A picture of the man's face formed in the blind girls head, noises helping her determine the curves and edges of his features. His face was simple, one that would easily be forgotten. Still, Tunka made note to not forget. He seemed off.

Her hand clenched into a fist as he placed the coin into her palm, and she promptly pulled her hand back to her side. "I'm sure you were," she responded blandly, clicking her tongue. "Maybe you should stray from crime if you're so easily caught." She made a gesture to her blind eyes, a slight smirk pulling the corner of her mouth.

She dropped the coin into the poorly stitched pocket of her cloak, her white stare still focused on the strange man in front of her. "I'm not quite sure why there are so many Valorians around, but you lot should be a bit more careful. Not many will be as kind as I am." Her comment wasn't particularly threatening, but still expressed her distaste for the Valorians. There was no reason for them to be in the few alleyways that the Karsetheens still had.

Pursing her lips, Tunka simply shook her head at the man before turning to make her way back to George and their stall.
 
Later that night, under the cover of a navy-blue sky studded with white stars, a cloaked figure scurried along the outer rims of the Water's Estate. He hurried along a well-worn servants path, leather boots treading softly as he continuously looked around for anyone that might be noticing him. Despite the late hour, the individual was all too worried about getting caught by any Valorian guards. Skulking about the property of one of the most powerful men in Karseth would not be taken lightly.

He spotted what he was looking for, a small rusted gate hidden by the low-hanging branches of a two large willow trees on either side of it. Back in the day, when this land had been owned by a Karsetheen, the gate would have been one of many built to allow easy access to visitors coming from any side of the property. Most had been removed though (Valorian's values security and privacy), this one clearly forgotten by all those except the Karsetheen servants who now worked here. He had been promised it would be unguarded and the cloaked figure was all too happy to find out that his inside source had been right about the lack of men at the entrance.

The tall figure slipped inside, careful to remain hidden in the treeline surrounding the expansive estate, before looking around for the wooden barn-stable where he would meet his informer. The building in question was easy to locate after a walk around the perimeter, the few windows it had lit by the flickering of an oil lamp hung securely on a wall where it stood on the back of the property. The man stepped inside, pulling down the hood of his cloak once he was certain that there was no one but the woman he had come to see.

Maggie sat in the corner of the hay room, keen eyes ever watchful. She heard the man before she saw him, saying quietly, "Took you long enough. You were not followed?" The man nodded, taking a seat on the stool opposite her. "There was no border patrol as you said." The woman smiled, white teeth glinting in the dim orange glow offered by the limited lighting. "Tonight is a holiday for most Valorians. Back in their own land, it is a celebration of harvest. Seasons are different there. All the men will be out drinking and merry-making." She became more stoic, stoic eyes looking the man over as she rested her arms on her knees. "What news do you have for me?"

The man knew how this worked. He told her tidbits of information and she gave him some in return.

"The rebels are struggling. As you know it is illegal as a Karsetheen to own anything but a small pocket pistol, so obtaining weapons is proving difficult." The woman sat straight, hands folding neatly in her lap. Her posture spoke of someone who was once powerful, in a past time. It was true, Maggie had once lived in a house like the one she currently worked in. She had been the aging wife to a wealthy merchant in better days. Her family had worked hard and done right by the folk who had lived here...but when the Valorians had come though, that had all been taken away.

She furrowed her brows, lips pursing while in thought.
"Have you tried the tunnels? The old mine shafts. At the start of the war two decades ago, some independent military forces began hiding weapon stashes there when the invaders started confiscating weapons. My husband did so." She uttered the last sentence with a taint of sorrow. Speaking of her husband always brought back a sting of pain at remembering his death during the fighting.

"No, we haven't. Knowledge of that was lost with most of the soldiers. It will be helpful, thank you." The man leaned forward, steepling his hands after placing his elbows on his knees. "What of Councilor Waters? Any new information?"

Maggie sighed, her eyes narrowing as she spoke. "He's beginning to hear things. You lot need to be more careful, more secretive. He's going to begin implementing night-watches in the Karsetheen living areas if things get any more serious. That will really put a damper on any plans we're trying to make. I saw two Valorian men today, one if which might have been a spy if I saw his uniform correctly...he was walking away before I could get a proper look at him. That means that they've begun to notice enough that they think investigations are in order." Her tone was sharp, almost condescending. Like a mother telling off a naughty child.

The man breathed in deeply, holding the air in his lungs for a moment before slowly releasing it out his nose.
"I'll report back to the rebel leaders. Tell them to sharpen up." He stood, knowing they were already past the allotted time the two had agreed to talk. The less time he spent here, the less likely it was that their meetings would become noticed. The male pulled his hood back up, climbing onto the ledge of the window behind where the older woman sat. "What of the girl? Your charge? Does she suspect anything? You know that she'll need to be dealt with when this rebellion comes into being."

The woman looked down sadly, eyes creasing in the corners as she grimaced.
"She'll be out of Karseth soon if her father wishes to have his way. A list of possible suitors is already being made. If she's still here when the time comes, I'll...I'll make sure she won't be a problem."

Satisfied with that answer, the man descended out the window and was soon engulfed in the darkness of night.

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The next day, Azayla was awake with the coming of dawn. The house was quiet as a graveyard as she dressed and pulled on a cloak, sneaking off out of the kitchen back door after grabbing an apple. The fruit was sweet and filled her with a giddy excitement as she left the property out of the same gate the unknown man had used just a few hours prior. Maggie had shown it to her yesterday, explaining that it was a quicker route from where they had come from to get into the estate and would be easier on her creaking joints.

Aza had begun plotting her early morning walk then already, secretly rejoicing at opportunity of escaping away from the planned morning of having the neighbouring children over for a late brunch. She knew she couldn't be gone long enough for it to be noticed, but she wanted time to think and be herself before she was paraded around and expected to make small talk about frivolous matters.

The young woman strolled through the willows that bent and swayed, taking the path down to the main road while speckled sunrise-sunshine warmed her face. Once there, she walked a short distance towards the ocean. She was looking out for a broken down fence that indicated a rocky path down the seaside cliffs, the path leading onto the beach near her home. The more salty the air became, the more excitement filled the young Valorian female.
 
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The rest of the day had gone by peacefully. No more Valorians crashed the marketplace, and Tunka had gone to bed without thinking twice about the events that had transpired by her stall.

She had woken early the next morning, as usual, and was walking down the empty street. The morning was the best time for her to wander. There wasn't as much noise, so she didn't need to worry about overwhelming her senses, and there wasn't as many people that would stop her in the street to talk to her. Karsetheen's were very friendly with one another, but Tunka wasn't much of a fan of talking to people. Except George, which is only on a good day.

The young woman followed the sound of screeching gulls, her dark coils loose around her cloaked shoulders. Her cloth hung around her neck, an odd necklace when she wasn't needing any sort of ear protection. Though the sound of seagulls resonated uncomfortably in her skull, there was no need for it so early.

She reached to the side, her palm brushing against the cold stone of the houses near the shore, slightly damp from the spray of the ocean as the morning waves crashed against the large rocks at the edge of the beech. She'd always found it rather odd that there would be buildings so close to the water, but they'd been built years before. If they could withstand the Valorian army, then they could withstand the storms.

Her feet, strapped in old leather sandals, hit the sand soon enough, little grains rubbing against her toes. It was cold, lacking the heat that came with the sun, and felt nice against her skin.

In only a few moments she'd padded to the water, and stood, feeling the cold water lap against her feet. It was relaxing, but it only lasted for a few moments. She thought of the growing tensions between the Karsetheen's and Valorian's, the idea of joining the rebellion having been shoved to the back of her head days ago when she was contacted about it. A blind girl would be quite the unusual member; no one would expect her to be part of a revolution. The idea enticed her, but she still wasn't sure. She'd need a bit more convincing.

Tunka once again shoved the idea to the back of her mind and plopped down into the sand.
 
Brandan awoke the next morning. His apartment was darkened and he waved his hand, his magic lighting the few lamps in it and illuminating the large penthouse. he stumbled around, searching for food and finding none, his rewards and pay from the Valorian military still a few weeks away, which only came as a reminder that he had got away with what he had done far too easily. He decided he would take a walk, a walk around the city that he fought to take from these poor people who now had nothing but their homes now, their nation taken by his former kin.

he walked through the streets, nodding to the occasional citizens, he found himself walking past the manor of the woman he had assisted the day before. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the very woman on her way out of the manor. he wore his shining armor which wouldn't help with stealth, but he decided to follow her, flashing his gold ring at the guard's he passed, none of them questioning his authority. he followed her down the path until they came within sight of the shore and he ducked, watching her over a crest while she walked.
 
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@Day

The girl wandered down the city paths, avoiding dips in the road and snagging branches as she located the cliff-side path. Although the route was treacherous and rocky, her agile steps and careful eyes helped her meander down to the beach. There, she removed her shoes and held them in her hand, thankful to find that she was alone with naught but the seagulls and washed up shells on the white sand.

She began her walk, heading towards the harbor which was not so far off in the distance.

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@Ailis @Korelle

A man's voice in the distance would catch her attention, the masculine speech echoing from the edge of where the harbor of the city began. A small crowd had begun to gather, chattering among themselves about what he was saying. The man was not shouting or making a scene, rather speaking to the people who had assembled near him.

"We need to do something about our wages. Since the Valorians have taken charge over our work hours we have seen little increase yet the price of things keeps rising. I feel that there needs to be a petition or something drawn up or else we're all going to stumble into the very depths of poverty..." People mumbled and nodded their heads, fellow Karsetheens all too aware of the difficult times he spoke of.

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@TheGreenerGrey

Wherever the man had slept, he was being sharply tossed and woken by another of the Valorian Guard. "Get up. There's a gathering on the docks. We...or rather you...need to go down and take a look at what's going on. Break it up if necessary."
 
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"Yeah yeah." Came the reply from behind the man, as the once undressed Daniel waved goodbye, now fully clothed and scratching himself. Great. He had thought that by sleeping in this backwater inn he would be able to get a full night's sleep. Just goes to show that the Guard is a lot more loyal and his superiors a lot more dedicated to making him partially miserable (or even more so, really) than he had expected. Still though, he would remember that guard's face.

The docks, huh? Well, talk about a stereotypical meeting place. But he supposed it was the best available, due to the rather loud yet sealed lips nature of dockworkers.it would be good to know a bit more about what's happening than the word 'something', but he supposed that as his job.

Looking at the files he had requested, he made sure to remember the names of those two he had met earlier. He had thought something was out of place, and this information proved it. A recently discharged Knight of Valoria, Brandan Ambre, the reason for why he was doscharged blotted out. The other, Azayla Waters, was a bit more interesting. Talk about a public figure. Daughter of the councillor Waters, just wandering about unguarded in a Karsetheen marketplace? Something wasn't right. Hopefully, he would find out what soon.

First however, he would need a change of clothes. These robes were good and all, but if this turned out to be some sort of meeting he would rather NOT be in the typical Valorian Spy garb. It was a good thing, then, that the docks never stopped flowing with booze. Once he reached the place, it took only a handful of minutes to subdue a drunkard in some back alleyway and leave the man shivering in his underwear, futilely hiding from the sea breeze.

Now dressed in the man's loose white shirt and baggy leggings, all it took was to nab a scarf and a hat from a nearby pub entrance and to smear a little bit of dirt on his face for the look to be complete. In these hours, he would be indistinguishable from anyone else here.

Now, time to see what was going on.
 
@MJK2431 @TheGreenerGrey
Brandan followed the girl further down the shore, and after a while he was getting a sense of where she was going and a made a shortcut to the docks, running into a drunk and what looked to be a man dressed only in his underwear. he handed the nearly naked man his cloak and lit a fire in the alley, nodding to him. when he exited the cold alley he spotted a man that took a hat and scarf from unsuspecting citizens. he recognized his stature and he decided his trademark armor was only going to get him in trouble, so he ditched it, leaving it with the now slightly warmer drunkard, pursuing the man as quietly as possible. "where are you going?" he whispered to himself, nearing the place where he planned to 'bump' into the girl.
 
Tunka hadn't heard about the gathering taking place that morning, so she was surprised to hear a man's voice begin speaking of unfairness the Karsetheen's faced. She noticed he didn't mention anything of the growing rebellion. Maybe he wasn't part of it, but it was more likely he was just smart enough to know not to bring it up in a place so public.

She pushed up onto her feet and brushed the sand off of the palms of her hand by rather awkwardly slapping them together. Then she began to make her way toward the gathering. There wasn't exactly anything else going on, and she'd always support Karsetheen rights, even though wages were probably the least of her concern.

A picture of the crowd formed in her mind, and she recognized most of the people there. "Tunka!" A voice called to her, and the young girl immediately recognized it as George and went over to him. They continued to listen to the man speak.
 
Azayla heard the commotion too as she got close enough to the harbor, pulling her cloak closer around her before pulling the hood up over to cover her head. The female was curious by what was going on, finding the gathering of Karsetheen people somewhat out of the ordinary and definitely worth investigating. After pulling on her shoes she joined the throng of people, remaining careful to keep her appearance as hidden as possible. However, for those looking for it her stature would be different from those around her. She carried herself regally and to the trained eye this would be easy to spot.

The man spoke a little louder, noticing that his words were reaching more ears. "We break our backs day in and day out. Our families are going to start going to go hungry if things don't start improving. I'm not saying we need to cause a ruckus, but attention does need to be drawn to this problem. I'm sure everyone has felt their struggle growing greater. I for one can't spread myself anymore thinly in terms of finances. I do honest work...so I think that deserves honest pay."

@TheGreenerGrey @Korelle @Day @Ailis
 
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Brandan had found the group, watching as his first target, the councilor's daughter walked into the throng and the girl from the market who's eyes were milky and unseeing. he shook his head blinking and thinking to himself about how connected they all seemed to be in this strange place. his clothing although not as recognizable would mark him as a knight, the tightly woven chain mail glittering under his thin white tunic and his leather breaches sporting metal plates. he had lost the spy somewhere in the alleyways so he decided to follow the noble into the group, hoping to get an answer from her as to what was going on.
 
Stepping from around the corner, Daniel watched as the Knight-in-what-was-supposed-to-be-a-disguise looked around, before heading into the throng of people.

It had been fortunate that the man hadn’t understood even the basics of following someone, even if he had been lucky enough to spot Daniel before his disguise was complete. But now that he was done, with a cap replacing the hat he had taken and a stooped, world weary posture, he was certain he wouldn’t be recognised.

Speaking of recognition, Councillor Waters’ daughter may as well be waving a torch around naked with how well she seemed to be fitting in. Granted, most around her were more concerned with the borderline-rebellious nature of the conversation, but still. A posture such as that, with beauty unmarred, in the middle of a crowd such as these animals? It was as if the sun had decided to make an appearance in the middle of the night. His superiors will definitely want to know about this.

Weaving his way through the crowd, not even requiring himself to use his power, Daniel makes his way to the front just as the man finishes speaking. He would need to try and dig more information out of here.

“An’ ‘ow do ya think we’re gonna ge’ those posh bastards ta give us that, eh?” He says loudly, voice perfectly adopting that stereotypical drawl of the docks.

He can say what he wanted about his job, but the skills were worth it.
 
Her ears spotted what her eyes could not, and the young woman grabbed onto her friends arm, pulling him down so she could whisper in his ear. "There are Valorians here." She kept her voice low so that no one other than George would hear it. It would do more harm than good if the crowd got angry over the unwanted Valorians there.

Tunka decided to do her own intervening, but she chose to ignore the woman. That lady wasn't doing much, and there were no weapons she could detect. The man, however, was wearing chain mail. He was a knight, and that put her on edge. Who knew what he'd do?

She dropped George's arm and ignored his hand, which reached out immediately to hold her back from pushing on through the crowd to find the Valorian. "I'll be back soon." She muttered to him before making her way to the knight. As she got closer, she could hear the sounds of his armour, and her uneasiness heightened considerably.

Once she was in a close distance, Tunka reached out and tapped the man on his shoulder. "There is no reason for a knight to be here," she grumbled so only he could hear it, her voice laced with disdain.
 
he turned, smiling and whispered to her "while I may be a knight I am not a Valorian like those dicks in their manors, I'm here to help you" he lifted his hand, showing her the ring he wore on his right hand, the gold shining brighter than most jewelry did. "the sun is a symbol of hope, and right now I need to get out of here with my charge before all hope is lost for these Karseethans" he turns, stepping away towards the council member's daughter when the man shouted out from the crowd and he turned toward the noise, warily checking all of the faces he passed.

@Ailis @TheGreenerGrey
 
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Myka and her cousin Tobin were up before the sun to get ready for the journey back home. While the farm wasn't that far away from the city, traveling near night wasn't worth that risk. Especially with whispers of a rebellion. That's why for the pasted few months they stay the night after the twice-monthly visit to the city.

While Tobin was settling the bill with the innkeeper, Myka went to check on the cart in the stables to check that everything was in order. They wouldn't be leaving right away like they normally do but leaving in an hour and a half. Tobin informed her as they got ready in their room that he had an errand to run before they left the city. He said that she could come with him if she wished, stay at the inn or wander around and meet back here. Myka chose to wander around a little, as she rarely gets the chance when they come to the city.

Living more inland for a majority of her life, Myka decided to go see the ocean. She has got glimpses of it and can smell the faint salt in the air near the market but hasn't gotten to fully see it. Slowly making her way towards, she takes in the city that would have been her home had things been different twenty years ago. Somethings she can't imagine growing up here and not on the farm with her cousin Tobin. Thankfully, a loud voice in the distance distracts her from those thoughts which are never a good road to go down.

Her interest peaked, Myka changed directions and went towards the voice. From what she could hear, it didn't really concern her or her family but it was still interesting to know how others are fairing. Finding some stacked crates, Myka makes her way up on them to get a better view of the man and the crowd. As she settles on the crate, a flash of something catches the corner of her eye. Blonde, just a little peaking out from under a hood. From the height and some of the build that she can make out from under the cloak, it's the same one from the market yesterday. *What is she doing down here at this time of day?* And by herself. Myka thinks, doing her best to follow the hooded cloaked figure in the crowd.

A different voice from the crowd draws her attention away from the woman, losing her in the crowd. *Damn*, Myka thinks as she tries to find the young woman again. She slumps when she can't find her again. Her brain finally kicks into what she was doing and reprimands herself. *Why the hell am I interested in what she does?* She thinks, shaking her head and resolving to forget about the blonde young woman. *Not like I'll see her again or talk with her.* Myka thinks to herself, going back to listening in on what is happening with the crowd.
 
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@TheGreenerGrey

The man talking to the people turned towards the man disguised as a worked, his one brow rising at the sudden interruption to his unplanned speech. "We'll do it nicely of course. No need to cause a lot of ruckus and chaos. I've lost too much already to the Valorians in the last war to risk losing even more with another." His words were honest and simple, the pain he had felt during that time of suffering evident in his words

@Day @Korelle

Aza felt the presence of a hulking individual behind her, the girl spinning and surprised to see the familiar face of the guard there. She pulled her cloak closer around her, elegant brows furrowing before she spoke.
"Why do you keep appearing? I thought the trouble I got you in yesterday would be enough of a deterrent that you would avoid me at all costs." She glanced around nervously, realizing that if the knight from the previous day had seen her, then there might be others capable of recognizing her as well. In her scanning of the crowd she noticed a girl towards the back looking straight in her direction, eyes almost boring into her skull with how she stared.

@Ailis

More people were joining the throng, Tunka getting jostled by men and woman wanting to either see what was going on or try and see who it was that had talked back to the worker that had spoken up in the first place.
 
"you stand out more than anyone in this crowd, how could I not find you?" he shook his head slightly and looked down at her smiling deviously "you didn't think I would leave the most valuable daughter of Valoria alone did you?" he leans in closer "the answer is no, the rebels want me to nab you and take you to them, I was hoping we could do that now before our spy friend decides to get you first" he reaches for her arm, speaking hurriedly as he finishes his sentence, the ring on his finger glowing bright and sparks escaping from it's stamped sun on the face.
@MJK2431
 
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Myka scoffs at the first man's reply, things like these never end peacefully. Not with who is on the other side of the bargaining table. Keeping an ear on the discussion being had, she turns to scanning the crowd. It wouldn't do to get caught up in anything if Valorian Knights decide to break up this gathering, no matter how peaceful it may be at the moment. At the first sight of armor, Myka is heading back to the inn. *Which a should get back to soon.* She thinks, just as her eyes land on the hooded blonde woman she had lost in the crowd.

She also noticed one of the men from yesterday but he didn't look the same. He was without his armor but on a closer look can still tell that he was Knight. Taking in his body language, Myka can tell that he was following the hooded blonde woman. Something didn't seem right about and it unsettled Myka. She knew two things from the situation. One, the young woman was high born from the way she held herself and the clothing. Two, the man following her is a knight. Both of those things can go together but the way the knight was acting made them not go together.

Going against better judgment, Myka decides to keep an on them. She watched them walk further into the crowd but then suddenly the woman turned around to face the man. The woman didn't look happy to see the knight, furthering Myka belief about him. She sees the young woman say something to the man and then look around the crowd. In what felt like time slowing, her eyes lock with Myka's.

Myka's whole body tenses at being caught staring at the woman. It was too late to look away now that she had been caught. Even from this distance, Myka can tell the woman is nervous. Clearly, the young woman was uncomfortable in the presence of the man. Her fist tightens at her side when she sees the man reach for her arm.

Even though she has never had too, Myka's mother told her from a young age to defend someone if you saw them in trouble. *Don't think she included Valorian's in that.* Myka thinks, debating with herself on what to do.

For a second time this morning, Myka goes against her better judgment. *God help me.* She thinks as she jumps off the crate she was on.

@MJK2431 @Day
 
“Nicely? When have tha Valorians responded to any sort of protest with anythin’ but violence?” Daniel demanded, getting into his role now as people began to look towards him. Despite this however, he made sure to keep an eye on what those morons were doing, hoping against hope that none of these peasants were smart enough to realise just what they were. It would not do for a councillor’s daughter and a former Valorian knight to end up in either a gutter or Headquarters.

“Tha momen’ we do anythin is the momen’ tha nobles sic their attack dog Knights on us an’ those not even related. Wha’s the plan for then, eh? Give ‘em a hug while they take wha’ li’le is left?” He says, making sure his voice takes on a slightly nervous tone. These people obviously weren’t directly underneath those in the rebellion, but most likely knew something about it.

Hopefully he would be able to guide the topic towards the Rebellion, and end up getting an in into the organisation. If it meant just adding a few more Karsetheen to the list of the condemned, it was no skin off of his back.

He just had to hope those two didn’t fuck everything up for him.
 
The man was a bit taken aback, unable to respond in a way that was neutral and without some hint of distaste for the Valorian people. The other man's words were true and he couldn't deny that. "The knights cannot be stopped friend. There is naught for us to do but try and reason with the councilors and ask for them to try and change. Attack...was something that we have tried and failed at. What do you suggest we do if such action is necessary?"

Azayla was confused by the man's words, her brows furrowing as she tilted her head curiously.
"You insist on trying to help me when I am not in the need of it currently. I have never known Valoria, I might be a descendant of the people there but Karseth has been my one and only home." The man's word had shaken her up, the girl looking him up and down. She turned her attention back to the other man who had spoken out, eyes squinting as a streak of familiarity rushed through her. Have I seen him somewhere?
 
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Now this was useful. Giving Daniel the lead in the conversation? It was as mistake, but one beneficial for him. Now he was in charge of this topic, and could direct it with greater control. Thank you, you absolute gibbon. "Tha reason we lost last time is becaue they were be'er than us, no denyin' it." He starts, trying to choose his next words carefully as his turns his face at an angle away from where the too bright noble was peering at him. Just don't cause any trouble and ruin this for him girl!

"Bu' now... The same cannot be said. We have access to wha' they do now, their machines and their weapons of war. Sure, they have their knights, with their Karsetheen polished armour. Bu' we have our own ways of fightin', made to fight them, an' the advantage this time 'round. We 'ave time to prepare now, somethin' we didn't before. If done righ', we have a chance. A real chance." He continued his semi-speech by holding his ars out at the rest of the crowd, even while his heart was repulsed at the traitorous words spewing forth.

"And before you lot all call me some sort of moron, I know you've heard the rumours. We all 'ave. There are others, people who agree with me and can actually do somethin' about it." He says to the crowd, before returning to look at the man who spoke originally. "And yet you wan' to have us come, begging and scraping, to their doorstep for things that are ours."

Come on... Come on... take the bait you lot!
 
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