Gwen ducked into a small pocket of space on the side of the road to stay out of the way of the jostling crowds. Era was quite busy today despite the fact that it was drawing close to the dead of winter. Everywhere one might look various citizens of every class and social standing were buzzing about like bees. Of course, bees tended to be quite a bit more organized than the crowds of this particular city. Even standing above most everyone in the crowd wasn't helping, as no matter where Gwen moved she found herself being pushed around by those around her. It had gotten to the point where she felt like she would scream to the high heavens if she didn't get out of the unbearable mass of flesh that some called a street. Of course, her pulling off the main road had been for more reasons than her own stress. In her hands she held a finely printed note containing an image of the item she was set to recover for her employers. The image depicted the crest of a rather well known noble family in the city. Her employer, a Rune Knight by the name of Joachim, had called upon her thanks to her developing level of fame in the Rune Knights. He had personally tasked Gwen with locating the lost crest, and turning it in to a gate guard as he was set to move forward on his own task in just two days. The crest depicted was that of a pair of swans entangling their long necks in a rather beautiful pattern that reminded Gwen of a few books she had read over the years on the subject of romance. A blush came over her face as she remembered some of the more intimate scenes from pages long past, but with a shake of her head she returned to the task at hand. The crest itself was supposedly made of a rather expensive and hard to find material, and that made the job all the more important to her employer. Obviously the family did not want anyone finding the crest and pawning it off for a rather exorbitant amount of jewels, there was enough shame to the family name without the crest being on display in a decrepit pawn shop somewhere in the lower wards of the city. Gwen didn't so much care about the family's honor though, she really was just in this job for the reputation and reward. It was hard enough to be working with a hard Rune Knight, but at least Joachim seemed to be worth his salt in some way.

Pulling the leather strap of her backpack tight over her shoulder, Gwen took a deep breath before wading back into the unwashed masses. Now she was a woman on a mission, and to get the job done she readily pushed past those in her way. A short walk later and she arrived in a less crowded part of town where she might be able to get a word in with some of the citizenry. She approached a woman with a nervous smile and politely asked her if she had seen the crest while showing her the picture she had. The woman only shook her head after a quick glance and continued on her way. Gwen sneered at her as she went. Turning to a man just a few steps away she asked him the same question, and showed him the drawing as well. He too answered that he had not seen the crest recently, but Gwen thanked him for taking the time to answer her. Walking further up the street she found an elderly woman sitting in front of a tea shop. Knowing how helpful and kind the elderly could be, Gwen knelt down beside the old woman and held out the drawing. "Have you seen this crest, ma'am? It's very important that I find it quickly."

The old woman pulled down her faded spectacles and gave the drawing a hard look. After a minute she replaced the spectacles atop her nose and gave Gwen a nod. "I saw a shifty looking boy with a bauble like that just a few minutes ago going up the street. If you hurry you might just catch him." Gwen graciously thanked the old woman before taking off towards the direction she had been given. It wasn't long before she caught sight of a very shifty looking boy who clearly didn't want to be picked out of a crowd. Casually strolling up alongside the boy, Gwen grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around. When he looked into her eyes with a stunned gaze she could immediately tell that he was the crook.

"Where's the crest?" She asked with a cool, but menacing voice. The criminal shook his head nervously. "I don't have it anymore, honest. I sold it to a guy named Gaud, he'll buy anything if it looks expensive enough. He's back the way you came." Gwen released the crook and jerked a thumb over her shoulder. Clearly getting the message, he took off in a hurry. She, on the other hand, turned back up the street and made her way slowly back to her previous point. She kept an eye out for any character who might seem like the type the criminal had described, and after a while she caught wind of a man who fit the profile. She ran to catch up to him and moved ahead of him to block his path. "Gaud, I presume."

The man gave her a rather uncomfortable look, clearly expecting trouble. "That's me." He said. Gwen held out her hand, and explained the situation pertaining to the crest she had been sent to retrieve. Upon hearing that the Rune Knights were involved Guad immediately handed the shining crest over. Apparently he didn't wish to provoke the ire of the knights, and Gwen really couldn't blame him. The two then went their separate ways with Gwen making her way to the main gates of the city. Once she arrived she waved down the nearest guard and passed along the crest making sure to tell the guard who it belonged to. After being assured the crest would be returned to its proper owner, and with her reward being passed along to her in turn, Gwen decided to return to the inn she was staying at for her duration in Era. It had been a long day, but she felt certain another one was just around the corner.

WC: 1108