Sharla gently took Gaheris’ reigns and found herself once more making her way to Ishgard proper. She kept a moderate pace on her way to the city as she took the time to survey her surroundings. Passing by familiar landmarks and buildings, she had grown accustomed to to seeing the constant reminders of what she had almost lost several moons ago, what she’s had to deal with ever since returning up to the north, and what she had left behind.
“Do you really expect to find anything there this time? I’ve even lost track of how long this search has been going on! And so far creepster ice queen really hasn’t seem to have told you anything that’s actually been useful.†Sharla’s annoying, yet ‘faithful’ traveling companion began to voice her opinion to the older woman. After realizing her words were falling on deaf ears once more, she decided to remain silent for the rest of the journey back to Ishgard.
Sharla had reached to city and made arrangements to have Gaheris kept at the chocobo stable before resuming what was most likely to be another fruitless search. She made her way to the Brume to ask the locals there if they had seen or heard of anyone fitting Coatleque’s description. Still getting nothing but rumors and possible sightings. Though it was all Sharla had to go on at the moment, so she decided to press on in her search. She moved towards the Forgotten Knight, coming in from the back entrance from the Brume. Making her way up the stairs from the lower bar area, she caught a glimpse of a very familiar looking set of red hair.
“Huh...wait, cannae be this easy...can it?†She slowly made her way over and blinked as she got a better look at someone sitting against a wall in a dark corner of the Forgotten Knight. She immediately froze as her eyes widened, taking sight of a familiar looking woman. She took a moment to glance over her, taking note that the younger woman appeared to have seen far better days, and her eyes looked tired and darker than usual. “It can’t be...Coatleque? You’re...please tell me I’m not imaginin’ this…†Sharla removed her turban as she slowly made her way over to the woman.
The woman didn’t appear to notice Sharla or anyone in particular. In fact, it seemed as if she was trying to hide in the corner away from everyone. Finally taking notice of an armored woman approaching her, the younger woman blinked and looked towards her. “I-I’m sorry? Who?â€
Sharla blinked and tilted her head slightly at the younger woman. “What? This is a joke, right? Coatleque Crofte...ye jus’ up an’ vanished on us without a trace, an’ now…â€
The woman nearly does a double take before looking rather dejected. “O-oh...her again. I am sorry, but that woman is dead I am told.†She looked over nervously at the innkeep, as if she expected something to be thrown her way.
Sharla quickly shook her head, and shot a glare over at the innkeep before looking back. “Wha’ do ye mean, her again...an’ dead? Lass, if this is yer idea o’ a bad joke, th’ timin’ couldn’t be any worse.â€
The red-haired woman could not have looked any more serious, except for the wave of confusion that seems to overtake her face. Â "Why would I joke about something like that? Â I swear I do not know who you are talking about!"
Sharla gave the girl another quick lookover and noticed a new cosmetic addition, though barely visible in the low light at the corner of the room. A long, deep scar across the front of her neck, making it fairly obvious what happened there. She then groaned and rubed the side of her head. “Okay...this is gonna be one o’ those days then…†She looked back to her, narrowing her eyes and briefly glancing at her neck once more. “Okay...so ye have no idea wha’ I’m talkin’ about then...great. So, who are ye then? An’ how did ye manage to get tha’ scar on yer neck?â€
The woman peered back up at Sharla for a moment with narrowed eyes before she seemed to have made up her mind. “Miss, I do not even know who you are.â€
Sharla took a moment to rub the side of her head. “Gods...ye really don’t recognize me then. Sharla...Sharla Blackheart. Doesn’t ring a bell at all?â€
“I am...I’m…†She appeared as if she was trying to remember. The strain of which made her wince in pain. “I’m not sure. Sharla…†She repeated the name quietly to herself. Despite her words, her expression shows some familiarity with it.
Sharla took notice of the pain as the younger woman strained to remember. “Okay...easy then. Sometime ago ye knew me as...nevermind, a story fer another day...†She frowned as she briefly glanced around the tavern. “Hmmm, maybe something a bit easier. Can ye tell me wha’ ye do remember?â€
The younger woman concentrated on that at least. Â "P-pain... I remember pain. Â An inn room. Â Hushed voices, then a blinding light. Â It seemed so long ago. Â An eternity. Â And then the snows of Coerthas. I was told she was gone. Â Her life was over. Â Betrayed by... by someone. Â That she could never go back."
“Okay, that’s a start. Pain...th’ scar on yer neck, an’ ye not bein’ able tae remember anything, I’m bettin’. Who...who told you she was gone?â€
The woman quirked a brow incredulously and looked to Sharla as if the answer should be obvious. Â "The priestess, of course. Â She said I must continue. Â Then they were gone."
“Priestess? Wha’ bloody priestess? Was it jus’ her there?â€
“N-no. She had the Champion with her...a-and the Sentinel. I saw them, as if in a dream.â€
Sharla blinked and shook her head. “Wait...Champion. Halone’s Champion?â€
“Oh, you know him? They...saved me. Foiled the shadowed man and…†The young woman pitched forward and held her head. “T-that’s all I remember.â€
Sharla shook her head slowly and lowered her gaze to the ground. “Oh...I know him well enough. An’ he’s gonna get tae know me very well too...along with th’ priestess, an’ this Sentinel…†She looked back to Crofte, concerned over the current state she was in. “I’m guessin’ ye don’t know how ye ended up in this place either?â€
“...I walked.†Crofte simply answered as she looked back up at Sharla.
Another familiar voice rang out as Sharla seemed to be deep in thought, trying to process everything she’s been told so far. “...Crofte, Shas? Huh...can’t say I expected to see you two here.â€
Crofte quickly looked over to Vahn at the mention of the name again and tried to scramble further back into the wall, alas it was quite solid and she could go no further.
“Walked? Through all th’...stubborn one indeed.†She quickly looked over, following Crofte’s gaze towards the familiar voice. “Vahn? Vahn Pendragon, aye...this is uh...not really sure how tae explain this one.â€
“Do you really expect to find anything there this time? I’ve even lost track of how long this search has been going on! And so far creepster ice queen really hasn’t seem to have told you anything that’s actually been useful.†Sharla’s annoying, yet ‘faithful’ traveling companion began to voice her opinion to the older woman. After realizing her words were falling on deaf ears once more, she decided to remain silent for the rest of the journey back to Ishgard.
Sharla had reached to city and made arrangements to have Gaheris kept at the chocobo stable before resuming what was most likely to be another fruitless search. She made her way to the Brume to ask the locals there if they had seen or heard of anyone fitting Coatleque’s description. Still getting nothing but rumors and possible sightings. Though it was all Sharla had to go on at the moment, so she decided to press on in her search. She moved towards the Forgotten Knight, coming in from the back entrance from the Brume. Making her way up the stairs from the lower bar area, she caught a glimpse of a very familiar looking set of red hair.
“Huh...wait, cannae be this easy...can it?†She slowly made her way over and blinked as she got a better look at someone sitting against a wall in a dark corner of the Forgotten Knight. She immediately froze as her eyes widened, taking sight of a familiar looking woman. She took a moment to glance over her, taking note that the younger woman appeared to have seen far better days, and her eyes looked tired and darker than usual. “It can’t be...Coatleque? You’re...please tell me I’m not imaginin’ this…†Sharla removed her turban as she slowly made her way over to the woman.
The woman didn’t appear to notice Sharla or anyone in particular. In fact, it seemed as if she was trying to hide in the corner away from everyone. Finally taking notice of an armored woman approaching her, the younger woman blinked and looked towards her. “I-I’m sorry? Who?â€
Sharla blinked and tilted her head slightly at the younger woman. “What? This is a joke, right? Coatleque Crofte...ye jus’ up an’ vanished on us without a trace, an’ now…â€
The woman nearly does a double take before looking rather dejected. “O-oh...her again. I am sorry, but that woman is dead I am told.†She looked over nervously at the innkeep, as if she expected something to be thrown her way.
Sharla quickly shook her head, and shot a glare over at the innkeep before looking back. “Wha’ do ye mean, her again...an’ dead? Lass, if this is yer idea o’ a bad joke, th’ timin’ couldn’t be any worse.â€
The red-haired woman could not have looked any more serious, except for the wave of confusion that seems to overtake her face. Â "Why would I joke about something like that? Â I swear I do not know who you are talking about!"
Sharla gave the girl another quick lookover and noticed a new cosmetic addition, though barely visible in the low light at the corner of the room. A long, deep scar across the front of her neck, making it fairly obvious what happened there. She then groaned and rubed the side of her head. “Okay...this is gonna be one o’ those days then…†She looked back to her, narrowing her eyes and briefly glancing at her neck once more. “Okay...so ye have no idea wha’ I’m talkin’ about then...great. So, who are ye then? An’ how did ye manage to get tha’ scar on yer neck?â€
The woman peered back up at Sharla for a moment with narrowed eyes before she seemed to have made up her mind. “Miss, I do not even know who you are.â€
Sharla took a moment to rub the side of her head. “Gods...ye really don’t recognize me then. Sharla...Sharla Blackheart. Doesn’t ring a bell at all?â€
“I am...I’m…†She appeared as if she was trying to remember. The strain of which made her wince in pain. “I’m not sure. Sharla…†She repeated the name quietly to herself. Despite her words, her expression shows some familiarity with it.
Sharla took notice of the pain as the younger woman strained to remember. “Okay...easy then. Sometime ago ye knew me as...nevermind, a story fer another day...†She frowned as she briefly glanced around the tavern. “Hmmm, maybe something a bit easier. Can ye tell me wha’ ye do remember?â€
The younger woman concentrated on that at least. Â "P-pain... I remember pain. Â An inn room. Â Hushed voices, then a blinding light. Â It seemed so long ago. Â An eternity. Â And then the snows of Coerthas. I was told she was gone. Â Her life was over. Â Betrayed by... by someone. Â That she could never go back."
“Okay, that’s a start. Pain...th’ scar on yer neck, an’ ye not bein’ able tae remember anything, I’m bettin’. Who...who told you she was gone?â€
The woman quirked a brow incredulously and looked to Sharla as if the answer should be obvious. Â "The priestess, of course. Â She said I must continue. Â Then they were gone."
“Priestess? Wha’ bloody priestess? Was it jus’ her there?â€
“N-no. She had the Champion with her...a-and the Sentinel. I saw them, as if in a dream.â€
Sharla blinked and shook her head. “Wait...Champion. Halone’s Champion?â€
“Oh, you know him? They...saved me. Foiled the shadowed man and…†The young woman pitched forward and held her head. “T-that’s all I remember.â€
Sharla shook her head slowly and lowered her gaze to the ground. “Oh...I know him well enough. An’ he’s gonna get tae know me very well too...along with th’ priestess, an’ this Sentinel…†She looked back to Crofte, concerned over the current state she was in. “I’m guessin’ ye don’t know how ye ended up in this place either?â€
“...I walked.†Crofte simply answered as she looked back up at Sharla.
Another familiar voice rang out as Sharla seemed to be deep in thought, trying to process everything she’s been told so far. “...Crofte, Shas? Huh...can’t say I expected to see you two here.â€
Crofte quickly looked over to Vahn at the mention of the name again and tried to scramble further back into the wall, alas it was quite solid and she could go no further.
“Walked? Through all th’...stubborn one indeed.†She quickly looked over, following Crofte’s gaze towards the familiar voice. “Vahn? Vahn Pendragon, aye...this is uh...not really sure how tae explain this one.â€