Noah and Theo carried on a conversation as they took in the warm night that was quickly approaching. The tavern Annabeth had told them about was about two blocks away and a fair walk. They didn't mind it though.

There was a small cut-through that caught Noah's attention and he nudged Theo.

Theo shook his head in protest. "What if someone is waiting in there to mug two idiots like us who didn't stay out on the main road."

"No one is going to be waiting in there for us." Noah began pushing Theo towards the alleyway as he dug his heels in. "It's a quicker walk this way." He continued to fight his brother until they were about halfway through and Theo gave in. Noah smirked. "See."

Theo only rolled his eyes but took note of his surroundings. They made it to the other end without incident and Noah began a smart-ass reply. Theo shook his head and ignored him the best he could. A man turned the corner a bit too quickly and bulldozed Theo to the ground.

"Oh so sorry. So sorry." The man shuffled around and headed off into the alleyway.

Noah began cursing the man out with every name under the sun while Theo dusted himself off. The man ignored the brothers and continued his way down. Theo then noticed a dark figure waiting for the man. Noah had finished his yelling and headed off thinking Theo was behind him. Theo squinted trying to get a better look. The figure almost floated towards the stumbling man. Theo's blood ran cold as he watched the man fall still. The other ran what looked to be a dagger across his arm cleaning off the blood. The figure snapped his head up and looked directly toward Theo. Theo ran off to catch up to Noah hoping whoever that was wouldn't follow them.

"Noah, that... that man was just killed."

Noah rolled his eyes. "He probably was drunk and fell."

Theo shook his head. "I saw someone else there. He killed that man. I'm telling you."

Noah paused and grabbed Theo by the shoulders looking him dead in the eyes. "And I'm telling you that you're too anxious for your own good." He patted Theo on the shoulder and continued on a way following the music.

The sign hanging above the entrance read Pixies Tavern. Theo gave Noah a nervous glance before walking in. Both boys were greeted with the smell of food and the sound of music. Business was just picking up given it was almost the dinner rush.

Old worn wooden floors made for everyone's footsteps to seem louder than they were. Walking in, the boys saw that there was a bar to the right that lined the entire wall with three barmaids running around trying to keep up with the steady pile of orders from the crowded bar. To the left were smaller tables with two or three wooden chairs to each table with waitresses carrying drinks and dishes of food to some of the occupied tables. Most were empty because most were piling at the bar. On either side of the entrance were larger booths for bigger parties and towards the back of the tavern were smaller booths. Behind the end of the bar on the far end was what led to the kitchen where the door seemed to never stay shut for long. A warmth and welcome lingered in the air with a continuous noise of conversation and laughter dancing above the crowd.

"Let's get a booth in the back." Noah leaned in so Theo could hear him.

Theo nodded and followed Noah closely. Weaving in and out of the crowd and staff, they finally found themselves sitting in a nice little booth that still had a good view of the entire tavern. Not long after a waitress came over.

"What can I get for you two." She seemed impatient as she stood arms folded.

Noah looked up at the waitress. "Annabeth sent us."

The waitress' demeanor immediately changed. The annoyed attitude vanished and a small smile appeared. She nodded and headed off to the kitchen.

Theo looked around at the growing crowd, "Is this really the only place for everyone?"

"It's the best place to go for some entertainment and food." A woman poked her head around the barrier between the two booths. "You see, this is where all the wannabe and amateur adventurers go to try and get noticed."

"Noticed by who?" Theo had perked up.

"Anyone from out of town. It's like their one-way ticket to so-called glory." The woman rolled her eyes when she emphasized "glory," "If you stay long enough though, they all get drunk and their egos start acting out."

"I'll keep that in mind. Say, you wouldn't know any of these so-called out-of-town travelers would you," Theo asked. He watched her turn and speak with whoever was sitting in the booth with her. She nodded then turned back to Theo.

"I can't say I do, but I'm sure if you asked around you'd find someone." And with that, the woman popped back over to her side.

Theo turned back to his food only to find Noah staring at him with his signature "up to no good" smirk.

"What," Theo muffled out as he stuffed food into his mouth.

"Oh come off it, Theo. She was cute." Noah rolled his eyes at his brother.

Theo realized what his brother was brainstorming, "Oh no no no. No way. Remember the last time I tried with a girl? That ended with you and Henry laughing at me for two days and I was utterly embarrassed to be seen in public again."

"It wasn't that bad. Sarah is picky about what she eats." Noah shrugged, eating some more potatoes.

"I would be picky as well if I was offered something that I was allergic to." Theo was referring, of course, to the bad information Noah and Henry had given him when he went to offer this girl a dessert that she was allergic to.

Noah let out a giggle and continued eating. "All I'm saying is don't offer food next time."

Around this time the waitress came back around with two plates full of food and two mugs. "Do you need anything else right now?" They both shook their heads. "Just yell at me if you do." Then she vanished into the sea of people.

They dug in like it was their last meal. It may not have been the best of the best but at that moment that food tasted like it had come from the king's table.

Theo gulped his drink before speaking. "How long are we staying?"

"Just until we can find someone who will help us across the border into the Southern Kingdom," Noah said. Theo nodded and a loud crash caught their attention

Both boys looked out to see a large drunk man pick up another glass to throw at another guy who had stood up ready to fight. The one picked up another glass to throw but it was too late as the other man had left over the table to attack the first man. As this ensued all hell broke loose around the man. The people at the bar started cheering on the two while the rest of the tavern was trying to get a better look. The boys looked at each other and then back at the fight in front of them. Not sure whether to cheer it on or make a run for the door.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

This would indeed be an intriguing night.

~~~*~~~

A stranger in all black stood in the shadow of the decently tall buildings. The only color that would draw any attention would be the intricate silver designs weaved into the hood and on the forearm guards. Given it was a new moon, this wouldn't be an issue then again, the stranger is hardly noticed by his targets.

He looked up towards the roof and around to see the best bet on making it to the high vantage point. Once he figured out a climbing path he started up. He was a pretty decent climber since he could remember. It had become like second nature. The stranger took his place in the shadows once on top of the roof and waited. His customer had said that his target would be walking down this alley in due time.

This would be the second job of the night. First was quite easy but this one would be a waiting game.

After about an hour of sitting and waiting, he heard the voices of the two men walking. This was it. He knocked an arrow getting ready for the kill. He pulled the string back feeling the cool metal of his mask as his fingers grazed it. Shifting to get a better angle, he sees his target's face partially illuminated by a lantern hanging by a door.

The two men stop by the door. The one gives a goodbye handshake and calls the other by name. That's the signal. The stranger holds his breath and lets the arrow go. A whistle of the arrow streaks through the silent night and finds its target. A perfect headshot and down goes the poor soul. The stranger stood from his hiding place and started down to the alley floor. The other man came out of his hiding place.

"You could've waited for me to get out of the way. You nearly shot me!" The man huffed. He stretched his arm out with a small bag full of gold pieces.

"If I wanted you dead, you would be dead," The stranger remarked bluntly. He snatched the bag out of the man's hand and turned to walk away. "We were never here together, got it?"

The man nodded. He was intimidated at the sight of the skull-like mask that reflected the lantern's light in an almost evil smile. The stranger headed off into the night watching to make sure he wasn't followed. When he was sure he was in the clear, he took off his hood and mask, ran his hand through his hair, and hid his mask. The stranger looked around to see if there were any of the smaller pubs open but everyone seemed to be calling it a day early on this side of town. Not wanting to travel around he decided to go visit Pixies for a hopeful quick bite.

It was about a ten-minute walk to the tavern. The stranger took a deep breath before entering. Hopefully, this go round it would be less fighting drunks away from his food than anything. As he entered he was welcomed by a full-on brawl between two men in the center of the tavern. Chairs and some tables were knocked over and glass was everywhere. The two men seemed to be covered in blood, ale, and food but clearly didn't care. Many at the bar were cheering on the fight while the barmaids were looking frantically for their security. One of the men somehow was able to stand up. Face all bloodied and bruised and he turned towards the stranger that had just walked in.

The stranger huffed to himself, "Every fucking time."

The drunkard stumbled over to him fist rearing back ready for a swing. However, the stranger was prepared and sober. A fist came at him and he moved to the side making the drunkard lose his footing. This caused him to stumble towards the entrance and the stranger took the opportunity to turn around and give the man a good shove out the door. The waitress close to the door took the opportunity to slam and look at the group in the fight.

"You all can pick up your bloody mess on the floor and leave peacefully or I'll get Dmitri out here." She folded her arms and stood her ground.

The group mumbled and cussed. They picked their friend off the ground and headed out. On the opposite side of the tavern, Noah was standing watching the scene unfold while Theo was more concerned with his food.

"Theo, are you seeing this?" Noah strained to look over the crowd. He glanced back at Theo and did a double-take. "Dude you just missed some dude kicking the drunk out." Noah sat back down defeated.

"I'm fine with that."

Things calmed down after the fight was thrown out. With that, most of the crowd migrated to another place to carry on the chaos. A handful of customers were left enjoying their meals without the fear of a body being thrown into them.

The waitress came over to clean up the table and asked if they wanted anything else.

"I think we're good now." Noah looked across at Theo and he nodded.

She smiled. "If you come by at lunchtime we'll get you two a plate."

Theo thanked her but Noah caught her attention before she could run off again. "Can I ask you something?" She paused waiting. "Would you know of anyone that could help us... you know."

The waitress looked around making sure no one was eavesdropping. Her gaze stopped and Noah followed her attention. "You see that guy over there. He's helped us out with plenty of shipments to the southern kingdom." She winked and walked away.

"You aren't actually going over there," Theo asked as Noah stood up. "Dude."

Noah was already walking over ignoring all of what Theo was saying. He sucked in a deep breath and headed toward the small table. He sat down without so much as an introduction and waited for the man to notice him there.

Theo was utterly distraught.

The man looked up, eyebrows raised. One normal night. Is that too much to ask for? "Uh, can I help you?"

"Yes, you can." Noah smiled. He leaned forward and pointed towards Theo. "You see that kid over there?" They both looked over. Theo was trying to hide behind his hand. "That is my brother."

"Good for you?"

"Sure. So down to business..." Who the hell is this kid? "My brother and I need some help getting to the southern kingdom border. Our waitress said, "You've done a few jobs." Out of the corner of his eye, Noah saw Theo frantically speaking with the waitress who began giggling. She walked off still giggling and Theo ran over.

"You must have me confu..." About this time Theo ran over and whispered something into Noah's ear. The confident smile faded slowly away and a look of embarrassment etched across Noah's face. The man chuckled at the site of the two boys. "You two alright?"

Noah tried his best to compose himself. "It looks like I've mistaken you for someone else. I'll leave you to your meal. Have a nice night." He stood to leave but the man stopped him.

"Wait a minute." He cleared his throat. "Come on, sit back down. The guy you want is a complete idiot." He nudged his head to the guy sitting behind him. He was completely out of his mind with whatever drink he had spilled all over his pants. "That moron may have a long list of traveling south but they haven't been successful."

Theo peered around to look at the man who passed out. "How do you know?"

"I've seen him around. Those northern soldiers always find those kids before they're over the border." He glanced between the boys. Theo took note of the unnerving silver eyes the stranger had piercing through him. "You'd be found out by the next city he'd drop you off at."

"He doesn't take them all the way to the border?" Theo asked.

The stranger shook his head with a solemn expression. Theo's stomach dropped and he imagined Noah felt the same way. They were now back to square one.

"Wait," Noah turned quickly to the stranger. "How do you know who we were talking about?"

The stranger sat back and folded his arms. "No parent in their right mind lets their kids enter a tavern alone at night. Plus you're about the seventh and eighth boys to walk through the doors this week. I could see you coming from a mile away." He added sarcastically.

Noah slumped down in his chair feeling defeated, but Theo wasn't having it. "Could you do it then?"

"Do what?"

"Take us south." Theo pushed.

The stranger shook his head. "I'm not getting involved with anything dealing with northern territory."

Theo folded his arms. "Then why are you sitting in a town that you could sneeze in and it hit Líadain?" Noah looked up at Theo and snickered. Sure Theo could be annoying but he had his moments.

The stranger knew there wasn't a way out of this. Either the desperate boys head out with the moron sleeping off his alcoholism and be found out, or end up dead because they tried traveling themselves.

You enjoy torturing yourself, don't you?

He sighed, "Only because I hate this fucking war. We head out in two days." The boys practically jumped in celebration. The smiles on their faces and the light in their eyes chipped away at something in the stranger's heart. "Just try and keep a low profile for the next few days. I've got some business to finish up and I don't need you two getting into trouble alright?"

"Yep!" Noah exclaimed. "You don't have to worry about us."

Theo grabbed his brother's tunic before he could get too far. "Before we head off, what's your name?" He asked the stranger.

"Gabriel."

Theo held out his hand. "Theo and that is my brother Noah."

Gabriel shook his hand firmly and nodded. They made their way out of the tavern quickly and Gabriel sat back against his chair.

What did you agree to, moron?