Minimap
northwest |
north |
northeast |
west |
You are here. |
east |
southwest |
south |
southeast |
The Swinging Ax is a part of 
Veritas City..
1 Places in The Swinging Ax:
1 Characters Here
Carlita Rowe [5] What can I get for you, sweetheart?
Start Character Here »
Istrain frowned as he listened to Haera, but he didn't shake his head or roll his eyes at her. He was fed up with the way she constantly talked shit about his people - their people - but he knew she was upset and wouldn't say so. He was relieved when Birger gave her a drink and sent her on her way, and he nodded slightly when Birger said it was a sensitive subject for her. He got that, but it still got tiring. He had nothing but respect for his home and his family. He shook his head slightly, taking a drink while Birger went off to focus on his customers. As if he could fall in love with someone with so much contempt for dwarvenkind. Birger was definitely gonna lose this bet.
Haera had downed the drink and laid in Birger's bed. The nerve of that idiot to talk about his people were so grand. "Sell babies... just as worse when you can't even fucking accept shit." She said and rolled around in his bed, taking in his scent. "Like fucking hell I would ever fall in love with that fucking midget. It is bad enough I am part.... ugh asshole." She said to the empty room. Birger came back to Istrain and filled his cup, "That on is on the house... if Hae hated drawves as much as she claimed she wouldn't be dealing with you. Her mother's people... treated them like pure garbage when she was young... it is because of her they had to make a path clear away from the property. Those dwarfs did nothing but try and make their life a living hell... they come from Bhagh-Nersomething. I would say all dwarfs from there are trash, but her mom is from there and she is the most loving woman I know." He said.
Istrain raised an eyebrow as he listened to Birger speak. He appreciated the free drink, though he didn't think he'd really earned it by pissing off Haera. When Birger mentioned where Haera's family was from, though, he perked up slightly. "Bhagh-Nernwahrum?" he asked slowly, the name rolling off his tongue with the expert ease that could only be managed by someone who'd been there their whole life. Which, of course, he had.
Birger snapped his fingers, "That place, damn name so hard to pronounce... no matter how many times Penelo tells me I will never get that damn name correct. I have tried." He sighed and eyed him since he perked up. "Let me guess... you are from there?" He asked and shook he head. "Don't let Haera know." He said. "Like she needs anymore reason to be upset right now or ever. But I stand by my statement. I don't know how Penelo came out so lovely when all her family are shit eaters. Not saying you or your family are, but those... jesus..." He said. "When I was eight Haera and I had been training buddies, her father would show us some moves and we would learn them together. We were on her property in the back and decided to try play a version of hide and seek that meant we had to attack when we found each other. Good way of learning how to fight, by the way. Anyway one of the people from her mother's village had came on the property, not suppose to, and started to pick on Haera. Now... I was hiding and she had been looking for me." He said and poured a customer a drink before coming back.
"Haera wasn't always a tall one.... or average height I guess you can say. Anyway she was tiny... she didn't look like she was six, maybe three or four. She was dwarf size till she hit her teens. There we go. So he was picking on her. Calling her half breed, trash, should have been burned at birth... heartless shit pretty much. I lost my shit.... Haera had ran home crying and by time her father found me the man was almost dead. I was only eight years old and I had to defend her from her own people. She has her reasons for that deep hatred." He said. The people near got silent as they listened. People murmured about the dwarfs and other shook their head.
"Haera wasn't always a tall one.... or average height I guess you can say. Anyway she was tiny... she didn't look like she was six, maybe three or four. She was dwarf size till she hit her teens. There we go. So he was picking on her. Calling her half breed, trash, should have been burned at birth... heartless shit pretty much. I lost my shit.... Haera had ran home crying and by time her father found me the man was almost dead. I was only eight years old and I had to defend her from her own people. She has her reasons for that deep hatred." He said. The people near got silent as they listened. People murmured about the dwarfs and other shook their head.
Istrain was surprised to hear that Penelo came from his home city. It made sense, though, that a family from there would disown a child for going to the surface, though he could see it only if they were perhaps the third or fourth child to leave home. Though their family hadn't wanted Barynn to leave, they'd accepted that it was what she wanted. They'd fought back a little more with Istrain, though he'd been able to slide by simply by telling them that Bhagh-Nernwahrum would always be his home and he wasn't gone forever. If any more of his siblings chose to leave home, though? Then his parents would probably be furious. He kept quiet as Birger told his story, and then his hazel eyes flitted about as he heard the nearby people murmuring their agreement. "Well, someone needs to explain to her that values are passed on within a family - just because her ancestors were awful people and passed that on to their descendants doesn't mean that all dwarves are awful. So she ended up with a shit family. It sucks, but it happens - not just to dwarves, either. Hooked up with a girl a ways back who was running away from home because her father beat her. Not a dwarf, though, just an asshole human. All species have assholes." He understood why Haera hated her family, but he still didn't get how that translated into hatred for all dwarves.
Birger nodded in agreement, "They do, but Haera has been dealing with hateful dwarfs all her life so she just rather hate them all then to waste time being nice to one... though I guess that has changed since you are here and she doesn't care for the girls either, but she seems to be nice when she has to be... or so she had been since the last I saw her. Anyway, thats Haera... instead of being a snowflake about it... give her a reason not to hate them, hm?" He said and smiled.
Istrain signed. It made little sense, but whatever. "Sure, sure," he replied, taking a quick drink. He paused, glancing at his empty glass before gently sliding it towards Birger. "But just so we're clear, I can change her mind without any lovey-dovey shit happening. I'm not letting you talk me into losing our bet," he joked with a shake of his head.
Birger filled his glass again and smirked, "Mmm of course, but when that lovey-dovey shit happens anyway... I am going to enjoy that money." He chuckled. The fact that despite him getting tired of Haera's hate towards his people he is going to change how she sees him and his kind. If only he knew that is one step down a rabbit hole he won't be able to get out of. "This is going to get very interesting." Said the man next to Istrain. Haera was still upstairs, passed out.
Birger and Haera were talking about the lack if Istrain and Haera said it was so quiet without his loud mouth when a girl came in. She looked like Istrain's sister and then saw the limp. The girl was looking for Birger so she let at him, but he was staring at her differently. Birger smiled, "I am he, how can I help you? If it a drink I can only serve you milk and water... or anything that doesn't have alcohol." He said. "Do you want to sit? Hold on..." He said and walked around before gently lifting her and sitting her in a chair. "Got to get you off that foot..." He said.
Haera blinked, "Did... did Istrain send you off like this? That boy... I will be back later." She said and walked out.
Haera blinked, "Did... did Istrain send you off like this? That boy... I will be back later." She said and walked out.
Yoranda smiled in relief when the man said that he was, in fact, Birger. He was tall and quite handsome, and she had a feeling that if he agreed to let her sing here, she was really going to enjoy it. She couldn't help but to laugh slightly when he said that he couldn't serve her alcohol. She was about to try to clamber into one of the seats but then Birger came around the counter and picked her up, putting her in the chair himself. "Thank you," she told him softly before the blonde woman spoke. Yoranda was surprised that she immediately seemed to know that Istrain was her brother, but the woman was gone before she could ask how, so Yoranda instead turned her gaze towards the attractive man behind the counter. "How did she know that Istrain's my brother? He can't have been here more than a month or two, has he really made a name for himself already?" she asked with a laugh, quite amused.
Birger told her she was welcome before listening to the rest of what she was saying. "Ahh well... okay I guess it is best to start from the beginning. Your brother got into a physical altercation with Haera, the blonde, and then her mother got Barynn to bring him to her house for Haera to say sorry.... since then they have kind of been joined at the hip. He talks about his family a lot and Haera listens. I made a bet with your brother that he will fall in love... I am going to win... it is going to be glorious." He chuckled. "So what can I help a pretty girl like you with?" He asked, smiling softly.
Yoranda raised an eyebrow, glancing towards the door through which Haera had left. "She doesn't seem like his type at all," she said, shaking her head. "But anyways, I'm actually here because I was wondering if you'd be interested in having a singer to perform at your tavern. I'm a bard by trade, I play three instruments, and I sing. Istrain suggested that there might be an opening here," she continued, a bright smile on her face. She really hoped that he'd say yes, because he was a very attractive man and she was going to enjoy working in proximity to him.
Birger couldn't even get a word out before his customers cheered. "Well there you go, ya hired.... wait what if she can't freaking sing, you idiots?" He said and they just laughed. "Well... how about you give us a sample of your voice and then I will see if I should hire you are not, either way... you fuckers don't lay a hand on her. Got it?" He warned them and they nodded.
Yoranda couldn't help but to laugh when the customers started cheering. Apparently the tavern was in the market for a musician, who knew? She giggled a bit when Birger commented to the patrons that she might not even be able to sing, because she could definitely sing. As soon as he asked her for a sample of her voice, she grinned widely. She was excited to show him. She hadn't brought an instrument along, having left them packed up in her bags at Barynn's shop, but she could just sing vocals on their own. She smiled, taking only a moment to ease her nerves before she started to sing. Her voice was light and pretty, but it was also evident as she sang that there was enough power behind it to sing something more lively and upbeat if she chose.
Right as she finished the customers screamed, "Hire her!" Birger glared at them, "Fuck, will you let me say it first. Shit..." He said and looked over at her. "Your voice is... well lovely just doesn't cut it. You are hired. Your shift will be at six in the evening till whenever you want to end it. We close at two in the morning. When you want to start? If you want to wait till your foot is healed that is okay, if not I can come get you." He said and poured at customer a drink.
Yoranda giggled when the customers started shouting at Birger to hire her. She was grinning widely when he complimented her voice. As confident as she was in her own abilities, she always appreciated receiving compliments. "Thank you," she told him. "Maybe not tonight, but sooner than later is better. I can't let Istrain pay for everything for us for too long. Maybe tomorrow night? My foot will probably be much better by then as long as I rest it, and even if it's not, I can probably sit down to sing," she continued. She couldn't wait to tell Istrain that she got the job. He was going to be so proud of her - well, and the rest, but she was mostly excited to tell Istrain since he was the one who'd suggested it to her.
Birger nodded, "Sounds great to me. Also bring something people can put tips in. You will probably make more in tips than what I will be paying you." He said with a smirk. Haera came in dragging a man, "So... imma need you to take her home when you can. A bunch of fucking creeps made their way on the island and now I got to go fucking pick them out. This one went into Bary's shop and just... ugh... told them he wanted to do a photo shoot of them. Fucking pervs. I rather her, with a hurt foot, not walk around because she can't run if she needs to." She said. "Unless Istrain comes... but I rather you... since I can trust you to win a fight." She said before leaving.
Yoranda nodded when Birger said to bring something for tips. "Okay!" she replied cheerfully before her gaze shifted to the door as Haera walked back in, dragging some man with her. She raised an eyebrow slightly, keeping silent as Haera spoke. Just as she was finishing, the door opened and in came Istrain after her, just in time to hear the tail end of what she'd said. "Hey!" he protested as he reached them. "I'm perfectly capable of winning a fight. Now, who am I fighting?" he asked, not having heard the first bit where Haera told Birger to take Yoranda home. Then he looked towards his sister with a small smile. "Hi again, Yora," he added, and she giggled. "Hey, Istrain," she said, figuring she could wait to tell him she got the job until he and Haera and Birger were sorted out.
Haera looked over at him, "You do follow like a lost puppy, you know that right?" She patted his head with her free hand. "Good boy." She mocked before dropping her hand. "And the rest of the guys that are grouped with this asshole. About six more men. I told Birger to bring her back when they are done since I don't want her going back by herself with these assholes on the loose." She said. Birger nodded and the men in the bar nodded, "If they come in here we'll kick their ass. They don't mess with our Yora!" They said in unison. Birger groaned, "You have taken my men from me." He teased.
Istrain rolled his eyes when she patted his head and commented that he followed like a lost puppy. "They're my little sisters, I'm allowed to be concerned," he insisted. He nodded slightly when she told him about the rest of the guys that were with the first one. "Sure. Let's go fight some bastards," he said when she said there were about six more. He trusted Birger to get Yoranda home safely, and he chuckled when the men there referred to her as their Yora. Yoranda also laughed softly, looking across the counter at Birger. "Of course I did. That was part of my evil master plan all along," she told him with a giggle and a wink.
Birger watched the two walk out before looking at her shocked, "It is always the tiny ones... ALWAYS. Huh... and to think I was going to give you free food." He smirked before giving her a menu. "In case you get hungry. I can't leave the bar yet, sadly... I hope that is fine." He said and looked over his shoulder at her.
Yoranda laughed softly, taking the menu from him. "That's fine," she said to him. She definitely didn't mind sitting here and watching him work for a while. "Gives me more time to size this place up and evaluate my new army," she added with a laugh before turning her brown eyes towards the menu. Everything looked delicious and she had nowhere near as much experience with surface food as her siblings did, since they'd both been on the surface for several months before coming to the island, whereas she and Unarelle had simply made a beeline for the island with all the money they had.
Birger pouted, "Stealing my men... a small little thing... ugh." He teased before walking in the back and getting something and then coming out. He leaned over the bar and gently pushed the menu back and forth teasingly, smirking. She was a cute little thing and her aura was different. He hadn't seen one like that before. It was gorgeous and he wanted to touch it, but it would be weird. "Have you picked yet.... you take like... foreevveerr." He teased before peeking from behind and smirking.
Yoranda laughed softly at how put out he seemed to be about her stealing his patrons away from him. She kept her focus on the menu until Birger leaned over and started to play with her menu. She giggled a bit, looking up at him. "I can see why you're friends with my brother now," she said before rotating the menu to face him and pointing. "I'll take that...and that...and one of these...and this to drink, please," she said. It was a lot of food for a tiny dwarven girl like her, but she'd always had a quick metabolism, she exercised, and she just really, really loved food some days.
Birger nodded and took down her order. "That will be right out." He smiled and straitened up a bit before walking in the back and started to make her food. He would come out every now and again to fill cups and take orders. He would look at her through the window and playfully glare at her. "I see you... stealing my men... I got you little girl. I will get you back, oh ho don't you worry." He chuckled.