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[Kayla]

Kayla wiped her hands on a cloth she had tucked into her small belt before pulling out the list. She didn't want to smudge it with ash and then not be able to read it. Kayla knew how to read. Not every skaa learned this skill and she was proud of it. The head of the kitchen staff at Keep Ewing had zeroed in on this ability right away. Along with Kayla's tireless work ethic and basic familiarity with the duties of a house skaa her most valuable skills were reading and the few basic letters she could make. That morning the woman had given Kayla the list she now held. Keep Ewing was in constant need of supplies. All the houses were. She wasn't allowed to carry money of course, but it was a simple enough matter for her to go to the market place and submit and order that would be charged against the House's tab. The merchants could then be paid while delivering the goods, all without taking anyone useful away from their daily tasks.

She stepped into one shop breathing in the rich aromas of various spices and noting a wide variety of foodstuffs. Each place Kayla was expected to go was written down for her, along with instructions on who she was to speak with. At the counter a grizzled older man was speaking quietly with another skaa servant. She didn't want to interrupt so Kayla stepped over to a corner where she could wait well out of everyone's way. Absently her fingers traced the seems of her skirt. It felt good to be clean again, wearing clothing that, while standard fare for skaa, at least wasn't so ash stained that it could never come clean. Under her breath she hummed faintly. One of the wonders of Keep Ewing was the music they played there. Sometimes, if she worked hard and was very quiet Kayla could find a room or hiding spot near to the rooms occupied by nobles and they often had music.

Outside the ashfall was mild. The shop window gave her a good view of Kenton street. It was bustling and busy as always. Kayla was still amazed by the number of people in Luthadel but having a task made it easier for her to cope. Across the street she noted several children dashing through the crowd. One tripped on a rock and knocked into a nobleman. Kayla felt her breath catch. The nobleman turned, glaring at the child. She couldn't hear what was being said but the stormy look spoke volumes by itself. Unconsciously, without being aware really of what she was doing Kayla touched the small well of power in the pit of her stomach. Immediately she heard a faint thumping. It was like hearing a sound that was just at the edge of her ability to perceive. It wasn't coming from the boy, or even the nobleman. Kayla couldn't place it but it filled her with an icy sense of dread. She never knew what those sounds meant -- there were several different kinds, but she didn't understant them -- however they were always trouble.

[Ignas]

Ignas gave a gesture to Nessa, signaling her to turn off her pewter. He had little time to babysit the two of them, especially Nessa. There had only been one full day of Nessa inside the rebellion, and this morning wasn't much better. But, on the other hand, Ignas needed her somewhat trained before Ball night. The rebellion would need all the help they could get that night.

"I hear one," Ignas whispered to Maks and his fellow Smoker from Lan's shop, Pax. "Turn off your copper."

Pax looked at Ignas, hesitantly, and Ignas glared back, unamused.

"You see, Nessa," he whispered, "I must have them turn off their copper so I may locate the Allomancer unimpeded. You and Maks will covertly seize the skaa once I have it located the man. So no, it cannot be anything like that encounter where we got you, not with these noblemen around."

[Nessa]

"Covertly," Nessa repeated, working the word as though trying to determine what it meant and what to do about it. "You want me to covertly seize a person. With all these nobles around.

"You remember when you found me the other day?" she asked. "That was me 'covertly' trying to get something to eat."

[Ignas]

"You make a valid point. Maks. You lead, Nessa will follow you if something goes wrong. Nessa, no talking. Maks. Persuade the skaa. Gently.

"Now, Maks, you know what to do. Look respectable, and then in a moment when I appear without my hood, look afraid. One moment."

Ignas sighed, and strode down a nearby alley. He waited for his insurgents to clear the way, then threw off his cloak, revealing his bald, tattooed head. Fortunately, in the time when he moved between Farmost Dominance and Luthadel, some loyal Ministry contacts of his obscured his markings. Few would recognize Ignas immediately, and obligators would need more than a passing glance to analyze them.

He walked back out onto Kenton Street. Once his mind was calm, he burned bronze.

Bronze was a tricky metal, particular since Ignas was a rebel. He needed to only use a short burn, and in that split second, he had to locate the Allomancer precisely. Not an easy task, but Ignas had done this for years, and knew what to do.

The skaa was a Seeker. Fortunately, the thrumming was almost immeasurable. That meant it was no noble Seeker, but someone who had no idea about their ability. A Seeker would be extremely useful in the attack on Keep Casuana.

Extinguishing his bronze for now, he walked confidently towards the source. People would know from his tattoos that he was some prominent obligator, so it helped to look powerful. He went into a small tailor's shop. Well, at least this skaa will be right at home at Lan's shop. Cursed tailors. I'm sick of clothes. Then again, it did help that someone could patch up his clothes after dealing with a lot of fire the night before.

The people inside stared at him, perplexed. It was good for them to fear him. Quickly, before whichever skaa it was vanished, he burned bronze. Immediately he located the one, right in the window.

Ignas shook his head, as if he was disgusted, then worked his way towards Maks. "Shorter, female skaa, with red hair. You can't miss her. Now go. Pax shall be in reserve. I shall meet you back at the shop." He clenched his fist, hopefully showing some anger to any bystanders, and then he walked away from Maks.

Emotion. It was hard to do. Good thing fire made it easier to coax anger out. Tomorrow, at the Ball, it will be time.

[Maks]

Maks nodded silently as Ignas rattled off his instructions. He turned to Nessa as Ignas walked away from the group to locate the skaa they had come to find, "Training go well with Perrin?" he asked curiously, glancing over his shoulder to check on Ignas. He noticed that the obligator had his hood down, and blatantly turned back around to ignore the presence of the prelan, a 'nervous' expression firmly planted on his face.

He glanced over his shoulder again and couldn't see Ignas; the obligator must have stepped into one of the nearby stores to pin down the person they were seeking. But no sooner was Maks about to turn around again, then Ignas walked out of the shop and menacingly stalked over to the small group. Maks turned around, putting on his best intimidated/scared silly face as Ignas reported, "Shorter, female skaa, with red hair. You can't miss her. Now go. Pax shall be in reserve. I shall meet you back at the shop."

And with that Ignas made his way through the crowd away from Maks, Nessa and Pax. Maks laughed briefly as he watched the obligator go. Acting, in any way, shape, or form, was not Ignas' strong point. He did a good enough job though. "Well, we ready?" Maks turned as if to start walking to the shop, then paused and turned back around, "Remember, Pax, hang back, preferably outside the entrance to the shop, and no talking Nessa,"

So, with the pair in tow behind him, Maks crossed the busy street and made his way into the shop. A tailors shop apparently, he noted as he entered the room. He would have to come back another time and do some inspection on the work being done here. For now, he made a point of not looking too close at any of the stitching knowing if he did that he'd be completely distracted. Which was probably the main reason that he rarely came on operations like this.

He spotted the girl that Ignas had described easily enough, red hair wasn't all that common. Approaching her would be a matter of delicacy though. Spooking the girl and causing a scene would be a bad thing. But then he noticed she was holding a list, and appeared to be able to read it. That could work. He pulled out a piece of parchment that one of the maids in Lan's shop had given him earlier regarding some things they needed for their food supply. And now to do some acting.

Maks stared down at the paper, doing his best to look confused by what was on it, then after a quick glance behind him to make sure that Nessa wasn't causing any trouble, made his way over to the red-haired young woman, "Uh... 'scuse me miss? But I was wondering if maybe, you could help me with this?" he held out the parchment to her, "I'm not sure what all of this says, I can read flour, sugar, and eggs, but that's all. I don't want to miss anything on the list, had enough beatings this week. Don't fancy another."

[Nessa]

"Well enough," Nessa said in reply to Maks's question, giving an unenthused shrug. "It was..... interesting. I learned a lot." That was certainly an understatement.

It was, however, the last thing she was able to say before Ignas came back, an then she was following Maks into the shop. It was easy enough to spot the girl Ignas had found; there weren't any other red-haired females around at the moment.

She checked her pewter supply as Maks approached the girl and began talking to her; even after training all day it still amazed her to have such a wealth of power available to her at pretty much every waking moment. Hopefully she wouldn't have to use it, though; she was still learning, and catching the girl with her Pewter burning might hurt her.

She would just have to watch what happened, though. Perhaps the girl would listen to what Maks had to say.

[Kayla]

The air shifted slightly as a man walked over to her. He was clearly skaa, and holding a list just as she was but he appeared to be puzzling over the words as he approached. She took a breath trying to keep her heartbeat calm. Strangers always frightened her, although other skaa were not nearly as terrifying as the nobility. She listened attentively to his words, and nodded slowly. He probably only knew a few letters; it was unfair to give him a list and expect him to be able to get everything but his masters -whoever they were- would never see it that way.

She bit her lip. "I...will try," she said softly. Kayla was beginning to do better at speaking where others could hear but it wasn't easy. Now her voice came in a nearly choked whisper. She took the parchment from him, scanning the list. It was simple enough. "Flour," she echoed. "Eggs, sugar, basil...a small slab of beef.." She spoke slowly. "Will you be able to memorize it if I tell it all to you?"

[Nessa]

She can read....

Nessa didn't know many skaa who could read. It was an impressive feat; such skills were usually reserved for nobles and Terrismen. If you could read, you instantly had pretty much any job you wanted.

Nessa wasn't sure to be jealous or not. This girl seemed like she'd be frightened of a sneeze, but at the same time.... what would Nessa's life have been like if she could read?

That said, she shouldn't worry about that now. Focus, Nessa, she reminded herself. I'm part of a crew now, and this is a job. I need to watch this girl, and how Maks talks to her.

[Valkyn Venture]

An inquisitor watched from the lip of a nearby roof, black mask obscuring his spikes, and black hood obscuring the lack of eyeholes in the mask. He was hidden by the lip and a nearby column to all but the most wary eye.

His role here was passive. observe. he could do that.

It was a pity Elena wasn't here right now.

She always enjoyed the pretty colors of the dresses. She liked yellows and reds especially.

He could almost see her trying on the dresses. He burned bronze, and Elena was there. He couldn't see her, but he could feel her heartbeat.

He wondered if she could feel his, too.

[Maks]

What a nervous little creature she was. Maks nodded a few times, "I'm sure I could manage that," he said with a hint of a smile on his lips. "It's amazing you can read all of that. You're very lucky," he paused, "And special."

He wasn't sure how to continue with her. If he pressed too much or introduced himself and what he and Nessa were too bluntly, she was likely to bolt or cause a scene. Neither were options. Well, there was always the option of leading her back to the shop with false pretenses and then revealing themselves to her there where a scene wouldn't matter as much. In fact, any scene this skittish girl caused wouldn't be half as bad as what had happened with Nessa at the meeting.

For now, he would just talk with her a bit more, hopefully it would calm her down enough for her to consider leaving the shop with them. "Where did you learn to read? No skaa we work with can read anymore than what I could off of that list."

[Kayla]

A light pink flush made it's way up her face. She was unaccustomed to compliments. "Well," she stammered weakly, "it wasn't...really any one place..I knew a few letters but I used to dust the library, and.." Her eyes shot around nervously. "I suppose I just...kept trying until I could sound out the words on the cover."

She inched back a little further from the front of the store and said in a low whisper, "More of us should read, I think." Her heart fluttered rapidly at the boldness of the statement but she doubted that the shopkeeper was paying any attention to two skaa talking in the corner - not while he was still working with a customer. She dared to look up, trying to gauge the expression on the face of the man and see if he thought her to bold. Plantation life hadn't been ideal but she had known people there. Here she was alone and never knew what to say to anyone.

[Maks]

Maks's lips twitch into a quick smile. That was a rather rebellious statement. And he definitely felt the same way; more skaa should know how to read. Perhaps someday they would, but it wasn't quite as important as getting out from under the oppressive reign of the Lord Ruler. And to do that, they would need more people willing to make statements like the one the girl had made.

"I completely agree with you, miss," he paused for a moment, then made a small start, "Forgive me, I've completely forgotten my manners. My name is Maks, and this," he gestured to Nessa standing behind him, "Is my good friend Nessa. I'm glad we stumbled across you today. It's not often that you can find a friendly face in the masses of Luthadel."

[Kayla]

She stole a quick glance at Nessa. So far the woman hadn't said a word. At least she didn't seem to be the source of the faint pulsing. Kayla could still feel it there in the background. She glanced back out the window but didn't see any obligators. She took a deep breath willing the sound to stop and like a candle going out the steady beating was simply gone. She exhaled, and managed a tiny smile that was quickly gone as she turned her attention back to the shopkeeper. He was still busy.

"I'm Kayla," she said quietly. "I was starting to think that there weren't friendly people here really...it's very different - " She gulped, cutting herself off. What are you doing, Kayla? Are you trying to get yourself - and worse the people who helped you - killed? "That is to say...I mean, that....I..."

[Maks]

Maks studied the girl carefully for a moment. Different from what? Luthadel was certainly different than what he had known in his home town. Perhaps she too had been forced to find her way to the big city. Maks leaned closer to the girl, glancing to either side of him to make sure no one was listening, "You aren't from here either, are you?"

He tried to smile reassuringly. When it came to dealing with people in general, Maks thought that he was fairly easy to get along with, to trust. But he rarely had the opportunity to test himself and see if he was, in fact, as likable as he thought. Maybe the fact that he could relate to her being a stranger to this massive place would help her to warm up to him a bit.

[Kayla]

"Either?" She whispered raggedly. Her eyes widened slightly. Could it be true? She looked at the floor to hide the flush of her cheeks and the hammering of her heart. She had promised never to say anything. She kept her voice low and added, "We aren't allowed to move around without permission...did your lord move you here?"

She looked up at him questioningly. Liana had said she was a terrible liar, unable to think of even the most basic falsehoods without time to ponder what to say. Give that she was very nearly proud of her response, although it wasn't quite a lie.

[Maks]

Maks frowned slightly, disappointed. He couldn't tell if the girl was trying to lie to him, though, from her reaction, he was inclined to believe that she was. "Of course not. I moved myself. I didn't have a lord before I came here. My father was an artisan," he said truthfully. Perhaps a bit more honesty on his part would be better. The less the girl was lied to, the more likely she would be to trust them... hopefully.

He lowered his voice, "Nessa and I, actually, we only work for our 'lord' when we want to. Luthadel is a big place. They don't miss us if we slip away for a few days." Of course that was a lie. Any lord would severely punish a skaa if he 'slipped away' for days a a time. But Maks needed to start conveying the fact that they were not like most Skaa.

[Kayla]

Her brow wrinkled in puzzlement and she glanced at the woman he called Nessa as if looking for confirmation. "You...just slip away sometimes," she repeated carefully. She had to be hearing them wrong. "You must be very lucky, or maybe you have special skills that are valued?" She couldn't think of a reason a skaa would be allowed to slip away, and she didn't believe for a second that one could do so without being noticed, especially for several days at a time. But then he said he was an artisan. If he was very good that might explain it...

But if he was an artisan who could slip away when he wanted why would the people he answered to send him out to get groceries without so much as having him memorize the list? Her heart fluttered again with fear as she studied him. He wasn't a nobleman, she knew that much. She couldn't imagine a noble who'd play at being skaa. He also clearly wasn't an obligator.

"I...need some air," she said abruptly. "If you want to come outside I can tell you the rest of the list."

[Maks]

Maks almost laughed. Yes, yes they did have special skills. Certainly more special than being able to sew a gown for a noblewoman. He grimaced a little when he noticed that the girl appeared to be acting more nervous than before. He definitely needed to do this more often so he could get better at it.

He nodded in response, cursing himself inwardly. If he lost this girl it would not be good for him. Certainly no harm would come to him, but he did not want to be on Ignas' bad side. Ever. As he followed her outside, he whispered to Nessa, "If you aren't burning pewter already, turn it on now. I think I may have to reveal our 'secret' abilities sooner rather than later if we're going to convince her."

Clearing his throat, Maks added, "We really do appreciate your help with the list." He reached within himself, ensuring that his copper was still on. Hopefully this was going to end well.

[Kayla]

She stepped out into the street and looked around quickly. There weren't any obligators but this was a market and every once in a while a carriage would pass by. Standing around talking in the store was one thing; it was obvious they were waiting for the shopkeeper to have time for them. Out here it was different; if they didn't look busy someone might start to wonder why. There was a small alley next to the store that would afford them at least a measure of circumspection. She didn't like it but it was less of a risk than waiting to be pointed out by an angry noble. Kayle stepped off the street and motion for Maks and Nessa to follow her.

When they gathered in she wet her lips and took a breath. Now all she had to do was find the courage to speak. "It doesn't make sense," she burst out. "If you're an artisan why are you out here with that list? They'd send someone else. And there aren't any skaa that just get to run off for a few days. Who are you? What do you want?"

The words left her in a rush before she could thing about what she was doing and as soon as they were out of her mouth she leaned back against the wall with wide eyes.

[Nessa]

Nessa followed the group out, obediently burning pewter when Maks told her to. Before, things had been pretty calm, and there wasn't much for Nessa to add. Besides, she had been told to stay quiet, and after the incident with the table the other day, she understood why.

But now things were... different. Was Nessa going to have to grab the girl? She looked scared. She hadn't done anything to Nessa, so it would be bad to hurt her, but it'd be worse if she ran off and got the attention of an Obligator or something.

So Nessa kept her pewter burning, not too low and not too hot, and waited. Unless the girl just took off all of a sudden, she would follow Maks's lead.