#whygaves

[gaveshillvack]

A Bandit

It wasn't how Gaves thought he would be spending his evening: Lying on his back, bleeding from a stab wound, and losing sensation in his legs. Truthfully, it was a nightmare, and he could have avoided if he had just listened. Of course his curious nature got the better of him, and he stayed put. Perhaps -now- he would remember to run, when told to run.

He had just reunited with the always alluring Mariaute, the shapely woman no longer wearing her dark leathers, but instead dressing in something softer. A top, and dress leaving her midsection exposed. It didn't help that she wore a thin veil over her face, revealing only those gorgeous, golden eyes flecked with silver. A weaker man would have knelt. Standing on the edge of the path that stood out in front of the Slaughtered Lamb, Gaves and Mariaute talked, enjoying each other's quips, and satirical lines. Despite how pleasant the words exchanged were, Gaves couldn't help but feel uneasy at a strange sight. A man, tall as a building, and encased in armor blessed by the light was flanked by what appeared to be a mugger, and woman wearing a robe. They looked strange, standing out in the open, lined up like they were preparing to do -something-. A strange voice invaded Gaves' mind, interrupting the impure thoughts of Mariaute he held. "Run. Your life is in danger." His mouth went dry, ceasing anything that wasn't pertaining to his survival. Inhaling sharply he looks around, trying to find 'the voice'. All he found was Mariaute's golden orbs. "What's wrong?" She asked.

The mugger left the trio, making the long, obvious way up the ramp towards Gaves. It wasn't hard to miss him, dressed as he was. Gaves wondered who told him it was a good idea to dress up like -that- in the first place. As he approached, Gaves whispered to Mariaute, ignoring what she just said to him. "Listen to me right now, please. A voice, I don't who's, just told me to run. Told me I'm in Danger." His ocean colored eyes stared a the approaching masked man, suspecting he had something to do with. Mariaute's honeyed words cooed to him in a soft hush. "Put your arm around my waist." And so Gaves did. Promptly the shady individual walked directly behind Gaves, sniffling; In addition to looking nefarious, he also had a cold. "Sirrah? Spare change for a poor beggar, master?" Who asked for gold dressed like that, Gaves thought. Instinct told him to bolt, but his curiosity got the better of him. Besides, he had Mariaute, and Mariaute knew how to handle herself quite well, or so she would tell you with a smirk. Gaves turned his head towards the man, but didn't betray his position with Mariaute. "What's this? Oh light, another mask." Gaves teases good naturedly, checking out yet -another- mask in his life today.  He gave an honest answer. "Sorry sir, I'm uh. A bit busy whispering in the lovely lady's ear." It was partially true, but the outlaw didn't care.

He struck much faster than Gaves would have thought, especially someone with a cold. The cold steel stuck him in the back, center to his spine from his left shoulder. Had Gaves not been watching the outlaws motion towards him it would have been much worse. Pain, fear, and adrenaline compelled Gaves forward, an arm loosening up from Mariaute's body as he fell forward from the ledge, blood leaking from him as he landed with a thud on the cool grass. It wasn't the first time he was stabbed, but it still hurt. Clutching at his back, he writhed around on the earth, squirming. Arms bent at an awkward angle, trying to put pressure on the wound. All the while Mariaute attacked, striking at the attacker. Despite her harmless appearance she was far from it, and put the sniffling bandit on the defensive. With a brief clash, Gaves heard something metal drop, and the bandit cursed. Retreating, he gave his farewell. "Lord Holt... sends his regards." And with that, he grabbed a pouch attached to his waist, removed it,  and slammed it on the ground.  It burst into a cloud of billowing smoke, and behind that he escaped, climbing the white lattice of a nearby building to dash across the rooftops.

Lord Holt, Gaves thought... which one? It didn't help that the family was spread out amongst many members, and giving the title of lord was like telling him he only had to choose one from hundreds instead of thousands. Which lord? Gaves grimaced, trying to flip over to his side. Just then a familiar voice invaded his distressed thoughts, speaking. "He is employed by those who think you are some sort of serial killer." A serial killer? Of all the things to accuse Gaves of, Gaves, the man who would couldn't stand the sight of blood, or harming someone, him. -He- was a serial killer. The man who had been subject to many beating, and refused to do anything back. -He- was a serial killer. Gaves was insulted, he roared at the alien voice. "The fawk kinda' question is that?" His mind bellowed, showing off that distinct Southshore accent. "How can I prove to ya' I don't look like a serial killer?" Rational thought was absent in the moment. It didn't help that now, at the base of his spine, he felt an immense stabbing pain. Was it poison? It had to be; the bandit was sent to make him a cripple, or was that just a bonus because the attempted killer really loved his job? Gaves didn't know. The only thing he did know was that he felt like he was going to die.

The voice spoke to him again. "This is your mind. And that definitely proved it. Sorry, I had to make sure I wasn't doing the wrong thing here." Gaves groaned. As if any part of finding someone to do this kind of thing was for the 'greater good.' "Whoever told you that is lying, I ain't a killer." A Draenei approached from around the corner, she was holding nothing more than a lute, and dressed like a commoner. Mariaute, on the other hand, leapt down with annoyance. Somehow the man had gotten away, and she accused herself of being useless during the situation.   She landed with the grace of cat, always on her feet. Her golden eyes peered over Gaves, annoyed. Whether it was at him, or her guilt Gaves could see it written plainly on her face. The Draenei came closer, inspecting the damage. He was too busy clutching at his back to explain rationally what was wrong with him, so Gaves only managed to grunt, and spit out four letter words for his description of the wound. The Draenei seemed to understood, and held up her lute, as if she was about to play it. Then, a  moment later she did: Beautiful hymns were plucked in a harmonious manner. The light around her seemed to intensify, giving her a halo of yellow light. She spoke a chorus, lyrics Gaves didn't quite understand, and willed her light to Gaves. In a flash the warm rays from the heavens soaked Gaves, wrapping around him like a blanket. Quickly the throbbing sensation from his back started to cease, as well as the tingling sensation at the base of his spine. Like easing into a hot bath, Gaves relaxed against the Light's will, content as it sealed up his wounds, stopped the bleeding, and purged the toxins from his blood.

Gaves blinked, staring up at the now purple sky; the sun was setting. His head rolled over to the Draenei, smiling. "Thank you." Gaves said cheerfully. His upper half pushed itself up, but his legs refused to act. Panicking, he looked towards the Draenei. The woman shook her head, coming to an end with her music that she played. The light around her ceased to pour into Gaves, and then started to fade away. "It may have saved your life, but there is only so much the light can do. Rest is what you need." Gaves immediate thought was the Cathedral. "I know where I have to go. Mariaute, please help me." Mariaute inched closed, still upset with the course of events. "Take me to the Cathedral." Mariaute's face darkened, but she understood. The much smaller woman leaned down at the waist, and hoisted Gaves up, slinging his arm over her shoulder. How she managed to support his weight, he didn't know. "Cathedral, then I'm gone." Gaves frowned, then nodded. He turned to the Draenei, and smiled. "Thank you, thank you so muc-" His voice, and the rest of him, along with Mariaute, slipped into darkness, evaporating from the current realm of existence. When Gaves blinked again he could still the Draenei, but she was different. In fact the entire city was different. The sky was pitch black, and the sun was a single, white orb beaming light that illuminated everything. People, buildings, and even the grass were all covered by a thick layer of fog, almost like livings wisps. "Where are we?" Gaves asked to Mariaute whom was already dragging him away from the scene of the crime. "Don't ask too much." Was his answer. Gaves guessed it was the realm of shadows, or whatever its 'official' name was. The same place rogues slipped in, and out of to either hide, or attack an unsuspecting soul. What was most strange is how fast they moved, or at least how fast Mariaute moved with Gaves. Like gliding over glass they raced past people unsuspecting to their presence. In a matter of minutes they appeared in front of the Cathedral steps. Gaves felt a tinge of guilt, however he didn't have a chance to learn the Draenei's name.

Mariaute looked taxed. Perhaps it was because she was so close to the Cathedral, or maybe because she had just literally dragged Gaves across Stormwind. Still, she never dropped him from her grip. At least now Gaves could feel his toes, faintly. With effort she helped him along, occasionally Gaves would push off the ground with every seventh step Mariaute took, dragging his other foot along. Finally, they climbed the many steps, and slinked inside the holy place. Mariaute must have been continually punched in the gut, because she looked like a weight had been strapped to her neck. Moving to a bench, Gaves stumbles, and falls, missing it. His hands fly out in front of him, and slap against the stone edge, making a loud noise. It interrupted with the otherwise peaceful environment. It was loud enough to distract a devout follower. A man, if one could call it a man, stood up from his kneeling position from the center of the building. Gaves could hear him before he saw him. A hulking -thing- shook the earth as he made his way over to Gaves and Mariaute; Mariaute was helping Gaves onto the bench. "Is everything alright here?" The beast of a man asked. His armor was unnecessary, and looked cumbersome. Pale white in color, and his visor held two burning yellow orbs; it was either his real eyes, or some kind of magic. "Are we fine here?" Gaves said sarcastically, gesturing to himself, and Mariaute. "Just stabbed in the back, and accused as a serial killer. Aside from that?" Gaves pursed his lips, and shrugged his shoulders. "Just fine." The bard's eyes hovered on the large man. In truth he knew who he was, Gaves was just playing dumb. Like all Paladins he was a devout follower, and took the teachings of the church very seriously. It didn't help that Mariaute was looking annoyed to be in the establishment, giving her roguish look a motive to be questioned. "Do you need anything?" The paladin asked. Gaves remembered clearly where the man had been through all this. He was standing next to the man who stabbed him, but why? He, from what Gaves saw, and heard, was a paragon to the light, why had he been with the man before the attack? Gaves told the truth. "Well, I think I've been poisoned to tell ya' the truth. See my legs?" Gaves wiggled his foot slowly. "Think I've been hit with something paralytic.

The paladin grunted, and then nodded. "I've got some anti-venom in my first aid pouch, but that's about it. It's generic, but it should hold you over." Large, metal digits retrieve a vial of red 'goo'. He tosses into Gaves lap. Snagging it, Gaves holds up the liquid to the light, inspecting it. He had a good feeling it would taste awful. "I was lucky someone close to the light was near, else I'd still be laying on the floor." The hulk nodded, and then turned his attention on Mariaute who was steadfast on showing her contempt for the building they were standing in. "If you'll excuse me I'd like to speak to your woman." Gaves smirked, but before he could explain the situation Mariaute barked. "I'm not going anywhere with you." The man, clearly insulted by her lack of respect turned his massive frame on her. "I'd watch your tone if I were you." the deep voice warrior bellowed. Mariaute didn't seem to care. "You can try." Smiling sheepishly Gaves decided to step in, lying. "She's stubborn, ain't she?" His dirty face canted to the side as he talked to the other man. "Look, I promise ya' we'll both be on our merry way once I can manage to walk upright again, ok? I doubt it'd look good for any of us if you had to use those massive arms of yours." Flattery always worked, even for the pious. He nodded with a grunt. Reaching into a separate pouch again he retrieves a golden coin with the initials L.S. written on the face of it. "Should you ever need my help, find me. The name is Leo Swordhand." Again, he flicked the coin towards Gaves. Smiling in thanks, Gaves nodded. "Thank you, sir." Huffing, Leo gave one final hard stare at Mariaute, then turned on his metal heel, and walked back to where he was praying. The bard spoke up once the metal man was out of earshot. "Ain't he great?" Gaves teased.

Sitting next to him on the bench, Mariaute looked like she was in pain, moreso then him. "Crazy day, huh?" Gaves made it sound like this happened all the time. Mariaute rolled her eyes. "Do you need anything else." She sounded tired, liked she was ready to leave. Gaves couldn't blame her, she had been doing -a lot- for him. Fighting off his attacker, pulling him to the Cathedral, and even standing in the very building that was ebbing her energy away. He couldn't blame her if she wanted to go. "You can, if you want. Truthfully I'm a little nervous if someone else will come up to finish the job, so...." Gaves smirked, looking full of himself. "If you could find it in your heart to get me to an Inn for the night, just so they don't follow me home. I'd love ya' forever." Mariaute gave him a cold face to peer back for several moments until she finally nodded. "Very well. We'll move when you're ready." Gaves nodded. "Thank you." The bard's head leaned towards Mariaute, like he was trying to rest his head on her shoulder. in a low tone he whispers to her. "I wondered if he would be here." Mariaute whispered back. "Who?" Gaves gestured with his eyes towards the spot Leo had come from. "Leo. Same damn man was JUST there moments before my attack, was standing with the guy who stabbed me." Gaves leaned more against her, cozying up on the stranger in the middle of a place of worship. "Seen him talking to the Holts on occasion, I think he's friends with 'em. I think they did-" Gaves was silenced with Mariaute small index finger to his lips. "Darling," she cooed. "Don't tell me anything else, not that I don't care, but you could be putting us both at risk if you tell me everything you know. If they come to me, and question me, I might tell them something that could hurt you." Gaves was stunned. She was concerned his own wellbeing. A woman he had just met the day before actually cared to make sure he would be alright.

"Can you take me to an Inn?" Gaves asked, not admitting how touched he was by the gesture of her refusal to learn more. Mariaute slowly nodded her head with a smile. "Sure, let's get you up on your feet." Gaves chose the Gilded Rose because of his history with the establishment. For years he rented out a room in the noisy Inn, often falling asleep with a pillow over his head because of the thin walls. The trip there was without event. If they were followed the person doing it was good, very good. Fighting past the crowds of anguished citizens who had just lost their life savings in the Auction House, Gaves and Mariaute push their way to the doors of the Inn. "Alice!" Gaves called out, hobbling over to the worn woman who wore a simple blue skirt, and white top. "Tell me, you miss your favorite patron?" The woman was overwhelmed with dumb questions; nameless adventurers piling up around her, asking where certain regions where, where was the nearest tavern, where was the bathroom. Worn green eyes peer over to Gaves in acknowledgement. Mariaute helps him closer. "I'll take my old room, ok?" Alice opened her mouth in protest, but was drowned out in the sea of needy faces. "Thanks, Alice!" Gaves called as Mariaute helped him up the creaky stairs, leaving Alice to be swarmed by the nameless strangers. Reaching the top floor, the two of them limped down to the last door on the right. "Good memories here." Gaves mused, looking around at the familiar, thin walls. "Lots of sleepless nights here." They stop in front of the door. "This is the one." He murmurs.

Inside, Gaves thanked the light the room was empty. Too many times had he been subject to barging in unannounced to a half naked man, or woman who wasn't happy at all to see him. His legs were starting to move again, thankfully. Like an old man with a bum knee, Gaves made his way to the night table, grabbing the old, sturdy brass key. Gaves looked over his shoulder. "This damned key, I can't tell you how many times I've los-" Mariaute was gone. Gone without even offering a goodbye. Smiling a thin, flat line, Gaves sighed, and made his way over to the door. "'Least you could do is say bye." Gaves huffed, closing the door, and locking it shut. Back to the bed he went, throwing his half mobile body on the weak cushion with a tired flop. He closed his eyes, and in a matter of moments he fell asleep, exhausted from the day.