#Indre Larieth

[author-a-holmes]

Find The Word Tag Game

Thank you @oh-no-another-idea for the Tag!

Tagging forward, with no pressure, to: @wordsacrossemptypages @amewinterswriting @talesofsorrowandofruin @talesfromaurea @blind-the-winds @faelanvance @ambiguouspuzuma @sleepyowlwrites @authoralexharvey @ashen-crest and @serialephemera -- Also OPEN TAG to anyone who wants to play.

Your Words Are: Wet, Cold, Grey/Gray, Broken, and Tired.

***

My words were Frost, Dust, Burst, and West. I only had 2 of these in Changeling, and only 1 in Darkling, so I've gone back in time a little and done a "Find The Word" tag game for Stolen.

Stella, my beloved, I have missed you...

Taglist for Stolen: @josephinegerardywrite @strangerays @minamoroz @sleepyowlwrites General Taglist: @noirepersonal @queen-kass-the-writer @athenswrites @bardic-tales @outpost51 @talesfromaurea @minamoroz @faelanvance

Frost Ice (No frost, only ice)

Stella watched a whirlwind of emotions swirl their way across Indre's features at Nilions words. A splash of confusion, a dash of anger, and a wisp of fear. Frustration, annoyance, nervousness, determination, all vying for a place within her eyes, before she tightened her shoulders and the emotions vanished behind the kind of mask that Stella had seen soldiers wear hundreds of times.

"Then if you're heading for the basement, you'd best be on your way, girl," Indre ordered, a bite of ice in her tone that had Stella backing up another step in spite of herself.

Dust

If she hadn’t already known that the building was a base for a guild, the moment that her booted feet sank into a thick plush carpet would have told Stella something wasn’t right.

No dust rose around her as she stepped across the room, and the bed in the corner had fresh sheets. She paused at the door, listening intently for any movement on the other side, and when all she could make out was silence, Stella slipped out of the room and into a wide hallway with various doors scattered along both sides and a flight of stairs at the far end.

Burst

"Time to call the mother hen, then," he grumbled, "get Dara's fussing out of the way sooner rather than later."

"Honestly, you could do with some mother henning," Stella teased, "you look like shit."

He gaped at her for a moment in surprise, until she burst into delighted giggles, and he took a single self indulgent moment to just watch the blonde laugh before he forced a scowl on to his face, despite the ache it sent through his cuts and bruises.

"Thank you, Stella, you really know how to stroke a mans ego," he growled, sending her into fresh peals of laughter as he shook his head...

West

There was a flicker of recognition in his expression before his features settled back into stoic indifference, and Stella snatched her hands away and took a step back, stuttering an apology.

"Ah, you're Reilly's newest project," the elf said, leaning his shoulder against the doorframe, and crossing his arms as he studied her, "I thought he'd have you shut up inside a glass box, protected from even the mere mention of 'Vine'."

#Stolen #Stolen Stories #Stella Korazon #Reilly Mosswolf #Indre Larieth #Nilion Kurez #Find The Word #Find The Word Tag Game #Tag Game #Tag Games #Tumblr Tag Games #Writeblr #Writeblr Community #Writing #Writing Community #Ari Speaks #Arista Speaks #Ari Writes #Arista Writes #Original Writing #My Writing

[author-a-holmes]

@scoutdrafted

This answer is for number 19 - if they were approached by a lost child?

I'm gonna stick with the theme I picked up in the first reply, and take a sampling of characters from across my projects <3

Tags;

@josephinegerardywriter @strangerays @whispersintheparchment @jezifster @faelanvance @noirepersonal @queen-kass-the-writer @athenswrites

Indre Larieth, Stolen

I had to do Indre for this one, because she's half snow elf. I don't get much time to wax poetic about snow elves in the first two three books of the Stolen Stories. Tthey live in the mountains to the north of Moryann that form the border between the frozen wastes where the Fae rule, and the rest of the continent.

Snow elves appear to outsiders as cold, and aloof, but it's only because their natural body temperature is so low, that the touch of other warm-blooded races can feel uncomfortable, or even painful, so they keep their distance.

Indre, being half snow elf, has the same kind of aloof detatchment, so the idea of a lost child approaching her is simultaneously adorable and hilarious to me.

"Can you help me?"

The voice was quiet, and hesitant, and it took Indre a moment to glance around for the source, before her eyes lowered to the small child standing at her feet.

The girls head barely came up to her hip, and she was gazing up at Indre with red rimmed eyes, sore from recent tears.

Indre stiffened, uncertain how to handle the tiny person, but when the girls lower lip began trembling she clasped her hands together in the small of her back, and gave a tight nod.

"I suppose. What's the problem?"

As she spoke, her eyes were already scanning the market for the childs family. She hated coming into the market, detested the busy press of bodies as harried shoppers gave no thought to personal space, but it had been nessecary and her fixed glare meant most people kept their distance.

Such a glare had no effect on a child this young, but Indre also couldn't see any potential guardians hesitating to approach.

"I can't find grandpa," the child sniffled, and Indre pressed her lips together to smother a sigh.

And yet...

She had promised her help.

"Very well," she responded, stepping away from the shadowed alcove she'd been tucked into, taking shelter from the heat of the midday sun, "where was the last place you saw him?"

The child didn't follow her, and Indre turned back to meet the girls wide eyes. "Keep up, or else you'll get lost in the crowd again," she warned, and the girl scrambled to follow, walking close enough that Indre had to force herself not to cringe back.

"I saw him by a table of wood carvings, but then I was stroking a kitten and when I turned back he was gone," she explained, and Indre watched the girl turn her face up, eyes boring into the side of Indre's tensed features. "Can I hold your hand?"

A beat of quiet, puntuated only by the bustle of the crowd as Indre considered the question. It would be easier, she knew, but she wasn't willing to put herself out that much for a strange child in the street, and without glancing down at the girl she gave a single shake of her head.

"No. The wood carver is this way. Keep up."

Andric Roche, Fey Touched

Andric is such a soft touch, any lost child would have him wrapped around their little finger faster than you could say vampire.

Andric is the older brother, so he taking care of someone younger than him, and potentially more vulnerable, comes naturally to him. It's something I actually struggle to write, it's not something that comes naturally to me, so I lean on my beta readers heavily for anything to do with taking care of children.

Jack Sanger, A Grim Awakening

Jack is a paramedic, so the first thing he'd do is a lost child approached him is to make sure that they weren't injured. He'd make sure they'd eaten recently, and get them something to drink. Maybe tell jokes, or make them laugh, and then when they were relaxed, trusted him, and he could set them in front of the tv, he'd call the authorities.

Friends in the police force, if the child wasn't injured. Friends from the hospital if the child was. Jack's rather law abiding, at least at the beginning of A Grim Awakening.

Stella Korazon, Stolen

Stella grew up on the road with her Da', like most scrappers in Moryann. At the start of Stolen, it's the only life she's ever known.If a lost child approached her, and their family wasn't easily found, Stella would probably take the child to the Scrappers to be adopted into the fold. To be raised by them into the life of travelling herbalists, theives, and scam artists.

Later in the story, as she comes to see that the Scrapper way of life isn't the only way to do things, she'd probably be more inclined to play with the child while someone else (Dara or Reilly) looked for the childs guardians.

In quite a lot of ways, Stella's very young at heart herself, so entertaining a child is something she'd find very easy.

Thomas Walcott, Fey Touched

It's a little bit of a cheat, me choosing Walcott, because this is a situation that technically happens in Changeling. Thomas Walcott is the headmaster of Speculo School, and when he's faced with two runaway fey, one of whom is underage, he decides to help them.

For a price.

He's an old, old, vampire, and he didn't get to that age by squandering his advantages.

"...We can decide how to proceed from there.”

“Alright,” Lizzy said slowly, eyes narrowing in open suspicion, “but I can sense a ‘but’ in there.”

“You’re a clever young woman, Miss Hail,” the headmaster responded, smiling slowly, “the ‘but’ is that in return for my help, you two will need to do something for me.”

“Like what?” Booker asked.

“Stay at Speculo School.”

“That’s...” Lizzy stumbled, and shook her head slightly as though the words would make more sense after rattling around her mind for a moment. “Why?”

“Firstly, because while you say that no one is looking for you, and I believe you... the tensions between our realms are high right now. The last thing we need is for one of you to end up hurt or worse, and for the Court to believe that we did nothing to prevent such a thing and use it as an excuse to break negotiations.”

Booker groaned loudly and slumped back in the chair, “And they would,” he muttered, even as Lizzy wrinkled her nose.

“And the other reason?”

“You’re under eighteen, and should finish your education.”

“You want us to enroll here? Actually attend classes?” Lizzy spluttered in surprise.

“I’m over eighteen,” Booker repeated, and Walcott shot him a look of open amusement.

“Barely.”

#Ask Game #Prompt Game #Ask Answered #Stolen #Stolen Stories #Fey Touched Trilogy #A Grim Awakening #Ari Writes #Arista Writes #Ari Speaks #Arista Speaks #Character Backstory #Writeblr #Writeblr Community #Writing #Writing Community #Snippet #Writing Snippet #Indre Larieth #Andric Roche #Jack Sanger #Stella Korazon #Thomas Walcott #Reblogs Welcome

[author-a-holmes]

Underwing Challenge Day 3

"Who is your main cast? Describe as many of your OCs as you can cram into one post."

(Event Link) - (Day One) - (Day Two)

As many as I can cram into one post? Whooo-boy, you have no idea what you've asked for <3

Because Stolen is a Fantasy Romance, it's written in Third Person Close/Limited from the points of view of Stella Korazon and Reilly Mosswolf.

Stella Korazon

"Loving someone forever is the easy part, so long as you actually love them in the first place." - Stella

At the start of Stolen, Stella is a young but very talented thief. She was raised by her Da', Colm Korazon in a wagon that they used to travel the East Coast caravan route of Moryann.

Her greatest skills include being able to read a persons body language, and her pick-pocketing. She was taught how to fight, but her preferred reaction is to evade, dodge, run, or a mixture of the three.

Physically she's small. Short, and very slim, and with long blonde hair to her waist/hips and large blue eyes that make her look younger than she is, a look that she often uses to her advantage.

Stella's also a very good mimic, she can copy people's patterns of speech and behaviors as long as she's given sufficient time to study them.

Her biggest disadvantage is innocence. While Stella isn't naive to the dangers of Moryann, or the darker sides of the world she lives in, her Da' always encouraged social isolation. Teaching her to trust him, herself, and no one else. This makes for a strange dichotomy to her character that I enjoy playing with where she might be able to flirt with a mark and fluster them enough to rifle through their pockets unnoticed, but blush and stumble when being on the receiving end of genuine thanks or kindness.

Reilly Mosswolf

"You're in trouble, and I can help. Do I need more of a reason than that?" - Reilly

Reilly's parents were murdered when he was very young. He's elven, so very young for him was around 22 years, the developmental equivalent to mid-teens.

After his parents death, Reilly had his younger sister to look after, so he took to stealing. He was rather bad at it, and was caught. Luckily, for him, but the Guild Master of the Antillune Thieves Guild, Aldune Lamuird.

Instead of turning Reilly over to the guard, he took Reilly and his sister into the guild and looked after them, training both siblings himself when they expressed a desire to learn the trade.

At the start of Stolen, Reilly is 252 years old, and the current guild master having inherited his position from Aldune. Despite that he, and the guild, are in trouble.

For the previous year or two, there has been a rival guild from the Western side of Moryann beginning to encroach on the Antillune Guild's territory and while it hasn't yet escalated to an all out war, tensions are building.

Not least because around 6 months prior, Reilly's sister was found dead, having been clearly tortured. While Reilly is sure that the rival guild are responsible, he has no evidence and won't put the thieves under his protection at risk for a personal vendetta.

Physically, Reilly has the black eyes and sun-burnished skin of his mother's Desert Elf heritage. He also has black hair that he keeps shoulder length, and a scruff of a beard that helps give a messy edge to a face that would otherwise stand out in a crowd. He also has the traditional Forest Elf tattoo's that span from shoulder to wrist along his left arm; His family history written in elven.

His strengths are his experience, and his willingness to listen to opinions and advice other than his own. Reilly is a strong fighter, and Aldune taught him to carefully balance the racial specific talents of both his parents bloodlines, and to use them to his advantage. He has the powerful blows that belong to the forest clans, but the speed of the desert elves, making him a formidable opponent before he even picks up a blade.

Reilly's biggest disadvantage is his fear of losing people. Over the years, Reilly has lost almost everyone he's ever loved or cared for. His parents, Aldune, his sister Eryn, even a lover or two. He has an inner circle of people he relies on within the guild, six people he trusts above all others, but his best friend and the only one truly able to get through to him is Dara Brookor.

Reilly uses nicknames and pet-names to distance himself from his guild members, giving the illusion of closeness, but using the affectionate names to distance himself, and make sure he can't put a real name to a face should one of the people under his protection turn up dead.

It's when Reilly begins to use a person's real name, that they've truly begun to worm their way under his armor.

***

Stella and Reilly are surrounded by a small supporting cast, each of whom has a very important part to play in either the main characters lives, or the main plot, although that may not come to fruition within the first book...

Dara Brookor

"So you're trying to tell me that, when you realised you were developing a meaningful connection to a person you have known for less than a decade, you didn't panic, pull back, and avoid them like a complete moron?" - Dara

Dara runs most of the administrative side of the Antillune Thieves Guild. She handles all the records, job allocations and thief payments, and is also responsible for pairing up thieves whose skills will compliment each other.

She's also the best friend to Reilly Mosswolf. She met Reilly, and his sister Eryn, when they were attempting to steal from one of her clients. Before joining the guild, Dara ran a brothel in Antillune, and when Eryn Mosswolf tried to disguise herself as an employee to get close to her target, Dara interfered in an attempt to protect her staff.

Once the situation was explained, she ended up helping Eryn and Reilly with their job, and occasionally passing along information on good targets if a client tried to skip out on their bill.

Dara is over six feet tall, and almost half as broad, which is the only sign of her part ogre heritage. She has honey-blonde curls that she keeps cut to her jaw, and dark blue-green eyes.

She made good use of her imposing form to keep her staff protected and her clients in line, but eventually her establishment was set on fire by a competitor, which is when Reilly asked her to work for him instead, in the administrative side of the guild.

The fact that it meant Reilly got out of most of the paperwork was, he swears, simply a bonus.

Dara's strength is her ability to connect with people. While she isn't a thief, her long history in Antillune has given her a network on contacts across the city that feed her a steady supply of information, and Dara can quickly utilise those contacts to seek out any specific leads she or the guild needs.

Her weakness is that she doesn't want to think badly of anyone, and it can cloud her judgement. She doesn't automatically look for deceit and deception, which has often led to her finding herself in dangerous situations.

Thankfully, Dara strikes an intimidating form, can curse like an Antillune sailor, and knows how to wield blades well enough to back up her threats.

Myris Orinan

"I am not the youngest graduate from the college of Wizardry in nearly two centuries for nothing." - Myris

Myris Orinan is, simply put, a genius.

A forest elf in possession of extremely powerful elemental magic, Myris is one of only 3-4 people in Moryann who can control all four branches of elemental magic and manipulate them simultaneously to access the rare Kurro or Healing magic.

He completed his training at the College of Wizardry in less than 100 years, making him one of the youngest graduates to ever complete the training and he is also passable-to-fluent in over ten languages.

Myris is also entirely mute.

Married to Tanar Orinan, the pair met when Tanar had been hired to steal something from the library in the College of Wizardry. Myris discovered the thief, mid-job, because he'd been working late into the night and bound Tanar before demanding an explanation for his presence.

Tanar agreed to surrender the book, and forfeit the contract, in exchange for being allowed to court Myris and the pair were quickly inseparable.

Due to this close association with the Antillune Guild, however, Myris was attacked, kidnapped, and tortured for information on the guild, and on Reilly Mosswolf in particular.

Even though, at the time, he had no knowledge to give, his attackers punished him for withholding information by forcing an alchemical mixture into him that burnt away his vocal chords, effectively rending his magic useless as it's commonly accepted that without the ability to speak a spell, spellcasters and wizards are rendered powerless.

Myris proved everyone's theories on elemental magic wrong however by slowly developing his own language using hand positioning and finger shapes to communicate words and phrases, and with practice and strength of will he gradually taught himself how to cast spells with a non-verbal trigger, instead of a spoken one.

While Myris has physically recovered as well as he can from the experience, and his magic is as strong as ever, despite requiring more effort to cast non-verbally, Myris has been left with a powerful hatred of Vine, and an ever encroaching fear that such an attack will happen again.

After his recovery, and several assessments by the College to prove that he could continue to retain his Wizard title, Myris moved to the Antillune Thieves guild to work as their wizard in residence, providing wards and magical services to the guild in exchange for a modest fee and even working to create unique items to help the guild function better and to keep its members safer.

Myris does not leave the Guild grounds without Tanar by his side, and even then only in exceptional circumstances. If he is required to leave the guild for any reason, it also tends to leave him with nightmares for several weeks.

Honorable Mentions

I had some others I was going to do but this is so long already, and I'm already 7 hours into Day Four that I'm pushing them into an honorable mentions section instead.

Tanar Sotor Orinan, Indre Larieth, Lurall Penrith and Nilion Kurez are all additional members of the guilds Inner Circle.

Tanar is half plains elf and half human, and is married to Myris. He used to be the thief partner to Eryn Mosswolf after Reilly was made guild master.

Indre Larieth is a half-elf who was recruited by Nilion Kurez, but has remained steadfastly loyal to Reilly for many years. Due to her Snow Elf heritage she can appear stand-offish and cold, but she cares deeply for her chosen few, and will go to extraordinary lengths to do whatever she thinks is nessecary to protect them.

Lurall Penrith was once trained by the Ikhari guild of assassins. It wasn't a path he chose, but instead of running her decided to become good enough that the guild would have no choice but to allow him to leave. After he met Reilly, he leveraged the backing of another guild to convince the Ikhari to let him walk away. Lurall now runs the Guild Outpost in the Western Desert, but frequently visits Reilly in Antillune.

Nilion Kurez is a Forest Elf, and has been a member of the Antillune thieves guild since Aldune Lamuird founded it. He helped write many of the guilds laws, and has known Reilly most of his life, having watched him grow up inside the guild, and in many cases been one of Reilly's teachers.

Hawk Denill is the face of Vine in Book One, and the person who hires Stella to break into the guild and steal from Reilly Mosswolf. He is a dark character who I intend to be a thorn in Stella and Reilly's side for at least the first three books. Once a member of Reilly's own guild, Hawk was banished when the guild discovered he was responsible for a series of grisly murders in Antillune. Hawk has returned to the city only recently, confident with the backing of a new guild.

Liandra 'Andy' Jenkin is a bright but brash young thief who Dara partners with Stella once she settles into the guild. Andy is Human, but makes up for the disadvantages this gives her in speed and strength by sheer enthusiasm, and stubborn determination. Andy has a grudge of her own against Vine, since their people laid an ambush on her last job that injured her and killed her previous partner.

Colm Korazon is Stella's Da'. While Colm is also a thief, he's not a particularly good one. He raised Stella in a travelling caravan, using it as a base to sell all sorts of false herbal remedies, imitation magical items, and any other junk he could con people into purchasing. All the while training Stella to do what he could not. By the time she was old enough to blend in with the crowds that gathered around his stall, the items he attempted to sell were merely a distraction to allow Stella to silently search through pockets.

#Underwing Challenge #Writeblr #Underwing Writing Challenge #Ari Speaks #Stolen #A Stolen Story #Writing #Stella #Stella Korazon #Reilly #Reilly Mosswolf #Dara Brookor #Myris Orinan #Tanar Orinan #Indre Larieth #Lurall Penrith #Nilion Kurez #Hawk Denill #Liandra Jenkin #Andy Jenkin #Colm Korazon

[author-a-holmes]

Incorrect Quote Tag Game

Borrowed the format from @stories-by-rie. Hope you don't mind! <3

Rules: use this quote generator & list as many quotes as you like using characters from your WIPs, then tag as many people as quotes you listed.

1) Dara Brookor & Reilly Mosswolf - Best Friends.

Otherwise known as "Dara adopted the idiot".

Dara: This is such a bad idea. Reilly: Then why are you coming along? Dara: One of us need to be able to talk the guards out of arresting us when this inevitably goes wrong.

Bonus:

Dara: Please, I'm begging you, go to a healer. Reilly: I'm sorry is this OUR stab wound? Stay out of it.

2) Tanar Orinan and Myris Orinan

Loving, yet sassy, husbands.

Tanar: If there's going to be a big dramatic scene, wait until I get back. Myris: Of course. I can't flip this table by myself.

Bonus:

Myris: You love me, right, Tanar? Tanar: Normally, I’d say yes without hesitation, but I feel like this is going somewhere and I don’t like it.

3) Stella Korazon and Reilly Mosswolf

The idiot and the intellect. Otherwise knows as desperately in love.

*Person A and Person B are doing something absurdly dangerous* Reilly: I think Houdini did something like this once! Why, if I recall correctly, he was out of the hospital in no time! Stella, deadpan: Well that's encouraging.

Bonus:

Stella: Can you please be serious for five minutes? Reilly: My record is four, but I think I can do it.

4) Nilion Kurez and Indre Larieth

Troublesome Terrors.

Nilion: I can explain. Indre: Can you? Nilion: If you give me thirty seconds to think of a lie.

Bonus:

Nilion: You know, not every problem can be solved with a sword. Indre: That's why I carry two swords.

5) Hawk Denill and Reilly Mosswolf

Acquaintances and Mortal Enemies

Reilly: Remember when you didn't try to solve all your problems with attempted murder? Hawk: Stop romanticizing the past.

Bonus:

Hawk: This is bothering me. Reilly: Well, you are digging up a corpse. Hawk: No, not that. That's pretty par for the course, actually

Tagging forward to; @noirepersonal, @ohhgren, @queen-kass-the-writer, @artbyeloquent, @sleepyowlwrites, and anyone else who wants to join in! Consider this an open tag!

#Tag Game #Writing Tag Game #Arista #Arista Writes #Arista Holmes #Dara #Dara Brookor #Reilly #Reilly Mosswolf #Stella #Stella Korazon #Myris #Myris Orinan #Tanar #Tanar Orinan #Nilion #Nilion Kurez #Indre #Indre Larieth #Hawk #Hawk Denill #Stolen #Stolen A Stolen Story #Incorrect Quotes

[author-a-holmes]

My Characters As Aesthetics

The lovely @queen-kass-the-writer gave me permission to use her own “characters as aesthetics” post as inspiration for my own, so let’s give this idea a shot!

Reilly Mosswolf: Hot desert sun, strong coffee, late nights, black hair and eyes but a heart of gold, walking through a city at night, and a window seat in a private library. Stella Korazon: Cornsilk golden hair to your waist, tall grasses and open plains, the smell of earth after a spring rainstorm, a herd of wild horses, and wide eyed innocence. Dara Brookor: Stomping boots, strawberry shortcake, crushing hugs, velvet furniture, and a queen sized bed. Myris Orinan: The crackle of energy from a lightning strike, cold tea, stacks of half read books, bubbling beakers of alchemical mixtures, and smiling eyes. Tanar Orinan: Practical jokes, wide grin, assorted melee weapons, the scent of pine trees, a stiff autumn breeze and dappled sunlight through spring leaves.

Nilion Kurez: Frost on the spring grass, scent of autumn compost, a tiger hunting, deep roots of an ancient oak, sharp words on a sharp tongue. 

Indre Larieth: A frozen lake, a blinding blizzard, the scent of ice on the air, the way your breath crystallizes on a winter morning, light fracturing through an icicle, An igloo, with firelight seeping out between the cracks, warm woollen blankets, hot chocolate, and a soft chair worn ragged with use.

Hawk Denill: The shadow on a street corner, the echo of secondary footsteps behind you, an elegant smile hiding teeth, silk rubbed the wrong way, nails down a chalkboard, and blood glowing black in the moonlight.

#Writing #Behind the Scenes #World Building #Characters #Stella Korazon #Reilly Mosswolf #Myris Orinan #Tanar Orinan #Nilion Kurez #Dara Brookor #Indre Larieth #Hawk Denill #Ari Writes #Arista Writes #Stolen #Stolen Stories #Original

[author-a-holmes]

First Spoken Lines (Tag Game)

I'm accepting the open tag from @rosiewritesandrambles

Rules: post the first spoken lines of the main characters of your WIP

Tagging Forward to; @faelanvance, @queen-kass-the-writer, @ecwrenn, @blindthewind, @nikkywrites, @sunlightwriter, @artbyeloquent, @a-duck-with-a-book, @afoolandathief, @hellishhin, @dragon-with-a-pen, @little-stories-by-lilly, @drowninginwips, @sylhorn, and anyone else who'd like to take part consider this an open tag ^_^

Stella Korazon (and Bonus; Colm Korazon)

"What happened?" he demanded, his voice gruff but still quiet, hyper-aware of any nearby ears that might be listening.

"I'm sorry, Da', the market wasn't busy... at least, not with anyone I could target-"

"You're too picky lass," he growled, "you've got to take from everyone, you hear me? Because everyone-"

"-Everyone has more than us, I know," Stella finished for him, not quite able to hide the sigh in her voice fast enough to avoid her Da's hand landing a firm smack to the back of her head.

Reilly Mosswolf (and Bonus; Indre Larieth)

The member of his inner circle most insistent at nagging him to do the accounts books, he knew Indre would not have disturbed him for a minor incident.

"What's happened?"

"An accident in the training room," the half-elf before him answered sharply, her shoulders tense, "Nilion was testing one of the recent recruits, and the kid stepped into the path of a blade."

"Damn it," Reilly cursed, stepping out of his office and snapping the door firmly shut behind him.

Dara Brookor

Dara was also mildly terrifying, and Reilly swallowed hard before letting his lips twist into a grin.

"Dara, darling-"

"Don't you 'darling' me, you pain in my arse. What the fuck happened to the new thiefling?" Dara snarled, and Reilly tried not to laugh, not particularly wanting the woman to hit him.

Hawk Denill

A quick scan over her newest companion revealed tousled black hair, sparkling ice-blue eyes, and a wiry frame that belied a hidden strength as he leant back in the bar stool with a confidently casual air that made her pause, her eyes still spitting fire.

“You seem to be a particularly talented pick-pocket,” the man said, taking advantage of her hesitation. His words made Stella’s stomach suddenly grow cold, a hollow feeling settling behind her breastbone, but she kept her expression calm and unruffled.

Nilion Kurez

A muscle in Nilion's jaw twitched, and he slowly slid pale blue eyes open to stare up at the guild master.

"Perhaps I'm just getting old," the other thief said, voice soft before holding out a hand still caked in blood, but Reilly grasped it without pause and helped pull the larger man to his feet

Myris Orinan

"We already have talented thieves. One girl, no matter how skilled, is not worth the trouble this will bring down on us!" Indre snapped, but the room fell silent when Myris leant forward in his chair slightly, brown eyes focussed and unwavering as they stared at Indre and his hands began shifting into slow but deliberate shapes, speaking in the only language he could.

'What did you vote when Vine held me captive, Indre? I never asked. I never wanted to know. Was it too much trouble to come for me? Was I not worth the risk of retaliation from Vine? Was your fear of them why it took three days to track me down, giving them time to burn my throat beyond repair?'

The harshly phrased questions were halted when Tanar placed a very gentle hand over his husbands, stopping the slow formation of symbols that the wizard had developed himself since returning to the guild.

Tanar Orinan

While Reilly knew Tanar could lie with the best of them, the man appeared relaxed as he let his warm brown eyes shift around the room before settling on Reilly.

"Are we early?" the half-elf asked, and Reilly didn't bother smothering his soft chuckle.

"Right on time, actually... for a change, are you feeling alright?"

"Myris insisted we... ouch! Quit poking me!" Tanar grumbled, stepping into the room and letting his husband follow him inside before finishing his sentence, "Myris insisted we not be late, he's been fussing for the last half an hour-"

Andy Jenkin

"Andy! Get over here!" Dara called, and the brunette immediately started towards them.

"What can I do you for, Dara?" she asked brightly when she was close enough that the question didn't need shouting.

"Stella, this is Liandra Jenkin-"

"Call me Andy," the woman cut in, rolling honey brown eyes and scooping up Stella's hand to shake it confidently, while the blonde studied her.

#Tag Game #Ari Writes #Ari Speaks #Mutuals #Stolen #A Stolen Story #First Spoken Lines #Stella Korazon #Reilly Mosswolf