Announcements: Cutting Costs (2024) » January 2024 Copyfraud Attack » Finding Universes to Join (and making yours more visible!) » Guide To Universes On RPG » Member Shoutout Thread » Starter Locations & Prompts for Newcomers » RPG Chat — the official app » Frequently Asked Questions » Suggestions & Requests: THE MASTER THREAD »

Latest Discussions: Adapa Adapa's for adapa » To the Rich Men North of Richmond » Shake Senora » Good Morning RPG! » Ramblings of a Madman: American History Unkempt » Site Revitalization » Map Making Resources » Lost Poetry » Wishes » Ring of Invisibility » Seeking Roleplayer for Rumple/Mr. Gold from Once Upon a Time » Some political parody for these trying times » What dinosaur are you? » So, I have an Etsy » Train Poetry I » Joker » D&D Alignment Chart: How To Get A Theorem Named After You » Dungeon23 : Creative Challenge » Returning User - Is it dead? » Twelve Days of Christmas »

Players Wanted: Serious Anime Crossover Roleplay (semi-literate) » Looking for a long term partner! » JoJo or Mha roleplay » Seeking long-term rp partners for MxM » [MxF] Ruining Beauty / Beauty x Bastard » Minecraft Rp Help Wanted » CALL FOR WITNESSES: The Public v Zosimos » Social Immortal: A Vampire Only Soiree [The Multiverse] » XENOMORPH EDM TOUR Feat. Synthe Gridd: Get Your Tickets! » Aishna: Tower of Desire » Looking for fellow RPGers/Characters » looking for a RP partner (ABO/BL) » Looking for a long term roleplay partner » Explore the World of Boruto with Our Roleplaying Group on FB » More Jedi, Sith, and Imperials needed! » Role-player's Wanted » OSR Armchair Warrior looking for Kin » Friday the 13th Fun, Anyone? » Writers Wanted! » Long term partner to play an older male wanted »

Snippet #2357749

located in Wifield, a part of The Gentlemen Robbers, one of the many universes on RPG.

Wifield

None

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Brennan of the Grange/Elsbeth Waterton Character Portrait: Braith Alwyn Character Portrait: Jules Lockwood Character Portrait: Gwendolyn MacFarley "Fox" Character Portrait: James Viteri Character Portrait: Charles VanFleet
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

Footnotes

Add Footnote »

0.00 INK

Crooked Bow Inn and Tavern-Kethington. Wifield-Dusk

Brennan’s blue eyes watched the group, trying desperately to read each of the individuals Elsbeth had none of Braith’s abilities when it came to measuring people, knowing how to talk to them or win them over. Inside the heavy coat she was sweating and muscles were tense.

Eyes were focused on the dark skinned man for a moment. He seemed keen to listen though Elsbeth still couldn’t fathom how this couldn’t be the man she thought he was. Braith knew something she didn’t. Doppelganger The word caught her attention. Could there really be two of them? Two men who are so similar in appearance yet one helped cause this upheaval and another is just an innocent?

Elsbeth felt her cheeks blush as Braith smiled at her. She felt foolish for having been so close to losing her cool but this law was going to change everything. She was grateful that the man knew her so well and was so good at reading people. Braith had given her the chance to calm down.

Brennan’s eyes followed Braith to the bounty hunter. Lip curled in distaste for a man who made his living hunting down highwaymen. Braith had a point however, this law meant a death to bounty hunters. When the Queen’s men could simply shoot people down in the road there was no need to pay large sums to these men. Money not paid out for criminals meant more in the coffers of the court.

A familiar form moved through the crowd and took a seat at the table. Fox had ridden with Brennan on a job with the Hunt brothers though they were not close. Brennan never let anyone get too close as too much familiarity made it hard to hide secrets.

Eyes flashed back to the bounty hunter as Braith made introductions. Elsbeth knew of Black XII, knew he had it out for Brennan as he had managed to elude the hunter on a few occassions. It was something that Brennan did well. Appear from nowhere and disappear just the same. A mixture of anger and fear stirred in Elsbeth stomach. Will Black honour a truce here and now in an effort to focus on the greater trouble at hand?

Something about the stance of the man beside her made Elsbeth turn away from her scrutiny of the bounty hunter. To those watching Brennan simply turned his head and his attention away but inside Elsbeth was on edge. Hands clenched on the table’s surface as Braith talked of the new law and how it was certain to pass.

Even she knew that rebellion in the Queen’s court, the loss of favour of the Lords and her backers would do more harm to the people than anyone. They needed the Queen even if at times she seemed simply a puppet.

Brennan leaned forward as Braith talked of the murder and how it might not have been a random encounter. A set up to bring in the law or is there more? It angered her more to think that people had been killed purely for someone else’s gain.

Her eyes fell on Braith. He was taking a much needed breath. Elsbeth wasn’t sure if she had ever seen him so worked up but it seemed that perhaps there was more going on than some lords wanting a law passed. Law, rival gone, control over those serving the Queen’s justice. It was almost too perfect and all it would take was a few of the lords in the court to band together and then they would control it all.

Elsbeth’s stomach churned. She was both sickened by her fellow man and angry by them. She looked around at the table This group...do we really think we can do anything to stop this? What can we do against a bunch of rich lords who control everything?

Blue eyes blinked slowly at Braith as he posed to the group how he thought they could best address the issue. Expose the corruption? Justice? The robber turned officer?

A gloved hand tapped the table and the body sat back in the chair. Elsbeth was very close to laughing. Me, expose corruption? Me? A woman dressed as a man and playing robber in the dark? Is he mad?

One look at Braith and she could tell that not only was he very serious but he honestly believed this...group could do it. Elsbeth took in the others. Is it possible? Brows furrowed above the cold blue orbs as she tried to work out if this was a sound method or insanity sure to get them killed.

Fox’s voice addressed Braith first. The rest at the table seemed as quiet as Brennan though for entirely different reasons.

A sound question though Elsbeth figured Braith had numerous connections. The man knew things and if he was saying there was corruption than he had an in already. Elsbeth was more trying to figure out exactly ‘how’ Brennan or Fox or any of them might be of use to Braith. If he knew so much than what use were they to him?

Braith smiled wider as Gwen sat and nodded. He expected this initial mistrust and bristling with new people around. Yet, in order to accomplish their lofty goal they had to find out who they could trust and quickly. With a friendly tone Braith addressed Gwen, “My dear Fox, I would not be able to provide such useful information if I did not have connections. I make it a point to surround myself with capable people. My talents are in finding those people.”

He then look over at the drumming fingers of Brennan. Raising his gaze to ‘his’ face he saw the consternation and doubt. He looked around the table and saw a similar expression. The unspoken question of, ‘Why us? What can we possibly do?’

Braith looked down at his hands and drew in a breath, “What we are up against isn’t a common mark. This is not some spoiled, rich noble who will give up on first sight of our pistols or swords. This is an opponent that has made a habit of using others to maintain power. We would be but bugs under their heel if we tried to oppose them individually. However, what they will not expect is a group of resourceful individuals gathering their talents. Organizing them and using them to the best of their abilities in a concerted attempt, not to rob them, but to expose them for what they are. They call us criminals. Who better than a criminal to expose a snake?”

Brennan’s head tilted as Braith answered the unasked question. Once again Braith’s ability to read a person amazed Brennan. There was still some doubt. Expose them without exposing my true identity. A gloved hand came up towards a cheek but Elsbeth stopped, hand mid air. The gesture was one women made when concerned or thinking, not a hardened highwayman. With a deep inhale Elsbeth steadied herself.

The hand gestured to Braith to continue. Brennan nodded, conceding that there might be something there. Eyes locked with Braith’s. And start where? What do we do first? The gaze questioned him.

Braith noticed Brennan’s gesture, a twitch of an amused grin as she corrected her movements. He caught her gaze and paused, reading the thoughts in those expressive eyes of hers, “Then, what is it we should put our efforts toward? I suggest we put our efforts toward finding and questioning one of the party of murderers. I happen to know of someone who can point us to the last known location of a member of said party. As you can see, I am a source of information, but not one of physical intimidation. I don’t expect to be able to charm a murderer into confession. However, you all have abilities that will help us track, chase and convince this person to tell us what they know. Interested?”

Brennan looked at the table, eyes hard. Elsbeth didn’t care about the rest right at this moment. Under the scarf she licked her dry lips. Intimidating was something that Brennan was known for, reputation speaking when he himself never did.

Is this the only way? Elsbeth thought it over but the decision didn’t take long. Anger was not the answer, hunting them down and turning them in would get nowhere. Expose them. It is all we can do.

She met Braith’s eyes again and nodded curtly. The eyes flickered quickly to the rest. Set the time and place.

Braith saw the acceptance in Brennan’s eyes, “If you are interested, let us meet in the morning. It is late. Get rest. We take on the world. Sleep will help.” He chuckled and sat back in his chair, more relaxed than he felt but he needed to inspire confidence in this group of outcasts.

With that the meeting broke up. Brennan stood, a nod to both Fox and Braith and made his way upstairs. The door to the room was unlocked. Brennan entered and closed the door behind him.

Securing the lock, Elsbeth leaned against the door. “Can this actually work?” The question was posed to the dark. Feet moved quickly to the window. Elsbeth looked out. Seeing no one, she opened it and made the short drop to the ground. She couldn’t risk actually staying in the inn. Braith had talked to one bounty hunter but that didn’t mean there might not have been others to see Brennan there. It did not mean that others might not try one last attempt to collect the bounty on Brennan’s head before the new law made them extinct.

Taking to the shadows Elsbeth ran into the woods. She had a pack hidden away a short distance from the inn. Once she changed some of her clothes no one would assume she was Brennan. No one would assume a young woman was a wanted highwayman.

Her eyes adjusted to the dark and it wasn’t long before she found her hidden pack and got a small fire going. Her coat was laid out on the ground, hat tucked away and finally Elsbeth sat in an oversized shirt and tight fitting leggings by the fire. Her hair was loose as she ran her fingers through it. The disguise had been hot in the inn and she took great deep breathes of the chill night air.

She stared into the fire and thought about what Braith had said, the others at the table and what the future might bring.

Morning came and Brennan sat the table in the inn again. For any who noticed there were slight circles under the highwayman’s eyes. Elsbeth had been up most of the night thinking. Now she sat and waited to see who else would join.

---------

Green Lanes-Dunfen, Wifeld-Dusk

The air was crisp this night. The men were waiting just inside the tree line. O’Grady assured them that a small group would be coming down this road tonight. He had overheard the itinerary of some travellers in a tavern. By their look and heavy purses he figured there should be a decent cut for all involved.

So they waited. As the moon rose the sound of horse hooves could be heard.

O’Grady adjusted his hat, choked up on his reins and nodded. “Keep an eye boys, they are coming.”

As the three riders, well dressed men on well groomed horses, passed them by the band jumped out. The travellers stopped, startled by the ambush.

“Alright then, we’ll be taking your coin now.”

Pistols were raised, fingers on the triggers. Voices were raised.

Not far down the road the group of six Queen’s men were riding. One, a young man, turned his horse and rode back towards his captain and the justice.

“Sir, we have noises on the road ahead of us. Sounds of fighting. Orders?”