• Solo • Freedom for Eri

33rd of Ymiden 717

The capital city of the of Rynmere, here is seated the only King in Idalos.
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Lei'lira
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Freedom for Eri

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33rd Ymiden, 717


Lei'lira hated coming into the city. Being very much a country girl at heart, she hated the noise and confusion of Andaris. She also hated the need to constantly be on the lookout for pickpoctets. It was true that back home in Warrick, bandits were a threat. There was no getting around that. But they were more of a threat to travelers in her experience. Hearing about them robbing someone on the road was a common occurrence. But it was far less common to hear of them attacking someone in their own farm. And the farmers' markets were well guarded, so it was less likely for someone to be robbed there than it was in the city.

To make matters worse, Andaris was Drayas's territory. Even though she knew that he was dead, she half expected him to jump out of the crowd and attack her. Because of that, she didn't feel safe. Perhaps most importantly, she resented having to leave her farm for any length of time. There was always so much to do there that whenever she had to leave for any reason, she felt as though she was neglecting her duties. It made her feel guilty in some ways, and she felt as though the time spent away from her farm could be better spent doing something with her horses. But if this trip resulted in her being able to free Eri, then it would be well worth it. There was very little she wouldn't do if it meant that she could free the young girl that she had come to see as a daughter.

As Lei'lira moved through the crowd, she paused to check the bounty board. It was a long shot, but there was always a chance that she might find news of Eri's older sister posted on the board. If the woman had been enslaved, and managed to escape, it was possible that a bounty would be posted for her return. There was a darker possibility as well. If Eri's sister had been killed, her body might have been found. And if there were any innocent witnesses, the might have reported the death to the Iron Hand. So it was just possible that news of it had been posted on the bounty board. There were several bounties listed, but Lei'lira didn't see anything that might hint at the whereabouts or fate of Eri's older sister. Despite not really expecting to find any news, Lei'lira was still disappointed as she and Eri continued on their way.
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Lei'lira
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Lei'lira wasn't certain who she was supposed to ask about freeing Eri, so she approached someone who was wearing the leathers of an Iron Hand steward. The woman had a brisk, confidant air about her. Lei'lira hoped that the woman would either be able to answer her questions, or point her in the direction of someone who could.

"May I help you?" the steward asked curiously when Lei'lira drew close enough.

"I want to free a slave." Lei'lira began, indicating Eri, who flinched slightly at being called a slave.

"But I've never owned one before, so I don't know how to go about doing it." Lei'lira added a few trills later.

The steward glanced at Eri before turning back to Lei'lira.

"Do you have her papers with you?"

Lei'lira nodded.

"It's simple enough. You'll need to go to the courthouse, and show her papers as proof that you own the girl. Then you have to declare your intentions, and have one of the officials sign the papers. When you're done with that, you'll need to take her to the area where slaves are auctioned, and tell then that she needs the brand of a freed slave."

Lei'lira thanked the steward, and asked for directions to the courthouse. The steward offered to take her there herself, and Lei'lira gratefully accepted her offer. As they walked, Lei'lira paid close attention to where they were going in case she ever needed to go to the courthouse again. When they arrived, Lei'lira thanked the steward once more, and they parted ways.

The courthouse was a very intimidating building. It was huge compared to Lei'lira's modest cottage, and the sheer size alone was enough to make her feel very small and insignificant. Lei'lira thought that the visual effect must have been planned. After all, this was the place where criminals were brought to face their trials. If they were made to feel uncomfortable and nervous simply by the appearance of the building itself, so much the better.

Once inside the courthouse, a young man approached Lei'lira and Eri and asked them what their business at the courthouse was. When Lei'lira explained that she was there to free Eri, he took their names and directed them to a waiting area and told them that they would be called when it was there turn. Several other people were there waiting as well. Neither Lei'lira and Eri felt like talking much, so they waited in companionable silence for several breaks.

It felt as though they had been waiting forever when Lei'lira's name was finally called. The official was an older woman with a stern look and a brisk, but professional matter as she demanded to see Eri's papers. She glanced at Eri briefly, then checked the paperwork as if she were making sure that Eri was in fact the slave mentioned in the paperwork. Then she asked Lei'lira several questions; why was she freeing the slave? Was she sure that she wanted to? Had the slave committed any crimes that Lei'lira was aware of? And if so, had the proper punishments been given?

Lei'lira answered each of the questions to the best of her ability. When the official was satisfied, she signed Eri's papers, and stamped them.

"Everything looks to be in order, Lady Warrick. She will have to be given the mark of a freed slave, but once that is done, she will be free."

The official turned to Eri.

"Eri, is it?"

"Y-yes?" Eri stammered uncertainly.

"You will need to keep those papers with you from now on. Keep them safe so that you can produce them if you are ever asked to do so. They are proof that you have truly been freed."

"I understand." Eri said softly.

Lei'lira said nothing. She thought that the brand itself should be proof that Eri was free. But after thinking about it for a bit, she realized that while unlikely, it wasn't impossible that if a slave was desperate enough, they might be able to find a way to brand themselves with a mark that would make it look as though they had been freed.

"Sign here."

Lei'lira jumped a little as she was jolted out of her thoughts, but she was quick to obey the brisk command. Then it was done. On paper, Eri was free. All that remained was to see that she was given the mark of a freed slave. Lei'lira thanked the official quietly, and ushered Eri out of the courthouse.
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Lei'lira had only been to the slave auctions once, and she was unfamiliar with the city as a whole since she rarely set foot in Andaris. So although she remembered that the slave auctions were in Lowtown, she had no idea where they might be in Lowtown. Rather than wander about the most dangerous part of the city aimlessly in the hopes of not being robbed while they looked for the place they needed to get to, Lei'lira turned to one of the guards who were standing outside the courthouse.

"Do you know where the slave auctions are?" she asked hopefully.

"I do. But please forgive me for saying that it isn't safe for someone like yourself. If you like, I can take you there?"

Lei'lira hesitated for a few trills. Her first thought was that "someone like yourself" meant a woman. Which was just silly since the guard herself was a woman. And while Lei'lira knew she didn't know how to fight, she could think of one woman warrior who could probably take down an entire army by herself; her cousin Vivian. Had the woman realized that she was a noble? It didn't seem likely. Lei'lira wasn't dressed like a noble would be, and she rarely ever set foot in the city. While some nobles might be recognized on sight, Lei'lira wasn't one of them. Nor did she want to be. Finally she realized that it wasn't any of those things. Lei'lira was a stranger to this city...and it must be painfully obvious to anyone who saw her that she was. Pickpockets, thieves, and worse would see her, and think "easy pickings"...and with her lack of a weapon, and no fighting skills to speak of, they would be right. And Lowtown was where such people thrived. Even she knew that much. Lei'lira knew that she was no match for them so there was really only one answer to the woman's question.

"I would appreciate that, thank you." Lei'lira said sincerely.

The walk to Lowtown was a brisk one, but the guard did comment on a few things, including suggesting that Lei'lira try a restaurant called Elyari's Hope. She pointed out the establishment as they passed it, telling Lei'lira that the food was both great, and reasonably priced. She also mentioned that the owner was also the head chef there, and that she was known for taking on apprentices. It was a good way for someone who wanted to become a chef to learn from one of the best, and start to gain a reputation for themselves. Lei'lira liked the idea of a master chef taking young apprentices under her wing, and said as much. She also said that she would need to check the place out before she and Eri left.

Once they passed into Lowtown, their progress slowed as the crowd became more rowdy. The guard cautioned Lei'lira and Eri to stay close, and walked with one hand on her sword. Lei'lira and Eri obeyed without complaint, or comment. Neither of them wanted to draw attention to themselves if they could avoid it. When they reached the slave auctions, Lei'lira asked if the guard would be willing to stay until their business there was done. If they looked like easy pickings now, how much worse would it be when one of them was injured after being branded?

She agreed to wait with them if it didn't take too long. Fortunately, it didn't. One of the overseers came to see what they wanted after a few breaks. He leered at them, making Lei'lira very nervous, but when the guard pointedly rested her hand on her sword, and raised an eyebrow at him, he subsided. He told them that the business of a slave owner was more pressing than the need to process slaves that had not been sold yet since they weren't holding an another auction that trial.

Eri was led into the shed, and forced to her knees roughly. Lei'lira wanted to go to Eri's aid, but she that she could not. This was necessary if Eri was to be free again. The brand they selected was much smaller than the one they had branded her with the first time. It was in the shape of a small sword. Lei'lira paid close attention to even the smallest detail in the hopes of distracting herself from what was happening so she wouldn't give in to the urge to prevent the pain she knew was coming. Eri, for her part, knelt in stoic silence. That changed the trill the brand touched the flesh over her right cheek bone. She screamed in agony at the burning sensation, and tried to jerk away. But her head was held tightly in a vise like grip, keeping her still.

It was over quickly. When the men released her, Eri collapsed bonelessly as she sobbed raggedly. Lei'lira ran to her side, and tried to comfort the girl she thought of as a younger sister. The guard ushered them both out of the shed so they wouldn't be in the way, then stood over the pair protectively. When Eri's sobs quieted into soft whimpers, Lei'lira helped the younger girl to her feet. The overseer handed Lei'lira Eri's slave papers since Eri herself was in no shape to take them. Then, with the guard's help, they left the place where slave auctions were held for what they hoped would be the last time.
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Freedom for Eri

Overview

Even freedom hurts :c I enjoyed this thread and you, please, enjoy your points.
@Saoirse

Points

XP: 10/10
Fame: +3 for abraham licolning it up

Loot/Injuries/Overstepping

+1 slave papers indicating Eri's new position as a free woman
Eri's new brand will take one arc to heal

Knowledge

Skill Knowledge
Caretaking: Comforting an injured friend
Detection: Keeping a sharp eye on the crowd for pickpockets and thieves
Discipline: Knowing when not to go to the aid of a friend
Endurance: Enduring the crush of a crowd when crowds make you nervous
Investigation: Using every advantage you have while searching for clues for a missing person (like checking the bounty board)
Investigation: When you don't know something, ask someone who looks like they might know; you might just get the answer you need

Non Skill Knowledge
Eri: is free now
How to free a slave
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