On days like this one, Sophia found herself wishing she'd never decided to get involved in the affairs of Lowtown.
There was a certain kind of peace that she remembered having when her feet never carried her down the steps to the lower city. She had just wandered her safe and privileged home, ears covered to the sounds around her, eyes cast ever upwards to avoid seeing what was beneath her. That was another time, of course. Now she not only saw what was under her boots, she descended into it on a daily basis, or as often as her responsibilities would allow her. Her ears were covered any longer, and this allowed her to hear everything that happened around. Not all of it was easy to hear.
One particular piece of news the other day had hit her like the time she'd been kicked by a horse when she was learning to ride. A name she had not expected to hear again, and certainly not within the walls of the city. Once she decided that she wasn't crazy and she had heard correctly, she'd gone to Varric, who seemed the most likely to be able to help her. Sadly, the dwarf could not, but he could point her to someone who was possibly more capable than he. Thus she found herself heading towards the Lowtown shop of Ashton Riviera, The Hunted Stag. She remembered him as the man she'd danced with the night before the expedition departed, and it wasn't too surprising that there was more to him than he'd let on. She'd done the same herself, of course. This time, of course, she'd be very straightforward with him. It probably helped that she hadn't consumed any wine today.
In her usual chain and plate, Sophia pushed open the door to his shop, doing her best to not let the smell of animal hides overwhelm her, though she probably did make a bit of a face at first. It was a rather modest place for a man who had no doubt received a large share of coin from the success of the expedition. Sophia found the man himself just inside, working on what appeared to be a large amount of... dragon bone? It made sense, given the tales of the group's battle with a dragon, but it was still rather startling to see.
"Hello," she said, giving a slight wave. "Ashton Riviera? I'm Sophia Dumar. We met at the Hanged Man a few months ago. Do you have a few minutes to talk?"
"Oh. Hi, welcome to the Hunted Stag," Ashton responded in monotone, but he was far too busy to notice that instead of his standard fare of Lowtown elves and humans, his customer today was was a highborn pretty lady decked out in plate metal and chain. Instead, his undivided attention focused solely on the hunk of bone he was working in his hands. The bone had been stripped of all flesh and meat that once filled out a dragon's arm, with the still usable bits of leather placed in a pile on the counter, while the undoubtedly rotted meat was disposed of elsewhere. He was currently in the process of bleaching it white with a bit of elbow grease and an old rag. He was nearly there by the looks of it.
Finally, the second part of the greeting filtered through his head and he took his eyes off of the bone, and a moment of remembrance flashed across his eyes. "Ah! Sophia, sweetheart. What brings you to my lowly shop?" He said, setting down the dragon bone on the counter beside him, next to a pile of recently acquired books, one of which was currently open. "Sorry I didn't notice it was you earlier. I was in the middle of polishing my bone-- er.. Dragon bone, that is... I didn't mean..." Ashton clarified. "Right! Now that that faux pas is out of the way... For you sweetheart, I've got all day to talk," He said, drawing his legs up so that he sat crosslegged on the counter, followed by perching his elbows on his knees so that his knuckles would hold his chin.
He looked genuinely intrigued about what the girl would say. He could smell an adventure a mile away, and this woman postively reeked of it. A girl after his own heart.
Sophia had taken a half step back, putting her weight on her back foot, and crossing her arms over her chest. She narrowed her gaze at the man slightly, but reminded herself that she wanted his help. Sophie was one thing, but sweetheart she didn't think she wanted to put up with, especially considering they'd only met once before. Between the two uses of the word, and his mention of polishing his bone, she strongly felt the urge to roll eyes, but refrained.
"I'm trying to find someone," she said, keeping her tone as it was before. "I overheard a name while in Lowtown the other day, and if it's the person I think it is, I want to speak with him. But considering his current circumstances, it's in his best interests to lay low while he's in the city. I would go to the city guard, but they're stretched thin as it is, and I consider this a personal matter, besides." She made sure to make eye contact. "So I'd appreciate it if we could keep this between the two of us for now."
Maybe this was a lot to ask of someone she didn't really know, but considering the way she'd been greeted, Sophia imagined her chances of getting him to cooperate weren't all that bad. "I've heard that you tend to keep an ear to the ground, so to speak. I don't yet have a great amount of experience with the people in Lowtown, nor am I able to speak to them without drawing attention, attention that would make my quarry disappear the moment he caught wind of it, I'm sure. So... think you might be willing to help? I would make sure you are compensated for your trouble, of course." Honestly, Sophia would prefer to keep this as a business discussion, since she couldn't say she trusted the man yet, and indeed, this problem was rather close to her heart. The details would come on a need to know basis.
"It's all the armor," Ashton mentioned, drawing attention to all the plate she was wearing. "Not many people walk around armed for bear. City guard and Lucien excluded. Tends to put the common folk on edge," He explained ever so helpfully. With that being said, he flashed her a smile and bent over backward so that he laid on his counter, reached behind it, and grabbed his quiver and bow before returning upright. "You've come to the right place Sweetheart. If the sign didn't give it away, I'm the best hunter in this here city. A person shouldn't be no more difficult than an animal," He said, uncrossing his legs and letting them swing freely over the counter.
Saying no to a pretty lady was never Ashton's style, and he'd been working on that bone ever since he got it back. A little diversion wouldn't hurt, and it might even be a little fun. As if he'd pass up the chance to spend an afternoon with a pretty lady anyway. "But, it'd be helpful if you told me this name first, and anything else about him or her that would prove helpful in this search of yours." He said, shouldering his quiver. If that wasn't answer enough, then the girl really needed to work on reading between the lines.
"The armor," Sophia agreed, "and introducing yourself as the daughter of Viscount Dumar. And believe me, I'm a terrible liar. The man we're looking for will only be found in the darker places of the city, places I couldn't blend into no matter how hard I tried." She shrugged. "That's if he's here at all. This is a rumor I'm following up on, not a sighting."
She took a few meandering steps forward, lowering her voice almost imperceptibly, as if she didn't even mean to do it. "The man's name is Dairren Quinn, he was the captain of the city guard here until about six years ago, when he was exiled by my father. The name I heard was Quill, which was what he used to call himself back before his days as guard captain. He's a criminal now, I think. And if he's back in Kirkwall, it can't mean anything good."
At least, that was what she wanted to say. Truthfully, she was very conflicted about it all, given that she'd trusted the man with her life back when he'd lived at the Keep. Sophia had always wanted another chance to speak with him, to get some answers, but the opportunity had never arisen. At least, not until now. "But first, I want to make a few things clear: one, this is the smartest man I've ever known. Finding him won't be a matter of simply asking around. And two, you're going to have to cut the sweetheart stuff. Sophia will do just fine." She felt she was being rather serious at the moment, but to be honest, hearing of Dairren Quinn again had her more than a little bothered.
"If it was easy, then there wouldn't be any point in the hunt, now would it swe-- Sophia? Any old fool can ask people where they can find their target. It's the mark of a true hunter to find their prey despite the odds," Ashton said, kicking off of the counter. "Well, let's be off then. Daylight's wasting, and trying to find someone at night is both dangerous and stupid. Shall we?" He said, motioning her toward the door. He ushered her out of the shop, locking the door behind him and walked a couple of paces into the street before turning to face Sophia.
If this man was truly a criminal like Sophia said, then he had the general idea of where to begin looking. "Darktown. You'll find all of your unsavory sorts there. Fugitives, refugees, outcasts, and even criminals. It'd be a great place to start, wouldn't you think-- hope you brought some coppers, we may have to grease some palms," He said, beginning to walk backwards in the direction of Darktown. "Or we could start where you heard this rumor. Or even elsewhere. This is your quest after all, I'm merely your guide through the darkness," he said with a wink and a laugh.
"It was near Darktown I heard it," she said. "Heard that he was recruiting. For what, I'm not sure I want to know, but he's charismatic, and I wouldn't be surprised if he gains a following. He knows the city inside and out." Darktown was... not a place she looked forward to going, nor did she imagine Bran or her father would approve. She was still getting the hang of Lowtown. "Lead the way. And watch out for the thieves, they seem to think I'm a good mark for some reason."
Ashton couldn't stifle the chuckle, so he didn't. "I'm telling you, it's the armor. It's all shiny and pretty, like a beacon. A big 'come rob me' beacon," his humor eased slightly as he spoke again, "The people in Darktown aren't as fortunate as me or you. They'd risk mugging a girl with a big ass sword on her back if there was a chance they could eat that night. It's... A desparate place," He was quiet for a bit after, allowing it to sink in just a bit. She was the Viscount's daughter yes, but did she truly see what was going on in her city past the gilded Hightown? He wouldn't pursue it, but the thought was there.
"So what'd this Quill do to you? Rob something? Besmirched the Viscount's good name? Civil disobiedence? General pain in the ass? Etc, etc?" He asked.
"He conspired with the Coterie from the position of guard captain, allowing them to expand throughout the city. If he's back and looking for manpower, it can't mean anything good for Kirkwall. That's more than enough reason for me to want him caught." That, of course, was the official reason. He'd been exiled and with good reason. Had her father not been merciful, he could have hanged him, but partially due to Sophia's influence, the Viscount let him live, and banished him from the city instead.
"I... I trusted him," Sophia continued, at first uncertain if she wanted to. "I would have put my life in his hands years ago. Growing up as I did, there were very few people I felt that way about. I guess I'd like to know why." There had always been something about him, his mannerisms around her, that made her feel comfortable, safe even. Perhaps that was just what he'd been hoping to do all along. Talking about it was starting to feel like a knife wound, however, so she shook her head, mostly to herself.
"I think that's all I want to say at the moment. I'm sure you understand. It's personal, but I can't do this on my own." Ashton was quiet for a moment as he digested the information. Then he said, "So the general pain in the ass kind? I know the type," not that he counted a Guard Captain with ties to the Coterie as one of his closest friends, but he'd had his toes dipped in the criminal underworld now and again. Still, he didn't prod further, feeling that his curiosity would be shut down, if not violently. He liked to press some buttons now and then, but he'd know a button too far if he ever saw one. "Fair enough," He said, "We're close to Darktown, best keep it to yourself anyway. Guard up now, it's quite dangerous. I'd think it'd tarnish milady's armor if she got blindsided," he winked. While sweetheart was out, milady was not.
There was a certain kind of peace that she remembered having when her feet never carried her down the steps to the lower city. She had just wandered her safe and privileged home, ears covered to the sounds around her, eyes cast ever upwards to avoid seeing what was beneath her. That was another time, of course. Now she not only saw what was under her boots, she descended into it on a daily basis, or as often as her responsibilities would allow her. Her ears were covered any longer, and this allowed her to hear everything that happened around. Not all of it was easy to hear.
One particular piece of news the other day had hit her like the time she'd been kicked by a horse when she was learning to ride. A name she had not expected to hear again, and certainly not within the walls of the city. Once she decided that she wasn't crazy and she had heard correctly, she'd gone to Varric, who seemed the most likely to be able to help her. Sadly, the dwarf could not, but he could point her to someone who was possibly more capable than he. Thus she found herself heading towards the Lowtown shop of Ashton Riviera, The Hunted Stag. She remembered him as the man she'd danced with the night before the expedition departed, and it wasn't too surprising that there was more to him than he'd let on. She'd done the same herself, of course. This time, of course, she'd be very straightforward with him. It probably helped that she hadn't consumed any wine today.
In her usual chain and plate, Sophia pushed open the door to his shop, doing her best to not let the smell of animal hides overwhelm her, though she probably did make a bit of a face at first. It was a rather modest place for a man who had no doubt received a large share of coin from the success of the expedition. Sophia found the man himself just inside, working on what appeared to be a large amount of... dragon bone? It made sense, given the tales of the group's battle with a dragon, but it was still rather startling to see.
"Hello," she said, giving a slight wave. "Ashton Riviera? I'm Sophia Dumar. We met at the Hanged Man a few months ago. Do you have a few minutes to talk?"
"Oh. Hi, welcome to the Hunted Stag," Ashton responded in monotone, but he was far too busy to notice that instead of his standard fare of Lowtown elves and humans, his customer today was was a highborn pretty lady decked out in plate metal and chain. Instead, his undivided attention focused solely on the hunk of bone he was working in his hands. The bone had been stripped of all flesh and meat that once filled out a dragon's arm, with the still usable bits of leather placed in a pile on the counter, while the undoubtedly rotted meat was disposed of elsewhere. He was currently in the process of bleaching it white with a bit of elbow grease and an old rag. He was nearly there by the looks of it.
Finally, the second part of the greeting filtered through his head and he took his eyes off of the bone, and a moment of remembrance flashed across his eyes. "Ah! Sophia, sweetheart. What brings you to my lowly shop?" He said, setting down the dragon bone on the counter beside him, next to a pile of recently acquired books, one of which was currently open. "Sorry I didn't notice it was you earlier. I was in the middle of polishing my bone-- er.. Dragon bone, that is... I didn't mean..." Ashton clarified. "Right! Now that that faux pas is out of the way... For you sweetheart, I've got all day to talk," He said, drawing his legs up so that he sat crosslegged on the counter, followed by perching his elbows on his knees so that his knuckles would hold his chin.
He looked genuinely intrigued about what the girl would say. He could smell an adventure a mile away, and this woman postively reeked of it. A girl after his own heart.
Sophia had taken a half step back, putting her weight on her back foot, and crossing her arms over her chest. She narrowed her gaze at the man slightly, but reminded herself that she wanted his help. Sophie was one thing, but sweetheart she didn't think she wanted to put up with, especially considering they'd only met once before. Between the two uses of the word, and his mention of polishing his bone, she strongly felt the urge to roll eyes, but refrained.
"I'm trying to find someone," she said, keeping her tone as it was before. "I overheard a name while in Lowtown the other day, and if it's the person I think it is, I want to speak with him. But considering his current circumstances, it's in his best interests to lay low while he's in the city. I would go to the city guard, but they're stretched thin as it is, and I consider this a personal matter, besides." She made sure to make eye contact. "So I'd appreciate it if we could keep this between the two of us for now."
Maybe this was a lot to ask of someone she didn't really know, but considering the way she'd been greeted, Sophia imagined her chances of getting him to cooperate weren't all that bad. "I've heard that you tend to keep an ear to the ground, so to speak. I don't yet have a great amount of experience with the people in Lowtown, nor am I able to speak to them without drawing attention, attention that would make my quarry disappear the moment he caught wind of it, I'm sure. So... think you might be willing to help? I would make sure you are compensated for your trouble, of course." Honestly, Sophia would prefer to keep this as a business discussion, since she couldn't say she trusted the man yet, and indeed, this problem was rather close to her heart. The details would come on a need to know basis.
"It's all the armor," Ashton mentioned, drawing attention to all the plate she was wearing. "Not many people walk around armed for bear. City guard and Lucien excluded. Tends to put the common folk on edge," He explained ever so helpfully. With that being said, he flashed her a smile and bent over backward so that he laid on his counter, reached behind it, and grabbed his quiver and bow before returning upright. "You've come to the right place Sweetheart. If the sign didn't give it away, I'm the best hunter in this here city. A person shouldn't be no more difficult than an animal," He said, uncrossing his legs and letting them swing freely over the counter.
Saying no to a pretty lady was never Ashton's style, and he'd been working on that bone ever since he got it back. A little diversion wouldn't hurt, and it might even be a little fun. As if he'd pass up the chance to spend an afternoon with a pretty lady anyway. "But, it'd be helpful if you told me this name first, and anything else about him or her that would prove helpful in this search of yours." He said, shouldering his quiver. If that wasn't answer enough, then the girl really needed to work on reading between the lines.
"The armor," Sophia agreed, "and introducing yourself as the daughter of Viscount Dumar. And believe me, I'm a terrible liar. The man we're looking for will only be found in the darker places of the city, places I couldn't blend into no matter how hard I tried." She shrugged. "That's if he's here at all. This is a rumor I'm following up on, not a sighting."
She took a few meandering steps forward, lowering her voice almost imperceptibly, as if she didn't even mean to do it. "The man's name is Dairren Quinn, he was the captain of the city guard here until about six years ago, when he was exiled by my father. The name I heard was Quill, which was what he used to call himself back before his days as guard captain. He's a criminal now, I think. And if he's back in Kirkwall, it can't mean anything good."
At least, that was what she wanted to say. Truthfully, she was very conflicted about it all, given that she'd trusted the man with her life back when he'd lived at the Keep. Sophia had always wanted another chance to speak with him, to get some answers, but the opportunity had never arisen. At least, not until now. "But first, I want to make a few things clear: one, this is the smartest man I've ever known. Finding him won't be a matter of simply asking around. And two, you're going to have to cut the sweetheart stuff. Sophia will do just fine." She felt she was being rather serious at the moment, but to be honest, hearing of Dairren Quinn again had her more than a little bothered.
"If it was easy, then there wouldn't be any point in the hunt, now would it swe-- Sophia? Any old fool can ask people where they can find their target. It's the mark of a true hunter to find their prey despite the odds," Ashton said, kicking off of the counter. "Well, let's be off then. Daylight's wasting, and trying to find someone at night is both dangerous and stupid. Shall we?" He said, motioning her toward the door. He ushered her out of the shop, locking the door behind him and walked a couple of paces into the street before turning to face Sophia.
If this man was truly a criminal like Sophia said, then he had the general idea of where to begin looking. "Darktown. You'll find all of your unsavory sorts there. Fugitives, refugees, outcasts, and even criminals. It'd be a great place to start, wouldn't you think-- hope you brought some coppers, we may have to grease some palms," He said, beginning to walk backwards in the direction of Darktown. "Or we could start where you heard this rumor. Or even elsewhere. This is your quest after all, I'm merely your guide through the darkness," he said with a wink and a laugh.
"It was near Darktown I heard it," she said. "Heard that he was recruiting. For what, I'm not sure I want to know, but he's charismatic, and I wouldn't be surprised if he gains a following. He knows the city inside and out." Darktown was... not a place she looked forward to going, nor did she imagine Bran or her father would approve. She was still getting the hang of Lowtown. "Lead the way. And watch out for the thieves, they seem to think I'm a good mark for some reason."
Ashton couldn't stifle the chuckle, so he didn't. "I'm telling you, it's the armor. It's all shiny and pretty, like a beacon. A big 'come rob me' beacon," his humor eased slightly as he spoke again, "The people in Darktown aren't as fortunate as me or you. They'd risk mugging a girl with a big ass sword on her back if there was a chance they could eat that night. It's... A desparate place," He was quiet for a bit after, allowing it to sink in just a bit. She was the Viscount's daughter yes, but did she truly see what was going on in her city past the gilded Hightown? He wouldn't pursue it, but the thought was there.
"So what'd this Quill do to you? Rob something? Besmirched the Viscount's good name? Civil disobiedence? General pain in the ass? Etc, etc?" He asked.
"He conspired with the Coterie from the position of guard captain, allowing them to expand throughout the city. If he's back and looking for manpower, it can't mean anything good for Kirkwall. That's more than enough reason for me to want him caught." That, of course, was the official reason. He'd been exiled and with good reason. Had her father not been merciful, he could have hanged him, but partially due to Sophia's influence, the Viscount let him live, and banished him from the city instead.
"I... I trusted him," Sophia continued, at first uncertain if she wanted to. "I would have put my life in his hands years ago. Growing up as I did, there were very few people I felt that way about. I guess I'd like to know why." There had always been something about him, his mannerisms around her, that made her feel comfortable, safe even. Perhaps that was just what he'd been hoping to do all along. Talking about it was starting to feel like a knife wound, however, so she shook her head, mostly to herself.
"I think that's all I want to say at the moment. I'm sure you understand. It's personal, but I can't do this on my own." Ashton was quiet for a moment as he digested the information. Then he said, "So the general pain in the ass kind? I know the type," not that he counted a Guard Captain with ties to the Coterie as one of his closest friends, but he'd had his toes dipped in the criminal underworld now and again. Still, he didn't prod further, feeling that his curiosity would be shut down, if not violently. He liked to press some buttons now and then, but he'd know a button too far if he ever saw one. "Fair enough," He said, "We're close to Darktown, best keep it to yourself anyway. Guard up now, it's quite dangerous. I'd think it'd tarnish milady's armor if she got blindsided," he winked. While sweetheart was out, milady was not.