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Post by Vhagar on Feb 15, 2014 21:37:17 GMT -5
The streets were much pleasanter than the streets of Kings Landing. There was a lot more greenery in sight and the people were friendlier too. Some called out a greeting to the two girls as they passed and soon they found themselves going under a high arch which led to the gardens. Daenya saw a vast open space filled with trees, water, a handful of natural stone grottoes and lots of people in clothing of a multitude of colours. She saw a woman selling fruit, a man selling rum, another selling parrots of a dozen different colours.
"It's wonderful, isn't it?" Koja breathed.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2014 21:38:56 GMT -5
"It's wonderful!" Daenya exclaimed. "Where I live the streets are horrendous in comparison to this... King's Landing is bigger, no doubt, but nothing in beauty compared to this."
She smiled and gave the rum seller a coin for two cups.
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Post by Vhagar on Feb 15, 2014 21:45:24 GMT -5
The man said something to her that sounded like a compliment. The rum was strong and spiced.
"I love the spiced rum the best," Koja remarked. "That man says you have pretty hair. He says he will marry you, if you like."
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2014 21:50:23 GMT -5
"How unfortunate for him that it cannot be so," Daenya replied, smiling at the rum seller as they walked off. She took another sip from the rum and breathed in deeply. "These gardens are wondrous! So where are the grottoes?"
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Post by Vhagar on Feb 15, 2014 22:03:56 GMT -5
Koja indicated the shell grotto, which was nearest. The shells were mostly fan-shaped. Some were cream and others were a pinkish colour, the stone grey, with lights flickering within the opening. "It's a wonderful place to take a lover, or to have a drink with a friend," she explained.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2014 22:08:37 GMT -5
"For now a drink will have to do," Daenya quipped as she took Koja's hand and pulled her into the grotto, marveling at the reflections of light off water on the otherwise dimly lit walls. "It's magical!"
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Post by Vhagar on Feb 16, 2014 11:20:46 GMT -5
"Yes." Koja had clearly seen the place before, but her expression was filled with wonder. "I love it here. This is the best place in Lotus Port. I spent as much time here as I could. I would live in the city if my father allowed it. But I don't know what I could do here. I didn't want to stay at the pillow house for long, and there are many people at the King's court who speak the common tongue better than me, and I'm no warrior."
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2014 15:38:00 GMT -5
Daenya smiled and walked deeper into the grotto, wanting to explore it as much as possible. She wondered if there was anywhere back home in Westeros that had grottoes like this and decided there probably wasn't.
"How deep do these go?"
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Post by Vhagar on Feb 16, 2014 15:44:31 GMT -5
"Not very. There's just a side passage which has some seats cut into the rock and then you come back out this same way," Koja explained. "One of the other grottoes - the furthest - is much bigger than this one. But it's a wonderful place for secret meetings."
The Summer Isles girl sipped happily at her wine. "How did you like the King?"
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2014 15:46:58 GMT -5
"Secret meetings?" Daenya asked, immediately spinning about. "We should definitely go see that grotto! As for the king..." She said, already making her way back out. "He seems nice enough."
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Post by Vhagar on Feb 16, 2014 15:50:42 GMT -5
"I am glad. I am so sorry about-" Koja's command of the Summer Tongue tended to falter when she was anxious, as she was now. But she broke off when they heard a high-pitched scream coming from the garden. It sounded like a woman's voice.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2014 15:56:32 GMT -5
"What was that?" Daenya hissed, drawing her sword and dashing outside of the grotto to see what was going on. "Stay close!" She called back to Koja.
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Post by Vhagar on Feb 16, 2014 16:11:03 GMT -5
The girl hovered behind Daenya. Outside, they saw an ebony-skinned woman in a feathered gown struggling with a muscular man who had the look of a mercenary, probably from one of the Free Cities or possibly even Westeros, since he was certainly not from the Summer Isles. The woman was crying out in the summer tongue.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2014 16:17:26 GMT -5
"Get away from her!!" Daenya snarled, approaching the man with her sword drawn, a harsh look on her face.
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Post by Vhagar on Feb 16, 2014 16:22:52 GMT -5
The man shoved the woman aside, her pearl necklace dangling broken from his right hand. He transferred it quickly to his left as he pulled out a huge curved sword. The woman backed away, sobbing. Koja cried out "Don't, Daenya! He's too dangerous!"
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2014 16:26:08 GMT -5
Daenya shook her head, holding her hand out to push Koja back. "I fought a man called the Dragonbane in hand to hand combat; this man is nothing," She told her.
"Drop the necklace or die," She said to the man, getting into a martial stance.
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Post by Vhagar on Feb 16, 2014 16:34:57 GMT -5
But Koja had never heard of Hector Dragonbane and the hopeful thief hadn't either. He clutched the pearl necklace in one hand as he cursed Daenya in a thick accent. She recognised some of the words but some were spoken in a tongue she didn't know, though the tone gave away the general idea.
He swung his sword at her head.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2014 16:39:01 GMT -5
Daenya parried the blow and side stepped, attempting a down feint before swinging up.
Expert: Longsword
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Post by Vhagar on Feb 16, 2014 17:18:18 GMT -5
The two engage in combat for a while, trading blows, but neither can gain the upper hand. But the man presses Daenya backwards, fierce and intent, and then she sees her chance to drive her sword up into his armpit since he's not armoured. Blood spews and the man curses and backs away. "Mercy!"
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2014 17:30:50 GMT -5
"Why should I give you mercy?" Daenya growled, placing the edge of the blade against the man's neck. "Tell me!"
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Post by Vhagar on Feb 16, 2014 17:43:22 GMT -5
"Because I asked it. Bad luck to kill a man who asks mercy>" His voice was touched with desperation, his eyes wide and fearful.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2014 17:44:45 GMT -5
"Bad luck to steal," Daenya replied, moving the blade before slashing the man across the throat, blood spraying into her face.
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Post by Vhagar on Feb 16, 2014 17:58:10 GMT -5
The man collapsed onto the ground., the necklace falling from his gasp. Koja was cheering, other people were watching with a variety of responses from cheering to disapproval. The woman in the featured cloak - ranging from pale blue at the top to deep turquoise at the hem - embraced Daenya, careful of her sword, and kissed her cheeks, and said something that Daenya could just about make out as thanks, in the Common Tongue, since the woman was so excitable.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2014 4:35:33 GMT -5
Daenya gave the woman a hug, before picking up the necklace and handing it to her. She cleaned her sword on the dead man's clothes before sheathing it, then turned to Koja.
"We should find someone who can clean this up," she said, not even phased anymore by the violence she had done.
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Post by Vhagar on Feb 17, 2014 10:02:52 GMT -5
"I will find someone," Koja said, her eyes wide and nervous. She scurried away, perhaps wanting to get away from Daenya.
Meanwhile, the woman daenya had helped was beaming at her as she put on the necklace. "But you are just a girl! So skilled with the sword. Who are you? Did the Archon of Tyrosh send you to be my protector? I met a Tyroshi once, a man with hair the colour of the sky!"
Daenya guessed that the woman was older than her, perhaps twenty or so, maybe even the same age as Adara. As far as she could tell, the woman was of high status too, since she had the upright bearing Daenya was used to seeing among her own kind.
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all alone and also really bored 
Hopefully going to kickstart the festival too