The bright morning sun greeted me as I tore away from my grisly, nightly companion. I took a moment to observe my surroundings as I attempt to calm my racing heart. Surprisingly, or not so surprisingly given my recent tendencies, it appeared that I wasn’t alone in my room. Rather, I had picked up a much more pleasant companion to accompany my nightmares.
Looking at how the light caught on her long blond hair, her pale skin, and her … other… generous features, as well as her current generally disheveled state, I could only assume that last night had been a rather significant success. However, probably as a result of the raucous celebration part of said success, I was struggling to recall who my companion was or, more importantly, who I currently was to her.
Getting up slowly in order to avoid disturbing the rest of my lovely new associate, I started to gather my various things that had been strewn across the room over the course of the previous evening. While I had apparently had the foresight to store my newfound valuables, a rather significant quantity of gold and jewelry casually lifted from the manor of a local merchant, safely in the pack that contained the most important tools of my trade, my clothes were not quite so lucky.
After spending several minutes to cover myself at least somewhat decently, I staggered out of the room and down the stairs to the inn’s common room. Last night must have been very successful for me to still be feeling it so heavily. Probably due to the early hour, the only occupant currently around was the innkeeper, a rather heavyset man that seemed shaped to broach no trouble within his establishment. Moving as carefully as I could in a post-inebriated state to not appear to cause any trouble this early in the morning, I inquired about the bathing arrangements.
Having purchased and retrieved a bucket of cold water, totaling of pittance at only several copper coins, I proceeded back to my room to wash and prepare for the day. Looking at myself in the reflection of the water, I was rather pleased with what I saw. A sharp, square jaw, pitch black hair, dark brown eyes, and a well-proportioned nose stared back at me. Out of sight was a body that, while not comparative to a fighter, was firm and well-defined. The only things that could be considered a blemish were the various scars left by early mistakes in my thieving career, but I preferred to view those as adding some mystique and character to my many personas.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
The cold water had a somewhat restorative effect, and I began to remember exactly on what and with whom I had spent time last night. Most importantly, I remember that my bedfellow just so happened to be the daughter of the merchant whom I had robbed blind the night before. And, this completely-related-to-the-heist meeting between myself and said daughter was a very happy bonu… err, completely necessary completion of my work. Unfortunately, said bedfellow just so happened to wake up before I could completely plan on how to deal with how to handle a morning after between the daughter of someone who had been robbed and the person who robbed her father.
“… Tav?” she mumbled, groggily rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she awoke.
“I’m here, dear.” I replied, having yet to remember her name. However, her greeting did help me recall who I was to her. Tavlon, one of the many names I’ve gone by in the six years since I left Leyden. “How are you feeling?”
“Outside of my head feeling as if it’d been kicked by a horse, you mean?” Her reply made me think that she might not be a morning person, though that could also be attributed to the hangover.
Laughing in response, I said, “I completely understand. I have some business I must attend to with a few merchants in town this morning. Take as long as you need to get ready, as the cost of the room is already paid for the rest of the week, and I can call on you at your house later today if you would like.”
Getting out a brief, “That would be wonderful…” before she promptly fell back to sleep, I went back to finishing my preparations for the day.
I had presented myself to her and her father as a buyer of curious trinkets, a cover that I had used many times before and one that worked almost absurdly well with merchants in the outlying towns – who knew that a handsome man seemingly willing to throw money out for pretty baubles would be so popular with such a crowd? So, this simple statement that went along with such a background was enough to meet the expectations of the very hung over, very content girl. And, as I was already planning to leave for greener pastures, in this case new hunting grounds, today, letting her believe I would call on her later worked quite well for me. And hopefully, defer any suspicions about me until I was well away from here.
Grabbing my pack and leaving the inn behind me, I found the town of Revlon just starting to wake up and come to life. To this backdrop, I hummed in celebration of my newfound wealth as I headed towards to the local hub of thieves, scoundrels, and sin, the White Rose.