“Fates, what happened to yer face? Who did this?” asked Lochlann. “I knew I shouldn’t have left!”
Llyr shrugged. He pulled away from the older man’s grip on his jaw. His cheek felt tender from all the swelling, and he had more than a few cuts and bruises. It was as simple as going home and cocooning himself in the ether of a totem until he healed, but not after he took the ring of paradigm off so recently. He’d have to wait a few trials more before he’d have the comfort to even consider such immense spellcraft with his dazed and drowsy sparks. Not that he would, even if he could. Something about the pain reminded him what he was doing in Etzos and why.
“I survived,” replied Llyr. He fixed his wrinkled clothing from yestertrial. “I should thank the other person for it.”
Lochlann stayed quiet for a few trills, then snorted and shook his head. “You’re an odd one. So, where did yeh stay last night? Yer boy was asking for yeh and fuck if I knew what to say. Can’t you get someone else to check in on those kids at the late breaks? I’ve got enough pups of my own to babysit, don’t need to add yer’s.”
“Understood,” said Llyr. He fixed his messy bangs that’d gotten stuck to his forehead from sweat while he’d ran from the outer perimeter to the morning’s meeting spot. “I will take care of it soon… and I was at the Lonely Mark.”
“Again? Boy, I swear if you spend all those loans of yer’s on whores…”
“I won’t,” snapped Llyr. He frowned at the older man. “There was a murder.”
“A… what was that you said?”
“A murder. In the Lonely Mark. A whore and a barmaid. I need you to find out anything you can about it. Everything else can wait, next to this.”
“Oh no, you don’t want to do that,” insisted Lochlann without pause. He crossed his arms. “The Blackguard’s handling this already, I bet you. Don’t want to go stepping on their toes if it involves someone they already have in their sights.”
Llyr through of the investigator he’d met. He glanced over Lochlann. “What do you know of Dale Garnet?”
“Garnet?! They’ve got Garnet on the case? Shit. You definitely don’t want to get mixed up with it then. If it don’t got nothing to do with you, just let it lie and walk away.” Lochlann raised his hands up and shook his head.
“Why? What’s is it about Garnet?”
“Garnet’s an old folk. Most people think of him in terms of his reputation that he’s gotten. Bringing criminals in, solving cases with enough evidence to use the courts properly instead of relying on street justice and the like.” Lochlann glanced over his shoulder, then looked back at Llyr and leaned in. “I grew up around the guy though. Once he sinks his teeth into a case, he’ll never let it go. Even if the courts throw out the evidence. It’s like he takes every single one as if the victim was his own grandmama or some shit. Best you get away from his eye and fast, unless you want him sniffing around what we’re putting together here.”
“Would he care?” asked Llyr.
“Hard to say. If he thinks it’d help his case, he’s proven himself more than willing to use the law to force your hand… whether or not it has anything to do with the murder. And if you were there, he’ll likely be back around with wanting to secure you as a witness before a judge.”
Llyr sighed. He nodded and said, “Fine. I’ll let it go, then. If you hear anything regardless, though…”
“I’ll tell yeh.” Lochlann crossed his arms again. “Speaking of telling yeh. I don’t think we should have Princess get involved with this.”
“Prince- oh, Emeline?” Llyr sat on a stack of crates in the alley and leaned his back against the stone. He watched the faint flicker of shadows in the far away adjacent street. “What a surprise, you seemed so happy that she’d come last night. You got her home safe, right?”
“Of course I did!” Lochlann’s voice spiked in volume.
Llyr raised an eyebrow, silently questioning the sudden change in pitch.
“None of your business,” muttered Lochlann with an averted glance away. “Just I don’t think it’s wise, is all. I get we need someone in the Citadel, but she’s… the Holts are ruthless. The last guy that got mixed up with them, he AND his misses was found, throats slit and drained out in the river at about lowgarden. Kids have been in Central orphanage ever since, and not in a good way.”
“They should have gotten Sir Garnet on the case,” mentioned Llyr in dry jest.
“Oy, if you don’t want me warning you, I don’t know what yer paying me for then.”
Llyr pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. He waved a dismissive hand. “Okay, okay. Careful with the Citadel girl. Do you have anyone else in mind that might replace her?”
A moment’s silence, then Lochlann said, “One of the guards maybe, or a clerk? Someone without so much status.”
“Status is exactly what I want from her. Now, what else is there?”
Lochlann summarized a few points, in a quick litany of news involving the city, then he said, “And I’ve got someone who wants to meet with yeh.”
“A client?”
“Maybe, yeh. She’s looking for someone, needs information and maybe some back-up to do it with.”
Llyr got to his feet, brushed off his clothes, and nodded. “Have you spoken to Madam Miller this morning yet?”
“Not yet. I’ll be headed over there right after this.” Lochlann shrugged his shoulders and cracked his neck to one side.
“Don’t tell her about the Lonely Mark,” he demanded.
Lochlann hesitated, then said, “She’ll find out, one way or another.”
“But not from you.”
“Understood.” Lochlann nodded. He tapped his fingers against his bicep, then added, “If she knows you’re cutting her out of information thou-”
“Let me handle that. You do as I tell you.”
“Okay then,” said Lochlann. “Hope you know what yer doing.”
“Me too,” replied Llyr. A smile hinted on his lips.
It conjured a laugh from the older man. Lochlann rolled his eyes, then tapped a fist against the biqaj’s shoulder. Though it was a light tap to the shoulder, Llyr made a show of it. He winced and hissed, then held his shoulder as if in agony. More laughter from Lochlann and when a light ruddy blush showed on the Etzori’s face, only then did Llyr stop his performance. The blond winked.
“I’ll be headed home then. Oh, and… get someone to figure out if anyone knows anything about… this blonde woman who lives with Lord Holbret. Goes by the name, Lyssa.”
“Wait,” said Lochlann. He put his fingers in his mouth, then whistled lowly.
From around one of the alley corners, stepped over the filthy refuse that kept most passersby out from using the narrow strip of cobblestone, a gaunt and tall Etzori lad approached.
“Bones will take yeh to that girl, the possible client.”
“Right now?” asked Llyr. “I have to wash!”
“I’ve already had her waiting since dawn, didn’t know you were gonna be so late. Had half my gang looking for yeh.”
Llyr sighed, then said, “Thank you, Lochlann.”
“Anytime, kid.” He walked out of the alley, leaving Bones alone with Llyr.
Bones stared down at the biqaj, easily a few inches taller than him. His clear brown eyes seemed to glitter with the trial’s light. He had a bit of a… thing, Llyr recognized… though he didn’t know why. It was the sort of look that hadn’t gone away ever since Llyr had beaten the other lad in a spar. Still, Bones was a peasant from the gutters and he looked it. He reminded Llyr more of Watcher from Quacia than any possible option… well… maybe if he were drunk and bored and didn’t want to bother with whores.
“Morning, Bones. We going to go meet this girl?” asked Llyr.
“Oh! Morning, Mister L. Yeh. It’s up thissa way, not far.” Bones led them out of the alley, and through the Commercial Circle.
Llyr couldn’t resist glancing between the other people that’d started their trials that morning. He greeted several recognizable faces. A couple gasped at the sight of the bruises on his face, and a particularly nosy gentleman tried to inquire as to who had done such a thing… which Llyr took as a chance. He mentioned that it was some gangsters from the north-east side, a mugging that he’d managed to survive. A mugging, he suggested in low undertones, that might have had more to do with the silver in his blood than any coins in his pocket.
He repeated this a few different ways to various people who inquired about the shining purplish bumps on his jaw and cheeks, and the wide scabbed cut in his lips.
As they reached a corner of a cistern, he noticed a slender boyish woman leaned against the stone. Dressed in leathers, black hair cropped short, she chewed at a swath of jerky and watched the people walking past with eyes so sharp that a few of those people swerved to gain more distance from her.
“That her?” asked Llyr. He had a feeling but wanted confirmation.
“That’s her.” Bones nodded, then the northborn Etzori asked, “Who mugged you? All the northies I know have been busy on the west side to hold back the southsiders.”
Llyr glanced over him, then shrugged, “I didn’t get a good enough look. Lochlann will figure it out, I’m sure. Speaking of which, why don’t you go tell him that you did your job fine and can be put to the next thing.” Llyr waved a dismissive hand as if shooing a puppy. Bones hesitated, then nodded and walked away.
Llyr shrugged. He pulled away from the older man’s grip on his jaw. His cheek felt tender from all the swelling, and he had more than a few cuts and bruises. It was as simple as going home and cocooning himself in the ether of a totem until he healed, but not after he took the ring of paradigm off so recently. He’d have to wait a few trials more before he’d have the comfort to even consider such immense spellcraft with his dazed and drowsy sparks. Not that he would, even if he could. Something about the pain reminded him what he was doing in Etzos and why.
“I survived,” replied Llyr. He fixed his wrinkled clothing from yestertrial. “I should thank the other person for it.”
Lochlann stayed quiet for a few trills, then snorted and shook his head. “You’re an odd one. So, where did yeh stay last night? Yer boy was asking for yeh and fuck if I knew what to say. Can’t you get someone else to check in on those kids at the late breaks? I’ve got enough pups of my own to babysit, don’t need to add yer’s.”
“Understood,” said Llyr. He fixed his messy bangs that’d gotten stuck to his forehead from sweat while he’d ran from the outer perimeter to the morning’s meeting spot. “I will take care of it soon… and I was at the Lonely Mark.”
“Again? Boy, I swear if you spend all those loans of yer’s on whores…”
“I won’t,” snapped Llyr. He frowned at the older man. “There was a murder.”
“A… what was that you said?”
“A murder. In the Lonely Mark. A whore and a barmaid. I need you to find out anything you can about it. Everything else can wait, next to this.”
“Oh no, you don’t want to do that,” insisted Lochlann without pause. He crossed his arms. “The Blackguard’s handling this already, I bet you. Don’t want to go stepping on their toes if it involves someone they already have in their sights.”
Llyr through of the investigator he’d met. He glanced over Lochlann. “What do you know of Dale Garnet?”
“Garnet?! They’ve got Garnet on the case? Shit. You definitely don’t want to get mixed up with it then. If it don’t got nothing to do with you, just let it lie and walk away.” Lochlann raised his hands up and shook his head.
“Why? What’s is it about Garnet?”
“Garnet’s an old folk. Most people think of him in terms of his reputation that he’s gotten. Bringing criminals in, solving cases with enough evidence to use the courts properly instead of relying on street justice and the like.” Lochlann glanced over his shoulder, then looked back at Llyr and leaned in. “I grew up around the guy though. Once he sinks his teeth into a case, he’ll never let it go. Even if the courts throw out the evidence. It’s like he takes every single one as if the victim was his own grandmama or some shit. Best you get away from his eye and fast, unless you want him sniffing around what we’re putting together here.”
“Would he care?” asked Llyr.
“Hard to say. If he thinks it’d help his case, he’s proven himself more than willing to use the law to force your hand… whether or not it has anything to do with the murder. And if you were there, he’ll likely be back around with wanting to secure you as a witness before a judge.”
Llyr sighed. He nodded and said, “Fine. I’ll let it go, then. If you hear anything regardless, though…”
“I’ll tell yeh.” Lochlann crossed his arms again. “Speaking of telling yeh. I don’t think we should have Princess get involved with this.”
“Prince- oh, Emeline?” Llyr sat on a stack of crates in the alley and leaned his back against the stone. He watched the faint flicker of shadows in the far away adjacent street. “What a surprise, you seemed so happy that she’d come last night. You got her home safe, right?”
“Of course I did!” Lochlann’s voice spiked in volume.
Llyr raised an eyebrow, silently questioning the sudden change in pitch.
“None of your business,” muttered Lochlann with an averted glance away. “Just I don’t think it’s wise, is all. I get we need someone in the Citadel, but she’s… the Holts are ruthless. The last guy that got mixed up with them, he AND his misses was found, throats slit and drained out in the river at about lowgarden. Kids have been in Central orphanage ever since, and not in a good way.”
“They should have gotten Sir Garnet on the case,” mentioned Llyr in dry jest.
“Oy, if you don’t want me warning you, I don’t know what yer paying me for then.”
Llyr pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. He waved a dismissive hand. “Okay, okay. Careful with the Citadel girl. Do you have anyone else in mind that might replace her?”
A moment’s silence, then Lochlann said, “One of the guards maybe, or a clerk? Someone without so much status.”
“Status is exactly what I want from her. Now, what else is there?”
Lochlann summarized a few points, in a quick litany of news involving the city, then he said, “And I’ve got someone who wants to meet with yeh.”
“A client?”
“Maybe, yeh. She’s looking for someone, needs information and maybe some back-up to do it with.”
Llyr got to his feet, brushed off his clothes, and nodded. “Have you spoken to Madam Miller this morning yet?”
“Not yet. I’ll be headed over there right after this.” Lochlann shrugged his shoulders and cracked his neck to one side.
“Don’t tell her about the Lonely Mark,” he demanded.
Lochlann hesitated, then said, “She’ll find out, one way or another.”
“But not from you.”
“Understood.” Lochlann nodded. He tapped his fingers against his bicep, then added, “If she knows you’re cutting her out of information thou-”
“Let me handle that. You do as I tell you.”
“Okay then,” said Lochlann. “Hope you know what yer doing.”
“Me too,” replied Llyr. A smile hinted on his lips.
It conjured a laugh from the older man. Lochlann rolled his eyes, then tapped a fist against the biqaj’s shoulder. Though it was a light tap to the shoulder, Llyr made a show of it. He winced and hissed, then held his shoulder as if in agony. More laughter from Lochlann and when a light ruddy blush showed on the Etzori’s face, only then did Llyr stop his performance. The blond winked.
“I’ll be headed home then. Oh, and… get someone to figure out if anyone knows anything about… this blonde woman who lives with Lord Holbret. Goes by the name, Lyssa.”
“Wait,” said Lochlann. He put his fingers in his mouth, then whistled lowly.
From around one of the alley corners, stepped over the filthy refuse that kept most passersby out from using the narrow strip of cobblestone, a gaunt and tall Etzori lad approached.
“Bones will take yeh to that girl, the possible client.”
“Right now?” asked Llyr. “I have to wash!”
“I’ve already had her waiting since dawn, didn’t know you were gonna be so late. Had half my gang looking for yeh.”
Llyr sighed, then said, “Thank you, Lochlann.”
“Anytime, kid.” He walked out of the alley, leaving Bones alone with Llyr.
Bones stared down at the biqaj, easily a few inches taller than him. His clear brown eyes seemed to glitter with the trial’s light. He had a bit of a… thing, Llyr recognized… though he didn’t know why. It was the sort of look that hadn’t gone away ever since Llyr had beaten the other lad in a spar. Still, Bones was a peasant from the gutters and he looked it. He reminded Llyr more of Watcher from Quacia than any possible option… well… maybe if he were drunk and bored and didn’t want to bother with whores.
“Morning, Bones. We going to go meet this girl?” asked Llyr.
“Oh! Morning, Mister L. Yeh. It’s up thissa way, not far.” Bones led them out of the alley, and through the Commercial Circle.
Llyr couldn’t resist glancing between the other people that’d started their trials that morning. He greeted several recognizable faces. A couple gasped at the sight of the bruises on his face, and a particularly nosy gentleman tried to inquire as to who had done such a thing… which Llyr took as a chance. He mentioned that it was some gangsters from the north-east side, a mugging that he’d managed to survive. A mugging, he suggested in low undertones, that might have had more to do with the silver in his blood than any coins in his pocket.
He repeated this a few different ways to various people who inquired about the shining purplish bumps on his jaw and cheeks, and the wide scabbed cut in his lips.
As they reached a corner of a cistern, he noticed a slender boyish woman leaned against the stone. Dressed in leathers, black hair cropped short, she chewed at a swath of jerky and watched the people walking past with eyes so sharp that a few of those people swerved to gain more distance from her.
“That her?” asked Llyr. He had a feeling but wanted confirmation.
“That’s her.” Bones nodded, then the northborn Etzori asked, “Who mugged you? All the northies I know have been busy on the west side to hold back the southsiders.”
Llyr glanced over him, then shrugged, “I didn’t get a good enough look. Lochlann will figure it out, I’m sure. Speaking of which, why don’t you go tell him that you did your job fine and can be put to the next thing.” Llyr waved a dismissive hand as if shooing a puppy. Bones hesitated, then nodded and walked away.
