25th of Searing, 4622
It was only a night ago since the nightfallen thief had sustained an injury on his hand; The alistian male could tell that his grip strength had weakened, and he needed to get his wound treated fast to prevent it from worsening & recovery would be annoying. Jared could push to do more work, but it was better for him to rest; his right hand is his predominant appendage, and treating wounds would require the skills of a trained professional or someone with some experience with dealing with injuries.
Healers are few and far from what Jared knew, and being relatively new in Genteven doesn’t make it all the better, but the thief had no say as his continuation of being a thief hinges on his recovery moving smoothly.
“Alright, Jared… Let's get this over and done with; the sooner, the better; Hopefully, I can find an apothecary or healer. Don’t want to bother with Alistair since he has his things to do.”
He took a moment to tighten the cloth wrappings around his right arm, just enough so the binding could firmly cling to his skin without restricting the blood flow. Next, the amber-eyed thief takes a moment to change into his more mundane clothing; a linen tunic leaned more toward a mustard brown or earthy hue, baggy pants which were a muted grey and his usual black facecloth that covers his scarred mouth.
“Uhhh…. Visiting a healer is rather annoying.”
Indeed, Jared didn’t like being in his civilian clothing; the insecurity of having only pieces of cloth to block simple stabs or reducing the impact of sling bullets or bolts but the benefits of blending into a crowd and becoming a faceless member of the lowborn society essentially is useful when trying to avoid surveillance or evading capture.
There are core themes that Jared had learnt through the many years of being a simple thief in the Empire of Rust, and these rules generally applied to those regarding surveillance or clandestine operations.
1. Assume nothing;
2. Never go against your gut;
3. Everyone is potentially under opposition control;
4. Don’t look back; you are never wholly alone;
5. Go with the flow, blend in;
6. Vary your pattern and stay within your cover;
7. Lull them into a sense of complacency;
8. Don’t harass the opposition;
9. Pick the time and place for action;
10. Keep your options open.
Perhaps Jared was somewhat paranoid about being potentially caught over a simple thing, but larceny was not a general topic one would want to flaunt about; Never the less, the amber-eyed thief had a typical cover to work with in case of some level of scrutiny.
An experienced chef from Alistian seeks to find some work within Genteven; The injury in question was due to a mugging event to which he barely escaped due to rousing the nearby guards.
“Seems like a likely story…. If they try to push a little bit deeper, they might have to give up a little bit more coin, but giving hush money is better than drawing attention. I prefer to find a reputable healer as well, but I am not opposed to using grey market healers, but they always pay more to keep secrets….”
Jared makes his way out of Alistair’s home with a plan set. A quaint townhouse within the City of Momentuments, the exterior of the building could have a few touch-ups and interior more. Still, beggars can’t be choosers & Jared’s home back in Alistian was more of a large kitchen or bakery with a small room dedicated to his sleeping quarters which are filled with trinkets that he is fond of, such as a poorly carved piece of wood that resembles a cat or a wooden top that he played with when he was but mere street urchin.
Taking a moment to look back at the townhouse, A sense of loneliness looms over the thief’s heart. It has only been a few weeks and possibly more as he continues to adjust to his new life at Genteven for the time being. Who knows where he might land; The thief could return home as it is only a day’s travel by sea if there was a boat leading back to Alistian.
“I wonder how everyone back at home is doing… It feels bizarre not to have friends to back you up in times of need…. Whether it was minor or not….”
With that, Jared begins his stroll through the downtown of Genteven in search of a healer that would be able to treat the wounds that he sustained a night ago. The sooner he could get his wound healed, the better & he did not want Alistair to know what was going on in the background. Also, it would be too complicated to explain the various things he does prowling at night.
Either way, Jared spent a bit of the day wandering through the downtown section of Genteven. The allure of a busy market centre with various people of all shapes and sizes roaming the streets with little care of the world is something to behold & invokes a sense of home away since Alistian & Genteven had similar cultures and are only separated by a days’ worth of sea travel at most.
“Might need the healer to teach me a few things as well… Just in case future injuries occur; Better to be safe than sorry after all.”
Jared felt this was the right course of action as he wanted to stabilise himself in a challenging situation and tend to minor wounds at the very least, and the expenses should be minimal at best. After all, the thief had a small cache of coins in case of these days.
“Hmmm… Now where is this healer; I feel like I am lost, wandering in the City of Monuments.”
It takes a few minutes to look about, reading the wooden signs that litter the streets with a general direction as to where certain city sections are, such as the marketplace or artisan’s quarters. It didn’t take long for Jared to find a healer’s hut known as the Bramble’s Respite.
From the outside, this house looks snug and comfortable. It has been built with fir wood and has sandstone decorations. Small, rectangular windows let in plenty of light and have been added to the house primarily asymmetric way. The roof is flat and is covered with brown wood shingles.
Two large chimneys sit at the side of the house; several large windows let plenty of light into the rooms below the roof. The house is surrounded by cobblestone, with various hanging potted plants.
“Cute, I didn’t expect a healer’s hut to be this inviting, but then again, I am comparing Marc’s run-down healer’s hut… Marc’s business is a bit more elusive to the public eye.”
The amber-eyed thief was comparing the two businesses that cater to restoring the flesh, like apples to oranges. His friend: Marc, runs a shabby healer’s quarter in Alistian in the slums which caters to the poor & more often than not, your average petty criminal. It wasn’t much, but Marc made a good living out of it & lots of thieves go to him for being a reliable person, even if you had to fork out a large sum of hush money.
Taking a moment to breathe; The ordinary-looking Alistian male makes his way inside of the Bramble’s Respite. Jared was immediately greeted by the sounds of a brass wind chime cueing soft, resonating Chirin, chirin echoing into the small, cozy home.
“Yes? Can I help you sir?”
An aged-looking woman with braided white hair & many wrinkles lying across her wisened face & extremely high cheekbones flushing a dusty red hue, her nose convex to a lowered base as if it curving towards her pale brown lips. With various freckles scattered upon her face & moles that run along the minor folds of her neck, her large, slightly elongated ears, which have smooth, earthen brown earspools made of bone which contrast with the aquamarine & imperial red flowers that hang at the back of her ear.
“What can Granny Tilly help you with? We take of wounds & minor aliments here at the Bramble’s Respite; It seems you are hurt, young man, would you like me to look at that for you?”
Jared couldn’t help but feel a bit safe as the older woman presented no aura of hostility. From what he could gather by looking around the home, there were various tools used to make different herbal medications & tools to assist in treating multiple ailments and conditions.
“Ummm… Yes, granny, Could you please take a look at my hand? I got into an accident while working & need to get it checked out in case it will fester.”
“Alright, come inside and take a seat; I will be with you in a short moment as I got some tea brewing over the stove. Care for some, and you seem like you would need it.”
“Yes, please; it has been a stressful day.”
As the old lady disappears into the back for a moment, Jared takes a moment to sink into his seat so he can rest easy for now. However, the weight of not needing to look behind your back constantly takes its toll on the mind, waiting for the ancient-looking lady to return to begin his treatment & learn to care for his wounds.
