Participants:
NPCs: Stud & Crud (Kaskan), Wayne & Yaron (Max)
| Date: | June 17, 2011 |
|---|---|
| Location: | Landing - Smithy |
| Synopsis: | Thugs Stud & Crud go after Nenienne to get the carving Kaskan gave her. |
| Rating: | PG |
| Logger: | Kaskan |
CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS:
Nenienne
In her late teens or early twenties, Neni has a youthful face clear of acne or other teenage maladies. Her eyes are gray and her features rather plain, perhaps slightly on the pretty side. Her brown hair is cut short, not even reaching her shoulders, and curls in the back. She is about 5'7" and her build is average, her propotions indicating that she has finished growing.
Neni is wearing a modestly-cut black short-sleeved blouse and black leggings. Although her clothing is naturally undecorated, glints of dust from the metals she works with are scattered about, especially in the front. Her undyed wherhide boots are not free from the speckles either. On her shoulder is a red knot tied to indicate a journeyman of the Smithcraft. — 23 turns
Max
With some growing still to do, Lomaxin stands at an average 5 feet and 9.5 inches tall. Physical work outdoors has given this young man an overall wiry build of smooth taut muscle that stretches over a defined chest, flat stomach, lean hips, toned legs and sinewy arms.Dark brown hair is kept short at the back and sides with a fringe worn long enough to fall in his eyes at times. Prominent nose and dark expressive eyes pair with brooding brows and a mouth prone to near perpetual smirk. Chin, jaw and upper lip seem to perpetually be darkened with at least a day's growth of stubble.
Prepared for a hard day's work, Max wears a pair of tan trousers of good, thick material that seem loose enough and comfortable for hard labor in the stables, and yet tailored enough in fit that he's not tripping over himself or risking anything getting caught in loose fabric. Tucked into these trousers is a light button-down, long-sleeved shirt, the sleeves almost always rolled up to the elbows, with a wide, flat collar that is usually kept open and comfortable for his work around the runners and herdbeasts. Completing the look are the heavy leather boots that look like they've seen better days, but are still sturdy and functional if not pretty, and the brimmed hat is rarely seen too far from his head. — 22 turns
L’han
This young man is a somewhat tall and solid fellow. His round head is capped by chin-length brown hair that frames his face, his grey eyes surveying whatever has his attention at the time. His face is rather plain featured with a thin nose positioned above light-red thin lips. A stout neck leads to a toned body that is kept well in shape by appearances.
His clothing consists of brown breeches and leather boots into which are tucked a white linen shirt. That is covered by a tight leather vest with pockets for anything he might need easy access to in flight. His breeches are held up by a leather belt at which hangs a sword and dagger sheath as well as a coiled length of rope. All of this is covered by a white cloak held at the neck with a clasp of silver. A white and red bandana covers his head and hair, keeping it out of his eyes during flight. –22 turns
ROOM DESCRIPTION:
[ Landing: Main Square ]
Landing is surrounded on three sides by water and stone, but there is ample room between her buildings for a wing of dragons to land easily. To the north, the land becomes sandy and leads out into the open seas, where dolphins play. To the west, the Black River flows from the Southern Mountains into the sea. The Eastern Barrier Range winds across the southern side of the complex. One of the closest peaks is the Two-Faced Mountain—the volcano that buried the place in lava and ash thousands of Turns ago.
The complex itself contains four parts: the famous AIVAS Complex, containing the Automated Intelligence Voice Address System, classrooms and conference center; the Archives, which houses all the information gained from the computers and all the contributing Halls; the Dining Hall, where the residents of Landing eat; and the Barracks, the cluster of buildings where they sleep. At certain times of the day, the solar panels on the tops of the various buildings reflect down into the square, making the dragons' ability to land without visual cues nearly invaluable.
LOG:
The courtyard at Landing is well lit by the light of both moons, the stars twinkling in full bloom. Most of the land-level illumination has been closed for the night, glowbaskets shut as their owners head to home and bed. Into the shadows cast by Landing's numerous buildings slink two husky shapes, quickly tying off runners loosely to a railing and making their way to the smithy.
Nenienne is working late tonight, carefully casting in place a dark blue gemstone in a gold setting. She is very intent on her work, and thus quite unaware of her surroundings.
The shady figures pause outside the smithy, quick glances assuring that the surrounding area is still devoid of any late-night wanderers. Light leaks out from the building as the first man cracks the door open, peers through, then nods to his cohort and slips inside. After a moment the other man follows. A quick survey inside the room reveals only one person, and as luck would have it, just the person they were looking for - Nenienne. They don't know her name but remember her face from the brief encounter they had several turndays ago. Expert thieves, they move with quiet stealth across the room and one approaches the lone young woman from behind while the other moves slowly into her field of vision from the front.
Nenienne doesn't notice either until the second cuts off her light. She begins to say in an irritable tone, "Get out of my light," but pauses, just in case and asks tentatively, "Master Jarvys, is that you?" Only then does she look up from her jewelry, and though her expression does not change from its usual frown, she does tense up as she recognizes the thug.
Stud, as Kaskan dubbed him, gives Nenienne a sneering grin as soon as she looks up. "Hello darlin'," he drawls, blue eyes reflecting a sinister light. At the same time his brother, Crud, steps forward and closes thick, beefy arms around the young smith's body, crushing her arms tightly to her sides. Stud moves up to the other side of the table and casually pokes at the dark blue stone she was working on. "Good to see you again."
Nenienne winces as the grip tightens, but for now she doesn't make any sound. When she finally does, it's to warn, automatically rather than for any concern for Stud, "Careful, that's just out of the forge." She quickly figures out from his words that this is no random run-in, so says briskly, "Still looking for your friend?"
Stud arches a thick, russet brow at the warning, sneer pulling further to the side. The stone is left alone. Instead his spine arcs backward and he crosses his arms, forearms bulging with muscle. "In fact, we're not. And it turns out you haven't been exactly honest with us, smith." Behind Nenienne, Crud grunts in her ear, bad breath wafting across her senses. "Turns out you have something that belongs to us," Stud continues, voice deepening. Crud bends back, lifting Nenienne just off her heels.
Nenienne begins to squirm, making a face at the smell. She sounds more irritated than anything when she says, "I have no idea what you're talking about in either case. Now would you tell your friend or brother or whatever to put me down? I'm not into the whole hugging thing."
Crud responds to Nenienne's complaints by dropping her back to the floor and in the same motion slipping his arms around hers to twist them across her back instead. His grip is too tight for her much smaller frame but he doesn't seem to care about thoughtful restraint. Stud merely continues to grin without the slightest hint of amusement, noting, "My brother doesn't like to be lied to, dear. I suggest unless you want that hug to be permanent you start talking." He pauses just a moment, letting the soft crackle of the fire in the large hearth fill the quiet. Then he leans forward, one palm setting on the table as he narrows his eyes at the young smith and demands, "Where's the carving Kaskan gave you?"
Although she doesn't exactly scream, Neni does make a loud exclamation of pain and surprise. When she realizes the pain is not going to lesson any, she says, "Oh, you meant Kas? Why didn't you say so?" Then, after trying to find a more comfortable position, she adds, "The carving is in my press at the Weyr."
"What?!?" Stud bellows at Nenienne's unexpected answer. Anger suffuses his ruddy complexion a deep red as he looks to his sibling cohort. Crud turns his one good eye to his brother, the other covered by a black patch, and nods in silent understanding. Stud steps around the table and leans close enough to Nenienne to see his reflection in her eyes. At the same time Crud hikes her arms painfully behind her back, not caring if he goes too far. "Don't lie to me, little girl!" Stud growls loudly.
Somewhat familiar with Landing's layout, Max and Waine had split up the moment their boots had hit the ground with the burly second heading for the main hall complex and the beast manager toward the smithworks drawn by the spill of light pooling outside the door. Halting just outside of it, he pokes his head around the frame only to find that the thugs have beaten him to it and have Nenienne firmly in hand. Not only that, but Kaskan is nowhere to be seen. Caution dictates that he wait for his second to catch up with before making his presence known, however the voice of Urgency is far stronger in demanding attention and in a split second, a decision is taken.
Stepping fully into the light, Max pins a look to first one and then the other of the men, a swift and what is meant to be reassuring look touching to Nenienne in the process if she notices him. "That ain't no way to speak to a lady," he drawls in tight warning, fingers flirting about the hilt of his knives
Nenienne gives another sharp cry, again short of a scream. She appears to be about to answer when a familiar voice and the face to match registers. She clams up and stops moving, waiting to see how this plays out.
Stud whirls at the sound of another voice, Crud grunting loudly and yanking Nenienne against his solid chest. "Just go away, mister," Stud growls, "This ain't no business of yours."
Rather than do as bidden, Max takes a further step into the room and a cold smile fits into place. "You must be Stud," using the names and descriptions Kaskan had given him to identify the two, "and you," a sneer stripping across his mouth, "Crud." Both men are then fit with a hard look, "Anythin' that happens in my territory is my business. Now let the lady go." Those last words grating out.
Nenienne gasps, the wind knocked out of her from the tightness of he grip. Someone elsse moght faint at this point, but curiosity keeps her awake and alert.
Stud's visage hardens considerably as they are pegged with the nicknames and identified. He flexes, popping his fingers like a string of firecrackers. Not recognizing Max in return, he isn't the least intimidated by the smaller, younger man, but he can sense a strong opponent when he sees one. "Afraid I can't do that. See, she has something that belongs to me." Taking a few steps toward Max he keeps a steady eye on the other man, his own broad bulk blocking the path to Crud and Nenienne. The one-eyed man moves in the opposite direction, jerking Nenienne along. Stud confidently continues, "You have a choice, boy. Leave now in one piece, or leave later in several - or not at all."
Coldly sardonic a brow lifts and Max hooks his thumbs into his belt, hands within easy reaching distance of the pair of hunting knives he wears, "Is that right?" He questions Stud's claim. "Seems to me, you got somethin' what's mine too," sending a nod of head in Nenienne's direction. "How 'bout we trade. You let her go and I'll let you live," the grin of an executioner appears while dark eyes set Stud with an implacable look as he moves closer. There is but the briefest span in time when the young crimelord's attention flickers to the journeywoman as Crud yanks her with him, perhaps enough to give Stud the opening he seeks.
Nenienne also takes this moment to make her move. Staying limp up until the last secons, she suddenly makes a sharp twist, not expexting to out-muscle the man, but apparently hoping for the element of surprise to be on her side.
Stud's watchful attention notes the shift in Max's glance, a quick flash of determined grin spreading his lips for the way he and his brother coordinate. As Max looks to Crud and Nenienne, Stud leaps forward with one fist flying and intent on using his heftier bulk to catch Max off guard before he can pull those knives. Behind them both, Crud lets out a sudden exclamation as the smaller woman suddenly squirms in his grasp. She slips from the grasp of his one arm and is able to twist but his other remains tight and gives her arm a wrenched upward jerk.
A faint light of approval ignites dark eyes in that split second that Max catches Nenienne trying to struggle free and then Stud is lunging at him. He manages to get one knife free but not the other as the bulkier man's fist clips the side of his head and sends his hat flying. Right, that does it! No messing with the hat!! A snarl breaks free and the crimelord uses the momentum of snapping back upright again to slash his knife wielding hand up across the thug's middle if possible. "Stupid son of a watchwher," comes growling out, "You done pissed me off now." And he proceeds to send a left hook in the direction of the man's kidneys. Yeah, waiting for Waine might have been a good idea.
Nenienne tries to free her other arm in a desperate move, although she no longer has the element of surprise on her side. And, perhaps even while attempting not to, she lets out another sharp cry.
Since Landing is usually quiet at night, the sounds of a disagreement of some kind usually carry far. And when Neni cries out? Even more so. The pounding of footsteps can be heard before Landing's half-time resident watchrider bursts into the smithy. L'han quickly takes in the strange scene from Max and Stud fighting to Neni being abused by Crud. As Max seemingly has his fight under control or so it would seem, the greenrider moves towards Neni and the thug wrenching her arm. "Hands off the woman, 'friend'. I'm not going to ask again." The greenrider's blade at his waist remains there when he walked in and it remains that way while he stares Crud down, waiting for the one-eyed thug's response.
Stud rumbles a victorious shout as his initial swing hits home and knocks the hat right off Max's head. As the other man snaps back with knife in hand Stud sucks his stomach in to avoid the thrust but his size works against him and he's too slow. The knife slices through his clothes and leaves a thin, red line across his mid-section. A roar tosses the pain of the cut at Max even as hardened muscles absorb the direct hit the smaller man lands over his kidney. Balling his hands into fists, Stud drops them with iron weight onto his opponent - one headed for Max's shoulders and the other meant to knock the knife from his hand.
Crud turns his head further as a new voice joins the fray, apparently directed at himself. Distracted, he gives the wriggling smith a solid jerk yanking her closer to his hefty frame. A man of few words, he merely growls at the rider, showing an array of darkened teeth. One cherry-brown eye levels on the newcomer, the emotionally numb stare and russet sideburns giving the man a rugged piratical appearance that brooks no compromise.
Max catches the arrival of another out of the corner of his eye, his temper fuelled by Nenienne's cries of pain, he doesn't check on identity and merely assumes that Waine has joined in the fray. Its when the greendrider speaks and identifies himself as not being the crimelord's second that Max growls out, "Get her outta here!" Secure in the belief that L'han would be able to free the journeywoman from Crud's clutches. With Stud coming at him hard and fast and his first attempt to cut the man down having failed, Max turns his body slightly, bracing for the impact of that hard fist to his shoulder. A grunt of pain sounds out when muscle and bone are connected but he uses the momentum to avoid the attempt to knock his knife from his hand. Reversing his grip so that the blade lies flat against the inside of his forearm, the crimelord lunges forward and goes high in an attempt to smash the hilt of the knife into Stud's face but in doing so for a split second leaves his upper torso undefended.
L'han nods to Max when he calls out to get Nenienne out. And since Crud doesn't want to accomodate his request to release Nenienne. "Ok, friend, your choice. Just know that even if you get out of here, you'll have to deal with the very pissed off dragon outside. She won't be too kind about it." And with those words, L'han lunges at Crud and Nenienne, his left hand moving to grapple up with Crud's arm on the side that Neni is not on, but his other hand does something different. Since Crud is effectively using Neni as a shield against getting hit, L'han does the only thing he can. His right fingers go straight and his aim is to poke out Crud's eye. His only good eye. Shock and pain is sometimes effective.
Stud ignores the sidelong action, trusting that his brother will have that situation in hand. Max has his full and undivided attention. Grunting loudly he smashes both fists down on Max's body as hard as he can, anger setting his jaw when the knife doesn't fall. In the next instant a sharp crack greets the knife handle to his chin as Max retaliates and his head whips back. One arm rises even through the pain, beefy fingers reaching for Max's wrist. Wrapping the thin bone in iron he twists the man's arm back and pushes forward, slashing wildly without aim and bringing the knife down across Max's face!
Crud is a bull; dangerously stubborn emotion blind to consequences or control of his massive bulk. One hand stays clamped on Nenienne's arm, oblivious to her struggling or pain his grip might be causing. If he hasn't wretched her shoulder or sprained her arm already he's certainly left her with deep bruises aplenty. L'han's rider knot is noted at the same time the man mentions his dragon and Crud's one eye widens at the unexpected complication. Anger wells as their well-laid plan suddenly seems in danger. His brother is the planner, however. Crud simply follows orders well. And right now those planned orders included getting the carving from Nenienne so he isn't going to let her go for anything. As L'han lunges Crud throws one muscle-thick arm up, slicing the air between them in an attempt to block the wiry rider with a blunt hit. Unfortunately the man has a good reach and pain flashes through Crud's scull as his eye is jabbed. With a roar he stagger back few steps, stumbling hard into Nenienne's smaller frame but not letting her go.
Fighting in a ring is one thing, fighting with no defining parameters involved is entirely different. And while he's used to taking hits to the body, the sheer strength and force of the much bigger man is what has Max staggering for a moment as his chest takes the full brunt of the man's double-fisted blow. Despite the success of the hilt of his knife having found the other's man's face, it's in that moment of trying to suck air into his lungs from behind several cracked ribs that Stud's bid is successful and Max finds his wrist twisted and his own weapon used on him. There's a roar of pain as the sharp blade slices across his face from forehead to cheek and while the gash misses his eye, the crimelord is effectively blinded in the one eye as blood obscures his vision. Agony sends him into a blind rage, the instinct to survive drowning out any kind of reason. With lightning speed his other hand frees his second knife when he doubles over and then rearing up his arm lifts and slashes wickedly honed steel across Stud's throat as he goes for the kill shot.
Nenienne will be feeling this tomorrow, but for now "adrenaline" is the word of the day. She makes another attempt to escape when L'han makes his move, gritting her teeth and not making a sound this time. Shee's not been formally trained in fighting, but something inspires her to take a crotch shot with her free elbow.
L'han grins as his fingers make their mark on the man's eyeball and when he roars in pain, but doesn't quite let go of Neni, the rider's fist aims to hit Crud on the throat, to take the air out of him, whilst using the whole of his body weight to force the man to seperate from Neni, or at least slam him up against the wall while he's in pain and confused. And prehaps unheeded by all however, a growl can be heard from outside. A very ominous growl that speaks to what L'han mentioned before.
The flush of success is immediately cut short as pain flashes across Stud's throat. His eyes go wide as breathing is immediately curtailed by a drowning sensation as blood rushes into his throat and shoots from the newly opened gash to spray Max. One out-stretched hand flexes, still reaching for the other man, while his other flies to his throat. Blood seeps from between his fingers as his skin turns ashen and he collapses to his knees. Blue eyes, still locked on Max, grow frozen and empty as an iced-over pond. Time seems to hang for several seconds and then the big man tips to one side, hitting the floor with a solid thud. With one last gurgle, Stud breathes his last and expires.
Crud is used to focusing his energy on one target and giving it free rein, but tackled on two fronts is confusing to the big man requiring a level of multi-tasking concentration that is difficult for him. Nenienne fools him - the smaller woman, so easily compelled till now, suddenly pulls a move that brings even the mightiest of men to tears. A roar of blind rage is cut short by the shot that L'han delivers to the big man's throat and he lurches backward again, this time tripping into Nenienne hard enough to send the woman carreening off balance if she isn't quick enough. Nearly blinded, Crud can just make out the blurry image of his brother going down nearby and another strangled roar rips from his throat. The combination of attacks is enough to make him release his hold on Nenienne's arm as he staggers forward, heedless of who might be beneath his booted feet. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Breathing hard, or as hard as cracked ribs will allow, adrenaline coursing through his body stays pain levels as Max with blood seeping down the side of his face and dripping off his chin flinches when he's spattered with the warm sticky spray. Still shrouded by that numbing veil of red fury, dark eyes watch without emotion as Stud falls to his knees. His expression a cold and unreadable mask, the crimelord calmly, almost too calmly wipes his blade across his thigh and then after giving the body a nudge with his boot, steps over the man and stalks with deadly intent toward Nenienne, L'han & Crud. "Tell me where Kaskan is or wind up the same way," Max snarls out, his face a garish mask of blood and cold determination.
Nenienne is slammed by Crud but manages to dart away anyway. Taking Max's order from before to heart, she heads for the door and leaves, thus missing the scary Max.
As Neni bolts for the door, L'han task of freeing the woman unharmed is done and when he hears Crud bellow, he looks to see the man Max was fighting is dead on the floor and the bloodstained crimelord is making his way towards Crud. The sliding of a blade from a sheath might be heard as the dragonrider pulls the blade at his waist, not moving yet, but his gaze goes to Max, taking his cue on what to do about Crud from him now that Neni is free and Stud is dead.
And for Neni? When she steps out of the building, she'll run almost smack-dab into a green dragon focused on the very door that she came out of, eyes lidded with red and a growl, but she doesn't move to harm Neni, in fact Escaeth doesn't even move to indicate she sees the woman at all.
Crud is stunned. The amount of pain searing through his hammered groin and bleeding eye is enough to down a less dense man, but Crud is all beef and little brain led by emotion. The red that paints his vision has nothing to do with the blood of his injury but everything to do with the consuming anger that rattles every nerve, bone, and muscle in his sizeable body. Seething, he yanks his attention to Max as the man states his demand and yellowed teeth appear between lips that curl into a trembling sneer. "That piece of shit is deep in a hole where he belongs and where you'll never find him!" he growls. "If he ain't dead already he will be as soon as it rains!" The sneer rises to one side, the signs and season having all pointing to such weather for the upcoming day.
It's not a few moments after Nenienne beats her hasty departure, that Waine comes bursting into the room, swinging a wary backward glance to the fuming dragon outside and thenskids to an abrupt halt almost slipping in the blood pooled about Stud's corpse as he takes in the gruesome scene before him. "What the…?" And then it's a low rumbling sound of threat that lifts up as his attention falls to the trio just beyond, ice blue gaze taking in his bloodied boss, grazing across L'han and then landing foursquare on Crud as he moves in their direction.
Max is still in that place of deadly indifference, his cold emotionless gaze fastened to Crud like a feline hunting its prey. A flick of head sends droplets of blood flying as he attempts to clear his vision, the searing pain that will soon be his to own, starting to prick at the edges of his consciousness. Lips pull back, baring teeth in a near maniacal grin as he steps another pace closer, assimilating the information given as he does so. "You think you're quite the funny man doncha? Here's how its gonna work," an acknowledging glance goes in Waine's direction as he steps up, "You're gonna tell me exactly where I can find Kaskan and then" his knife weaves a slow figure of eight pattern in the air before the thug, "you're gonna tell me where young Jhorn is. And maybe, I'll leave alive to enjoy your new life as a eunuch, hmm?" The point of his knife halting in emphasis in the area of Crud's already abused groin.
From outside, Nenienne manages to avoid running into the enraged dragon, if only by virtue of stopping immediately once she's out the door. Leaning against the side of the building, she slides down to a seated position, and tries to draw her knees to her chin. She blinks in confusion, because only one arm wraps around; the other dangling uselessly. Still in an adrenaline haze, she can only ponder why her arm isn't doing what it should be. She does finally glance at Escaeth and says, "I think he's ok," before closing her eyes and continuing to lean.
L'han glances to Waine when he comes in and then he returns his gaze to Crud before he finally lifts the flat of the blade to the back of Crud's neck. "Best answer his questions and call it a day friend." The dragonrider makes no other move, except he keeps his arm untensed so that if Crud should be the suicidal type, he won't be suddenly killed by L'han's blade.
Thick, russet brows lower as Crud notes the arrival of yet another person - more interference. With a rider behind him and now two men in front, he doesn't like the odds. At the tap of L'han's knife he rumbles like a bear deep in his chest. A quick glance to either side notes that the girl already slipped away - no using her as a shield.
Beefy fingers curl into fists as he weighs his options, anger and revenge singing through his veins with the volume of a screeching siren, demanding someone pay for the death of his brother. His blurry, bloodied, single-eyed view finds Max again, the man's threat and the gleam of light off his waving knife cutting through indecision with surgical precision.
Someone /will/ pay, but it isn't going to be Max and as far as Crud is concerned Kaskan is already dead.
Lowering his chin like a bull readying to charge, he snarls through clenched teeth, "I have a better deal, you blimy bastard. You can live with knowing you killed the boy just like you killed my brother!" With the last word Crud throws himself to the side and into a stack of barrels. Three tiers high, the heavy wooden containers come crashing down and roll in all directions. Crud takes advantage of the distraction to lunge toward the doorway, elbowing with crushing strength anyone he can reach on the way and dashing out the door.
Max's attention swings briefly passed Crud to land on L'han behind him, his mouth twisting about a darkly approving line as the greenrider adds further threatening incentive for the dense thug to co-operate. "Perhaps you should let your Escaeth nibble on his leg, eh? Give the man a bit of a reminder not to fuck with those under the Weyr's protection." Side-stepping the other more sinister kind of protection that Weyr residents are unwittingly afforded these days due to his hold on the southern continent. Waine at his side, utters a dark snicker.
And then Crud's words hit Max like a four pound hammer in the chest. Stud's blood on his hands, he can handle, but Jhorn's? Bile rises up in his throat and is swallowed down but before the crimelord can say or do anything, all hell breaks loose when Crud makes his bid for freedom. A bid that turns out to be successful for both Waine and Max turn their backs to the barrels that come tumbling down around them. One of them hits the crimelord in the back sending him staggering sideways and another clips Waine on the back of the head, almost sending him sprawling. "Fuck!" Max roars out his frustration and pain as the thug makes good his escape but is soon stumbling after the man though still dazed, he doesn't have much chance of catching up with him.
From outside, Nenienne's breathing goes from something like a mix of hyperventilation and panting to something a little less frantic. She remains, back to the wall but not in front of the door, her eyes still closed.
L'han is about to open his mouth to reply to Max when Crud does something none expected when he barrels into the barrels and causes enough chaos to slip away. L'han's reflexes cause him to jump back out of the way of the barrels and seeing the back of Crud as he slips out the rider screams. "Escaeth! Stop him!"
Outside the dragon stirs, her eyes flicking to solid red from the tint they were before and when Crud makes his appearance outside, the green will let out a bugle and then attempt to reach out and grab Crud with her teeth. He may be big and meaty, but hey, she'd like that eh?
Crud never looks back as he rushes out the door, only to come to a screeching halt at the sight of a maw full of teeth breathing earth, wind, and smelling of fire coming right at him. Panicked, he steps back and turns his head from the onslaught catching sight of Nenienne hunckered down by the doorway against the building. Bellowing himself, he reaches down and grabs the smith by her arms, thick fingers curling into her clothing, and lifts her right off the ground. Adrenaline pumping through his already bulging muscles he heaves her through the air at the lunging green dragon. Dodging to the side as soon as his fingers release he doesn't wait to see if she gets gobbled up as he's sure was the intent for him but staggers forward with blind momentum, forced to run from Landing in the opposite direction with which he and Stud entered and leaving their runners behind.
Max and Waine emerge just in time to see Nenienne being flung through the air in the direction of one very pissed off dragon. It's Waine with no injuries to hamper him that darts forward in an attempt to catch the journeywoman before she becomes one with the ground, risking getting his head bitten off by Escaeth.
The crimelord casts wildly about in the dark catching a flash of moonlight off of Crud's retreating back before the runners tethered nearby catch his peripheral vision and it's in their direction that he starts to move. "Free the runners, they'll show us where last they were," he rasps out to no one in particular, breathing laboured as lungs battle against cracked ribs for air.
Adrenaline or no, being grabbed hurts, and Nenienne is alert, letting out another cry which still does not resolve into a scream. Everything happens so quickly that she has no time to react any further.
Sometimes being a rider sucks and it's through Escaeth's eyes that the greenrider sees a terrified Nenienne being flung towards his dragon. When Waine steps in to catch her, the dragon lifts her head and misses Waine. She closes her mouth, snorting in anger at missing, as she follows Crud with her eyes until she can no longer see him. L'han for his part bursts outside not far behind Max and Waine and he exclaims, "Shit, Neni are you alright?" He looks to Max and then to the runners when he says to cut them loose. "Following them back to their home?"
The runners were already prancing in place and whinnying pitiously with a dragon so near but when the green bellows they go into outright panic mode and rear up, pulling hard on the restraint of their reins looped about a railing. They want nothing more than to get as far away from Escaeth as possible and back to known safety. Lights and shouts begin to be heard from all around the courtyard as residents are alerted and/or awoken by the noise.
That pain that had been pricking starts to seep in further, seeking to take root but Max stubbornly ignores it and pushes it away, his concern split between Nenienne's wellbeing, and the urgency of finding both Kaskan and Jhorn before its too late. With the experience born of working with runners almost his entire life he's able to slip in under the hooves of panicking runners, cut one of them free and then with a pained grunt haul himself up onto one of them. Waine, if he was able to catch the journeywoman in time, will set her down gently and then quickly move to free the other runner sending a look to L'han, "Reckon you can get her back to the Weyr and a healer?" an anxious look sent around the courtyard as it starts to come to life. Pain, anger and a gnawing sense of foreboding have turned the crimelord's temper foul, his next order snapped out through gritted teeth, "Stop fuckin' around, Waine. Grab that runner and give it its head."
Nenienne is one of those people who does not panic, and even becomes more focused when in danger. It is mostly due to that that she doesn't struggle when Waine catches her — she realizes the person who is catching her is not the one who threw her. She even manages a polite, if grim, "Thank you," for Max's second. Next she turns to L'han, wincing. "I'm going to be sore tomorrow, but I'm ok for now."
L'han nods to Waine when he's asked to take Neni back to the Weyr. "No problem. I'll also see if I can keep the guy in there out of sight until he can be disposed of. Out of sight, out of mind." As the guards probably are coming over from AIVAS to see what the heck is the problem, L'han will have some explaining to do. However as to Neni he moves to take her from Waine so he can put her on Escaeth.
Max's experienced hand does little to dissolve fear of the wild-eyed runners, but the one he manages to mount at least stops rearing with the weight of a rider on its back and immediately tries to leave the courtyard. Waine is not even that lucky, his runner turning and snapping grizzled teeth at him. Eventually it will settle enough for him to attempt a mount but as soon as it's partner is spotted leaving the beast is right on the other's heels.
Nenienne lets herself be led over and begins, in a manner born of habit, to mount the dragon. She is mostly irritated, then, when her arm refuses to work, and she has to use just the one to hoist herself up.
When L'han mentions the dead body, Max's lips draw back in a silent snarl of loathing from out of his bloodied visage as he sits the prancing and panicked runner that simply wants to gone from there. "Wake Yaron up before you head back," to the Weyr, "He'll take care of it." By making it simply disappear and arranging barrels over the pool of blood for the time being, no doubt. Waine, knowing his boss as well as he does, takes no offence to the manner in which the order was delivered and once he's sure that Nenienne is safe in the greenrider's care he makes a move toward the other runner. "Son of a wher!" he growls out when the creature tries to bite him, "Do that again and it's the gluepot for you, mate!" Then, with a bit of clever side-stepping and a bit of hopping about on one foot, he's mounted up and ready to go. Reins that had held the runners under tight control are then let loose and the runners are given their freedom to hightail it out of there, hopefully heading back in the direction they had come.
L'han nods and waves to the two men as their runners flee the dragon's presence before he helps lift Neni onto Escaeth as he looks at the dragon. "Keep her safe for a moment, Escaeth. I need to see someone before we go back." He looks up at Nenienne, "I'll be back soon Nenienne. But this needs to get done." Finding Yaron that is. No way L'han is leaving a dead body and the certainty that the greenrider was present when it was. The greenrider waves the guards to him as they draw near, calming them all and just remarking that Escaeth was suprised by something, nothing to be alarmed about before he heads off to find Yaron.
Nenienne nods numbly and sets to strapping herself in while L'han deals with Yaron. It's a good thing she starts early, because strapping oneself in is far different when one is unable to use an arm.
L'han finally returns with Yaron, whom nods to L'han and ducks on into the building where the trouble is and L'han climbs onto Escaeth, turning to check that Nenienne is strapped in securely before he'll do the same for himself and urge Escaeth into winging her way into the sky and then into between home to Eastern.
RELATED LOGS:
Two Thugs and a Computer Geek – The thugs arrive and start asking questions.
Two Thugs and a Gem Girl
Two Thugs and a Little Kid
— (side log) “Walk much, Jaya?” – Kaskan tells Jaya his history with the thugs.
— (side log) “C’mon little man, show me what you got.” – Max gets to know Jhorn.
“Can you keep a secret?” – Kaskan gives Nenienne the carving.
“I like the way you negotiate.” – Kaskan and Max make a plan.
“Where’s Jhorn?” – Jhorn’s disappearance is reported to Max.
“Now, let the lady go.” – The thugs go after Nenienne.
“Kas, you down there?” – Max and Wayne rescue Kaskan.
You are gonna die, little man.– Everyone races to rescue Jhorn.
