As Soul walked toward the swamp, he began to
think about what was happening to Sabre and Colin. He
crested a small hill and looked down at a small clapboard
village. "Village" was giving this place too much. It was
the type of place that smugglers and assorted thugs
frequented. He looked at his torn and road weary clothing and
thought "I think I look the part." He pulled the hood of
his dark cloak up to hide his face and walked toward
the cluster of buildings, hoping to recognize one of
his attackers.
Taking a few minutes to look
around, he didn't see anyONE he recognized, but he sure
saw anyTHING he knew. In the small building that
served as a livery, he saw his and Sabre's horses, still
saddled. That meant that at least SOME of his attackers
were here. He entered the bar and was immediately
repulsed. The worst dive in Rivervale was better than this
place. He walked to the bar and ordered an ale, hoping
he wouldn't get dysentery from the conditions.
Signalling the bartender to return, he leaned over and said'
"I'm looking for a woman."
"Most of the guys
who come in here are. You'll have to talk to the
mistress." He pointed to a "lady" sitting in the corner with
a large bodyguard standing beside her. Soul walked
to the table and sat down, repeating his
request.
"We have several ladies here," she
replied.
"I'm not looking for a quick tumble with one of your
worn out whores. I want a fresh young woman and I'm
looking to BUY her." The statement obviously shocked the
woman. "Is there somewhere we can talk
privately?"
"Fresh girls are very expensive. You have the funds?" A
jingle of the purse at his hip convinced her. All three
headed for a back room.
Once the door was closed
and barred, Soul planted a back kick into the
bodyguard's solar plexus. As the guard's breath whuffed out,
Soul aimed a kick at his knee, breaking it with a
satisfying crunch.
The guard collapsed and Soul turned
his attention to the stunned mistress. Drawing his
dagger, he backs her against the wall and places the tip
against her throat. "You are going to tell me where I can
find this 'new aquisition' I heard about." The
blubbering woman tried to lie but a prick from Soul's blade
got her talking. Once he got the desired information,
he left through a window from the office. As he
looked back at the two bodies with the growing pools of
blood he made a mental note to come back with the Red
Lions and destroy this blight on the landscape within
his region.
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