The Merchant's Call

[Akuma_Reiten]

They say trade is the life blood of civilization, if this is true perhaps that means merchants are it's heart. Through out the realms you can find all sorts of merchants, from humble beginners to cruel abusers.

But even the most noble of merchants know this unspoken rule:

Everything has a price, and nothing is free...

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Amn is the perfect country for any merchant that wants success but doesn't worry about grey moral area's so much. Even more still to hold your own business within the mighty capital of Athkatla can practically make you a noble over night...

Delilah belonged to one such family.

Her outside appearance within the city was like a rose that had sprung up within a troubled city, only her close family members really knew what she was like.

At this very moment Delilah was busy checking over some paper work from a recent trade, she made sure to double check every detail. But her work will have to wait, because her father is storming down the halls towards her study.

"Delilah! Where is he?!" Usually such an outburst comes after bursting through the door, but Delilah's father was not a very physical person and instead tried to keep the effect by just opening the doors very quickly.

"...Who Father?" She gave out a deep sigh, fully aware of what he's going to say next.
"You know who I mean! My youngest son! Where is he?"
"... I don't know father... wasn't he going to visit the Nawra family?"
"I Just got a letter from them! He never arrived!"
"That is troubling... Perhaps he's been arrested... again"
"Don't play with me little missy, I know you keep tabs on everything that happens within the family" Delilah frowned, her father had always called her 'little missy' when he was mad.
"Well... I suppose I could go to one of my contacts... I'm sure he's left at least some trace of where he went... But Father...!"
"I'll not hear it Delilah!"
"You know what he's like! Isn't it for the best that he's gone now?"
"No it is not! He's merely going through some silly faze of his, I know getting him married to that Nawra girl will straighten him out" He crossed his arms and turned his nose up, this was his I am always right pose.
"Father! It isn't a faze! He's been like that for years... Our family hardly needs-"
"No. Out of all my sons he was always the most gifted, and I'll not have him waste it in his barbaric hobbies. You will find him and you will bring him back"

As far as her father was concerned the conversation had ended there, and anything she said now would be a waste of time. Later she would ruin a small business to make her feel better.

She did not enjoy her brothers presence, once he was a good focused boy but then he had rotted like a fallen apple. She had thought that if she somehow got him to move far away perhaps her father would finally give up on him, but it had the reverse effect. She didn't find out that her father had set up the marriage between her brother and the Nawra family, a very rich noble house within Cormyr, until after her brother had left.

At first she had tried to convince her Father to send one of her other brothers, but he already had plans for them. She bit her lip hard, a family member in Cormyr would open up trade agreements she could only dream of before. She had felt that if her brother had stayed he would of ruined there family business in some way, yet now he'd do them damage by not being here.

"Little brother... I let you off to explore your little game.... but now I will have you back... even if I have to have you dragged back kicking and screaming...."

[Akuma_Reiten]

Candle light filled the room. It was a rather big room, but at the same time it felt very full. This was because of the high book shelves that covered the walls. A normal person would of regarded it as a nobles own private library, but this room was actully just the study. It was Delilah's study room, where she spent most of her night time hours.

She sat behind her desk, looking over some neatly organized pieces of paper. Nothing ended the day like sorting out all the notes, documents and contracts of the week. If her mind was loose in any way perhaps she would have thought them as the only things she could have a meaningful conversation with. But Delilah was sane. Intensely sane.

Yet her little sanctum would be disturbed as her father came in unannounced. She sighed, wondering if he'd ever lose this bad habit of his.

"Well.... Have you found him yet?" She merely shuffled some of the papers, neatly placing them within a draw. Then she looked up at her father with those piercing eyes of hers.
"Not... exactly..."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well... It wasn't hard to find out that he'd booked a ticket to Waterdeep.... but after that..."
"Do you mean you have no trace of him whatsoever?"
"... To a degree... But he can't have gone far without leaving his name somewhere, all it will take is a simple wide pattern search with some hired help and-"
"We don't have time for that! I told the Nawra family that he's sick and can't possibly leave to see them, but that lie want keep up forever"
"I understand... which is why I'll hire lots of people... It'll only take one to get wind of him" Her father glared at her a little, but knowing he could never out glare his daughter he sighed and turned for the door.
"Just see that he's found and brought home... Family sticks together wither he likes it or not"

With that he was gone, leaving Delilah with her thoughts and candle light. In reality she had always known her little brother had left for waterdeep, after all she was the one who bought the ticket. Now that she thinked about it getting him to agree to their little deal was alot easier then she thought, as if he really wanted to leave. But regardless he really was proving hard to track down. She knew he'd have too much pride to give a fake name, and besides he was a horrible liar. But where ever he had gone he had done it silently and off any record.

Silently she twirled her fingers in annoyance.

[Akuma_Reiten]

"Hehe, so why'd a fella like you come to a place like Sundren?" it was another drunken patron of the local tavern, and they always wanted to make conversation. The other man grinned to drunkard, he didn't mind them so much, you could have an intellectual conversation with them and they'd at least admit they didn't know what you were talking about...

"Ah well... Heh, I heard this was the furthest place from anywhere..."

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Ryder was making a quick trip to the Gate of Sundren, hoping to catch incoming merchants before they got to the city. He was always on the look out of a great deal, and even more on the look out for things he wanted. There was always bandit trouble to worry about, but after a couple of fatal encounters the others had gotten the message and left him alone.

He grinned.

How long had he been here? A few weeks? A few months? He didn't care. He was rooted into the land now. Whenever he touched the ground he knew where he was... the entire land itself was a sort of home for him now.

Yet something about the road ahead was unsettling him. He wasn't that he could hear a presence up ahead, but was rather to do with the fact that he very loudly didn't hear anything up ahead. There was an absent of sound and feeling up ahead, the kind a person makes when they don't want to be found. Before the could do anything the silence had worked it's way towards him until it was right next to him...

"Master Kyros..."

Ryder's eye's opened widely. The fact someone had called out his last name told him all he needed to know...

"Your father has been very worried about you... and wishes you to come home" Ryder turned and saw a man kneeling respectively by his side. The man was covered head to toe in a very dark green cloak. He was from Amn. Leave it to agents of Amn to work out that only a stylish idiot tries to hide in black, which shows up alot more in the dark then people believe.

"Oh I'm sure he is...." Ryder narrowed his gaze a little "But you... your not his style, who sent you?"
"It was a request by your sister..."
"Huh? My sister? Ha! Oh that is rich, first she gets me to leave and now she wants me back? Pah!" Ryder's arrogance showed in all his movements as he turned from the man, crossing his arms "... Does my father know where I am...?"

The man gave a little nod "I shall inform him at once"

If only the man could see the look on Ryder's face, then at least he wouldn't be surprised about what happened next.

"Oh that's alright" Ryder uncrossed his hands and waved them around, before turning to the man and clenching his fist at him. The man jerked slightly and then couldn't move. Ryder looked down at him with a horribly wide grin.

"Hehehe.... Sorry to say, but I'm never going back... I'm done being used by anyone!... Too bad you had to be the one to come fetch me... Oh well..." very slowly Ryder took out a small handaxe and began waving it around "because you see, unfortunately you were attacked and killed by some bandit... such is life I guess..."

Ryder looked the man straight in the eye with that horrible grin on his face and whispered "Normally I'd tell you to close your eye's at this point, but unfortunately my spell stops you doing even that" and the last thing the man saw was the madman hacking him up with an axe...

[Akuma_Reiten]

Delilah walked the halls. She always enjoyed walking down halls. It's length and it's decorations screamed to the world how rich and powerful she was. Gold and red were it's main colours, all glowing in the candle light. Her appearance was awe striking, she looked like she was in a painting dedicated to style and beauty.

One of the servants, bowing respectively, stood with his back to a wall. Delilah stopped next to him.

"My Lady... I bring news of the agents you sent"
"Oh... I see... very good, do tell me"
"As per your instructions they began in Waterdeep and stretched out in all directions from there, looking for any clues on your brothers whereabouts... So far we only received word from one of the agents who merely heard word of him leaving for a place called... Sundren..."
"I see... and the agents have not gone there yet because....?" The servant actually tried to bow lower, daring not to make eye contact.
"Umm... One did my lady... but they say he was killed by bandits..."
".... Bandits? Ha! I did not hire these men to be caught by mere bandits... No... I imagine it was my brothers work... sometimes he has the most awful temper" She sighed a little "How much does it cost you if you lose one of the agents?"
"Another 20,000 on top of the original price my lady..."
"I see... have it paid and send my regrets..."

The servant merely waited by the wall until Delilah had moved on. He seriously doubted his ladies regrets were sincere...