Ruingate: The Skull and Candle
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The main room of the Skull and Candle is the tavern. A high bar runs the length of the room, ending just short of a staircase
leading to the private guestrooms upstairs. The one large common guestroom is off the other side of the tavern, the large door
shiny at the middle from many paws wearing against the wood. The inn's namesake sits above the bar, one of the Lord Regent's keepsakes. An otter skull stares down hollowly from a shelf high on the wall, decorated in gold leaf. From the top of
this skull protrudes a blood-red candle, always lit, and replenished several times each day by the dutiful Tavernkeeper.
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[IC] Slaughterthane of Ruingate (Bane)

Bane is seated at the bar as he finishes his breakfast of fish. It’s actually decent in this town. "Bartender," he calls as he pushes his plate away from him, taking some coins out of his pocket and setting them down on the bartop. "It was excellent," he compliments as he wipes the edges of his mouth with a red napkin.

Ironfist limps in from the street, looking rather disheveled. Dark rings circle his eyes, there are burn marks on his shirt and some of the fur on his arms is singed. He rubs his eyes blearily and collapses at a table with a groan. The ferret waves to a sever and orders a pot of the strongest tea and some ale. He pulls a long piece of paper from a pouch and starts marking off items.

Jessamyn walks out of the common guest room.
Jessamyn has arrived.

Bane grins and welcomes the ferret as he makes his way towards him. "Good morn to you, bladesmith. I fear though, you have been working longer hours than your body is capable of. Have you found your apprentice yet?" He moves to take a seat at one of the unoccupied chairs.

Ironfist looks up to the large wildcat and blinks. "Oh, g'morning friend. I'm alright, nothing some caffeine or alcohol cannot fix." A slight grin. "No, not really, but haven't spent any time looking to speak of. I finished your halberd, started a project for the Lady Regent, and finished about 10 swords and have more in the works. Oh, and I got the poles for the pikes and halberds."

Bane clasps his paws with delight as his ears perk. "Excellent. I shall press Lord Merdez once more about a shipment from Send." As the barmaid brings over the tea and ale, setting it before the hob, Bane smirks. "What does the blade on my halberd look like now?"

Jessamyn swallows softly and seats herself on her knees beside Bane's chair, her eyes closing as she rests her head upon Bane's hip. Her tail curled around her waist, the tip resting in her lap.

"It's almost too nice to hack someone apart with, honestly. It's polished to the point it hurts to look at, and the edge is keener than a scalpel. The engraving of the Ruingate symbol is some of the best I've ever done..." Ironfist quirks an eye at the fox and says as he pours a steaming mug of tea, "G'morning t' you too, miss..."

Bane narrows an eye at the mention of it being polished but shrugs then his grin returns at the mention of its edge. "A fine piece of craftsmanship, I'm certain." A paw idly reaches down to scratch the vixen's headfur before he looks down to her. "Good morn to you as well, Jessamyn. Please, have a seat with us." He motions a paw towards the seat next to him with a grin.

Jessamyn bows her head in a nod and rises up to her feet, her robes swishing with her movements as they rest upon her figure, she is still getting used to them, as she takes a seat at the table.

Ironfist gulps down the first cup of tea and sighs wistfully. He catches the look on Bane's face and mutters something. "Would you prefer...The old finish?" The ferret looks to Jessamyn and queries, "Do you want something to eat or drink miss? I'm Ironfist, the bladesmith, so you know." He continues to write notes on his paper, and he looks to Bane. "Are the shields to be bucklers or full sized body shields? With the Ruingate emblem?"

Bane smirks a little as he nods. "Yes, I have grown quite fond of the hammered darkened steel of my blade. Many memories of past times are held in its waves."

Jessamyn turns her eyes up to Bane, smiling ever so slightly, her heavy accent rolling softly. "You will win this war, will you not Lord?" her tail swishing still as she then turns to Ironfist. "I... am pleased to meet you, I am Jessamyn."

Bane nods slowly as he extends a paw to the vixen. "Of course I will. I have yet in all my 15 seasons to lose a battle and this will not be one to end my streak. Not in my prime. Never," he says in a reassuring but stern tone.

Ironfist nods solemnly. "I will return it to its orginal state," His steely eyes turn to Jessamyn, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Jessamyn...Now Bane, about the shields..." He gulps down some more tea.

Jessamyn smiles and bows her head in a nod. "I am very pleased to hear it." she nods to Ironfist one last time before just keeping her eyes on Bane, waiting for any instruction he might have.

Jaha has arrived.

A long, irritated yawn sounds from the stairs - the sort of sound that indicates a predator, for as she closes her mouth, a growling rumble accompanies the yawn. From there, she emerges into the tavern - her clothes rumpled and slept in, but the rest of her surprisingly groomed, save for her headfur. The short strands are spiked up, tipped forward and swirled around her ears. Amusing picture for a feline whose canines peep out beneath her lips. (Jaha)

Jessamyn blinks and then smiles nodding her head. "Yes Lord, some wine and fish would be wonderful." her rich purr rolling upon the air as she speaks. Jaha would likely notice that the girl does not look born and bred to the collar or clothes she wears.

Jaha's gaze strays first towards Bane, and her nose notably wrinkles in disgust. Ergh. Cat. It then settles upon Jessamyn, since she is rather near to the wildcat. She cocks a brow, exhales hard and starts for the bar. "Nothing like getting sloshed in the morning." she mutters.

Ironfist nods, scribbles down some more on the sheet. He sighs and finishes the last drops of tea. "I really should be going soon," says the ferret with a grimace. "I should finish the Prince's practice sword, your halberd, and start the work on the polearms..."

Bane nods in agreement with Ironfist and his brows raise at the mention of Jirael. "So the prince is finally going to take up swordsmanship? Excellent," he grins. Looking to Jessamyn with a smile before motioning for the barmaid. "Some fish and wine," he calls out. He then turns and glances to Jaha then back to his table.

Unfortunately, when Bane catches Jaha's eyes - she's glaring at him. After ordering her ale, she decided to spend her day glaring at Bane. It's a good profession, really.

Bane can feel that feline's eyes on his back as if they were pin prick needles. He grins as his fur slightly rises from excitement.

Jaha's eyes go towards Jessamyn next, "You. Come here."

Ironfist drinks his mug of ale and wipes off foam from his muzzle. "Apparently so. It is sort of an advantage to start young. It will ensure he grows up to be strong but fast, and that he will give weapons the proper respect. Lady Sheva even mentioned he might wish to study bladesmithing later..." The ferret trails off, and he simply shakes his head at Bane.

Bane looks at Jessamyn's collar then to her eyes, narrowing his into half circles. He then turns and looks to Jaha. "Excuse me? She takes orders from no one but me," he smirks.

Jaha's lip curls, revealing her teeth. "Yeah, that's my problem."

Bane snarks. "Then you deal with it, but keep her out of it."

Jaha rolls her head back, and then slides off of her stool. "What gives a filthy, flea bitten cat like you the authority over her?"

Jaha's lips part in a smile, "And I'd love to know how your lovely Regent would act when he hears you've collared a -fox-."

Bane grins, drawing his lips back to reveal his large incisors. "She is a gypsy, it is her station, and she chooses to wear it."

Ironfist's eyes go from Jaha and Bane, and the ferret quietly gathers his paper and charcoal pencil and stow it away. He takes out money for the drinks and leaves in on the table with a large tip, murmuring, "Good luck, friend." He silently rises and limps towards the door on his cane.

Jaha folds her arms, stifling a yawn. "Ah, either way. I'm sure the Regent would be interested to hear that a 'lowbeast' such as yourself, position or not, is ordering around a fox.." she trails off, and then begins. " .. Especially a female fox, who has such an appearance.. in that you're *far* more interested in services beyond her sweeping or dancing."

Jaha starts towards the door, trailing her fingers through her headfur. "He owes me, and I'll buy her out. It disgusts me to see something as pathetic as you holding a jewel."

Asher opens the door to the tavern, beginning to walk in...

Bane smirks as Jaha makes her way towards the door, petting his jewel and knowing that he is far more fortunate than he deserves to be.

Ironfist looks over his shoulder at the warring cats, not watching the entrance. He reaches out to open the door and suddenly realizes he's about to crash into the 'weasel'.

Malachite enters from the road.
Malachite has arrived.

Jaha hesitates, since the door is becoming crowded, and swings her glance over her shoulder. "You're disgusting. One of these days, you'll have your throat slit in your sleep by one of your pets."

Jaha's jaw is growing notably tense, showing the ropes of muscle across and down to her neck.

Asher doesn't seem to really be watching where he is going, either, and he ends up smacking headlong right into Ironfist as the ferret attempts to leave. "Ooof!" He falls back to his backside, blinking and peering up at who he ran into. "Ey, watch where yer goin'!" he scowls...

Bane grins. "You're either a seer or you long to be a 'pet' perhaps. Either way, I do keep my eyes open for such a thing."

Jaha's eyes flare wide, and she suddenly grabs the top rung of the back of a chair near her. With a clench of her paw, she brings it clearly off the ground, the feet of the chair hovering a few inches off of the floor.

Bane eyes the feline as he stands. "Let me assure you, I am merely her employer, and nothing more. A pure business profession. As for 'pets', I have none. Women are far too valuable than to become a mere accessory. If you wish to buy her from Lord Merdez, then do so, and she will be released to you if the Regent approves that is."

Ironfist trips over Asher's fallen form and lands face first with a yell. He turns over and sits up and starts to shout at the disguised otter, when he recognizes him from the day before. "You! I have a bone to pick with you already, now you trip me!" The ferret's paw goes to the knife on his belt...

The soft sound of sandals against wood sounds the arrival of Malachite, as the feline pushes the door open to the bar. Well. Now. If this place isn't too crowded for her own tastes. ".. Excuse me, but could you all move to the side so I could actually make my way into this bar?" the feline's accented voice (Turkish-ish!) sounds, with a soft purr as she stands back to wait for .. the bodies... to move. Well, this certainly isn't what she expected.

"Your voice changes when you are under pressure." The chair drops with a thud, and her paw returns to her side. The feline begins to make her way swiftly towards Bane, "I hope you got the last of your 'petting' pats out of your system, because I'm about to cut both of them off."

Jessamyn silently watches the two of them, the interactions going back and forth, and then... she just smiles, rises to her feet, bows deeply to Bane and then murmurs "Lord... I will be leaving this room now... it seems a bit more your type of thing than a place to dance.

Jaha slits her eyes, and settles them on Jessamyn. "And you. How dare you allow yourself to be treated like a trinket on a shelf? Especially.. to -that-…"

Jessamyn blinks for a moment and lowers her gaze. She simply steps back towards a door, any door that will lead out of this part of the tavern, she isn't being all that picky. Her ear does stay swiveled towards Jaha's words.

Asher smirks, scooting backwards on his paws a bit to put some distance between he and Ironfist. "Oh, do ya now? Wot is it that I exactly did t'cause a problem with ya? I doan even recall speakin' to ya, ferret..." He begins to go for his short sword inside his cloak as he sees Ironfist going for his knife. "Ey, I got one a those too, mate..." he rumbles...

Jaha doesn't look like she's finished speaking to Jessamyn, "You have more grace, poise and talent then this overbearing oaf could ever have, and you -dance- for something like this? I've seen trash on the curb with more class!"

Jessamyn turns her head so that she can just barely glance at Jaha, purring very softly. "I am Romani..." all she can do is expect that Jaha will understand what that means.

Bane smirks as he stands there, looking down at Jaha. "A threat upon an officer of Ruingate's military and a member of the Court. The law is biting at your ankles, my dear. If you turn around to face it, you shall see it's larger than you've imagined. Not even a mouthful is what you would be."

Jaha growls, "Even Romani have somewhere in their heart that will not allow them to dance for some."

Ironfist is distracted by the cat behind him, and looks over his shoulder, some what dazed. "Pardon me, ma'am, this...fiend tripped me..." The ferret tries to get up, leaning heavily on his cane, but his maimed paw is keeping him from getting up quickly.

Jaha watches Jessamyn, but does not look at Bane. "Shut up. If you need to boast your standing, then you could never take me down."

Malachite is getting sick of waiting at the door, especially with the ferret and weasel sitting there attacking each other…or whatever foolish things they tend to do. "Yes, yes, I see that..." she purrs at Ironfist's words, before promptly moving to try to step /around/ him and his work at getting up. Right. Now to get something to drink.

Jessamyn leaves her hand resting upon the door handle. She then turns to give both Jaha and Bane a rather full smile. "Don't kill each other... you are both far too interesting to lose."

Jaha says, "Don't flatter me, fox."

Malachite weaves her way through the crowd of arguing.. people.. if no one makes an attempt to step in front of her. Destination: bar. Though her eyes seem less than pleased, she looks amused, overall.

Jaha says, "And don't lump me with pasta-head over here, either."

Asher makes his way back to his paws in a much easier fashion than Ironfist, and he stands there watching the ferret attempt to pull himself back up. There is a wide grin upon his muzzle, and he folds his arms, snickering. "Well lookit that...havin' a bit o'trouble there, mate?" the 'weasel' comments...

Ironfist finally gets to his paws and glares at Asher. His paw has returned to the grip of his knife. "Fortunately for you I don't have time now to rip you limb from limb," growls the ferret loudly. "If you're still in Ruingate by the time I finish those blades, you'll fine one embedded in you!"

Bane looks down at his paws and then to Jaha, smirking. "Ah, I remember now. You found someone at the Broadstream for Lord Merdez, did you not?"

Bane awaits no answer at all, or if one, it will be tinged with sarcasm and despite.

"I didn't find anyone, idiot. I took care of some whiny fox that made the mistake of giving up his fangs." she hisses, "Just as you have. You're being ordered around by a fox, stuck to your duties by title. You hide behind them all, collared yourself. So, don't you dare thing you take status over any one else, you are a puppet. Nothing more. You might as well pull out your claws."

Asher continues to grin at Ironfist despite his words, "My my, ya got quite a temper there, doncha? I dun recall ever sayin' a word to ya, mate, so why the hostility, eh?" He tilts his head, his paw no longer going for his sword. "An' I dunno whether I'll still be in this place when ya get back, whenever that is. Too bad, huh? I woulda liked to see ya try to jab one a'those toothpicks in me...key word there...try." The 'weasel' narrows his eyes, knowing in his head it wouldn't be wise to get in a fight, especially being that he is a disguised otter, and if he were to lose it'd be pretty apparent that he would be discovered.

"Black tea.." Malachite states to the tender, as she turns her back to the bar to stand and watch the verbal slashing ahead of her. "Good morning, Slaughterthane Vasalis. Sharing words with the ruffians of the world, I see?" she asks, in a purr.

Jaha says, "So you can think you're the damn well most important thing in Ruingate, but you're not. You're just some silly cat that thinks he can use others for his playthings."

Bane grins. "I am merely doing my job and keeping the peace, which you are disturbing. This 'collar' I wear is by my choosing," his eyes slipping over to look at Malachite, nodding to her in greeting. "Good morn, to you as well, Princess. Merely doing my job is all," he says as his eyes return to Jaha.

Jaha allows a corner of her mouth to rise. "Another failed predator. You can ask that idiot fox what I do to them." she spins on her heel, with her ears pinned flat - and heads towards the door after Jessamyn, quite pointedly. "The fact you set a chain upon her tells me you're worthless in mentally holding someone. All you have is your size, which - let me be frank, is useless unless against idiots or shrews."

Malachite tosses a silver coin to the bartender, as she receives her tea and sips at it softly before trying to decide where to sit. "Good luck to you and your work, then. She seems a feisty one." Again, that little smirk touches at the corner of her lips.

Ironfist quickly draws the sword hidden in the cane out and has it close to the otter's throat. "Drop it, furball, or there won't be pieces of you large enough to identify as once being a weasel. I have better things to do than slay a fool."

Jaha pauses near the fighters, and looks between the two. She does not hurry them, she simply waits.

Asher lifts his paws and holds them up in the air as the sword is held to his throat, "Drop what? I ain't got nothin' in me paws t'drop..." he replies, annoyed. "Yer tryin' yer best t'fight me, arentcha, mate?" He frowns. If his tail wasn't tied against his back with his belt to hide it, he would have used it to give Ironfist a good thwack and make him drop his weapon. But alas, he can only stand there staring at the ferret. "Put that thing away afore ya poke yer eye out, those things are dangerous..." he replies in a snarky tone.

Bane folds his paws behind his back as the feline moves towards the exit. "Go in peace, will all that you own. And that would be your so-called 'freedom' and your words," he stops there, wanting to say more, but decides to let it slide.

"That's what freedom is, pasta-head." Jaha retorts.

The ferret rolls his eyes. He spits at the floor and spins around, stowing the sword away as he punches the door open. The bladesmith starts to limp out the door, swearing loudly.

Door unblocked, Jaha follows suite. The fur on the back of her neck is actually laid flat.

Jaha heads out into the street.
Jaha has left.

Malachite sips at her cider again, before moving toward Bane. "Might I join you?" she asks, still with that flicker of amusement. "Now that you're quite done handling the ruffian. Excellent job. She might have started screeching moreso than that.."

Jessamyn slips her way back out of the Kitchen, and then slinks her way, towards the front door, and then out into the street.

Jessamyn heads out into the street.
Jessamyn has left.

Asher simply laughs as Ironfist begins to limp out the door. "Have a nice day..." he replies..."...limpy. Try not to fall in the path of an oncoming horsecart..." Snickering, Asher searches out a table, moving in that direction...