Chapter 7 - The Tricking

When I finally found Blair it was an afternoon .

As I entered *the Merchant’s Coin* tavern I took a quick look around, taking in the decor and the feel of the place. The floor was scrubbed so thoroughly that the wood actually looked like it was bleached, tables were solid and round and had white napkins on them, heavy looking chairs completed the furnishing. Shiny bronze mirrors, inset with magically glowing gems, shone with golden light that illuminated the place, they were affixed to  rectangular wooden pillars. The tavern looked both neat and enchanting in its uniquely tidy fashion.

I liked the place very much and made a mental note to visit it in the future.

Several merchant looking guests sat around tables, but my gaze quickly wandered to a young warrior with an estoc. He was sitting near the centre, chatting with an old merchant clad in heavily embroidered, purple robe.

[ If you wonder how is it possible for people to easily figure out the blade is edgeless - he is using a scabbard consisting of metal loop attached to the belt and strip of leather ending with a metal socket. Information on the sword - Estoc]

I went to a table placed in a corner of the room, I wanted to avoid bringing attention to myself as much as possible. When I sat, a sprucely dressed waitress approached me.

-" Welcome to the Merchant’s Coin. My name is Rebecca. Can I get you something to drink? " Waitress introduced herself and asked.

-" Some ale and water please. " I spoke without thinking.

I ordered a thing which I always order when role playing, though I personally can't drink the stuff. Don't get me wrong. I can drink wine or hard liquors without a hitch, quite a lot of them actually, it’s just that I can't stomach the taste of beer, the thing makes me nauseous.

-" Aren't you a little young for ale? " Rebecca asked with suspicion.

-' Must be my voice. ‘ I thought to myself. -’ If she saw anything worthwhile under the hood I would be all red and glowy right now. '

I made audible sigh and responded in a composed manner.

-" I might look and sound young, but I am not. Ever heard of elder races? "

-" Oh, pardon me, I did not realize because of the hood. Please accept my apologies, I will bring your order in just a moment. " She apologized quickly and bowed to me.

When she left I took out all of my copper coins and placed them on the table.

-' I hope it’s enough. I have no idea how much more this place charges compared to a regular one. ' I worried.

It appears that there was enough coins, because the returning waitress quickly collected them and placed a mug of ale and a glass of water in front of me.

-" Thank you ", I said.

-" Please do enjoy our humble establishment. " She responded and bowed again before leaving.

With my place secured, I began observing the warrior from under my hood. He had a ruffled, dark blonde hair, fair skin and blue eyes. He wore cloth tight fitting  black garb with a hood and a long tunic made of dark leather. He had a wide piece of cloth wrapped around his waist, secured in place by a buckle less black leather belt tied in a martial arts fashion. On his arms there were studded leather bracers that matched with his knee high boots.

-' He certainly does not look like a person that started a few days ago. ' I took a sip of water from the glass. -' Also, he has a direct contact with the Captain of the Guard, which most likely is not an easy thing to do. '

I began to weigh my options, because my initial plan started to look like a really weak idea.

-' Hmm, I can't send in a thug with a false info. That guy would catch the ruse instantly... ‘

While I watched, the purple clad merchant began to give his regards and farewells to the warrior. I considered my options intensely and decided that a showdown with the warrior would be the best course of action.

-' He has too many advantages(cards), but I've got the one he's missing, the strongest of them all, the Information. '

I rose and approached the warrior, deciding on which facts I should to rely. Warrior noticed my approach and looked at me warily, so I spoke before he had a chance to send me off.

-" Let's talk, I might have the information that you want. " I said calmly to break his guard.

He looked at my cloaked figure with suspicion, but the bait was too good to pass on.

-" Very well, take a seat. " He said and pointed at the chair furthest from him. His face seemed to be in his early twenties, though I was uncertain due to inquisitive look of his blue eyes that were focused on me exclusively..

I sat on the edge of the chair and tried for an apprehensive look, as if I was nervous. I looked left and right to play him a bit more, meanwhile waiting for him to lose his patience and ask a question.

He looked at me meticulously and I shifted a bit on a chair, to further push on my nervous agenda. Finally he spoke:

-" Why are you hiding under that cloak, show yourself! "

-" I will be killed if I am seen, just like the adventurer from earlier! " I said in a scared voice and silently thanked the newbie for his sacrifice to the cause.

-" What adventurer? " He asked with a look of surprise.

-" He looked for you earlier as I-i asked him, also I asked him to...to go to the Captain but...but they killed him before I could give him the message. " I said and tried to sound tearful. I remembered something from few days back and suddenly I had no problems with sounding tearful.

-" They had done it...in the alley...just across the plaza from the castle. " I said and began to wipe my tear stained eyes while pretending to sob.

He looked annoyed, especially when one of the waitresses approached and began to ask if everything is alright. He managed to convince her that nothing undue is happening. I stopped sobbing, least I risked that he would  move the conversation in private and I would have a tough time covering my Mark then.

He was visibly irritated and I noticed a small tick near the left corner of his mouth.

-" Could you tell me what the message was? " He asked in a deadpan voice.

I could not stop myself from playing at his expense.

-" But...will you be alright? I heard when they were talking about you... ".

-" Don't worry, I am not some newbie adventurer, just tell me... "

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

-" B...but they said that the one named Blair is dangerous a-and... that it’s time to get a professional... to get to kill... him. " I ended in a small voice while continuing to detract him from the target, according to quest logic the harder the information is to gather the better it is and I was not going to sell my lie cheaply. Not to mention I had fun messing him up.

He sighed and almost rolled his eyes, then, with visible effort  to look dependable, he said:

-" Believe me, I will alert the City Guard and get those criminals. I am a friend of the Captain, you need not worry about me ".

-' Wow, that was a good one, it seems he can do it if he tries. ' I thought while smiling to myself.

-" Umm...you should try investigating the eateries near the central plaza. You should be able to find a lead there, there's also a...a warehouse... " I said with a pause and watched him while he was eating the bait, the float and the fishing pole.

-" What warehouse? " When I fell silent he asked dutifully in exasperated voice, .

-" I heard that they spoke about some warehouse close to the one owned by Ribald the Huckster...I have tried to find it, b...but I was chased away by some people. " I said while trying to look as uncertainly as possible.

He was thinking for some time and seeing that I was not speaking again he asked:

-" Is there anything else? "

I shook my head lightly, not trusting myself to remove the glee from my voice. Then, I took a quick look to my left and right and  whispered:

-" I must go or they will find me. "

His gaze followed me when I rose and started to move outside.

-' Waah, I want to see the look on his face right now! But I can't! Argh! ' I was doing my best to leave in least suspicious manner possible.

When outside, I quickly moved to the nearest alleyway and ran, making sure that he was not following me, just to be safe. After making sure of that, I started moving to the Thieves Guild.

The sun began to set when I arrived at the shady building, which was beginning to have an ominous rather than ragged look.

I snuck to the door and slithered inside, opening the door just widely enough to pass. Inside, I continued to move through the places not graced by the candlelight, I ignored few curious looks of the patrons that have spotted me while I was moving past them.

Soon, I was near the counter and where I could have a look at Nasir, who had his elbows propped on the counter and impassively looked at the central area, which was surrounded by the dark gallery above it..

-" Hey, I am back. " I said quietly.

Before I had registered the movement he already had a throwing knife and a cudgel in his hands. He relaxed after noticing it was me.

-" Don't do that, I wouldn't want to hurt you. " He said.

I bent over the counter, and rested my elbows on it. I propped my chin with my hands. I was still in a playful mood it seems.

-" I have told great many things to the adventurer sent by the curious guards. "

He looked taken aback by what I said.

-" Do you realize what you are saying? " He asked in slight disbelief..

-" I am just saying that the adventurer will look in great detail into eateries on the central plaza and what's stored in the foodstuffs warehouse owned by said eateries. " I said smugly. -" It would be an interesting thing to see how curious the guards are...if there was a slightest proof found there. Care to give them one? " I continued playfully.

-" That...that can be arranged. " He responded, dumbstruck a bit.

I straightened myself and started to remove the cloak.

-" Thank you for lending me this cloak, it was really helpful. " I said.

-' Pff, it took me a while to figure out that it was a quest item given out to help me with the task, couldn't they be a little bit more obvious when handing those? If I took it, there probably would be a hell to pay. ' I thought as I moved the cloak over my head laying it on the counter.

Nasir looked like he was more dumbstruck than before, and I couldn't figure out why.

-" Um...No...I mean it's good... " He was saying gibberish for some reason, then he shook his head. -" Its best that you go upstairs without it, b...but if you don't mind it...you can have it when you are back... " He looked kind of strange when he said that.

-' I don't really get it, but oh well...he probably assumed that I will take another quest up there. '

-" Thank you, I will take you on your kind offer. It’s a really good cloak after all. " I commented and smiled at him. -" I will be back soon. " I said as I left.

I think I heard a whisper when I was leaving, but I was not sure.

-" Take care. "

I made my way upstairs. Because I noticed that there was a hidden presence near the staircase I made a point of giving it a nod.

-' It always pays to give out a good impression. ' I thought with satisfaction and hoped that I had not missed it during the last visit.

Gallery was as dark as ever, which began to piss me off. Annoyed, I took the nearest chair and started to push it in front of me - it was dastardly heavy after all.

-" It’s heavy, but it looks comfy with all the padding. If I didn't know better I would say that some merchant lord or aristocrat used it as his throne or something. " I thought while I was pushing the thing, I didn't pay any attention to loud noises that I was causing.

After a while I managed to drag the chair to the usual table. When I looked over the railing I noticed a few curious faces looking at me from below. When a  mark coalesced on my forehead, glowing with a red light, the people from below suddenly lost interest and quickly turned away.

I moved to the front of the chair and sat with odd feeling of satisfaction. To my surprise I noticed a goblet standing on the table in front of me.

-" Lets talk business. " I heard the voice...

======

Hey,~ authors here~

I hope you liked today's chapter, please share your opinion! and don't rip me a new one for the cliffhanger at the end :D

Cheers,

Mea

Ps I have restrained the narrator as she did too much of the mess on the last chapter.

Ps 2 So far the poll is 66% vs 33%, but I won't say who's winning, such a terrible and evil Overlord I am :D

NEXT CHAPTER: Chapter 8 - The Choosing