The shade provided by the small alcove was a welcomed respite, and the trees provided just enough barrier to keep much of a dusty winds that roamed the barren landscape at bay. It was where she came to find some moments of solitude when she patrolled as a Brass Blade. It allowed her to see the beautiful sunsets that would brilliantly paint the sky every night, but also lent her the view of the towering walls of the Jewel--as well as all the people those walls kept out. It was a stark reminder of where her duties lay.
The fact that Nero’s gaze also came to linger on the poverty... it made her pause. His stated intentions to help those that the city had tossed aside and rejected were clear enough; he spoke of his desire on more than one occasion, and today he sought her aid for it. She would never reject such a request for help, of course, but of late she had learned not to simply take everyone’s word at face value.
So why then did she believe this man whom she barely knew anything about? It was because of those rare moments--those small points in time when that lighthearted veneer faded just for an instant, to allow a glimpse of the somber and almost sorrowful man underneath. That side of him never stayed on the surface for long, but it was just enough for her to trust her instincts. Even if she suspected that there was a part of him that sought some kind of personal gain in all this, whether it be--power, profit, or even revenge--she had made up her mind to help him when she shook his hand many suns ago.
“Brass Blades…†Roen nodded as she pondered over the details of his dilemma. The news of his goods being confiscated did not surprise her one bit. “I know one who may help us. I used to be assigned to his unit. After I was…†she paused. Some memories were still difficult. She started again. “After I left, I heard that he had himself transferred to work with Brass Blade of the Rose.†Roen gave Nero a sidelong glance. She hesitated in mentioning that Broken Nose, the Roegadyn Brass Blade that she was speaking of, was also part of the raid that got his First Mate arrested. She had called upon some Brass Blades that she considered allies to help with the arrest of Taeros’ men.
Roen could still remember the look of sympathy that Broken Nose bore her when she returned after her incident with Captain Anduron. The Roegadyn changed her assignment from inspecting caravans, to patrols amongst the refugee camps. He made sure that she reported to him rather than the unforgiving Captain, and they even exchanged quiet words a few times at the end of their shift. She learned that he was a lowly born citizen of Ul’dah, working to make a life for himself. Once he had been ambitious, but now he just wanted to survive day to day; he followed, as expected, the system of extortion and bribery that was the everyday expectation of any Brass Blade.
But Broken Nose finally admitted that she did not belong with the Blades, and that he did not always agree with the Captain’s way of doing things. Yet there was some measure of pride within the Roegadyn of being a Brass Blade, and after her departure, that pride led him to join with Lalafellin Blade, Fufulupa, and the Brass Blade of the Rose.
“I could ask my contact to see where we might be able to find your property.†Roen tapped her lips in thought. “If we can catch the goods in a storage area before they are sold to another party, we may be able to recover them.†She gave Nero another sidelong glance, her brows drawn low with warning. “But I am not willing to kill any Blade, Nero. Corrupted or not, those Blades would still raise their swords against any Amalj’aa.â€
Roen turned to face him, searching the man’s sky blue eyes to try and see the man she was speaking to. Was it the ambitious and ruthless smuggler? Or was it the man who, she hoped, wished for some righteousness to prevail? She was almost expecting him to argue for violence. It was the quicker and perhaps the easier way. But the right way, was rarely ever easy.
“If we can find where they are stored, and stop the transaction, we can let Broken Nose and Fufulupa know of them," she finished quietly. "The Brass Blade of the Rose can handle it internally.â€
The fact that Nero’s gaze also came to linger on the poverty... it made her pause. His stated intentions to help those that the city had tossed aside and rejected were clear enough; he spoke of his desire on more than one occasion, and today he sought her aid for it. She would never reject such a request for help, of course, but of late she had learned not to simply take everyone’s word at face value.
So why then did she believe this man whom she barely knew anything about? It was because of those rare moments--those small points in time when that lighthearted veneer faded just for an instant, to allow a glimpse of the somber and almost sorrowful man underneath. That side of him never stayed on the surface for long, but it was just enough for her to trust her instincts. Even if she suspected that there was a part of him that sought some kind of personal gain in all this, whether it be--power, profit, or even revenge--she had made up her mind to help him when she shook his hand many suns ago.
“Brass Blades…†Roen nodded as she pondered over the details of his dilemma. The news of his goods being confiscated did not surprise her one bit. “I know one who may help us. I used to be assigned to his unit. After I was…†she paused. Some memories were still difficult. She started again. “After I left, I heard that he had himself transferred to work with Brass Blade of the Rose.†Roen gave Nero a sidelong glance. She hesitated in mentioning that Broken Nose, the Roegadyn Brass Blade that she was speaking of, was also part of the raid that got his First Mate arrested. She had called upon some Brass Blades that she considered allies to help with the arrest of Taeros’ men.
Roen could still remember the look of sympathy that Broken Nose bore her when she returned after her incident with Captain Anduron. The Roegadyn changed her assignment from inspecting caravans, to patrols amongst the refugee camps. He made sure that she reported to him rather than the unforgiving Captain, and they even exchanged quiet words a few times at the end of their shift. She learned that he was a lowly born citizen of Ul’dah, working to make a life for himself. Once he had been ambitious, but now he just wanted to survive day to day; he followed, as expected, the system of extortion and bribery that was the everyday expectation of any Brass Blade.
But Broken Nose finally admitted that she did not belong with the Blades, and that he did not always agree with the Captain’s way of doing things. Yet there was some measure of pride within the Roegadyn of being a Brass Blade, and after her departure, that pride led him to join with Lalafellin Blade, Fufulupa, and the Brass Blade of the Rose.
“I could ask my contact to see where we might be able to find your property.†Roen tapped her lips in thought. “If we can catch the goods in a storage area before they are sold to another party, we may be able to recover them.†She gave Nero another sidelong glance, her brows drawn low with warning. “But I am not willing to kill any Blade, Nero. Corrupted or not, those Blades would still raise their swords against any Amalj’aa.â€
Roen turned to face him, searching the man’s sky blue eyes to try and see the man she was speaking to. Was it the ambitious and ruthless smuggler? Or was it the man who, she hoped, wished for some righteousness to prevail? She was almost expecting him to argue for violence. It was the quicker and perhaps the easier way. But the right way, was rarely ever easy.
“If we can find where they are stored, and stop the transaction, we can let Broken Nose and Fufulupa know of them," she finished quietly. "The Brass Blade of the Rose can handle it internally.â€
