Brutin looked up at the three burly, ragged men who smiled at him sheepishly. They wore several weapons but failed to care for them, perhaps they were schooled well enough to use them but the lacked the discipline to be true warriors. Philodus strode through them, parting them like water and receiving complaints but he simply ignored them, he considered them nothing more than dogs.
"Here are your 'specialist' you wanted." Philodus said contemptuously as he halted at Brutin's desk. Brutin sat back and regarded them, they probably did not practice together, did not train consistently and oft times woke up with hangovers, typical fare for what he had seen recently of RhyDin mercenaries.
"Very well. I am interested in fulfilling a Marque I have issued, I have been told there are none better than yourselves to fill it, am I correct?" It was all he could do not to roll his eyes up into his head. A farmer's ten year old son wielding a hoe with the head missing could probably best them, if he didn't simply wait until they fell over drunk to finish them off.
"Indeed My Lord. We are the best south of East Bridge and we will not fail you. Who do you want killed?" The assumed leader spoke and Brutin noticed the man was missing his two front teeth. At some point he had lost an argument.
Deciding that they would be an adequate first test for her he sighed and steepled his fingers together. "The Marque is Lain Amthras. She is usually seen around the Red Dragon Inn in town and she occasionally hires out for muscle work." He offered, upping the ante. Now they knew she could fight. If they were paying attention.
"And for payment?" The leader asked, a grin on his face as he started counting the money purse in his head without having given a single thought of how he was going to kill the Marque. Maybe it was not too late to hire others and increase the difficulty.
"Should you succeed I will pay her body weight in gold." He said and saw their eyes light up, he felt exhilarated at the prospect. If they managed to beat her they would deserve it, a gift to whatever gods they prayed to for the miracle.
"Half now and half when we are done with her." The leader said and the two men behind him laughed to each other about being done and just what it entailed. The City should pay him for ridding these droolers from city limits.
"You will receive none beforehand as I am not about to ask her how much she weighs, at least while she is sober." He said and the men laughed again, though Brutin really didn't think the information he had just given them would make it into their schemes. "And as for who hired you, it shall be kept a strict secret, and if I find out you tell who I am, even when you are ready to slay her, the things I will do to you would spread my reputation far and wide, Tasselhoft the Vengeful would not describe me after that." He finished and then grinned to himself.
The men nodded soberly and Philodus ushered them out of the office and to the front gates, returning only after they had gone. He did not knock on the door but simply entered and sat down in an empty chair and sighed.
"Why do you hate this Tasselhoft so?" Philodus asked and Brutin looked up at him.
"I do not."
"We have scoured the city looking for family and friends of him, we have been to the Dueling Masters to threaten them over him and now you frame him for a murder those fools cannot hope to commit? A blind masseuse could defeat those three, surely they will implicate this Tasselhoft." Philodus was disgusted and Brutin pitied him, he did not play the game well, it was not a warrior's game.
"There is a small chance those three could catch her by surprise, unarmed, naked, drunk, passed out and tied down." Brutin defended and at each suggestion Philodus grinned and then finally burst into laughter.
"It is true, one of their dead bodies could fall over on her and crush her. You never know." They laughed and Brutin looked over at the dancing pole sticking out of the fresh red sand.
"I want to see if she can think and fight, she is quick to anger and quick to drink. Now we get to see if she can hold her own against three." Brutin said and Philodus shook his head.
"She is going to overcome them and there is a chance she may win the name of their employer from them. And when she confronts this innocent man...." Philodus left the statement trail away, the actions were not becoming a member of the warrior caste.
"I doubt she will kill the man, but she will certainly distract him. By the time I am done with him Jewel has but to show up to claim her victory. And I will be able to claim my winnings." Brutin remarked proudly but Philodus simply shook his head in distaste.
"Slavers. You lie, cheat and steal your way to profits you cannot hope to spend."
"This entire endeavor is profitable to me. I will have tested a prospective employee, distracted the duelist I bet against and send a clear message to the people of RhyDin that something is definitely amiss." Brutin stated clearly and Philodus blinked in surprised.
"You have it well thought out."
"Of course, and for this entertainment I have paid nothing."
"Here are your 'specialist' you wanted." Philodus said contemptuously as he halted at Brutin's desk. Brutin sat back and regarded them, they probably did not practice together, did not train consistently and oft times woke up with hangovers, typical fare for what he had seen recently of RhyDin mercenaries.
"Very well. I am interested in fulfilling a Marque I have issued, I have been told there are none better than yourselves to fill it, am I correct?" It was all he could do not to roll his eyes up into his head. A farmer's ten year old son wielding a hoe with the head missing could probably best them, if he didn't simply wait until they fell over drunk to finish them off.
"Indeed My Lord. We are the best south of East Bridge and we will not fail you. Who do you want killed?" The assumed leader spoke and Brutin noticed the man was missing his two front teeth. At some point he had lost an argument.
Deciding that they would be an adequate first test for her he sighed and steepled his fingers together. "The Marque is Lain Amthras. She is usually seen around the Red Dragon Inn in town and she occasionally hires out for muscle work." He offered, upping the ante. Now they knew she could fight. If they were paying attention.
"And for payment?" The leader asked, a grin on his face as he started counting the money purse in his head without having given a single thought of how he was going to kill the Marque. Maybe it was not too late to hire others and increase the difficulty.
"Should you succeed I will pay her body weight in gold." He said and saw their eyes light up, he felt exhilarated at the prospect. If they managed to beat her they would deserve it, a gift to whatever gods they prayed to for the miracle.
"Half now and half when we are done with her." The leader said and the two men behind him laughed to each other about being done and just what it entailed. The City should pay him for ridding these droolers from city limits.
"You will receive none beforehand as I am not about to ask her how much she weighs, at least while she is sober." He said and the men laughed again, though Brutin really didn't think the information he had just given them would make it into their schemes. "And as for who hired you, it shall be kept a strict secret, and if I find out you tell who I am, even when you are ready to slay her, the things I will do to you would spread my reputation far and wide, Tasselhoft the Vengeful would not describe me after that." He finished and then grinned to himself.
The men nodded soberly and Philodus ushered them out of the office and to the front gates, returning only after they had gone. He did not knock on the door but simply entered and sat down in an empty chair and sighed.
"Why do you hate this Tasselhoft so?" Philodus asked and Brutin looked up at him.
"I do not."
"We have scoured the city looking for family and friends of him, we have been to the Dueling Masters to threaten them over him and now you frame him for a murder those fools cannot hope to commit? A blind masseuse could defeat those three, surely they will implicate this Tasselhoft." Philodus was disgusted and Brutin pitied him, he did not play the game well, it was not a warrior's game.
"There is a small chance those three could catch her by surprise, unarmed, naked, drunk, passed out and tied down." Brutin defended and at each suggestion Philodus grinned and then finally burst into laughter.
"It is true, one of their dead bodies could fall over on her and crush her. You never know." They laughed and Brutin looked over at the dancing pole sticking out of the fresh red sand.
"I want to see if she can think and fight, she is quick to anger and quick to drink. Now we get to see if she can hold her own against three." Brutin said and Philodus shook his head.
"She is going to overcome them and there is a chance she may win the name of their employer from them. And when she confronts this innocent man...." Philodus left the statement trail away, the actions were not becoming a member of the warrior caste.
"I doubt she will kill the man, but she will certainly distract him. By the time I am done with him Jewel has but to show up to claim her victory. And I will be able to claim my winnings." Brutin remarked proudly but Philodus simply shook his head in distaste.
"Slavers. You lie, cheat and steal your way to profits you cannot hope to spend."
"This entire endeavor is profitable to me. I will have tested a prospective employee, distracted the duelist I bet against and send a clear message to the people of RhyDin that something is definitely amiss." Brutin stated clearly and Philodus blinked in surprised.
"You have it well thought out."
"Of course, and for this entertainment I have paid nothing."