Brazen Wolfe Tabletop

Laura Xavier Magnus

14LauraXavierMagnus

Laura stared at the clock infront of her and wondered if it was too early to just close up.  She was always amazed at devices like these that the gnomes created and believed that having one such trinket would give get little enterprise credit where potentially her reputation had not reached that point yet. But her sinking of her limited riches into her business it had yet to land a single client.

Sighing she stood up and walked to the door turning over the sign to say “closed” and she went to the little room just off the main room where she had some almost stale bread and cheese waiting for her. As she frowned and cut off some mould from both the cheese and the bread she heard the bell above her door tingle.

“Sorry we’re closed!,” She called out as she walked to the door to the ‘office’ and looked toward the door where four people now stood just inside her door. “Sorry you lot, I am closed for lunch. Maybe forever” she muttered the last part to herself looking at the contract on her desk to sell her business after just three months being open.

“Are you Laura?” One asked, a female halfling who stood at the front of the group.

“yeah, come on guys I told Mr Secille that I’d have the money to him end of the week and I don’t go back on a contract” Laura responded, chomping down on cheese that almost audibly crunched.

“I heard you do sponsor ship for adventures and expeditions?” The halfling said as she dusted the table with a finger.

“That was the plan” Laura said deciding she wasn’t hungry as the nearly-stale bread was definitely stale and could be used as siege catapult ammuntion. “But as I said I dont got the money for your boss here so you’ll need to come back later.”

“We have a job that we need supplies and a sponsor for…” The taller particularly handsome human male said as he sat down and began to lounge in a padded chair.

“Boss, look. Its an actual gnome thingy. I’ve always wanted to own one” a weasely looking man said as he knelt infront of the clock as it clicked over to noon.

“I don’t think this is the right place” a voice like a snake slithering over nightshade hissed from the final clocked figure. Judging by the tone it sounded female but Laura could not be sure.”

“Wait did you say you have a job?” Laura said, almost spitting out the water she was halfway through sipping in a failing attempt to rid her mouth of the flavour of rancid cheese.

“Yes. Can you help us?” The lady halfling replied looking at the humans with almost visible contempt.

Laura paused for a moment. Actual customers. She ran into her office and retrieved the paperwork she had, at one time but not now, sorted into neat stacks ready for such a time. Returning she sat down and placed a small unopened bottle of wine and five glasses on the table. “Whats the job. We’ll, err, I’ll take it. No wait. Whats the expected return and do you have collateral for the job?” Laura asked as she rushed to find her quill and inkwell.

The halfling grinned, “well it’s a wagon heist, and we expect to return goods worth a few thousand gold or so our informant says”

“a few thousand, ok.” Laura began to scribble down before looking up with a start “Sorry, did you day few hundred or few thousand?”

“thousand missy, look if you ‘ain’t the right person to help us we can go elsewhere girly” the trinket lover blurted out standing up to try and emphasise his height advantage, which was minimum at best.

“Shut it Kane, yes you heard right, thousand and gold pieces. We just need a few things and we were pointed this way as our last means of acquiring these things so we can pull off the job” the halfling said her stare shooting daggers at human.

“well what so you need?” Laura asked already cataloguing what she had and thinking of contacts who she was still in the good books with.

The man lounging in the padded chair handed over a well written note. Scanning over the note she looked at the extensive list of items. Noting she didn’t have several.

“I don’t have all of it..” she began to respond jotting down the items she would need to find.

“I said this was a mistake. She isn’t up to the task” the hooded figure that oozed malcontent hissed from the corner of the room

“I said I don’t have, not that I can’t get” Laura replied. “These items won’t come cheap. I’ll need some form of assurance”

Looking to the humans and the hooded member of the group the halfling produced a long cloth wrapped object and placed it on the table, nodding towards Laura to take it. “Will this cover us?” She asked.

Laura grabbed the item and felt the weight behind it, definitely metal and by the shape it felt like a short Blade. “May I?” She asked and receiving a nod from the halfling she proceeded to unwrap one of the most beautifully crafted blades she had set her eyes on. “Wow. I have not seen it’s equal. This should cover it at a base” Laura said a she expertly sketched an exact likeness of the blade in her book.

“It’s part of a set. We aim to reunite it and it’s twin” the hooded figure hissed coming closer to the desk to note the drawing “impressive, but may I ask what for?”

“I’m not about to take the item to my contacts. I hope to get it identified by drawing so the value can be vouched for without the actual Blade being exposed.” Laura replied as she filled in a few forms.

Nodding the group of four looked to and from the halfling to Laura. “Do we have an arrangement?” The halfling eventually asking.

“sign here and we do” Laura said signing her name Laura Xavier Magnus. As she signed her name the ink flashed a blue light and a tiny drop of blood fell from the quill tip to the parchment.

The group stepped back as the halfling read the document, the pretty man didn’t even pretend to read (as he couldn’t). A few moments later the halfling looked up. “A very neat contract you’ve written up here,” she mused. “Blood pact I take it?” She asked as she signed handing the quill to her compatriots.

“Yup, the terms are to protect you and me and keep all this business between those who sign the document with the exception of me brokering the items you require” Laura added watching as all the people signed the document. “You didn’t mention. The wagon you’re targetting, who owns it?” She asked as the party got up and shook her hand, their deal done. As they left the room one by one, leaving the blade on the table next to the signed papers, the halfling turned and stared at Laura.

“Red” she said before turning and leaving. Sitting down Laura looked over the documents and the blade before reaching for the uncorked bottle. Biting out the cork she started to drink from the bottle, the cold rich liquid sitting unpleasantly on her empty stomach.

“well, either I’ll be rich and set for a few years or I’ll be dead if the rumours around Red are true…” Laura muttered to herself looking over the items she needed to get and her estimated share of the haul.