Bounty: Catch the Masked Thief

"Information?" the homeless man grunted quizically. "What could you want to know from an old bastard like me?"

Rowan stared at the man for a beat before continuing. "I'm assuming you've been in the city awhile, you've seen things." He crossed his arms, nodding to himself. "Apparently, there's been a thief going around giving the expiate trouble here. They put up a bounty, one I'm taking."

He leaned forward a bit, his eyes locked on the man.

"If you could give me any information regarding him, or know someone who can, I'd make it worth your while."

Just then, the old man's somber expression had a change. His gaze was suddenly steely and his expression harden. He picked up his walking stick and slammed the end of it against the ground as he pushed himself upwards. He was struggling, since he only had one leg, and his mechanical arm clicked and scraped unnaturally, but he got himself up on his foot and peg and gruffly turned away.

"[i]I have nothing to say to you[i]," he barked in a huff, before stomping off.

Rowan stayed quiet as the man suddenly got all huffy and began to move away from him. He let out a small sigh, but didn't move after him, at least not at first. His goal was simple, follow the man. He had a few theories in his head as to why the gruff but affable old man would suddenly heel turn so hard. He watched him carefully as he hobbled away, only getting up once the man was nearly out of sight.

Rowan was quite good at things like this. It was a simple case of blending in and keeping a close eye on your target. For now, he'd do just that.

It wasn't hard to tail the homeless man. They were in a crowd but almost everyone was remarkably clean while the man smelled strongly. Rowan would find that the man had shuffled into an alleyway a block or two down and into a series of alleyways. It was like a series of walled-off roads where no windows looked into. The ground was laden with stone like everywhere else but was uneven and muddier. There was a notable dampness and lower angling. When it rain, this was probably where all the water would puddle-up in. The old man's strong smell was harder to make out here but there was still a trail to roughly follow.

As Rowan went deeper in, he'd see a number of things. For one there was a woman in rags and a dirty cloth mantle, sitting in the alley cradling a baby that couldn't have been a year old. The woman was frail and sickly-looking but contrary she didn't look dire. She watched over her child peacefully and dripping milk into its mouth with a wooden spoon. Close by a little ways over were a couple, a bushy-bearded, stout man with a lame arm and a old woman huddled together, sitting on cracked crates. The woman broke pieces from a loaf of fresh bread and fed it to the man while the man used his good arm to hold a canteen of what smelled like spiced berry juice and lifted to the woman's lips in turn. Along the way there were a pair of children, one wearing the overalls of a miner and the other with bandaged hands and covered in smoke stains. They were laughing playing with toy soldiers.

It took a while but Rowan would finally find the trail to an open lot where some men were sitting on crates and barrels around a drum-fire. They sat lat low with their heads down looking fairly dour. One of them was pouring liquor into mis-matched cups and cracked bowls, passing the drink around to the others with a solemn smile.

"To Tai," one of them said, raising a glass. The other followed after him and tapped whatever they were using to drink.

"Ain't no way for a man to die," one of the other murmured.

"We just have to bear it. At least he has no family to miss em."

"It just ain't right. That guy smiles just knowing he worked hard and now look. He deserved better."

"Aye. We should keep an eye on Lu Bai. They might work him to death next."

Rowan was almost surprised to find such a poor community in a city like this. In comparison to the well kept and clean town itself, this was a harsh contrast. He wasn't naive enough to think that Esterelf was any better than Sakigake in terms of homelessness, but he at least thought a major city would have less of a homeless population. Well, money was money. They might have jobs, but they might not be able to afford housing.

Well, it wasn't his problem in the end. He had a job and he needed to get it done.

He opted to wait awhile, finding a hidden position and resting as he listened to their talks. Given his reaction, he thought the man might have been working for the thief in some capacity and was going to warn him. He wasn't sure. Perhaps the thief had a heart of gold. Didn't matter much to him so long as he could find him.

He just really hoped this wasn't a dead end...

"Are you new here?"

Rowan would hear a voice directed right at him from behind his hiding spot. Being focused on the grumbling circle of men, he probably just didn't notice someone coming up behind him, especially in this musky, dank alley. Notably, the person behind him didn't stink like the rest of the slum they were in.

Their voice sounded androgynous, husky like a man but light like a woman's. they were wrapped up in a worn, brown cloak with a hood drawn over their head. They had an old-worn lute slung over their back and a traveler's bag hanging off their side. They were likely just some traveling performer, someone ran a little less ragged then the hard laborers around here but nonetheless seeing tough times the same.

"You're... one of those enkidu?" the minstrel asked inquisitively, remarking Rowan's features. "So what's your story, stranger? You must've been down on your luck fast if you ended up here. Ah, do you speak Aldemarrian?"

Rowan near jumped out of his skin as a voice spoke from behind him. He stiffened slightly, placing a hand to his chest and taking a breath before turning around. He was fairly surprised someone sneaked up on him in such a manner, he must be losing his edge...

He studied the person for a moment, giving a small frown. "Come to gawk at poor enkidu?" His eyes narrowed. His lack of smell alone told Rowan this person was a bit better off. Looked like a performer, probably not a very good one given his attire. Still, he leaned against the wall, his arms crossing. "I shipwrecked on the way here. Been working to get back on my feet ever since." Though he'd say he was a bit more successful than the others here so far. "...Is there something you want from me?"

"Oh I just thought you might be able to give me a tale to spin," the minstral stated bemusingly. "Everyone here has a tale to tell. Take those two there."

The minstrel gestured with a bandage-covered hand to the two young boys playing with toy soldiers.

"There parents died in a factory accident. The older one has been working in the mines to get them by. The younger shines shoes in the morning and sweeps chimneys in the afternoon. And those gents...."

They gestured to the circle of men downing liquor solemnly.

"They're mourning the death of a friend. Overworked in the factories. An enkidu immigrant like you he was." The minstrel started tuning his beaten-up lute idly. "I've stopped by this town for about a month but the people here arent impressed by performers. Still, I'm satisfied uplifting the spirits of these folk."

The minstrel's head lowered and slowly raised up. Were they studying Rowan?

"A wandering sellsword?" they inquired thoughtfully. "I see. Here for the big bounty hm? Now that's a tale that'll earn me a good meal for a while when I leave. So, any big leads? Share with me and I'll give you a nice tip."

"I'm afraid my tales tend to be grim." He crossed his arms, leaning slightly against the wall as he spoke. He was a little sick of mistrals if he was being honest. They tended to lie and exaggerate in their tales. He'd met several in Sakigake, all singing praises of battles that were as bloody as the rest.

"Though you don't seem to mind." He deadpanned as the performer spoke on. Rowan sighed, a bit of irritation finally creeping into his voice. "It's...irritating to find my kin being treated like this here. Many left Sakigake in hopes of something better. That hope seems to be being taken advantage of."

Before he could continue further, the minstrel up and entirely guessed who he was and why he was here. Rowan's eyes narrowed. Was he that obvious? The spear was probably a big giveaway. "You know something?" Rowan's head tilted at the mention of a tip. That was promising. "I'm surprised. People around here don't seem to know anything about this thief."