Eiyuu Kishi Den

Jereidon listened to the story and realized why she had been so hostile towards him at first, in a sense she really was like him. Her kin had been slain, just as his had with one possible exception.

"I guess she was lucky to have survived, though it was probably not a coincidence she met me. Perhaps the gods have a strange sense of humor, were it not for her that time I might have died."

He looked to the cage with a smile, almost forgetting what he wanted to discuss the matter of his search with Brynn. Letting him catch up he waited before speaking again, he did not want to hoard the conversation.

"Now I don't want to upset your pet." He subtely (or not so subtlely) pulled his chair away from the cage a little and slid the plate over. "It might have been a totally different spider family. All giant spiders look the same when you're running for your life. If you know what I mean." The dwarf was smiling, trying to lighten the mood a bit after his gruesome tale.

"You said something about a matter of discussion." He sat down and stuck his fork into a bit of meat waiting to hear jereidon's reply.

Jereidon nodded in agreement, when Brynn brought up the discussion he cleared his throat and sighed.

"I first would like to explain a situation first, one that has been my main search for some time now. It relates to my family and the fate of my younger sister who is missing, I would like your assistance in this. But before you decide, here is my situation."

He would be to the point this time, and make it clear what happened. Starting to speak he leaned back, and his voice sounded like he had made up his mind to pursue this fully.

"This was several years ago, when I was younger and still an apprentice to my master. One year my parents were on their way to see me for my birthday, my little sister would have been three at the time. They got waylaid by some marmo soldiers, and in the situation they were killed. They never found my sister Neria, she was unfortunately missing. I had to wait until my master felt I was ready to leave his house, and since then I have been looking for her. The bandits that drove me into that cave were the ones who attacked my family, I found my mothers necklace on on of their necks. I want to find my sister even if she is dead, and in order to see that end I need allies. Would you be willing to join us, I would be honored if a priest of your skills were on out side."

"Yeah, I'm his first ally so far," Katela spoke up. "I'm just a ranger and shaman though, and he needs a real fighter to protect him."

"Modesty is a virtue one does not find often in elves., my lady." Brynn smiled at Katela. "As for you my fine wizardly friend, flattery will get you nowhere with me. Priest of my skills, ha, thats a good one. You had me at the story of your life. It rings very similar to my own. As a wee lad I was sent off to a monastary of Myrii. This was at the same time The City of Stone was destroyed. All of my family had lived there, but like yours they are gone to a better place now."

Even after all of these years, the memory of his lost family caused him pain. Brynn sat back and pushed his plate forward still half full.

"Neria...Neria. That name does ring a bell, and not just your little beastie under the table." As Brynn continued, he took out a piece of sloth and unfolded it. Then picked up his plate and began to scoop the food onto the cloth. "I think I knew a human girl in Roid by the name of Neria." Brynn paused what he was doing and looked directly at Jereidon. "Now brace yourself lad, this is not a pretty story. I was brought in to a local brothel about 6 years ago, some Mormo troops and messed up one of the girls pretty bad. Cut her face up and what not. I saved her, but she wouldn't be to much of a money maker anymore."

Brynn thought about what he just said and realized how insensitive it was. " I warned ya, its not a nice story. It was some time ago, and I'm not sure what became of her after I left. I do know that a couple of the men who did it to her won't be harmin' anybody else, thanks to a trusty little knife she had hidden on herself. Them I couldn't save, or reattach the bits that had become unattached." Achem, he cleared his throat. "Thats not really talk for the table, so I'll not speak of the detail of their injuries any further."

"On a different not, the men who attacked you, are they still out there?" After finishing placing his leftovers onto the cloth, he lifted the corners and tied the top. Already the oils from the food had begun to soak through the bottom. "Trinkets like a necklace tend to change hands very often with the sort of bunch you're talkin' about. Holding onto jewelry is a luxury most of them can't afford. Especially when it'll buy you food. Unless that particular bandit had some very strong reason to hold it, he may not be the one who did your family in."

Katela looked at Jereidon, judging his reaction. Could the girl be his sister? Or maybe she just happened to have the same name. Her heart sank to think of his little sister ending up in such a deplorable line of work.

Jereidon listened and seemed uneasy, he had to be sure of this girl. If she was just a child of eight or nine then she may be his sister, if not he had found another dead end.

"She would have been four or five at the time, it's probably not her. How old was this girl incidentally, if she is still alive perhaps she has found a better life. My sister would only be eleven or twelve about now, but just as beautiful as our mother."

He seemed relieved to know that this was not his sister, after all to have a child in a brothel would be absolutely depraved. Plus his sister was always a little ray of sunshine, and she hated fighting.

"Aye, she would have been older than five. By Myrii, I hope she was older than five. No, this girl was around the age of 15 I would guess, but in her line of work it was hard to tell. At the most she could have been as young as 12 or 13, but still to old to be your sister." He looked down at the table to see if his two new companions were finished with their respective meals or drinks. "I would like to deliver this little package..." he lifted the napsack of food, "...to some of the homeless before it sits to long. Are you going to be here when I return? or can I find you some other way?" Brynn looked from one to the other. "After distressing you so with that story, I must certainly accomplany you to find you sister."

"Your story however makes me feel truly sorry for the girl, I hope that she was able to escape that wretched life and live a better one after that. If you have food that needs to be delivered, then I will accompany you if you would allow me. Perhaps one of them might know something, I only just arrived in town very recently."

Jereidon finished his tea and looked over to Katela, wondering what she was going to do before they day was out. The idea of asking the homeless for information seemed like a good start, since they might have picked up more rumors or truth than the common people.

"You are both welcome to come along." The dwarf looked at his new companions. "They may be a bit more talkative once they get something to eat." He smiled his typical broad smile, it was evident that this was the cause of the crows feet on the corners of his eyes.

It was a relief to hear that the prostitute couldn't have been Jereidon's sister. Katela's hopes rose again for the girl. The half-elf stood up as Brynn offered to let them tag along. "Sure, it's not like I have anywhere else to be," she replied.

"Great, then let our adventure begin at the bottom. For after we leave there we can go only up." Brynn stood with his care package and headed towards the door, waiting once he got there to allow Jereidon to gather his "pet." The squatters pretty much all stayed in the same part of town, he wasn't to picky who he would give the food to, as long as the person actually needed it and wasn't pretending they were worse off than they actually were.

"Ready, my friends."

Jereidon stood up and left the money for the table with the barkeeper, turning to the others he picked up the cage and got his gear back in place.

"Ready, at the end of this journey the truth awaits. I'll be ready to face whatever that truth is, without fail."

"Heh, you say that now. They say that ignorance is bliss." Brynn laughed at Jereidon.

"All set then, jts only a short walk." Brynn walked out the dorr and headed to the lower class part of town, and prepared himself for the welcome that he normally got when delivering rations. People beggin to be healed or cured. Others seeing his armor and thinking he must be rich, begging for hand outs. Street urchins with grabby hands....

"Oh yeah, mind your purses. Even the innocent down here, are not so innocent." He called out to Jereiedon and Katela.

"I have to be prepared for anything, and I'll make sure to watch my coinpuurse. I'll keep Neria close by it, I'm sure that'll be a good enough deterrent."

Jereidon replied with as he shifted the cage to his other hand, and kept it close to his side. He felt happy that he had reliable allies, even if there was just two of them that was a start.