(2023-04-20) Trading News

Details

Author:	Alli
Summary:	Ben and Jo meet up around Westguard, where they discuss business and trade news.
Rating:	T for Teen

Jo sees Ben in the courtyard of Westguard Keep.
Jo waves at Ben.
Ben salutes Jo with respect.
Jo salutes Ben with respect.
[Jocoza]: Hi, Ben! I was just heading out to collect some more supplies for Westguard, but I wanted to talk to you. Come with me?
[Ben]: Oh. Yes'm, course. Nothin' bad, I hope?
[Jocoza]: Oh, no, of course not. *Jo smiles at him.*
[Ben]: Well, I'm glad to hear that.
[Jocoza]: Just good to catch up, now that we can.
[Ben]: That's fair, yes'm. It is.
Ben smiles at Jo.
[Jocoza]: It looks like we're going to be needed in Dragonblight soon, so I'd better send word to everyone in case they're down in Stormwind.
[Jocoza]: Have you been down to visit?
[Ben]: Dragonblight? With the 7th? And no ma'am, I have not. I thought the gettin' back might take me away from responsibility up here too long.
[Jocoza]: Ah. I appreciate that.
[Ben]: Yes'm.
[Jocoza]: I haven't either.
[Jocoza]: We might be working with the 7th. I imagine there's something to do about the ley lines, given what we heard from Vond and Etone.
[Ben]: I hope they will get the ley lines sorted out sooner than later so you can get portin' again.
Jocoza nods. "I do dislike being stuck on the ground."
[Jocoza]: I want to start up my science club again, but… so many of my regulars are down in Ironforge.
[Ben]: I was meanin' to ask Sil about startin' up the book club up here.
[Ben]: Thought it might be good for people.
[Ben]: Somethin' to bring us together casual, take minds off… y'know. Work.
[Jocoza]: Oh? I remember that. *Jo grins.* I made some props for it, back in the day.
[Ben]: I could not forget those props, ma'am, I promise you.
[Jocoza]: I do hope he used them correctly and didn't singe anyone.
[Ben]: No one singed.
Jocoza nods, satisfied.
[Jocoza]: He's going to be 7th Legion now, more or less. I gave my permission.
[Ben]: Yeah, he talked to me about that.
[Jocoza]: I wouldn't have thought that from Sil, before. He's become… I don't want to say serious, but… I don't know. I suppose humans do grow up.
[Ben]: Pretty big deal. I'm glad for him. He has come a hell of a long way.
[Jocoza]: I think we all have.
[Ben]: I… s'pose that's true, yeah.
[Jocoza]: I wouldn't have imagined myself leading a mercenary company in Northrend, on that day I got Elo's letter.
Ben grins at Jo.
[Ben]: I could not have imagined… most any of the last two years, so.
Jocoza grins at Ben.
[Jocoza]: Probably the best decision I could've made, joining in. It's hard for people to move forward without a purpose.
[Ben]: Yeah, that is true.
[Ben]: Sir Elohad knows how to pick his people, ma'am.
Jocoza nods.
[Ben]: He done a good job gettin' you on board.
[Jocoza]: And you.
[Jocoza]: So what do you think about the squad situation? Ace is splitting time again, I think, so you'll be short one regular. And, well, one of your regulars will be shorter.
[Ben]: … shorter'n Ace? Also, is Ace okay? She sounded… uneasy about some sh*t, wrote me in Dalaran a bit back.
[Jocoza]: Well, I meant me. I probably am, but also a heck of a lot shorter than Lena. *Jo giggles, but then looks thoughtful.* I've not heard from Ace. What'd she say?
Ben blinks. "Oh! You, ma'am? Well, hell. That's great."
Ben grins.
[Ben]: Like old times.
[Ben]: Also, uh. Mostly she sounded like she did not want to go home, much, and was anxious about havin' enough to keep her busy up here so she would not have to.
[Jocoza]: Yep! You can chide me for blinking forward all you like. I just hope there aren't any magic-immune skeletons in the Dragonblight.
[Ben]: … aw, you had to bring up those skeletons. I had mostly forgot about 'em.
Ben shudders.
[Jocoza]: I think it might be the most nightmare-inducing thing we've encountered during Cobalt activities, and that's saying a lot.
[Ben]: That place in general was a pack of nightmares.
Jocoza nods.
[Jocoza]: But Ace… I'm sure there's plenty of work to keep her occupied in Northrend?
[Jocoza]: I didn't go south, and I know a number of others didn't. Sil. Erixa. Celaven.
[Ben]: Yeah, nor me nor Mizzy nor Rae. I told Ace to pitch in around Fort Wildervar, for the push north.
[Jocoza]: That's wise. I read the reports, from the whole worg situation.
[Ben]: Since they still could use all the hands we can lend.
Jocoza nods. "And there's some badness coming out of the north. I mean, it's Northrend, that's sort of a given. But particular badness."
[Ben]: Like… we talkin' Scourge? Or some other badness? The… Old God sh*t?
[Jocoza]: I'm honestly not sure? They said the interloper, the one the talking worg had them kill… it was like a half-man half-wolf creature.
[Jocoza]: And came from the north.
[Ben]: … half-man, half– like a f*cken worgen?
[Jocoza]: That's what it sounded like, yeah.
[Jocoza]: Which, I mean, I thought that was a southern problem. And it's the only one I've heard tell of.
[Ben]: … up here? Yeah, I thought that was, like, a Duskwood thing? Or… ?
[Jocoza]: I've heard of it in a few places.
[Ben]: Worgens? Really? Oh, wait, Aunt Nir said somethin' about Silverpine.
[Jocoza]: A group of ours ran into some worgen in a castle up in Silverpine. Same one Cobalt Blade ran into a san'layn in. *Jo nods.* According to the reports from Ironforge.
[Ben]: Huh. But now up here?
[Jocoza]: Well, the san'layn are up here.
[Jocoza]: And down there, I guess?
[Jocoza]: You all killed one, right? We did too, over in the Borean Tundra.
[Ben]: I mean I never saw a san'layn until up here. Yeah, there was one in Utgarde Keep.
[Jocoza]: It seems the Kirin Tor heard of some san’layn agents doing something in Silverpine. I am glad we have that team to take care of things back home.
[Ben]: Yes'm. It was a good idea, on Sir Elohad's part. I mean. Another good idea.
[Jocoza]: It was. And now… it's all so odd. But anyway. I'm not sure who we've got to fill that last spot.
[Jocoza]: In squad, I mean.
[Ben]: Because Ace is out, and Lena is…. Hm. What about Miz Oranna? Or Erixa?
[Jocoza]: Oranna is… *Jo bites her lip.*
[Ben]: There's Jenzelle, but we got a healer already. And — what? Oranna is… what?
Ben looks sharply at Jo.
[Jocoza]: I would love to have Oranna on squad, but I don't know if she's… I do need to talk to her.
[Ben]: Oh.
Ben looks uneasy. "Oh. You think — oh."
[Jocoza]: Did you know her fiance went, um, missing?
[Ben]: Yes'm, I known him. He's a good friend of Aunt Nir's, one of her oldest. And I worked for him an' Miz Oranna in Ironforge, when they were settin' up shop.
[Ben]: I been sorry not to do more in helpin' with the search, myself.
Jocoza nods. "I've not heard much news since, but… to be honest, it didn't sound good."
[Jocoza]: He went missing at sea, and she was looking for shipwrecks here…
[Ben]: Northrend's a big place, though, yeah?
[Jocoza]: Yes, that much is true.
[Jocoza]: But if she hasn't found any sign, she'll want to keep looking. And if she has…
[Jocoza]: Well, she might not be in a place right now to want to join the fight.
[Ben]: A fellow at Westguard give me a lucky charm he found not too long ago, said it was from the wreckage of the first fleet, along the Dragonblight coast. Said it was Muradin's himself. I sent it to Miz Oranna for her own luck, but I ain't sure she got it. I ain’t heard much of her, nor the search, but I reckon she is preoccupy as hell with it all.
[Jocoza]: I'll see how things are going. One way or another, she might be willing to join in again. Eventually.
[Ben]: I mean, I understand if she ain't feelin' it. Still, might be good to take her mind off– well. Maybe she don't want to take her mind off a thing like that.
[Ben]: Pretty important to stay focused, I guess.
[Jocoza]: Yes, I don't think she'd want to risk missing anything.
[Ben]: Who else we got, then?
[Jocoza]: Well, Erixa, but… she's seemed pretty content where she is.
[Jocoza]: And she splits time with the Vindicators.
[Ben]: There's Nunuzac. Or Brannagen, but I reckon he is pretty wrapped up with the Explorers and this Titan sh*t.
[Jocoza]: Probably so. And Nunuzac seems… maybe more happy to come and go freely?
[Ben]: Yeah. I like Nunu, reckon she'd be handy, but she might not take to the whole… order of squad work, I dunno.
[Ben]: She is kind of a free spirit.
[Jocoza]: That's my impression of her, yeah.
Ben nods.
[Ben]: Okay. So — hm.
[Ben]: I dunno that Lireen real well, but my impression anyhow is she's mostly here for Oranna, not squad-level personnel.
[Jocoza]: I don't think she'd want to leave her, you're right.
[Jocoza]: I suppose we are losing a warlock, so…
[Ben]: Not Sandy.
Jocoza laughs. "You say that right away."
[Jocoza]: There's two more on the books. Mayellen Mullby. Sabitha Lambert.
[Ben]: May? May's — wait! May's on the books now? She got in?!
[Jocoza]: I… I think so? I asked them to send me the records from Ironforge and… Mayellen Mullby, Warlock?
Ben whoops and then laughs.
[Ben]: Well, damn, an' here I was all worried, thinkin' she'd have to have a letter of reference an' all kind of sh*t.
[Jocoza]: Well, I can bring it up with Elohad. He said I should spend some time with Sabitha, so I might.
[Ben]: And — sorry, I might not've heard it right in the news about Mayellen. Missus Lambert is in? Like, in-in?
[Jocoza]: Yes, she went down to talk to Elohad, apparently, and he took a liking to her.
[Ben]: Huh.
Ben rubs the back of his neck.
[Ben]: That's… two warlocks, then.
[Jocoza]: Yeah, and I didn't hire them. *Jo grins.*
Ben 's brow creases. "I wonder should I — write to him? Find out how he's… doin' down there." Maybe Elo is ill. Maybe that explains it.
[Ben]: I mean I should write to him anyhow. It has been a while.
[Jocoza]: I'm going to go give the chef this meat. You let me know if you heard anything off about Elo. *Jo laughs* But he seemed fine in his letter.
[Jocoza]: Thanks for joining me, Ben. Always a pleasure to chat.
[Ben]: But Missus Lambert. Huh. Maybe I will ask her to have a drink. Get to know her some more. And yes'm, likewise. You have a good evenin'.
Ben salutes Jo with respect.
Jo salutes Ben with respect.