Creed of the Blades

[mainehorse]

Cassius ducks slightly to fit through the whole. There was an empty bookshelf on this side, placed here by the guild to block the hole and make it harder to see. That way they had an easy way out if they ever needed to spring one of their own from the dungeons. She pushes it into place to block the hole back up. That way the guards would be hard pressed to find it in the darkness. "Alright... best keep moving" she says, walking up ahead to start down the narrow, winding path that led out of the dungeons from here. They would exit near the entrance to the order of shadow's hideout. "Cirdan... are we really getting out of here?" The young child asked, his voice wavering slightly. He wanted to be hopeful, he wanted to get back to the guild, to his friends. There were many children in the guild, some human, some not. From tieflings to elves like him and half-elves like Cassius, each of Faerûn's cities were home to many different kinds of people. The guild was home to a wide variety of them. It had been his home from the time he was a toddler, having just lost his parents. Cass has been the one to drop him off there, but she visited frequently. He knew her well by then. Strangers did make him nervous, but he was more willing to trust since he knew that Cassius wouldn't have passed him to this man if he wasn't safe.

[Chloriosus]

Farjon smiled. "That's a good name.", he said, before nodding grimly and starting on the path after the rogue. "You bet we're getting out of here. You don't mind, do you?", he asked jokingly. Although he hadn't been around children a lot when he was young, or maybe because of that, he enjoyed being around kids. He enjoyed their sometimes mischivieous antics, yet he also knew that kids were not to be underestimated. Many children are a lot smarter and more understanding then most adults, grown ups just never gave them credit for it. In their own way, children were sometimes a lot wiser than adults. Farjon was slightly nervous about reaching the guild. Surely they wouldn't appreciate running into someone who had worked for the person they loathed and rebeled against. He retained a sigh. Looks like he would have to get used to their ways now.

[mainehorse]

Despite the circumstances, the joke was enough to make Cirdan crack a smile. "I can't wait to see my friends again. Are you two going to stay with us?" He asks, peering down at Farjon. He knew that Cassius stopped by the guild frequently, but she never stayed for long. Sometimes she would bring toys or little candies for him and the other children. The guild was home for them, with many of them having no place else to go and others being the kids of the adult members of the guild. He could just barely make out Cassius' back up ahead in the darkness, and up ahead a hint of moonlight. They were probably almost near the exit. Which he knew would mean that they would be home soon.

[Chloriosus]

Farjon smiled slightly, carefully peering about the dark forest. "I'm not quite so sure yet, but even if I don't I'll come see you again.", he promised. As he walked, he felt the knife moving slightly with him in his boot. He was hoping he wouldn't need to use it. Thanks to his mother he was pretty good with knives, for he had helped her in the kitchen a lot, but most armed people carried swords at least, and there was only so much a knife could do against that.

[mainehorse]

"Cassius visits us too... I think you'll like it there. The guild is really nice. Cassius brought me there after I lost my mum and dad." Cirdan says looking around at the dark trees around them as they entered the forests surrounding Neverwinter. He could see the fortress up ahead that the guild called home. It seemed they were using the back entrance instead of the one that led in from the city. He wasn't sure why, but he figured that Cassius must have had her reasons for choosing to take this route instead. "Alright... here we are. The order of shadow's stronghold." Cassius says, raising one hand to wrap her knuckles against the door. It opened a moment later, by an older man with thick, greying hair. "Cassius? Aren't you a sight for sore eyes. I... we all thought the worse when we heard you were captured" he says pausing. "But... you're hurt" he says, seeing the torn fabric over her shoulder and the various blood stains coating her outfit. "It's good to see you too John... I promise I'll explain later. But right now we've got other matters to take care of. We've got Cirdan, and he's hurt. Broken ankle from the looks of it. He needs medical attention first" she says, gesturing for Farjon to step forward with Cirdan.

[Chloriosus]

Farjon nodded. "I'm sure I will.", he said, adding himself a note that the rouge's name was Cassius. "I'm sorry about your parents. I never really got along with mine, I guess." He thought about his parents. He supposed he was grateful that he had them, but although he had constantly been stuck in the house with them, he had never had a particularly strong relationship with them. As a fact, he had rather resented them for not letting him have friends or go outside much. He looked up and saw the flickering of small torches around the fortress. They must be close to >the guild<. Cassius knocked on a door and talked in a somewhat lowered voice with an older man. At her gesture, Farjon stepped forward, nodding in greeting.

[mainehorse]

"It's not your fault... I don't really remember them anyway. The guild is my family now. And there are lots of other kids there too." Cirdan says. He had not been without guidance. There were plenty of adults around whether they were members or the guild or allies dropping by to visit. Even the rougher looking members treated the children well. He remembered that he had initially been frightened of Cassius when she had found him, the large scar cutting through her face being intimidating to a toddler and one that he could recognize from the wanted posters. But he had come to understand that she meant him no harm and that she wasn't actually dangerous. John nods slightly, seeing Farjon and Cirdan. Normally he would screen new people coming in, but Cirdan was injured and he trusted Cassius enough to know she wouldn't have brought him to their door if it wasn't safe. He opens the door up wider and motions for them to all come inside.

[Chloriosus]

Farjon ducked into the doorway and into the house, looking for a soft spot to place the boy. He noticed that the elderly man was observing him sharply, and gave a half hearted half smile. "Is there anywhere I can put him?", he asked, looking at Cirdan. "The faster we fix up his ankle, the better. We don't want him to catch gangrene.", he said quietly.

[mainehorse]

"It's alright John. He's a friend... I'd still be awaiting death in that cell if he hadn't come back to break me out. At great to peril to his own life might I add." Cassius says, shutting the door behind herself and lowering the heavy wooden bar that locked the door. John nods slightly, glancing over to Cassius and then back over to Farjon. "Our gratitude be with you. We all feared the worse when we heard she had been captured" he says pausing. "The children's quarters are through that door, you can lay him down on one of the beds in there. I'll retrieve some milk of the poppy for the pain and then his bone can be set properly once it's kicked in" he says. He would see if he could convince Cassius to take some as well. Though he knew that was likely a long shot. Whenever she was injured, she always refused it, saying they should save it for those who really needed it.

[Chloriosus]

Farjon nodded and stepped quietly into the second room. Indeed, there were several smaller cots there, some of them occupied with by now sleeping children. He layed Cridan softly on one of them. "Ok, Mr. John is going to get you some Milk of the poppy, and then we're going to set your leg. You'll do a good job and be tough, won't you?", he asked kindly. "Do you know any of the other children here?"

[mainehorse]

Cassius takes up a spot nearby the door, leaning her back up against the wall. The rest of the children were asleep, hopefully Cirdan would be able to keep from crying out when his bone was set so that they would remain asleep. The milk of the poppy would help dull the pain, but unless they gave him enough to make him sleep, he was still going to feel it. She lets her eyes close, figuring she could take a moment to rest them, at least until she was needed for something. It had been a long day and between being injured and how much energy she had needed to expend in the fight against the guard, she was feeling quite drained. But she had continued to stand tall long enough to get them here. Cirdan nods slightly, straightening up. "I'm tough, Ms. Cassius always says so" he says proudly. He had taken quite a liking to the rogue ever since she had brought him here. Though the fact that she often brought little things for all the children here meant they were all fond of her. He nods slightly, pointing over to a sleeping tiefling child in a nearby bed who was around the same age as he was. "That's Casil, he's my best friend" he says. "And that's Akmarir" he says, pointing to a human child in another nearby bed. "We're also friends" he says brightly.

[Chloriosus]

Farjon looked into the direction Cirdan pointed. "Thats quite the friend group you got there.", he said smiling. Yet he also was worried that Cirdan would wake the other children. He remebered a time when his father had come home with a broken ankle was well, and he also remembered his mother setting it, which wasn't a very nice sounding memory. Yet even that break had been less messy than this one. He looked over the other children again, then turned to Cassius. "About how many children do they bring in every year? I could imagine the numbers are quite high."

[mainehorse]

"It varies a lot... sometimes if we're lucky only one or two children will be orphaned. But such low numbers are a rare occurrence. Usually we'll see enough to be in the double digits unfortunately. The guild does their best to find them adoptive families, and sometimes families down here will adopt them and they'll grow up members of the guild. All the kids you see here right now are permanent additions. And most of them here are orphans as a result of execution. But the nobles and royals never bother to think about what happens to the children after their loose their families like that." Cassius says, opening her eyes to look over to the two of them. She turns her head slightly as John comes in, carrying a wooden box holding several glass vials of the milky white substance made from the poppy flowers that grew in the woods. "It might be best to give him enough to induce sleep" she comments. If he cried out then he might wake the other children and then they'd be frightened as well, and without the painkiller, the lingering pain after the bone was set would probably keep the child from his sleep. He was still growing and needed his rest.

[Chloriosus]

Farjon nodded. Even he, he was ashamed to admit, had never given the topic much thought. His parents had never taught him to think about such things. Now, he felt very deep sympathy for these urchins, and felt the desire to also care for them. "I want to join the guild.", he said determindly. "I'm not too old, am I?"

[mainehorse]

"I don't believe there's any age requirements... but staying in this city may be dangerous. Even with the protection of the guild. But if that's really what you wish, I can put you in touch with the guild's leader." Cassius says, straightening up slightly from where she had been leaning against the wall. The movement caused her to wince slightly but she brushed it aside just as quickly as she makes her way over to Cirdan's bed. It always took some convincing to get him to take the milk of the poppy. Though she was one to talk on that matter since she always refused it herself, albeit for different reasons. John was struggling to get the child to drink it. Cassius pats his head rather awkwardly with one gloved hand. "Go on child, drink it up. You'll want to be asleep for this, trust me" she says gruffly.