First Impressions

JP with Winteroak

It was good to be back on solid ground, Alcuin could still feel the rocking of the boat mentally. He forced himself to blink every few seconds but it didn't cease the feeling of phantom movement. After completing a document stating his name and occupation Alcuin continued to the place he had been directed: the Oak Cup.

The Oak Cup was a pleasant place, more upper class than the harbour watering hole he had stayed at before leaving for the New World. After getting a room, gathering his bearings, and getting a little more information he was directed to the nearby keep.
It was only a short walk to the Keep, once there Alcuin waited patiently for someone to meet him.

An older woman with short gray hair and a scarred face meets him in the Stoneshade Keep courtyard. Alcuin had seen quite a few others with a similar uniform which he had presumed to be some sort of city guard. Tabbard on her left arm marks her as a sargeant. She looked at him as if taking his measure and wrinkled her nose at Alcuin.

"Two months in a ship and you couldn't wait an hour or so to take a bath?" She said moving to the bounty hunter's left so she was downwind from him. "You the bloodhound they talking about? Alcuin Centric?" She asked.

"That is I. You'll learn I am not one to hang about."Alcuin replied sternly.

"Yes, I can see that..." She replied wrinkling her nose at him. "Anyways usually you would report to Sir Zane and he would set you straight." She continued. " Thing is he is not around so you stuck with me" she turned and asked the bounty hunter to follow her.

A few minutes later they were sitting across a small wooden table in a common room the city Guard appeared to use as some sort of base.

"You are the first of your kind to come to Ostiarium. I thought it would be a few years before bounty hunters would come..." She started still trying to get a measure of the newcomer.

"These sort of ventures require people of my profession. I'm sure there are more than enough runaways that my practices will help deal with. I'm surprised I'm the first."

Carter nods at him. "It all comes down to jurisdiction. Not every Ostiarium citizen is a citizen of the Empire." She said. " Now before we get you all set and make this formal how many commissions are we talking about?"

"Fifteen." He replied quickly.

Carver whistled loudly. "Hoi's sweet peach." She was impressed. She made a few notes in her ledger. "And if you were to collect all of them how much with these commissions be worth?"

"One thousand five hundred to about two thousand," Alcuin estimated.

Carver's jaw dropped. As did the quill she was using to make notes. "I'm in the wrong business." She muttered.

"This is above my pay grade." She tells Alcuin. "The Duke will want to meet you." She looked at the weary traveller. "I will arrange an audience with the Duke Stoneshade for tomorrow. Go rest, take a bath and come back tomorrow at midday's bell." She suggested.

Alcuin nodded and said his goodbyes, after a little time absorbing the air of the new world Alcuin made his way back to the Oak Cup. He paid for a warm bath where he rested his tired sea-stricken bones for a good hour, it was glorious. This new land wasn't as bad as he had anticipated - so far.