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Glen
The soft Spring of War
-Leopard at the Gates-
Part III
(The one fool that checks all the boxes)
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Glen watched extremely nervous at first, as the large drawbridge was lowered slowly. The thick chains rattling and creaking ominously, but though rattled himself had Glen managed to push everything away and keep his wits about him a moment later. The drawbridge came down with a bang, connecting the two parts of the ancient bridge again. Five figures came out of the mist and walked over the drawbridge to reach the mid-point gates. Five figures and six horses.
Glen exhaled, his fists clenched tight, Marcus staring with that permanent frown of his and most of the guards behind him confused and on high alert.
There’s Soren, Glen noticed, when the small group and animals approached them and stopped a couple of meters away, seeing the armed men waiting for them. Lovely Zola and young Liko. Crafton, him he didn’t much care for, but still a familiar face. Jinx wore a black cloak on, dark light-armor underneath, instead of light brown one and her hair were combed back and greased with oil.
What in hallowed slovenly fuck, is goin’ on here?
Whisper had pink fur on her face. The starts of a beard.
“Who the fuck are you?” Glen asked, pointing with a finger, the guards behind him reaching for their weapons with a collective gasp.
“Alix Walker,” The male version of Jinx replied, opening his arms like a snake-oil salesman. “At yer service, me handsome Lord.”
Huh?
“Wait,” Zola said awed. “Is this…”
“HAHA!” That was Soren, throwing his head back and letting it rip. “THAT’S SMALL GLEN! WIT A BIT OF BEARD!”
Glen glared at the big dumb Northman -barely standing upright through his uncontainable mirth- while touching his unshaven face unwittingly. “I’m not small you idiot!”
And that’s a pretty good growth for my age.
His words amusing the red-bearded Northman even more.
“GLEN!” Liko cried out deliriously happy and rushed to jump on him. Glen pulled back, but the boy grabbed his arms and started rattling him back and forth. “I told you, he wasn’t dead!” He yelled at the others and turning to him, added through a big grin. “I knew ye’ll get out, Glen.”
Glen ruffled the boy’s hair with a smile of his own, after he managed to reclaim his arms. “Thanks, buddy.”
“Good seeing, ye milord,” Crafton added, sounding a little moved.
Then again the old motherfucker is an excellent liar.
“That’s right,” Zola said diplomatically, glancing at the nervous crowd behind the young Lord Reeves. “The Lord of Altarin, in the flesh.”
“It’s okay,” Glen said to the soldiers, turning around. “These are my friends. I vouch for them. Let them through.”
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“What’s wrong with Jinx?” Glen asked, staring at the propped up on the saddle unresponsive female.
“She took a hit,” Crafton said. “Been out for a couple of days.”
“I should find a Dottore,” Glen murmured, very worried. “What happened to her face?”
“The lissome Goddess will be alright, gallant Lord,” Alix told him standing uncomfortably close. Glen turned and glared at him.
“Who are you again?”
“Alix Walker—”
Glen raised his hand to stop him. “First. Back the fuck away! More. Another step. There,” He turned to Crafton. “What’s the story?”
“Jinx brought him in for a mission,” The old Northman explained, with a sign there was more to it, he’d tell him privately. “She knows the where ‘n what’s about him. I try to keep away and so should you.”
Right.
“Okay,” Glen said and turned to the expecting sergeant Ottis. “Sergeant, these people were with me at Hellfort. I aim to debrief them, but you’ll have to hold the fort for me. Can I trust you to do that Sergeant Ottis?”
Ottis stood up straighter. “Aye, Sir Glenavon!”
Glen nodded, barely holding a surprised yelp in, as he didn’t expect the sharp salute. “I will return to ‘The King’s Fortune’ inn, sergeant. Anything happens, ye’ll find me there. You are henceforth my liaison here. Any questions?”
“None, sire.”
Well, there it is, Glen thought, I’m getting pretty good at this ruling thing. Ye basically have to order people around, sounding serious and offer a good word here and there.
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“Did I hear it right, Glen?” Zola asked him on the way back to the inn, through the streets of Rida. The crowds had dispersed, but you could see some of them walking about with fear in their eyes. “It’s Sir Glenavon now?”
“SIR GLEN!” Liko bellowed, scaring a couple of them even more.
Glen glanced at the bountiful Issir woman. Zola’s face had hardened since the last time he’d seen her back at Hellfort. “The Duke knighted me a couple of days back. Ahm, where’s Dante Zola? And the others?”
“Dante was killed,” Zola sighed and stared away from him for a while. Glen frowned and looked at Liko prancing beside him, chest pushed out and grinning like a maniac. He returned his eyes on Zola.
“I’m sorry. I really liked him,” Glen said.
“Yeah,” Zola gasped and Soren walking next to her, put a large hand on her shoulder to comfort her. “We lost Pale as well, during the retreat.”
“I had to bring the bridge down,” Soren took over from her. “Victor didn’t make it over in time.”
Good grief, Glen thought. That’s pretty depressing news.
It was hard to believe those people were dead. It seemed too sudden.
“What about Sir Emerson?”
“Nobody has seen him, Glen. Not since we last saw ye both at the Fort,” Soren said.
“You think he got out?” Glen asked hopefully.
“Can’t see how,” Crafton walking behind them said. “Unless he used yer way lad.”
Nah, he hadn’t, Glen thought and felt a weight dropping on his shoulders.
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Pat, the inn’s owner, glanced over his round glasses as they entered the dinner area. Recognizing Glen, he went back to his reading and the young Lord took over.
“Okay guys, grab those tables and put them together,” Glen ordered them. “Everyone, take a seat and pour yourselves a drink on me!”
“That’s more like it,” Soren said and found himself a seat, next to Zola.
“Stiles,” Glen said, seeing the drowsy man getting out of his first floor room.
“Aye, Milord,” Stiles looked miserable for some reason.
“We’ll put Jinx in yer room,” Glen said and went to help Marcus carry the unresponsive girl inside. Marcus grunted insulted and carried her himself with relative ease, inside Stiles room.
“Milord,” Stiles asked. “We don’t have the rooms to—”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake man,” Glen stopped him and reaching he got a gold coin out of his bursting new purse. “Rent us a couple of more.”
“I don’t believe two rooms will cover—” Stiles insisted, but he stopped him again, this time raising a palm, fingers closed tight.
Glen got another gold coin out. “Get two more.”
“Right away, milord,” Stiles finally agreed, with a pretentious bow.
Glen hobbled to where the others had seated and collapsed on a chair himself. Walking from the bridge to the inn, had taken them over an hour on half-empty streets. His feet were killing him.
“I’m glad you’re alive, Glen,” Zola said and the warmth in her voice was touching. Glen cleared his throat and stared at his friends for a long moment.
“It’s good seeing ye all again,” He finally said, in a rare truthful admission. “I thought ye had an open road to that bridge, what the hells happened?”
“The Cofols caught up with us,” Zola replied, pushing a loose thin braid over her ear. “Dante decided to die a hero… I guess he did.”
Glen stared at the row of bronze goblets on their table.
“Patt!” He barked loudly.
“Aye, Lord Reeves?” Came the owner’s bored reply.
“Bring us a bottle of good wine,” Glen ordered him. With the coin he was throwing his way, Glen expected way better service at his venue.
“Well, my lord… I’ve common local wine and a bottle of Flauegran,” Patt said unsure.
“Fine, bring that!” Glen urged him, who’d no knowledge of labels and brands to bother.
“Of course, my Lord.”
“Hahaha!” Soren guffawed delighted at the prospect of finer wine.
Even Liko started banging on the table with enthusiasm and Glen had to calm everyone down.
“Is that Glen?” Jinx said, in a weak voice.
Glen whipped his head around and there she was, covered in a sheet, the unruly pink mess on her head reaching her shoulders now, shorter than he remembered her and…
“What the fuck happened to yer face?” Glen asked getting up from his chair.
“Smashed a gauntlet wit it,” Jinx replied, her cheek and jaw swollen and a dark mauve color.
“Damnit Pretty,” Glen said, her flippancy as stupid as always, but she’d covered the distance between them and hugged him tight in the meantime -quick as ever- pressing her face on his neck, most of that pink hair teasing his nose.
“Thought a fool like ye wouldn’t make it. But couldn’t get myself to accept it,” She whispered and Glen hugged her back a little awkwardly, but deeply moved.
“Yeah, twas a close call,” He murmured. “It’s nice seeing ye again.”
“Mmm,” Whisper hummed. “Ye smell really nice. Yer clothes stink, but yer not.”
“Well,” Glen said blushing. “I might’ve used a bath barrel.”
Jinx pulled back and stared in his eyes hypnotically.
“Where did ye get lavender oil ‘n cardamom seeds?”
“Ahm,” Glen had no idea what those where. Jinx stumbled back and he caught her arm to stabilize her. “Are you okay?”
“A bit rattled,” Whisper replied and Alix was next to her the next moment, slipping a nibble hand around her waist to pull her way.
“Injured Divinity, must rest,” The male Gish said and guided Jinx to a chair. Glen stopped him before he could sit next to her.
“Take yer bloody hands off her!”
Alix pretended ignorance. “Lord Reeves?”
“Find another chair,” Glen warned him, then shoving him out of the way, sat down next to a pale and extra swollen Jinx.
“This look bad,” He noted, with a grimace.
“I couldn’t let him go,” Jinx replied, staring at her dirty hands. “He killed Victor.”
Glen drew a deep breath and stared at everyone hanging their heads saddened.
“Okay, listen up. We will find a way out of the city, first chance we get. You should rest here for a bit and then—”
“Oh, MY GODS!” Liko screamed and jumped on the table, sending cups flying everywhere and almost toppling the thing over. Glen put a hand on the moving table and glared at the gawking little thief.
“Fuck is the matter wit ye!” He scolded him and Liko pointed a finger behind him towards the second floor stairs.
“There’s a dwarf over there!” Blinked once and after checking again, he added twice as astounded. “TWO O’ THEM!”
Oh, boy.
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“Sit down ye fool!” Glen ordered him, standing up. He waited for Fikumin to approach them, Norec following looking extremely sad per usual. Fikumin stopped a couple of meters from their table and Soren got up, because he couldn’t see anything, but the arm the dwarf raised in his standard greeting. “Right, this is Fikumin… ahm something,” Glen made the introductions. "And Norec, his friend.”
“Wow,” Jinx murmured, looking at them. “Knew about ye, is that yer lover?”
“He is definitely not,” Fikumin replied, deeply affronted. “Is that yours?”
Jinx blinked. “Of course not!”
“Yet!” Alix intervened. “But there’s a spark there, my sturdy friend,” Adding, his voice lowering an octave. “Ever growing.”
Huh?
“No, there’s not!” Jinx argued blood rushing to her face and Glen glared at the male Gish.
“What did I say?” He asked him, while Jinx and Fikumin tried to solve their problem throwing different insults to each other. Liko in the meantime, had walked next to the dwarf and after measuring his height to his, grinned, then stood with his chest puffed out and stared at him mockingly.
“No touching, Lord Reeves,” Alix replied, with a shifty grin. Ah, this fellow is too sneaky, Glen thought.
“And none o’ that,” Glen added, looking at him warningly.
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“So the dwarfs, helped me travel through the mountain,” Glen finished telling his story, on how he escaped from Hellfort. The bottle of Flauegran, helping everyone calm down. The fruity rich aroma of the wine, coupled with its sweetness, making it the best wine Glen had ever tasted.
“You said, ye were injured,” Crafton noted.
“It happened right after we talked,” Glen said looking at Whisper. “I was ambushed inside the barracks by Larn.”
“I never trusted him,” Jinx said.
“He is a Zilan,” Glen said and stared at Marcus, sitting on another table with Stiles but listening in. “Like our Lith.”
“It makes sense,” Whisper said, using a long pink tongue to taste her wine. “She knew about him.”
Glen frowned. “I don’t believe she did. Larn tricked her.”
“Pfft,” Jinx tried to make a face, but pain prevented her.
“Lord Reeves is correct,” Fikumin intervened, getting everyone’s attention. “I heard Larn lying to her about your injury. Stopped her from healing you outright.”
“How could she heal him outright?” Marcus asked. “Even accepting she was a Zilan?”
The dwarf stared at Glen for a long moment, before replying.
“With magic.”
There was a murmur, as everyone recoiled at that. Well, almost everyone. Glen didn’t for starters move a muscle. Jinx couldn’t, even if she’d have wanted to and Liko had just found it super interesting and stared with his mouth hanging open. Alix narrowed his eyes, but said nothing. All others, but mostly Marcus appeared rattled.
“Lad, you knew about her and brought her at the Fort,” He said, anger in his voice.
Glen sighed and got up, paused as the wine had gone straight to his brain and he felt wobbly, then stared at the hale soldier.
“Lith will never hurt me, or any of my friends, Marcus,” He said. “She had her chance and didn’t do it. Saved me instead, isn’t that right, Whisper?”
“Yep, give this man a cookie,” Jinx jested.
“That bounty hunter did,” Marcus insisted, unwilling to let go.
“He wasn’t a bounty hunter,” Glen said. What’s your secret boy? Larn had asked. “I believe he is an assassin. And not some poorly paid ruffian from the docks. Not him. His skills were beyond the normal. I believe, Larn is the same villain that had killed my grandfather and perhaps even my father. Zestari worked for him.”
The silence was suffocating, with everyone contemplating his revelations.
“You think the guild is involved?” Alix probed carefully, breaking the eerie quietness.
“What do you know of the guild?” Glen asked him, curious about it himself.
“What guild?” Soren asked, rather confused, licking his lips and Zola placed her dark-skinned small hand on his larger one. A very intimate gesture, Glen noticed.
“The Silent Servants,” Alix said.
“Are they assassins?” Liko asked, as much scared, as awed.
The male Gish, glanced at Whisper and she shrugged her shoulders, leaving it to him to say as much as he believed prudent.
“They are,” Alix replied finally and reaching in an inside pocket got a square piece of parchment out.
“What’s that?” Glen asked.
“This? Just a piece of parchment,” Alix explained and showed it to them. “In order to order a hit on someone, ye have to know a servant’s name. To know a name, Ora’s must be favorable and allow ye to see it.”
“See it where?” Glen asked, although he’d figured that part out.
“On a piece of paper, or in your mind,” Alix replied.
“How do you know all those things?” Fikumin asked him. “Norec suspected it, when I told him about the Zilan, but you Gish… how do ye know, um?”
“Shifty is in the Thieves Guild,” Jinx said and returned his hurt stare. “What? Oh, they were goin’ to find out eventually, ye shit for brains. Plus you’re a member of the Gallant Dogs now.”
Wait… what?
“He is?” Glen asked, a little surprised and very mad. “Are ye serious? A fuckin’ thief!”
Liko got up from his chair, walked to where he was sitting and stopping in front of Glen, placed a large square badge in front of him. Glen turned it around and frowned seeing the clear depiction of the dog standing, a large cock dangling between its hind legs that should have belonged to a horse, or a donkey.
“The fuck am I looking at?” He asked them confused.
“Every member of the Gallant Dogs, gets a badge, Glen,” Liko explained to him and showed him his, tied with a cord from his neck. Glen licked his lips and turned the badge this way and that feeling it.
“Is this gold?” He asked Pretty and she frowned, as if she didn’t understand the question. “Where did ye found it Whisper?”
“I made them,” Jinx replied defensively and raised her knees on the chair to hug them.
Haha, Glen chuckled, as if anyone will ever believe that!
Checking about him though, it seemed everyone did.
Luthos plucked the god darn cat!
“Where did ye find the gold?” He asked, suspicion creeping in him and fear. “Wait, you mean… does everyone,” He yelled, getting up livid. “Does everyone have one of those?”
“Aye,” Most of them said.
Are ye freakin’ kiddin’ me?
“Fine, everyone with one, raise yer bloody hand!” Glen growled. “Just one hand will suffice, Liko!”
The large number of hands still depressing as all hells, even when the boy lowered one of his.
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“How could you do this?” Glen yelled at Jinx and she curled up even more, turning into a ball almost, which made him feel guilty and then he realized the others were looking at him all strange, even disapprovingly. So Glen stopped, cleared his throat a couple of times, assumed a mellower expression and turned to the round thing that was Jinx. “It’s fine,” He said with difficulty, the words painful.
“Really?” Whisper said, perking up.
Glen sighed and noticed the atmosphere in the room had relaxed a bit.
“Yeah, it’s… just gold, Pretty,” Gods I’m dying inside, Glen thought, but I have to be the bigger person here. Plus she’s injured and looking very down at the moment. Furthermore the others seem to favor a more generous approach.
So plenty of reasons.
“We have three more,” Jinx said, behind a pink curtain of hair. How she had managed to fit her whole body on that small chair, Glen didn’t know. But it was pretty extraordinary.
The fact that she had given the equivalent of forty gold Eagles, to create a lewd piece of jewelry -a detail Glen wanted to never have to remember again, or being reminded of- was on the other hand, completely ludicrous.
“Okay, we will give Marcus one,” Glen said. Stiles kept looking at him in the hopes to get one also, but he wasn’t going to fall for such a cheap trick.
“Ahm, the Captain must decide, who will join, Glen,” Jinx said. “No offence, Marcus.”
“I haven’t accepted yet,” The hale man deadpanned. “My job is to take care of Lord Reeves, not play the mercenary.”
“Who is the captain?” Glen asked and the Gallant Dogs looked at Whisper. “Seriously?”
“Why?” Jinx argued, perking up.
Glen shook his head. “Nothing.”
“Well, it must be something,” Whisper said, raising her head and narrowing her eyes.
“I’m going to hire you,” Glen told her and she relaxed a bit.
“Well, we are kind of busy,” Jinx said after a thoughtful moment, probably playing difficult to get.
“We are?” Soren cut in surprised, vindicating his suspicion.
Although Soren, rarely understands what is happening.
So there’s that.
“We have that thing,” Whisper explained interrupting his thought process, looking at the Northman knowingly.
Huh?
“What thing?” Glen asked, not likening being left out.
“It’s a Gallant Dogs thing, milord,” Soren explained and Glen almost rolled his eyes. He smashed the badge Liko had given him on the table.
“That was… honorary,” Jinx explained without batting an eyelash, making it up as she went along obviously. “Ye are not part of the… core decision making… process.”
“Yer just made that up, Whisper!” Glen blasted her.
She pouted, riding through the pain to get her message across.
“No, I didn’t.”
Glen had to almost respect that.
Almost.
“Yes, ye bloody well did. I could literary, hear yer fuckin’ thoughts!”
Nobody talked for a long moment, almost everyone waiting for them to reach some kind of an agreement. Fikumin broke the stalemate, being unfamiliar with how things worked in the company.
“If its adventure you guys deal with, I might be able to help.”
“Really, dwarf?” Glen scolded him. “Yer supposed to be on my corner!”
“Ahm, I believe everyone here is, Glenavon,” Fikumin replied simply.
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“Here’s the rest of your gold,” Whisper said and gave him his satchel.
“How many are in there?” Glen asked her, feeling the weight of the bag.
“Ye don’t know?” Whisper asked, raising a pink eyebrow.
Glen checked about them. The others were still talking with each other back at the inn’s dinner. Jinx had brought the company’s stuff into Stiles room. Well, what was once Stiles room, Glen supposed.
“Never counted them,” He admitted.
“How many do ye have on ye?” Jinx asked him casually.
“About a dozen?”
“Ye had that coat pockets filled and the old boots—”
“How do you know… oh, well; I spent most of it, like a fool,” Glen admitted.
“Three hundred and ninety eight,” Whisper said. “Minus about twenty… five-ish, I had to spend on projects.”
Glen blinked. Shocked at the amount and pissed at her generosity with his coin.
“Each worth four Gold Eagles, Pretty,” He informed her and her shocked look gave him a bit of satisfaction.
“That piece of dried shit!” Jinx cursed, quite livid.
“Who?”
“Mother-fuckin’ cunt!”
“Okay relax a bit, it’s not that important,” Glen tried to calm her down. Jinx always had the dirtiest mouth of them all.
“Rat-faced cock-suckin’ bastard!”
Glen reached into his coat and got his purse out. He placed it on the bed in front of her.
“What’s this?” Jinx said and reaching she opened it up. Tried to whistle seeing the gold inside, but failed and moaned in pain instead. “Fuck!”
Glen sighed and snatched the purse from her. “I came around some gold again.”
“Seriously?” Jinx stared at him shocked. “What is it wit you and gold coins?”
“Well, twas diamonds. I just changed them to Eagles,” Glen explained, rubbing the back of his head.
“Where in Nesande’s tits did ye find diamonds?” Jinx asked, thoroughly astounded.
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Glen knocked on the door of his room on the second floor of their inn. There was rustling from the inside, some furniture moved about, then the door cracked open and Iskay snaked out of the crack, paused seeing Jinx, a little ruffled, but quickly recovered, smiled and then bowed deeply, slammed the door closed behind her and run downstairs.
“Okay,” Whisper said. “I’ll pretend I didn’t see that.”
“She’s a… servant,” Glen explained, still not sure how to break the news to her.
“Works for the hotel?” Jinx queried indifferently.
“Not really,” Glen said.
“It will make for an awkward meeting wit the manager,” Jinx noted. “Was she any good?”
“Ahm, you see… Whisper,” Glen started, but the door opened and he turned his head, saw Sen-Iv appear naked as the day she was born, only part of her body not oiled, her famed opal eyes. She’d a mischievous smile on and her hand reached for his collar, hauled him to her and then her mouth was on the numb young thief’s lips, naughty tongue teasing his, before retracting full of promises.
“Sweet Glen,” Sen-Iv whispered in a passionate voice. “You left me a Lord, came back a Knight,” She stared in his eyes meaningfully. “I think my master, needs a special reward.”
All Glen had managed to understand was ‘reward’ and his eyes beamed.
“Who the fuck is she?” Jinx asked behind his back, then shoved him inside the room. Sen-Iv retreated glaring at the small-bodied girl and then at Glen, who was coming back down from the shock and the scare.
“I’m gonna need a couple of minutes,” Glen said, raising a hand to stop both women from speaking. “Sen… dear. Please put some clothes on.”
“Not on my account!” Jinx said wryly. “Are those rings hurtin’ yer nipples, love?”
Sen-Iv shook her head right and left slowly, keeping a remarkable calm face about the whole affair and went to pick up a thin cloak to throw on, leaving oiled impressions on the floor, from the door to her bed. Although, if one wants to speak truthfully, neither Glen, nor Whisper, were looking at her feet.
“Damn,” Jinx blurted out, unable to keep it in. Glen glared at her and she shrugged her shoulders.
“Right,” Glen said. “Whisper this is Sen-Iv, my wife. Sen-Iv this is Whisper Jinx, a friend,” Finally getting to the real reason he’d forgiven her for the gold earlier.
“A friend,” Sen-Iv said, returning to them, now covered up. She pulled her oiled hair back and tied them at her nappe. “Nice to meet you, Lady Jinx.”
“Wait,” Whisper smacked her lips, her grin turning into a grimace of pain. “You’re serious?”
“Yeah, Whisper. I am. Can you not be childish about it?” Glen asked her.
“I’m not childish, just shocked.”
“Whisper, for fuck’s sake!”
“Ahm, sure,” Jinx replied and gave Sen-Iv her hand. “Nice to meet you Sen-Iv.”
“You are a Gish,” Sen noticed, taking her hand a little awkwardly. “I’ve met some of you, in Fu De Gar.”
Jinx smile was deleterious.
“No ye didn’t,” She replied. “You’ve met slaves, honey. And so ye know, when it comes to the Gish, there’s only one Jinx.”
“Whisper come on!” Glen intervened. “Don’t be hostile to her, for fuck’s sake!”
“I’m not,” Whisper replied. “Sen wasn’t insulted, were you?” She asked her.
“I wasn’t,” Sen-Iv droned.
“A girl from the Peninsula. Ye can’t get any more Cofol than that,” Whisper muttered bitterly, clicking her tongue and then she glanced at Glen. “How much of a fool are ye?”
Lord Reeves crossed his arms on his chest and returned her glare pissed.
“Oh, crap. Yer even more foolish than I thought!”
“And ye have shit for brains! Social creatures my arse!”
Jinx stopped his diatribe on the Gish race.
“There’s Cofols gunning for the city,” She explained to him deliberately, as if he was an idiot. “People will look for someone to blame, when disaster strikes and you… ye lovable fool, ye went ‘n checked all the fucking boxes for ‘em.”
Glen opened his mouth to reply, but a knock on their door stopped him, not that he had anything to say. Whatever the case was though, Glen was going to throw some words out there hoping something would stick, until he figured how to fix, what Jinx had told him.
Later, I will fix everything later, he decided and opened the door.
Marcus narrowed his eyes seeing Glen’s company, a grimace distorting the ex-legionnaire’s scarred face.
There is too much oil on the plaguin’ floor, Glen thought.
“This isn’t what it looks—”
“Prince Sahand has just arrived at the gates, lad,” Marcus interrupted him, steel in his voice. “They are asking for a Lord to speak wit him and the Duke ordered you to do it. Everyone else of note, is either dead, or missing in action.”
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