OldCity Newsletter 16 - 04/20/06
From FiranMUX
What's The Word
The wind howls among the shabby tenements and hovels dotting the flooded canals of the Old City. A skiff breaks through the ice crusting over one of the water passages, steered by a beefy looking sailor while a small figure huddles at the bow, wrapped in a patched and dingy byrrus. As the small boat scrapes up alongside the walkway (which is under a foot and a half of water), the girl clambers out, splashing the sailor with the chilly water. "Sorry bout that, here's some exter stenis fer th'trouble, thanks agin!" she calls out, leaving the stenis where she was sitting. With barely a nod and a grunt, the sailor turns the skiff back into the canal, in search of other souls willing to pay for a ride to their destination.
Usha slogs her way toward the Dagger and Dice, her teeth chattering by the time she reaches the door. The additional weight of the water makes it too hard for the slight girl to open by herself, so she calls out to Sameera, who, hoping for some business, or at least someone with whom to pass the time, opens the door and lets Pooja in.
"T-t-thanks, f-f-f'that," Usha murmurs, and follows Sameera upstairs where it's still dry. "Ya g-g-g-gots anythin warm? I k-kin pay." she adds, squeezing the water out of her beltpouch. Sameera grunts & pours her some mulled cider, and Usha hangs her byrrus by the cookfire to dry. "Cain't b'lieve how busy we bin, least th'tips is pretty good, fer all the sloggin through this snow an' water," Usha muses, after taking a few sips of the hot cider.
Sameera watches the girl impassively, and pulls out a towel, drying the clean mugs propped up on the table. As her teeth stop chattering, Usha's mood improves, and she starts sharing her tidbits of information.
"Them Doves keep changin Madames. Now it's Gilin what's runnin things, so I heard from th'sailor what rowed me here. Least she's back where she b'longs, ya know?" She looks over at Sameera, "Yelda sometimes gives me a break on her burnt fish cakes, ya gots any I could has? Dunno how long I gotta make these tips last." Sameera doesn't answer, but after she finishes putting away the mugs, she spoons out the last of the stew that's been simmering over the fire, scraping the bottom of the pot, and places it on the table. Usha grins, and continues her tale.
"Ya know Fist's son, Panyos? I ain't seen him in awhile, which ain't that unusual, but I heared from one a th'gangers that he's bin in quite th'mood. Reclusive for the most part, and occasionally seen in public when running errands, Panyos has been growing accustomed to his present state; albeit not much better. He doesn't speak so much, so as to aggravate anyone, and has spent quite a bit of time lingering in his Insula. The only one who really knows what happened to Narin, and clearly not wanting to divulge further details to anyone else regarding his passing. Also, Orthia's going to be expecting a summoning by Taleo, presumably regarding her "sons' crimes" as well as her oath that she had taken many years ago. This obviously has Panyos agitated, and the Parnassis does not want to hassled by anyone regarding this for the most part."
Leaving a handful of stenis on the table, Usha picks up the bowl of stew and tastes it. Trying hard to not show her dislike of the lumpy, heavily salted concoction, Usha swallows, and moves on, "That locksmith Istovan's bin workin fer people round these parts fer a good price, cause a th'flood an' such. Says he'll do carpentry an' locksmithin. Probly oughtn't tell his sponsor he's chargin less'n them wallers, ya know... but that's always th'way of it, hmm? Oh, an' some whore were yammerin at a guard bout Svenja becomin legendary. Seems th'feckin greenback were sayin naught good ever comes outta th'Old City an' he hopes it'd all jes wash away. Fecker. But great fer Svenja. She's allus bin my fav'rite gladiator. A bunch a them wallers is too chicken ta fight her. Well, I would be, in their place, but I don't think she'd fight me till I was bigger, anyway. Mebbe she'd teach me some moves, though. Oh, an' speakin a' th'flood, I done seen sev'ral places what's damaged by all th'water, so it's def'nitely good ta watch yer step e'en more'n usual."
Sameera fills up Usha's cider mug after scooping the stenis off the table and into her pouch. "I heared Cesare's back in town, think he'll run this place or try'n rebuild his old one?" Sameera mutters something about too many taverns just making it harder for all of them. "Well, anyway, I think that's all I heared lately. Kin I stay over tanight? I think I may go see that festival tamorrow, after I git offa work, oughta be plenty a food, anyway. Think anyun'll host a mud wrestlin contest?" The girl chuckles, "Not like anyun kin say they ain't had time ta practice fer that'un!"
