An Arm for Justice

Lower trades district, late afternoon.

It was a relatively calm day partway through the month, but the season left the streets dark significantly earlier than usual, with a chill wind creeping into the air. Schara had taken to wearing their fur lined cloak even without their armor, and a purple knitted cap was shoved down on the elf's head as they wandered the streets. Their gaze went over several of the stalls they passed, but they did not linger to puruse any of the wares like they often did.

Stepping out of a familiar workshop, a man's voice calls into the forge, "Just replace the sides, Cap! I'll pick it up in a few days!" The Eldanar buttons up his grey overcoat, an unslung and sheathed longsword in one hand, and a large crossbow dangling in the other.

A flash of purple gets his attention, him glancing by the person walking by across the street before he double takes and perks. "Schara!"

Schara takes a look at a few more shops, and seemed to rather pointedly be avoiding looking at Slatesteel's smithy, and continuing onwards.

What could not be ignored easily however was someone actively calling out to see them. Schara blinks a few times, and looks over, expression flickering with an unsteady smile.

"Oh, hello, Warrick! It's good to see you I would say, yes." The elf greets, taking a few steps over. "How are you doing, is all your equipment holding up alright or were you just going in to help with some of the work there?"

Warrick quirks a brow at Schara's mannerisms. One can leave the Watch, but the Watch doesn't really leave you. "Good to see you too." He glances up. "Nice hat."

He slings the sword over one shoulder, strapping it in a practiced manner before he changes his grip on the crossbow to hold it by the carrying handle. "Took an axe to the side. Ripped through the scale. I'm fine though, didn't get deep, all healed up."

The man scratches the stubble on his beard, having not shaved in a while. "Are you doing alright?"

"Thank you for the compliment to my hat, I bought it from one of the stalls since I have been spending more time not wearing all of my armor." The elf answers, pausing just a moment as some concern shows on their face at the explanation, but hearing that Warrick was alright, they just sigh. "I am glad it is healed up and it was not too severe to begin with. I do not feel like lying today however and I was looking for you Warrick, I am not doing alright in the slightest and I need a friend to talk to if you are currently available?" They ask.

Warrick hums. "Mmm. I know what stall you're talking about." There's a nod, him rubbing his side idly from the old injury. But that doesn't draw his attention. Slate eyes focus on the elf. His brows knit with concern.

"Yeah, of course, Schara. You can always talk with me," he confirms, worried as he steps closer.

"Yes, they make nice knitted goods, I would not be surprised if you are aware of them." The artificer responds, taking some time to answer before breaking into a frown. "I am completely overwhelmed and I am at a loss for what to do due to not thinking clearly, not sleeping well, and being frought with worry for my family, Warrick." The elf rambles, breaking composure suddenly. "I'm worried that my mother is injured or worse and it's my fault for existing still that has led to it in spite of everything I've been doing to not be a burden on them any longer."

Warrick does his best to listen, but when his friend loses their composure, he can't help but take a half step back, blind sided. "Woah Schara-- lets take it piecemeal, okay?" he tries to stem.

He put a hand on her back, ushering the elf off to the side of the road towards a bench. "Come, sit, let's take this one at a time. What happened to your mother?"

Schara takes a breath, and seeing Warrick moving away, the artificer takes a long pause. "It's not a lot of things but it's very significant, if I can take it piecemeal, then I will attempt to do so if it will help." Schara answers, walking over into with the guidance to the bench and collapsing on to it. Schara settles her wooden arms into her lap, and she rubs her face into the lining of her cloak.

"I don't know what happened to my mother and that is what is worrying me at the moment, I haven't heard from my family yet since post is slow to Alexandria but I received what I am certain is their dismembered arm to my room at the artificer's guild, Warrick."

"Well, we will tackle it however way we can," Warrick reassures, sitting down next to Schara. Sits his crossbow down at his feet, him half turned towards her.

His eyes widen. "By the- what?" he gasps. He's torn, one half wants to comfort his friend, but the other half from the Watch is already taking notes. Well, why couldn't he do both? Working on progress to answers should assuage the analytical artificer. A notebook appears in his hands from a jacket pocket, him clicking a pen and turning to a fresh page. "I'm... really sorry, Schara," he sighs, scribbling a few notes down before looking at her. "How long ago was it? When was the last time you received post from them? Do you have any ideas on who would do such a thing?"

"It is an almost impossibly cruel thing for someone to do which makes it so hard to understand, but I should not be completely surprised, at least." The artificer answers, raising her face and burying it deep down into the cloak she was wearing until only her eyes were still visible. "I appreciate your sympathy Warrick even if you do not know my mother or my family, it's reassuring to know that you are still unhappy to hear that even if I would rather you are not unhappy, you're my friend and being able to talk to you about things like this even if they should not be necessary is welcome."

"It has been two weeks since I have received any post from them, they always send out messages every month with the couriers, and I send out a return letter on the same schedule, though I sent one out home after I made sure the arm would be alright at one of the temples for now."

Schara blinks a few more times, and nods slowly. "Yes, there is one person who I believe may have sent or is involved with sending it, even if it is difficult for me to believe they would do this."

"It's practically psychopathic," Warrick scowls, shaking his head. He spies Schara sinking down. Scribbles down several notes into his notebook before setting it down on his lap. And, without warning, reaches forth to pull Schara into a hug. "I really am sorry this is happening," he repeats, sounding frustrated that someone would even do such a thing.

One hand scribbles further notes, pauses, and he pulls away slightly to lean a bit down and look Schara in the face. "Who? This can't be those loan sharks. This is would be far out of their purview. Unless its..." His eyes narrow. "... that priest?"

Schara tenses, suddenly being pulled into a hug, only to relax just as quickly, the artificer blinking a few times in an attempt to stop from crying anymore and failing. "Thank you again Warrick, I believe that a hug was needed and it is welcome." They answer, resting for a moment against the guard's shoulder. "No, unless they sent people out there to do that, but it would be easier to threaten me in person, and I've tried to not have any obvious ties to my family in town to begin with." She agrees quietly, tilting her head to one side. "They are the only one who I am currently thinking would do something like this, even if I can not fathom why."

Seeing as the embrace helped some, he keeps an arm around her, a hand rubbing her back as his free hand scribbles more notes. "You're welcome," Warrick intones. But there's that edge of anger in there at the injustice of this.

He taps his against the pages. "... I think it's time we paid your family a visit," he says seriously. "If this happened, and this false priest is behind this, they need to face justice." Gaze glances at Schara. "... this is obviously a message of some kind to you. They may expect you, but they wouldn't expect me. I have a few people I know that would jump at the chance to right this."

"I not good at understanding normal people as it is, so trying to understand someone like this is almost impossible to me Warrick." Schara notes, sounding both saddened and frustrated. The artificer nods once, and attempts to hug Warrick back, more like sticking a solid piece of wood behind his back. "They're probably hoping I'll go back, but I can't not go back, or I would never forgive myself."

"Mister Harkashan and miss Verna helped me with keeping the arm in better condition, since I'm really hoping she's still alive and it's not something worse and I should probably talk to miss Andelena about this too since I would appreciate help with something like this when I might try to kill them if I go on their own." She answers bluntly.

"Something like this isn't meant to be understood, it's outside the realm of understanding," Warrick reasons. He reaches behind him to shift the arm into a better spot before returning the embrace more fully. "Then we will go."

"If those two Mourners helped you, that arm will be well." He blinks in the hug. But can't help but chuff at that. "Having a Daeusite judge another Daeusite will certainly make it just. And, depending on how deep their crimes run, Andelena will more than likely /help/ you kill them."

"Alright, I'd appreciate you coming with me for this since I appreciate your presence and find it comforting in most situations, due to being a good friend and a reliable ally, I am lucky to have met you."

"I trust Harkashan completely to help with something like this, and Verna is also exceedingly capable in a wide breadth of things so I know that I can rely on her." She agrees, pausing and tilting her head back and forth. "If he is a threat to my family and perhaps the town at large, then it is likely justified. I was okay with him shunning myself from the village, but the impact it had on my family was always worrying, though this is completely different and is actively threatening them."

"Likewise, Schara," Warrick states. "It may end up being the case that they fight back to prevent it. And if that happens, I'll do everything I can to make sure you and your family are safe and that this farce of a priest faces justice. Either by law or by sword. Or... crossbow bolt." His boot taps the weapon at his feet. "You know what I mean."

He gives Schara a firm squeeze in the hug before pulling away with a mild frown. "You shouldn't be okay with being shunned, what they did to you was was wrong, and this is even moreso. When do you want to go? I can be ready in a day."

"I want to make sure that my family is safe beyond anything else there, outside of making sure my friends and allies are safe as well." Schara admits, looking at the boot and back up to Warrick. "So please be safe as well, as much as possible."

The artificer considers a bit longer, and she shakes her head as she leans against the bench again. "Perhaps used to it is a better choice of words? I am used to it, so it didn't bother me as much other than making myself more negatively biased against various things as a result. "At least one day, it might be a bit to travel, but I want to speak to miss Andelena if I can, and Rune as well since Harkashan suggested I do that and she's a friend too I hope."

"I'll be safe. The same goes to you too, okay?" Warrick points at her before reaching behind him and helping remove the wooden arm behind his back.

The man sighs. "I couldn't do that. My family is far too important to me for me to be separated like that from them. It'd haunt me."

He nods once, reaching down to pick up the crossbow. "Rune has a good head on her shoulders, she'll be a good asset." A brow ticks up at Schara's word choice. "You doubt yourself too much, friend. Just send me a letter to my house when you're ready to head out, and I'll get my things together and Cynthia sorted."

A thought crosses him. "Come over for lunch before you head out to ask others?" Warrick suggests.

"I promise that I will do everything that can in order to stay safe when I go there." Schara promises, pulling her arm back and into her lap with the other limb. "I care a lot about my family, they've done so much and supported me so much, that's why I would be okay with it."

Schara blinks a few times, and eventually she nods back. "I would not mind lunch if I can manage to eat anything, if I can go with you, that would be appreciated." They answer,glancing down the road to Warrick's home.

-End Scene-