”I knew this was a bad idea,” Sorren muttered, peering cautiously around the stack of ancient barrels the pair had chosen to hide behind. He never should have bargained with a pirate, but he hadn’t really seen any other option at the time, and now here he was assisting in the robbery of a weasel of all things. The pirate, Mira, was mute, and in exchange for his freedom, she wanted a way to speak. While he couldn’t give her voice back, he could give the power of speech to something else, so she agreed. The furry white creature in question was currently stuffed into a little cloth sack and was squirming and hissing in disapproval. The elf crouched to the ground and set the bag down, opening it ever so slightly to peer at the beady eyed rodent. Clearly it wasn’t pleased with the fact that it had been snatched from its cozy home among royalty to accompany a mute pirate.

---

This was probably both the absolute best and the absolute worst idea she had ever gone through with. By far. And that was saying something, all things considered.

Mira could only smile at Sorren in return, too excited to bother signing a proper response for the elf. Her hands were shaking much too hard anyways. Wiggling her fingers, Mira tucked some loose strands of hair behind her ears and reached a hand into the sack containing her prize. She had to feel around for a moment before finally grabbing the little demon of an animal. Thankfully it was mostly bark and no bite (she’d given it a quick flick in the face when it tried to snap its little teeth at her) and suddenly went quiet as it practically shrunk with fear when she pulled it up by the scruff. ”Alright, deal’s a deal and you promised” she reminded him with her free hand. “Now do your thing so we can get it talking. And hurry.” A full grown woman and yet the notion of possibly having a ‘voice’ again made her feel all bubbly.

---

Sorren grumbled darkly when she prompted him to hurry, casting another nervous glance down the alley before taking the little creature from her and setting him on the dirty cobblestones in front of him, keeping a firm but gentle hold of it as it tried to wiggle away from him. The sooner he got this over with, the sooner he could get back on track and away from this mess. The mage furrowed his brow in concentration, his hand starting to glow, causing the weasel to squeak in surprise and protest, which suddenly turned into a stream of curse words rather than animalistic noises. He was rather surprised at the little rodent’s foul mouth, but then again, he should have expected nothing less. He had used the spell before, but usually it was on horses or dogs, and he always revoked it soon after. It wasn’t permanent anyway, but he wasn’t going to tell her that. It lasted a week or two at most. “There, that should do it,” he said, picking up the weasel by the scruff and handing it back to her, “Now we should probably get out of here before the guards find us, because there is no way I’m sitting in a cell again for the next week,” he stated, peeking back out at the street as he stood up once more.

---

Without further ado Mira decided to try out her new companion. Using one arm to hold it up against the space connecting in between her chest and shoulder (as one might a small dog) she turned her back to Sorren so he couldn't see her hands and rapidly spelled something out with her fingers. “For what?” it asked her with a twitch of its muzzle and Mira just might have laughed if she didn’t believe the noise to sound so repulsive. She shook her head and signed a few more things while the weasel watched her movements with surprising attentiveness. Mira stopped and turned back around, watching the weasel expectantly as it looked to the mage. “She says ‘thank you.’” The smile on her face could have cured anything. “And you’re the ugliest thing she’d ever set eyes upon.” Mira’s face turned from bright to stunned in a second before shifting to a scowl. She threatened to flick the weasel once more before he amended himself. “No she didn’t.” Satisfied, Mira relaxed a bit and started signing once more before pausing. There was a distant but distinct sound of approaching knights, their metal armor clanking noisily as they began heading in this direction. Mira lurched forward to grab Sorren by the arm and yanked him behind as she darted in the other direction.

---

Sorren watched quietly as she turned rapidly signed to the weasel, before turning back around, her face being as it translated what she had said. The elf couldn’t help but crack a smile at her excitement and apparent glee when it spoke, even though the whole situation was pretty stressful. “You’re welcome,” he said with a nod, then raised a disapproving eyebrow at the weasel when it added another snide comment, chuckling with a shake of his head at the brief exchange that occurred between the two before it corrected itself. At the sound of metal against stone, he turned his head to locate the source of the noise. ”Is that-?” but he didn’t get to finish his sentence because Mira grabbed his arm and dragged him swiftly along behind her, a few elvish curses escaping him as he stumbled to pick up speed to keep up with her. In all his hundred years of living, he had never been on the wrong side of the law, so this whole experience was entirely new to him, and he wasn’t really enjoying it. If it was up to him, he would have given her a stray cat or something that wouldn’t get them arrested, but no such luck. He dearly hoped that they wouldn’t get caught, and if they did, maybe he would be able to talk his way out of it again.

"Split up! You lot, go around to the back of the alley and cut off their escape. The rest of you, with me!"
Sparhawk had been knighted some twenty years before, and was a blind knight, though he had not always been. While on patrol, his men acted as his eyes in his stead, and he'd managed to get along quite well since. He'd gotten a report about a lost family pet--hardly dignified work for a knight, but at least it gave him the chance to bring in a thief before he set out that evening. His Lord had told him about a magic artifact, the Dragon's Crown, which held the power to restore his sight. After doing some research on the subject, he'd asked his Lord leave to quest for this crown. He'd planned to leave this very night. It was not yet sundown--his eyes could tell him that, at least--so dealing with this small theft would be of no hinderance in his timetable.
"The men are in position, sir--the thieves are surrounded." He heard one of his men inform him. He frowned.
"Thieves? How many?"
"Two, sir. An old elf man and a pirate woman. With a weasel."
"No doubt that's the missing pet." Sparhawk replied.
A pirate woman? Hadn't his old friend, Mira, become a pirate? Funny how life threw nostalgic moments in one's path. That had been back before he'd lost his sight.
"You're surrounded! Give yourselves up, you're under arrest for the theft of a weasel!" Honestly, that was the lamest-sounding reason for getting arrested. Who the hell would steal a weasel? Sparhawk shook his head with a snort, and he couldn't blame the low chuckles some of his men made.

Bloody hell.

Mira didn't have an escape plan at the moment. And considering both she and Sorren were literally trapped, she knew there was no point in trying to think up one anyways. Not to mention she was unarmed. But she wasn't about to surrender the weasel so easily, not now that she'd finally gotten what she wanted. The woman huffed and peaked out from behind the wall of the ally she'd ducked in to with Sorren in tow. A poor choice but since both ends of the street were filled with shinning knights hunting them in the name of the king, there weren't any options left. Now all she could do was try to buy time but that wouldn't get them anywhere. Mira's searching eyes stopped and settled on one particular man who stood out from the rest -the one who'd been yelling at her to surrender. She squinted, hard. It took a few seconds but suddenly she remembered where she'd seen that face. Sparhawk! He was older (obviously) -he let his hair grow out, and his boyish features were replaced with a more mature firmness. But it was definitely him. Her eyes widened and she made a noise akin to gasping. Mira ducked back behind the safety of the wall. She quickly started signing to the white rodent, who squeaked in protest. "Too fast!" it complained to her. Mira huffed in irritation and tried again, slowly, this time her message considerably shorter. "Sparky." Mira repeated the gesture with an added word. "Sparky!" it chirped in louder volume. She nodded her head and tried once more, this time sticking her head out to face the man whose attention she was trying to draw. "Oye Sparky!" At this point the weasel was screaming as hard as its little lungs would allow it to.

Sorren ran after Mira, not bothering to yank his arm from her grasp considering she was probably more accustomed to this sort of than he was. It didn't take him long to realize that they had been surrounded, and he let out an audible groan when they came to a halt and the pirate relinquished her hold on him. Sure, his magic was nothing to laugh at, but he wasn't in the business of fighting these men. That would just get him in even more trouble. They were just doing their jobs, after all. He peered out above Mira's head at the street, his expression becoming deadpan when he saw the number of guards. Really? All this? For a weasel??? You'd think that they had kidnapped the princess or something outrageous. Considering the tone of the knight, who seemed to be in charge of this expedition, used in his call for surrender, he could tell the man was probably thinking the same thing. The elf was pretty sure he heard the other soldiers snickering under their helmets. She just had to pick that specific weasel.

He stepped back when Mira gasped, raising an eyebrow and asking, "What is it?" She kept spelling out 'Sparky' for the weasel, who had a bit of trouble at first, but soon was shrilly squeaking the name out at the group blocking their path. He looked from Mira, to the weasel, to the guards, and back in confusion for a moment before simply shaking his head. He didn't know who or what Sparky was, but she seemed to think that it would somehow magically get them out of this. He figured asking questions was pointless since he was most likely about to find out what all this hullabaloo was about. He was seriously debating on just using a cloaking spell and hightailing it out of here, but he wasn't sure if he would be able to slip past the guards before it wore off. Invisibility had never been one of his stronger subjects. He made a mental note to change that when he got out of this mess.

The use of that particular nickname was more than enough to make Sparhawk's eyebrows shoot up, but the voice...?
"Um, sir? Was the weasel just calling for you?"
So now this weasel was a talking weasel. Well, this was just getting better and better. There was only one person who ever called him 'Sparky'. He crossed his arms.
"Mira. I should have known it would be you. I can't imagine a single self-respecting pirate desperate enough to steal a weasel--talking or no. Times must be pretty bad for the sea-faring thieves if they're resorting to these lows."
Several of his men openly laughed.
Anyone who knew Sparhawk well also knew that his dry, sometimes insulting humor was typically his version of friendly banter. People who didn't know him well usually assumed that he was actually being insulting.
"So tell me, because now I'm curious. Why is a talking weasel worth the risk of getting arrested for? And someone bind their hands up."
"Sir, the old man only has one arm..."
Wow, she couldn't even find decent accomplices. It never ceased to make Sparhawk wonder why the woman decided to become a pirate.
"So then find a way to pin it behind his back--use your brain, man, or don't you have one? Also, collect the weasel."
The soldier made an embarrassed cough. "Yessir."

Well, he had recognized her but his next actions caught her off guard. Mira's face fell with utter disappointment. That was most certainly not what she had expected. The teasing yes but the part where he was still proceeding with the arrest warrant? Nope, that came as an unpleasant surprise. Mira was hoping to receive at least a little sympathy from Sparhawk but it seemed he was firmly set on his completing job regardless of the circumstances. Her priority changed to protecting the weasel and she promptly signed it a quick order to stay still before stuffing the animal down the front of her shirt. Once it had settled down, Mira turned to Sorren and gave him a shrug before putting both hands up ans stepping out into the open. "Thanks a lot, jerk" she motioned to no one in particular. Mira doubted any of these men would know what she was saying anyways. The woman made no protest as her arms were bound together behind her back ans she was shoved roughly towards her former friend. Couldn't he have the decency to at least look her in the eye while he barked out orders for her incarceration? Most would think nothing of this whole situation but she knew just how severe the various punishments for theft are...

Sorren snorted indignantly at the guard's comment, but made no effort to correct him. For his information, elves can live for thousands of years, so technically he wasn't even that old. But now was really the time to educate the guards on elven culture. So, the knight knew Mira, which was either very good or very bad. He exchanged a quick look with her after she stuffed the weasel down her shirt before holding up his one left hand in surrender with a rather peeved look on his face. As the pirate seemed rather offended at being arrested anyway due to the general statement she had just signed, he assumed that they had been friends at one point, or at least acquaintances. That was definitely better than old enemies. Hopefully these men were reasonable and would at least let him explain what the meaning was for all of this.

The tall elf looked down at the guard who shuffled up to him with a rope disapprovingly. The confused fellow seemed at a complete loss as to how to secure the mage and ended up just tying the rope to his wrist. It was a good thing Sorren didn't plan on resisting, otherwise that wouldn't be very effective. "Sir, I'm sure if you let me explain, I can clear this whole thing up so we can all go home," he said to the knight. He wasn't going to say that this was a misunderstanding, because, well, it really wasn't. Sure, he hadn't stolen the weasel himself, but he had certainly helped. Being honorable was difficult when you had to uphold your honor by doing dishonorable things.

Ah, so the Elf made his presence known. He could feel a pause as his soldiers waited to hear what Sparhawk's verdict would be, and be prepared should he call for action. It was strange, his sence of ominous 'feeling'. He hadn't developed it until after he lost his sight, but it was like he noticed things that he might not otherwise would have given much thought to. Auras, he supposed they could be called. They didn't help him see anything, of course, but it surely helped him make sense of some situations.
"Let him speak." Sparhawk said.
"Sir, the woman, she...err, stuffed the weasel in her shirt."
Naturally.
"So then get it out of her shirt. You're making all kinds of bad decisions today, aren't you, Mira?"
"Err, yessir." The soldier coughed uncomfortably again, and promptly ordered one of the other men to do it. Probably to avoid fishing down her shirt himself for the animal.

Of course she had this coming. Stupid thing was crawling all over her by now and she was struggling not to squirm from the ticklish feeling. Mira rolled her eyes, then quickly snapped back to stare down Sparhawk. Look at me, dammit. The woman practically snorted as she stomped her boot in irritation. She hated nothing more than being deemed unworthy of so much as a glance. So much as a single motion of acknowledgement. Some had the decency to at least look at their quarry when announcing the consequences while others appeared they couldn't be bothered anyone labeled a criminal. But this? The man was deliberately ignoring her and it was pissing her off. Mira tried backing up when another knight stepped forward to remove the weasel from her garment but was manhandled to stand still in place by someone else from behind. She made a noise of protest (a failed attempt at say "no", it was an odd thing that sounded like a cross between a cough and a hoarse grunt) then went so far as to attempt biting at the hand reach towards her. The person from behind kneed the backs of her legs to force her to kneel before pulling her head back by her hair. Still, Mira tried twisting away although now it was pointless as the weasel was dug out from her shirt.

Sorren decided that there was something off about the glassy look in the knight's eyes, considering he hadn't looked straight at either him or Mira once, and there wasn't a lot of eye movement even then. Upon closer inspection, when the soldier tugged him forward toward the middle aged man, he realized that he was blind. This made sense, since he had noticed the other guards informing him of details that one could have seen with the gift of sight. As upset as the he was with his current predicament, he couldn't help but have a certain degree of respect for the fellow, continuing to hold his position and do his job despite a rather debilitating handicap. He was also relieved that the knight was willing to hear him out, which gave him a shot at getting out of this.

"Thank you," he said, casting a glance back toward Mira when she grunted in protest as they retrieved the cursing weasel from inside her shirt. She may have gotten him into this mess in the first place, but he didn't appreciate seeing her treated so roughly. It was a weasel, not the crown jewels. "Since you seem to be acquainted with Mira, I'm sure you're well aware that she is mute," he began, "She saved my life, so in exchange, I offered to help her get her voice back, per say. Although, I thought she would have snagged something off a fellow pirate or picked up a stray cat. Anyway, I enchanted the weasel to interpret and relay her signs, so that's why it's yelling profanity," he explained with a shake of his head, "Therefore, I don't think there's a reason to arrest us, since I can remove the spell and the weasel can be returned, and we can obtain a little companion for her through better channels," he shot a brief glance back at Mira before facing the knight again, "We didn't intend to cause such an uproar… over a rodent," he finished, arching an eyebrow and shooting the guard holding the rope a dirty glare when he rolled his eyes at the elf.

"What? Mute!?" Sparhawk blinked in surprise. What had happened? Had she run into some trouble with the law before, or another pirate?
"...No, that is news to me. We parted ways before that happened." He told the elf.
"So to have you fulfill your obligation, she goes and steals a weasel and gets you into trouble as well. Poor show of thanks, Mira."
He considered the elf's debate for freedom.
"...Very well. If you--"
He was interrupted by the sound of another soldier's running footsteps approaching, and he turned his ear to listen.
"Sir! We've just recieved word from the noble house whose weasel was stolen from. They've decided to drop the charge, saying that the whole situation is too ridiculous to fuss over."
"Well on that, I think we all agree." Sparhawk replied.
There were a few derisive snorts of agreement.
"Well, it looks like you get to keep your weasel, Mira. Untie them and return the animal."
But an idea struck him then.
A blind man, a one-armed man, and a mute.
He stroked his chin in thought.
"How would you two like a chance to get your arm and your voice back? And your real voice, not the voice of a weasel."

Mira was starting to get her suspicions on Sparhawk's behavior but hadn't quite caught on yet like Sorren did. She grinned widely once the new announcement was made. Seemed all their hard work was for nothing. Puppets, the pirate thought smugly. Once she was free the woman decided to repay the gesture by shoving the man who'd been restraining her, then happily accepted the weasel back. Surprisingly it settled down in her grip and stopped cursing everyone out. She signed it a quick few words, then had it direct that to Sparhawk. "I missed you like a cur misses its fleas." Mira was still upset with him; for the part where he had ignored her and for the part where he was only releasing them because he was no longer being ordered to capture the pair. Although, she couldn't really hold that against him. He was just doing his job. "What's the catch?" That had most certainly caught her attention but she was still wary.

Sorren was quite pleased that the knight seemed willing to let them go, and was even more so when he ordered for them to be released. If he had learned one thing from this crazy experience, from being kidnapped until now, it was that he was a lot better at talking himself out of these situations than he would have originally thought. Either that, or he had just gotten lucky with reasonable people to negotiate with. Really, what were the odds that the pirate was mute and the knight was blind? Pretty slim. Yep, he had definitely gotten lucky. Still, he certainly wasn't going to complain. "Thank you, you are most kind," he said to the knight, preparing to say his goodbyes to Mira and her weasel when the knight continued. The elf's first reaction was to scoff and furrow his brow. He was fairly sure that wasn't even possible, otherwise he would have found a way. He was trying to think of spells or artifacts that possessed the power to grant such things, but nothing came to mind at that given moment. "And how would we do that, sir?" he asked, now rather intrigued. By now, he had learned to go without his right arm just fine, and he didn't really notice it too much anymore, but it would be nice to have it back. He had learned a few conjurations spells that could sustain a phantom limb, but it was very draining and never lasted very long. He only used such a thing in the most dire emergencies.

"The Dragon's Crown. My Lord is a bit of a researcher on ancient legends, and he came across a text describing a crown created for the Dragon, and is said to have unbelievable power. I have reason to believe it exists, and I am leaving tonight on a journey to find it."
His expression turned wry. "The catch, Mira, is that, well, it's owned by the Dragon. And he probably won't want to part with it so easily. And that is if we can even find him, and if we manage to convince him, we don't know how it works. But I know of someone who could tell us."

A magical crown and a dragon. Huh... Now that was something she hadn't heard of. Or tried. Ever. Mira made a face as she mused over the idea in silence. When she and Sparhawk used to hang out together, he had always been the more clever and logical of the two while she was the sly and creative one. So she trusted when he claimed he had reason to believe that the crown actually existed, as implausible as that was. No doubt he'd have done his research and checked his sources thoroughly. Of course, using a reference that old was foolish (Sparhawk had inevitably changed over the years, everybody does) but Mira wanted to believe him. Now with that aside: did she still want to go along with this? Hell yeah. Mira bobbed her head in acceptance. She was in, whether or not Sorren would be joining them. The weasel's whiskers twitched and it suddenly squealed in despair. "What? Are you mad? A dragon?!?! I don't want to turn into a roast you dull oaf! Release me this instant!" He did have a point but Mira was already set on going with no intention of chickening out. She made face and came back with how he really didn't have a say in the matter, but the rodent was not having it. He tried clawing his way out of her hand and even resorted to biting but Mira simply held him by the scruff. She signed again. "I am not a fluffy snake! You take that back!"

Sorren hesitated as he considered this rather strange proposition for a moment. The Dragon's Crown? Yes, he had heard of it, but he had never given it too much thought because it was supposed to be a legend. He wasn't even aware that it possessed the power to restore a limb or a voice, or eyesight, as that's most likely what the knight wanted it for. What made him think he could find it, the elf had no clue, but now his interest had been piqued. He suppressed a chuckle and tried his best to maintain a straight face as the weasel cried out indignantly in protest and struggled in vain to get away from Mira, who seemed all for this outlandish idea. He wasn't exactly sure why she had nodded, since the knight obviously couldn't detect that agreement, but he was sure the weasel's opposition was proof enough of Mira's agreement. "Who is this person? What makes you so sure the information they possess is real and they won't send us on a wild goose chase?" Sorren asked when the knight mentioned someone who might possess information concerning this "Dragon's Crown". He still wasn't sure how he felt about traveling with these two in the first place; both had apprehended him at one point after all, but they did end up letting him go. Still, he wasn't sure whether or not he could trust them quite yet.

"It's not a person, it's a group that call themselves the Grimoire. Perhaps you've read about them. Supposedly they're the deep thinkers about all things magical. They aren't the ones that are going to tell us where the Crown is, though. I already know where it is. Or at least, where it should be, if it even exists, which I believe it does. The Grimoire are going to tell us how to use it. Assuming we make it out alive, and assuming we can find them, that is." Sparhawk replied to the man's question.
"Granted, that's quite a bit of assuming, but I'm going whether or not you come with me, so it's up to you if you want to risk it. I guess it just depends how much an arm is worth to you, or a tongue, in Mira's case."

The Grimoire? Yes, Sorren had heard tell of them, read about them. He had never actually seen them, as they were very elusive, but they were the supposed creators of the Crown. He wasn't really sure how he felt about all the assuming that was going on, but even the possibility of having his arm back seemed appealing. That, and this was a legendary and magical artifact that would be fascinating to study anyhow. His curiosity and interest had been piqued, and after exchanging a quick look with Mira, he sighed with a slight shake of his head. "Very well," he said, "Where are we headed and when do we leave?" he asked.

"We're headed for the Gold Peak, in Southern Daier." Daier was a small country, but it was half a world away, and the three of them would have to cross many other lands to get there. It would become quite the expedition.
"As for when, I'm not sticking around. I plan to leave tonight. There's a small village not far from the city we can spend the night in if necessary. I find I have trouble sleeping these days." Which was understandable, considering his vision problem. Though he could still tell night from day, not being able to see it still messed with his mind a bit.

Mira listened to the other two males converse, Sorren asking and Sparhawk answering questions regarding their quest for the legendary Dragon's Crown. Most of this information was new to her, such as the places they would be heading to or through. But the Grimoire were familiar, she'd heard of them once or twice during her journeys over the seas and once bumped into a crew on the hunt for them. In all honesty Mira didn't think she and the others would be very successful but she was in it for the adventure. Mira perked up at that last bit of Sparhawk's sentences. Tonight? Oh. Well that certainly left little room for preparation; she'd have to be quick. Not that she had a lot to bring with her anyways, but this was going to be a very long journey and she needed to pack appropriately. Currency was something she'd be able to attain easily enough along the way, whether or not the knight and the elf would approve of her methods. Mira signed to the little weasel who in turn, interpreted her message aloud. "When and where do we meet up?" Oh right, she'd also probably need a cage or leash for the furry white thing too. Wouldn't want it getting away now would she. Mira signed again, this time asking if the weasel had a name. It wiggled its whiskers. "Fluffy McMuffins." What? Oh right, it had been a child's plaything before she and Sorren snatched it up. Mira made a face in an attempt to compose herself but quickly lost that battle and started giggling. Screw this. She decided to rename it something less pathetic and notified the weasel of her decision. Ludwig. It sounded fairly decent, had a sort of nice ring to it. Plus the meaning behind the title was awesome in her opinion.