule, Eda only left the Rynmere University Library to head home, especially in the colder months, but she had been sent on an errand by her supervisor. She was tasked with recording a passage from Gawyne's work; but from the original manuscript. Of course, the Rynmere University Library had copies, but Edalene, as Assistant Researcher only, was sent on the arduous task of confirming the accuracy of these transcriptions. She had left her work reluctantly, wishing to stay not only inside the warmth of the university, but to stay with her research and her work - but at the bottom of the totem pole, Eda had to do as her supervisors commanded. She had left gracefully, accepting the task - but of course, befitting the precocious nineteen year old, had rather a tantrum as she pulled on her coat, not at all keen to step out into the freezing weather that awaited her.

Stamping the snow from her boots, Eda hastened inside, glad of the burst of warmth that greeted her as she stepped into the library. She glanced around; yes, the building was stunning, old and grand and filled with knowledge, but she was of course rather partial to her library - not this imposter's one. (Perhaps, she was overreacting just a little.) She walked up to counter, where she knew the bell to be, but there was a man already there - frustrating. She would be delayed while the staff dealt with whatever small request this man had.

He was tall, with tanned skin and pierced ears, and his hair was pulled into a long flowing braid - almost as long as Edalene's herself. She approached, still shivering, and went to stand beside him, observing the empty desk. "Still waiting, hey?" she asked, looking around to see if there were any staff nearby. They seemed to be alone. "Must be the cold. Seems to make everything go slower. Who wants to move in this kind of weather?" Shivering, she pulled the coat closer around herself, but removed her gloves to allow her blue fingers to warm up. Bringing them up in a cupped shape to her mouth, she blew on them - trying to restore any warmth at all.

[/align]

[Eir]

Eir immediately turns around, getting his bearings of his surrounding. His eyes are soon lowered, to take note of the Assistant Researcher before him. Despite her lack of familiarity with the Cylus chills, her pallid skin reminded him of snow. But the most noticed part about her, was how thin she appeared. Almost, as if she hadn't been eating. The Yaralon man reaches into his bag, to offer what little food that he had on him. "Here, eat this."

The bread is placed onto the counter, wrapped in a napkin, before he returns to smile. "I still have to move in this weather, unfortunately. I'm a traveling mercenary, but... I'm more comfortable in the spring and summer seasons." An aside mention, in case his tanned skin did not note from where his origins laid. Eir's right hand is extended, to offer courtesy, as well as the warmth of his gloven palm. "I'm Eir Crestwind, I was still waiting, but... You seem handy with knowing what all this is." His hand gestures towards the books, the stair cases, as well as the various levels in which books are kept. It was all new to him. The grandeur of Andaris' library escaped the mind of one use to only fighting and labor. "I was hoping you'd be able to help me with finding a book."

Eir takes a moment, tapping his chin with his other hand, index finger just below the bottom lip. "I need a map of Rynmere and Andaris. If I'm going to be staying here for a while, I'm going to need to know where I'm going." Working in a foreign land was one thing. Working in a foreign land with no hint of direction was adding on artificial difficulty to the tasks he'd accept. "I'm on the hunt for a missing girl. I'm not an expert tracker or, a tracker in general... But, there is a good amount of gold in it." There might be more to it than originally thought, but the mercenary didn't seem to let the thought bother him, remaining calm, a bit cold, but calm all the same.

[Edalene]

x
Edalene blinked, leaning back from the counter as he reached into his bag, and pulled out - bread. A strange offering. Tentatively, she reached out her hand and took the soft dough, perhaps a little hardened and stale from the winter chill. Edalene swallowed, unsure what to do with this, and pocketed the wrapped bread into her satchel.

"Uh... thank you, I suppose," she said, nodding her head as if she were grateful. Really, she was just confused by what this strong man was doing handing out bread to strange girls. Was this something he always did? Shaking her head, she took his hand, matching his grip with a firm handshake of her own. "Lovely to meet you, Eir Crestwind. I'm Edalene Burnett."

"With all this?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as Eir swept his hand in the general direction of the entire library. "Not a frequenter of libraries, then?" With a glance around to see if any of the workers at the library would come to the bell, she started walking towards the stacks, beckoning him to accompany her with a crook of her fingers. Her work could wait - she was not in any hurry to be done, anyway, as it would mean stepping back out into the freezing chill.

"The maps are this way. Rynmere is a big place, however, and maps won't give you topographical details on the level you'll need." She walked into the maps section; always kept separate from the rest of the fiction and non-fiction. Scrolls upon scrolls filled the shelves, some yellowed with age, some looking impossibly old. "First, where in Rynmere do you think she might be? That will tell us which map you need." Edalene looked to Eir expectantly.

[Eir]

Despite the winter chill, the bread was still somewhat soft, but had hardened the majority of its being from the Cylus winter. Still, it'd make for a nice snack break, despite its questionable age within the belongings of the mercenary. Libraries were not something he'd find, let alone a book in pristine condition. The line of work Eir has found himself in tend to stray several miles and yards away from libraries. That is, until he ended up on Rynmere. A moment is taken, to recognize the importance of the library's size, before Edalene's crooking finger seizes his attention.

"Libraries are not something mercenaries exactly find themselves in... Unless, they're in new territory." Eir felt no shame in admitting his lack of familiarity with the lands of Rynmere."A topo-what?" The academics were one of his many short-comings. But the Yaralon man soon expresses his desire to know more, given the circumstances. "I just need a map to point me in the right direction, is all. A map that has an accurate description of trees and paths would be very helpful." Eir follows behind Edalene, before they soon come upon their destination: The map section of the library. A palm is pressed to his chin, eyes focused upon the various scrolls that were neatly stacked before him. Eir gathered his thoughts, before turning back towards her.

"They claim she had gotten into a bit of trouble on the way home and might have run off somewhere. They told me she had just come from the Bread Basket. She stopped by there, others told her she was seen running towards the lower part of town. They told me that Verity loves looking at the horses with her uncle. So, I'm going to look around for clues, check the bakery and then the stables."
Although, it sounded like Eir might need to borrow a map or two, rather than take a peek and return it. His attention is soon upon the scrolls, a finger pointed out towards the more recently created maps.

"I might end up making a second or third trip here. You wouldn't mind if I borrow these, would you?" They were not his to keep, theft was far from his mind. But the Cylus weather, in addition to being a foreign entity, meant Eir's odds of looping about was going to be staggeringly high. The mercenary turns away from the scrolls and towards Edalene, preferring she pluck the required scrolls out, rather than he himself pulling indiscriminately. "The map Andaris would be nice. Where the bakery and stables are, please." Eir gradually smiles, having remembered his manners, despite the biting chills.

[Edalene]

x
"New territory?" Edalene asked as she led Eir to the maps at the back of the stacks. "New to Andaris, then, or is this a repeat visit? How did you find yourself here?" Perhaps an impertinent question - particularly of a mercenary, whose very deeds of blood and gore lined the pages of the texts she so diligently studied.

"Topographical," she repeated, coming to the stacks. "It's detail on a map. They don't just say where the paths and trees are, but lines, called contours, can show you where hills and streams are, and how steep they might be." Edalene tried to explain patiently, but she had never been a teacher. She was much more used to explaining events through writing. Sometimes her words could be laboured and frustrated, especially - and she would never admit this aloud - when she was speaking to those who were more ... uneducated than she. "I can find you a map that you might need. But have you never used a map like this? With those details? I would have thought you had, given your line of work." Perhaps her tone was a bit rude, but when she had offered to help, she had not realised just how much work she would have to do. Her fingers itched for higher brow work, but she had thrown her lot in with Eir - at least for now.

She thought carefully as she listened to Eir. Edalene might have been a little too quick to judge. Perhaps he was not particularly skilled at cartography, but he certainly seemed to have a talent for detective work. "Yes," she said, nodding, scanning the shelves until she came to some of the more recent ones. "Aha!" She pulled a map out, smaller, more compact - rather like something a traveller would use. "Here." Edalene passed the map to Eir. "This is a map of the local businesses and locales of Andaris. It's fairly new, about three arcs, so it should have most of what you are looking for."

Borrow? She raised her eyebrow. "Oh, I don't work here. I work at the university. I've just come here for some manuscripts." She glanced back to the desk, but alas, it was still unattended. "You can borrow here, but there is a late fee if you do not return the manuscripts on time. Although, you are more than welcome to stay here and work." She looked at Eir, patiently. "Was there anything else you were looking for? I've lived here all my life. Perhaps I could help some more."

[Eir]

The mercenary life did little to afford Eir any academics, despite the level of intellects he encounters when finding work. Topographical only keeps him thrown for a loop when it came to understanding what she meant precisely. But, the Yaralon mercenary snaps his attention back to the question brought up. He smiles, arms tucked inwards, to keep his hands warm against fabric and skin."Yes, new to Andaris as a whole, really." His eyes follow Edalene's hands. Though momentarily distracted, he regains his focus and train of thought. "I sailed across the sea, from Scalvoris, when it was still under the Pirate Lords. I came here thanks to a former employer, Tirta. We arrived at the docks and from there, we parted ways. I haven't seen her since... It's been many Trials by now."

Despite Edalene's struggle to explain topography to the academically-ignorant Eir, he did not seem too particularly troubled, but the idea of maps with such purpose did not evade him. "They only pay me for standing around and to look intimidating, as well as to fight if one occurs." Eir raises both shoulders into a shrug, softly shaking his head at the idea of a merchant wanting to let him see any type of map. "I mostly travel with merchants through cities. Then, I stay for a bit. Then leave with the next merchant going off to where ever." It was the prospect of adventure that got him. Though, learning maps might be beneficial, if he intends to keep his line of work flowing. The map scroll that is handed over is taken, cautiously scanning the parchment, despite the dark. His lantern is unhooked from his side, bringing it up to take some of the burden off of his eyesight.

"Thank you, Edalene. I hope you don't mind, but I should reward you for your help. Mercenary or not, good help is not something people are able to find." The map is tucked neatly away into the confines of his travel bag. But, there was still more to discuss. The talk of late fees did catch his attention, but there was no need to hold onto the parchments for anything longer than a cycle, or so he hoped. But before Eir could settle on that thought, the mention of 'work' stirred fire in his blood. Work meant pay, pay meant food and drinks. The singular goal of acquiring Nel was an easy read, when someone so much as mentioned a potential job. His hazel eyes dart to Edalene, both his palms rubbing together as a smile forms on his face. "I could do some work here, yeah. I could help make sure the books aren't stolen... I can throw out some rowdy readers. I can even collect late-fees--" The more he speaks of such a line of work in the library, the more it dawns on him that it might not be what Edalene meant. "Err... That is, if this place needs that type of protection...

Or something...

"

His attention soon returns to Edalene with a smile, as a tour was offered. The less likely he got lost in Andaris, the less likely he'd have to borrow maps for aid. "An inn and a blacksmith would be nice... I need somewhere to sleep that isn't the wagon I brought. It doesn't do a whole lot of good in this weather." Eir's left hand is soon upon the sword at his side, slowly drawing it, as to not startle Edalene with the idea that he's out to harm her. The blade still shines, reflecting the light of the embers within his lantern. From the mere glee on his face was enough to tell of Eir's deep affection for the sword. "I need to keep this sword in good shape. It is my heritage and my means of getting a job as a Mercenary. I'd offer to let you hold it but... Well..." Eir takes one long look at Edalene's arms, a moment of silence taken as he sheathes the longsword. "But, that aside... I should head to the bakery first. I'd be more than willing for you to show me to the inn before I do, though."

[Edalene]

x
Edalene looked bewildered as Eir rambled on. Protecting the library, enforcing late fines... none of this was what she had meant at all. "Oh, err," she trailed off, blushing. "I more meant work, as in, do some study or research of the maps. We have the city guards, you see, who enforce that kind of thing for us." She fumbled a little bit, hoping she had not offended the man. "Sorry..."

She watched with wide eyes as Eir drew the sword, glancing around to see the attendants. "Yes, uh, I understand. Keeping a sword like that in shape must be very important." Still, there were no attendants at the desk, but some students looked up in alarm at the sound of metal withdrawing from the sheath. "I'm alright. I don't need to hold it," Edalene stumbled over her words, her hands coming up as if to refuse the offer of the sword. "Perhaps, uh, a library might not be the best place for a sword like that." Her hands came down and her wide eyes relaxed as he resheathed the sword. There was no place for a sword in a library - especially not unsheathed.

"Yes, of course, the inn. It's not far from here, and," and Edalene glanced at the mercenary's ragged appearance, "it's affordable. Will you be leaving the maps or borrowing them?" Edalene waited for him to make a decision. If he chose to borrow the map, Eir would see that the attendant had returned, and he could borrow from her. When he was done, Edalene gestured for him to follow her out of the library, and into the cold Cylus air. The inn was not far, and she started walking toward the inn.

As she walked, she spoke quickly, trying to break the silence. "It's only a few bits from here, not long at all. The bakery is close, too, a few streets away. You'll find most of what you're looking for here in the Mid-town. This is where most of the businesses are." She walked, and walked, and within only a few bits, she arrived at the inn. It was small and cosy looking, and Edalene, shivering, gestured to the door. "Here we are. Anything else I can help with?" She itched to get back to her books.

[Eir]

Unfortunately for the library, a mercenary that has his mind set only on combat and gold didn't make for a great employee to begin with. The more Eir rambled, the more his ideal job at the library seemed insane. Insanity was not his weakness but rather, a lack of intimate knowledge on the world of Rynmere. But there was work to be done, Eir could worry about his future, once he ensures Verity has one. But, Edalene's words do bring some semblance of normality to the Mercenary. "Research and study sounds like the opposite of what I'd be expected to do... Or rather, what this place would want me to do." But the conversation is put on hold, momentarily. The attendant that Edalene points out is given his attention."You have nothing to apologize for, Edalene. I'm just..."

The adjective he was looking for wasn't available. Eir turns away, the maps in hand, as he goes for the attendant. "I need to borrow these, I will be sure to return them once I have accomplished my task in this city." Despite his lack of explaining the task, the attendant only looks in his direction, before having him go through a small process on acquiring temporary ownership of the maps. Soon, Eir glances over his shoulders, noticing that they were going to be departing soon. Along the way, they'd at least conversate. "I do not plan on buying any fancy rooms to sleep in. I just need something that I can afford... Until I get a stable income." The lack of work, coupled with his lack of familiarity with Rynmere made for an exhausting mental gynmastics. "Thank you, Edalene. You're doing an awful lot, despite not being hired as a tour guide." A smile crosses his face, placing a palm upon the inn entrance door.

"This might sound awkward and somewhat forward... But. I wish to repay you, some day. Not right now, but some day." The kindness of strangers was few and far in between. It only made sense, for Eir, to reward said kindness in return. But from his rough appearance, that reward didn't seem likely to come any time soon, in the form of a monetary gift. But the university student had given enough of her time, the door cracked open to a slight, his attention upon Edalene as he makes his way inside. "You have helped me enough, I do not wish to trouble you further. Stay warm, Edalene. I wish return the favor-- No Nel required."

[Edalene]

x
When they arrived at the inn, Edalene gestured to the door, but did not follow the mercenary inn. Her mind was already turning to the books that awaited her back at the library, and her fingers itched to get back to the transcriptions, ready to delve back into the past. Edalene brought the coat much closer around her thin body, and she shifted her weight in the snow. It was cold out here, and she wondered what more Eir could want from her, if anything at all.

"The rooms here are cheap enough, don't worry. Not more than a nel or two per night, it should be within your range." An awkward smile. Edalene had no idea how much a mercenary could earn, nor how regularly - surely it depended on if they got the job done. Edalene hoped Eir had the coin for the place, as there was no way she'd invite a stranger to sleep on the lounge with her and her brother. Especially one who carried swords with them, which would certainly make Aeodan more than uncomfortable.

"It's no trouble, really," she protested, but it was. Edalene had no idea why she had even gotten involved in Eir's business, but now she was itching to get back. "Repayment is not needed, honestly. But thank you for the thought." Edalene lifted a hand as the mercenary went into the inn. "Stay warm, Eir, and good luck on your search." Edalene waited for the man to go into the inn, before pivoting on the spot and trudging back to the library in the snow. And now, for work...