Thar Shaddin

"Sounds like a plan." Shann had been ignoring the tension between the human and the gnome for the majority of the time that they had spent in the bar. He still caught the glances they made at each other, the snarls, the comments about taking each other in a brawl, but he chose not to plan into their game. He didn't really understand the underlying issues that cause the clash in personalities, but seeing as he himself was no stranger to conflict, he knew that sometimes it just happened.

"Zain, are you going to be fine with traveling back down South? We won't be going that far, but I am sure we will revisit some of the same roads we walked down on our way here." He spoke to the boy in an almost fatherly way. If his observations of the boy thus far had been anywhere accurate, the boy should have an easier time traveling back the way they had come from and by sea than he had had on their way North through unknown land. He knew the boy had a knack for observation, he observed the things that most people missed because unlike others, he was not easily bored by that that seemed to be unimportant at the time. He knew that it was hard on the boy notice all that when on around him and at the same time try to take it in and make any kind of sense of it, so Shann figured that taking back through semi-familiar territory that he would be less frustrated by trying to grasp all the details of yet another new location.

Or at least that is what he hoped.

For all he knew, Shann could have assessed the boy completely wrong. He was by far no doctor and hand no medical training whatsoever, so really anything could be wrong with the boy and Shann wouldn't even know where to begin. What he had learned though, and quite early on, was that the boy wasn't slow in the head like others had assumed. The boy was smart, he picked up on things that most people wouldn't, but he was also withdrawn from everything. He could tell you how many people sat within the room, what any member of them was wearing, and how many drinks each person had consumed while he was present, but as for getting up and starting a normal conversation with any number of them, well that was out of his grasp. He just couldn't form social relationships with people, not even Shann for that matter.

This was proved yet again by him choosing to answer his uncle with a nod rather than words. Inwardly Shann cursed the boy, and himself for that matter. He had been trying hard to get the boy to come out of this shell of his, but all his hard efforts hardly paid off.

Maybe, just maybe a change of scenery would help. He hoped it would help. Company might help too. Shann rarely took to inviting strangers along for the ride, but maybe their presence would help the boy. If he would just warm up to one person, just one person, Shann would be happy.

"So mister," Shann placed his hand out before him, indicating the gnome without actually pointing at him. "Will you be joining us too?"

Ko removed his arm from Shann, and sat back so he could present his profile to the gnome with a decidedly condescending smirk. It was the type to say 'you and I both know you couldn't do this, so don't even bother trying' -- the type that pissed people off more often than not, and while it wasn't in Ko's best interests to show that type of snark to people, in this case . . .he didn't care. He'd already bagged Shann (it was just a matter of time), and what did he need the gnome for? Oh, that's right. Nothing.

"I shall be." Jinhuff said.

Vexako rolled his eyes. "'N that one will pass off not a league off this mudhole." He muttered to Shann, looking sideways at Jinhuff.

Jinhuff in turn climbed off his chair, wobbling a little. Could the little runt not even hold his alcohol? Ko snickered. The gnome straightened with severe dignity.

"I must pack. Straightaway. Finish your, er, calculations and I will return with my inventory."

"Inventory?" Ko himself sat up a little, but the gnome had turned and trotted (angled and haphazardly) away from the table into the surrounding din.

"Inventory?" Ko said again, a little more darkly, towards Shann. "We'd best leave now afore master fishbaits gits it in 'is head t' come back."

He swayed in his seat, and put on his best charming smile.

The human failed to see the potential business opportunity that the gnome had to offer. It was hard to pass up a chance to make money, especially when it was through a legal method of doing so. If he could convince the gnome that his services of recording, documenting, and all around organizational skills could be put to use, than Shann could secure a good source of coin before heading out on their journey. He doubted that the cost of passage aboard a ship headed to Keltaris would be cheap and he doubted that the sack of bishani he had within his pants or the smaller one within his boot would come close to paying for both his and Zain's passage, let alone food expenses and the like. Gambling could net them some profit, but nothing like a real job.

Shann had half a mind to question the human as to why he was so hard-pressed to leave without the gnome. Could it be that his kind were just untrusting of gnomes as the inner-island elves were of humans? Shann had grown up knowing a unfounded prejudice of humans for his friends, neighbors and family, but since working on the shores of the island and even leaving his homeland, Shann had met very few humans that represented those that he had heard so many stories about, well with the exception of those that he had met in this town. These fishermen very much fit the part of the loud, smelly, uncivilized oafs that knew nothing beyond their own strength and an animalistic urge to pummel each other. Little better than animals.

But surely that couldn't have been the case with the human that sat before him and the gnome? He finished off Zain's drink from the second round that had been brought to the table, so four in all and he was starting to enjoy that nice warm feeling of the alcohol numbing his senses. "I don't find the gnome to make such bad company. Sure his kind are known for all kinds of crazy contraptions and the ability to make just about anything on the face of Pal Tahrenor explode, but he seems rather harmless."

He didn't want to add that he was still fascinated with gnomes in general and wanted to take advantage of getting to actually know one. In all his years on the island, he had never met somebody such as their gnome companion and since leaving the island, Shann and his nephew had run into all of two of them, the bar companion being one of the two. He just couldn't let such a rare opportunity pass him up. "I say we give him a chance. We can give him an hour to gather up his stuff and if we don't hear back from him by then, then we can take off. I for one would like at least one more drink and maybe a bit to eat, if not the company of a woman to go with it."

Ko adapted a put upon face at Shann's words. He'd never really known anyone to be in favor of gnomes when there wasn't immediate work that needed to be done -- and as far as Ko knew there was not, in fact, any work needed done at that point in time -- but he was not in favor of going against Shann just yet and getting the other man angry at him. He still didn't know the elf that well, and the chance of being flat out abandoned at such a small thing was not something he could just ignore.

"If you like." Ko allowed, though the words had not wanted to leave his lips, or his brain. He could be reasonable. He sweetened his irritation at the situation with a lopsided smile at Shann, allowing the tightness around his eyes to relax. It was showtime. "But, finding a woman with any sort of standards in this pit is an optimistic view. Unless you know something I don't. . .?"

He was trying, very hard, to not let his anger at the gnome for ruining his absentminded plotting come to the fore of his mind. For the next hour, he intended to forget about it.

Shann listened to the other man as he scoped the room for any potential women that could make the day all that more enjoyable. From what he saw, the bar didn't offer much to pick from. Up against one wall, one older (though Shann was unable to guess how old) woman kept eying their table and making these drunken kissing gestures between toothless smiles. Shann didn't know if he should be more disturbed by the fact that her face resembled more of a fish than a person or that she wore so many layers of makeup that it was hard to tell what color her skin was underneath it all.

Moving on through the crowd of patrons, Shann saw what looked like a few bottom-heavy women dressed in mens clothing, unless of course they were just beardless men with rather large breasts, with some of them it was a little hard to tell. Then there was the barmaid, she wasn't the best looking thing that walked the planet, hell she wasn't even the best thing he'd seen walking the streets of this town, but if anything were to be given the title of 'doable" in this establishment, it was her. Her calves were on the thick side, her legs were short and she was lacking in the curves department, but she had a nice enough face and unlike the fish lady, Shann was pretty sure that the barmaid wouldn't try to eat him in his sleep.

"Well..." Shann was going to say something in response to his drinking buddy, but he lost track of what he was going to say as he watched the girl. He noticed how all the other men in the bar watched her too and decided that it was probably not worth risking another fist to his face today.

Vexako did a fairly good job at following Shann without 'accidentally' groping him anywhere that might be considered inappropriate or rude. It was hard not to, especially since apparently some fleet or another of roughly built (and terribly constructed) fishing boats had returned, for a wave of sea smell and dirty fisherman had swarmed through. Keeping track of Shann without gluing himself to the other man became decidedly more difficult. The question remained, however: was the elf's ass soft with fat, or hard with muscle? Questions, questions.

Women, right. He avoided looking at faces, but there were other ways of telling whether or not women were beddable, and after all, you could stick it in without having to look at the face (positions were plentiful and usable in keeping with Ko's little condition), provided the body wasn't ugly.

When they stopped in front of a female shape behind a bar, Ko knew Shann was ready for the catch. However, Ko was more than a little leery. Barmaids tended to be rather biddable, if a bit messy in certain cavities, and not necessarily without problems that lead to itching, but bartenders of the female variety often turned out to be commanding and domineering entities, who had no problem with shrieking your name to the world past dawn, and throwing objects at your head, and sending at least five elder brothers to track you down when you were trying to be respectable and get back on the ship to make some money, and probably never see said harpy again.

"Ankles. . .she has no ankles." Ko muttered as he elbowed room in next to Shann, not minding at all how close he had to be pressed in to the other man. He'd lost track of the kid, but who cared? The hem of her skirt thing -- color of which was indeterminable -- was ragged and stained in brackish splotches. Her shoes were, Ko decided, not made by anyone remotely close to a shoemaker, and he was sure they covered warty and probably hairy toes. He shuddered. Shann was rather responseless, so Ko took a chance and looked up.

Not bad, not bad, but -- "Collar bones." He said in dismay, and looked away to cover up his gag reflex and worse. He hated sloppy seconds, and someone's mark peeked past the woman's loosely fitting collar in tantalizing flashes. The flooze wasn't even trying to hide it!

"Huh?" Was all could Shann could mutter as he took in the barmaid, sure she wasn't the ideal woman but that chances of finding something of such high quality in a town like this would be nothing short of a miracle. It took him a few minutes to catch on to what his drinking body was hinting at, Shann hadn't even noticed the guy squeeze his way into the crowd of people. When he did look down to her neck and collar bone he saw what the other man was hinting at, sure enough she had recently had a run in with some other guy or more as the marks will still fresh and dark.

Now Shann wasn't one to pass up a woman just because she got around, hell that would have made it a harder for him to find ladies around the docks, but over the years he had learned that sleeping with said ladies occasionally resulted in a unpleasant itch or the frequent and uncomfortable need to constantly urinate. The question was, was she worth it?

Her face didn't look at that terribly bad. On the positive side it looked as if she still had all her teeth, not that he really cared about her teeth, it's not like he would be admiring her nice smile or anything. Yeah the smile wasn't bad, but he wanted to do much more than that to her face. Give her a real reason to smile, maybe mess up that hair a bit. Maybe make a mess in that hair or hers. It could use a good cleaning anyways.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

Zain had lost his uncle and the other man in the crowd of men that had just came in the building. He felt overwhelmed in the presence of so many people in such a confined space. There were too many people for him to count and keep track of. There were too many voices for him to distinguish between. Each person had their own smell and with them all walking around trying to squeeze past each other to fit into the bar and get over to that table and to flag over the barmaid and to order a new round of drinks, Zain couldn't keep them all apart. He saw too many old boots, too many unkept beards and scruffy faces. There were lots of humans with their strange accents and their bulky bodies and smoke, there were too many people smoking within the building. He felt trapped and overwhelmed by it all. He found it hard to breath and hard to think as he struggled to take it all in. He tried counting but there was far too much to count. Boots, tables, beards, smokers, drinks, it was just too much.

He wanted to run and hide, to scream and bury his head under a pillow where he could escape all the noise and the confusion. After nearly falling out of his chair and gaining the attention of those around him who simply thought that the young man had had far too much to drink, he tried to duck under the table that he had occupied and cling to his dog. He was the only thing in the room that didn't feel as if it was pushing itself on him. He started to breath loudly and erratically before falling into in all out screaming fit.

Ko had regarded Shann sidelong, as Shann stared mooneyed at the whore behind the bar. Ko had tired of such women, having had more than a few along the seaworn docks he'd trod upon when he'd first learned the art of fucking. He was the epitome of moral decay, any chastity he'd ever had rotted out of the hard wood of his skull, splitting into splinters stuck into the idea of feeling out Shann. Could be he was just bored stiff at the idea of pleasure; something new and adventurous in the sharp-featured face of the elf, not exactly handsome, but fetching all the same. A new attraction --

which was when he first became aware of the screaming.

It sounded at first like a woman fending off an unwelcome swain, nothing too serious, but the voice carrying it spiked too low to be persuasively female. Something amusing then, more welcome a distraction than Shann's own honeyed trance with the brine-stamped slut, who Ko was fairly certain had tramped around the majority of seawatered down men currently trafficking the bar. That didn't matter though, because as Ko got a better look at the ring around the screamer, he quickly realized that the situation was not funny at all.

"Changers geld him." He growled under his breath, and elbowed through into the clear spot in the middle of the circle, where men growled like dogs at Zain's flailing limbs. "Ho brat, settle!" He caught hold of a fist, parried a leg with his hip, and nearly was unmanned for his troubles. He was having a fuzzy time remembering the names of the elves, and felt with the sinking pit in his stomach the end of a fairly decent buzz. "I said, settle!" And then his voice rose over the screams of the kid, as he clamped down tight over Zain's body, wrestling him down like a loose sail in a wild storm.

An elbow found its way into the soft parts between his legs. Pain shot up him, an electric fire that seared his stomach and gave rise to the need to vomit. His back arched, but he would have grimly hung on, if the poxy brat hadn't squirmed just right and clipped him in the jaw with a knee.

Ko fell back amidst laughter of the drunks, dizzy and spitting mad, and waited for the nausea to clear before he beat the shitty little bitch into sharkfood.

Shit, was the first thought to enter Shann's mind. Just as he thought that his flirtations with the barmaid were starting to get him somewhere, the boy just had to go into one of his temperamental moods. Of course he just had to do that now.

By that point more than a few of those gathered within the building that night turned their attention to the young man screaming and acting much like a very young child or a baby. His attitude change from that of a shy quiet man to that of a shrieking idiot was quite unexpected. Several drunken voices were raised in question to the boy's actions. "What the hell's 'is problem?"

"Sshut da hell up!"

At the sound of the screaming Shann had began pushing men out of his way, some even twice his size, just to cross the room and stop the scene. He met some resistance along the way with those that had gathered around to see the spectacle forming, making Shann have to move around them to reach his destination. Eventually though, he was able to cross the crowded establishment.

Upon reaching the other side, he was shocked to see his drinking buddy on the floor trying to subdue the boy. Usually people, well men, ignored Zain when he acted like this or they just watched and shouted as the other men were doing. If anybody tried to help out in such situations it was usually a woman, not that they really helped much when it came to calming the boy, but Shann never turned them away.

After watching the other man take an elbow to the crouch, which brought upon a instinctual need to clench his teeth together and suck in air making a hissing noise, Shann jumped into the situation and fought for control over it. He knew from too many blows to the chest, back, junk and face to avoid those flaying limbs at all cost. What he needed to to was to get behind the Zain and pull him to his chest. He had to wrap his stronger arms over that of the boy's and pull him into a ball. Then, the crucial part was to get him to calm down. Shann had to lean in and speak into the boy's ear so that he could hear his uncle over all the screaming.

"Shhh...calm down. Nobody here is going to hurt you. You have no reason to act like this. Calm down and we will leave this place if you would like. We can find someplace quiet and you can sleep if you would like. Would you like that? Will you calm down?" Shann spoke to the boy in their native tongue, with a coastal accent that hinted on Eyropian.

In response the boy quieted and didn't try as hard to fight off his uncle. He still struggled a bit, but Shann didn't let up on his grip and the boy eventually tired himself out. At which point the gathered crowd seemed to lose interest in the scene and began to return to their previous activities. It was no longer funny to see a one man holding another and gently rocking the other into a calmed state, in fact it caused a few of the men to give them disgusted homophobic looks before returning to their drinks.

Shann mouthed a "Thank you," to the other man after it looked as if the boy was going to do as he was told and stop acting up.

The pain was receding. Instead of a bear chewing up his lower gut, maybe this was more like a fox. Similar, he'd expect, to a raven pecking out one's eyeballs. It was a familiar, horrific pain he'd experienced before, but while a lover had the buffer of giving more pleasure than pain, Zain had none of that. In the way of things, Zain had the opposite of a buffer. Ko now owed Zain pain. Lots of pain.

He eyed Zain, thinking not worth the thank you or gratitude and resolutely sat up, hunched over the place it hurt the most. Shann looked ridiculous, and the boy more so. Ko's head was spinning. Even he, a purveyor of homoerotic things, thought the scene was absurd. That sort of tenderness and care was worthy only of being sneered at. Ko had had his fill of such emotions, and perhaps even embarrassment soured his head as he turned away from the two. "Be outside." He said, most of the oomf drained from his voice. He got up and hobbled out, less forceful as he was buffeted through the crowd.

He wondered how he should plan his revenge on the boy without arousing Shann's suspicions, though he found he cared a little less about the thrill of the hunt now it was personal. Maybe he could blame it on the gnome. Irritating little gadfly.

He turned his thoughts away from the unpleasantries, and on to the tentative excitement at being on a ship's deck again. Pleasure at the thought unfurled within him, and he spent the next few minutes exploring the thought. By the time Shann and Zain emerged, he was straight as he'd been, any trace of pain wiped from his features. "Gnome should be back soon." He commented dully, arms crossed. "Last chance. Otherwise we should be ready to move out immediately. I don't like wasting time."

Contrary, that, to his previous interest in getting a lady, maybe with Shann in the middle.

Shann wanted nothing more than to get far, far away from the bar. Zain on the other hand, well he had tired himself out in his little fit and wanted to rest and relax in a calm and quiet setting. He could use a good nap in a dark room with a lumpy pillow over his head. His heart was still racing and he took in air in short, rapid breaths but by the time the two of them had exited the building, he was able to walk on his own and function in a normal or Zain-normal state.

With his hand still on the boy's shoulder, Shann led the boy and his dog out of the building and over to where Ko was waiting outside. Shann couldn't help but notice that the other man looked quite annoyed with his arms crossed. The tone in his voice didn't sound any better. It was understandable that the man should take such an attitude, hell Shann would have if he had come out of the struggle with the boy and the only thing he had to show for his trouble was a well placed elbow to the groin. For that he felt somewhat guilty.

"I have no desire to stick around here any longer. The boy could use a nap, but if he has to he can do it in the back of wagon if you don't want to look into renting a room."

It was still kinda early to be thinking of renting the room for the night. The sun was still out, and it looked to still be a few hours or more before it went down. If they left town now they could probably get a fair distance between themselves and the bar before it got too dark for travel. A horse and cart would increase that distance even more than traveling by foot.

After fishing around in his pocket, Shann counted his remaining Bishani by touch. An extra night in the town would cut more into his dwindling funds than he would like and it made the most sense financially to head out as soon as possible. Buying a horse and wagon would still be expensive though. They could walk, it would be free but he didn't want to have to deal with the boy being exhausted and moody. He didn't want to have to handle two fits in one day, so a ride would be the best option.

"Maybe we can hitch a ride from a merchant headed South. I would imagine that somebody here has to have something of value that they must transport in order to make a profit." Or I sure hope they do. He had his doubts though. Just looking at the dirty road at his feet and the ill-kept building along said road aroused such doubts.

"No reason to stay." Ko said, half alarmed and half triumphant that Shann had finally come over onto the anti-gnome side of things. He scratched stubble he could have sworn hadn't been there just a few hours ago, and considered his options. He wasn't by any means rich, but, he hated that stupid gnome. It wasn't even remotely logical at this point; he'd just decided he didn't like the guy. So he didn't.

"If there's no caravans afoot I'll get us a wagon, but things aren't lookin' up fer horses." He wasn't even trained on how to really tell apart a good horse than a bad horse. Presumably good horses walked without limping or looking diseased. Just like any other critter, right? "Tell y'what, I got this one. Hold up here, an' I'll go get us set."

Really, he just didn't want to deal with either of the males. He wanted to go. This was probably the fastest way of doing things. Probably.

The sun had sunk a few paces further in the sky by the time Ko came back towards Shann. His nose looked a little odd, perhaps more bulbous than it had been at outset, but nothing that couldn't be explained away by imagination. His eyes were pointed up towards the sky, which was probably why he started talking as he approached Shann and Zain. "No good merchants, so I bought us a nag and a --" his eyes lowered closer to the ground, which is how he saw the smaller shape near Shann's ankle. "You." He said.

Jinhuff grinned upwards, standing firmly amidst his pack and small gnome-sized handcart, which was dangerously full of metal gizmos and whatsits.

Ko looked at Shann, expression the pleading sort often seen in whipped dogs.

A sudden commotion from the direction of the tavern doors interrupted any possible response.

The doors clanked open as a very large man staggered out, attempting to hold in his brains with both hands. He sank to the ground with a whimper and moaned in despair as the doors slowly swung open again.

Another man, even larger than the first, emerged from the pub. He was tall and powerfully built and his bare arms were covered in obscure tattoos. Scale mail covered his wide chest and a sword of obviously foreign design glinted in the twilight as he removed his victim’s head with one quick blow.

The tall man wiped the crimson blade on his pant leg and stepped over his fallen foe casually, not even bothering to look down. He reverently muttered a few words to himself and kissed the amulet around his neck before sliding the blade back into its scabbard.

He extended his right hand, which was sheathed in a leather gauntlet punctuated with wicked iron spikes, and pointed at the weary travelers.

His voice was a cold hiss, and as he closed distance, it became apparent that his eyes were different colors, giving him an otherworldly countenance.

“I think that you are in need of a swordsman.”

Following the glances of those he was addressing, the big man simply shrugged. “My guts tell me to offer you my services. You are the kind of people that get into trouble often. People like you need people like me.”

The tavern doors slammed open again as another big man, obviously a miner of some sort by his black stained clothes and massive arms, emerged with a pickaxe at the ready.

The mercenary moved with a godlike speed. He ducked the first clumsy blow, punched his caestus covered fist into the man’s tunic covered abdomen and broke at least three ribs. The next phase of his counter attack consisted of unslinging his shield and bludgeoning it into his foe’s temple.

The miner went limp and crumbled to the ground in a bloody heap. The warrior lifted his shield and used it to crush the miner’s windpipe.

Again, the killer repeated the strange ritual of muttering some words and kissing his amulet. He then bent down and pilfered the dead man’s pockets. He extracted his share and tossed the remnants in the direction of his would be comrades.

“By the way, I am Ceallach. I come from...” His eyes momentarily became distant before reassuming their deadly focus. “Far away.”

He paused again as he shut his eyes and furrowed his brow, as if trying to make a bad memory vanish through sheer force of will.

“Do not worry yourself about those men; they were simply a matter of business. Now that that assignment is complete, I find myself in need of a new employer.”

The answer he received was stunned silence. "Well, what say you?"

Shann had agreed to wait with the boy and the dog while Ko went in search of a wagon in the hopes that by doing so it would save them time and make matters easier. Even though he had managed to finish off six drinks in short succession, he was still able to notice the looks he had received within the bar, even before the whole incident with Zain. He was an elf after all. An elf in a dirt poor human village where they hardly trusted their own kind let alone some strange pointy-eared man with sharp facial features and a slender build. He was an outsider among their kind and they make no attempt to hind it.

As he waited for the man to return from his errand, Shann occupied his time by mentally mapping their location, their route of travel and their destination. By his calculation their trip South would take them back over familiar ground, but if he could help it he would try to avoid some of the same stops that he had made on his way North. With the territory already known to them it would be quicker and easier to make better time, and having a horse helped too. He estimated that he could be back within the welcoming arms of some Corezo woman within a few days time.

It wasn't long after the pleasant smile brought on by such thoughts was interrupted by the clattering of the small gnomish pushcart and the the shorter of his two earlier drinking companions. By that time he had nearly forgotten all about the gnome and his insistence on joining them on their little adventure. He was so wrapped up with his own thoughts of wanting to get out of town as quickly as possible and without being the center of another scene that he really just didn't care anymore. Yes, the gnome could offer him a chance to make some money if he put in some effort and talked the short little man into paying for his services, but he just really wasn't in the mood for that right now. As it was, the guy could follow them if he so pleased but if he didn't, well that really wouldn't be that substantial of a loss that Shann couldn't live without his Bishani.

While they waited, Shann attempted to make some idle conversation with the gnome. They spoke weather, alcohol, the best places on all of Pal Tahrenor to get a fine piece of ass (to which each man was biased to his homeland). Time crawled by at what seemed like a snails pace, but eventually their other companion made his reappearance with the promised horse and wagon. He looked worse for the wear from his little excursion, somewhat like he had taken a beating in acquiring the means of transportation. He would have asked as to the circumstances that he received the swollen nose, but Shann determined that it was probably better that he didn't know. The last thing he needed was to be involved in another incident that would end in another drunken mob out for blood.

Unfortunately, it didn't look as it the day was going quite the way he would have liked.

No sooner had Ko reappeared, then a few drunks came out of the establishment behind them and created a scene right there in the street where just anybody could see. Shann had to pull Zain out of the way when he say weapons being drawn just so the two of them would not being in the way and find a misplaced weapon coming in contact with their abdomens. Other than the instinctual desire to keep himself intact and avoid the bloody mess that took part before his eyes, Shann couldn't help but mutter a curse in the form of a prayer to Baresi. One that would have angered his sisters had they been present.

Before he had the time to consider doing anything other than staring at the scene before him, two bodies had hit the ground and a third man stood before him offering up his services. Shann just stood there for a moment. He didn't know what to say. He was shocked to see somebody, anybody commit murder in the street and then to come away from it as if nothing had happened. Who did that? Were there humans that were really that bloodthirsty and violent that they could just murder each other in the open and walk away with it as if the life they had just taken meant nothing? That's what they were say back on the island, in stories around a fire and with a beer in everyone's hand, but Shann had not ever fully believed it. He wasn't the most open-minded, forward thinking individual but some part of his upbringing had stuck with him telling him that humans couldn't be that bad.

Or could they?

He really didn't know what to think. Well besides the fact that he knew now more than ever he wanted, no needed to get out of this town. He had narrowly avoided getting the crap beat out of him by a hotheaded barkeep, there was noway he was sticking around long enough that this backwards fishing village could pin him as being involved in the deaths of either of the two bodies at his feet. He didn't even want to imagine what sort of justice system or lack thereof existed in this part of the world. He had no doubt that the drunks would likely take turns beating on him before they chopped him up for fish food, or worse. Whatever it was, he wasn't going to wait around long enough to find out exactly what that was.

When he had finally regained the ability to gain control over his thoughts and communicate them in what he thought to be a clear speaking voice, unaffected by his fear, he turned to Ko and the wagon to share his thoughts.

"We need to get the hell out of here."

Ko had seen violence plenty of times before. He'd seen brawls, he'd seen battles, and he'd seen murder. The scene that had transpired before him settled behind his eyes and pushed at him hard, bringing forth a memory best forgotten, when a scared little boy had found safety in a person who'd done nothing more than let him live.

He remembered the way in which men had received orders and carried them out with relish, and without thought for the cascading harm their actions would set into motion. Ko understood it, years later, and had caused his own sort of destruction throughout the years, but he had had reasons that did not follow out from bar fights. He had never caused death for the sake of easing his bruised ego. Well, okay, not for less than severe insults to his person, and in those cases he'd given time for them to repent before he'd taken care of the matter.

But he'd known the names of those men. Somehow, he doubted the corpses spilling blood and odor near his feet had known well the man who had dispatched them.

The nag was frightened by the sudden movement and blood, and rather than comforting the creature Ko kept it's head down with nasty little tugs on its lead, which only served to discomfort the horse into some sort of rebellion. By the time the man spoke of 'employer,' Ko had already wrenched the horse and its ridiculous little cart around, and was walking away. "Gnome can have the murderer," he snarled back, anger rising up in his gut more than the sense of self preservation that should have been there. He was too tired for that shit.

He didn't feel nearly cold enough, or drunk enough, for the way in which any of them had simply dismissed the corpses. Even the gnome had been looking at the sword-wielder, and Ko very much doubted the gnome thought in any terms that did not end in what was most profitable. He felt some sort of ache deep in his stomach, and this time it wasn't the alcohol. He cursed Pethenas in his head, again, and the sudden thought of her caused a new ache a little higher up.

He thought he heard the tentative voice of the gnome behind him, raised up and shaking as he did what gnomes everywhere did and tried to pretend that he was in control. "Very well, this then will be my escort. You four will take me where I need to go. Wages will be discussed once we are. . .we should be going." And that last statement almost repeated exactly what Shann had said.

Disgust swept through Ko, and he kept walking lest the raised voices of gathering villagers intrude upon his selfish thoughts.