Ch 6.
The men around him roared with laughter as Drew recounted the tale of his last job.
"....So, as soon as I had been paid, I rode out of there. There was no way that I wanted to be around when the Lord found out that I'd not only taken my share of coin, but had taken my share of his darling daughter's flower!"
Hrap wiped tears from his eyes and clapped Drew on the shoulder. "You always did have a way with the women!" He proclaimed, and then belched. Drew grinned at him and passed him the wine skin. Alcohol had been flowing freely around the fire, and all of the men were pleasantly drunk. Drew had given the impression that he was keeping up with them all, drink for drink, but in reality he had been taking the wine into his mouth and then backwashing it back into the bottle. He had mentally cringed, but then decided that it couldn't make the wine taste any worse than it already did. He also acted as though he was drunk, although he was stone sober.
Drew made a huge show of stretching and yawning. "Well, I guess I'd better get some sleep if we're going to be riding in the morning." He declared. Hrap looked at him blurrily.
"Nah, stay up a little longer. We're not riding very far tomorrow, just to the kingdom past the Ridges. We should get there by midday."
Drew looked at him, his mind working quickly. "Oh, but surely we're going to have to ride quickly to stop anyone from scrying us?"
Hrap belched again. "Nup!" He said proudly. "We got a cloak from Lord Danvar this afternoon. It's got something magic in it, I don't know, but when the girl wears it, she won't be able to be seen by scrying."
Drew pretended to look drunkenly confused. "But I thought that you said we're going to the kingdom just after the Ranges? Isn't that Aspen's kingdom?"
"Yeah, it is." Hrap yawned widely and stretched. Most of the other men had fallen asleep by the fire or had gone back to their bedrolls. "We're to leave the Lady's body at Aspen's, so that Jareth will think that she was killed their, but it's Danvar who is paying us. You should see the cloak!" He announced suddenly, and lurching to his feet, he stumbled over where his own stuff was thrown and pulled a long red velvet cloak from out of some saddlebags. "I don't know what kind of magic is in it, but it sure is pretty. I hope that Danvar will let me keep it after we're finished. I could do with a cloak that makes me invisible to magic." He brought it back over to Drew and threw it at him, then sat and took another drink from the wine bag. Drew let the cloak pool on his lap. Indeed, the cloak was lovely, thick velvet and what felt to be silk lining. There were gold symbols embroidered around the edges, and Drew guessed that these were the source of the magic. Drew folded it and put it to one side, then looked up at Hrap. Hrap was half-asleep, his head falling onto his chest. Drew poked him awake and offered him a hand.
"C'mon, I'll help you to your blankets." Hrap's eyes flickered and he grunted his assent, but as Drew helped him to his feet, he suddenly lurched towards the other fire, where the Lady was.
"I'd better check on her before I sleep, take her to piss."
Drew grabbed his arm. "Don't worry about it. I'll check on her and take her, you go to bed." He turned to go when Hrap grabbed his elbow. A sudden fear shot through him, but as he turned, Hrap was grinning drunkenly at him.
"Y'know what Drew? It was definitely luck that brought you. I'm glad you're here."
Drew patted him on the arm and sent him to his bed, then turned towards the other fire.
The guard was just about asleep, but quickly jerked awake as Drew approached. He relaxed when he saw who it was, and Drew grinned at him.
"I'm here to take her to piss. If you want, go and get some sleep, I'll watch her for a bit."
The guard stood up, yawned and thanked him, then turned to gather up his stuff. Drew walked over to Sarah, who seemed to be sleeping on the ground, and nudged her with his toe.
Instantly, she had kicked out at him and caught him in the groin. He doubled over in pain. The guard, who saw the movement, was at his side in an instant. He slapped Sarah, knocking her back to the ground, as Drew bent over his throbbing nether regions and groaned. The guard looked at him in concern.
"Are you okay?" Drew nodded, but it was some minutes before he could straighten up and talk again. He grinned weakly at the guard.
"I guess I'll be more careful in the future!" The guard nodded and laughed. Drew reached down and roughly hoisted Sarah to her feet, pushing her in the direction of the river. She stumbled, but soon got her feet under her and haughtily walked into the darkness. The guard looked at him questioningly, but Drew waved a hand in the direction of the sleeping areas. "Go, I'll be fine. I'll just be more wary of her feet!" The guard nodded and headed towards his sleeping roll. Drew sighed, and walked to find Sarah.
The men around him roared with laughter as Drew recounted the tale of his last job.
"....So, as soon as I had been paid, I rode out of there. There was no way that I wanted to be around when the Lord found out that I'd not only taken my share of coin, but had taken my share of his darling daughter's flower!"
Hrap wiped tears from his eyes and clapped Drew on the shoulder. "You always did have a way with the women!" He proclaimed, and then belched. Drew grinned at him and passed him the wine skin. Alcohol had been flowing freely around the fire, and all of the men were pleasantly drunk. Drew had given the impression that he was keeping up with them all, drink for drink, but in reality he had been taking the wine into his mouth and then backwashing it back into the bottle. He had mentally cringed, but then decided that it couldn't make the wine taste any worse than it already did. He also acted as though he was drunk, although he was stone sober.
Drew made a huge show of stretching and yawning. "Well, I guess I'd better get some sleep if we're going to be riding in the morning." He declared. Hrap looked at him blurrily.
"Nah, stay up a little longer. We're not riding very far tomorrow, just to the kingdom past the Ridges. We should get there by midday."
Drew looked at him, his mind working quickly. "Oh, but surely we're going to have to ride quickly to stop anyone from scrying us?"
Hrap belched again. "Nup!" He said proudly. "We got a cloak from Lord Danvar this afternoon. It's got something magic in it, I don't know, but when the girl wears it, she won't be able to be seen by scrying."
Drew pretended to look drunkenly confused. "But I thought that you said we're going to the kingdom just after the Ranges? Isn't that Aspen's kingdom?"
"Yeah, it is." Hrap yawned widely and stretched. Most of the other men had fallen asleep by the fire or had gone back to their bedrolls. "We're to leave the Lady's body at Aspen's, so that Jareth will think that she was killed their, but it's Danvar who is paying us. You should see the cloak!" He announced suddenly, and lurching to his feet, he stumbled over where his own stuff was thrown and pulled a long red velvet cloak from out of some saddlebags. "I don't know what kind of magic is in it, but it sure is pretty. I hope that Danvar will let me keep it after we're finished. I could do with a cloak that makes me invisible to magic." He brought it back over to Drew and threw it at him, then sat and took another drink from the wine bag. Drew let the cloak pool on his lap. Indeed, the cloak was lovely, thick velvet and what felt to be silk lining. There were gold symbols embroidered around the edges, and Drew guessed that these were the source of the magic. Drew folded it and put it to one side, then looked up at Hrap. Hrap was half-asleep, his head falling onto his chest. Drew poked him awake and offered him a hand.
"C'mon, I'll help you to your blankets." Hrap's eyes flickered and he grunted his assent, but as Drew helped him to his feet, he suddenly lurched towards the other fire, where the Lady was.
"I'd better check on her before I sleep, take her to piss."
Drew grabbed his arm. "Don't worry about it. I'll check on her and take her, you go to bed." He turned to go when Hrap grabbed his elbow. A sudden fear shot through him, but as he turned, Hrap was grinning drunkenly at him.
"Y'know what Drew? It was definitely luck that brought you. I'm glad you're here."
Drew patted him on the arm and sent him to his bed, then turned towards the other fire.
The guard was just about asleep, but quickly jerked awake as Drew approached. He relaxed when he saw who it was, and Drew grinned at him.
"I'm here to take her to piss. If you want, go and get some sleep, I'll watch her for a bit."
The guard stood up, yawned and thanked him, then turned to gather up his stuff. Drew walked over to Sarah, who seemed to be sleeping on the ground, and nudged her with his toe.
Instantly, she had kicked out at him and caught him in the groin. He doubled over in pain. The guard, who saw the movement, was at his side in an instant. He slapped Sarah, knocking her back to the ground, as Drew bent over his throbbing nether regions and groaned. The guard looked at him in concern.
"Are you okay?" Drew nodded, but it was some minutes before he could straighten up and talk again. He grinned weakly at the guard.
"I guess I'll be more careful in the future!" The guard nodded and laughed. Drew reached down and roughly hoisted Sarah to her feet, pushing her in the direction of the river. She stumbled, but soon got her feet under her and haughtily walked into the darkness. The guard looked at him questioningly, but Drew waved a hand in the direction of the sleeping areas. "Go, I'll be fine. I'll just be more wary of her feet!" The guard nodded and headed towards his sleeping roll. Drew sighed, and walked to find Sarah.