Welcome Home part 3

Abel and Sibyl chat about his missing ear in a run down Aclidian Tavern.

Abel is seated alone in one of the booths off the side. The other patrons look a lot less savory than the regulars down at the Hearth, which suits the squirrel just fine. He idly fingers the bandage one what remains of his ear, still getting used to it. He wasn't sure how things had gotten so crazy lately...he just wished he could hide sometimes.

On the other side of the room the tail of a young red scaled lizard twitches and moves about like a cat as Sibyl finishes her business deal. Picking her self out of her booth she bids the stoat on the other end of the table good day, "Pleasure doing business with ya." The stoat chuckles, "Yeah yeah, just don't go spending it all on drink this time. Maffeo wouldn't like it if one of his agents got caught because she was too fat to fit through the window." To this the lizard slaps a clawed hand against her side. Indeed, Sibyl is starting to get a little soft in the midriff, but still, "I figure I've got plenty of feasts to go through before I get THAT large."

Abel blinks and glances over, catching sight of the lizard. He looks away, though, not wanting to draw attention to himself. He doesn't want other beasts to know he's here. Who knows what they'll do...perhaps they'll fetch Imperator Gaius...He shudders at the thought.

Unfortunetly for the squirrel very little escapes the attention of the seemingly oblivious lizard. Her eyes narrow on Abel across the room and then widen at the sight of a missing ear. "I'll catch you later. I have some more business to attend to."

Abel is looking down at the table, unaware of Sibyl's approach. He seems to be mumbling to himself, "I never dreamed I'd lose an ear...I've been abused...It isn't right...this place is evil..."

"Welcome to the world kid." Sibyl says. The lizard is leaning against over the back of the booth behind Abel, supporting her head with her claws and resting her belly against the back of the chair, "You look like you have seen better days."

Abel turns his head at the sound of her voice. "You think?" He turns around more. "I've lost my ear, and nearly lost my head! And, the cherry on top is I completely lost my temper to Master. Fortunately for me, he forgave me. But...I'm fearful for my future, and my safety...I wish Master had never come here. I hate this place..."

Sibyl gives the squirrel a paiged look. The lizard was never one for blood shed. She lifts herself over the booth and promptly sits next to Abel, "Your master forgave you...by cutting off your ear?"

Abel shakes his head. "No, Master didn't do that. He can't stand the sight of blood...No, it was Imperator Gaius, teaching me..." it is obvious the next words are forced, "a well deserved lesson. I...was out of line." Losing an ear has made Abel a lot more careful how he speaks to free beasts. "He was well within his rights..."

Sibyl rubs her chin as she takes all this in. "The Imperator did this to you?" The lizard scowls, "Out of line? That...that..." Sibyl closes her eyes, trembling for a moment with anger. Finely she sighs and replies, "This conversation needs more ale...and pie.." not giving the squirrel a chance to object she flags down a waiter and places an order with them.

Abel frowns. "Ma'am, I was...I was insolent." His voice betrays how hard it is for him to say these things. "However, charges that I attempted to Bribe the Imperator, a crime punishable by death, are not true. I did not mean to make it sound like a bribe." He sighs, ignoring the waiter. "I was loitering unattended, it was my fault...Master didn't mean to forget to give me written permission..."

The waiter returns carrying a large tray of various pies. Not the best food around but hey, its pie. Sibyl gestures for Abel to dig in as she does the same, "No Abel. That was wrong. It's not your fault you are a slave, it's not your fault that your master messed up and don't you dare think it's your own fault someone hurt you!" The lizard hisses, "This empire has a way of...of trampling good beasts down, making them think you are worthless property." She takes a large bite of pie, "Don't let them make you think that."

Abel looks at the pies before him, and hesitates. "I..." He looks torn. "I can't...can I?" He takes a timid bite of the closest one, still looking down. "Ma'am...I used to do exactly what you say...but look what it got me...I lost my ear, but it was almost my head... I'm scared, Ma'am...I'm too scared to think for myself anymore..."

Sibyl nudges the squirrel to eat up. "This meal is on me Abel. Feel free to dig in." The lizard chuckles a little bit then becomes serious as she lifts up her right claw to examine it, "I've had to...regrow some limbs in my line of work. I lost my tail twice, my claw once." she rubs it tenderly before going back to her meal. She usually has an opinion about most of everything, but for right now she feels an opinion just wont cut it. So instead she chooses to eat here next to her friend and at least be pleasant company.

Abel eats a little more. "I could get in trouble for eating this...you could get in trouble, too, for assisting a slave in disobedience." He doesn't say more about trouble from pies, though. "I don't want my will to be broken, Ma'am...but if I don't give in, I'm afraid what may happen next..." He glances around, then whispers, "You are right, though. Losing my ear isn't my fault...Someone ratted me out to Gaius, but you'll never hear me say it outloud."

Sibyl smirks, "You will never have to worry about that with me." The reptile wipes some pie from his maw, "As for trouble, what is it you think I do for a living, exactly?" She says with a toothy smile.

Abel shrugs, glancing around. The squirrel is rather naive. "Um...I dunno, really...Are you a business beast?"

Sibyl snerks in laughter. Business beast. Indeed. "I guess you could say that. Let's just say I am not concerned with how much trouble I could get into if I was caught talking with someone elses slave." She laughs a bit, "Business beast. Heh oh! Speaking of business. There is a ship coming in this week. I can't guarrentee it will have information about your sister but," she shrugs, "There is always hope."

Abel nods, looking hopeful. "You really think so?" He smiles now. "Oh...that would be the best news all week!"

The lizard holds up a paw defensively, "Now don't get your hopes up too much. I don't want you being all mopy and depressed if nothing comes up." Sibyl chuckles once more then says with a serious tone, "Abel. Can you keep a secret?"

Abel blinks and nods slowly. "I'm a personal servant, Ma'am, I know many Baro family secrets that I'd die before revealing. I can keep a secret."

The smile the red scaled fiend gives is neither pleasant or comforting. She takes a small scrap of paper out of...actually its a little vague on exactly where the lizard /was/ keeping the parchment she produces. Carefully using her claws she manages to carve out an address on it. Sliding it across the table to Abel. "If you are ever in need of help, or a place to hide. Come to this tailor shop. Tell Maffeo you are a friend of Sibyl's. Do not mention his name to anyone, or the address."

Abel takes the parchment and stares at it. "Maffeo.." he says to himself, as memorizing. "Don't worry, I won't breathe a word." He slips the document in a pocket with his other papers. "I hope I'm never in bad trouble, though."

Sibyl chomps down on her pie, "I hope so too. Maffeo may not approve of me giving you his address but," she shrugs, "He's a pretty decent chap. He'll understand." Or flay me alive. The lizard thinks. No wait, that's not true. Maffeo isn't violent enough to harm another person. He would hire out to someone else to flay her alive.

Abel nods, and eats a little more pie. "Does he own slaves?"

Sibyl leans back in her chair to think about this, "I don't think so. At least not that I know of. He...manages the place I work for." She doesn't say exactly which place she works for.

Abel pauses midbite. "Oh? What place is that? I could perhaps talk Master into perusing your place of business."

Sibyl chuckles, "With the way he eats I'm sure he will need a tailor eventually. For now though, I think it best if you don't bring the fattened weasel in on this." She adds while eating another pie, "It's best not to let those you may have to hide from one day know of your escape routs."

Abel frowns. "Hide from? Escape routes? What makes you think I'm ever going to run? I am obligated to remain with my owner...I am *his* property, after all..."

With a simple reply the lizard states, "What happens if Flavius ever dies?"

Abel pales. "I...I never considered that..." Visions of the Aclidia slave market fill his mind. "Oh dear...I...I'd be sold off! What if Gaius bought me..." the squirrel cringes. "Are you sure I could escape?"

Sibyl leans forward towards the squirrel, "Faced with the possibility of falling into Gaius paws? I am sure you will find a way to escape." The lizard leans back in her chair and pats her full stomach. With a light hearted laugh she replies, "Shouldn't be too hard to smuggle you off somewhere. All we ever do is eat when we see each other. If we keep this up we will both grow so fat not one will recognize either of us."

It is a good question. One the lizard answers with a flash of her eyes and an evil smirk. "I'll let you in on a little secret Abel." She leans forward a bit and whispers to him, "You said earlier that I was a business beast. Getting you out of lock up...would be part of my business." She pats him on the head and ruffles his head fur before moving out of the booth. "Take care Abel. If not at least learn to dodge." She tosses a few coins on the pie filled table then begins to walk for the exit, long flowing tail sweeping across the floor as she does.

Abel blinks at her reply, unsure what to say to that. He watches her toss the coins on the table, then make her exit, then he looks longingly at the coins. Lack of money had been the start of his troubles, really...he is sorely tempted to nick one of the coins for himself...but that would be stealing, another capital crime...he just sits there, staring at the coins.