The Elegant Stag
“Gods! The skies opened up like there’s no tomorrow!” A dwarf of a man stomped into the Elegant Stag Tavern, his beard shaking droplets of water from his face. Fire roaring in the background, he labored over towards it, yelling for a pint of beer from the barkeep as he did. As he walked, he paid no mind to the elf that leaned over the bar, even as mismatched eyes were watching him with mild interest.
“Margaret!” The man gave a smile to the wench that served him his drink. “Mighty fine of ya, lass! What’s the news, then?”
“Old Dan’s been trying to find someone to fill that job for you, Noor,” the woman snorted as she looked down at the man. “Think there are a few here to see you.”
As if on queue, the elf that had been eyeing the dwarf pushed off of the bar, a wide smile on his face as he made his way over to the seat the man had taken. “Hey! I mean, uh, hi,” a hand was extended towards the Dwarf, who only eyed it warily. “Uh. Nifft, at your service,” the elf let the hand drop. It moved to his side, then to the hem of his shirt to play with a string. Beady eyes scanned up and down his body; thin, small, half the size of normal elves.
“Just you?” The dwarf waved a hand, dismissing him. “Don’t need some kid running off to be a hero. Scat, now, I’m looking for someone with promise.”
“Wha– I have promise!” Blue and gray eye narrowed slightly, a huff coming from the young man. “I’ve been on plenty of jobs, and all of them were succ–”
“I’ll take it,” a voice from a nearby table cut through Nifft’s speech, the elf snapping to attention as another, larger elf stood from the table.
Black hair was shaved on the sides, swept back and long. Tattoos littered so much of the man’s pale skin, it was hard to tell just how pale he was against the black lines. Dark eyes pierced through Nifft, breath catching as they glared at him. “Jango,” the man introduced himself to the dwarf, who clapped him in a handshake when the hand was extended.
“See kid, this is someone with promise. You can go,” the man shooed Nifft away, who bristled, hands clenched into fists. Crossing those arms over his chest, Nifft stayed exactly where he was.
Noor shook his head, turning to Jango and fully ignoring Nifft now. The pair discussed the job; a group of bandits had taken over a nearby mine, one that Noor needed up and running as soon as possible. They were driving away his men, and in turn, ruining any and all business the dwarf had stake in. It was a simple request, really, and a job that should only require one person as long as they were seasoned. The bandits were rowdy, but they were just bandits. Simple. Dumb. Easy to kill.
A price was agreed upon, and Jango stood from the table he and Noor shared. “I’ll be back before nightfall,” it was a promise. With sweeping movements, the elf shouldered a rather large shield unto his back, and headed to the door and out into the pouring rain. Nifft, still lingering to listen to the job, turned and raced after him.
“Hey!”
“This job’s mine.”
“Yeah, yeah, that’s fine! Let me come with you, though,” breathing out, Nifft pulled his hood over his head to protect against the downpour that covered them instantly. Lucky for them, it was just a bit of rain and dark clouds. No lightning to be seen, no thunder to be heard. “I need to prove to that guy that I can handle this!”
Just shaking his head, Jango began to walk, heeding the directions given to him by the dwarf. Not about to fight with the other elf, if he wanted to tag along, Jango wasn’t going to stop him. If he got in the way, though, that would be a whole other story in the end.
“Margaret!” The man gave a smile to the wench that served him his drink. “Mighty fine of ya, lass! What’s the news, then?”
“Old Dan’s been trying to find someone to fill that job for you, Noor,” the woman snorted as she looked down at the man. “Think there are a few here to see you.”
As if on queue, the elf that had been eyeing the dwarf pushed off of the bar, a wide smile on his face as he made his way over to the seat the man had taken. “Hey! I mean, uh, hi,” a hand was extended towards the Dwarf, who only eyed it warily. “Uh. Nifft, at your service,” the elf let the hand drop. It moved to his side, then to the hem of his shirt to play with a string. Beady eyes scanned up and down his body; thin, small, half the size of normal elves.
“Just you?” The dwarf waved a hand, dismissing him. “Don’t need some kid running off to be a hero. Scat, now, I’m looking for someone with promise.”
“Wha– I have promise!” Blue and gray eye narrowed slightly, a huff coming from the young man. “I’ve been on plenty of jobs, and all of them were succ–”
“I’ll take it,” a voice from a nearby table cut through Nifft’s speech, the elf snapping to attention as another, larger elf stood from the table.
Black hair was shaved on the sides, swept back and long. Tattoos littered so much of the man’s pale skin, it was hard to tell just how pale he was against the black lines. Dark eyes pierced through Nifft, breath catching as they glared at him. “Jango,” the man introduced himself to the dwarf, who clapped him in a handshake when the hand was extended.
“See kid, this is someone with promise. You can go,” the man shooed Nifft away, who bristled, hands clenched into fists. Crossing those arms over his chest, Nifft stayed exactly where he was.
Noor shook his head, turning to Jango and fully ignoring Nifft now. The pair discussed the job; a group of bandits had taken over a nearby mine, one that Noor needed up and running as soon as possible. They were driving away his men, and in turn, ruining any and all business the dwarf had stake in. It was a simple request, really, and a job that should only require one person as long as they were seasoned. The bandits were rowdy, but they were just bandits. Simple. Dumb. Easy to kill.
A price was agreed upon, and Jango stood from the table he and Noor shared. “I’ll be back before nightfall,” it was a promise. With sweeping movements, the elf shouldered a rather large shield unto his back, and headed to the door and out into the pouring rain. Nifft, still lingering to listen to the job, turned and raced after him.
“Hey!”
“This job’s mine.”
“Yeah, yeah, that’s fine! Let me come with you, though,” breathing out, Nifft pulled his hood over his head to protect against the downpour that covered them instantly. Lucky for them, it was just a bit of rain and dark clouds. No lightning to be seen, no thunder to be heard. “I need to prove to that guy that I can handle this!”
Just shaking his head, Jango began to walk, heeding the directions given to him by the dwarf. Not about to fight with the other elf, if he wanted to tag along, Jango wasn’t going to stop him. If he got in the way, though, that would be a whole other story in the end.