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Post by Victor Marko Kane II on Sept 20, 2006 17:33:31 GMT -5
Along the side of the busy market street, a simple, two-story smithy sat, with a sign labeled Kane Smithy hanging above the open street-side wall, and a smaller sign simply labeled Training below a dagger. From inside, a moderately large and bulky man could be seen, and heard, hammering out pieces of metal like there was no tomorrow, along with a woman over to the side of the building, vigorously haggling with a farmer over a few tool-heads. This was complemented to the rapid crack crack crack of wood connecting hard with wood from behind the wooden shop. There was an audible yelp, and the sounds of practice stopped briefly, until there was a loud, and recognizably male, howl. A girl in her late teens shot through the back of the shop and onto the street with remarkable speed, stave in hand, giggling all the way, and was followed shortly by a man even bigger than the smith, favoring on foot above the other, and notably without a stave. He was also bellowing some rather colorful thing and harbored a vengeful look in his eye. The smith stopped his work briefly and shook his head before going back about his work, laughing merrily. "No bloodshed, now, Victor!" The woman shouted after the hobbling pursuer.
As he picked his way through the crowd, he eventually found the girl, though it was because she took a swipe at the back of his head, which he narrowly dodged, and ran off giggling. The giggling was cut short abruptly as an acorn-sized stone sent her sprawling as it bounced off the back of her skull. The man kneeled over her as she blinked at him in a partially stunned state. "And that, dear girl, is why, should you stab someone in the back, aim for something more debilitating than the ankle. And never underestimate projectiles. There, you see? You learned two more valuable lessons today." He said with a grin as he hauled her to her feet and gave her a good shove back towards the shop. "Now go help your father!"
He grinned again and shook his head as she slowly walked to the shop, rubbing the back of her head the whole way. "Kids these days…" He sighed as he grabbed the stave from off the ground and rubbed his ankle as he was bent over. He made his way to a baker’s shop, using the stave somewhat for support as he stepped inside; that girl had gained a good swing, aparently, though it didn’t help that she’d hit him squarely with the metal tip. "Bor, my friend, what is that I smell?"
"Ah, Victor, just in time! Biscuits, fresh out of the oven." The baker replied jovially as he set a plate of steaming biscuits on the counter. He grinned as he noticed the stave. "I see you’re still doing well teaching them to fight dirty. She’s taking after you more than her father, it would seem."
"Pffh." Came the sour reply. Victor dropped a few coins on the counter and grabbed a handful of biscuits. There wasn’t much need to ask the price, the baker hadn’t raised his prices in ten years. The large man walked back out of the shop and back towards the shop, a biscuit between each finger on one hand. Just another day in the life of a discharged officer; hand out a few lessons, deal with the antics of a teenager, and grab a few biscuits for lunch. Well, it was the beginning of a day, at least, he still had the rest of the afternoon and evening to deal with. Which meant a few more lessons, and more antics.
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Post by Lady Mel on Oct 29, 2006 14:39:21 GMT -5
A Frisian mare, about 14.3 hh trotted along the street, her rider looking up and down the streets for a place to stop and get a bite to eat, they'd traveled a good long ways and a long while. "Dreamer, this looks like a nice town, I think we should stop here for awhile." the rider said, and patted the horse on the neck.
The rider, looked to be around the age of 16-17, and her hair was blackish brown and came to her shoulders, she wore simple peasant's cloths, colored black to match her long cape, and hand made black boots. She carried a sword that hung from her belt on the right side and a quiver of arrows and bow strapped across her back. The horse sported all black tack, which seemed to be invisible against her black coat.
"whoa girl!" she shouted as a group of kids rushed by in front of them, spooking the mare, the horse reared and dumped the rider off before bolting down the street. "Come back here! They are only children!" the girl shouted after the horse. "Ye' kids need to watch where ye're goin'!" she then added, as the kids disappeared around the corner.
The girl got to her feet and brushed the dust from her skirt and cape, she stared down the street, after her horse, "I'd better go get somethin' to eat. She'll be back." she then thought to herself. She then saw the baker's shop and made her way to it.
She opened the door and walked, smells of fresh baked goods wafted through the entire shop, " 'Ello. I'd like whatever's the freshest please?" she then asked, as she neared the counter. She then reached inside a small bag that hung from her belt and brought out a handful of coins and lay them on the counter, the baker then put them in a bag and exchanged them on the counter for the coins. "I think ye' kindly sir." the girl said as she started out the door.
Just a little ways out of town, her horse slid to a halt and whirled around then headed back into town in search of her owner, and almost plowed through a group of people, including the man headed to the smithy, she then whinnied loudly as she saw her owner and slid to halt just in front of her. " There ye' are, I knew ye'd come back to me." the girl said as she walked up to the horse.
The horse nipped at the bag of fresh baked goodies "Un-uh. These are mine. I promise I'll get ye' somethin' soon girl. As soon as I can find a place that sells feed for ye' that is." she then added and looked around, she then tied the bag onto her belt and climbed aboard her horse and started up the street.
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Post by Victor Marko Kane II on Oct 31, 2006 0:08:50 GMT -5
Victor walked slowly back to the smithy, leaning somewhat on the stave, and whistling a slow, low tune he'd collected from his many travels at one point or another. He weaved his way through the crowds with the practiced ease of someone who'd been in a city for awhile. He nodded to someone he knew as they passed eachother, paused, swore, dodged off to the side of the street with one foot as a horse came plowing past, staggered, clipped someone, and went sprawling into an empty cart. Biscuits went flying in several directions. Victor brought a hand up lightning-fast under a falling biscuit, caught it, fumbled it a bit, and closed his grip on it. He muttered a muffled curse, and rolled himself over the side of the cart, landing with a thud, and picked his stave up off the ground.
Sometimes, accidents just seemed to follow him on a regular basis. If the beginning of the day was any indicator, this was fixing to be one of those days. He sat down on the weel of the cart and surveyed the damage and those less fortunate than himself. One had leapt into a fruit-stand, rather messily, and another had collided with the side of a wagon; he didn't appear to eager to pick himself up off the ground, either. A dog slipped through the crowd, making off with one of the scattered biscuits, shortly followed by a street-urchin for the same purpose. The old war-horse contemplated throwing something nearby at them, though the only things nearby were a biscuit and a stave. The stave would do to much damage, while the biscuit was still salvagable.
The heavily scarred trainer rubbed a hand across his stubble-lined jaw for awhile, before standing up about the time as the horse came back up the street, this time alot slower and mounting a rider. He surveyed the mess around him again, shook his head, and sighed as he rubbed his side where he'd collided with the edge of the cart. He pressed the stave to the ground, huffed in annoyance, and started back towards his shop again at the same half-limp, muttering something about 'wild animals running amok'. He'd just give a few students an extra lump or two after this. Best way to relieve tension; it was both satisfying, and someone gained knowledge from it.
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Post by Lady Mel on Oct 31, 2006 1:56:35 GMT -5
A slow misting rain started down, as the horse and rider made their way up the street, people scurried in to buildings ,like small animals to their dens. "Great this is goin' to be another rainy day." the girl told her horse, the horse snorted and shook it's head. "Ok. we'll stop somewhere." she then added, she then turned the horse and they went down an alley way beside the smithy "A blacksmith's shop. There should be a stable near here." the girl thought to herself.
She halted the horse, under an over hang on the back of the building and dismounted, she then tied the reins to post there and leaned against the wall, waiting for the rain to stop. The horse dropped it's head and began grazing on the grass at her feet. "I hate days like this." the girl said quietly and patted the horse's neck, the horse answered with a snort and continued eating.
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Post by Victor Marko Kane II on Nov 1, 2006 20:27:38 GMT -5
Rain put the kibosh on many outdoor businesses, but the smithy was indoors, and as for Victor...Victor considered rain something that made combat conditions a little under optimal. Under optimal was good; sure, it was better to fight on a flat area, on a dry, sunny day, but how often did that occur? Combat never happened when it was convenient. It was better to teach students to fight in the rain and have them suffer now, than have them not be able to fight in the rain and die later because of it. The muscled tank stood in the middle of the open patch of ground behind the shop, bare-chested, blonde hair pulled back into a pony, and sporting his sword strapped across his back, letting the rain soak him as it did the grass below. He actually liked rain, and also preferred it for fighting, because he knew how to handle himself in it better than many.
With a quickness, smoothness, and grace that surprised many who'd seen him actually fight unarmored, he drew the sword, and began weaving it through the air in a powerful, though agile, manner as he waited for his scheduled students to arrive, roughly a half-hour later.
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Ferthis, wife of a blacksmith, which showed noticeably in her lean, though fairly well muscled build, hard face, practically tied up brunette hair, decidedly un-womanly and delicate hands, and simple, work-efficient and work-stained attire, walked out the front of the shop with an empty leather carry-sack, basically a leather disk with handle on both ends which was folded over on itself and filled with objects, and then around the side of the building, and into the moderately-sized shed behind it. She came out a few minutes later, sack filled with metal rods and wooden shafts, and stopped as she spotted a horse that she was sure hadn't been there before. And it was tied to her building, and it definately didn't belong to her. She approached the animal warily, stopping again as she spotted the rider beside it.
"Hello? Lookin' for somethin', miss? Can I help you?" She inquired as she stepped under the overhang roughly ten feet from the horse and its rider, easing a small door open with one arm and dropping the sack inside. She dragged a hefty pair of calipers out of the door and onto her shoulder, and shut the door again, looking back to the woman expectantly with a set of hard, though not particularly unwelcoming, hazel eyes.
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Post by Lady Mel on Nov 2, 2006 2:17:14 GMT -5
"Aye, that I am. I'm lookin' for a place for me an' me' horse here teh stay. We've traveled a long way an' are teh tired to go any farther. " Mel then answered, with a sigh, "I'm sorry if we're intrudin' on ye'r property. We're just tryin' teh get outta the rain that's all." she then added "We can leave if ye' don't want us here." she then untied the small bag of baked goods from her belt and offered them to the women "Here this is all I have, but, if ye' want money I can get it for ye'. If ye' let us stay until this rain lets up." she then said, and smiled.
The horse looked up from grazing and shook her head sending water cascading off her mane and all over the two women "Dreamer! Did ye' have teh do that?!" Mel asked, glaring at the horse. "Oh where are me' manners name's Melanie Rosewood, Or Mel for short, an' This 'ere's Midnight Dreamer, Or Dreamer for short." the horse snorted, as if to say hello then lowered her head and returned to grazing on the dry green grass.
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Post by Victor Marko Kane II on Nov 21, 2006 3:16:47 GMT -5
Ferthis shook her head at the proferred bag and chuckled lightly. She doubted the girl was a long-time city-dweller. "No, no, you don't need to be bribin' me, child. Your welcome to stay till the rain lets up." She said, waving the girl towards the back door with her free hand. "The name's Ferthis, Ferthis Kane, a pleasure to meet you."
She turned and nodded at an enclosed stable next to the tool-shed she'd just come from. The stable held four stalls, two of which were occupied by a pair of Percherons; one solid black, the other a reddish-brown. "Your welcome to leave Dreamer here in there while you stay. You can let yourself in the shop afterwards. Speak with my husband, the smith, tell him I'm letting you stay, an' he'll take care of you from there. Just be wary of the big fella' with all the scars in the yard behind the shop, the old man can be cranky when he hasn't eaten properly." She said in a joking tone. She turned, adjusted the calipers, and started towards the shed again. "If you'll excuse me, I have to go use a tool improperly."
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Maxamillion pulled the piece of folded steel from the furnace, nodded approvingly, and dropped it on an anvil with a clang. He grabbed a hammer and started beating on it again, delivering a few aimed blows, flipping it, hitting it where needed, flipping it again, and so on and so forth in the fast pace of someone who's been doing the job for a very long time, muscle flexing, veins standing tall, sweat dripping, and the waist-length blonde hair tied in a braid flipping back and forth across the bare back. Max didn't often make swords, as they weren't exactly in high demand, but someone was graduating Victor's class today, and he was getting an arming sword for a good deal because of it. Max wasn't sure why he wanted an arming sword, but that was his problem, not Max's.
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Post by Lady Mel on Nov 21, 2006 13:11:43 GMT -5
"Aye I thank ye' kinddly Ferthis." Mel answered, then nodded and untied Dreamer then lead her to the stable, she opened the door and and the horse inside. Dreamer greeted the two horses with a friendly whinny, as she was taken into a stall, Mel closed the stall door and looked back at the horse "I'll be back to get ye' after the rain lets up." she then said, petting the horse's nose. She then turned and left the stable, closeing the door behind her, and headed back to the shop.
She opened the shop door and walked inside, "Excuse me sir?" she asked Max, not really wanting to bother him, because he seemed to be busy, "I just stopped here to get outta the rain an' ye'r wife told me I could stay here until it lets up." she then said, not really knowing what to say, she walked quietly over to a chair and sat down, she then took a few of the baked goods from her bag, luckily her cape had kept them dry, she sat there eatting the food and waiting for an answer, as she wasn't sure if he'd heard her or not.
(((Sorry this wasn't a very great post. I couldn't think of much to write.)))
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Post by Victor Marko Kane II on Nov 25, 2006 3:39:24 GMT -5
"She did? Right then...yeh can either stay down...'ere till the wife comes...back, or yeh can...'ead upstairs by means...of the stairs to yer...right an' make yerself at 'ome...not as loud up there...less smoke...too." Maxamillion replied between hammer-blows, never stopping to raise his head or slowing his pace. He paused, banged on the piece of steel again, grabbed it with the calipers, and dropped it in the furnace with an annoyed look. "I dunno' where they found this stuff, buts it's the worst metal I've ever worked with. Iron from 'ell, I swear." He muttered to himself. He paused and glanced at the door leading into the back yard as a resounding thwack sounded from out back. He snorted in mild amusement and went to a stool with a stack of wood next to it, where he grabbed a knife and started whittling the sides down, making several long shafts from each stick.
Another resounding crack sounded from outside, followed by another, then a yelp, and then the sound of something large bouncing off the back door. Max turned and shook his head. "Tryin' to break my soddin' door down, dirty buggers. Hit the beams, not the bloody door! Idiots. Students. Young people. Can nobody fight these days? What's the world comin' to." He muttered to himself as he continued fletching. It was hard to tell sometimes whether or not he was honestly annoyed, amused, or both, and he was doing very little to make it easier now.
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Post by Lady Mel on Nov 26, 2006 23:39:22 GMT -5
Mel jumped at the sounds from outside "No I don't think they can, although I'm not a great fighter me'self so that's not sayin' much." she then said, "I think ye' kindly for lettin' me stay here. That's awfully noble of ye' an' ye'r family to open your home to strange travelers like me'self." she then added, with a chuckle, and cringed as another loud noise came from outside. "Fightin'? In the rain? Isn't that a bit dangerous?" Mel then asked "I mean it's hard to see in the rain an' ye' might end up hurtin' ye'rself more than ye'r foe." she then added, with a grimmace.
Dreamer stood in the stall across from the two percherons and whinnied at them, hoping tey'd answer, she wanted to be friends with them, she pawed the ground at her feet trying to get their attention, then whinnied again and still no answer. After awhile she gave a disgusted snort and turned around, her rump faceing them, and her head faceing the wall behind her. She'd rather look at the wall then two stubborn males that wouldn't pay any attention to her, she thought.
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Post by Victor Marko Kane II on Dec 10, 2006 5:01:29 GMT -5
“No worries there, young’n, Kane’s are hospitable folk, always have been.” Max replied as he eyeballed a shaft. “Well, usually, anyhow. The brother can be a bit…irritable at times, at least when he’s crossed about politics or the military; might be better to steer clear of those subjects altogether. Safer that way. Less vocal abuse.”
He paused from his work and gave Mel a wry glance. “Aye, dangerous as hell, but that’s not gonna’ stop Vic. I think he may even enjoy it some. ‘Sides, nobody ever goes home without a lump or two when training under that slave-driver. They learn more this way. He always keeps himself one step above his students, so they aren’t down afore they learn anything, and so they still challenged enough to learn somethin’. Rain’s just another lesson in his mind, the lunatic. Eh, he’ll catch ‘em though, ‘fore they hurt themselves too much. It's also why he's doin' it, so they can deal with rain in the future.”
There was a loud thunk from outside as a small trapdoor opened and a pair of large calipers dropped through. A few seconds later, Ferthis came in through the back door, muttering foul things about some contraption as she heaved a sledgehammer onto her shoulder, turned around, and went back outside. Max quirked an eyebrow up, sighed, shook his head, and went back to fletching.
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The two drafts eyed the new horse wearily, and the one went back to ignoring her, and the other kept a watchful eye on her. They were too old to be bothered by a horse wanting to be friends. Eighteen and twenty-one, to be exact. Arkthankand, the elder of the two, snorted and grabbed another mouthful of hay from the manger, while Mzuleft went back to keeping an eye on Dreamer. Kids could never be trusted, after all. Kids just got into trouble, and got you involved in it if you weren’t careful about it.
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Post by Lady Mel on Dec 11, 2006 2:50:50 GMT -5
"Aye, I'll keep that in mind." Mel answered, she then jumped at the sudden sound or the doors, calipers, and Ferthis, "Well I'm gonin' to stay inside where it's dry an'warm." she then added, after Ferthis had disappeared through the door, she stood up and took off her qwiver of arrows and cape and leaned the qwiver and bow against the wall, then hung the cape over the back of a nearby chair, before returning to her seat. "You don't buy swords doyou?" she then asked "I have a sword here, but, I mainly just use a bow an'arrows...I've never really been the greatest swordswoman." she then added, as she took the sword from her belt.
"The handle is pure gold an' the blade is that of the finest silver you'll ever see...I don't remember how I came to own it though, or it's history or origin." she then added, the light from the fire danced across the silver blade and the golden handle gleamed in the light as well.
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Out in the barn or shed Dreamer could feel the stallion's gaze, and turned to face them once more, she stood stareing at them for a long while, then nickered at them, as if to ask "Who are you? What's your story? and where are you from?" it didn't bother her what these old men thought of her, it was a new place and they were a potental new herd.
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Post by Victor Marko Kane II on Dec 13, 2006 5:35:06 GMT -5
"Judging by the look on the wife's face, you may be the only one who's dry shortly..." Max said flatly as he set a shaft down and turned around, and grabbed a pair of calipers from the anvil. He picked up the piece of steel from the furnace with them, eyed it over, and dropped it back in with an irritated look. "The stuff doesn't heat worth anything, I swear...at least it holds it well, if nothing else."
He turned back to Mel with a more business-like expression and tone. " Aye, that I do." He paused as she held the sword up, and took a moment to wonder how she came into possession of something like it. He shrugged mentally and looked it over once from where he was. "Well, I have to say, you wouldn't do so good with that in a fight anyways. Better suited for display, not combat. Firstly, the gold's too bloody heavy for a good handle, and that blade...heh, let's just say, I've seen silver blades cleaved in half before. It's just too soft, unless you're hunting werewolves."
"On the upside, however," He began as he took a step closer and held one of his thick and leathery hands out, "It should gather a pretty penny. May I see it, look it over? I can give you an estimate then."
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Ark let an eye wander back to Dreamer, snorted in a way to say "I'm too old for this...", and shook his head irritably, before laying down in his stall, the walls blocking his view of Dreamer and hers of him. Mzuleft continued eyeing the newcomer, gathering as much as he could from his less than perfect vision, though he made no reply. He hadn't much of a voice anymore, not since he'd met the wrong end of an armor-piercing arrow. The scar in the side of his neck barely showed anymore against the well-kept reddish-brown coat, but it still showed; the scar it left on the inside, however, wouldn't be healing any more. He stamped a foot instead. Ark looked up at him idly, and whinnied in a grudging welcome to Dreamer, though he didn't stand. Mzuleft blew air through his lips in a "What he said".
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Post by Lady Mel on Dec 15, 2006 14:23:52 GMT -5
"Aye, gladly." Mel answered, and handed Max the sword, "It is quiet heavy for someone like me as well. I agree it'd make a great display, but, when one doesn't have a home to display it in, then it's no good, an' I could use the money more than a sword." she then added, with a sigh.
"If there's anything that needs to be done? That I could do I'd be glad to help." she then said, with a smile, "I get bored easily, so I try an' stay busy as much as possible. With the way I get bored so easily, ye'd think I was a child." she then added with a laugh.
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Dreamer wached the two for awhile, then answered the welcome, with a "Thank You." whinnie, and an "I won't be any trouble." she then stood quietly, listening to the pitter pat of the rain outside, waiting for it to stop and Mel to return. Not to fare of, in a stack of hay, rose a small flame, the hay'd been wet and was brought in to dry. Someone had most likely been in a hurry and forgotten about it catching fire, as it dried out in a warm place, the tiny flame grew until the entire room of hay was in flames.
The smoke and flames began to move towards the stalls were the horses were, and dreamer caught the sent and the saw the flames, she whinnied franticly at the other two. She then streatched her neck over the door and removed the pen that held it latched and kicked the door open. She then walked over and opened Ark's stall door and then Mzuleft's before going to the main enterance door.
After she'd reached the enterance, she turned and looked back at the two old stallions and whinnied, she then turned around and kicked the door hard enough to send it flying open. She then escaped out into the yard and galloped away from the flameing barn. She didn't stop when she reached the shop, she blew past it and disappeared into the distance, leaving Mel behind.
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Post by Victor Marko Kane II on Jan 4, 2007 20:13:59 GMT -5
"Hmm..." The blacksmith mused as he took the blade. He hefted it, tossed it from hand to hand, and swung it in a slow, lazy arc. "Well, from the weight of the gold...this should keep you afloat awhile. I'm willing to offer...two-hundred an' fifty gold for it. That's more than twice what I'd buy a pure silver longsword for. It's a pretty good price for it, and I doubt you'd find anybody else in town who'd buy it. Still, you're welcome to try and haggle, though you may find I'm a bit quicker than I look." He said with a sly wink.
"As for what you could do...well, you could go see what that wife of mine is destroying with that hammer. Or, you could go out back and have Victor 'entertain' you." He said with a grin, which was accented by a few curses barked from the area behind the shop. "Granted, you may get caught in the crossfire if you get to close."
He reached for his fletching knife, stopping as a whinnie echoed from the stable to the side of the shop. He brought his head up slightly. It was followed closely by several loud curses from a woman, before another whinnie and a crash. He watched as the horse shot by shortly afterwards. "What the hell...?" He turned and ran to the back door, opening it and going through without stopping, and very nearly slamming headling into Victor, who neatly dodged his brother without stopping his all out sprint to the burning stable. The two drafts had calmly, though quickly, exited the building and were standing in the muddy training area, snorting and huffing. Ferthis was already by the building, not trying to stop the blaze, which was a lost cause, but making sure the building it was attached to, the tavern across the alley from them, didn't catch fire as well.
The shirtless and soaked Victor shot back into the shop with surprising speed, grabbed a wood-splitting axe, and shot back out, not even aknowledging the newcomer. When he arrived back at the stable, he went to work collapsing it out into the alley so as little of it would be touching the tavern as possible, leaping close, taking a bite out of a frontal beam with the axe, and dodging back quickly. Several people by now had formed a crowd and had started the semblance of a bucket-brigade, using buckets of water combines with the rain to keep the blaze off of the tavern. Victor shot in, swung hard enough that the axe ambedded itself halfway into a beam, and dodged back out, leaving the axe, as the structure fell forward into the alley with a crash. Those with buckets continued to watch the blaze, keeping the blaze in place on the crumpled structure, while the sweat and rain-soaked, ash peppered, and smoke-blackened Victor sat in front of the fire, heaving, letting the rain wash him of the heat and the grime.
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