Background Story

This is a work in progress.

This is the story about Nell's first break in and why she left Magnimar

The tavern

The tavern was crowded. Everyone was in a good mood. The serving girls had a busy night. Not a single seat was empty and several people stood wherever they could find the room.

Nell smiled inside. This was promising. She had washed in the lake and made sure not to get dirty. She had washed her clothes at the same time and wore her best. Not that she had that much to choose from, but she had got the top from a very nice man just two weeks ago. He had made her try on almost everything they had before he bought her this one. Not that she minded modeling them for him.

She flicked back her hair and looked around. There were some young men at a table not far from the fireplace. They looked to be between fifteen and twenty years old. They were well dressed but not lavishly so and had no jewelry. There were plenty of food and drink on table in front of them. She started her way over, easily ducking for a servant girl.

She made her way over making sure that they didn't notice her until she was standing next to them. She pretended not to notice them and looked at the bard sitting next to the fireplace. He was a half elf and really good. She had almost forgotten her plan, when one of the young men touched her arm. She turned and looked the young man in the eyes with an inquiring look on her face. He started speaking. "Hi. I was wondering if... if you would like to... like to... uh..."
He lost his nerve and the others started joking with him.
"Look, Claudio's in love."
"Can't you ..."
Claudio turned away and made an angry face at his friends. When he looked back his face was all red. Nell smiled at him showing the dimples in her cheeks.
"Don't worry..." she said "I don't mind you..." when she was interrupted by a man making his way up to the bard. When he pushed passed her she exaggerated the push and pretended to loose her balance, sitting down in his lap. "Oups!" she said and Claudio grabbed hold of Nell's back.
"Why don't you sit down and join us?" one of the other boys said with a laugh and added "More ale!" with a shout.
She made herself more comfortable in his lap and put her arm around his neck.
"I'd love to!" she answered and gave them all a big smile.
"Please, try some steak." one of them suggested.
She let her breast touch Claudio's chest as she reached for the meat. She felt him stiffen and knew he would be happy to have her sit there the rest of the evening. The steak soothed her worst hunger and it was followed by some bread. They joked around and had fun until a roar interrupted their evening.
"Claudio!"
He stood up so suddenly that Nell fell to the floor under the table. The crowd parted as the big man who had just entered made his way to the table. Nell decided it was time to move on.
"It's Claudio's father. Quick lets run for it." was the last she heard from the young men as she made her way under the next table. She emerged next to a tunic someone had taken off as the heat had been building up in the tavern during the evening. She put it around her shoulders and turned from the tumult. In the corner of her eye she could see the big man grabbing Claudio by his arm, looking around for the others and not finding them, dragging his son out of the inn.

Having fun

When they were gone, she put the tunic back and hurried to the now free table. All of its earlier occupants were gone but there were still only one seat left as she sat down. Now there were a couple that only had eyes for each others and some dwarfs that didn't care for her at all. Nell didn't mind as she ate the food left on the table and drank the ale.

She was enjoying herself more than she had done in months. She once again was -???- by the bard's singing. She was almost in a trance staring at the beautiful man playing his lute and singing the most beautiful song when a male elf sat down next to her. The couple had left without her noticing and the elf replacing them was handsome and dressed in an impressive but still strict outfit made of velvet and silk, richly adorned with silver and gold.

He looked at her and put two bottles of wine on the table in front of him. From under his cape he took out a small black box from which he took the most exquisite crystal glass Nell had ever seen. He pulled the cork from a bottle and poured wine into the glass. Lifting it to the light he sternly examined the whine before smelling it. Nell looked at the glass sparkle in the light from the fireplace, candles and a lantern still lit brought by the dwarfs. He sipped the wine slowly and his face expressed so much pleasure that she wondered what could possibly be in that bottle.

Noticing her interest he studied her. She wore quite revealing cloths, but she didn't look like a wench. She had an innocence about her that made him bold. Nell's thoughts were interrupted as he spoke.
"I see you have interest in my wine. Are you a fellow enthusiast?" He had a commanding voice and seamed to be used to be listened to.
"Not really." Nell answered with a slight blush. "I haven't had the opportunity to try that much wine." she added.
"Pity. A girl as pretty as you should not be left wanting."

He offered his glass and Nell took it hesitantly. She held it up to the light as he had done not sure what to look for. She slowly turned it careful not to drop it, looking at the glistening crystal and fire shining through the deep red color. Next she smelled it. Usually she didn't like wine. She hadn't tasted much of it, but what she had had had been sour and quite foul tasting. This smelled different. She wasn't sure she liked it but it was intriguing. She let a few drops in her mouth and was surprised. It was both sweet and strong in a way she wasn't used to. Tying to look as pleased as she could she smiled at him, trying to figure out what to do next.
"What do you think?" he asked her.
"It's... sweeter than I expected." she answered truthfully.
"Yes it is, isn't it" he said proudly "...but still has a lot of freshness. The alcohol adds texture and warmth. It's complimented by the fruitiness..."

Nell had no idea how to answer him, so she just nodded. He took out another glass from the box and poured himself another glass of wine. He continued to compliment the wine's different aspects expecting Nell to take another sip and agreeing. She started to feel a little dizzy after both the ale and wine. The last thing she remembered from the tavern was that her whole body was feeling numb and then he kissed her.

Planning the revenge

arg och ledsen smidier hon planer

spionerar på hans hus

Getting there

She ran quickly up to the empty wagon parked in the street for the night and hid behind it. She looked around and slowly peeked over it. A few people were still moving about in the street even thought it was past midnight and she didn't want to be seen by anybody. Her hair was in a plait and hidden behind the hood of a small gray cloak she took from a bench earlier in the evening. She wore pants for the first time in her life. It was a pair of dull green pants she had found hanging on a cloths line and were much to big for her but she had wound a rope several times around her waist and legs to keep them up and out of the way.

Feeling confident that no one payed attention she continued on her way to one of the most prestigious residential areas of the town. Crossing the street she did a somersault. Maybe it didn't make her less conspicuous but she liked to do them, even on the hard cobblestone streets. When she reached a park close to the building she was heading for she paused and pulled out a dark piece of cloth from under the cloak. She unrolled it and retrieved a few bent steel pins that had been wrapped in it. She lowered the hood and put the cloth over her mouth and nose and made a knot in the back her head. With the hood back up only her eyes could be seen. Watchful eyes taking a final look at the block she was approaching.

Holding her metal pins hidden in her left hand and with a lowered head and hood she walked up the street along a bright house. All to bright to make any attempt at stealth an impossibility she thought to herself. She could hear several steps nearing from further down the street. She ran along the house and jumped over a low plank not expecting an open crate on the other side. She got one foot on either side and stood balancing for a short moment. Looking over her shoulder she got a glimpse of a few city guards walking past in the street. Putting pins in her mouth she slowly climbed down from the crate using her hands too. The guards stood at the edge of the park and talked to each others for a while before moving on. Nell caught her breath and continued.

Breaking

Arriving at the nobleman's house she went around to the back and hid in a small bush she knew of in the back alley. She hid there for a good while studying the house for any sign out of the ordinary. When she was content that all was still she sneaked up to the back door and took out the pins. She had watched someone else do this just the other night. She only knew that these pins somehow could open the lock. She tried. She worked the pins in the lock in any way she could. The lock she picked earlier the same night to see if she could do it had been much easier than this one. She started to despair when she suddenly felt something moving inside and she heard a loud "click". She held her breath listening for any sign that anyone else had heard it. Nothing happened. Slowly she turned the handle and opened the door. She recognized the small room inside and filled with anger from the memories of last time.

Entering

Upstairs

Looking around the room she saw a wardrobe that stood in the study. She tried to open it but it was locked. Strange she thought to herself and took out the steel pins. After some work she opened the door. In the bottom of the wardrobe there were a chest that she also opened using the pins. It was filled with gold coins. She had never seen that many at the same time, possibly not even all the gold she'd ever seen in her life. She smiled and thought to her self "I'm rich" and grabbed a hand full.

Then it dawned to her. She didn't have any where to put it so she put it back. Looking around she didn't see any bags to take the coins, except... Perhaps the trousers. She took out her dagger and cut off one of her legs from mid thigh and tied the end of it. She started filling it with hands full. Then she hesitated. Lifting the cut off leg and feeling it's weight she thought of how it didn't belong to her. He didn't deserve to keep it, but it didn't really belong to her either. She took a few more handfuls and decided to not be too greedy. She closed the chest and locked it again. No use to announce her steeling from it.

She was just locking the wardrobe when she heard a sound. Quickly she rolled the wide trouser leg with the gold pieces in it and tied a piece of rope at each end of the cloth and put it over her shoulder. She looked around for a place to hide. There was a cupboard. She opened it and crept inside. It was very small and she had to fold herself in half but she got in. The only way to keep the door from opening was to hold it with a finger. She could watch out into the room through the small slit. The nobleman came into the room. He was holding a candle and walked up to the desk. Seeing him again made her eyes tear up and she almost felt sick. He sat down and started to unlock and look through the drawers. Nell hoped that he wouldn't be long, her back ached from the straining position. He found a small bottle, picked up the candle and left. She let go of the door and slowly unfolded out of the cupboard all the while listening for the nobleman's return.

She returned to the desk and searched it. In a drawer she found a small box containing jewelry. She looked at it almost transfixed. Those where some of the most beautiful things she's ever seen. In the very weak light from the window she looked at the necklace she held up, watching it glimmer. "I wish I could wear these." she thought, but then she realized that it would forever remind her of him. "No. I'll get my own that's not tainted by this man." she thought and put it back.

Exit

She left the room and was on her way out when she noted a light in the hallway. He had left his door open and was still awake. She couldn't leave though the stairs. The risk of discovery would be to big. She retired into the study. There was another door she hadn't tried before. She peeked in. She could barely make out the details of the room, but it was empty so she entered closing the door behind.

It was a big room with several large windows. There were several heads of beasts with antlers that Nell had never seen. The wall opposite the windows was dominated by a large painting of a man she knew all to well. The nobleman looked very smug and was surrounded by lots of servants. She moved a chair up to the painting and stood on it. She just barely reach his face with her dagger. She stabbed him in his throat. She was just about to stab him in his eye when she stopped. Instead she cut out the face and put it under the rope that held the money. She then cut along his body all the way from his neck to his feet, before climbed down. She even put back the chair.

Looking out the windows she judged she could easily climb out this way. She unwrapped the rest of rope she had on her, saving a short piece to hold up the trousers. Folding the rope in half she tied it inside making sure pulling one end would untie it. She opened a window and looked out. She could see the light of a city guard patrol in the distance. How many guards did patrol this part of town? She never saw them where she lived. She waited until they turned a corner and threw out the rope. She climbed down one end of the rope and then pulled the other. The rope came tumbling down. She wound it up as she walked away. She felt the tension easing up. She had made it! She had to force herself to not run. When she entered the park she couldn't control herself any longer but cartwheeled and the coins made a ruckus even though they were rolled up. Scared that any one had heard it she picked up the cut out portrait she had dropped, put it into her one-legged trousers and ran. She continued running even though she met people. She didn't care. The cloth over her mouth hid her big smile.

She pulled the hood closer and returned to near where she had stolen the trousers. She stopped and caught her breath. She had planned on returning the trousers, but now they were cut up. What should she do? She took them off, replacing them with her small loincloth. She put what was left of the trousers back on the clothesline and she also put a handful of gold coins in them. Removing both the cloth over her mouth and the hood she continued on to the bench were she found that too. Walking by casually she put the hood back with a gold piece.

As soon she got home she went to her bed and emptied her make-shift bag on it. There was the portrait and about a hundred and fifty gold coins. She could not believe she had succeeded in her first ever break in.