[Mkguild] RR: New Quarters

[Rimme the Weasel]

Jerrod couldn't help but feel a bit satisfied that the two had been
captured. For the moment, all he could do was lean against the wall and get
through the hangover he had. Whatever it was he drank, it certainly was
potent. What sort of ale did these Keepers drink anyway?

Rodrick and Nathan weren't in a talkative mood either. Rodrick simply sat
back on his cot and watched him intently. Nathan fall back on the cot, and
within minutes began to snore. Jerrod was usually a deep sleeper, but any
hope he had of falling back asleep was ruined by both his throbbing
headache and Nathan's phlegmish wretching.

Finally Jerrod decided to break the ice. "How far did you two get?"

Rodrick actually bolted upright, as if about to fall asleep himself. "Not
far. Heard th' first guards behind us about an hour in. Tried to lose 'em
by heading towards th' mountains through th' woods, but they knew th'
terrain far better than we did. I think they use birds as scouts. We got
off our horses and ran for a bit, then we hid in a hole in th' ground. We
tried to be quiet, but they dug us out only an hour later."

"You needed another pair of eyes."

"What we needed was Reed," Rodrick whispered, leaning against the invisible
wall as if the guards could still hear over Nathan's snoring. "He's th'
only one with eyes that can match th' Keepers. Course, stabbing th'
stablehand was my mistake. These beast-men wouldn't have taken our
jailbreaking so personally elsewise. I should've let the horses trample him
instead." He looked around the cells. "Where's Reed, anyway? I haven't seen
him since our master sent him on that errand."

"He's not with us anymore," Jerrod said. "He found someone on that errand,
a big red giant, who he felt needed his help more than us."

"For real?" Rodrick scoffed. "A red giant at Metamor?"

"I saw him myself after you left. He had white hair and yellow horns, like
an ogre. And a pet rat."

Rodrick shook his head. "I've heard many things about Metamor. Their
adoption of th' strange is legendary. I didn't think Reed would be such a
softie, though." He snorted. "So he'll curse himself out of pity. Shame. I
trusted his judgment, too."

"Aldwin stayed behind, too."

"That doesn't surprise me. He doesn't have a heart of iron, like we do. Men
like us aren't so easily swayed from their mission."

Jerrod leaned against the invisible wall. It was a strange sensation.
Unlike glass, which fogged up or felt cool to the touch, it was as if the
air itself formed a solid barrier. "You left me behind," Jerrod hissed.

Rodrick blinked. "You were drunk, and impoverished, and a liability."

"We had a deal. We were going to mutiny together."

Rodrick's eyes darted to the side, checking the shadows in case the prison
door opened suddenly. "Some men are born weak. Others have weakness dropped
on top of them. The problem with you, Jerrod, is that you don't know when
to walk away from a losing hand."

"I am NOT a loser! I was CHEATED!" Jerrod slapped the wall of air, which
only served to send a jolt of pain up his arm. "They had a soldier with
them. A woman soldier! Instead of taking those two swindlers to justice,
she arrested me for trying to take back what they stole!"

"Oh, is that all?" Rodrick leaned back in amusement. "At least you're not
in here for murder."

Jerrod glared hotly at him. "Don't you dare bring that up."

"My apologies. We're in th' same boat together, now. We're stuck here until
the curses take us."

"You two are stuck here." Jerrod leaned back in his cot. "Gwayn will let
the Watch see reason. He'll get me released."

Rodrick's eyes widened. "Gwayn?"

"He has money now that he got a big sale. Whatever else I've done, I've
always been loyal to him. You know how much respects people who are loyal
to him."

A big grin spread on Rodrick's face. "You really don't know, do you?"

"Know what?"

Rodrick began to laugh. "We heard from th' guards just before they threw us
in here. Seems Gwayn found three other guards to replace us. They're
leaving for Lasalle as we speak."

Jerrod listened in disbelief. His heart jumped when he heard 'replace'.
"No... you're lying. Gwayn knows I'd never betray him. He'd never leave me
here! You're lying!"

Rodrick was now openly laughing. "All your thoughts of loyalty to him, and
you think he'd respect th' loyalty of a common thief like you?"

"Shut up! SHUT UP!" Jerrod clutched his head and shoved himself into his
cot, trying to muffle out Rodrick's echoing laughter.

----

"Here is your room, sirs," the child owner of the Companion Hearth Inn
said. "Dinner service has already started, so feel free to come down once
you're situated."

"Thank you, Darion," Reed said. Aldwin dropped his bag onto the bed and
looked out the window. There wasn't much to see from the second floor
facing the alleyway, especially with night falling. All he did see were
shadows overhead of various flying nocturnal morphs going for an early
evening flight.

Behind him, Reed sat on his bed, his own sparse belongings beside him.
"Perhaps we'll find something more permanent tomorrow. But the rent here is
cheap. We won't have to look for days."

"Did we make the right decision?" Aldwin asked. They left the door open to
leave some light in the room. Sounds of cooking, drinking, and gregarious
chatter drifted up from downstairs.

"Why? Something wrong with the inn?"

"No, I meant, was it a good idea to stay here in Metamor?"

"Ah." Reed took out his dagger and examined himself in it. "I didn't have
much choice, myself."

"You? But... but you're like, a master scout. Those other guards feared you
and respected you for a reason."

"That was envy, not respect. None of them listened to me. All they saw me
as was a tool. I don't think being an outlaw is worse than the curse."

"We still know them better than those two strangers we met today."

"Yet you decided to stay and help them. Why?"

"Why?" Aldwin paused. "Because I trusted them more than Gwayn, I guess."

"Then that's all the reason you need."

"But aren't you afraid of the curse?"

Reed set down the dagger. "There's worse things than being cursed. Like not
having a family to come back home to."

Aldwin sucked in his breath. "I didn't know that. All I've heard about you
is what the other guards said. They called you a thief who would backstab
anyone who found out his secrets."

Reed smirked. "They don't know my secrets either. I've never killed anyone,
you know. I've stabbed a couple people, scared off a few more, and fled
from many many more, but never killed them. But none of that is a secret.
Have you killed anyone?"

Aldwin shook his head.

"Fought off anyone, then?"

"I had training, from the village guard."

"That's more formal training than I got." Reed peeked out the door and
looked back at Aldwin. "As long as we're here in Metamor, let's agree on
one thing. I am not your superior, nor you mine. We are equals. We stick
together, we keep no new secrets from each other. Agreed?" Reed held out
his hand.

Aldwin shook it. "Agreed." It didn't help the nerves in Aldwin's stomach,
nor did it take his thoughts off his own family. He still wasn't quite sure
if he could trust Reed. But what else did he have here?

"Now let's go see what they have for dinner."
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