RP:Another Day In Paradise

Summary: Rinn is waiting outside Cenril with hopes that a tip she got will lead to a profit. Her day does not go as expected, but it possibly could have turned out worse had Meri not been passing through.

Road to Milous

It's a fine summer day here on the outskirts of Cenril. There is a bit of a lull in the often traveled road that connects Kelay to Cenril, a quiet moment where for the moment there are no cart wheels or horse hooves tramping through the muddied puddles that dot the road. Not even Meri is within sight. Of course anyone who is savvy to this area would know that just because there is no one within sight, it does not mean that there is not someone loitering around unseen. Meri? Drow? Hooligans from Cenril who are looking to have a bit of fun? This is not the safest stretch of road.

Rinn knew this stretch of road a little too well. Events from last night had her staking out the path, information from a dirty smelly pirate, Barnabas, had tipped her off on a large transport from Cenril heading towards Kelay. Perhaps they had taken room for the night, or knew of the dangers and found a different route. Rinn couldn't be sure but what she did know is she was going to have to lay low from Cenril for a week or two so on the outskirts she'd wait, pacing into view every now and again with a large black dog in tow.

There was definitely no transport in sight, why would just have to remain a mystery to Rinn but plans often change. One thing is for certain, unless they decided to take the transport into Cenril with the aid of some flying beast? There was no alternative route into Cenril from Kelay -- and there was currently a magical barrier surrounding the city that makes the route by air problematic. Travel was regulated thanks to the assaults on the city by Kahran, Mayor Uma has of course been taking many precautions that makes finding alternative routes for cargo more challenging than it might have been in the past. Rinn wouldn't be given much time to try and pick through and analyze all these details to determine if she was staking out this spot in vain or not. A group of individuals has taken to staking her out from the forests. Their dark skin allows them to blend easily with the shadows, and drow have always had the advantage of stealth on their side. Soon Rinn would find herself surrounded and the drow would announce their presence by unleashing a barrage of arrows, hoping that they might have the element of surprise.

Rinn would have been taken completely by surprise if it wasn't for her canine companion. His ears perked as he turned to the tree line with a growl that ripped from the depths of his gut. "What is it boy?" She asked though her tone was also encouraging the beasts aggression. The hairs on his back rose to a ridge running neck to tail, while her pale blues studied their surroundings. Rinn had many enemies and was running out of lives so without hesitation she unleased her hound of war, "Get 'em boy." Her command had the, Rottweiler like, dog off, his paws kicking up dirt with his sprint. just as the arrows began to rain from the sky. Feckin great, Rinn hated archers. A dive turned into a roll as she just missed one bolt though a second grazed her upper arm ripping her shirt before staining it with her blood. "Son of a...I just got this shirt!" She cursed as her opposite hand inspected the tear. Her complaining was soon forgotten as another arrow bit into the ground scraping past her thigh. Quickly the redhead scrambled to her feet and sprinted towards the sounds of a tussle, beast verse being. Unfortunately the dog was out numbered and really didn't stand a chance if she couldn't get there fast enough, his sudden yelp proving such.

Poor puppers. Drow are unsympathetic by nature and he really did not stand a chance if Rinn was unable to get in there to help him. He was probably a loyal puppers too, who would probably not easily give up a fight. The drow are equally unsympathetic to Rinn's complaint that she just got that shirt. It's inspiration for those couple drow not trying to deal with her mutt to turn their sights, and their arrows, back on the rougish woman. On the upside, this road is an often traveled road and another set of boots are now beating against the earth. At first their strides are a leisurely one, unaware that there is a scuffle happening just off of the road. What alerts this new traveler that something is amiss just off in the distance? A combination of barking, yelping, and some crazen grumbling about her shirt. Meri is not always the sort of woman to play hero, there have been plenty of times in her years where she would have been the bandit trying to raise hell with some unsuspecting individual(s) passing by...but she is curious enough to move in closer to see what is transpiring. Eyes alight on a form that is vaguely familiar to her, flashes of some night in a bar in Cenril back when Meri actually drank come to mind. She also catches sight of a group of drow....and Meri hates drow. Racism is alive and well within the tattooed blonde, there was one exception to that hatred. So when the shots are fired at Rinn for a second time, the psion offers her aid in the quickest way that she can. None of the arrows will make it to Rinn during the second round that is fired at her, all of them are suspended in mid-air well before they make their mark. They don't fall uselessly to the ground though, no. Meri has honed her telekinetic abilities far more than that. The arrows instead do a complete 180 and are sent ripping back through the air, intending on hitting the two drow that initially fired the shots. One drow is taken out, the other dodges, but maybe Rinn has enough advantage to go get her puppers now.

Rinn charged full on towards a pair of drow one wrestling with her bear of a dog while the other unsheathed a knife to slit the animals throat ready to leave him to bleed out, "Oi!" She shouted before tackling the drow with the dagger. His target shifted towards the loud redhead moving the knife to pierce into the woman's shoulder, her anger masked any pain at their bodies collided and tumbled through the brush. This had the other drow hesitate briefly which gave the pup the opportunity to lunge for it's captor's throat, though their battle wouldn't end there. While man versed beast Rinn had gained the upper hand. She straddled the dark elf and unloaded her tiny fists of fury, bones cracked with each hit blood flew and teeth were swallowed as they exchanged punches. The big black dog lost to his opponent and was knocked out cold leaving the victor to claim Rinn by her auburn braid. Blood trickled down the black skin as she moved to drag Rinn from her crimson perch. The graverobber stomped her foot twice and a hidden blade shot out of the tip of her boot while she wrapped bother her hands around the drow's wrist a vicious tug and a limber kick had her boot stuck to her attacker's cranium. Rinn would have to yank herself free.

Meri made her presence known shortly after her psionic attack. The tattooed blonde brings herself in full view, the drow that managed to dodge her telekinetic assault is not going to let her join this fray without some amount attention. It's not an effective attack, but given that this drow is armed with bow and arrow, and perhaps a couple of arrows, the options are limited. Another shot is fired, this one is aimed for Meri's torso, and as expected? This shot does not come close to making it's mark. The arrow is not suspended in mid-air and turned against the drow like it was last time. It's just given a little psionic bump that sends it curving neatly off course, imbedding itself into the earth rather than Meri's chest. In response, Meri retrieves her own bow and notches an arrow, firing right back. Her shot is impeccable (she gets to cheat), and there is no dodging this arrow. This one will follow the drow's movements until it makes a clean kill. If Rinn and her pup have managed to take out both drow they were dealing with, and Meri has taken out two drow...it would seem that they are in the clear, there are no other drow within immediate sight.

Rinn glanced over to her lifeless hound and emitted a scream of pure rage before doubling over to hoist up a large stone. There was still one drow gurgling and drowning on it's own blood, Rinn would help speed up the process. Heavy foot steps brought the woman over the labored gasps only to viciously heave stone upon bone. Finally the chest fell for the last time and the grave robber spit on the corpse. Turning back for her companion Rinn finally acknowledged Meri and the mess she had made, there's a bit of a cheeky smile as she dropped to her knees, "Well that was fun." Her humor was dry as she doubled over to rest her pointed ear against the loyal beast before her, there was still some life and her smile deepened to a bloodied grin, "Luck seems to be on my side today." That was her indirect way of thanking Meri. Bashed up hands gentling stroked her dogs fur while she would mumble down loving whispers, "Good boy...You got 'em boy." Meri fell back into her sights, "He'll be ok...I'll just have to leave him behind for a while." She shared before looking to the dead, "I say we strip them of what they have, sell what we can, pike the heads and burn the bodies. Send a message." Rinn ended with a raise of both her brows curious to the woman's ideas for she was sure Meri had some.

Meri smirks dryly at the mention of piking heads and searching the bodies for valuables. This smirk does not suggest that Meri is opposed to such an idea, but right now her priorities were elsewhere. "Aye, definitely strip them down. See what is good for selling. I don't think the pikes are going to send much of a message." They are drow. "But if you want to. I'm going to take a look your dog real fast though." This is explained as Meri is already closing the gap between herself and the rottie, trying to determine how injured the dog is. She does have some bandages, would that be good enough to temporarily patch him up? Meri considers her options. "There is an Animal Sanctuary out in Kelay. It's not too far, but it is still a bit of a hike. If you tell Lanara that I sent you? She'll take real good care of you and your dog. If Lady Luck is really on your side today, maybe these drows who attacked us did not travel by foot. Maybe they have some mounts further off in the forest." Meri gestures in the direction that she assumes the drow would have traveled from, the forested route south of this stretch of road.

Rinn allowed Meri a closer inspection while she actively listen to her words, "Ah yes I know Lanara well, but I'm far to proud for hand outs." There was a faint smile that proved such, "Probably why I just take." A light snort that seemed to awake her rottie which earned him a soft scratch behind the ears as his weakly wagged his tail, "My squat is closer anyways and with my life style I've become a well trained nurse." Rinn wasn't able to trust many and for her own self sabotaging reasons. "As for horses, that would be four hopefully. That'll fetch a pretty penny." Rinn scooted from beneath her dog and pushed off the ground with a groan. arse up first with a hand placed upon her lower back, "I haven't had a tussle like that In some time. It's usually in and out." Her hand traveled around her body to her hip as she moved towards the corpses. Idly she stripped the drow of what wasn't bloodstained her movements proving this to not be her first rodeo. She was able to riffle through their pockets and take from their persons with ease. "Worst case I can just carry the poor mutt." She referred back to the dog with a glance before closing her eyes straining to hear a neigh or snort, something to prove other life.

"It's not a hand out really, it is what she does. Even if you didn't name drop me, I am confident she would have helped regardless. Besides, if you are too proud for a handout, she accepts donations to help fund her sanctuary. But! If you are confident in the skills of your squat mate, it's your dog." Where the dog got medical attention from was really of no concern to Meri. Rinn could make her own decisions for her fur-friend. The dog begins to wag his tale weakly and Meri can't see any overly concerning cuts or gashes, so she abandons her attempt to patch up the pup. Meri rises to her own full height, but she does not stay at that level for long. She approaches the nearest drow and turns him over onto the flat of his back using the toe of her boot, only to begin searching him down. If there is gold? Meri is going to claim it. Daggers? Hers. Baubles of anything? She would grab them. Meri was secretly hoping she might have landed upon some useful concoction -- drow poison? Meri is a greedy woman by nature, but she still has no problem letting Rinn strip down two of her own drow. Two drow for Rinn, two drow for Meri. If there was mounts off in the distance, Meri herself did not hear them. "We've met before, haven't we. A bar in Cenril, hm? Seems like every time I run into you, you are out looking for trouble."

Rinn was all about the fair cut, Meri took down two, Meri was entitled to loot two, there would be zero objection. "Aye, we have." Rinn peeled her eyes from the a body as she tugged off his boots and there was a grin, "I'm not looking for trouble, I'm looking for a little thrill that brings in coin, seems the way I choose to acquire it brings the trouble." She offered the woman a playful wink on her eye before adding, "I can't remember if we exchanged names or not, I'm Rinn." She gave Meri her real name seeing her felt she had earned it. By now Rinn hand slipped a few items into her pockets while she stuffed the boots with clothing and tied the laces together to sling the items over her bloodied shoulder with a hiss. She'd be fine, she's had worse before.

As Rinn is introducing herself, Meri is walking away from the woman. Not far, she is traveling about ten feet to the south of where they currently stand, still within sight and earshot of Rinn. Why? She was hoping that moving away some distance might reveal the location of any mounts for Rinn and Meri to swipe. Alas, if they are around then they have been left at a discrete location. Luck might have run out for both Meri and Rinn. "Meri." A beat, silence so that she can listen, but nothing. "My fiance and I are all about making coin. Couple of the people I know share the same logic too. We are not exactly super keen on senseless murder." They're a little bit more like Robin Hood. "Unless they start it." Meri makes a vague motion to the drow. "If you've ever got a job you want some help on? Hit me up. I'll do the same for you. What do you think?" Meri smirks.

Rinn grinned and offered Meri a nod of her head, "Yeah, well if you don't mind getting dirty it's always nice to have an extra shovel when turning up graves. You'd be surprised with what people get buried with." As Rinn spoke she too moved. Squatting she grabbed her dogs front paws and pulled him over her back with a sharp yelp from the animal, "Aw don't be such a baby." She mumbled as he licked away at one hand. The other grabbed his hindlegs and soon she was wearing the animal like a shawl. Lifting with her legs she was back up right, "Who can't use an extra partner in crime here and there?" That was her final confirmation, "It was odd circumstances, but nice to actually meet you...I'd offer a hand but..." Her eyes drifted towards her live scarf. before her legs started the walk towards her Kelay squat. "See you around blondie." Her nickname offered in a playful manner.