3. A Lightfoot named Gears

A Lightfoot named Gears

  • The Halfling Defence League

    Birth and childhood

    In Luiren, on a sunny Autumn day, the cries of childbirth could be heard from inside one of the wagons of the Slipperyfoot traveling merchant caravan. After a monumental maternal effort by Jinga Slipperyfoot, one more little halfling boy was brought screaming into the world of Faerun. His parents were very proud of their new son, with his big curious eyes, wisps of almost white hair, and the near-constant expression of wonder that newborns are gifted with. With a smile at her husband, his exhausted mother whispered to him: "My little Tando…we'll always take care of you."
    However, as he grew, it became apparent that taking care of Tando was no small feat. Since he first learned to walk he would make daily escapes from his crib, terrifying his mother and father until he was found sometime later in an opened box or under a bed, fast asleep. Things only got worse as he got older.
    By the age of ten, Tando could walk, talk, and was showing a remarkable lack of ethics when it came to other people's property. His fingers were lighter than air, and he didn't see the sense in not taking something if he wanted it. However, after numerous spankings, lectures, and sad sighs from his mother he learned that people didn't really appreciate it when they came up missing their best dagger or twenty gold pieces. So, with some rather flawed logic, he came to the conclusion that if no one SAW him take it, it would be all right. To this end, he began practicing the art of not being seen, sneaking up on rabbits and deer in the countryside when the caravan had stopped.

    His father William Slipperyfoot, unlike Tando's mother, was filled with a sense of pride at his son's natural talents. If Tando was sent to him after being found with someone's coin purse or wedding ring, he would give Tando a stern look, but ruffle his hair fondly once the angered victim had left. Still, William felt a need to instill some sort of morals into young Tando’s head.
    "Son, listen..." His father finally said to him, "The things you do are quite impressive, but you can't go just around taking everyone's things. We, the Hin people, have to stick together. Now, most tallies are fair game, but unless they've really got it coming to them, you DO NOT take from your fellow halflings, all right?"

    Tando, wide-eyed, nodded his head in earnest and promised he wouldn't.

    The Teenage Years

    Once his father had "set him straight", Tando's standing in the caravan went up remarkably. No longer was there an almost endless stream of miffed Hins walking up to William and Jinga's wagon. No more did Tando's mother look at him with sad eyes and sigh.
    He began to spend more time with the other children in the caravan, and quickly learned he was the fastest, most agile of the bunch, as well as the most skilled at remaining unseen. He was always first picked for all the games, earning him many an envious glare. This led him to have more than his share of confidence, twisting his smile into a smirk, and adding a sarcastic edge to his voice.
    By age fourteen, he began to notice the differences between the other young boys in the caravan and the girls. So, armed with flowers and any shiny little trinket he could "find", he set out to win their hearts. Some were more receptive than others, but the friendlier meetings generally ended in another stern talking to by his mother, while the less friendly ones ended in a red handprint on his face. Nevertheless, he persevered.
    His looks were nothing incredible, with the possible exception of his pale blonde hair, never having darkened since his birth. Still, some found his confidence and easygoing manner attractive.

    Age Eighteen-Time To Go

    By the time he was eighteen, it had become obvious to his parents that Tando was not suited for the life of a traveling merchant. But his skills gave them a good idea of what he WAS suited for...
    So, at the next town, Jinga and William looked for someone who would be willing to apprentice their son. They found him, sitting in a tavern and relating a daring adventure (much too daring to be true) to the rest of the customers, who were either chuckling or rolling their eyes. When asked if he would take their son under his wing he looked at them with stern eyes and said:

    "No bloody way in the nine hells."

    When given five hundred gold as a fee, he said with a cheery smile:

    "Sure! After all, what would the world have come to if a halfling can't help another out, aye?"

    In a few days, following a tearful farewell, Tando bid his mother and father goodbye, and left with Derrek Candleblower to begin his career. Derrek's first destination: Mulhorand.

    "There're actually some decent cities there," he said with a grin, "Not that there's anything wrong with Luiren, mind you. It's just very...quaint, y'know?"

    Tando nodded and said he understood all too well.

    Along the way, Derrek helped Tando refine his abilities, and began to teach him some swordplay. They would wake with the dawn. They would wake with the dawn, practice sneaking, and then march for a few hours. When they stopped for lunch, they would follow up with more practice with blades, and then walk for a few more hours. Finally, once they had stopped for the evening, Derrek would take out a small collection of locks, hand some picks to Tando, and not let him sleep until he had solved at least one. He also had a small collection of handmade traps he would make Tando figure out. Tando liked Derrek well enough, but he soon came to realize he was a mediocre talent. Still, he had more understanding of the skills necessary to be a thief, as Tando had none.

    Mulhorand

    Finally, after nearly six months on the road they arrived in Mulhorand. Setting up at a small inn, they started Tando's training in earnest. Every time they went out, Tando was expected to have at least ten purses by the time they got back to the inn. At night they snuck out, testing Tando's ability to remain unseen by stalking any passersby they could find, and breaking into small, less important houses. This continued for two years, with them occasionally switching inns, until Derrek sat Tando down at their usual table in their current place of residence.

    "Listen mate, I think you're ready for a REAL job. Not this messin' around we've been doin'," He said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

    "~Really~?" Tando said with a smirk. "What'll it be this time, breaking into some hovel that has locks, traps, ~and~, heaven forbid, a handful of gold inside?"

    "Don't get smart with me, Slipperyfoot," Derrek waggled a finger in Tando's face. "This is it. Your big graduation test."

    Tando leaned forward, actually interested.

    "Aye? Right then, what do I have to do?"

    "Not much..." His master grinned. "But there's this new clock tower..."

    Tando's First Heist

    That night found Tando sloshing through the streets, heading towards a clock tower and grumbling bitterly to himself. Rain poured down in sheets, with an occasional flash of lightning followed by the crack of thunder.

    "Bloody hell...s'not like it HAD to be tonight, is it? Couldn't be when I'm not getting a bucket of water dumped on my head every few seconds, could it," He muttered, kicking a few stray pebbles.

    Ahead of him loomed a giant black shape, reaching high above the rest of the city's skyline. As he stepped closer, a loud bong came from the top, striking the hour. Craning his neck up in an attempt to see where the tower stopped going up, a look of astonishment crossed his face.

    "Oh, you've got to be kidding me..."

    With a resigned sigh, Tando once again went over what Derrek said he had to do in his head.

    "Listen Slipperyfoot, this'll be a cakewalk for you. All you have to do is...well...get to the top of the clock tower. Word on the street is, some mage or another is stashin' some of his treasure up there. Believe me, anything a mage wants to hide is usually worth gettin'. So get in, climb up, case the place, and grab anything that looks expensive."

    Tando remembered the arrogant look of satisfaction on Derrek's face as he'd said it.

    "Ponce...no one should be allowed to look that cocky..." He muttered with a smirk of his own.

    Setting himself to the job at hand, Tando snuck around the tower's base, carefully looking for an entrance. When he found one, he let out a groan of disappointment. There was a small wooden door under a canopy with two torches blazing on either side, and a menacing looking mercenary complete with plate mail and halberd guarding it.

    "Right then...just going to have to be a little inventive, s'all...," Tando thought to himself.

    Grabbing a small rock by his feet, he hurriedly threw it off to the right of the guard’s position, and smirked satisfactorily when he heard it make a loud clack against the tower’s wall. The guard snapped his head towards the noise and strode off towards it. Moving as fast as his legs could carry him, Tando stole over to the door and quickly whipped out his lock picks. Inserting them into the keyhole, he began to fiddle with the lock, until he heard a click. In the distance the guard grunted, and began to turn around. Silently Tando slipped through the door and closed it behind him.

    “Well, that’s one challenge done with anyway.”

    Then he noticed how far it was up.

    “Oh, bloody hells…” He muttered, and began the long trek up the fifty flights of stairs. As he climbed through tower, sticking to the shadows, his way lit by torches, he was amazed by the clicking and clanking of the gears of all sizes twisting and turning around him. Never in his life had he seen such a display of engineering finesse. He quickly shook off his sense of amazement as he realized he still had forty-eight flights to go however.

    An hour later, Tando arrived gasping at a wooden ceiling, blocking his way up. The only way through appeared to be a metal trapdoor in the middle of the ceiling. Suspicious at the lack of security so far, he approached cautiously, removing his thieves’ tools from a hidden pocket. Intent on examining the door, he failed to notice his hair standing on end…
    One poke at the door later, and a lightning bolt zapped past him, searing the tips of his hair. With a yell he flung himself back, narrowly missing a second bolt that burned a hole in his pant leg. Gasping for breath, he stood in a ready stance, staring at the door…

    “This…had…better be…worth it…” He managed to get out, the smell of ozone filling his nose.

    Once he saw there were no more lightning bolts forthcoming, he stumbled slowly towards the door. Prodding it open with his sword, he peeked his head through to the other side. The room was dark, lit occasionally by a flash of lightning from outside. From what he could make out, it looked to be a laboratory of some sort. Hoisting himself up, he quietly closed the door behind him and lit a torch.
    In the fire’s light, he could see the room was full of tables cluttered with bottles, beakers, tubes, and fluids. Scattered around were various sheets of paper with lengthy equations and formulas. A few small animals were in iron cages. Giving a quick glance around, Tando felt disappointed. There didn’t seem to be anything here worth anything to anyone except some fool of a wizard. Then his eyes fell on an extraordinarily large wooden chest, banded with metal and at least as tall as him…
    All around him the gears whirled and clicked, beating out a steady rhythm to his footfalls as he walked towards his prize, a smirk on his face. An examination revealed nothing to him worth getting worried about. There wasn’t even a lock! Too easy, he thought. Bracing himself, he picked up the lid and heaved.

    “Took you long enough, didn’t it?”

    Derrek sat cross-legged in the chest, looking up at Tando with a slightly annoyed expression.

    “What’re you doin’ here?” A very confused Tando asked.

    “To make sure you did this right,” Grumbled Derrek. “Now give me a hand out of here. That wizard might get back any second.”

    “Oh, so there’s ACTUALLY a wizard, is there? I was beginning to wonder if you’d actually sent me on a real job at all…” Tando griped as he pulled Derrek out.

    “No no no, there’s a real wizard all right. Kind of nasty at that, and I don’t think he’d enjoy finding us here. So, let’s get out of here. I already got what I wanted,” he said, brandishing an odd figurine.

    “You didn’t trust me to get it?”

    “Well, I did, but you can never be too careful, can you?” Derrek said with a wink.

    Walking down the stairs, Tando asked what the figurine was. Derrek replied he wasn’t sure, but he’d been hired to nab it and they were paying him enough that he didn’t care to ask questions. Tando nodded and they continued, until he felt a small shake. It was nothing compared to the next. The whole tower seemed to sway back and forth, with the lightning outside flashing every other second and a constant rumbling, as of thunder.
    With an impressive bang, a wizened looking old man appeared in front of Tando and Derrek in a flash of smoke. He wore a long gray robe and had beard almost reaching his belt. With a wrathful gleam in his eye, his gaze was drawn to Derrek.

    “I believe you have something of mine, little one. Nasty halflings shouldn’t go taking what isn’t theirs…” He hissed.

    “What!?” Tando shouted.

    The wizard turned quickly to Tando, as if noticing him for the first time.

    “You’re just accusing him of stealing ‘cause he’s a halfling? That’s the worst display of prejudice I’ve ever seen!”

    The wizard, looking slightly confused now, directed his full attention to Tando.

    “What are you talking about? He took my figurine!”

    “How do you know he took it? It could’ve been me!”

    “I… suppose so…”

    “Oh, so now I’M a thief!? There’s no end to your racism is there, you bloody bigot!”

    The wizard looked at Tando, now completely befuddled. Derrek looked back and forth between the two, in much the same state.

    “But I saw him take it and…Why am I explaining myself to a thief?” An infuriated expression contorted his face, “YOU’VE TAKEN WHAT’S MINE! NOW YOU DIE!”

    “That’s not what he says…” Tando said, pointing behind the wizard.

    “WHO!?” He screamed, spinning around.

    Sprinting, Tando leaped at the wizard, landing a two-footed flying kick squarely in his back, flinging him forward into the turning gears. His loose robes were quickly caught, drawing him in. With a screech, he quickly started trying to tear his robes free in a frantic bid for life. Tando grabbed Derrek’s arm.

    “Let’s go mate, this is about to get very messy…”

    Turning their backs, Tando and Derrek ran down the stairs full speed, as the crunching of bone and the agonized cries of the wizard chased after them.

    Aftermath-One more goodbye

    Tando and Derrek stayed up the rest of the night once they got back to the inn. Derrek congratulated Tando and said he’d taught him all he could. He told Tando he’d take him with him to meet the people who’d given him the job. It was the least he could do after all that had happened. Also, it would be good for Tando to leave town, as the wizard probably had friends.
    At dawn’s first light they set off. Derrek wouldn’t tell Tando where they were going, though he kept nudging and winking, saying he would like it. Tando rolled his eyes but kept his peace.
    After they had left the city, Derrek turned into the trees on either side of the road, leading the way through. Pushing branches and twigs out of his face, Tando stumbled after. Finally they came upon a fair-sized temple, with a carving of a halfling’s footprint mounted over the tall double doors leading in. Tando stopped and looked at the temple. He recognized the symbol as that of Brandobaris.

    “Derrek…this is who you were working for?” Tando said, a bit of respect in his voice.

    “Yep…this is them,” he grinned. “C’mon, I told the priestess about you. She wanted to meet you if things went well.”

    Walking up to the doors, they knocked and were quickly admitted by more halflings dressed in dark, comfortable clothing. They were ushered into a small meeting room, where a beautiful Hin woman waited for them. Her long, luxurious dark brown hair fell past her shoulders, and the warm smile she gave them reached her warm brown eyes. Tando noted appreciatively how even her loose clothes couldn’t hide a very nice figure.

    “Derek, I trust you were successful?” She asked in a musical voice.

    Dipping a low bow with a grin, Derrek said “Of course, m’lady. But you did say you wanted to see my apprenti-…ah, that is, my former apprentice, didn’t you?”

    She nodded and turned to Tando with an apologetic smile. “Oh yes, I’m sorry. I’m being frightfully rude. My name is Telina, I am the ruling priestess of this temple.”

    Tando looked her up and down and grinned. “Pleasure’s all mine, m’sure.”

    He was surprised slightly when she returned the same look at him, a mischievous grin on her face.

    “Oh, Brother Fen, bring us some food and drink, would you? We want to make our guests comfortable while they tell us what happened, don’t we?” She said, motioning to one of the other halflings, who nodded and walked off.

    Derrek told the story, with Tando interjecting small comments. Telina listened intently, giving Tando a respectful nod when Derrek got to the part about the wizard. Once the tale was done, she smiled that beautiful warm white smile again.

    “Good work, Derrek and Tando. Derrek, please go give the statue to one of my attendants would you? They’ll see to your reward. Tando, as for yours…I believe I left it in my bedchambers…”

    To Tando’s credit, he closed his jaw and reduced his eyes to their normal size quite quickly following this statement. Derrek clapped him on the back and grinned, saying he’d see him in the morning. Smiling coyly, Telina beckoned to Tando and walked through a door. Smirking to himself, Tando followed. All in all, it was turning out to be an interesting couple of days…

    Sometime later, Tando lay tangled in the sheets of Telina’s bed while she traced his wiry frame with a finger. Turning her head to him, she spoke in an earnest voice.

    “You know what Brandobaris stands for, don’t you Tando?”

    Tando nodded, a content expression on his face.

    “Well..have you ever thought of joining the church? We need operatives like Derrek…and ~you~…”

    Tando slowly sat up, thoughtful. He didn’t want to be tied down too much…but Brandobaris was the deity of halfling thieves, and it never hurt to have connections…hells, maybe Brandobaris had been keeping an eye on him all along.
    He turned to Telina with a smirk and nodded.

    That dazzling, warm smile spread across her face. “Wonderful,” she sighed.

    Soon after, Tando got dressed and went back to meet Derrek, who he found lounging around a room filled with couches, sipping on a mug of ale. When he saw Tando he stood up with a grin.

    “Hey mate! Listen…it’s been a great couple of years n’all, but I think it’s time we split. Two rogues together, you know, it’s just a matter of time til’ one of us steals something from the other, right? Besides, I think I’ve taught you about all you’re going to learn from me,” Derrek said with a wink.

    “Right…” Tando gave him a smirk. “You take care of yourself, y’hear? Can’t always be savin’ you…”

    Derrek laughed. “Right mate, right.”

    So, with a final hug, Derrek said goodbye and walked out of the temple, swinging a large sack of coins, coutesy of the church of Brandobaris. Telina walked in and clasped Tando’s hand.

    “Tando, there’s a certain matter of marking that we do to our agents…so if you could please step this way…?”

    Tando turned his gaze from where Derrek had been and nodded. “S’do it so I can get back on the road then, aye?”

    Gears

    The next day, as Tando gathered his belongings he rubbed at the fresh tattoos on his wrists and ankles, each one a mark of Brandobaris’s symbol. With a final shake of his head he sheathed his sword and walked to the doors. Telina was there waiting for him, a happy look on her face.

    “So, our newest agent is ready to go on his travels. I wish you luck, on whatever path you walk.”

    Tando looked at her and thought. He thought about everything he had done. Leaving his family. Derrek. The clock tower, and all the whirling gears and cogs in it. The wizard. The sounds the wizard made when the gears got him. How methodical they were, and did exactly what they wanted, no matter what got in the way.

    Telina looked closely at him. “Tando, whatever are you thinking about? I can almost hear the gears turning from here,” she said with a curious smile.

    Tando nodded to himself.

    “Gears.”

    Telina looked at him quizzically.

    “What?”

    Tando Slipperyfoot turned to her and smirked.

    “S’not Tando, pet…It’s Gears.”

    And with that, Gears turned and strode down the road, heading north, to whatever adventures awaited him.

    Norwick- A new beginning

    Gears sat in the Boarshead, nursing an ale.

    Why the bloody hell did I come to this soddin’ town?, he thought. So…boring. Nothin’ here but a few farmers, goblins, and more bleedin’ adventurers that anyone knows what to do with!

    With a grunt he finished his ale and walked out into Norwick. As always, he saw Lisara walking around. Fine was trying to get his bills payed. Wald was looking for someone to get him some flour. Gears sighed and headed to the fire. Maybe there’ll be some cute Hin girls around, at least, he thought.
    When he arrived, he was disappointed. There were people there, sure, but not any Hins. He plopped himself down by the fire amongst the crowd and laid back, hoping to at least get a decent nap in. His ears perked up slightly when he heard someone across the fire telling someone else their fortune through cards. What a load of rubbish, he thought and rolled his eyes.

    Turning to the man next to him, he smirked, wiggled his fingers and said in a lilting voice, “the fuuuuutuuuure, oOoOoO!”

    The young man was handsome, with pale skin and black hair, dressed neatly in a red robe that tugged at Gears’memory. Throwing up his hands and pretending to be frightened he cried, “Oh please mate, no! Not that! It’s terrifying!”

    Gears snickered and the young man did they same. The fortune teller across the fire gave them an annoyed glance then went back to her work.

    “You're kind of interestin', mate...what's your name?" The young man asked.

    “Gears,” Gears replied.

    “Gears? That’s an odd name…” he said with an arrogant, crooked grin.

    “Oh yeah? And what’re you called?” Gears asked returning a smirk.

    The red-robed man ran a hand through his black hair and spoke.

    “Ikurus…”

    ((I’m level 5, so don’t worry about the xp))


  • Reviewed, XP not pending due to being above level 2.
    (Good story though. 😉 )


  • // Very well done…

    Points to the word Ikurus Hey look i'm in there!

    Maybe you should post this in the tales by the fire 😉

    Very well done for yours first story, mate.

    My compliments.

    😄

    //