Stand tall for the people of America
Stand tall for the man next door
We are free in the land of America
And we ain't going down like this, c'mon now
The rumors were true, but not quite. With careful observation, Arthur could tell that the locals were hostile, but not openly so. And not all of them. Many of the civilians of Richmond were truly grateful for the soldiers' presence. Others were on the fence, unsure of whether they should support the soldiers or the rebels. Others still just didn't care.
Arthur quartered with the other two lieutenants in a small house occupied by the town's quiet medic. Arthur was unsure of where the man's loyalties lied, but he seemed kindhearted. Matthew was his name, if Arthur recalled correctly. He brewed wonderful tea.
When Arthur went outside around noon, two days after his arrival, the town buzzed. There were quiet whispers and mutters, excited sounds that Arthur couldn't overhear. He went to the town's tavern, a place where tongues loosened by alcohol might give him a lead.
The interior of the tavern was clean, a serving maid sweeping the floor while another carried orders to the many tables in the common room. There were quite a few people there - not uncommon for noon, since the tavern served food as well as drink - but nowhere near the crowds of nightfall. Arthur seated himself in a bar stool beside two men. "One lager, please," he said to the bartender, and then he turned his attention to the locals beside him.
"How can you tell he's coming home today?" the light-haired man asked his dark-haired companion.
"He sends out carrier pigeons, Stevie!" Dark-hair replied. "Every time he's coming back he sends one. C'mon, Steve, it's common sense."
"It's a dark job, what he does," the one named Steve said with a frown.
"Yeah, well, someone has to do it. He doesn't like being Nighteagle any more than you or I would. Which is to say, not at all."
Arthur turned his head ever so slightly, taking a sip of his drink. Jackpot.
"So you're sure he's coming back today, Tony?" Steve continued.
"Uh-huh."
"Where's he gonna be?"
"He said he's going to stay home for a while with his brother. The boy deserves a break."
"He's not a boy anymore."
"Yeah. I guess killing makes you grow up faster."
Arthur left a coin at the table and hastily left the bar, his drink barely touched. He walked swiftly toward the governor's house, where the captain was staying. After knocking in the door, he was admitted and shown to Gilbert's study.
The white-haired man looked up from the desk, where reports were strewn about. "Got something for me, lieutenant?"
"Yes, sir." Arthur quickly explained what he had overheard in the tavern. Gilbert remained expressionless throughout.
"That's some good stuff you've got, Kirkland," Gilbert said at the end. "Very good stuff."
"Thank you, sir."
"See if you can find out who Nighteagle's brother is. Good work, Lieutenant Kirkland."
Arthur headed out from the governor's house with a small sack of coins. His reward for information. More would come if he found out who the assassin's brother was, and more still if he got the Nighteagle's name. And then there was the grand prize: a promotion for the capture of the infamous assassin.
Arthur stationed himself in the tavern, right by a window overlooking the main street. If anyone passed into the town, he would see. His ambition would not be silenced until it had been quenched of its thirst.
Alfred could see Richmond after riding for three days, resting only at night. As he rode into town, he noticed that the rebels' grins seemed tighter. Alfred already knew why.
The tracks he had found on the road continued all the way to Richmond. A group of soldiers - a company; at least three platoons - had passed through the town or was quartered there. That much, Alfred knew. Why they were here was a mystery. One he intended to solve.
He led Beth into the tavern and gave her some oats to munch on while he removed her saddle and wiped her down. "Good job, Beth," he smiled, patting her flank fondly. He wiped the sweat until his horse's coat gleamed. Satisfied, he stuffed the sacks under a pile of hay, where another rebel would pick them up, and headed into the common room of the tavern for a congratulatory drink.
When Alfred walked through the door, he noticed the multitude of new faces, clad in violet uniforms. So the soldiers are still here. He sat down at the bar beside a blond soldier in a red coat and called for "the usual."
"Hello," aforementioned soldier said.
"Hi," Alfred replied. No need to be rude and raise suspicion, even if the uniform offended him.
"You're obviously from here, but I haven't seen you around. Where've you been at?"
Alfred chuckled. "That's the weirdest conversation starter I've ever heard. I was in Boston, taking care of my sick cousin." The lie came easily.
The soldier frowned. "I'm sorry to hear about that. What do they have?"
"Oh, nothing that serious. Just a cold. Better safe than sorry, though." He extended a hand. "The name's Jones. Alfred Jones."
The other man grasped his hand. "Lieutenant Arthur Kirkland."
Alfred took a sip of his drink, the lager coating his throat raw from dust. "So, what brings the Spadean army to Richmond?"
"We're here to watch for any revolts," Arthur replied.
Alfred feigned ignorance. "Revolts? What do you mean?"
Arthur stared at him. "You must've heard. Everybody knows."
Alfred shook his head. "I don't."
Arthur looked from side to side, then leaned in closer. "There's been talk of a rebellion. Rumors saying that America will secede from Spades."
Artificial shock crossed Alfred's face. "Really? No way!"
Arthur nodded, taking a long drought of his own drink. "And there's more."
"More?"
"Mm. Scuttlebutt says that this is the home of the Nighteagle, the infamous assassin."
"Oh, I've heard of him," Alfred whispered. "Cold-hearted killer who steals money, right?"
"And clothes. He steals clothes, too." The soldier leaned in even closer, alcohol on his breath. "I've been ordered to catch him."
Alfred's blood ran cold. Had he been discovered? Was this soldier toying with him? Or was this just cruel fate, serendipity for Arthur? "Aren't you scared that he'll kill you?"
"Oh, please. I'm from a house of minor nobility. He won't target me."
"I've heard he makes no distinction. Kills nobility, no matter how powerful or weak."
Arthur rolled his eyes. "We'll see."
"So where are you staying?" Alfred inquired.
"With the local medic, Matthew...Williams, was it?"
Alfred paled. We're going to be in the same house. He's hunting me and we're going to be in the same house.
Arthur frowned. He must've noticed Alfred's lack of color. "Are you alright, lad?"
Alfred blinked. "Y-yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just...That's my brother."
Arthur nodded in sympathy, then took a double take. "Didn't you say your name was Jones?"
Alfred nodded. "Mattie got married about a year ago. The girl didn't want to change her name - some weird Diamonds custom - so Matt did instead. She was a pretty girl. Great cook. Very kind-hearted and warm. Caught her death in their first winter. The only patient Matthew wasn't able to save." A complete lie. Alfred had changed his own last name so that Matthew - at first glance on a list of names - would seem unrelated, and thus kept out of any trouble the Nighteagle got into. "We don't like to talk about it."
"Your brother has my sympathies. My mother passed in that way."
Guilt tore through Alfred. here he was, lying about a fictional woman's death, when a real woman had left her son alone. Sometimes, he really hated his life.
"It's a tragic way to go, isn't it?" Alfred's face was an impassive, though sympathetic, mask.
Arthur nodded in agreement. "Well, I'm done here. If you've finished as well, we could make our way to Matthew's together."
"Sure." Alfred stood up and flipped a coin casually onto the table. "I'll show you around town on the way."
The cat and mouse left the tavern together. Alfred thought the price of freedom was starting to grow to be too steep.
AN: Wow, guys, thanks for the follows and favorites! Heheh, I really should be writing my Camp NaNoWriMo novel, but I just really like this story!
Leave your thoughts, please! There's going to be a lot going on, and I want to hear what all you lovely people think is going to happen!