The Mugging

[Aerin Vaettir]

The sun was shining brightly as Aerin stepped out of his shop and walked off deeper into town. He had no real plans for the day. Simply wander, get a better feel for the new place he lived in, maybe eat some lunch from one of the sellers in the marketplace before heading back home. It was supposed to be a day of leisure, of exploration. Elle would have loved to accompany him, had he told her he was planning to wander the city of Avaleur, but Aerin preferred to do it alone. After all, he’d have to readjust to the new environment wouldn’t he? Besides, he was sure his twin sister already combed the city and discovered all it’s little secrets by this point. Elle liked to explore. It was part of her hunting nature.

Aerin had been enjoying his day, with Lenore, his pet raven, perched on his shoulder, the sun shining on his face and hair, warming his skin, and a light breeze. It started off well, but the weather must have changed, because not long after Aerin departed his shop the sun left his skin and had yet to return. He asked Lenore if the day was cloudy, being blind he was unable to tell himself, and only got a harsh caw for an answer. He took it as a yes. It was still a fine day, even if the sun was hiding now and the breeze had a bit of a nip because of it. So Aerin continued to limp along on his cane and find what there was to find in the city. At least his leg wasn’t hurting him. That was, it wasn’t hurting him until after lunch. He had brought enough coins for a meat pie and ate it in silence, Lenore fluttering off to find her own food. When the guide raven returned Aerin continued his walk, carefully maneuvering around people, even though it was a difficult task for him. He learned long ago that expecting people to move for a blind man in a busy marketplace was an unrealistic expectation.

It would have continued to be a good day for Aerin…if he hadn’t felt himself jerked from the street into the nearby opening of an alley. The sudden jolt and pressure on his bad leg sent awful pain through him. Then he was shoved violently against the side of a building. His head nearly ricocheted off the wall. Lenore let out a series of harsh caws and half tumbled half flew off Aerin’s shoulder. By the time the elf regained his surroundings the scent of foul breath was pushed into his face.

“Oi…what a pretty lil’ elf we got here.” A voice said, pouring more of the putrid scent in Aerin’s face. Aerin heard a few chuckles and judged there were three men before him. Muggers probably. Grand. Just what Aerin needed. There was a fluttering from above and then a call. Lenore landed above the little group, calling out her displeasure, feathers puffed.

“Does the pretty elf have a pretty coin purse too? I see he does.” The voice rasped, a hand reaching up to shove Aerin back against the wall when the elf moved. Aerin frowned, feeling a mix of anger and fear. This wasn’t good.

“Not much good it’ll do. It’s empty I’m afraid.” Aerin replied calmly. He shut up when he felt the knife press against his throat.

“I’ll be the judge of that.” The voice said, the two men behind it laughing again. Lenore let out another shrill call.

“Judge ye not!” She said, raising her wings. The men all looked up at the raven, except for Aerin of course.

“Did that bird just talk?” One of the muggers asked. “Is it possessed?” Another asked.

Aerin resisted a smart remark. He could go on to explain that all ravens were capable of mimicking speech as well as other noises. Lenore recently liked to mimic the sound of horse hooves on stone. But he liked the idea of a possessed raven more. He stood by quietly as the men discussed to themselves what to do about the shrieking raven above them, all the while a knife to his throat.

[Deleted]

Delliks grunted a d moaned as he awoke from his nap, the sun waking him mostly.
He stood up and trash and a couple bottles rolled off of him and onto the ground. One shattering as it hit the stone.
"Oops." He stared as he looked down for a moment. A lovely home... The street, yeah right.
He took his jacket he had been using as a blanket and flapped it hard in the air several times, dust and dirt shaking off of it and raising into the air. He then placed it one his back and proceeded to smell himself. Not bad, not good either though. He was due for a cleanse. Perhaps that was what he would do today, work had been slim and so pay had been equally as thin which meant some things he just hadn't the pleasure of partaking in... Like buying soap. But maybe today he would.

He stretched his arms up and out as he yawned. At least the sun was shinning. He continued out into the streets where he was immediately stopped by some fellow street rats.

"Delliks, Delliks!" One boy with a blue bandana called, he was followed by two others. One with a fake eyepatch and another who looked fairly normal actually.
"You won't believe it!"

"What, what is it? The Queen made me her King eh? I knew she would wise up." He joked as he chuckled.

The kids all laughed, "no, she still would rather have a real man you know one who has a job and some money."

Delliks acted as though he had been stabbed, "oh, my heart." He chuckled, "I suppose if I had all that I would be missing out in the finer things of life. Like hunger and you guys eh? Now, what is it?" He asked being serious.

"They are giving away free biscuits at the bakery!" They all cried.

Delliks held up a finger to his lips, "Hush, hush, come on lads! You want everyone to know that? The less who know the more for you eh?"

"But... You said that now one should go hungry." The boy with the eyepatch said. He sounded hurt.

"No, no Joshua, you are right, no one should go hungry. Go on ahead and tell all who will hear!" He said with a smirk, "I'll see you there. Race you even!" He said and then the boys were off.

Delliks laughed, oh... Kids.
He strolled through the streets and started to take what he knew to be a shortcut to the bakery through the alleys. Since they had become safer without the giant, the alleyways were a no brainer for Delliks. It was then that he realized the sun had gone... It was nice while it lasted he supposed. A cold bath wasn't as nice, but he still did need a bath.

Delliks made his way through the alleyway and soon found himself witnessing a mugging... And so close to the marketplace?! Oh man, time to bring it in a little.

"Hey!" He called, confused as to why they weren't even looking at the man that he had at first thought they were mugging. Maybe this was a mistake... Did he just act silly, assuming too much?!
"Er, you lads okay up in here?" He asked as he pointed to his head, they were all staring at a bird.

[Aerin Vaettir]

Aerin stood by quietly as the three men talked amongst themselves, Lenore cawing above.

“Maybe we should leave the man…the bird was on his shoulder…”

“Oi! This bird could fetch a good price to the right buyer you know. People like buyin’ spooky things.”

“Then you go up there and get it! I ain’t touching any possessed demon bird!”

Aerin suppressed a laugh. Oh dear, these men were quite ridiculous. And to think Aerin was unlucky enough to be the one mugged by them. Aerin heard one man move, a shift from the ground, and the clack of a rock striking the wall just under Lenore’s perch.

“Do not throw rocks at my pet!” Aerin said, alarmed. He felt the knife bite deeper into his skin.

“Imbecile! Imbecile!” Lenore called. Aerin reached up to push the knife from his throat, only to get a smack across the face for his efforts. The hit wasn’t particularly hard, but it left a red mark on the elf’s cheek.

All three criminal men jumped when they heard a sudden voice call out, and all three turned to face the new comer. Aerin felt a rush of relief. Oh good, hopefully someone would help him out of this situation.

“Who are you? Get out of here boy before we cut you up. This ain’t any of your business.” The one holding the knife snapped. He turned back to Aerin, shoving the elf’s head back against the wall, Aerin’s head hitting the stone hard. This one hurt more than the slap. Lenore, angered by the treatment her master received, jumped from her perch and flew down, attacking the man with the knife, digging her talons into his face and beating her wings on his head. The man gave a girlish shriek and batted at the bird, swiping with his knife. He missed Lenore but managed to nick Aerin across the cheek. Blood spilled from the wound. Aerin pressed himself against the wall tighter as Lenore flew back up to her perch. Things were starting to get uncomfortably chaotic.

[Deleted]

Oh boy... this is sure getting out of hand real quick. Delliks thought as he lowered his hand and proceeded to continue approaching, this time much more quickly. Blood was spilt, and now he had someone to protect. He would fight, not breaking his oath, for the protection of this man. It was now quite clear that he was being mugged.

"I guess I should ask if we can talk this over before we get rough with eachother. Or are we passed all that then?" He said as he neared the men, getting ready to do what a mercenary was normally quite adept at doing. He gave a quick wink to whoever was being mugged.

[Aerin Vaettir]

Aerin reached up, pressing a hand against his cheek. The cut wasn’t so bad, nothing a potion from his shop couldn’t fix. The muggers all seemed to calm down a little though, their attentions fixed on the newcomer. The man was challenging them. Two looked uncertain, glancing at each other. Sure the guy was a bit dirty looking, like some homeless man, but he looked well built too. Much stronger than the two stringy fellow they were. The man holding the knife was bigger, but he wasn’t really all that smart either. One of the muggers turned and darted out of the alley, leaving Delliks with two men to take care of.

“You want to die today stranger? I told you to bugger off!” The one holding the knife shouted, rubbing at the scratches he received from Lenore. The raven settled on her perch and eyed the situation below her silently, having ceased her caws when the blonde haired man stepped forward. Aerin figured now would be a good time to perhaps slip further away from the armed man. He’d rather not get caught up in the possible battle soon to come. But as he went to step away, the man with the knife saw him move from the corner of his eye and he reached out, gripping the elf by the hair and dragging him back. Aerin winced but managed to remain silent as the mugger stepped behind him, knife once more to his throat.

“Keep back hero! Or I’ll cut his throat!” The mugger shouted, spewing more of his rancid breath in Aerin’s face. The other man suddenly looked panicked.

“Oi…this isn’t what we normally do.” He said to the armed mugger, who simply spit at the man’s feet. The stringy mugger looked to his friend, then to Aerin, then to Delliks, before making a smart decision and turning and running out of the alley, following his other friend. Now there was only one mugger, the one with the knife to Aerin’s throat.

[Deleted]

Down one, two left, he was getting good at this. Delliks thought with a bit of a chuckle before looking between the two, one a bit of strings thrown together, the other larger but doubtably with the know how of exactly how to make all that muscle effective. Especially at this point.

"Today will be like any other day I reckon." He said with a smirk.

Delliks watched with a bit of amusement as yet another got up and high-tailed it out of there. Two down, already over half way there. Was it how he smelled? He should smell more often.
"I feel like it is right to warn you lad, I am not a hero. I can let you run along, or I can spew your innards out." He thought about the distance, yeah he was close enough. Delliks had done this a few times before, but the arm off right at the elbow with a quick unsheathing of his blade, it was very difficult to time with men with a knife so close like these but he seemed pretty drunk. His reaction time would be off. A distraction would be nice too though. Oh well, he would feel bad if the other man had to die but it was looking like he either tried or he died anyway sooooo....

"Like I said, I am no hero, his life mean little to me. Shit its that bird again!" Delliks stated loudly as he pointed up and behind the man while he drew his blade quickly turning it and slashing upward in an attempt to sever the mugger's arm at the elbow. He was normally pretty good at calculating it all out but if he swung too far forward, well he would slash with the blade right up the side of the man being mugged face. But he had done this a few times before, he wasn't too worried.

[Aerin Vaettir]

The mugger glared at Delliks with small eyes from behind Aerin. He was only partially behind the elf, half of his body still standing open to the other man. The knife dug into Aerin’s throat, dangerously close to slicing the flesh open. It was a good thing the knife was a tad dull from use. Aerin felt the man tighten his grip on the elf when the newcomer gave him the ultimatum. Either run or die. Seemed a tad drastic but the situation itself became drastic very quickly. Aerin was sorry to see that the mugger chose to fight rather than let the elf go. He didn’t even have any more money on him, so this mugger would die for no reason. Oh well…he wasn’t a stand up citizen anyways, choosing to mug a crippled and blind man.

The man with the knife narrowed his eyes as Delliks repeated himself, but those small eyes quickly grew wide when Delliks shouted, claiming that the raven was returning. The man panicked a bit, looking up wildly to see which direction the little beast would come from. Aerin felt the knife at his throat slacken a bit, before he heard the newcomer move. A few quick steps forward and the mugger was suddenly screaming in pain. Blood spurted from the wound, Aerin could smell it.

The mugger stumbled back, releasing Aerin. He gripped his hurt arm, blood spilling from the wound between his fingers.

“You bastard!!” He screamed, sounding a tad womanish. A shadow suddenly fell in his line of vision, and he looked up, seeing a blur of black, and Lenore slammed into his face, clawing and tearing at him. The mugger shouted, batting at the bird with one hand. Lenore quickly flew off, back to her perch. Aerin, having been shoved against the building, pressed himself against it. He didn’t know what was happening but he heard a lot of flailing and he preferred to stay out of it.

[Deleted]

The maneuver was a success! Delliks smirked, slightly pleased to find he hadn't put the blade into the skull of the one he had been trying to save. He didn't waste any time though, Delliks stepped quickly forward and grabbed the man against the wall, pulling him and shoving him behind himself before he let him go and directed his attention toward the mugger.
They were not too far into the alleyways, people walked by closely and the shouting only directed more attention this way. Delliks was no hero it was true, but he rather not be a wanted man either, not by the entire city at least.
So he may have to go back on his word.

"I'm no hero lad, but I do think myself a good man trying to become a great one. So I will give you one last warning. Leave and I will put my blade away, to stay as it always does in most situations, or it can be your day to die. Choose wisely eh? You seem young enoug to turn your life around. Maybe get into the gardening business eh?" He suggested, sort of jokingly, a man as a gardener sure wasn't the most respected man, but Delliks sometimes found himself wishing for a life like that. Surrounded by life and beauty, solving the mysteries of life through observation of nature.

[Aerin Vaettir]

Aerin shut his eyes as he felt someone tug him forward and away from the sturdy, safe feeling wall. He staggered, his bad leg shooting a flare of pain through him, and fell on his side to the ground. Aerin mentally cursed all the Gods that be and the men currently battling over his life as his leg throbbed in agony. He heard a flutter and felt a bit of air brush his face, and Lenore gently pecked him on the cheek. Aerin opened his eyes, saw nothing but the usual darkness, and brushed his hair from his face. He wondered if he could crawl away from this situation with some dignity intact.

Meanwhile the man who Delliks slashed staggered away from the blonde man, gripping his wounded arm. His eyes darted from Delliks to Aerin, then back to Delliks. He stepped back once more, stepping out of the alleyway now, and gaped at Delliks a moment. Then he turned and ran away, the sounds of womanish sobbing following him.

The alley was still a moment as Aerin tried to gauge what exactly happened to him. Was he saved? The man who saved him had said things along the lines of not caring for Aerin’s life, so was he really saved? Well, worst case scenario he’d be back in the situation he had just been in. Aerin slowly sat up, wincing in pain from his leg. At least the cut on his face didn’t sting anymore. Not when his leg screamed. He reached up and touched the cut on his cheek, feeling blood still pulse out of the minor wound. Fantastic. He’d have to drink one of his healing potions and hope it healed up well enough that Elle wouldn’t see. His sister would pitch a fit and probably hunt the men down. And with her skills she’d find them.

[Deleted]

Delliks gave a quick nod as he smirked, watching the man run away. "Just as I thought, all men can wise up it is just a matter of if they will listen to it."

He then very meticulously cleaned his blade with a bloodied handkerchief that he had used for this purpose before. Once it was just about spotless, he sheathes it. Dealing it away, and away it would be, without any promise of ever being drawn again. If Delliks never did, it would mean a very happy life, and a great world... But he knew all to well that someday, sometime, he would have to bring it out again. But never to break his oath.

He nearly took a step forward, out of the alleyway, when he remembered the man one the ground. Delliks turned and looked at him. What a day for him, nearly killed, thrown around, cut up, beat up... Just a horrible string of events.

"Alright lad, best to make sure you are all squared away. Can you get up, injuries at all? That was quite the welcome eh?" Delliks chuckled, "Don't worry, you have the beggars and street rats like me to meet next. Most of us won't kill you... But our smell might." He said with a laugh as he caught scent of himself. As he neared the elf he offered him a hand up, which was when he quickly noticed his blindness. His grandmother had been the same way, although she had other means of seeing.

[Aerin Vaettir]

Aerin patted at the ground around him, trying to find his cane, but knew it wasn’t anywhere near him. He just didn’t want this man to see him crawl around on the ground. It seemed like a sight like that would take away Aerin’s dignity. Aerin wasn’t sure how much he retained after this little scuff, but he’d regain it. He usually did. He supposed he should try to stand, but even that sounded out of the question. But he couldn’t sit here forever could he? He paused when the man spoke to him.

“Only a small cut on my face. The reason I can’t really stand is an old wound I suffered long ago. Nothing those other men did.” Aerin said softly, with a pleasant and calm voice despite what he went through. “I’ve had worse welcomes. You’d be astonished at how often people try to rob the blind.” Aerin said casually. The blind must have screamed weakness. Which was true, but one would think a robber’s skimpy morals would prevent him from beating on a blind man. Seems not.

Aerin did not see the man’s offered hand of course, nor could he sense it. What he did sense and hear was the sound of bones stretching and creaking, muscles shifting, and skin rasping, as Lenore shifted from her raven form to her human form. The child had pure black eyes, some feathers sprinkled about on her arms, and was very pale. She turned her gaze to Delliks a moment, eying him, before she fetched Aerin’s cane and knelt by the elf, placing the cane in his hand.

“Thank you Lenore.” Aerin said softly. He placed the cane’s point on the ground and slowly, using that and help from Lenore, managed to get to his feet. “Well, I thank you for saving me sir. Might I have my rescuer’s name?” he asked, leaning heavily on the cane, since his leg would tolerate almost no weight currently.

[Deleted]

Delliks wished he had noticed the man's blindness before all of this, his hand in empty space seemed very silly at the moment...

The man was not however, surprised at the fact that the blind were often oppressed. Unfortunately he had seen may things of that like back in the poor villages of Core, as a mercenary group that did their best to protect the weak, often times accepting pay in eggs or the like... his grandmother, the leader of the group before his father took over who was also kind, was a kind soul.

Delliks smiled sheepishly as the bird began to take another form, his heart skipped a beat. What the hell? Sure, he had heard stories of ravens being able to do such things... but it had never been something he had gotten to lay eyes on. "You would be even more astonished at how often those blind are the only ones who can actually see." Delliks said with a smirk. Trying his best to overcome his slight fear of this strange bird creature. "I am Delliks, and I must beg your lady's forgiveness for saying such slander about her earlier. I meant nothing of it lass." he told Lenore.

[Aerin Vaettir]

Aerin gave a smile as Delliks said something about the blind truly seeing. It was certainly poetic and attractive to the elf, considering his handicaps.

“So I have heard, but I think I have yet to reach such enlightenment.” He replied, rubbing his outraged leg. He wished he had some healing potions on him, but with the way he was tossed around earlier they may have been broken. Probably stolen if not broken. It occurred to him he could summon a potion from his shop, but he normally didn’t like to do such things. He’d summon things from other planes or from far away, but from his shop? He felt lazy when he did such things. He might have to reconsider his feelings currently though.

Lenore tilted her head at Delliks as he spoke, apologizing. She eyed him with her unnatural eyes a moment or two, seeming to consider.

“I meant nothing of it lass.” She mimicked, copying Delliks voice perfectly. It was a strange sight to see a young girl speaking with a grown man’s voice.

“Don’t worry. It’s hard to offend Lenore. She’s about as aware of insults to her as any other bird. She doesn’t much care.” Aerin said, gently patting Lenore head, stroking her ebony locks.

“I beg your lady’s forgiveness.” Lenore said, once more speaking with Delliks’s voice. Aerin gave a fond smile, though it wasn’t in her direction it was a smile for the raven.

“Even if she was offended I think she’d forgive you. My name is Aerin Vaettir. I’m rather new in town. This is my first mugging here in Avaleur, and if experience has taught me anything it won’t be my last.” He said, sighing and clicking his cane on the ground. “I do hope it is the last of the violent ones though.”

“Violent.” Echoed Lenore, this time in Aerin’s voice.

[Deleted]

Delliks continued to look at the strange bird, rather irritated with it already. But he did have to chuckle at the sight, his voice on a female?! Ha! It was humerious!

"Yes? I suppose I should have figured her to be like any other bird," he agreed, feeling rather silly now, asking for a bird's forgiveness. And he had said his lady? Now it would seem as he was some strange man promoting unnatural relations.

He cringed again as she spoke with his voice again. What was the use for that but to be a pest? Oh well, whatever helped you get around town he supposed.

"Well it brings me enough closure to know that she would." He said with a smirk, "No it may not be your last mugging Aerin, especially if you walk so close to the alleys. To bad you can't teach your bird that eh?" He said, probably being incredibly ignorant and sounding stupid by assuming so much.
Gosh, this bird was really annoying.

"You said you were new then eh? Where from? Some elvish kingdom with elaborate decorations and traditional discriminations I presume?"

[Aerin Vaettir]

Aerin gave a polite smile as Delliks said he should have figured her to be like any bird. He’d point out that Lenore was not, since she could shift forms, but then he’d sound condescending wouldn’t he? It was understandable that Delliks thought her to be a higher thinking being. He’d just let it go, it seemed like the topic was getting a tad awkward. It seemed to become more awkward when Aerin heard a distinct twinge of annoyance in Delliks voice. It confused the elf, but he wouldn’t say anything. Perhaps the man was annoyed that his morning was put out by saving Aerin? Did Aerin offend him somehow? Maybe it wasn’t related to Aerin at all, but some left over emotion the man had prior to rescuing the elf.

“I think it is safe to say Lenore and I both learned a lesson today. I’ll do my best to avoid the alleyways.” Aerin agreed, not pointing out the fact that being blind made it a tad difficult. But he wasn’t joking when he said he and Lenore both learned a lesson. He was sure Lenore would steer him from wandering too close to the alley from now on. For both their sakes really. That was the perk of having the smartest bird as your guide. They learned rather quickly.

Aerin’s polite smile faded as Delliks asked where he was from, tacking on what sounded like a stereotype in the question that seemed a tad rude to Aerin. Perhaps the elf did offend Delliks? Perhaps the man didn’t much care for Aerin for some other reason? Either way, it annoyed Aerin, but he was good at keeping masks on, and his current mask was that of perfect calm.

“Actually more like a cottage, in a farming community. I find that all places have the same discriminations though, so you could say it does have the traditional type.” He said softly, gently tapping his cane on the ground, feeling a bit uncomfortable. Maybe he should wrap this up before they tottered into bad territory.

“Anyways…as a thank you for saving my hide, I’d like to invite you to my potions shop. You may select three potions of any type for free. Or I can make you some by request for free as well.” He said, straightening his back a bit. Business was always a good topic to fall back on. Lenore stood close to Aerin, staring at Delliks without moving a muscle, like a strange statue.

“Traditional discriminations I presume?” She said, stealing Delliks voice again. Aerin flicked her in the ear, and the girl grinned, flashing a mouth full of razor sharp teeth to Delliks, and laughed, the laugh coming out deep and scratchy. It was Lenore’s natural voice, and by all accounts other than Aerin it was a rather disturbingly creepy voice.

“Forgive her, she likes to push buttons. Lenore stop being rude.” Aerin said firmly to the raven. Lenore grinned again.

“Nevermore.” She spoke in her voice, before turning and wandering a bit deeper into the alley to poke at stones. With Lenore distracted Aerin turned his unseeing gaze towards Delliks again, waiting for an answer on his offer.

[Deleted]

Delliks laughed which would probably seem rather odd as he was at first being blunt and annoyed, now what seemed to be more carefree, "Ah yes! You are unfortunately so true in that lad. Traditional discriminations exist everywhere. A sad truth indeed eh? But I must be honest with you, your blindness may have been the best thing to happen to you if you had grown up in a place where the elite are elvish. Too often they are the blind. You know something much more valuable now eh?" He said thinking over his own life and the life's of others he had met and seen. Some people didn't know what they had. They didn't understand what they were.

Seeing Aerin stretch made him do so likewise, not to mimic... Just like a contagious yawn. "I appreciate the offer I do. But instead, since I have no need for them really, give your next three away free. No I take it back eh? Give em to three folks that you can tell need them but don't have coin. That need them more than the rest, you know what I mean eh? Just use that true sight of yours to tell. Or think of it as practice toward it eh?" He smirked before Lenore spoke out again and showed Delliks something wonderfully horrifying.. If Delliks didn't have a dislike of birds before, he was certainly getting closer to having a slight fear of them eating his soul...

He watched her carefully as she went off and began poking at this. He shivered. "It is not a problem really lad, you need help getting home at all? Need a proper tour with a little dialogue? I suppose talking doesn't count eh?"

[Aerin Vaettir]

Aerin mused over Delliks claim that he was lucky to be blind. He could apparently see better than those with vision, and knew more. He supposed he did know more, he had done nothing but learn things since he was born. He still was unsure of the whole, vague “the blind see better than others” thing, mostly because that seemed to assign some sort of wisdom to Aerin that was unreachable to others. Aerin knew of no such wisdom in his brain, but perhaps the time would come when he did attain it. He certainly understood the point Delliks was getting at.

Aerin’s offer was turned down, but replaced with an odd request on Delliks’s part. Give away three potions to those who needed it but had no money to buy it. Aerin considered it carefully. He had never thought of doing something like charity work. And it would apparently be practice towards this true vision he was supposed to have. It was a nice thought, and showed that Delliks was certainly not a selfish man.

“Alright. That sounds interesting. I’ll do that. I’ll give three potions to those who need it but cannot buy it.” He said, smiling. It really was a nice thought, and Aerin could spare the loss of income. He wasn’t greedy by nature, and most of his food was provided by his sister anyways. He had a potions shop to help others more than make money, so it was reasonable enough to take up Delliks’s offer.

Aerin gave a bit of a laugh as Delliks offered him a guide home and a conversation. Lenore turned and shot Delliks a glare, not a glare that suggested she was offended by Delliks, but a hot jealous glare that the man wanted to walk Aerin home. Of course the raven felt no such feelings, she did not care who accompanied her master, so long as they were nice. But Delliks seemed fearful of her and the temptation to mess with the man was too irresistible.

“A conversation would be nice. Lenore can only go so far with conversation before she gets distracted or bored. She isn’t the type to express her own opinion often.” Aerin said. Lenore and he did speak, if one could get past the riddle-like method that Lenore spoke with. But the conversations were shallow and simplistic. Asking if she was hungry and she responding. Asking what she’d like to eat then taking twenty minutes to figure out what she meant by “bird of a feather, they fly not together, but walk and walk on home.” That one meant she wanted chicken, and it took many trials of bird meat to figure that out too.

[Deleted]

Delliks smiled, pleased to find that the man would do as he requested. To him, it was the only logical thing to do. But then again it probably had much to do with how he was brought up in Core.

The man quickly stuck his tongue out and back in at Lenore before looking back to Aerin. "Well then, she is unlike any female I have ever known or is to be known eh?" He said with a short laugh. Women, and many men as well, were always quick to give their own opinion. This however was not a problem, not as Delliks saw it, it allowed for truth to be purified and it allowed for darkness to be shattered when it had blinded all to what was right.

"So then Aerin, have you always been blind?" He asked as he waited for the bird to lead the way, afterall, he was not aware of where to go. "I ask because my grandmother went blind, and so I have considered the difference before. From knowing what you have lost to never losing it at all."

[Aerin Vaettir]

Aerin made no comment on Delliks remark about Lenore being unlike any female he ever encountered. The elf was busy musing over this. He supposed she would be different, but putting her in the same pool as any other humanoid female was a tad much. Lenore was simply a raven with a human form. Not the other way around. Many people tended to forget this though, or were unable to see the difference. But it was still an interesting idea.

Delliks spoke again, asking Aerin about his blindness. Aerin tapped his cane, signaling for Lenore to lead them home. Lenore stepped up to Aerin, purposely pushing against Delliks, getting close to the man. Aerin, sensing the shove, once more flicked Lenore in the ear.

“Quit being rude…Delliks you aren’t…how do I put this?...showing obvious dislike are you?” He asked. “If you are Lenore will just continue to take advantage of that and bother you. I apologize for her behavior.” He added, Lenore leading him out of the alley, holding onto one arm.

“Anyways, I imagine the difference would be great. I myself lost my sight the same day I gained my limp. I was a boy and I was hit by a carriage.” He explained, not bothering with the details of the story, unless Delliks asked. It wasn’t like the subject was touchy for him. It just got boring repeating it all the time. So he normally spared himself telling the entire thing unless someone specifically asked for it. He winced, his leg hurting him fiercely from the encounter with the muggers, and his limping was bad, slowing his usual pace from a slow walk to a near crawl. He felt badly for the time it would take from Delliks, but the man should have figured a crippled elf would take a long time to get home.

[Deleted]

Delliks' eyes shifted to the cane as it clicked and he then realized a bit of its significants. It seemed as though it also served as a-

He stopped, feeling the girlbird Raven hybrid shove against him, moving her feathers against him awkwardly. He stopped and shivered, only because of the knew and slightly disliked texture.

He looked at Lenore and smirked at Aerin's remark. "No sir, it's more so a friendly pestering." He chuckled. "I couldn't dislike her, she is too lovable eh? With her and her peculiar ways." He explained further. Yes the Raven did frighten him slightly due to not understanding it, but that was no excuse to hate of dislike it. No the man adjusted his ill feelings by joking around. Something he did often to coop with it.

He continued to follow the elf and bird, noting that it was slow but understanding why. His leg was injuries quite badly and probably irritated horribly from the recent adventure.
"What an ass, didn't even stop I presume then eh?" He said shaking his head as they walked through the streets.
"Lad, I don't know how it feels to be trampled but I was kicked once while taming a large golden one, knocked me out cold for half a day and walked like my back was in half for weeks afterward." He gave a slight chuckle. "You probably had it worse eh?"