Chapter 35 Downfall: Part 1

I awoke, not the instant awareness of being jolted by a sound or the gentle rising from dosing in and out while lying in a warm shaft of light but a gradual recognition of existence. All I could hear was my own breathing, and the breathing of someone next to me, wherever I was the air was warm and still, though the smell was different, a strange scent, not what I was expecting at all, no warm smell of leather heated by the sun, or the comforting smell of my sister Turu, who always slept pressed up against my side, though whether this was due to sisterly affection or the fact that my tail was a better padding than the furs we used was anyone’s guess.

Slowly I opened my eyes and instantly regretted doing so, as a stab of pain like a dagger being driven down into my skull assailed me. I pulled in a hissing breath and closed my eyes, covering them with my forepaws, in an attempt to block out the hateful light that had attacked me so unwarently.

“Ah, look who is awake,” a voice purred at my ear, and for a brief moment I thought it was my sister Turu teasing me for something I had done, but then my sluggish brain finally kicked into gear and I realized it was Seri. I cracked one eye and peeked at her through the small gaps between my paw and my face, making sure to keep my eyes shaded. The outside world was so painfully bright that it took several moments for my eyes to adjust before I could even see her, lying there next to me, a smile on her deep red lips. “How is the head?” she asked.

“Rinmua feels like her skull has been used as a bowl by savages,” I hissed, thinking of the barbaric people found deeper in the Pontif mountains that took their enemies skulls and made goblets out of them.

“Well that is to be expected, seeing as you downed an entire shot of Devilspire,” she snorted, “Do you know that the number of people who can claim they have done that and not gone blind can be counted on one hand?”

“If she was not supposed to drink so much then why was she given so much?” I hissed, fully closing the gap and once again plunging my poor, poor eyes back into blissful darkness.

“Its a drink designed to be shared, amongst friends or people who at least wish to form a truce, you were supposed to take a sip, and then pass it to the barkeep so that he could do the same, and then the rest is disposed of, seeing as anymore and, well then people get like you did.”

“And what did Rinmua get like?” I asked, dreading the answer already.

“Well, let us just say you get more affectionate after imbibing, and you lose the ability to tell one person from another, you seemed to think everyone you bumped into was me,” she laughed. “Which means I am going to have to keep an eye on you, we wouldn't want you to get up to something bad while over-imbibing.”

“Rinmua is never touching alcohol again...”

“That is what we all say,” she laughed, before snuggling closer to me. Even past the biting headache and the stabbing pain of the light assaulting my eyes I smile as she does, feeling safe and comforted even if not comfortable. “Well, while you were bunting against anything that had a pulse and even a few that didn't we were able to form a plan to take down the Brandmounts,” that got my attention. “One of the things you and Bartel grabbed was a ledger, honestly I think that was more of what she wanted back, never mind the silver of which she has more than enough.”

“That she definitely does, there were stacks of chests, and Rin and Bartel only opened one or two, but if they have silver or even gold in them then the Brandmount’s have more silver than she can even comprehend.”

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“Most nobles do kitten, and that likely isn't even half, seeing as it is highly unlikely for them to simply put all of their eggs in one basket so to speak,” she scouted over some more and rested her head on my shoulder, my paw came up and began combing through her hair, making sure the claws were out only long enough to comb and not to cut her in any way. “Anyway, after a cursory glance it is pretty clear that they have been skimming on taxes, not paying the amount they should to the local lord, which in itself is not uncommon, and if it comes to the attention of the lord there will be some fines, some fees, but like you saw they have more than enough to weather that no problem, and the lord wont want to get rid of them seeing as even if they don't pay fully they still pay, and some money is better than none, especially since they likely have a good amount of influence as well as connections throughout the area, so we need something more, something that forces the Lord's hand to make an example of them.”

“Rin wonders what you three have planned?”

“Well, besides the fact that it is the four of us and not the three of us,” she slid her hand over the flat of my stomach and curled her fingers around my side.”A lord needs to listen to some of his people’s requests, or he will not remain a lord for long,” I could hear the smile in her voice, “there have of course been rummers around the city that those that go to work for the Brandmounts as adventures either never come back or if they do then they are found doing tasks for the Brandmounts that no self-respecting adventurer would ever do.”

“Of course, Rin did not expect everyone to keep their mouth shut, even with the threats.”

“Right, well the thing about adventures is that they are typically outcasts in a city, not quite a part of it, so they tend to look out for each other, after all, we are all part of the same order, the same brotherhood if you will, one big family...”

“She sees where this is going,” I said, and I did, if there was a sufficiently large amount of people that demanded justice be brought to the Brandmounts then the lord would have to act or risk riots from the displeased crowds. “So the plan is to put pressure on the local lord to do what to the Brandmounts?”

“That's the thing, if an execution is called for then they will likely not get it as the lord can claim it was to harsh, if however, we leave it at demanding justice then the lord has to decide, which puts him in the awkward position of having to decide a punishment, no doubt he will realize that if he does not punish them sufficiently then he will have a large group of angry men and women, most of whom are armed quite well, it is to be expected that the local citizens would also get in on this, seeing as peasants are drawn by things like this, it is a break in an otherwise normal routine, and many of them harbor resentment to nobility, so this will be too tempting to pass up for them.” she placed her leg on top of one of my own and slid it between my legs, resting her thigh on top of my upper thighs tangling our legs together. “The blackband will also have agitators in the crowd, apparently this is not the first riot they have started and moderated, meaning they will know what they need to say and do to get the crowds worked up.”

“Rin wonders what to do if this does not work,” I said, finally opening my eyes and seeing Seri look back at me.

“Don’t worry kitten, it will work, and if it doesn't then we will attempt to take them down a different way, but if you ask me this is a pretty full proof plan.”

“Well then, Rinmua thinks it is time to set it in motion.”

“It already is,” it was then that I could make out the faint sound of a large number of people shouting something, I had simply been ignoring the sound as it hurt to so much as think right this second, but if I focused then I could make out a word or two, from the sound there were quite the number of people out there voicing their displeasure, I tried not to think about how many of them had known people who had vanished, gone to that keep never to return, or had practically been turned into slaves for the Brandmounts, after they had spent the silver they had been loaned.

If the sound was anything to judge by then the number was quite substantial. “Rin thinks it would be wise to stay inside, they sound angry,” an angry crowd was the last thing we needed to get mixed up in, and to be honest, if they were this loud that I could hear them in here then I really didn't want to be out there, my ears were more sensitive than a human’s naturally, and right now my head might explode if I went out there and hit that wall of sound.

“A wise choice,” Seri laughed, “A very wise choice,” and with that, she snuggled closer to me and closed her eyes, “Let's just stay like this today, and see what happens huh?” I purred my approval of that idea before rubbing the side of my face against her forehead and settling back into the bed in a more comfortable position...