Cid looked at Stefan Kolville as Leonidas looked him over in the bed. He turned to Jeanne, looking at the Kolville sullenly. “This was not what I expected when we got back,” he said to Jeanne, turning to her.

Jeanne was silent as she slowly tapped her foot to the wooden floor.

“Come, you look like you could use a drink,” Cid said. ‘Do you have this doctor?”

Leonidas turned, looking at Jeanne coldly for a moment before looking at Cid. “Yeah, I’m good up here.”

They went down to the dining area of the inn and Cid ordered two meads for them as they took their seats at one of the tables. “I’m actually surprised you brought him in in one piece,” Cid said to Jeanne as they waited.

“I’m surprised he’s alive, too.”

“What kept you from finishing him?”

“I don’t know,” she said, scratching the back of her head. “I mean I had him there, right there. And a couple more hits and … it’d be over.”

The server placed a flagon for Cid and Jeanne, Cid grabbed his and took a long sip. “I can’t imagine it was easy for you to hold the rage back.”

“No,” she said, sipping from her flagon. “It wasn’t.”

“I noticed you and Doc seem to be … distant.”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” she said.

Cid nodded. “That’s fair. Well, I think we’ll be moving out in the morning with our guest in tow.”

“Really?” Jeanne asked, confused.

Cid nodded again. “I don’t want to risk him escaping, or some of his cohorts trying anything before we can make our way out of the city. And I don’t want Bellem, the cardinal or anyone else deciding to become a thorn in our sides on a whim.”

“Good,” Jeanne said, “The sooner we’re out of this place, the better.”

“I think I’m going to call it a night,” Cid said, rising from his seat. “You get some rest all right, Jeanne?”

“I’ll try,” she said.

“See you in the morning,” Cid said, making his way to the stairs.

Jeanne grabbed her flagon and stepped out onto the city street. She sat down on the dirt ground next to the door and leaned back against the wall. She felt a headache which had been bothering her since they were in the tunnel. She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead and tried to lessen the pressure building.

The sound of dirt crunching underneath feet caused her to open her eyes and saw the doctor standing outside and actively looking for something.

“Jeanne?” he said out loud, visibly confused. “Jeanne!”

“Um, doc?” she said, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh!” he said, startled, “there you are.”

“What did you need?”

“I was checking to see how you were doing.”

“I have a headache that feels like it’s cracking my skull into two.”

“Sorry about that,” he said, taking a seat next to her.

“Did you need to tackle me like that?”

“Jeanne, I thought you were going to kill the man. And you threw me across a tunnel.”

Jeanne growled looking down at her feet as she rubbed her forehead again.

“I mean, you knocked a few of his teeth out. And you nearly broke his jaw.”

“I know what I did,” she fired back. “And everyone seems to forget who he is.”

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Leonidas leaned back, his brow furrowed and mouth slightly agape. “You really think we didn’t remember why we’re here? Why we’ve gone through all this crap to find these men? We’re here because of you! We’re here, because of what these men did to your family.”

“Then why aren’t we putting them down like dogs and be done with it?”

“Because there is a very fine line between revenge and justice. And a lot of people don’t like to acknowledge the difference but it is there. It’s what keeps us from becoming the very people we’re hunting. It keeps us from being the very thing we hate the most in others. Jeanne we’re not trying to keep you from getting the satisfaction you’ve been wanting. We just don’t want you becoming the same type of criminal the Kolvilles are.”

Jeanne let out a heavy sigh, looking away down the deserted city street. “What would you do?”

“What?”

“If you were faced with the same decision, what would you do?”

Leonidas paused for a moment lifting his brows up as he considered the thought. “I guess it would be hypocritical if I said I wouldn’t want to see certain people suffer what I did. Some more than others. And gods know the temptation is strong.”

“I just wished I could throw back what the world throws at me, and not have someone say that I’m in wrong for it. I’m tired of people always telling me I should be the better person. Everyone knows I’m the hit first, hit second, kick, break and batter third, and then I might start asking questions afterwards.”

“Really?” Leonidas asked.

“Probably not,” Jeanne admitted.

“I just don’t want you going down a road that you may not come back from.”

Jeanne pinched the bridge of her nose. As she let out an exasperate sigh she nodded. “I know.”

“At least we’ll be out of the city and hopefully we can get a rest from everything.”

“One can hope.”

Leonidas opened his mouth to speak as he noticed something in the distance. Jeanne noticed this change and turned to see what he saw. Out of the corner of the street was the faint golden flicker of torches. The angry indecipherable shouts began filling the air as the two looked at each other, color leaving their faces.

Without saying a word, they raced back into the inn and up the stairs. Cid and the others stepped out of their quarters as they heard the loud clamoring. “What’s going on?” Cid asked.

“There’s a mob coming,” Jeanne said catching her breath.

“You sure they’re coming here?” Hypatia asked.

“I’d bet good money on it,” Jeanne said.

“Shit,” said Kveldulf.

“Quick,” Cid said, “go around and put the fires out. And barricade the door.”

“I doubt the innkeeper is going to appreciate the mess,” said Gabriel.

“They won’t appreciate a mob coming through their front door either,” Cid replied. “Besides if they do come here, it’ll give us some time to get out before they break their way in.”

The Wolves raced down the steps, throwing tables in front of the doorway and closed shutters. The innkeeper was hiding behind the counter, barely peeking their head up to see what was happening. The Wolves pressed themselves against the walls and listened carefully to the noise of the mob outside. Jeanne felt sweat beading on her brow as she heard the shouting get louder with each passing moment.

Faint light of the torches came through the small openings from the windows. Jeanne could see the others gripping their weapons tightly as they waited for the crowd to arrive at the front of the inn and begin surrounding them.

But nothing happened. The crowd passed them by and after a few arduous moments the crowd passed the building and the lights and noise faded away into darkened silence. The Wolves slowly looked at each other before carefully taking down the barricade.

Silvius gestured, Are they gone?

I don’t know, I don’t them, Cid gestured back. Maeryn, Gabriel, do you hear anything?

Maeryn replied, I can hear them moving away from here.

Cid waited a little longer before saying out loud. “All right, grab Stefan, we’re leaving now.”

“Right,” Jeanne said beginning to move upstairs.

“Everyone, get the tables back in place,” Cid said to the others.

“Wait!” the innkeeper said, moving around the counter towards Cid. “Leave them there.”

“What, why?” Maeryn asked.

“If they find out you have Stefan and were here and all that, they’re gonna wonder if I was a part of the whole thing. But if it looks like you made a mess …”

“… Then you can say we threatened you and twisted your arm,” Jeanne followed.

“Not a terrible idea,” Cid said, “place the tables and such on their sides and face.”

“And one of you punch me,” the innkeeper said.

Everyone turned to the innkeeper wide-eyed. “I’m sorry what?” Leonidas asked.

“I need one of you to punch me,” the innkeeper repeated.

“Right or left?” Jeanne asked.

“Jeanne!” Leonidas cried out.

“Right,” the innkeeper replied.

“Got it,” Jeanne said as she landed a blow to the innkeeper’s right side.

The woman stumbled back a few steps. Steadying herself she tapped her hand to the corner of her mouth and saw a small of blood on her fingers. She nodded happily as she returned to the others. “That’ll do, that’ll d nicely.”

Jeanne gave the woman a hug. “For the record, I did not enjoy that.”

“Aw, you are a lovely dear,” the innkeeper said. “But I think it’d be good if you lot took your leave before any one of those people come back.”

“Agreed,” Cid said, “Gabriel, Kel, go get Stefan and get him down here, Sil, you and Maer, Hypatia and Doc go grab the horses and bring them back here, Jeanne, go with them just to play it safe.”

“I also think that’d take care of all the horses we have,” Jeanne replied.

Cid closed an eye and looked up for a moment. “Hmm, you’re right. Good thing one of us is good with numbers.”

“Wait, no I’m not.”

“Just roll with it, Jeanne,” Cid said. “We don’t have much in terms of baggage, so when the others get back, we can move out quickly.”

Jeanne watched as after clearing the entrance, Maeryn peered her head out of the inn and turned back to the others. “It looks clear,” she said in a hushed voice.

Moving out onto the streets Jeanne saw streaks of blood already staining the ground below. The sounds of screaming and cries breaking the ambient silence. “Come on,” Jeanne said, “We shouldn’t linger.”