Haakon

Early Dark Age - Stavangar, Old Norway

Five minutes.

Five minutes was how long it took him to realize that just maybe, coming outside in the middle of the storm wasn't exactly the best idea. You live and you learn.

Haakon wasn't about to give up though, despite the warnings of his Ghost. Sitting by the fire doesn't sound so bad right about now…

He couldn't even see a few feet in front of him. I can barely hear my pot and pan clanking together…

Am I a masochist? Or simply stubborn like a mule? He huffed, clutching his arms tightly to his chest as the harsh winds blasted against him constantly. Hard to know when you wake up not remembering who you are.

"At least you enjoy inner dialogue. That's something."

And I told you not to read my mind, too. Remember?

"I know, I know, but I just wanted to tell you that I found another location just a skip and a hop away." Ghost explained in his thoughts. "Just keep going forward, in about 6 steps, I want you to take a hard left, and slowly turn right from there. Understand?"

Not bad as far as directions go. He snorted, making the next few steps and stopping in his tracks. Left, you said?

"Yep."

He turned, feeling the snow melt on his face. It was still warm despite the fact that he could barely feel his face at all.

"You just turned on Strandkaien street. Make five more big steps then take a hard right."

He carefully took a few steps forward, hesitant not to run into another car. Where from here?

"Go on straight for about 26 meters, then stop. Also watch out for-"

Haakon felt an intense, concentrated pressure on his side, knocking him off balance and falling over. The chill that had seeped into his bones grew far more intense now as the cloak and his clothes were now sopping wet.

"The waves…"

Veritably shaking, he slowly got back onto his feet, folding his arms together. A warning would've been nice.

"I tried-"

Doesn't matter, I need a fire now. Where is this place?

"Up ahead, you're almost there."

It took him a few seconds to finally come upon his destination. By then he felt like he was an icicle, his shoddy clothes began solidifying in the scorching cold.

"This is it. Door is just a few feet away from you."

He found two massive wooden doors. With as much strength as he could muster, he tried pushing them open, but to no avail.

Again, he strained, pushing into the door with his shoulder. Nothing.

Are there any windows?

"Uh… yeah. There's one a few feet to your right."

Haakon traveled along the wall, and found what he was looking for. Luckily, the glass pane was already cracked. He felt his arm shake violently as he reached for his axe, and even more so when he smashed the weapon against the broken glass.

He barely heard the sound over the storm behind him, but it didn't take him long to clear most of it away. He tossed the axe inside, and strained as he hauled himself up and through the window.

Partway through, his arm gave out, and Haakon crashed onto the cold stone floor inside. The storm could still be heard, but he could finally hear himself breathing sharply again and again.

As Haakon reached for his axe, he flinched back in shock as he saw the wicked red line reaching down his forearm. "Agh!" he cried in disgust at the ugly sight.

Then, his vision lit up, only blinding him for a few seconds, but for what seemed like minutes. After the glow died, he looked at his hand, and the red line was gone.

In fact, he didn't feel so cold after all, despite his still sopping wet clothes. The smell of campfire and charcoal briefly filled his nose. "What…" He directed his gaze up, towards the only source of light in the room, his Ghost's eye. "What just happened?"

"I channeled the Light to heal your injury, as well as your hypothermia, too."

"But… how?"

Ghost seemed a bit sheepish. "Same way I brought you back. Give it the old scan, and tada! No more blood."

What if I lost an arm? He wondered, his mind flooding with all sorts of injuries and visuals. What if my lungs were punctured? If I lost an eye?

"Heh…" Ghost chuckled nervously. "It's probably best not to think about it…"

"Yeah… he trailed off, standing up as his thoughts carried on. What if I fell off a building? Would she piece me back together bit by bit?

"Haakon!" she yelled, snapping him back to reality. "Sorry, it's just... you said you needed a fire."

His eyes widened in realization. "Yes, of course." his clothes were still drenched from the wave that knocked him over. "Where are we by the way?"

Haakon took a wide glance of his new surroundings. There were several shelves and old display cases covered in dust. Small toys and baubles were strewn about all over the floor.

"Gift shop." Ghost answered for him. "This place was a museum, opened just after Humanity discovered the Traveler."

He raised an eyebrow, glancing at her with mild confusion.

"Right… didn't tell you about that yet…" She trailed off. "The Traveler is an interdimensional space entity which did a lot of stuff for Humanity." she explained briefly. "I'll tell you more about it once we find a fireplace."

"Hopefully not another history lesson." Haakon remarked, walking towards the door. "Give me the short version now. I might have questions later."

Her eye lit up the room, now she was a sort of floating flashlight. "Fine." she sighed. "In 2014, Humanity traveled to Mars, found the Traveler, and improved the quality of living, technology, and everything else drastically by a few thousand years in the span of a few hundred."

"See, was that so hard?" he asked innocently, opening the door. Ghost followed his gaze as he glanced down the hallway. Luckily, the light from the snow had been enough to dimly light the hall. "What did it do specifically? This Traveler."

"It allowed Humanity to use the Light to make new technology. Global warming was cleaned up instantly. Mars, Venus, Europa, Mercury, and even the Moon all became inhabited, and the Human lifespan extended to three hundred years or so."

He raised an eyebrow at that. "For what?"

"Well…" she began, catching herself. "Nothing… actually."

"Seriously? No catch at all?" Haakon grinned satirically. "This Traveler popped out of the sky and gave Humanity the kitchen sink and the house, and nobody wondered what it wanted in return?"

Ghost seemed more than a bit uncomfortable now. "When you say it like that…"

"Doesn't sound good." Haakon finished for her, almost tripping on something. He looked down and chuckled at what it was.

A sign made of canvas, sitting in the rubble. He lifted it out and dusted it off. The sign was mostly a faded red with some white lettering. "Viking Den?" he read out, frowning when he spotted some much longer words. "What do these words after it mean?"

She floated over to him, dimming her flashlight. "Oh, that's Norwegian, or Norsk. It just says that the attraction offers an exclusive storytelling experience on the Viking Age."

"What?" He looked at her. "Viking Age?"

"Oh boy…" she sighed heavily. "That's another history lesson." she glanced around. "Here, there's a fireplace in that room, I think."

Haakon held onto the sign, still staring at the first word which puzzled him.

Verdensklasse

"Ver-" he began. "Verdensclass."

"Verdensklasse." Ghost corrected. "Do you want the fire or not?"

"I'll get to it in a bit." Haakon answered, turning around, facing another door. "What's in this room?"

"Uh…" Ghost paused. "Culture I believe. Why do you ask?"

He grasped the rusty doorknob, turned, and pulled it. He took a step back when the hinges popped right off the wall screech. Carefully, he placed the door next to the doorway. "Let's check it out."

"Your clothes are still wet, though…"

She was right, but the cold didn't bother him right now. His curiosity burned more than ever. He wrapped his drenched cloak around his arms and walked in.

The room was a bit bigger than the gift shop, but it was a bit more tidy. It actually seemed more like a house than anything. There was a long table with the cutlery and plates scattered or broken, and old, half moth eaten clothes were strewn about.

The wood was carved ornately, but was clearly rotten and infested with termites. Meanwhile the long stone fireplace in the room was half broken in.

"Or there'll be one in here, too, I guess." Ghost commented, turning off her flashlight.

He walked over to the fireplace. Still in decent condition. He held up the canvas sign. "Can you find more of these? Make sure they are in good enough shape to handle the weather."

"What for?"

"I've got an idea." Haakon answered. Turning back around as soon as Ghost disappeared. He dumped his pack by the fireplace, and got to work on a fire.

Soon enough, he had a small flame going on the hearth, the room felt that much warmer because of it.

Near the centre of the wall hung two large wooden objects, one on top of the other. The first was three interlocked triangles held up by two chains that looked like they were about to snap. The other was an upside down T, looking like a hammer.

Haakon stood up to investigate. Next to the carved items were faded signs. Fortunately they were in English, and still mostly readable.

The Mjolnir symbol is representative of Thor, God of Thunder, and Strength. He was mostly worshipped by the middle and lower classes among Viking society. Another of his symbols was the mighty oak tree, which was a sturdy wood used for longhouses. Much of our modern entertainment features fictional appearances of Thor, most notably by the magnificent Chris Hemsworth. Thor was also the most recognized God of the Norse Pantheon during the Christianization of Scandinavia in the 800s. Additionally, Thursday was named after Thor, or Thor's Day."

"Mmmm." His eyes moved up to the sign for the triangles.

"The three interlocking triangles are also called the Valknut. It is known only as the symbol of Odin, The Allfather. Odin's worship base was much less than his son, Thor's, as it mostly consisted of the nobility and aristocracy of the Vikings, such as Jarls, Chieftains, and Kings. The Allfather was known to be duplicitous and fickle with his favor, which is most likely why the middle and lower classes did not worship him primarily, despite Odin being King of the Norse Pantheon. Occasionally, Odin was also known to travel the Nine Realms, dressed in a cloak and hat, using many different names as he traveled. He also has his own day of the week, Wednesday after Wodan's Day, considering Wodan is another of Odin's names."

"Hmmm…" he hummed, getting another glance of the room. He snatched an old fur rug from a shelf and wrapped it around his shoulers, sitting back down by the fire.

A few moments later, the room lit up again, revealing Ghost. "I found some more of those banners." she said. Within seconds the canvas signs appeared next to him in a bundle.

"How'd you do that?" he frowned, poking the bundle with his foot.

"It's…" she sighed. "It's sort of like a portable storage compartment. I break down the items into data and store them away in my memory."

He raised an eyebrow. "What else can you do that with?"

Ghost looked at the axe laying on top of his pack. "That for instance."

"And it'll appear whenever I want it to?"

She nodded. "Yep. Just think about it in your hand and it will appear."

"Nice to know." He made a mental note in his head.

Haakon laid back, resting his head against his pack, making sure his neck was comfortable against the dented pan inside.

Just to test, he held out his hand, and imagined the axe in his palm.

Instantly, he felt something weigh down his hand, and when he looked, he saw the old axe in his grip. Nice...

Putting it down next to him, he looked back at Ghost. "Do you have a name?"

"Well yeah…" she paused. "It's Ghost."

Haakon shook his head. "No. I mean a real name."

"Ghost is a real name." She halted back, sounding offended.

"No it's not." He said again dryly. "I'm not calling you Ghost for the rest of my immortal life."

"Why not?"

He gave her a look like it was obvious, though he didn't have an actual reason himself. Not about to admit that. "Have you actually thought about a name other than Ghost?"

"Not exactly, but-"

"So it's decided." Haakon cut her off. "I'm giving you a name."

Ghost huffed indignantly. "Fine. Just don't make it something horrible."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Lightbulb." He quipped, grinning.

"Not funny."

A series of names flowed into his head then. "Susan?"

"Hmmm, maybe."

Another one. "Jen?"

"Ugh, no."

Val, Ingrid, Ana, Julia… None of them seemed to fit with her, though. Finally, his brain lit up, and he sat up suddenly, snapping his fingers. "Lyarra."

She stopped herself, thinking it over for a few moments. "Lyarra?" she asked.

He nodded with a smile. "That's the one."

"I like it." She replied. Her tone was surprisingly chipper. "My name is Lyarra!"

"I'm glad you like it." He was. He felt his eyes grow heavy, his damp clothes getting a little bit warmer, and finally comfortable. He didn't even know the time outside, but it must've been sometime in the late afternoon. "I think I'll call it a night."

"Ok." Lyarra said softly, her glowing blue eye gazing down at him as his eyes closed. "See you in the morning, Haakon."

He only heard the crackling of the fire as the darkness overwhelmed his vision, taking him to sleep.

"So let me get this straight…" Lyarra began, floating beside him. "Yesterday, you walked out into the blizzard, drastically underprepared, and got soaked by a waterslide, almost got hypothermia, and now you're back outside, ready to take on the great outdoors once more."

"And?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing." She glanced away at the enormous piles of snow in the street beyond them. "I think you're just peachy."

"You're free to go back, if you like." Haakon waved away, climbing up onto a rusted car.

The sun was barely up. Since he'd slept so early, he'd gotten up early as a result. He charted a course to an island north of the city called Sor Hidle. His Ghost was not impressed.

He was hearing it all morning.

As it dawned, Haakon waded through the snow that went up to his waist.

"That museum was a great place to stay during the winter." Lyarra remarked. "Why are we out here?"

"I don't want to stay there, I want to go somewhere else, and if I remember correctly, you go where I go." He explained.

"How long will it take you to get to Sor Hidle, smart guy?"

He grinned back at her despite his red, shaking hands. "Maybe a day, I reckon. Definitely before nightfall."

"On foot?" Lyarra asked incredulously. "Are you serious? Not to mention you have all this…" she glanced out at the winter wonderland in front of them. "Good luck…"

"Thank you!" He nodded in kind, climbing up over a broken down car. "Your support is greatly appreciated."

She'd been particularly cranky this morning. Not that he knew why, of course. It's not like I can read her mind…

"...Odds are that you'll pass out from dehydration once you reach Solyst Island, or you'll contract hypothermia right before you get to Engoy."

Haakon waved his hand, unconcerned. "Nothing that you can't fix." He remembered. "A cold sounds like child's play if you can resurrect a corpse."

"It's barely December. What are the chances that another blizzard will come by soon?"

He stopped, frowning at her. "Has anyone ever told you that you're a real downer?" He asked. "Besides, I honestly don't see what the problem is."

"You're sorely underprepared!" She yelled, her voice filling the streets. "You have no water, only a few scraps of food left, and barely any protection against something like that blizzard. Of course that's a problem!"

"What do you propose then?" He asked out of plain curiosity, not that I'll actually do it though.

"Easy." She replied. "We go back to the Viking House, forage for food, water, and supplies. Then we'll wait for the- hey! Where are you going?!"

Haakon had already continued walking away, shaking his head. "I'm not about to sit on my ass all winter. That's a remarkable waste of time."

"You're Immortal! Time doesn't mean anything to you!"

He laughed. "Neither does death, apparently."

She floated in front of him, stopping him in his tracks. "What the hell happened to Mr. Analytical Science Man, hmmm? Where'd he get off?"

Haakon smiled. "He's only got so much patience, Lyarra."

Lyarra floated out of the way then. "Fine. Have fun tripping in the snow." She huffed. "See if I care." Promptly disappearing, leaving Haakon all alone.

He continued on walking, nodding to himself. Time for some peace and quiet.

He couldn't really tell the time, but it felt as if it had been an hour or so.

The road leading to Solyst Island had been mostly cleared except for the mounds of snow blocking the way. Haakon was willing to bet that all the vehicles were buried beneath.

His distance hadn't stopped a chill from seeping up his legs, though.

The small harbour on Solyst Island left much to be desired. Though he knew it was highly unlikely he'd find a working boat, that didn't stop him from hoping. He glanced up the road as he barely felt his toes. Maybe Lyarra had a bit of a point…

"Not about to go back, though." He muttered to himself.

The roads on Solyst were actually somewhat clear, with ice being Haakon's only obstacle in small patches here and there. The concrete was cracked, riddled with holes, and marked with age.

A quick fire should do. He figured, glancing around for any structures. "Lyarra!" he yelled.

No answer.

She must still be angry. He gritted his teeth. I'll have to have a chat with her about that later.

"Ahoy!"

Quickly, his eyes darted up the road ahead of him. A tall man dressed in a mix of animal furs and an industrial jacket stood upon the top of the hill, waving down at him. "You can put that away, son! I don't mean harm!"

Haakon frowned, then realizing that he had already taken out his axe, holding it menacingly in front of him. He lowered the weapon, but he didn't put it away. He approached the man hesitantly. "Who are you?"

"Name's Svidir!" the tall man answered, wiggling his eyebrows. "I'd shake your hand, but I'd like to have some running space." He looked pointedly at the axe. "What's your name, son?"

I suppose he would've attacked me if he was hostile… A bit reluctant, Haakon sheathed the axe on his belt, keeping his hand near the handle. "Haakon," he answered. "My name is Haakon."

Svidir's grin widened. "Excellent name, son." he remarked. "Just when I thought she'd be the last person I'd see in a while, I stumble across you! Not many of us out here as you can see."

"Can't say I haven't noticed." Haakon nodded in agreement. "You're the first person I've met so far." Who is 'she', though? He began approaching the older man. "You mentioned someone else, though."

Svidir strode over to him. "Ah yes, darling Elenya." He remarked, chuckling to himself, stopping in front of Haakon. "She's just up in the park," his thumb jammed behind him to a thick line of trees. "Be careful, son. She's one of those… err… Risen, I think, is what they're called."

Haakon feigned confusion. "Risen?" He asked, pretending not to know what the other man was talking about. It's probably safer to not reveal that I'm one of them. "What do you mean?"

"You haven't heard?" The older man glanced wearily back at the forest, inching a bit closer to him. "They used to be dead. Human's like us, but now they're back. They've got these… abilities, too. Heightened senses, super strength…"

"Whoa…" Haakon frowned, glancing at the forest. "You said you know her though… Is she friendly?"

Svidir nodded, stepping back. "Of course. She helped me get here all the way from Ardal." He chuckled softly. "Supposedly there's more like her popping up. Not to mention I needed a hand with the wildlife, but don't tell her that!"

Haakon nodded, looking back at Svidir. "And where did you come from? Isn't Ardal far out?"

"I was actually based in Utsira." Svidir answered, running his hand inside his coat, taking out a small, somewhat familiar badge. "There's an old bunker there belonging to old Clovis Bray." He inched closer again. "That's supposed to be top secret, so don't let anybody know, hmm?"

"Of course…" Haakon blinked, glancing over the badge. It had the same information on it as his did. "Why would you tell me that, then?"

"Eh…" Svidir waved away. "I let things slip out sometimes. For one thing, the wife never liked that!" He laughed again. "That being said, I don't think it matters. You'd have to get past the old man first of all."

"Old man?"

Svidir nodded. "Rasputin. The Warmind. Old AI from the Golden Age." He answered, sticking the badge back inside his pocket. "Crotchety old bastard kicked me out of the house a few years back, so I've been going around the countryside. It's been fun."

This Rasputin could know who I am… If I was in the upper echelons of Clovis Bray, maybe he'd let me into the bunker… Haakon reasoned in his head. "Utsira is an island, right?"

"Yeah… Why do you ask?"

"How did you get to the mainland?" Haakon asked.

Svidir moved his hand in a sort of downward direction. "Tunnel. Damn thing collapsed, though. So you'd need a boat if you wanted to go there. Fat chance at finding one in this weather." he snorted. "You're not seriously considering going there, are you?"

It is a lead. "Yeah, why?"

"Because…" Svidir began. "Rasputin's got a strong dislike for pretty much anyone, and I used to wipe his fucking diapers. Especially for freeloading sons of bitches like yourself."

Haakon shrugged. "I've got nothing better to do… Might as well make the pilgrimage."

"Hmmm." The older man pursed his lips. "Well, you'll be needing a boat, then. The island is far out north, and with winter almost here, it'll certainly be one hell of a trip. Maybe ol' Elenya will help you out."

"We'll see." Haakon nodded. "Thank you, Svidir. You've been invaluable."

Svidir grinned wickedly. "Not a problem, son! You're certainly one hell of a firecracker with that axe and all." He chuckled, beginning to walk down the road. "Besides, we oughta look out for each other. Not many of us left."

"Take care." Haakon waved.

"Oh! And look for the Lighthouse on Utsira, eh? Tell the old man he's a real cocksucker!" Svidir turned back briefly. "Just for me."

"Sure thing." Haakon nodded. Unlikely, but we'll see. "See you around Svidir."

"See you around, kid." The older man marched away into the mounds of snow on the bridge. Soon enough his figure faded into the background.

Pleasant man. Haakon decided in his head, glancing back to the treeline. Let's see about this Risen.

The park was more like a small orchard by the look of it. Haakon had only come across one bench half inside a frozen pond, which had been secluded in it's own glade. The rest of the area so far had been trees.

Until. What's that smell?

He sniffed the cool air, and he smiled as he recognized the comfortable stench of burning wood on a campfire.

Quickly, the pungent scent wafted into his nose, and he followed it until he found a small clearing. Snow had been cleared out in the centre, where the ring of stones was. No one was there, though. Maybe she went out for a stroll?

He began walking toward the campfire.

KOOM!

He stopped dead in his tracks, glancing down. There was a fresh bullet hole in the snow right between his feet. His eyes darted around the trees, searching for who pulled the trigger.

"I've been waiting, you know." He heard a woman's voice from the line of trees encircling him. "You've been stomping around the forest for a good twenty minutes."

"It's been a long day." He replied warily, standing still. "You must be Elenya, I assume."

"Yes, actually." She confirmed, a bit surprised.. "How did you know?"

Haakon slowly lowered his hand towards his axe. "A man named Svidir stopped me on the way here. He told me you were here and that you could help me with something."

"Hmmm." She hummed, the forest echoed after her. "Help you with what, exactly?"

"I worked for Clovis Bray during the Golden Age." He answered, opting not to waste time. "I need to get to the bunker on Utsira. Svidir said you could help me."

"Of course he did." She chuckled, her hollow laughter ringing out through the trees. "I don't suppose he told you that I'm one of those dastardly Risen, hmmm?"

"He did mention something like that…" Haakon admitted. "He also called you a darling."

He heard a quiet thump just ahead of him. Then, she walked out of the trees, holding a massive pistol pointed straight at his broad chest. He couldn't even see her face since it was covered by a mask.

"How nice of him…" She said, "He was a real pain in ass. Entertaining, but a real thorn in the side." She lowered her weapon, holstering it on her leg. "What do I get out of this supposed arrangement?"

More connections formed in his mind just to answer that. "I'm sure there's something at the bunker that could be of use to you."

She held up a finger. "First of all, how do I know you actually did work for Clovis Bray?"

He withdrew the card from his coat. "Here."

She snatched it out of his hands with lightning speed. "Bella." She held the card to the side. "Scan this."

A Ghost appeared, slightly smaller than Lyarra, with a much more worn appearance, the outer shell being chipped and missing some paint. Briefly, a small ray of light bounded up and down the rectangular card. "Checks out. He's top brass." The small eye glanced at him strangely. "I mean really high up there."

Elenya handed the card back to him, with a slight turn of her head. "What division did you work in?"

Haakon didn't even flinch. "Weapons & Technology." He lied. "I'm sure your… uh… robot would know."

"Your card doesn't mention your division." The Ghost commented, ignoring his comment. "So I wouldn't know. But from what I know, only Clovis Bray's 'favorites' actually have those kinds of cards."

"Still…" Elenya raised her hands, removing her mask. A mass of black curls curtained a rather pale and unassuming face, she kept the helmet under her arm. "Weapons you say…" her voice was quite soft spoken, but there was a hard edge. Her eyes lit up briefly. "Are there any weapons at this bunker in Utsira?"

She's considering it. All he needed to do was play along. "There's a good chance, but I haven't been there personally. That's the closest outpost I know of." He lied, having no idea whatsoever.

Fortunately, "Makes sense." Elenya's Ghost nodded, making Haakon feel a bit more relieved. "The nearest Clovis Bray facility is in Oslo." she looked at her Risen. "This outpost might be worth checking out, especially since it's on the way."

Haakon somehow knew though that Elenya had already explored the option of aiding him in her mind, if not for the weapons he literally just made up on the spot. "Is that where you came from? Oslo?"

"Heavens no." Haakon shook his head. His mind scrambling to come up with another lie. "Bunker in Stavanger. I ran out of food." He explained quickly, his tone surprisingly on point, convincing even himself.

"Fair enough." Elenya shrugged. She held out her hand, to which he returned the gesture. "My name is Elenya, though the old man told you as much already."

"He was very pleasant." Haakon smiled back.

"Pleasant, sure…" Bella trailed off. "I've got some more scanning to do, I'll leave you two be." With that, the Ghost disappeared.

I can't have you appearing. At least not around them. Understand, Lyarra? They don't know that I'm a Risen. I'd like to keep it that way.

"... Understood…" Lyarra sighed in his head. He gestured to the fire. "Do you have anything to eat? I'm famished."

"Of course." Elenya sat by the fire, Haakon sat across from her. "I've got some bread here, and a few bits of venison leftover from a few days back."

"Excellent." Haakon's mouth watered at the smell of the dried meat, he took the bits eagerly and wolfed them down. So I'm a pathological liar, too, it seems.

"It can't be all that bad…" Lyarra trailed off. "It's kept you alive so far. Corporations like Clovis Bray are teeming political environments, it's understandable that you developed the ability to lie convincingly."

It's a bit fascinating how those rotary functions are still left behind, however… Like, I still have traces of skills and knowledge from my previous life, yet-

"So here's the deal…" Elenya pointed her knife at him. "I get you to Utsira alive, you get me weapons inside, and we part ways underneath the sun. Sound good?"

"Sounds excellent." Haakon nodded, smiling, although his thoughts now pervaded with doubt.

What if there are no weapons inside Utsira?

He saw how easily she slung that cannon on her thigh into its holster. He got a good feeling that he knew what might happen if his end of the bargain was found… wanting.