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Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken


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The old man never stops shaking even as Vezina sits down as well. Despite his appearance of being ready for his deathbed, they can see a hidden strength of will in his eyes. He takes another drink through the tremors that seem to wrack his body spilling even more of his drink and says. "I-I-I'm sorry but I don't know any of t-t-those n-n-names you mentioned, milady."
 
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With a sigh Anabelle reached into her pocket and produced the small key Jourdain had given her, and placed it carefully on the table so that the harbour master could see it. She let him look for a moment before speaking.

"Listen, as my friend here said, we're here on behalf of Jourdain, a mutual acquaintance of the both of us I'm sure. We need to know everything you do on both Eliza Guiscard, and Valerius," she said with a low growl, her wolf like eyes boring into the man's own.

"I don't like my time wasted,"
 
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Albrecht glances down at the key for a second and seems to nod his head in agreement before saying. "I-I-I don't know anything about V-V-Valerius, he doesn't come t-t-to t-t-the docks often. T-T-The ship I was supposed to watch for is supposed to be in t-t-tonight, it was held up at Gravesend."

He seems to breath for a moment as if the effort it takes to speak and control his shaking is taking it's toll before continuing. "I don't know if t-t-the ship has anything t-t-to do with either of t-t-the n-n-names you said but Jourdain said t-t-to watch for it."
 
Re: Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

"What can you tell me about this ship?" Anabelle asked, trying not to watch the man's shaking hands. She wondered what was wrong with him, some sort of withdrawal perhaps? Was he a ghoul?

His problems were not her own, and she decided that it would be best not to delve for now. She didn't need to get in deeper than she already was.
 
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"T-T-The Hyperion, I-I-I don't know much just t-t-that Jourdain was expecting someone and he said t-t-to watch for it. Might be t-t-that t-t-that Eliza you asked about was on it." Albrecht face hardly seem to move as he speaks almost looking mask-like. He wipes some drool from his face and slowly takes another drink from his mug.
 
Re: Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

"Any clues as to what it looks like? Or just the name?" Anabelle pressed, though she worried the guy was going to collapse from... whatever was effecting him. Pursing her lips she looked to the table for a moment as she thought. She had never been the best at all this hunting and looking stuff. But she was going to try for the man that might as well have been her sire.

"Anything at all could help," she continued, trying to put on a pleasant tone.
 
Re: Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

Albrecht starts to shake his head no, but suddenly stops and says. "Well most likely i-i-it's a barge or a smaller ship if i-i-it can navigate the river at t-t-this time. Never laid eyes on it myself t-t-though. You could always check at the ship t-t-that put in half an hour ago to see if that captain knows anything about i-i-it. I-I-I'd be careful t-t-though the captain don't seem the right sort if you know what I mean."

He actually seems to get a shiver as he mentions to be careful though it could just be another of the violent tremors that occasionally effect his hands. He adds the directions to where the Black Wolf, as the ship is called, is at dock.

Vezina who has been listening carefully while Anabelle did the speaking gets the feeling that Albrecht is telling the truth about what he knows.
 
Re: Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

Anabelle drums her fingers on the table and looks towards her partner with a frown.

"What do you think? Check out this 'Black Wolf' or wait and see on the 'Hyperion'?" she asked after a moment.
 
Re: Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

Vezina had calmly allowed her companion to guide the interrogation. The Gangrel had a direct manner that Vezina appreciated. No frills, no flowery language, just the bare bones.

"I think the good Albrecht here has been as honest as he can with us. Without knowing exactly what this Hyperion is supposed to look like, the captain of the Black Wolf seems to be our best chance at this hour to narrow our search. Once we know what to look for, we'll have an easier time of it."

Vezina calmly stood up. "Thank you for your assistance, Albrecht. We'll leave you to your own devices."

With a glance at Anabelle, Vezina turned and made to exit the tavern.
 
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Giving a slight nod to Albrecht, Anabelle quickly made her way through the crowd once more. Staying close to Vezina, until they had left the tavern, Anabelle sucked in a deep breath, savouring the scents of fresh air.

"Moments like that, is when I'm happy I don't need to breathe," Anabelle whispered just barely enough to be heard by Vezina, before starting in the direction of the docks.
 
Re: Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

Vezina agreed with Anabelle regarding the smell, acknowledging her comment with the barest of nods. The Black Wolf shouldn't be too hard to find if they just kept to the docks and kept their eyes peeled, so she focused on searching it out as they walked along the riverside.

"He didn't seem to know much. If the harbour master hasn't seen a ship come by, why would another captain know better?" she asked, dubious of Jourdain's contact.
 
Re: Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

Albrecht nods his head slightly as they make their slow way back through the crowded tavern. Exiting they both notice that the icy rain has stopped falling from the dark sky and the black clouds have parted enough to reveal the full moon shining down on them from above. A chill wind blows off the river, chilling even the cold hearts of the two Cainites as they stand there.

Starting through the docks they run across a handful of ships, though not the Black Wolf. The directions given by Albrecht indicate that the ship and it's disturbing captain should be further down the docks away from the other ships. Looking in that direction they can see what must be the ship they are looking for in the distance.
 
Re: Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

"Met each other in another port? Who knows... though it could be a trap. I've been an outsider for so many years, but I know there's enough back stabbing going around. Watch yourself," Anabelle said as she led the stroll further down the dock yards, her hand straying nearer to the hilt of her sword.

It was a gut feeling more than anything, but after Vezina's words she felt like she was being led into something. Who did Albrecht really work for?
 
Re: Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

The ship they were looking for, the Black Wolf, must be the most isolated one and furthest from the other boats. On a night like this, with moon full and the city and all of its experiences new to her, it was enough to make Vezina suspicious and on her guard.

"If we suspect a trap, why should we agree to walk into it? We could send that goshawk to go have a scout of the ship. There are things it could see that might warn us of trouble."
 
Re: Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

"Your the one that got friendly with it, call it back," Anabelle said with a smirk.
 
Re: Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

"Hmmm," Vezina paused, deliberating. "No, there's nothing that it would be able to tell us about the captain that we wouldn't be able to see on first glance. Only an animal that had been around him for a while could give us new information. Let's keep going. And if it turns out to be a Lupine, be a good little soldier and sacrifice yourself valiantly for me. Isn't that one of the Christian virtues I've heard so much about?"

Vezina continued to walk down the waterside towards the looming ship.
 
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"Who said I was Christian... it's been a long few years, and I've seen what the church thinks of Christian values. I don't think Christ has much of a presence in this world any more. Don't you worry though, I'll delay the enemy long enough for you to get your pretty arse into a nice cozy hiding place. Baoghalta galla," Anabelle said with a shrug of her shoulders.
 
Re: Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

Vezina grinned mirthlessly, showing her fangs.

"I was raised a pagan. The only gods I believed in were the kindred lords of the night - the ones who walked amongst us, killing indiscriminately. They killed my mother before my eyes when I was young - to make a point, I suppose. And now I'm one of them. So I put my faith in myself. If Christ ever had a presence in this world, I've not felt it, and I never will."

To Anabelle's further comments, Vezina did not answer. She didn't know its exact meaning, but she could take an educated guess. Most people didn't grumble in their own language if they wanted to convey anything other than self-satisfying commentary. It's why she didn't prattle on in Romanian unless she were speaking to Gyulu, Tarbus, or Scorylo.

"Let's hurry up and get our arses to the ship."
 
Re: Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

"Pagan...," Anabelle said softly, feeling the word on her tongue, how it used to be a poison barb for her to throw, much like heathen or infidel. Living in the forest so long though, amongst the ruins of a razed village, she had changed.

"Times change a person," she muttered again, almost to herself this time, and she glanced towards the moon.

"The Morrigan watches tonight intently,"
 
Re: Chapter 1: The Road Not Taken

The cold wind continues to blow off the river to their left as they walk towards the lone ship cautiously. No one obvious seems to be about the ship as they approach closer and the docks near the ship offers few hiding places for an ambush. A wide gangplank leads up to the deck of the small ship where a large number of supplies and crates seem to be gathered.

The full moon provides plenty of light for them to see about the docks and there aren't even enough shadows for someone or thing to hide in there. The deck of the ship is empty of people as well as far as they can tell from theire vantage point.
 
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