The watchman examines the room, and
grasps a pendant at his chest as he does so. The look on his face is
one I've seen on town guards before, during battles or afterward.
While they may have seen bodies or been in fights, seldom has a
watchman seen more than one or two deaths at once or been in a fight
that isn't one on one. Not quite the look a common person would have
but not the expression of a hardened soldier. He says something under
his breath before he addresses me.
“Put your weapon down and sit on the
bed. Are you Leo?” He looks nervous. Rightly so, his bearing isn't
that of a fighting man even, either a new recruit or simply a
watch-man. If I was the
culprit here he'd already be dead with the way he's carrying on. I
comply with his request.
“Yes,
they came in my sleep. One of them must've messed up because I woke
up, and...” I motion
indicating the room. Spotting a quarrel on the floor, I try to piece
together at least some of what must have happened. “Careful
near the window. I think their bowman might still be around.”
“Right.” He
sidesteps over to the window and closes it from the side, then draws
the curtain. He begins checking the bodies, tentatively.
“Should
we be staying here, won't they come back with reinforcements?”
After
a moment, almost long enough that I'm about to repeat the question
more loudly, he responds. “Lieutenant Brickholt said you were a
fighting man, but, wow. This was an assassination attempt, not a
battle.” He pauses a second. “Well, actually I guess it was a
battle, too. But, it wasn't supposed to be. Oh, they'll be pissed,
and I'm sure that whoever fired this,” He take the quarrel and
slips it into a metal tube that he withdraws from his belt, careful
not to touch the tip at all. “Is long on his way back to tell the
bosses that they botched it. They won't try again for a while. Might
not be until tomorrow, though I'd suggest getting out of sight and
out of mind by noon.” He takes a small leather purse from the
headless body. Opening it he pulls out some coins. “Here they are,
twin headed coins. The brothers are mainly wanted for counterfeiting
and they leave these on those they kill. Well, I think that's
sufficient enough to call this one self defense for you. I've already
signaled for a runner, more watchmen will be here to investigate more
thoroughly. But, you should be free to leave before dawn.”
I sit in silence
as he continues. I've woken up blacked out... How does that even
work? Even the state of the bodies belies a more severe level of
violence than I am wont to use. It's... sloppy. There's no way I
needed this much force to deal with men armed with knives. What
happened to the head of the last of the bodies... It's not in here.
Most of the blood is on me, so at least the innkeep isn't going to
have to hard of a time cleaning up; probably will have a hard time
renting out this room for a while, regardless.
More guardsmen
come in, they search the room, and me with heavy scrutiny. The excuse
of my memory of the fight being a little foggy due to being
half-asleep cuts it though, and they let me leave after a short while
of investigation and questioning.
Have to change out
of this blood soaked attire before heading downstairs. On my way out
I enter the common room. Danja is up and eating breakfast while the
innkeep is serving food in between pacing nervously. She smirks after
seeing my condition.
“Was it
exciting?” She genuinely looks interested.
“No,
it was the most boring skirmish in the history of combat.”
She giggles at my response. The innkeep is less amused.
“You kill four
men in my tavern, and you're cracking jokes? How am I supposed to
rent out that room now that such violence has occurred there?! For
all I know it's going to be haunted!”
Danja gives him a
somewhat sour look, “You could just tell any customers that it's
the room where The Stormguard fended off the wicked Brothers of the
Coin assassins.”
Blast it, I don't
need this added to the stream of hyperbole being spread about in my
name...
“I'm not going
to lie to increase business.”
Actually I'm not
planning on coming back here. It probably wouldn't hurt to at least
give him something to work with.
“You
wouldn't be.”
I leave the
astonished looking tavern owner, and the amused looking bard. The sun
is rising, and it's time for me to pick up my rations and armor.
