Lions and Lambs

Normally, Alberich would not have wasted time with a job like this, but hell, why not? A paycheck was a paycheck, and far be it from him to knock it. He had heard about it in the stables, like where he usually heard good places to get jobs like this, and had decided that it seemed like a quick, easy job. It was an age old story, and one that Alberich had heard many times before, and frankly it was boring. Boy met girl, girl wants to escape her position in society, and boy wants a girl who has a position in society.

As one can imagine, these type of romances never worked out very well, for obvious reasons.

As far as Alberich was concerned, it was really his job to return the noble's daughter, hopefully unspoiled, and hope for the best though she would likely run off again as soon as someone took their eyes off her for a second. If he had to tie the girl up like a prized hog and stick her on Ironheart's rump to get back to the estate, then so be it. But to find her, Alberich was going to need a little information from the father of the little twit, or one of his servants, most likely.

Ironheart plodded along with little interst in their surroundings through the streets of Marseille, occasionally eyeing a green bush every so often, but didn't do anything more than that, though. The Prussian wasn't looking forward to this little mission, mostly because he'd probably be sneered at for being a common mercenary and told to come in through the servant's entrance or somesuch.

Eventually Alberich reached the gates of the compound, ornate things that wouldn't have kept out anyone if they really wanted to come in. There was a footmen waiting at the door, looking at him as if he was some sort of freak or begger coming to ask for a slice of bread or somesuch. Alberich rested his hands on the horn of the saddle as Ironheart sneezed quite rudely into the footman's nice, clean livery.

"I'm here to go fetch your little lost lamb, but I need information, about where she's gone and who she's with." He said succinctly and to the point. Of course, he was sure that the noble had specifically kept this information from most of his staff, but Alberich knew that in a household like this, trying to keep happenings a secret was like trying to swim to England. He knew the footman would most likely know very well what he is talking about.

((What does the footman do? Does he go to fetch his master or a higher level servant?))

((The footman looks at Alberich and his hellspawn horse with barely disguised disgust, but ultimately allows them access to the house and its master. Lord Genou greets the knight in the receiving room, offering him a seat on one of his luxurious furnishings; it's obvious that this family is very well off by the ostentatious decorations about the place. The father explains that his daughter is an innocent who has been seduced by a man of most foul reputation (which in noble speak means that he likely just doesn't have a reputation at all). He wants his precious little ingénue back before the man can sully her, and suspects that the cad's taken her to the little plot of land he calls home on the outskirts of the city.))

Alberich smirked as the footman was forced to let them in, Ironheart's hooves clopping on the manicured walkway up to the ornate mansion that said that this noble had quite a bit of money. Personally he thought the pay for this trip was a little weak considering what he was going to have to do to get the little fool back. And well if his daughter was spoiled, as he would probably see it, it wasn't really any of Alberich's business. Perhaps the noble would be worried that the mercenary would spoil his daughter if he got the chance, but Alberich had a reputation for being efficient, if brutally so, and it was an unspoken rule, though Alberich would not have been interested even if it wasn't.

He left Ironheart tied loosely to a rack near the stables, after warning the stablehands not to go anywhere near him at the moment, and was escorted to a sitting room instead of to the back where a senior servant would speak with him. Apparently this particular noble valued his daughter, which was quite rare, enough to have a mercenary covered in dust from the road somewhere like this. It was a highly ornate room, and also utterly useless.

Then again, nobles were like that. Oh well.

The noble came in, looking well fed and worried, motioning for him to sit down, but Alberich simply shook his head mutely. He wasn't here to socialize, he was here to get the information he needed and to get on with this little errand. Once he got all the information he needed, the Prussian excused himself from the room that made him feel distinctly uncomfortable, assuring the noble that he would be back with his daughter within a day.

The ride to the outskirts that he was told the compound was on was rather uneventful. Still, he knew nothing at all about this man and what his intentions were, and with Alberich's luck, they were probably bandits.

((When he comes upon the little plot of land, what does it look like? Does it look like anything other than a stupid kid? Are there any guards? Is there any sign that the man in question and the noble twit are even there?))

((The little plot of land is well maintained but that's where its good qualities end. The house is tiny, a cottage really, and there's only an acre or so of dirt for farming which looks to be quite dry and infertile. There's no barn for animals, no coop for chickens, nothing that seems even remotely helpful for sustaining a viable living. More importantly, though, no one appears to be home. No stupid kid, no noble twit. It's a dead end.

However, there is a trail leading West which would suggest that the pair was headed out of the city, mayhaps even towards the port to catch a ride to another country.))

It didn't take Alberich long to come onto the land that the noble had mentioned, and though it was fairly nice as a place, it was also very useless. There was nothing there, not even a few crops or a few chickens or anything that could be of value to anyone. And nothing that would be of value to him, apparently, because his quarry WAS NOT THERE. Alberich gritted his teeth in frustration, the tension in his body making itself known to Ironheart, who pawed at the ground and looked around for something to kill. There were no stables, so the pair probably didn't have any horses, but they could have, but that would not keep them from HIM.

They could not be so foolish as to try to escape on foot, could they? They had to know that her father would send someone after them, anyone with a glimmer of intelligence could know that. He rode around the plot, looking for clues of their wherabouts, when Ironheart clued him in on a trail leading towards the coast, cleverly hidden by bushes on either side of the path.

That was heading towards the sea, which was a very bad sign. Once they got out to sea, it would be nearly impossible to gather them again without making the trip far more trouble that it was worth. Even if they had gone through another secret trail heading another direction, it would be better than if they reached a dock or a marina. Not that most ship captains would take on passengers without a substantial sum of money, but there were always alternate routes of transportation.

If they were going along this trail, Alberich would have to follow them, and hope that they hadn't gone the other direction. The trail, though narrow and surrounded by bushes on either side, was well taken care of, and he lightly squeezed his heels to Ironheart's side. The ugly gelding may have looked more like an oversized badger than a horse, but he was fast, and could navigate a trail like this like a goat.

Ironheart needed no encouragement, picking his pace up into a trot and then a ground eating canter, his ears pressed back against his head and running like a hound on the hunt. There was occasionally an obstacle in the narrow path, but Alberich navigated around them with the subtle press of leg to either side of the horse's barrel.

Along the way, he looked for sign of men or horses passing this way. The sound of hoofbeats would likely tip the young couple off either way, if they were on the trail. If they were on horseback, they were likely in a hurry, and Alberich had not met a horse yet that didn't leave a pile of manure during a ride like this. The telltale signs of broken bushes or snapped branches would also be a good indication. If he did not come across a sign of them within the next few miles, he would have to turn around and go back and look for another path they may have taken.

((Is there any signs of passage through the trail before Alberich? Are there any fresh piles of manure or broken branches if they are ahorse?))

((While they had no doubt been trying to travel inconspicuously, the couple leaves behind all sorts of signs for Alberich to pick up. The spacing of the horse's hoofprints are spaced apart enough for him to be able to tell that they were in quite the hurry, and the tracks are clean enough for him to follow them without much trouble. There is a pile of manure but it's dry which would suggest that they've passed this point a while ago. It'll be a race against time to reach the coast before they set sail if that is indeed their intent.))

Alberich rarely cared about how fast a horse could go, he more cared about the way it fought and how smart it was, but he had really lucked out when it came to Ironheart. Though he seemed gangly and oddly put together, the horse underneath him was fast as a hare, and was able to run for longer than most other horses. It took all of Alberich's horseman skills just to keep the animal in a canter instead of a full on gallop, looking for clues along the ground was very hard at a full on run, especially if this wasn't the way that the two stupid kids had gone.

There was good news, and there was bad news it seemed. Good news was that he was at least on the right track, with telltale signs that two horses had been moving swiftly this way. He spotted a pile of manure ahead of him, and fought Ironheart to a trot and then a walk, the horse breathing only slightly harder than normal. He got off and picked up a horse apple in the pile of manure under the crowd, crumbling it under his gloved fingers. it was dry, but the very inside still had some moisture, so it wasn't a lost cause... yet.

But it would be if he didnt' hurry along. He brushed his fingers along his leg to get rid of some of the fragments and climbed back into the saddle, Ironheart standing stock still for his rider to mount up despite his eagerness to be off. Alberich muttered something about idiots that needed to be sterilized so that they wouldn't pass stupidity onto the next generation.

Ironheart took almost no encouragement to break into a full on gallop, Alberich sitting up in the saddle slightly and leaning over the ugly steed's thick gray neck to encourage him to go faster down the trail, hoping that they could catch up with them. The trail was straight, though narrow, and fairly level, so it was safe at this point. Ahead of them, a fairly large tree had been felled in the middle of the path, and he could see that there was a broken trail around it, though not nearly as clear that they had most likely gone around instead of just jumping it.

Well, Alberich couldn't afford to waste time going around, not if he was going to catch the little weasels. Ironheart could see the tree infront of them to, and the Lion of Prussia felt the muscles surge underneath him as the warhorse collected himself for a jump. Alberich let the horse do his thing, and just concentrated on staying /with/ him.

Ironheart's hooves left the ground, and they leapt above the fallen tree, tucking his back hooves up expertly underneath him to clear the jump. It was the closest Alberich ever felt to flying, and it was over almost too soon as Ironheart's hooves hit the dirt and they were at a full gallop down the trail again.

((Any signs they're getting closer? What does the trail look like? Can Alberich see any sign of where the trail leads to?))

((The trail begins to get disturbed as more horse tracks pile atop and intermingle with those left by the couple's animal. They've neared a route leading directly to one of the more minor ports of Marseilles. As Alberich gets closer to the port, the traffic gets worse with people all over the place. He notices a horse amidst the crowd, alone with seemingly no owner. If he had to guess, it's likely that the couple abandoned it and have probably taken to trying to barter passage aboard one of the ships.))

Alberich cursed when they reached civilization, and Ironheart was no less energetic from the run through the forest. It was a busy little port, full of people and ships, prostitutes lining the sides of the streets and trying to attract sailors to spend their coin with their meager wares. Several stall owners were hawking their wares as well, waving around brightly colored objects as well as fabrics into the air and trying to catch the eyes of the passerby's. If the couple had already gotten on the ship, or gained access to one, there would be nothing Alberich could do to get them back. Who knew where they would have gone, and they could go almost anywhere.

However, it would also do him no good to go running around trying to spot the odd couple, not with this many people around. The description that he had been given was light blonde hair and blue eyes, and skin the color of pale milk. Then again, in noble speak, that could have meant 'a sorta non-color brown hair, brown eyes, and the completion of a steak let out in the sun too long'.

Either way, no doubt their nervousness, especially on the part of the young noblewoman, would no doubt let him know if they were the couple he was searching for or not. Ironheart pushed through the crowd, shouldering some aside and snapping at others that got too close to the pair. The abandoned horse was tired and didn't even protest Alberich pulling up along side it and grabbing the poor thing's reigns. It was a tired, covered with sweat, and ill used mare that had clearly seen better days, the poor thing. They had used the animal, and used her hard, and there were more than a few scars along her flanks from cruel spurs, and an ill fitting saddle.

The mare had clearly not been cared for even before she was so ill used in the trip here, and didn't even protest as he tied the reigns to his saddle bow. He'd need something to use to drag the girl back, after all, and the mare was as good as any. He looked around, a careful heel in Ironheart's side reminding him to behave around the big boned mare, as he looked out over the crowd.

The mercenary looked to a stall keeper nearby, taking out a coin and fiddling with it so that it shone in the suneshine.

"You, was a boy and girl with this horse? If you tell me where they would have gone, I would be greatly appreciative."

It was worth the extra few moments to get information on where they had gone. He flicked the coin at the man, so he could catch it.

((Does the stall keeper tell them where the boy and girl had gone? If so, and Alberich heads in the direction he points to, does he see the silly couple near the docks?))

((The boy answers that a couple fitting that description was headed towards the dock just a little while ago, then he snatches the gold coin greedily from Alberich. As the knight heads towards the dock, timing seems to be teasing him since he arrives at just the moment that the couple is boarding the ship. A large group of people separates him from the couple, and he'll have to hurry to reach them before the ship sets sail.))

Damn it! Damn it all to hell! Alberich cursed to himself as he nudged Ironheart forward through the crowd, not caring over much if either of the animals trampled anyone. Not that the mare looked capable of trampling much, and the poor thing pressed as close to Ironheart and his leg as she possibly could, looking for the comfort of another equine in such a loud and boisterous place. Alberich could feel her flesh trembling against his leg. but there was no time to comfort the animal, not right now. He looked over the heads of the crowd, looking for a flash of golden blonde hair or anything similar.

Just as he started to get a sinking feeling in his gut that the ship had set sail, and that he had missed them, he spotted a glimmer of golden hair from the corner of his eye, as he looked over to one of the ships, only to see the blonde haired noble step up the ramp and board the ship. Alberich growled as he saw that the ship was clearly getting ready to depart, and hoped to hell and back he'd be able to catch them before they left.

If he couldn't, he'd be in some trouble. Though there was no criminal action in failing to complete a job, but there was the hit on his reputation. Alberich was known for being fast, efficient, and good at what he did, and missing out on capturing two little love birds wasn't going to help him get any job in the future.

"MOVE!" He shouted out into the crowd, and touched his heels to Ironheart's side, making the warhorse shoulder his way through the crowd, pushing people out of the way and baring his teeth at many, making them gasp and rush to get out of the ugly creature's way. The mare followed obediently, though a little confused, lifting up a back leg and venturing a half hearted kick towards someone who had gotten a little too close for her, and Alberich could clearly see the whites of her yes.

Desperately, he scanned around the boarding ramp for any sign of the commanding officer of the ship. In his experience, it was pretty easy to see the captain or first mate of a vessel by the state of their clothing. They were usually far better dressed than the rest of the crew. He spotted a man that may or may not have been the captain, standing next to the ramp and writing something down on a sheet of paper with a bit of charcoal.

"Captain, wait!" He shouted out to him, even though the man may not have even been the captain, continuing to shoulder his way through the crowd. He raised himself up in his stirrups, making him even taller, and waved his hand through the crowd. He hoped to hell and high water that the sailor would notice him.

((Does the man notice him? Is it the captain, a first mate, or just a dock official? Please, let it be the former...))

((The man does indeed notice him but looks around in confusion since he's not the captain, only the first mate. When he realises that Alberich is addressing him, he hollers up to the deck of the ship where the actual captain is. Coming down the ramp, the captain of the ship greets the knight friendly enough. "What can I do for you, Sir?" he asks politely.))

Alberich felt a surge of relief when the first mate noticed him and called down the captain, forcing his way through the last of the crowd and finally onto space that wasn't occupied by far too many human bodies and the scent of stale sweat mixed in with far too much perfume. Alberich was not the kind of man to be nice, or to be polite, but this situation called for something a bit different.

The captain of this ship /did/ have the Prussian's paycheck in his hands, after all, so Alberich couldn't afford to piss him off. The girl was as good as on the other side of the world on that ship, and Alberich wasn't willing to fight all those sailors just for the twit of a noblewoman, who didn't seem to realize the fate she had in store for her.

He had heard this story far too many times for his taste. Noblewoman runs off with peasant boy, and the boy either ends up blackmailing her father for money, or keeping the noble girl pregnant all the time, leaving her to raise the children in dingy surroundings while he went off to chase skirts at the local tavern. But no matter how many of these stories were told, this kind of thing always happened.

Besides, the Captain looked clean and well armed, a sabre at his belt that looked like it had a nasty edge to it. Alberich slid from Ironheart's back, and told him firmly in german in a word that roughly translated to, 'Stand and Guard'. Ironheart wouldn't let anyone near himself, or the mare next to him while he was under those commands. The mare just stood there, pleased for the rest, head hanging down as far as the reins would allow her to go.

"What can I do for you, Sir?"

"Captain, you have two passengers on board, a boy and a girl, the girl a blonde. I do not know what they've told you, but the girl is the daughter of a very wealthy French noble, who has run off without his consent." Alberich said briefly. See, he was able to talk without insulting something. He didn't /like/ it, but he would.

"I have been sent to retrieve her. And my employer would be most ... appreciative, perhaps in the way of coin if you would allow me to complete my job." He said politely, though with his scarred face, he didn't look like it.

((What does the Captain say?))

((The captain understands the situation but, unfortunately for Alberich, is something of a romantic. He says that while a couple fitting that description may be aboard his ship, he's promised them safe passage and safe passage is what they will receive. "My apologies, Sir, but I'm afraid it's time to depart," he says, giving Alberich his back as he ascends the gangplank.))

"My apologies, Sir, but I'm afraid it's time to depart,"

"Wrong answer."

The Captain had made the last mistake out of many by turning his back on Alberich. First, he had been given the chance to get out of here with no blood being spilled, and he refused it. Second, he got between Alberich and his paycheck, which was a major mistake. Alberich truly had no respect for any life other than his and his own, and that included the French captain's. This is why he hated dealing with the French, they were all about 'romance' and 'honour', and hadn't a lick of common sense. He shook his head, drew his sword, and walked up the plank to the ship, and pushed the captain out of his way and into the water between the boat and the dock.

"You see, I'm a mercenary, and this is my paycheck. If I have to kill every damn one of you, I will to get my target." He growled softly as he walked onto the deck of the ship, a dangerous, predatory look in his eye. They had caught Alberich at a very bad time this time, especially after the merry little chase he had been sent on. He turned, and /smiled/ at the sailors, though there was no hint of humor seen anywhere else on his face.

Oh, don't get him wrong, Alberich /wanted/ to kill them. But he also didn't want to be hunted down for slaughtering a group of sailors. Not that Alberich much cared what the French did to him, but he wanted to be able to go back and collect his money without having to dodge authorities, or what passed for authorities, the whole time. What he did to the captain was more humiliating than anything else, and something to buy him a little time without the sailor's leaders here. He settled the broad part of his sword against his shoulder, looking over at the group.

Many of them didn't have shirts on, let alone anything that looked like armor. Alberich, on the other hand, was wearing chainmail under his leather gorget, which would likely stop any pitiful excuse for a weapon that the average sailors might have on them. The sabre of the captain might give him a problem, but Alberich was confident that he could dispose of the captain without much trouble.

"So, that being said, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. You can either let me pass, retrieve my paycheck, and no one has to die. Or... you could fight me, I'll kill you, and retrieve my paycheck. Your choice." Alberich paused, looking thoughtfully at the clouds. "You know, I wish you would chose the latter. It's been ages since I've had a good fight." The Prussian said wistfully. The seal of a white lion was set into the pommel of his sword.

((Do the sailors let him pass, or do they decide to fight him?))