Hakaar - It was a deep dusk by the time I edged down into town. Due to the amount of people along the path, we were slowed considerably and had lingered for a while longer than expected on the road. The moon soaked plains lit both far and near, though, so there wasn't much concern for ambush, regardless of the snails pace we were going. I had almost hoped for some action, but that thought made me feel selfish and a tad foolish.
Looking for trouble wasn't something I did, but it still found me. Bromm had likely rubbed off on me. His penchant for trouble seemed to match pace with both his pride and loyalty. It was a strange combination, but it made Bromm a force to be reckoned with. One you never wanted to be facing down or you'd be on the wrong side of a powder-charged shot.
Preben, a familiar face from the Salamander's squad, spotted me on the way into town. He nodded and approached me with a smile.
"You heading to Pike's?"
"Yes. I think my friends are there by now." I shook his extended hand.
"Mind if I join you, then?"
"Not at all."
He fell into step beside me. His accent was unusual. I hadn't travelled much, but it wasn't from the farthest North nor the furthest South. Maybe South and West? He was catching me up on the details of happenings around town, seeing that I had been on the road.
"So, two big swords, eh?" He looked up at me, "Can you fight with both of them?"
"No. I need both hands for these." I stated, picking my path through the crowd.
His tilted his head, confused.
"Then… why?"
I caught myself before unrolling a long sigh.
"Yes. Why?" I heard a distant echo from Silah. Her voice had an edge to it.
"In case I lose the first? I have a tendency to throw my weapons in combat." I said, brow furrowed, "It's just best that I keep two."
"You what?" Silah's voice was incredulous. The shadow of her immense form pushed against my vision, but I held her heat at bay.
I smiled to myself in spite of her annoyance.
"Does that work?" Preben probed.
"Rarely, but it's a great way to get someone's attention." I said frankly, feeling Silah smoldering in the background.
"Huh." Preben seemed to ponder. I'm sure that he would never want to bring this up again.
"I'm not sure what I'm going to do with you, other than the fact that you won't like it." Silah spoke with some menace.
You know I'm kidding, right?
"Kidding? I know a veiled threat when I see it." A majestic, overwhelming vision of her presented itself in my mind, brow furrowed leaning down to look at me. My heart skipped a beat with the overlap of my vision.
Is… that how others see me?
"Maybe. But this is how you should see me." A large finger thudded against the invisible ground in front of me. I felt a little weak.
Play nice, now. We're on the same side, right?
Preben walked with me in silence for a moment. I was preoccupied with the conversation going on in my head. After enough time passed to where it was getting uncomfortable for him, he spoke up again.
"There was some excitement down that way earlier," he flagged a ways ahead of him, "I swore I heard a firearm go off down near the ferry, but by the time I laid eyes on the place, it was nearly empty."
Firearms discharged? The Salamander's are known for their mixed combat, handling firearms and melee weapons. If it wasn't one of his, there was at least one other that I knew who wouldn't shy away from trouble.
Oh, Bromm. Don't pick a fight when your bodyguard isn't around.
I claimed bodyguard in title only. Bromm was not longer paying for my services as he'd offered when we first met. It simply seemed appropriate to continue the appearance. If it wasn't Bromm, it was Silah, at least, in appearance. And if it wasn't either of them, it was likely Sig.
As we approached Pike's I saw the entire group congregated just outside the building. Bromm seemed to be earnestly engaged in conversation while Danin had a sour look on his face. His cool exterior flustered. Floki's eyes were combing the streets. Sig was listening intently. Floki locked eyes with me and nodded from a distance. I nodded back. This gathering looked dangerous.
I smiled and nodded to my traveling companion, "It looks like my business is outside this evening."
Preben grinned at me and, as he eyed the group, a wariness crept in, subduing his smile. He pushed through the front door of Pike's releasing the noisy interior briefly.
"So it was you."
I moved up next to Bromm.
"Hakaar, welcome!" Bromm said, "We were just discussing our meeting."
"Did you fire off a shot tonight?" I eyed him from above, tilting my head slightly.
He shrugged.
"That's not an answer. How can I be your bodyguard when you only stir up trouble when I'm not around?" I gave him a half-smile, "You look no worse for wear, though."
I turned and met Danin's sour look.
"What about you, Danin?"
"My shoes are dirty." He said, chewing through his disgust.
I raised an eyebrow. I wasn't getting much from this, so I decided to stop and let the conversation continue.
Apparently, the meeting went well with the Princess's envoy, but after the meeting a man was spotted outside of the location, the Silverstone. He had a spyglass and was peering through the windows and taking notes. They had talked with the security for the establishment and found this man was a known thug.
They chased him down and incited him, somehow, they weren't specific on that point. Bromm and Danin got into a scuffle with the thug. I shook my head at the recounting. I had missed it, but it is likely for the best. The situation was shady, at best, and there would have been blood on my hands. Thankfully, they had left the fight rather than finish it. But now they were worried about yet another enemy in the midst of Dowry. For every friend gained, there seemed to be a handful of enemies waiting in the shadows.
"He might come looking for us. I don't want to be here if he does." Sig said.
"Let's get our things and maybe a bite to eat before we move on," suggested Bromm.
They were riled a bit more than expected. He must have been more than they bargained for. Perhaps I should be worried, too?
As we walked in, the crowd was growing and the feeling of danger subsided. The table full of red coated men, slinging pistols, and weapons greeted us. Preben was seated with his brothers, the Salamanders. He called us over to join them for a beverage.
I looked around the crowd. The guards that I had come back with weren't around. I fully intended to make good on my word, but if we were moving? They only knew to come here. I took a chance on the counter and told the barkeep to keep an eye for my friends and pay for their drinks. I dropped two gold on the counter for the drinks and his trouble.
The table was large, but not enough to add another handful to it. Some stood while others busied themselves, gathering their things from their lodgings. Bromm remained, engaging them easily. Eavesdropping on the conversation took a strange turn when they had mentioned a duchess whose family was looking for her. It seemed an interesting tale until I heard the name E'robyn Beckett.
"There is a reward for bringing information or the duchess herself back to her household. Her mother, Dowager Duchess Aganate Beckett, wants to mend their relationship." Igul, the speaker for the group, had said, well into a few pints at this point.
"They'll pay fifty gold for any information leading to her and almost six hundred if you bring her yourself!" He exclaimed.
"Is that dead or alive?" Bromm said, in an offhanded way.
"What do you mean?" Igul said, the other Salamanders seemed suddenly concerned.
"It means, the amount of those rewards sound more like a bounty." I leaned in and said, adding some weight to Bromm's words.
Bromm nodded, pointing at me.
"Do you think we're bounty hunters?" Preben said, sounding shocked.
I shrugged.
"It's an interesting story. I have never heard of that much money offered for a friendly reunion, but I don't often find myself in that business." I said casually.
The conversation seemed to dampen their moods, and they looked at each other.
"We're going to petition to post bills in Dowry for information on her. According to Mr. Floppy hat, this would be the best way to find her."
Igul gestured to the man who seemed to be scowling into a drink. He's clearly heard the conversation and was avoiding eye contact.
"Could I take one of those? Maybe I'll be able to find someone of that description?" I offered.
"Those won't be ready until sometime tomorrow. Then you can find all the postings you'll ever need." Igul chuckled.
"I'll grab one tomorrow, then." I nodded and moved away from the table. Bromm did the same, disengaging before things got uncomfortable. I looked at him, our eyes met and I tilted my head toward the door. He put up a finger, silently, motioning for me to wait. So wait I did.
Sig and the others had gathered their things. I had left very little in my room and it was already packed. It was an old habit, to be able to pick up and move at a moments notice. I never knew when I was leaving. Plus, it was easy, as I didn't have much of anything to my name.
As we changed locations from Pike's Inn to Butterwick's Inn, I leaned in toward Bromm to talk.
"That's Robyn's description."
"Yes." He nodded absently.
"Did you ever picture her as a duchess?"
"No. Not particularly." He shrugged, "I don't know much about her, but, if this is true, I knew even less."
"I'm worried for her." I said and he nodded in agreement.
"We should make sure she can make the decision before they show up at her door."
We approached the Inn's front desk as a group, each taking a different room and placing a single gold on the counter. It was a good thing I had requested more funds. A single gold for accommodations was a painful price to pay.
I moved upstairs to the room and walked through the door of a medium sized room. Spending a gold meant we were comfortable, but it was by no means extravagant. Part of the service was that they should be bringing heated water up, but the bath was elsewhere. I intended to find it after settling in. I eyed the water basin fitted with a mirror and a few fresh towels. My reflection glowered at me from the glass.
I drew out Silah and thought of her in human form and I waited for her to say something. Instead, she gave me a wry smile and settled on the bed. She seemed to have recovered from my earlier slight. But, that also meant that I wouldn't know what was coming until it came.
"What?" I said, glancing at her as she sat, looking amused.
I sat in the chair and started to unbuckle my boots kicking them to the floor. I could see one of my toes through the socks I wiggled my toes. They weren't going to last much longer. I shook my head and proceeded to unbuckle my breastplate.
She watched with interest, still smiling.
"Now you're making me uncomfortable. Am I going to have to sheath you? At least a sword doesn't have doesn't have eyes." I growled.
"Oh, I can still see everything, I just can't comment." Her smile widened, "But that's not what I'm thinking."
Her small, shapely form leaned back and cocked her head slightly, still looking at me.
"Regardless, I think you'd miss the company."
I shrugged. I had increasingly kept her as a sword for much of this visit to Dowry after things got more dangerous. I did miss her company, she was right. Incensingly right.
There was a knock at the door and a woman appeared with a steaming porcelain pitcher of water. I graciously accepted it and asked her where the bath was. She pointed to a room down the hall with a clear sign on it. I felt a bit sheepish, thanked her. The woman eyeballed the room, seeing Silah settling in. I gave her a disapproving look and shut the door.
I turned and poured some of the hot water into the basin and let the steam dance across the mirror. I twisted to look back to Silah.
"So, what is it then?" I doffed my undershirt and pulled the chair in front of the basin. I splashed water on my face and pulled my hair back. Then sat and inspected my face while rubbing at my tusks and teeth with a chunk of splintered wood.
I heard her stretch noisily and I caught sight of her laying back on the bed in the mirror.
"Let me explain before I explain," she said, laying back, now staring at the ceiling, "In all my recollections, thin as they are, I don't think I've seen someone so honestly selfless. Bromm, if he'd bought you an ale and a warm meal, that would have been payment enough to be his bodyguard."
I continued my ritual, cleaning my ears and neck, but said nothing.
"You want to save people. You even want to save me. Which, is both sweet and very unfortunate." She sighed wistfully.
"Is that a bad thing?" I said, looking at her form on the bed through the steamed mirror, while rinsing my hair in the basin.
"No, not at all. It'll just end in disappointment, but you'll always continue to try." She went quiet for a moment, "It's a beautiful thing. In fact, if the circumstances were different, you'd be a very different person. If you weren't a warrior by birth, I doubt you'd hurt a fly."
I grimaced, feeling a little heat in my face.
"Couldn't that be said about anyone?" I countered.
"Calm down, my beast." There was a smile in her voice, "You're safe here."
I stood running the towel over my face.
"And you see, that's the selfless part. You are genuinely uncomfortable when someone points it out." Silah looked over at me from the bed. "Why is that?"
"You've gotten this far. Maybe you can tell me?" I said while gathering a towel and a change of underclothes, "Don't wait up for me."
"I wouldn't dream of it." She crooned as she stretched out on the bed, lazily.
