The village of Abelsol 20 miles south of Thalia
In collab with @Falcon presenting "A Knife Night!" Part 2
Korwin led them at a sharp pace, pausing only at random and healthier looking beggars to drop them some money and command them to mug any who followed them. He did this a total of nine times. All through it all, he kept to the alleys, backstreets, and places where refuse piled up. His patterned seemed random, but Korwin's twists had a methodology if one cared to pick it up. The further they went, the worse the smell became. It was hard to say when it first penetrated their nostrils. What with Korwin's already dirty form from being a destitute for half a day, the would-be murderer's tumble from the window and frequent scrapes into muck, and Reina's occasional ointment of her own muck.
But it became clear as the night wore on as the lanterns became fewer and more sparse. And the stronger it grew, the faster Korwin moved. His long legs carrying his armored form ever onward as if he were some jackal stalking the night, or some hound with a purposed mission from its master. As if the stronger the smell grew, the more Korwin strengthened. Or maybe it was the excitement of the events. Or perhaps, just possibly, it was as the night waxed, so to did he. He didn't dine to start the conversation. To him, it was far more interesting to see if Reina would say anything. Question any of it. In fact, he was already testing her mind and will.
How far will she follow me, he wondered,
how open are her eyes? Does she know what she walks by? Where she is heading towards? Or, in short, how naïve is she and does she know her naivety to question where she wanders? The plated jackal almost laughed. It had been a long time since he could play this game. Longer still since he had been the questioner. He'd forgotten how fun it was, to simply have fun.
Reina successfully got the kerchief over her bangs as they walked and pulled the hood of her cloak back up for good measure. She let herself stagger as she needed, so that the muck and grime of the alleys he led her through spread in a reasonable pattern over her garments. she would not be caught because it looked fake. She didn't worry about the dirt on her hands either as she wiped sweat from her face. That too could only add to her persona she was instructed to carry.
She said nothing as they walked and he gave instructions to those they passed to mug their followers. She said nothing the second time, or the third, or even the ninth. In fact Reina didn't speak a single word the entire time no matter who or what they passed. She had given her word not to call for help, and she would be seen to honor that promise.
Yet as they walked her face became more somber, a sadness crept into her eyes. This, she knew, was the real world, and a part of it she had been sheltered from her entire life. Part of her wanted to offer help, and yet she knew that that instinct was not the smartest course of action. Had not Gavril once warned her of the dangers of letting her heart lead instead of her head?
And so she swallowed her words, and followed as quickly behind him as she dared. Only when he paused for a second to check if she was still there did she speak, making sure she was close enough and quiet enough not to be overheard first. "I've trusted you with my life this far, but when we get to our destination, I do have questions--"
He could almost feel her form slump as sadness came upon her. Although it amused him, and told him that she was, indeed, paying attention, Korwin was grateful that it took as long as it did. Her demeanor had been useful in completing the façade. And when she finally spoke, he did laugh into her trailing words. Or rather, chuckle darkly at her words. "Questions? Good, I'd be disappointed if you didn't. Still, I wonder if they're pertinent to what you see and fail to envision, or to our friend here. And if you truly trusted me with your life, then you wouldn't be so…" he cast around for the right word, "frightened. But not to worry. We're almost there."
They rounded a bend and, stretching across a knoll, was the source of the smell. It was the inevitable of such trading hubs that lacked the majesty and law of the cities that dotted Eshil. Slums comprised of abandoned or banished tribesmen and city dwellers who either didn't want to give up their previous lives completely or sought some desperate form of change in the hope that some portion of their fortune would change. Shanty houses of ramshackle creation dotted their way across it. One, two, three story buildings held themselves together through seemingly prayer alone. Korwin hardly paused to get his bearings, before leading them straight in.
At this point, the begging had ceased. No one here had much, and some did share. Others horded. But none asked until truly desperate. People shrank back as Korwin passed with his entourage, not daring to lay a finger upon him or his charges. Fear seemed to grip them, despite that his and Reina's relative fortune of wealth would mean nothing should they all swarm the three individuals. Stopping at seemingly random, Korwin entered a mildly nice hovel. It had a door at least. Three individuals were sleeping inside, but immediately roused upon his entry. "Out," he commanded with a toss of a small bag of coins. Without question, they complied, taking the coins. "Sit," he said as he pointed the still gagged maid to a corner. But his voice had softened somewhat. Finally, he stuck his head back out the door and called, "lass. Yes, you. Find your two cousins and bring back some clean food, bandages, and medicinal paste. Be back in five minutes and you'll get thrice this," tossing her three copper. Off like a shot she went, and Korwin turned back to business and Reina.
"Ask your questions. The ears here won't listen without some proper backing and there isn't like much who can pay that in this town."
"If- if you want her healed before you torture her," Reina started hating herself for even considering what she was now offering. "I can do it faster." It was a horrible though to even consider, helping with this, but she needed answers. Her hands twitched on her staff. "Although I admit I'd rather there be no need for torture." Her eyes fell on the woman who had just tried to kill her and Reina had to admit she actually meant those words. "And - and if you think tonight is the worst of what I've face this past week you'd be wrong... I - I trust that with all the twisting and turning our trail is now hidden? But why here? How do you know these people won't turn us over for coin any faster than a court politician?"
"Heh," Korwin scoffed, "No, it's not for her. It's for you. And don't use your staff here, it'll mess with their imagination." He took his own seat, in the Midori style, back to a corner and facing both the entrance and fellows. "And any torture I could preform would be pointless anyway. Wouldn't break a woman of her caliber." Despite being bound, gagged, and with little chance of walking out alive, the assassin preened. "Hell, she might even enjoy it. No, I'd need access to some pretty powerful concoctions or potent magic to pry out her secrets. Anyway, torture's unreliable, even on weak subjects. Tell you what they want to hear just to get out of the pain, true or not."
His laughed barked out again at Reina's next words. "Looking at you, I don't doubt it. But don't try to impress me with your suffering. Every man, woman, and child across the continents has their own story equal to the weight of lost kingdoms," his last words were purposeful, sharp with intent. Leaning forward, his mask and eyes glowering, he continued, "each are no less valid or pitiable than any other, but I'd be alight with mockery if you tried to set your tale against any other out there," jerking his head towards the door, "as if you deserved more comfort than them."
"Now, to your last, and by far most intelligent, questions," he leaned back and afforded Reina a nod of almost respect, "yes, our trail is hidden well enough for any of her more inspired eyes. Here is simple. It's where people imagine we might go for easy, quiet, rest. Guards don't come out here, unless ordered and with sufficient backing, and the powers that do have no interest in what they think we are. Which leads into why no one will turn us in. They imagine we're the wrong value." The grin was evident in his voice again. "Now note that I didn't say too small. I said wrong. Why might that be? We all contributed to it."
Korwin spread his arms, showing off his dark armor and wakizashi, obvious next to his naginata.
Reina couldn't help but feel relief at the fact that there would be no torture. It showed on her face. But stubbornness took over as he accused her of looking for pity. "I'm not looking for your sympathy," she snapped. "I only meant I could handle watching whatever you intended to do, or wherever we ended up. I know this isn't the Thalian court."
A moment later the stubborn mask started to crumble, "but I also know I'm in over my head," she admitted with a sigh.
"I need answers. The people after me, I'm worth more to them alive. This woman wanted me dead." Her voice was quiet, as if she was still struggling to absorb the reality of everything.
Korwin sighed, letting his arms drop. She was missing the simple genius in the lesson in disguise that was he was trying to induce.
No matter, he thought,
I'll take her seeking some
answers than nothing. At least she's begun to drop that useless stubbornness. Wait…why the hell do I care? What does it mean to me if she succeeds or fails? As these thoughts began to chase their way into his head, the murderous maid spoke up.
"Well, I don't want you dead, per say. It's who I work for who wants you to be a corpse," she chirped, "I mean, yah, your neighbor wants you alive, but that doesn't mean that
everyone does."
Reina didn't get it. she knew this man was trying to teach her something, or was it a test? Either way she couldn't figure out what he wanted her to know. And then the woman spoke. Reina's head snapped around to glare at her for a moment before confusion took back over her expression. "Thank you so much for telling me what we already know," she started her voice dripping with sarcasm before she could catch herself. It wasn't a tone she usually took with people but she was tired, she was hungry, her head still hurt, and this woman had been trying to kill her. "Now if you would be so kind as to fill in the rest of the blanks that would be appreciated. Who, and why?"
"Glad I could help you comprehend the obvious," she chirped, "but I'm certainly confused as to why I should inform you of my employer. As far as I know, I'm still going to die and be left in an unmarked grave. That's not too convincing of an argument."
Korwin snorted. It wasn't like she was wrong. However, from the sound of the feet outside, one of his little mice had returned. Letting their conversation run behind him while he opened the door, accepted food, bandages, and ointment. Paying the lass and her two cousins, he commanded her to stay, saying, "we likely might be staying the night. If so, we'll need bedding."
Closing the door, Korwin tossed Reina some bread, which was better than he expected. "Let's get that gash looked at."
"What if I can convince him to spare you?" Reina started, working with the only card she had in her hand as her new "guardian" checked in with someone at the door. But before she could elaborate he was tossing a bit of bread at her. Without thinking she tore off a chunk of the heel and set it in the woman's lap. Reina had no clue if it was the right thing to do, or even the smart thing, but if the woman wanted to live then starving her wouldn't help.
"Agato, do you even know the first thing about healing?" She asked moving to an indicated seat and addressing him by the name he had given her earlier. As she sat, she attempted to tear the bread more or less in half again before offering him the larger portion. "If it weren't a head wound I'd tell you I could tend myself."
"You're more than welcome to try," she smiled, bending over to bite up the hunk of bread. "Fanks!" she said through the bread. Although, considering she had been gagged none too long ago, it was questionable how long Korwin's binding would contain her. At the same time, she looked to be quite content with her situation, gnawing her way through the heel she'd been given.
Korwin had no comment about that, but he did sigh and say, "course I know the first thing about healing. You don't live the life of a warrior on your own long without knowing the first thing about it. Now, I will say I don't know much beyond that. Heh. Rather, I should say I don't know how to do the second thing and on about healing." Leaving her to figure out what that meant and marking where her wound lay, Korwin applied some of the ointment to the fresh bandage in increments, then folded it over, allowing it to seep into the cloth. He then removed her bandage and, wrapping it such that each increment of the lathered material pressed softly against the wound, which had stopped bleeding some time ago. All this he did with the care one would show a kitten whose paw had been pierced by a thorn.
His gentleness surprised her. But he did seem to know the basics, so she sat quietly. After a moment and a few nibbles of bread she spoke. "Thank you."
"Welcome," he dropped any form of tenderness and came back to business. "Now, are you going to try and pry answers out of your to-be murderer or give the matter up?"
"Weeel," Reina started slowly, "she might will willing to tell us something if you let her live. As it stands she's got nothing to lose by saying silent at the moment. As you made clear earlier."
"And why should I care?" He came to the point of the debate in his own mind. While the whole affair might have been fun, Korwin struggled to justify why he hadn't just killed the assassin and let her deal with the mop up. Certainly, once he had decided his course of action, the follow through was essential. Else her "escorts" might catch up and remove any leverage he had on the situation, but he had had the assassin at his mercy, so why did he spare her?
"I don't know, why do you care?" Reina shot back, "Why did you do any of this? you saved me spared her at my request to begin with, brought us both here. you didn't have to do any of that. But you did. To kill her now... wouldn't that make this whole evening and all that effort pointless?"
She lifted her chin a little, but this time it wasn't stubbornness showing through, but something else, something closer to belief in his ability to listen to her words.
His mind, so rare to trip, struggled to answer her questions. Indeed, much of the effort of this evening would be wasted. Making him again debate why he didn't just kill the maid back in the inn. Almost at random, he decided to slip his way around the dilemma by taking the offensive in questioning again. "Regardless, what makes you imagine she won't come and try and kill you again? What will keep you safe from her returning to her master and stabbing you in the back?"
"Nothing," Reina answered simply, and honestly. "But if I don't take the risk I'll never learn a d--" she cut off a curse unbefitting a lady, "-a thing and at the moment what I don't know could kill me faster. Why were you after her anyway? Surely there are things you want to know as well?"
Korwin's eyes narrowed at Reina, then flicked to the ever-smiling maid. Disliking how quickly he was being put into a corner. He couldn't fault her gambit for information, and she likely knew it. It left him with few options to push back with, none that wouldn't involve agreeing to the maid's proposition without breaking Reina's wishes. Acutely aware of all the eyes upon their hovel, waiting for the chance to earn or take some coin, Korwin knew that to let the maid live long enough to fool Reina into thinking he would not kill the assassin, would be to let her go.
Which meant Korwin would do what he should have done as soon as he saw the cheery cherry in the streets. Looked at her. He got his answer. It either made him want to run her through right then and there or actually go along with the sheer insanity that the maid's plan had become from its failure to kill Reina. He chose to try and play the latter. To a point, at least. "Ask your questions."
Reina nodded, it seemed they had reached some sort of agreement. "All right, and I'll let you decide if the answers are legitimate or not." She wasn't quite ready to admit that she knew so little of the world around her as to wonder if she'd recognize an enemy name when she heard it, but she had a feeling that "Agato" at least would have some way to know if he was being lied to... "And for the record, I doubt even Anhi would show mercy on a second assassination attempt." So he knew she wouldn't interfere with him again if the woman broke their agreement.
"So," Reina started turning toward the maid, "He's not going to kill you. That's my end of the bargain fulfilled. Now, who wants me dead?" She was smart enough not to ask who the woman worked for. For all Reina knew she was the middleman for a middleman and that answer would do no good.
With Korwin's eyes upon her, the assassin's smile seemed, if possible, to grow. "I am delighted to hear it! Now, the individual who wants you dead is none other than Lady Commander Tersha! Ha! When your neighbor is a many headed serpent, it seems that not all heads agree upon the state of you're being, m'lady. What else do you have for me?"
Reina bit her lip as she thought. Yes she knew that name, one of Captain Miron's strongest opponents. "Can you tell me why?"
"Nope! A good knife never asks why."
Reina nodded closing her eyes a moment, thinking. "Was anyone else sent to kill me?"
"Of course! Although 'sent here' would be incorrect. More that there's a guess as to where you could be and ne'er do wells are scouring it to find you!"
"Like you," Korwin interjected.
"Like me!" she preened.
"Well," Reina started with a sigh, "At least I know for sure now....that's something I guess."
"So then," the assassin switched to sudden calm, "what are you going to do with me?"
"That's up to him," Reina stated calmly, nodding over her shoulder to "Agato" as she knew him. "I got him to agree not to kill you., but I'm sure he has some idea for what he plans to do otherwise."
Korwin imperceptibly relaxed. The assassin had, surprisingly, spoke the truth. Or rather, enough of it not to get herself stabbed. Korwin settled for a glare.
To complete her game would be rather simple at this point. The question is, did he want to. The truth was, he didn't. He really didn't. It was almost worthwhile to come up with some lie and try to push his way out of the situation. Problem was, it didn't solve his personal predicament.
Not yet,
anyway. Truth was, he needed more information. Problem, the princess was here. Problem, pulling out meant the assassin walked home. Solution, "that depends, what are you more loyal to. Money, or the Lady Commander?"
"Oh, money of course. And I'm rather attached to my life to boot."
Reina looked at him a moment and then stepped back. Moving to one corner she settled down the eat the rest of her share of bread. She knew she had gotten lucky this night, more than lucky, and she was just hoping it would hold out long enough for Gavril and Jebei to find her.
"Good, then you're looking at your new client," he said, pointing to Reina. He sat back to watch the effect of his simple sentence.
The assassin's face immediately mutated to open shock. Shock he knew to be genuine. The night had turned back to being exceedingly entertaining.
"Wait what!?" Reina looked up with shock of her own, "she tried to kill me only a few hours ago!"
"Exactly," he responded with utter deadpan, "there's no other way you can be sure she won't come after you again, while also having a method to counter any other assassins. After all, she's rather attached to her life, and last I checked, she owed it to you."
Reina only stared at him open mouthed for a moment, "If she has enough honor to claim she owns me my life, then she has enough honor to not come after me...." she hesitated a moment though, "Although if someone else does show up she might have a better shot of spotting them...."
"Oh aye, you're quite right," Korwin said, then thought,
predictable objection. He then continued to say, "however, what if her former employer decides to match that debt. Whom then should she follow? Or, perhaps worse, they use her to find out where you are, and gain a better chance of tracking you in the future through the interrogation methods I don't have access to. I can assure you, Lady Tersha certainly has access to such methods. And lastly, as you said yourself, what better way to find an assassin, than another assassin?"
Reina couldn't help but run her hands over her face smearing on more grime as she shook it trying to absorb everything. "You've made the assumption I have that kind of money on me..." it was the last objection she could think of in the face of his logic.
Although her stomach was turning somersaults and her head said it was a bad idea, her heart worried Agato would kill the woman if she refused.
Underneath the helmet, he smiled and shrugged, saying, "who said you needed the money now? Perhaps down the road. After all, she owes you her life. I'm certain that she can wait until you have enough to pay her for any service that you feel exceeds that debt." There was one way the princess could try and twist this, but he wondered if she was clever enough to pick up on it.
"And you?" Reina asked forcing her voice to remain steady. She wasn't sure she trusted this woman yet, at least not without "Agato" around. "Would you consider taking such a deal? Service now exchanged for promised repayment at a later date?"
She tried to hold his gaze, "Because that's all I can offer assuming I live long enough to see it through." She wasn't going to sugar coat it.
"Besides giving you the chance to keep an eye on your friend there and finish what you started tonight by sparing her in the first place."
Well, she got it, he thought. Guess he'd just have to deal with the situation now that it had arisen. "So you mean kill her in case she turns on you. Don't you have escorts for that? In any event, I do have a current client and you already owe me a debt for saving your life. Are you sure you want to increase that and then pay my asking price when the time comes?"
Reina's mouth pursed into a frown as she considered him. "Then perhaps it will give me a chance to save you in return, and my escort is... Well they're probably at that lighthouse place you mentioned by now. Besides I - " her hands twitched on her staff as she considered what to say. "I have a larger goal than just getting home and - well to be honest I need all the help I can get. So, Yes! If you can help me achieve that I'll pay whatever price that's in my power to give." Even as she said the words a number of things he could ask for jumped to her head that she would not particularly enjoy giving up, but she had said the words and she would stand by them. By Anhi's light, he probably thought she was a desperate fool now... and so she probably was.
"As for your current client... perhaps some arrangement can be made...."
"And no, you can't kill her. The original deal still stands," she added in for good measure.
Korwin's bark of laughter was rich and deep, as if Reina's words were incredibly amusing. "There's many a man who would try to make you regret those words this very night. Although, those men would have done so far earlier. Indeed, my client can likely be handled. And I suppose I can live with her as a traveling companion. But, before I agree to this, I need to know where you are going. At least, for this leg of your journey."
Her gaze flicked to the woman who sat still bound, but then the girl probably already knew this much, and if she traveled with them she soon would anyway. "I need to get to the Isles de Abaroa and--" she paused. It was unlikely the name would mean anything here but on the off chance it did she spoke it anyway, "That is where I hope I will be led to Miha's temple."
Korwin didn't even blink. "Done!" It was where he guessed she was heading, but to have her confirm it was worthwhile. The temple, her greater mission, meant nothing to him. All that mattered was the destination.
She blinked at him a moment, "Just like that?"
"Just like that. Now, would you like to remain in this safe location, or move elsewhere," he grinned, knowing that the following word was hardly the truth, "boss."
"Now I know you're making fun of me," Reina couldn't help but grumble, "but I would like to find the others before they decide to tear the town apart looking for me... or at least Gavril tries. And I'm sure those people want their home back."
"Well we did pay them for it and I could have my lad collect your friends. But I suppose if these accommodations aren't suited to your tastes, despite that we could order bedding, and despite the safety it provides, we could leave as we came," he was most certainly teasing her by now.
Reina bit her lip uncertain for a moment as she tried to read his tone, flushing a little as she realized he was making fun. "I'm good with whatever location you deem safe enough to house us, but I would like to meet up with the others sooner rather than later, and at some point we'll have to work something out with your current employer. Also, if we're hiring her... shouldn't we untie the girl over there? If at all possible I'd like to keep what happened tonight between the three of us."
It wasn't that she trusted the girl, or even trusted "Agato" not to kill her, but suspicious would eat a group like theirs alive and they couldn't afford that with what she guessed probably lay ahead. Better to start everyone else out on a clean slate.
Korwin's eyes danced with unseen merriment as he replied, "then, given you want to keep up appearances, I suggest that we head to the Landed Lighthouse. It'll help forestall questions and help craft a little story where our new friend helped in the whole affair."
Turning towards seriousness, Korwin cut the bonds on the assassin and continued, "and in the interests of keeping appearances, 'Rachel,' might I suggest shaving your head. Despite the strange colors that randomly crop up in the hair across the world, blue still remains fairly rare. I imagine people may be able to even track you by it. Also, do work to try and figure out why it was perfectly safe for us to enter this place so directly and brazenly because we'll be doing it, or similar things, quite a bit I imagine. And what the hell is your name anyway?"
That last sentence was directed towards the maid, who, bond free, was cradling her broken arm close to her chest. "Me? I'm Sadia Kerdon. It's an utmost pleasure to make both your acquaintances!"
"A shaved head is an oddity as well," Reina reminded him curtly, "But I would not be opposed to dye. With a bit of weld root I can get a decent green tone, or rambutan fruit would give a good black... actually I can get a decent black from a combination of tea and ink but that might look more obvious and require more regular treatments." As she spoke she collected her cloak and bag from the floor, checking the contents to remind herself that her money and the orange healing focus of the blessed staff were still there. She offered only a short nod upon hearing Sadia's name.
"Only an oddity if not properly explained as a daughter of a rich merchant who is on her way to a convent in the Isles whose father couldn't bear to not see his daughter safely guarded. But a dye would serve purpose as well," he assented. Seeing that she was ready and knowing, but not caring, that Sadia was ready as well, he continued, "shall we take another stroll in the moonlight?"
"I believe that was the plan..." Reina answered shouldering her bag, "You might also consider that I could change hair color multiple times if needed, but once hair is cut, it's cut. Dye can be made naturally, wigs are expensive." She had no idea why it seemed so important to her to press the point. Perhaps it was because she felt she had been poked fun at enough for one night. Or perhaps it was simply that she wanted to show that she did know something.
He laughed softly. Although in mockery or appreciation, it was impossible to tell. "So, worried about money, but not so worried about time as to be able to search for and craft the dyes. Minor time to be sure. Interesting. Well, so long as you have a sound enough plan, I suppose it makes little difference to me.
Stepping outside, Korwin whispered some words to the girl waiting there and dropped her a coin, who took it with a dejected pout and scampered off. Looking back, he gestured them to follow, saying, "keep that brain of yours thinking, little lady, and you might get out of the role I cast for you tonight." It was the closest thing to a compliment he'd given her all night.
Reina couldn't help the irritated noise she made in response. "Sounds to me like you think you know who I am without troubling yourself enough to put in the effort to check it," she grumbled as they walked. but she followed him without further complaint. However it would be hard to miss the way she was on the opposite side of him from Sadia at all times.
"When we get to wherever we're going I'll take a look at that arm," was her only acknowledgment to the other woman.
"Oh ho, my mistake, princess, I didn't realize you wished me to guess," he said it in such a manner that would appear to be an affectionate nickname. He knew it wasn't and that Reina would pick up the hint straight away. As they moved back through the slums, Korwin jerked a nod to a woman in chainmail with a horrendous maul. She hadn't been there before, but returned the nod and walked in the direction they came from.
"If you wish for a better role next time, I expect you to learn quickly," he continued as Sadia smiled her thanks around Korwin, who accepted being between the two without comment.
"Would be easier if the instructor didn't talk in riddles," Reina grumbled under her breath, "and the land of my birth has no royalty." As the passed the woman Reina shrank instinctively back and it suddenly clicked, how "Agato" could walk here with such confidence.
Why hadn't she seen it before? "Who is that woman?" she questioned quietly, willing to take the answer from whichever of her new companions offered it.
"If they instructor didn't speak in riddles, the instructee wouldn't find challenge in the learning and, therefore, would fail to fully grasp and appreciate the lesson. And for all that your country is, you may as well be. Although, you yourself fit that role well beyond station," he left her to figure out what he meant and it was no compliment.
Responding to her question, Korwin said, "'who' is a nice word for it, isn't it. Although, 'what' may be more appropriate. She is a hound of the underworld. Serving at the beck and call of some master. No doubt making sure that we made no true trouble during our stay in this neutral ground. Although this may be contested territory, but doubtful. Anyway, we were probably the most interesting thing that has happened for her in the past month. She probably kept an eye out of as much boredom as following orders."
"I see," Reina answered slowly, although she frowned at his back at the insult she had nothing to counter with. Not without telling him and Sadia he had guessed right.
"Do you?" he questioned, "then perhaps you can tell me each of our roles."
"I do," she said softly, "but I don't have the skill necessary to pull off your facade, if it even is one. You're as dangerous as she is if not more so, at least I think you could choose to be, and that is your pass here. As for me, I know I've been sheltered, but I am capable and I can learn." That was all the answer she chose to give. Reina was tired of being made to look like a fool for the night.
"Hmph," he said. But it was a sound that, while dismissive, carried a bit of appreciation in it. Apparently, Reina had struck a partially correct answer. Confirming the hopeful thought, Korwin continued, "you have at least begun to find the answer. But those are merely parts that lent to the mask I became tonight. And that you can humble your pride and openly admit the willingness to learn speaks of wisdom you haven't shown the entire night. For, make no mistake, it was blind chance that you survived Sadia's attempt and it was the utmost of folly to imagine that you were safe enough to be without guard in a town you knew nothing about. So thank whatever being you dream watches over you for that chance."
His sharp demeanor suddenly softened, surprising even himself and reminiscing the tenderness he showed when bandaging her wound as he continued, "but, you're alive. And, more importantly, learning. Simply ask for the next lesson and we'll see if you are able to break out of that role you and life have cast yourself into." As he finished saying this, they reached they left the last alley and returned to the main road.
"My lucks always been good," Reina murmured in response but said no more. It was strange seeing someone switch from hard to soft so quickly, and for a moment she wondered if it was genuine. But as they reached the main road she determined it didn't matter. What mattered now was meeting up with the others, convincing "Agato's" current employer to loan him out for a bit, and maybe fixing her hair... for that matter she might need a bit of help with the last and of those in the current group none of the men were a good choice for helping with that task which left...
"Sadia," she asked quietly, "How much do you know about fixing hair?"
Despite knowing that she couldn't see his face, Korwin shot her a quick glare. He got the distinct feeling that this was going to be par for the course going forward. In the same instant, he also decided not to think about it. Considering the matter would serve no purpose. What mattered now was keeping a story woven for the princess's comrades while convincing Gonz to let him out of his contract early. Immediately, his stomach sank to his feet as his mind ran off a string of curses as to how easy it was going to be.
In fact, he thought,
if I'm right. Gonz is going to throw me into this.
"Why, most everything, m'lady!" Sadia beamed, "Half-Up Double Waterfall, Princess Updo, Rope Braid, Bow-Braid, Nun Weave, and everything far less tricky and beyond in complexity! Naturally as well, I can lace ribbon, twine, dye, beads, and anything else you require in between! For a grungier look, we can use mud or dung to properly dirty it, yet still be stylish. Keep showing your fine features. Oooh, my lady, speaking of features…well…I suppose we should discuss that in more pleasant company than this grim dark, steel frozen, cold-blooded, scale-set, of a brute here."
"Dye and Cut, I think, for tonight. Our companion there does have a point," Reina sighed. She fisted her hands in her tunic hem as they walked trying to keep an eye out for this lighthouse Inn they were headed to. "And don't call me lady. It's just Rei- Rachel for now." She cursed herself mentally for the near slip. True these two probably knew her name, but there was still no reason to say it aloud.
"If it so pleases you," she replied with an exaggerated sigh and completely ignoring the slip, "then I suppose I will disavow you of the respect you deserve and abasedly call you Rachel."
She was, however, disappointed that Reina hadn't blushed even the slightest. Chalking up to tiredness, she resolved to try again later.
Korwin, on the other hand, merely pointed with his naginata. Correctly guessing her searching face, towards an overly lit sign heralding its name as "The Landed Lighthouse." Outside waited a lad in rags, the same one who Korwin had given his instructions to, who eagerly waved upon being noticed.