Andras pulled her up to the horse and almost threw her arm around his waist before he set the horse in motion. Her body pressed against his back out of necessity. If Andras had a shred of attention dedicated to her, he might have taken the moment to mock the intimacy of the position. Instead he shuffled his mount down the road without a word.
When Andras passed the parts of the street contained by his memories, he slowed the beast down dramatically. It was hard enough to see what was right in front of him, between the night and the rain. The last thing they needed was the horse to trip over some unattended belongings left out in the street, and his rusty horsemanship wasn’t about to make this any easier. The horse stumbled more times than he was comfortable with.
The horse jerked in protest as its velocity slowed, perhaps grasping that something had gone wrong. Andras calmed the beast with a jerk of the reigns, trying to keep its head forward. He didn’t care for the way the animal looked at him. Like it knew.
Andras didn’t notice the shadows for almost a full minute, having retreated into his sullen thoughts. He didn’t have much of an inclination to look back towards the scene of the murder, and even less of an inclination to listen to Haneul. When he finally did glance back, it took him a few moments before his eyes picked out what seemed off about the scene.
He pulled the horse to a stop. Andras’ barrel torso turned halfway, but his expression couldn’t be seen through the mask. He brought his bloody gauntlet up to his head to adjust the sack, but in the process wiped three smears of blood across its surface. The red liquid was rapidly absorbed by the rough surface, making his visage into something out a nightmare: a face featureless except for three bloody claw marks.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Andras growled in a high whisper. If Haneul was starting to use her magic, he had plenty of reasons to be afraid. Dismissing that possibility as the reason for his fear, he instead said, “Are the battlemages going to be on our ass? Get rid of that, now!”
Andras felt around the lower parts of the saddle. The horse neighed and shook itself, sending a few water droplets towards Andras. One got him right in the eye. The surprise and his overextend position resulted in him sliding sideways, but he caught himself and managed to sidle back into the saddle. His second attempt had more luck when his fingers closed around a geometric metal object.
He pulled his arm up and started fiddling with the recovered lantern. The Morringtons must have left it off to conserve fuel, or else it had been put out by the rain. He started trying to light it, but the device was so damp he couldn’t quite get it to work. Frustrated, he handed it off to Haneul. In a quiet voice, he said, “Try to get this going, I can’t see a bloody thing. I’ll keep us moving, but I need to see some signs.”
Never Play(ed) Fair: The Goodtime Gang
Re: Never Play(ed) Fair: The Goodtime Gang
When Andras reined in the horse’s speed, she was uncomfortably pressed to his back, more so than before. It wasn’t being close to someone else, it was the fact that it was him. She could imagine a nicer person to be pressed up against. She tried to ignore it for the most part though, rather concentrating on her task.
Then he brought the horse to a complete stop, and turned around to look at whatever was behind them. Her brow furrowed. What was it he was looking at? This shouldn’t even concern him. This was her task and he should be leading them to wherever they needed to be going.
His harsh whisper ripped her out of those thoughts and her face grew a little slack under the mask. What?! It took a moment – too long – for his words to sink in and the implications of them and her own actions to fully hit her. Holy…. !
She was losing control. She had let the magic rip free because she didn’t think anything of it. It was nothing, that much was true, but that was only true for everywhere else, but not in Marn. And she had been so careful up until this point. How could she have slipped so badly?! She had gone out of Marn for a couple of hours earlier in the day. It should have been enough. She should not have slipped up like this.
She was so shocked at her own behaviour that she didn’t even notice Andras slide out of the saddle, and thus didn’t comment on it though it would probably have been perfect teasing material.
Instead, she didn’t reply to his previous words either but let the darkness she had built up around and behind them slowly bleed away. Taking the devise from Andras’ cold and wet fingers, she nodded. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Still shaken up about her slip-up, she didn’t even wonder why Andras hadn’t laid into her more, or why he wasn’t taking advantage of her being distraught to make her feel his supposed superiority. Her magic tightly wrapped up again and locked away deep inside, she focused her attention on the contraption that was supposed to be some kind of lamp but was unfortunately not very fond of wetness.
“This isn’t going to work,” she finally responded in a quiet whisper after they had been slowly moving again for a while. “It’s too wet for the wick to ever light up. What is it you are looking for? I can see fairly well in the dark, maybe I can spot whatever it is you need.”
Then he brought the horse to a complete stop, and turned around to look at whatever was behind them. Her brow furrowed. What was it he was looking at? This shouldn’t even concern him. This was her task and he should be leading them to wherever they needed to be going.
His harsh whisper ripped her out of those thoughts and her face grew a little slack under the mask. What?! It took a moment – too long – for his words to sink in and the implications of them and her own actions to fully hit her. Holy…. !
She was losing control. She had let the magic rip free because she didn’t think anything of it. It was nothing, that much was true, but that was only true for everywhere else, but not in Marn. And she had been so careful up until this point. How could she have slipped so badly?! She had gone out of Marn for a couple of hours earlier in the day. It should have been enough. She should not have slipped up like this.
She was so shocked at her own behaviour that she didn’t even notice Andras slide out of the saddle, and thus didn’t comment on it though it would probably have been perfect teasing material.
Instead, she didn’t reply to his previous words either but let the darkness she had built up around and behind them slowly bleed away. Taking the devise from Andras’ cold and wet fingers, she nodded. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Still shaken up about her slip-up, she didn’t even wonder why Andras hadn’t laid into her more, or why he wasn’t taking advantage of her being distraught to make her feel his supposed superiority. Her magic tightly wrapped up again and locked away deep inside, she focused her attention on the contraption that was supposed to be some kind of lamp but was unfortunately not very fond of wetness.
“This isn’t going to work,” she finally responded in a quiet whisper after they had been slowly moving again for a while. “It’s too wet for the wick to ever light up. What is it you are looking for? I can see fairly well in the dark, maybe I can spot whatever it is you need.”
Re: Never Play(ed) Fair: The Goodtime Gang
Andras glared up at her, a small amount of his fire returned to him. If he could express any view on Haneul at this moment, the nameless terror in his gut would have forced him to denounce her for gross incompetence. First the magic, and now she couldn’t get the bloody lantern going.
Instead of expressing that view Andras dropped his eyes to the lantern and said, “Blasted thing’s probably gnomish.”
Were he an introspective man, he might have noticed how he wasn’t willing to risk distancing himself from the only person who had seen the events that had just taken place. If he was alone, then he alone was complicit. Andras was not an introspective man and instead noticed the Morrington blood, diluted by the unrelenting deluge or rainwater, on his gauntlets. He tried to summon up pride for the deed, but found it oddly fleeting.
“If you can ride a horse, we should switch positions,” Andras replied. He sounded calm, but that in itself was a strange state for one of the most boisterous rebels to grace Paragon. He slipped off the saddle in response to Haneul’s consent, giving her instructions to the target household as he did so.
Andras started thinking about the task ahead: finding Dum’s stepbrother and praying he knew where his Dum was. They’d need to convince a man to sell out his own brother, then find and kill said brother. Andras contemplated that they would most likely need to kill him too, should they discover that Dum had squealed Andras’ identity. The fear that knotted his stomach gave a violent tug. This was completely out of control. People didn’t get away with crimes like this, especially not in Marn. He’d be caught, shamed and tortured again.
He didn’t want to be responsible for this. The situation was quickly degenerating into a massacre. As he slipped into the back of the saddle, he tried to work out who had pushed him to this desperate point. He messed up his instructions in the midst of his ruminations, forcing them to double back a block. During that turn, he considered what he had to do.
There was only one easy answer. Dum had forced their hand, he and that shit of a stepbrother to whom the bastard had probably told everything. Andras ground his teeth at the audacity of the pair of snitches, condemning him for crimes he had committed with impeccable motive. That the hypocritical little rats dared to accuse him more than justified their deaths. They didn’t know him or his story. They didn’t know what had brought him to this point. Andras fingered his knife, resolving himself upon a new course of action.
The house came into view as they rounded a corner. Andras spat vile curses under his breath when he saw the light streaming out from the first story window.
Instead of expressing that view Andras dropped his eyes to the lantern and said, “Blasted thing’s probably gnomish.”
Were he an introspective man, he might have noticed how he wasn’t willing to risk distancing himself from the only person who had seen the events that had just taken place. If he was alone, then he alone was complicit. Andras was not an introspective man and instead noticed the Morrington blood, diluted by the unrelenting deluge or rainwater, on his gauntlets. He tried to summon up pride for the deed, but found it oddly fleeting.
“If you can ride a horse, we should switch positions,” Andras replied. He sounded calm, but that in itself was a strange state for one of the most boisterous rebels to grace Paragon. He slipped off the saddle in response to Haneul’s consent, giving her instructions to the target household as he did so.
Andras started thinking about the task ahead: finding Dum’s stepbrother and praying he knew where his Dum was. They’d need to convince a man to sell out his own brother, then find and kill said brother. Andras contemplated that they would most likely need to kill him too, should they discover that Dum had squealed Andras’ identity. The fear that knotted his stomach gave a violent tug. This was completely out of control. People didn’t get away with crimes like this, especially not in Marn. He’d be caught, shamed and tortured again.
He didn’t want to be responsible for this. The situation was quickly degenerating into a massacre. As he slipped into the back of the saddle, he tried to work out who had pushed him to this desperate point. He messed up his instructions in the midst of his ruminations, forcing them to double back a block. During that turn, he considered what he had to do.
There was only one easy answer. Dum had forced their hand, he and that shit of a stepbrother to whom the bastard had probably told everything. Andras ground his teeth at the audacity of the pair of snitches, condemning him for crimes he had committed with impeccable motive. That the hypocritical little rats dared to accuse him more than justified their deaths. They didn’t know him or his story. They didn’t know what had brought him to this point. Andras fingered his knife, resolving himself upon a new course of action.
The house came into view as they rounded a corner. Andras spat vile curses under his breath when he saw the light streaming out from the first story window.
Re: Never Play(ed) Fair: The Goodtime Gang
Haneul almost cracked a grin at the gnomish remark but instead silently got off the horse so the two of them could switch places on the horse. It was odd – she felt more comfortable leading the horse but at the same time, having Andras at her back made goose bumps break out on her skin. Whatever he wanted to do, she would most likely not be able to defend herself in time before he stabbed her in the back or slit her throat. Especially since he always had that knife of his within reach.
Since she didn’t know these parts very well, Haneul had to rely on Andras’ directions despite her better night vision, which resulted in quite a bit of cursing on both sides because they took wrong turns a couple of times. But she refrained from commenting on it. She was lost in her own thoughts and had better things to worry about than the guy grumbling in her ear.
She needed to escape Marn more often if her hold on magic was starting to brittle this easily. This was the first time she had slipped up so badly since she was here and it had happened without her even noticing it. Of course, with the Morringtons the little dip into that darkness had been deliberate, but everything that came after? It had come so naturally, she hadn’t even questioned it. Had Andras not noticed it and called her out on it, they might actually have been caught by a battlemage and then they would have both been in extreme trouble. How could she have done that? Jeopardise everything like that? And for such a stupid little thing as well.
No, from here on out, she had to keep an even tighter leash on her magic and she had to make sure that she didn’t accidentally dip into her resources like that merely because it was convenient and felt natural to her.
When finally the house came into view, Haneul shook off her thoughts and began to concentrate on the task at hand anew. She wasn’t quite sure what the plan was, but then, Andras hadn’t really divulged a plan before they had snuffed out one of the Morringtons of all people.
Vile curses being spat in her ear, Haneul tugged on the hood of her cloak some more to make sure no spittle would accidentally land on her cheek. That would be…. She suppressed a shudder. Halting the horse, she looked up at the light in the first story window that Andras’ panties in a twist. Was that a study? A bedroom? Drug den?
“Let’s put the horse over there,” Haneul suggested, pointing to what seemed to be a shed. “There are enough shadows to hide it if no one looks too closely.” Dismounting, she looked the house over again. It was a quaint little thing with windows at regular intervals on the first floor, some quite large even, but only a couple near enough the ground to provide easy entrance. Interesting. It looked as though the proprietor didn’t use the ground floor very much. A generous space seemed to also exist between the first floor and the roof, which would easily provide a decent hiding space for a person or even two who needed to get out of sight for a few days.
Haneul pointed this out to Andras. “Think Dum might actually have stayed here and hidden out instead of finding another hidey-hole somewhere more remote?”
Since she didn’t know these parts very well, Haneul had to rely on Andras’ directions despite her better night vision, which resulted in quite a bit of cursing on both sides because they took wrong turns a couple of times. But she refrained from commenting on it. She was lost in her own thoughts and had better things to worry about than the guy grumbling in her ear.
She needed to escape Marn more often if her hold on magic was starting to brittle this easily. This was the first time she had slipped up so badly since she was here and it had happened without her even noticing it. Of course, with the Morringtons the little dip into that darkness had been deliberate, but everything that came after? It had come so naturally, she hadn’t even questioned it. Had Andras not noticed it and called her out on it, they might actually have been caught by a battlemage and then they would have both been in extreme trouble. How could she have done that? Jeopardise everything like that? And for such a stupid little thing as well.
No, from here on out, she had to keep an even tighter leash on her magic and she had to make sure that she didn’t accidentally dip into her resources like that merely because it was convenient and felt natural to her.
When finally the house came into view, Haneul shook off her thoughts and began to concentrate on the task at hand anew. She wasn’t quite sure what the plan was, but then, Andras hadn’t really divulged a plan before they had snuffed out one of the Morringtons of all people.
Vile curses being spat in her ear, Haneul tugged on the hood of her cloak some more to make sure no spittle would accidentally land on her cheek. That would be…. She suppressed a shudder. Halting the horse, she looked up at the light in the first story window that Andras’ panties in a twist. Was that a study? A bedroom? Drug den?
“Let’s put the horse over there,” Haneul suggested, pointing to what seemed to be a shed. “There are enough shadows to hide it if no one looks too closely.” Dismounting, she looked the house over again. It was a quaint little thing with windows at regular intervals on the first floor, some quite large even, but only a couple near enough the ground to provide easy entrance. Interesting. It looked as though the proprietor didn’t use the ground floor very much. A generous space seemed to also exist between the first floor and the roof, which would easily provide a decent hiding space for a person or even two who needed to get out of sight for a few days.
Haneul pointed this out to Andras. “Think Dum might actually have stayed here and hidden out instead of finding another hidey-hole somewhere more remote?”
Re: Never Play(ed) Fair: The Goodtime Gang
“I don’t know,” Andras replied. His features were imperceptible beneath the bloody sack mask, but his voice was grim and low. “But it’s the only lead we’ve got. C’mon.”
Andras averted his eyes from the window so as not to spoil his acclimation to the darkness. What little he could see was in danger of slipping away. Andras lurched forward, mumbling under his breath. The work he had done over the past couple of days was catching up to him. He hadn’t gotten nearly enough sleep with all this night work.
He eyeballed his companion. Her magic was leaking out, and he suspected that this was why. When it broke, their cover was over. According to his theory, at that point she’d be left with no recourse but to kill them all. The smart thing to do would be to end her, with a knife to the back, as soon as possible.
But he didn’t want to be alone when hiding from an army of Morrington staff out for revenge. He resolved to play the game for as long as he had to. He was balanced on the knife’s edge, and he’d have to jump off with perfect timing or else face oblivion. He promised himself that if her magic slipped up again, Haneul had to die. At that point, she would be a liability instead of an ally. Assuming, of course, that the battlemages hadn’t already detected her. He shivered beneath his cloak, soaked through by the rain, and told himself he was just cold. Cold, wet and tired.
Andras finally began to creep towards the house, his movements sluggish. When he got to the back door, he tried the lock. The door swung open without resistance. With wide eyes, Andras turned to look at Haneul. “What?” He whispered.
Andras averted his eyes from the window so as not to spoil his acclimation to the darkness. What little he could see was in danger of slipping away. Andras lurched forward, mumbling under his breath. The work he had done over the past couple of days was catching up to him. He hadn’t gotten nearly enough sleep with all this night work.
He eyeballed his companion. Her magic was leaking out, and he suspected that this was why. When it broke, their cover was over. According to his theory, at that point she’d be left with no recourse but to kill them all. The smart thing to do would be to end her, with a knife to the back, as soon as possible.
But he didn’t want to be alone when hiding from an army of Morrington staff out for revenge. He resolved to play the game for as long as he had to. He was balanced on the knife’s edge, and he’d have to jump off with perfect timing or else face oblivion. He promised himself that if her magic slipped up again, Haneul had to die. At that point, she would be a liability instead of an ally. Assuming, of course, that the battlemages hadn’t already detected her. He shivered beneath his cloak, soaked through by the rain, and told himself he was just cold. Cold, wet and tired.
Andras finally began to creep towards the house, his movements sluggish. When he got to the back door, he tried the lock. The door swung open without resistance. With wide eyes, Andras turned to look at Haneul. “What?” He whispered.
Re: Never Play(ed) Fair: The Goodtime Gang
When Andras pushed the door open, the unlocked door, Haneul’s head whipped around to look at him. “Oh, this does not bode well,” she whispered, starting to feel annoyed. If the door was unlocked and a blatant light was on inside the house, then they were either too late and someone else had already been here before them, or, their quarry was stupider than either of them had thought. Or maybe... “Do you think this is a trap?”
There was nothing to it though. No matter what they figured this might be, they wouldn’t know until they had a look around. Heaving a frustrated sigh, Haneul slid past Andras and opened the door a little further. The room beyond was dark, the sliver of light coming from the night sky not enough to illuminate even the farthest corners. But, there was only one way to find out what was going on. They had come here with a purpose and Haneul wasn’t up for leaving things undone. Not that this was really her mission. It had been Andras’ idea.
However, there was a dead Morrington at Dum’s house and it would be better for all of them if they knew what was going on. If only so they knew what the potential aftermath of this night might be.
Slowly, she stepped inside and opened the door even further, letting in as much light as possible. It was an odd place. The fact that there were no windows on the ground floor made everything seem dark and forbidding despite the furniture and the luxurious carpet she stepped on after a few paces into the room. Her eyes were slowly adjusting to the darkness and the hint of light, small though it may be, gave her enough of an edge to figure out what surrounded them.
“Nobody in here,” she whispered in the general direction of where Andras was. It looked like a living room, complete with couch, shelves and a small table, albeit a very little used one. Dust covered all of the surfaces and the space didn’t have a very homely feel, except maybe for the carpet on the floor.
On the opposite side of the door they had come in through, there was another door. Motioning for Andras to follow her, she slipped one of the smaller knives out of its hiding place and firmly gripped it as she headed towards the door and the uncertainty that loomed behind it.
There was nothing to it though. No matter what they figured this might be, they wouldn’t know until they had a look around. Heaving a frustrated sigh, Haneul slid past Andras and opened the door a little further. The room beyond was dark, the sliver of light coming from the night sky not enough to illuminate even the farthest corners. But, there was only one way to find out what was going on. They had come here with a purpose and Haneul wasn’t up for leaving things undone. Not that this was really her mission. It had been Andras’ idea.
However, there was a dead Morrington at Dum’s house and it would be better for all of them if they knew what was going on. If only so they knew what the potential aftermath of this night might be.
Slowly, she stepped inside and opened the door even further, letting in as much light as possible. It was an odd place. The fact that there were no windows on the ground floor made everything seem dark and forbidding despite the furniture and the luxurious carpet she stepped on after a few paces into the room. Her eyes were slowly adjusting to the darkness and the hint of light, small though it may be, gave her enough of an edge to figure out what surrounded them.
“Nobody in here,” she whispered in the general direction of where Andras was. It looked like a living room, complete with couch, shelves and a small table, albeit a very little used one. Dust covered all of the surfaces and the space didn’t have a very homely feel, except maybe for the carpet on the floor.
On the opposite side of the door they had come in through, there was another door. Motioning for Andras to follow her, she slipped one of the smaller knives out of its hiding place and firmly gripped it as she headed towards the door and the uncertainty that loomed behind it.
Re: Never Play(ed) Fair: The Goodtime Gang
Andras crept up to the door. Creeping was not the forte of a man his size; the floorboards voiced their complaints through disconcerting creaks. He froze in place and listened, but heard no reaction from the other room.
Taking a place opposite that of Haneul, Andras began to reach for the doorknob. There was a thin stream of light flickering under the door, providing Andras with inspiration. He knelt and pressed his head against the wall, squinting through the thin space between door and frame. Finding difficulty, he pulled the burlap sack around his head until it did not obstruct his eyesight. The light cut a vertical line down his head.
After waiting in that position for several moments, with subtle adjustments to his posture to gain a more complete picture, Andras withdrew. He looked towards Haneul and shook his head. With his free hand, Andras reached down towards his belt and drew his sword. It emerged with a sharp thrill of metal on metal, subtlety tossed to the wind. With his dagger hand, Andras reached for the doorknob. Manipulating the knob with his pinky and ring finger so that he still had a grip on the dagger, he twisted it open and walked, fully upright, into the room.
Dum’s stepbrother sat in a dull brown rocking chair beside the flickering fire of a metal lamp, staring directly at them. The message was clear, even before he opened his mouth.
“You’d be Andras, then. I’ve been expecting you.” He said, with an outward calm betrayed only by a slight quaver in his voice. His eyes scanned the brute in front of him before fixating on the nightmarish mask over Andras’ face. Andras resented the attention. The desire to deny his murder was strong, but couldn’t say a word without looking insecure in front of Haneul.
Seething with impotent frustration, Andras held his weapons cautiously in front of him. The man leaned back in his rocking chair. Mustering all the implied violence in his brutish soul, Andras growled, “You’ve the advantage of me.”
“Dimitri.” He responded. “That bitch Lavelle told me you’d be coming.”
Andras’ eyes shot upwards until his brows disappeared behind the mask. He whispered an expletive under his breath. He lowered his shortsword until its point was level with Dimitri’s head, though there was still a room's distance between the two. “Start talking, fucker.”
Taking a place opposite that of Haneul, Andras began to reach for the doorknob. There was a thin stream of light flickering under the door, providing Andras with inspiration. He knelt and pressed his head against the wall, squinting through the thin space between door and frame. Finding difficulty, he pulled the burlap sack around his head until it did not obstruct his eyesight. The light cut a vertical line down his head.
After waiting in that position for several moments, with subtle adjustments to his posture to gain a more complete picture, Andras withdrew. He looked towards Haneul and shook his head. With his free hand, Andras reached down towards his belt and drew his sword. It emerged with a sharp thrill of metal on metal, subtlety tossed to the wind. With his dagger hand, Andras reached for the doorknob. Manipulating the knob with his pinky and ring finger so that he still had a grip on the dagger, he twisted it open and walked, fully upright, into the room.
Dum’s stepbrother sat in a dull brown rocking chair beside the flickering fire of a metal lamp, staring directly at them. The message was clear, even before he opened his mouth.
“You’d be Andras, then. I’ve been expecting you.” He said, with an outward calm betrayed only by a slight quaver in his voice. His eyes scanned the brute in front of him before fixating on the nightmarish mask over Andras’ face. Andras resented the attention. The desire to deny his murder was strong, but couldn’t say a word without looking insecure in front of Haneul.
Seething with impotent frustration, Andras held his weapons cautiously in front of him. The man leaned back in his rocking chair. Mustering all the implied violence in his brutish soul, Andras growled, “You’ve the advantage of me.”
“Dimitri.” He responded. “That bitch Lavelle told me you’d be coming.”
Andras’ eyes shot upwards until his brows disappeared behind the mask. He whispered an expletive under his breath. He lowered his shortsword until its point was level with Dimitri’s head, though there was still a room's distance between the two. “Start talking, fucker.”
Re: Never Play(ed) Fair: The Goodtime Gang
Haneul stiffened at the exchange, but tried not to look at Andras. This certainly wasn’t what she had expected. A trap, sure, but a cocky bastard expecting exactly who had walked through his door? Without back-up? It was odd and it set off all her warning instincts. Something wasn’t right here.
Seeing that the man, Dimitri, didn’t look armed and didn’t seem willing to get up out of his rocking chair, Haneul figured Andras could handle the situation alone for a few while she went back to the backdoor and closed it. She didn’t lock it as they might need to make a quick escape and closed doors were not conducive to that kind of action. She did however balance a wooden ornament on the handle. Unlived in as the room might be, it was still decorated – and not just with dust. Haneul shook her head. Dimitri was definitely a strange one.
Returning to the pair of men, she moved with as little noise as possible. It hadn’t escaped her notice that there was yet another door behind Dimitri. This one however was open and in the outline of the lamp’s light, she could make out the contours of a stairway leading up to the next floor. She immediately positioned herself in a way that left Dimitri as well as the stairs in her sight but wouldn’t instantly reveal her to whoever might be coming down them. Just in case.
Her gaze briefly went to Andras, and what she saw wasn’t a very happy face. She could only hope that he’d keep it together.
Seeing that the man, Dimitri, didn’t look armed and didn’t seem willing to get up out of his rocking chair, Haneul figured Andras could handle the situation alone for a few while she went back to the backdoor and closed it. She didn’t lock it as they might need to make a quick escape and closed doors were not conducive to that kind of action. She did however balance a wooden ornament on the handle. Unlived in as the room might be, it was still decorated – and not just with dust. Haneul shook her head. Dimitri was definitely a strange one.
Returning to the pair of men, she moved with as little noise as possible. It hadn’t escaped her notice that there was yet another door behind Dimitri. This one however was open and in the outline of the lamp’s light, she could make out the contours of a stairway leading up to the next floor. She immediately positioned herself in a way that left Dimitri as well as the stairs in her sight but wouldn’t instantly reveal her to whoever might be coming down them. Just in case.
Her gaze briefly went to Andras, and what she saw wasn’t a very happy face. She could only hope that he’d keep it together.
Re: Never Play(ed) Fair: The Goodtime Gang
Andras shifted uneasily.
Dimitri continued in his silence. “Lavelle is a poison. I knew it from the moment she entered Dum’s life. Today was proof. She came to me with a message, saying that Morringtons and you lot would be knocking down my door.” He looked behind Andras, squinting at the unlocked door, then at Haneul. “I figure, why waste a door.”
Andras took a few steps forward and held Lavelle’s knife against the man’s belly. “Faster. We’ve got a schedule.”
Dimitri cringed, but then sighed. “She told me to tell you she’d taken Dum to the tunnels.”
Andras stiffened. He spared a moment to glance back towards Haneul, betraying his uncertainty. “What does that mean?”
“The tunnels, you lout.” He snapped, “The ones below Marn.”
Andras’ dagger hand soared forwards, but only his knuckles connected with the Dimitri’s face. The blade was held safely aside. His voice raised, Andras said, “You know what I meant! The hell does Lavelle want with him?”
Dimitri spat and shot Andras a hateful look. “I don’t think she wants anything with him. She wants something from you lot.”
Dimitri continued in his silence. “Lavelle is a poison. I knew it from the moment she entered Dum’s life. Today was proof. She came to me with a message, saying that Morringtons and you lot would be knocking down my door.” He looked behind Andras, squinting at the unlocked door, then at Haneul. “I figure, why waste a door.”
Andras took a few steps forward and held Lavelle’s knife against the man’s belly. “Faster. We’ve got a schedule.”
Dimitri cringed, but then sighed. “She told me to tell you she’d taken Dum to the tunnels.”
Andras stiffened. He spared a moment to glance back towards Haneul, betraying his uncertainty. “What does that mean?”
“The tunnels, you lout.” He snapped, “The ones below Marn.”
Andras’ dagger hand soared forwards, but only his knuckles connected with the Dimitri’s face. The blade was held safely aside. His voice raised, Andras said, “You know what I meant! The hell does Lavelle want with him?”
Dimitri spat and shot Andras a hateful look. “I don’t think she wants anything with him. She wants something from you lot.”
Re: Never Play(ed) Fair: The Goodtime Gang
”She wants something from you lot.”
Haneul’s eyes tightened into slits but she stayed where she was, unmoving. Dimitri was right about one thing. Lavelle was indeed a poison. She had only met the woman briefly but everything she had heard up until this point confirmed his theory. Andras was still hung up on the woman after all despite the time that had passed and how things had ended.
However, it seemed as though Andras wasn’t the only one holding a grudge. There was no telling what was going to await them in the tunnels, but from the look on Andras’ face, it was clear that they were going to go down there, no matter what. Haneul wasn’t pleased about it, but she wasn’t going to abandon him either. Unfortunately. Not that the thought didn’t threaten to bring a smile to her lips.
“What did she tell you to say to the Morringtons?” If they got the same message, then they would have to take care of the one they left behind at Dum’s, before they ended up trapped from two sides.
Haneul’s eyes tightened into slits but she stayed where she was, unmoving. Dimitri was right about one thing. Lavelle was indeed a poison. She had only met the woman briefly but everything she had heard up until this point confirmed his theory. Andras was still hung up on the woman after all despite the time that had passed and how things had ended.
However, it seemed as though Andras wasn’t the only one holding a grudge. There was no telling what was going to await them in the tunnels, but from the look on Andras’ face, it was clear that they were going to go down there, no matter what. Haneul wasn’t pleased about it, but she wasn’t going to abandon him either. Unfortunately. Not that the thought didn’t threaten to bring a smile to her lips.
“What did she tell you to say to the Morringtons?” If they got the same message, then they would have to take care of the one they left behind at Dum’s, before they ended up trapped from two sides.
Re: Never Play(ed) Fair: The Goodtime Gang
“Not a thing.” Dimitri responded, his face slightly bloodied by Andras’ gauntleted first. “So I took to my usual policy regarding Morrington dogs and my idiot brother. Deny everything, pretend we haven’t met.”
“Good man” Andras growled under his breath. Dimitri glanced upwards and craned his head away from Andras’ hand.
“They left a while ago, but not after stealing half my shit.” He ground his teeth and waved towards another door, to what appeared to be a kitchen. “I have no idea where they find such thugs in Marn.”
“They hire foreigners.” Andras responded, his voice contemptuous. Dimitri shot a glance toward Haneul; despite her darkened hood, she still had her arms bare. Andras’ grip tightened on the man’s shoulder and yanked him to the side, forcing their eyes to meet. “That’s different. You don’t know jack about this situation. It would behoove you to be a little less stoic.”
His muscles tensed, and in an instant Dimitri was hurtled from the chair onto the floor. His impact was announced by the loud crack of flesh against wood. Andras started walking towards the kitchen. “Do as you like with this idiot,” Andras said without looking over his shoulder. “I’m searching the rest of this shit’s house.”
“Good man” Andras growled under his breath. Dimitri glanced upwards and craned his head away from Andras’ hand.
“They left a while ago, but not after stealing half my shit.” He ground his teeth and waved towards another door, to what appeared to be a kitchen. “I have no idea where they find such thugs in Marn.”
“They hire foreigners.” Andras responded, his voice contemptuous. Dimitri shot a glance toward Haneul; despite her darkened hood, she still had her arms bare. Andras’ grip tightened on the man’s shoulder and yanked him to the side, forcing their eyes to meet. “That’s different. You don’t know jack about this situation. It would behoove you to be a little less stoic.”
His muscles tensed, and in an instant Dimitri was hurtled from the chair onto the floor. His impact was announced by the loud crack of flesh against wood. Andras started walking towards the kitchen. “Do as you like with this idiot,” Andras said without looking over his shoulder. “I’m searching the rest of this shit’s house.”
Re: Never Play(ed) Fair: The Goodtime Gang
When Andras left the man in her care and stomped off, Haneul regarded Dimitri with a contemplative look on her face. Not only had Andras’ sudden defense of their working relationship confused her, but she also wasn’t quite sure what to make of this last bit of information from Dimitri.
Apparently, the Morringtons had been by already, acted like the thugs they were, and disappeared into the night. It didn’t make sense though. Why would they come here before checking Dum’s house? And why would they bother stealing Dimitri’s stash of whatever he had been hiding in the house, which was stupid enough in and of itself. Sure, the well-off always wanted more and greed was a very powerful emotion; and yet… they had encountered the Morringtons at Dum’s house and they couldn’t be in two places at once. They couldn’t be at Dum’s and “have just left” Dimitri’s house.
While her thoughts were circling, Dimitri put himself into a sitting position but didn’t dare to get up and sit back in his chair. He regarded her with a wary expression on his face but he also wasn’t exactly scared.
Her eyes narrowed and she slowly hunkered down before Dimitri, a little more than an arm’s length away so he didn’t think he could try something. Not that it would matter. Not with the way the shadows had started gathering at the edges of her vision, and by extension, his.
“Why don’t you tell me what’s really going on?”
Apparently, the Morringtons had been by already, acted like the thugs they were, and disappeared into the night. It didn’t make sense though. Why would they come here before checking Dum’s house? And why would they bother stealing Dimitri’s stash of whatever he had been hiding in the house, which was stupid enough in and of itself. Sure, the well-off always wanted more and greed was a very powerful emotion; and yet… they had encountered the Morringtons at Dum’s house and they couldn’t be in two places at once. They couldn’t be at Dum’s and “have just left” Dimitri’s house.
While her thoughts were circling, Dimitri put himself into a sitting position but didn’t dare to get up and sit back in his chair. He regarded her with a wary expression on his face but he also wasn’t exactly scared.
Her eyes narrowed and she slowly hunkered down before Dimitri, a little more than an arm’s length away so he didn’t think he could try something. Not that it would matter. Not with the way the shadows had started gathering at the edges of her vision, and by extension, his.
“Why don’t you tell me what’s really going on?”
Re: Never Play(ed) Fair: The Goodtime Gang
“Would if I could, but I can’t so I won’t.” Dimitri responded, his voice finding his lips all too easily. He eyed the gnawing shadows as they curled about the room. His only visible response was to scratch his beard. It emitted a crinkling sound, as if exceptionally dry.
“I don’t know anything. I’d sell out Lavelle in a heartbeat if I could, but she… she’s a cut above the rest. Nobody uses a knife like she does.” Dimitri shuddered, his body shaking. “I wasn’t going to take chances by asking stupid questions.
“So. You either believe me or you don’t, and you either kill me or you don’t.” He leaned forward, invading Haneul’s stare with his own; possibly getting a better idea of her features, buried though they were beneath the sack. His hand came to rest on his shoe, and his fingers played with the laces. His eyes never strayed, not even once, as one of his fingers wrapped around the circled hilt of a hidden blade.
This close, Dimitri didn’t see the need to keep his voice loud. Speaking in whispers, he matched her intense gaze and said “Only one of those variables really matters to me, though. Way I figure, the big boy shirked the choice off onto you. Just know I’ve got enough friends that some polite questions... well, they might be asked.”
“I don’t know anything. I’d sell out Lavelle in a heartbeat if I could, but she… she’s a cut above the rest. Nobody uses a knife like she does.” Dimitri shuddered, his body shaking. “I wasn’t going to take chances by asking stupid questions.
“So. You either believe me or you don’t, and you either kill me or you don’t.” He leaned forward, invading Haneul’s stare with his own; possibly getting a better idea of her features, buried though they were beneath the sack. His hand came to rest on his shoe, and his fingers played with the laces. His eyes never strayed, not even once, as one of his fingers wrapped around the circled hilt of a hidden blade.
This close, Dimitri didn’t see the need to keep his voice loud. Speaking in whispers, he matched her intense gaze and said “Only one of those variables really matters to me, though. Way I figure, the big boy shirked the choice off onto you. Just know I’ve got enough friends that some polite questions... well, they might be asked.”
Re: Never Play(ed) Fair: The Goodtime Gang
He was sneaky. Much more so now that he thought he only had to deal with a woman, most likely figuring she’d be easy to best. One thing was for sure, Haneul didn’t believe a word that came out of his mouth.
Oh, she didn’t doubt that he was truly afraid of Lavelle and that he had gotten a taste of her blade, and he probably also told the truth about where Lavelle was waiting for them, considering it was more than likely a trap. But the rest? No, he definitely knew more than he admitted.
When he leaned closer and stared at her, a smile began to stretch across her face. Did he think she was born yesterday? Playing with his shoelaces? It was so obvious, it was almost boring. And yet, she wanted to know how far he’d go.
Matching his low voice, her chuckle was barely audible. “You think your friends scare me? You think I’m not here for exactly those kinds of choices?” She tilted her head to look sideways at him, giving herself a better vision of what he might potentially do with that knife of his. “Have you ever stopped to ask yourself what kinds of friends we have?”
Oh, she didn’t doubt that he was truly afraid of Lavelle and that he had gotten a taste of her blade, and he probably also told the truth about where Lavelle was waiting for them, considering it was more than likely a trap. But the rest? No, he definitely knew more than he admitted.
When he leaned closer and stared at her, a smile began to stretch across her face. Did he think she was born yesterday? Playing with his shoelaces? It was so obvious, it was almost boring. And yet, she wanted to know how far he’d go.
Matching his low voice, her chuckle was barely audible. “You think your friends scare me? You think I’m not here for exactly those kinds of choices?” She tilted her head to look sideways at him, giving herself a better vision of what he might potentially do with that knife of his. “Have you ever stopped to ask yourself what kinds of friends we have?”
Re: Never Play(ed) Fair: The Goodtime Gang
Dimitri stared up at the witch. Seeing her refuse to cave, he backtracked. “..I don’t think they scare you. Just hoping you don’t want to take chances.” He took steps backwards quickly enough to tousle his shaggy, dirty blonde hair. “You’ve got investigators aplenty breathing down your neck already, I figure.”
When she leaned in, he drew back as much as he was able to. His back hit the wall. “All I’ve got are theories. I’m pretty sure you’re Paragon.” He winced, turning his head to the side as if preparing to take a hit. As he did so, his eyes surreptitiously moved in the opposite direction, towards Haneul. Apparently satisfied with her reaction, he continued “She must want something that your merry band of wizards can give. I don’t have any clue what, but look— she’s probably desperate. As far as I know she’s been flying under the radar, living her life beneath notice. If she’s trying to get back in the game, she’s got to have an escape plan ready for when she succeeds. She’s too public to stick around, and if she didn’t skip town when she had the chance her plan’s got to have been in operation for a long time.” He licked his lips and raised his open palms until his fingertips were just above his head. He took a step back until he was against the wall. “What do you want to know? I’m just trying to make it out of here with my hide intact. Considering your fellow revolutionary was requested by name, maybe you aught to ask him.”
When she leaned in, he drew back as much as he was able to. His back hit the wall. “All I’ve got are theories. I’m pretty sure you’re Paragon.” He winced, turning his head to the side as if preparing to take a hit. As he did so, his eyes surreptitiously moved in the opposite direction, towards Haneul. Apparently satisfied with her reaction, he continued “She must want something that your merry band of wizards can give. I don’t have any clue what, but look— she’s probably desperate. As far as I know she’s been flying under the radar, living her life beneath notice. If she’s trying to get back in the game, she’s got to have an escape plan ready for when she succeeds. She’s too public to stick around, and if she didn’t skip town when she had the chance her plan’s got to have been in operation for a long time.” He licked his lips and raised his open palms until his fingertips were just above his head. He took a step back until he was against the wall. “What do you want to know? I’m just trying to make it out of here with my hide intact. Considering your fellow revolutionary was requested by name, maybe you aught to ask him.”