The below is a compilation of RPs between Svetlana and Rouen with a little filler material. The parts that Svetlana's player wrote are copied with his permission.
Five hours and perhaps twice as many ales later, Rouen was fed up with waiting. He pushed himself up from his bench and teetered toward the stairs and the straw mattress in his room. "That bugger Lokenth," he drawled, "makin' me wait. I'll show 'im a thing or two when I find 'im. But not until t'morrow." He locked the door behind him and fell into the bed, hitting his head on the headboard.
He had a fitful night, and dreamed of a strange demon skull, one like he had never seen before. It lay on a bed of gold and a had a strong, blue aura about it. When he awoke he had a headache of epic proportions and a lump on his head that smarted painfully, but he could not get the image of the skull out of his mind.
Despite this, he departed Remton after a quick breakfast. He paused as he passed the city gates, then headed on the road to Salex. Hours passed, but did not stop to rest.
As he entered the heart of the Salex woods his scar began to itch. Idly, he scratched it as he came over a rise of hill and saw a woman on the road, obviously dressed for travel.
"Hail!" he shouted. Svetlana moved one hand to the hilt of the weapon at her side, but then raised the other in greeting. In her raised hand she held a skull, and Rouen recognized it instantly. He felt joy rush up in him and gleefully bounded down towards her. "Where ever did you find such an unusual skull? I've never seen anything like it!"
Svetlana eyed Rouen suspiciously. The mix of his gnarled face and his friendly enthusiasm was almost more than she could handle. "I, er, found it during my travels. I've never seen it's like either."
"You wouldn't be willing to part with it, would you?" he asked as he began dumping the contents of his pack on the ground. "If so, I have so many things I could offer in return." Gems, tools, papers and vials all fell with a noisy crash.
Svetlana looked at the scene with growing amusement until some crystal fragments caught her eye. Shining, edgy, pretty. She took an instant liking to them. But she also liked the strange skull. Sure it was strange, but that is what made it fascinating. "Give me the fragmented crystals and I shall in turn give you the strange skull."
"I scoured the hillside for near 8 hours gathering all these up. I hope you take care of 'em," he said as he handed them to Svetlana.
She held the thought of maybe keeping it and running off with the crystal fragments... "But no...a proper noble does not steal", she told herself. She always wished she'd been born as one.
She took the strange skull from under her arm and gave it to Rouen, closing her eyes in the process. He looked at the offered skull and the closed eyes of the lady who offered it. He couldn't decide which one looked stranger, the skull or the wincing face. Did she expect him to bite her? The large scar across the middle of his face began itching more than normal. Involuntarily, he scrunched his face along with her as he took the skull. He reached up to scratch his face and then smiled at Svetlana.
"Thank you, my lady. I hope that we might meet again, it has been a pleasure." A warmth came over him as he held the skull in his hands. He stared at it for a few minutes before the sound of Svetlana's footsteps walking away roused him from his trance. "Or perhaps, you might wish to accompany me back to Remton? I am meeting with a fellow wanderer to discuss matters that would be financially beneficial to us both, and I know he is looking for more than myself to assist him. But I can not go today, I am too tired from my travels here. Perhaps you could at least recommend a good tavern where I can get a cup of ale?"
At first she declined his offer. She was used to traveling alone, fending for herself against whatever came. But by doing so her dirty clothes had blood stains in several places, her left leg ached from the last monster swing that had smashed it and her lack of eating had left her scrawny like a wildcat.
She turned around again.
"On second thought...I can come with you to Remton city. First we sleep, and you can tell me in more detail about what exactly he wants from us while when we walk there in the morning. About the taverns and ale, sorry to disappoint you but this is the deep woods. No tavern for miles and miles.
I have set up a tent a not far from here. Considering that you offered me a tent before, I know you have one too. Come with me, and you can set up yours next to mine. There is safety in numbers I hear."
She almost covered her own mouth when the last sentence left it. "Safety in numbers? That doesn't sound like me at all", she thought for herself.
No tavern for miles and miles. Rouen's heart sank at her words, but then his eyes twinkled as her remembered the small flask of brandy that he had lifted from a passed out drunk in the streets of Remton. Such a fine concoction was wasted on such a man.
Svetlana was staring a Rouen, waiting for a response. "Whassat? Safety in numbers! Yes indeed, it is always better to sleep next to a friend than alone where you could be food for wolves or other nasty creatures. Please show me your camp, I'm sure there will be plenty of space."
Svetlana led Rouen away from the road to a small clearing. He could hear a small brook beyond the trees. Her tent was set next to the remnants of a small fire. Rouen immediately began pitching his tent directly across from hers, an attempt to not be too threatening. It was getting dark, so Svetlana began to relight the fire.
"You look hungry. Are you hungry? I'm famished, could eat a horse if I had one, but I don't so that's not going to help us much now, is it? But I do have some beans and a small pot. That ought to fill our stomachs for a time, shouldn't it?" And before Svetlana could say anything he was off to fill his pot. "Ha! Mushrooms what an lucky find!" she heard him exclaim on his way to the brook.
A few minutes later, filled pot and fungus in hand, he proudly returned to the fire and began cooking, humming to himself as he stirred the pot.
They chatted at the fire for a little while. Rouen seemed, despite his scary face scar, to be a pleasant and odd character. Sure his fingers traveled further than what was honorable at times, but he had not stolen anything from her yet and she had enjoyed getting a sip from that brandy.
Svetlana yawned. Hunting monsters and trading, what exhausting work. Despite the fire, it was hard to keep warm. She ran up to get more and more blankets from her tent. Finally the heat caught up with her and she could relax in the warmth of the dancing flames.
She felt safe enough with Rouen now that she could go to sleep. She bid him a sleepy good night, and left him at the fire.
The night turned into morning as the hours replaced each other. Svetlena had slept like a baby. No monsters nor wolves had dared treat upon their domain.
As she came out of her tent, well rested and ready to go as soon as the tent was folded and packed, she saw that Rouen was already awake and packed.
"Last one in, first one out, huh", she said with a sly smile on her face.
She folded her tent and made herself ready.
"So, shall we go then? And you can tell me all about this mission of ours in Remton city."
"Indeed, my friend, we should make haste for Remton. It is not far and if we do not tarry we can arrive before the heat of the day is upon us."
They began their trip towards the capital city, Rouen talking almost non-stop about everything and nothing all at the same time. Svetlana listened for a time, but soon it became too much. "Rouen, you were going to tell me about this mission?"
"Ah, yes! I will tell you all I know, though it is not much. A man named Lokenth contacted me a few days ago while I was waiting for the Lord Protector to send me a certain item. He said that he had spoken with the king directly and that he had 'a cunning and ambitious plan! - to serve the realm and advance in status, wealth and honor.' Something about passing reports about monsters and such. We had agreed to meet at the Boatman's Inn, a place I frequent consistently, but he did not make himself known to me for a number of days. So I plan to seek him out in earnest upon my return and I am glad you are coming to help me! Remton is such a large place and finding an individual can prove difficult. But the call of great wealth can not be ignored!"
Upon arriving in Remton, they began their search for Lokenth. Rouen suggested they head to the Boatman's Inn to see if anyone there had seen the man in the past few days.
