I headed into the poor sector absorbed in my concern over the possibility that the Mountain Lord could have anything to do with things. I was resolving to restore his shrines to their former glory when a voice rang out beside me and I started. “Hey boss!” I glanced over ad my red headed human friend. “Hey Jimmy.” “You must really have something on your mind.” He observed. “I don’t think I’ve ever gotten that close to you without you knowing.” His grin was feral and would’ve been scary had I not known him. Jimmy had been one of my friends since I got here. He stood beside me when I ran my ring, scouting out targets to sell my stone ‘carvings’ to. He helped keep the informants going and was really good at it.

And when I moved away from that practice he still stood by me, and more annoyingly continued calling me ‘boss’ no matter how many times I told him not to. I had a sneaking suspicion that my resistance to it made it more entertaining to him. Jimmy could have a bit of a mean streak at times.

“Saw ya with Mowris the other day. I keep tell you that girl is bad news.” He started. “Maybe you listened to me after all.” He turned to face me. “She was right there beside you but you weren’t paying her any mind. Like you were looking at something else.” His eyes searched my face, trying to confirm that I had listened to him. I rolled my eyes and grinned. “Pah. Like I told you before, she’s her own person. Yea, she’s partnered with Ocran in the watch, but she’s flirted with me in front of him.” I retorted.

“And yet, she was with you and you were paying her no mind.” Huffing I shrugged irritated at his persistence. “I don’t remember. Yesterday was pretty busy. Maybe… Ah. Probably because we were running to that mess that happened.” Jimmy shook his head. “No. It was right before that though you were heading that way like you knew it was going to happen.” I rolled my eyes again. “Of course! I set it all up! You sound like the mayor, ‘question everything and everyone.’” Jimmy raised his hands in surrender and sputtered “It’s not like that, boss.” “Ah, that’s right, I had seen something in the air and was trying to get a good look in case it was something I could carve into stone for her, but whatever it was got away, if it was even there.” I said, choosing to skirt the truth as closely as possible.” Jimmy glanced around and huffed. “Speak of the literal devil.” He grumped. “I’ll catch you later. It’s not like you’ll know I’m around in a moment anyway.” And he turned on his heel and stepped into the brush.

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The man seemed to have an allergy to the normal pathways and seemed to have a sixth since when it came to Mowris. Sure enough in a few moments Mowris bounded into view. “There you are!” She chirped. I smiled “Here I am!” I proclaimed throwing my hands up like it was revelation. More seriously I added. “How are you holding up?” She looked at me and shrugged. “I guess it really hasn’t hit me yet. I mean, I wasn’t the one that saw the beast. I wasn’t the one almost thrown into a troll feeding pen.” She finished, looking intently at me. “Perhaps the better question is how are you holding up?” She said, her hands clasped in front of her.

I shrugged. “I’m fine. I mean, I’m not working my way through troll digestion, right?” I said pointing out that it could be worse. “But, you weren’t supposed to know about that.” I said, raising my eyebrow in an obvious question. She rolled her eyes and smiled. “Bran’s confession to you wasn’t the most quiet. You may not have noticed that you weren’t the only one picking your jaw up.

Besides when he approached you, we saw you. You were ready to swing. We didn’t want to miss it when you finally showed him how tired you were of him.” She rolled her eyes, blinked and sighed. “Okay we figured we might need to break up a fight but really, I do wish you would stop taking his abuse.” I sighed, frustrated with this old sore spot, feeling like there was a core of truth in what she said, but that her logic was off, too simplified maybe. I don’t know and I couldn’t articulate it, so instead I shrugged. “Lucky for him, he chose not to draw a weapon.” She smiled and nodded. “No doubt about that. He’s not bad with that longsword, but next to your speed and two swords… no contest.” She shook her head falling in beside me. When I glanced at her she simply looked back. “Where are we going?” she said. “You lead and I will follow.” She added, bouncing on the balls of her feet, dimples flashing as she grinned at me.

“Well, I want to keep an eye on the poor sector. I know that most don’t patrol over here and I don’t want it to tempt the creature into using the area as its larder. It’s bad enough that we’ve lost two. I don’t want to lose another. These buildings are so much better than they used to be, but they won’t stop a creature like that.” I shook my head and resumed my march as the dusk began to fall, chatting about random and meaningless items as we tended to do.