~ Sickness ~
Bruuk Barleybeard mopped up the last of the blood off the floor of the No-Name Bar just as Reprisals walked in with his young protégé Tiergan MacCoinnick. He acknowledged the nod from the thief and picking up the bucket, headed for the door to the back of the counter.
"A bit o'trouble there, Barleybeard?" Reprisals said as he took a seat. "Not like you to be a'cleanin' jes because, yanno."
"Nah. Just a warning to somebody a little slow on their payments," Bruuk said. "What'll you have, Rep?"
"A cherry grog, if you please," he said. Reprisals turned to the blond human female beside him. "Do you be wantin' somethin', me dear?"
Both dwarfs watched with appreciation as the slow smile on her face seemed to flow on until her entire body was a warm expression of affection. "No, thank you," she drawled. "I have a few things I need to put in the mail. I'll be right back to take you up on that, Rep."
Bruuk was of the opinion human females were too stretched out and thin but watching her walk out of the bar was a treat all the same. He shook his head, smiling to himself and went to the back for the grog. It was more than likely that angelic face hid a heart blacker than his own.
Reprisals was still watching the door where the girl had gone, thoughtfully stroking his beard. Bruuk thumped a tankard down on the bar to get his attention. "Been up to much lately?" he said as he poured the grog.
"We were up in the Badlands and decided to look in on the Shadowforge in Angor Fortress." Reprisals took a gulp of the drink. "Tiergan needed to work on a few skills and I was in the mood for a little recreational mischief. It was all giggles and glee until we got to the main room. Pass it along that there's some big flamin' elemental makin' his home there."
"Will do," Bruuk said. "How's the girl coming along?"
"She'll be a credit to the guild one day," he said. "She's quick on the uptake as well as the toes. I've never had such fun teachin' the skills. A time o'two we had to make a run for it, laughin' the whole way . . ." As Rep got lost in his memories, his face creased with a wide smile.
Bruuk took a hard look at his friend. Well, he was as much of a friend as a rogue's life allowed. Rep was getting up there in years; his beard was luxurious with age though the hair on his head had receded to a long pony-tail at the back of his skull. Any dwarven female would see him as quite attractive, but a human? The man had to be more than a little daft.
He refilled Reprisals' tankard. "On the house, mate," he said. "Good for what ails you."