Snow FitzSilver 01 - Employment in Westfall
The fellow people called Snow FitzSilver crouched on a tree branch overlooking the road which went from Goldshire to Lakeshire through the Elwynn Forest. Snow was on his real name,but when he had been taken to the Stormwind Orphanage during Winter Veil after having been found in an abandoned building at Southshore, his snow-white silver hair leading naturally to his nickname applied by the other children made a certain amount of sense; if he knew his true name, he wasn’t talking. His last name was granted when an unafflicted Gilnean paladin from Pyrewood made an application to become Snow’s legal guardian. Dayn FitzSillver, the paladin known as Griffoclaw felt a keen kinship with the boy, having himself been orphaned by the depredations of the mad sorcerer Arugal.
Snow had been taken from the Orphanage and raised by the Griffonclaw’s gnomish and dwarven clan-friends in Ironforge, where he was given an education and taught the rudimentary weapon skills all dwarven youth were taught. At sixteen he returned to the streets of Stormwind, working at finding employment. Snow had a talent with knives, and became a personal security assistant for Lieutenant Horatio Laine. Laine was a senior Stormwind investigator assigned to investigate several crimes, and Snow had been assigned to canvas the local homeless near the Jansen homestead, which has occupied by squatters.
Snow had approached several of the homeless squatters that day. Most of them told hilton “get lost”, if they said anything at all. Finally, he approached a woman in a dirty brown dress that had clearly seen better days.
“Excuse me, miss… may I ask you some questions?” Snow had asked, smiling gently.
“Oh, the big hero has arrived. I'm saved! Yea, right... “ the woman had said, her words dripping with bitter sarcasm.
“Did you happen to see or hear anything when those folk here murdered?” Snow asked, ignoring her sarcasm.
“Well.. for two coppers I might tell you what everyone has been saying… for a silver, I’ll let you take me back to your camp and tell you anything you might want… feed me, and I’ll keep you plenty warm tonight?” She offered, looking Snow over from head to foot, and deciding that she could do much worse.”
Snow had not seriously considered her offer, but gave her a handful of coppers. “Just tell me what you can, Miss.” and had listened while she told him all of the rumors she had heard - the gnolls had done it, the murlocs had done it, that it was part of King Wrynn’s plan to force the homeless from Westfall and seize the land for his soldiers, and other unlikely things.
“Do you believe any of that?” he finally asked,
“Not a word of it.” She glanced around, to see who might be listening. “Here, come with me over to that hill and spread your cloak on the ground.”
Curious, he nodded, and let her take his hand and lead him to the hills near the river that acted as a dividing line between the Elwynn Forest and Westfall. He spread his cloak and she reclined on the soft, thick fabric. She pulled him down next to her, and leaned over to kiss him. “Nobody will be suspicious about two young folk kissing after you gave me a fistfull of copper” she whispered.
“That wasn't’... “ he began, but she cut him off with a gentle kiss.
“I know… but around here, there are plenty that would… Every week, agents from Goldshire come out to find girls who will do anything for a pretty dress and regular meals,” she said, her voice sad. “I want to get out too, before I get to that point - if I stay, it’s only a matter of time before the Brotherhood takes me to be their plaything anyways.”
“The Brotherhood?” asked Snow.
“The Defias Brotherhood.. Bandits who wear the red mask - they say they wear it to symbolize the blood shed by the oppressed, but they are the ones victimizing the people in Westfall and Elwynn, not the King. They are the ones… well, lets just say that rape and murder are the least of their crimes. They killed those poor people, not the murlocs or gnolls or the King - but they also feed us sometimes in Moonbrook, so people don’t rat on them - and if a Defias takes a fancy to you, you either give them what they want or they’ll take it… sometimes a whole gang will take you ‘under their wing’ and make you their leman, serving the whole group whenever they get an itch.”
“Do you have any proof?” Snow asked.
“That is always the problem isn’t it. Nobody will grass, out of greed or fear… that’s why I want out, but not by way of Goldshire. Take me anywhere else, and I’ll gladly keep your bedroll warm - I’m not a professional, but I am not some blushing virgin, either. I’ll keep sweet, and smile when we part, maybe in Lakeshire…” she offered.
Snow made a decision. “How do you feel about Ironforge… My guardian has a house there, and he can use a housekeeper. You don’t have to keep my bedroll warm, nor his either - he’s a paladin.”
“Your guardian is a dwarf?” she asked.
“Well, no… it's a long story, but you could be safe in Ironforge,” Snow confirmed. “And paid a fair wage for something which needs doing. Snow was determined to write to his “Uncle” Griffinclaw that night, appraising him of her plight; he had no doubt that Griffonclaw would be glad to help; more than once he had told Snow “We can’t fix all the evils of the world; but the job of a paladin is to fight back the Darkness, one soul at a time”.
The next day he resigned from assisting the Stormwind investigator and headed for Ironforge.
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