(2023-06-30) Chance Meetings in Amberpine

Details

Author:	Alli
Summary:	Erixa and Aiseia (Ricks and Ace) meet up in Amberpine, where they run into Bran, Brendol and eventually a woman going by "Sophie" (Sylvie). Some answers to a puzzle Ace and Ricks encountered at Westguard are revealed. This is a record of an rpdate. ~2200 words.
Rating:	T for Teen

It's a sunny, but still somewhat cold, day in the Grizzly Hills, when a gryphon carrying a blue-skinned draenei paladin lands on the deck. Erixa pauses, flicking some hair behind one horn, as she looks out over the green, vibrant countryside. Then she turns to walk into the Lodge, where she's meant to meet Ace, and possibly others.

Wandering nearby is a robed dwarf, his fiery hair and beard askew, apparently… picking flowers? He has a twisted staff slung over his back and hums to himself in an exuberant baritone as he bends down to study a leaf minutely.

He's visible from the lodge, but likely not recognizable by Erixa and not wearing a tabard, so for now he is simply a bit of background color.

Erixa settles against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest, waiting for her partner in anti-crime to appear. The Cobalt wings are still visible on her blue tabard. She watches the dwarf with a faint smile as she keeps an eye on the door.

The dwarf tucks away his latest sample, then straightens and looks around. He seems to catch sight of the Cobalt wings, as he confidently makes a beeline for Erixa, smiling as he dusts off his hands on his robe.

"Lo there!" he calls out merrily. "Don't believe I've met ye, lass. What's Cobalt up to in these parts today? I'm Prospector Brannagen Stillwall o' the Explorers' League, but also Cobalt Company, time t'time." He puts out a hand.

"Oh, another Cobalt dwarf?" Erixa's face lights up with a smile. "I am meeting many of them these days. Cobalt is… doing a lot here, but I am mostly here on my own." She lowers her voice. "I'm undercover."

Bran looks around conspiratorially, then lowers his voice as well. He does a surprisingly good job of it, given how booming his voice was mere seconds ago during his introduction.

"Oh aye, what's goin' on? Who are ye spyin' on?"

"Did you hear about what happened in the Borean Tundra?" Erixa glances around and then steps closer to Bran. "With the infiltrators in Valiance Keep?"

"Ye mean the … C… of the D….?" he whispers, his voice a solemn whisper but his turquoise eyes bright and merry.

Erixa nods seriously. "It's foolish to think they were the only ones." She leans back and adds, "Oh, and I should say - I'm Vindicator Erixa. Some of my friends call me Ricks." Erixa considers, and then decides to explain further. "I think I can tell you, because for certain Cobalt is not infiltrated. Ace and I thought that messengers travel all over, and it would be easy for them to pick up information and drop it wherever. So… we are now messengers too! We are just passing through Amberpine, but thought maybe we could meet more of the community of messengers."

The sturdy thump of a ram's hooves herald Ace's arrival. She's dressed in what looks like a collection of castoff armor, no tabard in sight. she leads her riding ram to go drink and turns back to wave.

"Ricks! oh, Brannagan, hello!"

Erixa smiles at the newly-arrived dwarf and waves. "Ace! Glad you made it. All quiet so far. And you two know each other already?"

"Well look who et es!" Bran calls cheerfully at the sight of Ace. "Aye, we've met."

"I caught him up on our plan," Erixa says, glancing around to spy any others in haering range. "Since he is Cobalt, and trustworthy. No other messengers around yet, though."

As if on queue, a young man with brown hair and an Argent tabard enters the lodge, handing off a report to the person in charge before settling back against a wall, taking a healthy swig of water. He spots the small Cobalt crowd, and offers a smile.

Erixa looks curiously at the newcomer, clearly recognizing the Argent tabard. She raises one hand in greeting, and says, "Hello, traveler! You have news from the Argent Crusade?"

The young man nods. "You're from Cobalt Company, right?"

"Yes," Erixa nods toward the dwarves. "We all three are, mostly. You know of us?"

He grins, "I don't think anyone in the Argent Crusade doesn't. You've all been a big help, here and in the Plaguelands."

"We always try," Erixa smiles. "Oh! Introductions. I am Erixa."

"Nice to meet you, Erixa," he says. "My name is Brendol Westwind, but you can just call me Bren. My sister is in Cobalt Company."

"Oh aye, Rae," Ace says. "I worked with her a bit in Howling Fjord."

Bran nods affably at all the introductions, with no sign whatsoever that any of these names are sinking in.

Erixa considers that one carefully. "Rae? Rae Westwind… I think I was on a mission with her before. …Any connection to a Barean?"

"Uh…" Bren frowns. "You've heard of my uncle?"

Erixa winces. "You… spoke with him recent?"

"No, not in…" Bren pauses to think. "Sometime before Lordaeron fell. He didn't visit that often. Did…Rae mention him?"
Erixa lets out a relieved breath. "Not that, just. I am sorry for your loss. He is Scourge now, says the Cobalt newsletter."

"Oh. That's… W-well I suppose if he was in Lordaeron when…" Bren sighs. "You know, I kind of hoped he'd gone back to Kul Tiras… Um. So that was…in the newsletter? Everyone knows?"

"I think so, yes," Erixa nods. Then she considers. "Everyone who reads the newsletters." She glances to Bran and Ace to see how common that is.

Bran whistles innocently in a way that makes him seem obviously guilty.

"I am sorry I am one to deliver the news," Erixa says sympathetically. "Maybe we talk about something else? Are you delivering messages to Amberpine?"

"No, no, it's fine, not your fault. I'll just…have to check in with Jenzelle sooner than later." Bren smiles nervously. "Anyway, yeah, I've been back and forth from here to Zul'drak a few times."

Erixa nods. "Ace and I have been mostly from Fjord through here. Which…" Erixa shoots Ace a meaningful glance and turns back to the others. "Any of you know the people in Westguard? We have something of a puzzle, in a message to deliver."

"A puzzle? A message puzzle?" Bren shakes his head. "I don't know anyone there personally, but if I can be of any help…"

Bran's eyes sparkle at the word puzzle, and he seems to be paying close attention to the exchange. "I know pretty much everyone there a' least a little. What can I say, I'm chatty."

"Oh! Then maybe you will know. We have got this message to deliver there, but not sure to who," Erixa explains, a hint of wariness in her expression. "Just someone called J.R. Do you know any J.R.? Maybe someone based there?"

Bran stares into the middle distance, looking as though someone found the off switch to his usual constant motion and cheery exuberance. He doesn't look alarmed, or… anything really. It simply appears that Bran has been put on Pause, somehow.

Bren looks completely blank. "J.R.? That's not a lot to go on. Can you ask whoever gave it to you for more details?"

Expression still blank and distant, Bran murmurs quietly, "Jessie Reynolds… Josens Radath… Jinxi Ratchetwrench…" Then he blinks. "I think tha's it," he says cheerily. "Tha's all the J.R.'s I know in Westguard."

Erixa shrugs apologetically at Bren, and then looks curiously at Bran. "You know three? That narrows it down! I think… maybe our J.R. is a guard? That is a guess…" Erixa trails off, in case Ace wants to add more.

Bran's gaze goes distant and blank again for a moment.

Ace stays quiet, waiting for Bran to recall.

Bren, too, eagerly watches Bran's process.

Erixa touches one finger to a tentacle as she waits, eyes bright with curiosity.

"Josens Radath," he says finally, firmly. "That'd be the guard. A sort o' middlin' fella all around; would never ha' pegged him to be someone of interest, but he's got the righ' initials a' least."

"Hm," Erixa says. "Middling fellow. Doesn't stand out, would you say?"

"No' particularly. This is the ferst time I've given 'im a thought, t'be honest."

Erixa raises one eyebrow. "Well, we will deliver the message then, and see if it's him. It… relates to what we talked about before."

As Erixa finishes speaking, another messenger walks into the Lodge, a human woman in a dark grey dress, her brown hair tied back in a low bun. She gets a drink of water, and then turns curiously to the crowd.

"Lo there, lass!" Bran calls out cheerily as though they're the best of friends. He gives her a little wave.

The girl looks up with a quick, nervous smile that freezes a little when she notices the Argent and Cobalt tabards on display. "Hello, there. Have we met? I'm sorry, if I must not remember if so."

Erixa shrugs. "I have not, I do not know if the others have. Erixa. Are you passing through?"

"Sophie," the woman answers, taking half a step closer. Looking them over, her gaze pauses slightly at Bren. "Yes, on my way to the Fjord, passing through from Dalaran."

Erixa's expression sharpens slightly at the name. "Oh? You head there often?"

"Sometimes," she shrugs. "I'm a trader and a messenger. Lately I've been bringing little toys and trinkets to Dalaran, mostly. There's a call for that, now the portals are open again."

Bren gives Sophie a welcoming smile. "Hello, Sophie. My name's Brendol Westwind. I'm a messenger too. What kind of toys, if you don't mind me asking? From the locals?"

Sophie starts a little at the name, and then shakes her head, and nods. "I mean, I don't mind. And yes, some toys hand-made from the Tuskarr, and some of the more mechanical, clockwork sort as well. Or well, less of the latter, lately."

"I haven't had much time to mingle with the Tuskarr, myself, but I'll bet they've got some pretty neat stuff." Bren does notice her startlement at his name, and gives a sympathetic smile. "Uh…maybe I shouldn't have mentioned my last name? I just found out my uncle is Scourge, so that's…I mean…I'm sorry. He's probably done some bad things."

"Your uncle?" Sophie looks blank for a moment, and then smiles nervously. "I'm sorry to hear that - I guess that's probably a common problem these days. Anyway, I'm afraid I don't have any samples to give, since I just unloaded my goods up in Dalaran… I may try to pass by Kamagua for more soon. They make these cute little animals in wood and bone. Maybe we'll run into one another again, and I can show you."

"Really?" Bren brightens. "Well if we're both messengers, I'm sure we will! I've mostly been working between here and Zul'drak, but I'm planning to make a stop by Fort Wildervar soon."

"I've been going all across the south," Sophie smiles, relaxing a little. "You've got business in Fort Wildevar, then?"

"Yeah, I… The news about my uncle apparently got out in Cobalt Company, and there's this girl, Jenzelle…" Bren's cheeks turn a bit pink and he glances away. "A-anyway, I need to check on her, so now I've got a good excuse."

"Well, I'm sure she's fine," Sophie smiles comfortingly. "They've got things more under control, further from the front. There's the vrykul, of course, but… plenty of military presence. Well, I'd better head on out, I was just stopping here for a bit of refreshment."

Erixa glances at Ace and mouths, Sophie, right?

"It was nice meeting you, Sophie, I hope we'll run into each other again sometime!" Bren gives her a smile and wave.

Sophie waves at the group and heads out of the lodge.

Erixa mutters, once she's out of earshot, "One of the messengers we heard of in Valgarde. They said she comes through regularly."

"Yeah? She did mention she travels all around the south," Bren says. "I think it's sweet what she does, bringing some of the locals' toys to Dalaran."

Erixa nods. "It seems like a good thing to do. Souvenirs for children? I had not thought, but I suppose there is a market. Well, good to meet you, Brendol brother of Rae. I should probably head on my own way as well."

"It's always good to meet folks from Cobalt Company," he says. "You take care, Erixa, and…your friends, too."

"And from the Argent Crusade," Erixa smiles. She waves farewell to Brendol, Ace and Bran, and heads out toward the gryphon master.
Ace catches up to Erixia. "Ricks, we need to keep an eye on her. i think that's a rock solid lead."

"Maybe," Erixa frowns thoughtfully. "She definitely travels, so there's that. But I think we should see about that J.R. first, what he's up to."

"You're right. and soon," Ace agrees. "I'm off to Wyrmrest temple. See you soon?"

"Yes, see you soon," Erixa nods. "Good luck with the wyrms."