Rusk and Loretta made a break for it the first chance they got, which took forever given the general bureaucracy of Mayor Rose's estate. There were things to sign and servants to tend to their every supposed need, and then a lot of lecturing and empty promises, and then Loretta and Rusk were headed out, down the stairwell and through the foyer out toward town. Rusk had to hold Loretta halfway up for most of the trip, and he worried he might let her slip and worsen her injuries if he didn't pay enough attention. She seemed so frail now, nothing like who she'd been back at the bar with Felix.

"That servant in cahoots with the Sneak did us a real favor," said Loretta once they reached the square.

"Any chance you know who made that scrap of cloth?"

"What?" Loretta still had the cloth in hand. Hadn't let go of it the entire way into the square. She took the time now to tie it around one of her wrists. "This is Felix's family's insignia. I don't know who made it, but whoever it was was pretty respectful about the inscription. Not a thread out of place."

"Yeah. That's why I'm asking. I've got a friend in the seamstress industry."

"Industry? Seamstress work is on commission, last I heard. That's why they have to be imported."

"Imported from where, if you don't mind my asking."

"I..." Loretta thought long and hard, wincing through the pain in her ribs, but still came up empty on an answer. "I don't actually know. Maybe Felix would if he's the one who commissioned it. But now I don't know where to find him without getting found out ourselves."

"Well." Rusk studied the square. His Elva Bow and Arrows were right where he needed them, at the ready just in case but not actively drawn just yet. He hoped he didn't require use of them, but something told him he would soon enough. Something told him that Felix was in more trouble than either of them knew. It set the hairs on the back of Rusk's neck on end. He hadn't felt this way in a while, not since the storm with the sky serpent. "We'll just have to ask him when we find him. But first, how are you holding up? I thought your father would never let us leave."

"I'll manage."

"Is this normal for you? You've been hobbling most of the way. It's getting kind of tiring keeping hold on you, no offense."

"Sorry."

Rusk sighed and then made a thoughtful noise.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"I don't know about myself but Felix should be in father's disciplinary quarters and I do know how to get there."

"Tell you what. You tell me where to find him and I'll retrieve him for you. Got a place to lay low until then, avoid your father's minions?"

Loretta turned about herself. She locked eyes with someone across the square who waved at her and then entered a stonework building. "Yeah, I got a few. Sorry for this. Sorry for everything. I don't mean to drag you into my mess. When I offered to get my father to feed you and put you up for the night, I really was just doing it out of thanks for getting rid of Greil. I didn't know he would do all this other nonsense while you were around."

"What do you mean, while you were around? You expected him to do this nonsense while I wasn't?"

"Well yeah. For his reputation he's gotta keep up appearances. Usually that means not pissing anyone off or punishing too severely until our company has moved on from town."

Rusk was really starting to hate this guy.

"But I've got a place to go. I can tell you where father's disciplinary quarters are from there if you help me over to that building. Um. Please."

"Sure, yeah." Rusk made quick work of pulling Loretta's better arm up over his shoulders. "Seriously though, are you going to be okay if I'm off taking care of Felix? I don't like leaving someone to their own devices when they're in such a state."

"A state. This isn't even close to a state for me. Clearly you have no idea what my father is capable of."

Definitely really hated this guy.

"But there, see? I've got friends in there."

Rusk helped her to the building, where she entered with a hobbling flourish and then plopped herself down into a chair near the door. It was a quaint little shop, full of fabric from other lands and all sorts of bits and bobs. Mandy would've loved it in a place like this.

The girl who ushered them inside had the same flat mousy hair as that one servant who gave them Felix's cloth and much the same bone structure as well, but older. They were obviously related. Either sisters or mother and daughter, but Rusk didn't see it fit to ask. He had other priorities.

"Okay. Tell me how to get to Felix."

"What's wrong with Felix?" asked the woman.

"Father again," said Loretta. "What else? Anyway, here. I'll draw you a map."

The woman gathered a bit of charcoal and an empty scroll. Loretta immediately started marking down lines and arrows, charting a path for Rusk through the drawing she'd made of her father's manor. The disciplinary quarters were, no surprise to Rusk, located in the basement. He entertained the idea that he'd be going down into a dungeon to retrieve an ally and then felt a little bit childish for being excited at the prospect of some cliché heroic adventure.

Loretta's notes were sneaky and helpful. Girl was resourceful when it came to misdirection. She'd mentioned which servants were in her father's pockets in a little delicate scrawl at the top of the map as well, but failed to mark down which servants were her own. Rusk approved of her foresight. If he was caught, anyone who helped him wasn't marked down by name. Clever.

And it also gave the distinct impression she'd done stuff like this before.

Rusk pocketed the map and that notion for now went strictly to the back of his mind. He gave Loretta and the woman a little salute of well wishes, and then he strolled out the door with the full intent to give Mayor Rose a piece of his own medicine.

Hopefully Felix could last until he arrived.