Disclaimer: Don't own any of TP's stuff!
Two figures rode up to the city gates as the sun was setting. They had the slightly tired and disheveled look of travelers that had traveled great distances in a short period of time. They nodded wearily to the two guards at the gate as they entered Corus.
The two men were silent as they made their way down the broad street. Some commoners glanced curiously at the two, but quickly went back to whatever they had been doing. After all, much more exciting and stranger people visited Corus all the time.
Suddenly, one of the men stopped his horse. "We'll rest here tonight," he said to his companion as he gestured to an inn.
Luke, who had been lost in thought, looked at where they were. Rhazier had led them to a slightly run down part of the city. The inn he had pointed out was a three-story building with a large stable and courtyard. "The Dancing Dove," Luke read off the wooden sign above the doorway.
"Come on," Rhazier called to Luke as he led him towards the stables. After the two men had taken care of their horses, they went inside the inn. They walked into a brightly-lit room filled with all sorts of cheerful and rambunctious people (probably drunk). Rhazier nodded at a few of the patrons as he sat down at an empty table by the stairs. Luke followed him as he took in his surroundings.
"Can I get ye lads sumth'n to drink," a woman with reddish-blonde hair asked.
"Two ales miss," Rhazier replied, "and a couple of rooms for the night."
The woman nodded, and Luke noted with interest the almost unnoticeable silent communication between her and Rhazier.
As the woman walked away Luke asked quietly, "Who is she?"
"Don't miss a thing do you?" Rhazier replied just as quietly. "That was Loni Donner, the owner of this inn."
"Does the owner usually serve her guests?"
"Let's just say, we're old friends."
Luke raised an eyebrow at Rhazier. "GOOD old friends," he inquired innocently.
"Yes, good old FRIENDS," Rhazier replied scathingly.
Luke fell silent as Loni returned with their drinks. She also brought them the keys to two rooms on the third floor. Luke silently sipped his ale as Rhazier chatted with men who stopped by their table. He frowned. There was definitely more to Rhazier than he thought.
"Why is that table over there empty," he asked Rhazier as the last man left.
A look of resentment crossed Rhazier's face. "It's reserved for someone," he said flatly.
For once, Luke didn't question him further. The look on Rhazier's face told him he should wait to question him more about the empty table.
"We should probably turn in," Rhazier said at last, getting up from the table.
Luke nodded in agreement and followed Rhazier up the stairs to their adjoining rooms. As Rhazier opened the door and went in to his room Luke followed him and closed the door behind him. "You've got some explaining to do," he told Rhazier sternly.
"I am not obligated to explain anything to you," he replied haughtily.
Luke clenched his fists. Rhazier could be such a pain in the ass sometimes. "You are not obligated," he said slowly, "but you should at least answer some of my questions."
Rhazier just looked at him. Suddenly, he gave a curt nod, "alright then, but I will not answer if I don't want to."
Luke knew this was as good as it was going to get. "Fair enough," he sighed. "First of all, how do those men know you."
"I work with them."
"And I suppose you work with Miss Loni as well?"
"Yes."
"And I don't suppose you would tell me what that work might be?"
"Not a chance."
Luke debated on asking his next question. In asking it, Rhazier would immediately be suspicious of him, not to mention want to know all about his past. Well, he needed answers, and this was the only way. "Why was your King of Thieves absent from his throne tonight?"
Rhazier jumped up in shock. "Just who the hell are you!" he demanded angrily.
"Calm down," Luke told him quietly.
"I want to know how you know about the Rogue," Rhazier asked more calmly, though his eyes were narrowed.
"It seems we both want answers doesn't it?" Luke said mildly. "I bet you feel a lot more 'obligated' know don't you?"
Rhazier scowled. "I can't tell you everything," he said. "Not only would it be dangerous for you, but I can't say I trust you very much."
"Likewise," Luke replied coolly, "however, I will let you know the basics if you will do the same."
"Agreed," Rhazier said somewhat reluctantly.
"First, back to my question that started our little bargain, why was your King of Thieves absent from his throne tonight?"
"Technically, there is no current Rogue on the throne at the moment," Rhazier stated grimly. "The 'regent' is out of town on business to Port Cayne."
"Regent?" Luke inquired, interested, "how did that happen?"
Rhazier sighed. "About ten years ago, the former Rogue, Marek Swiftknife, disappeared without a trace. Usually, there would have been many claims to the throne that would have been solved by combat. However, at the time, the Rogue was having some trouble with a Scanran by the name of Igor Furtashak.
When Marek disappeared, Igor took the throne. He was an agent sent by members of the Carthaki, Scanran, and Copper Islander Rogues. He claimed it for the Alliance of Three. The Alliance has had almost total control of the Tortallan Rogue ever since with Igor as the regent."
"Almost total control?" Luke asked.
"There has been a secret rebellion group for the past eight years," Rhazier explained. "I am a member of this group, along with Loni and the other men you saw tonight."
"I assume those weapons you brought are to be well-used?"
"Oh yes," Rhazier replied with a twisted grin, "very well." He looked at Luke. "Now you will answer my questions."
"Shoot," Luke replied.
"Where are you from?"
"Tyra."
"Where in Tyra?"
Luke grinned. "Like I said, Tyra."
Rhazier frowned slightly, "I forgot the capital was named the same as the country."
"What was your occupation?"
"Thief, sometimes a bodyguard, depended on how money was."
"Where did you learn to fight?"
"Traveling warrior."
Rhazier scowled. "Traveling warrior?"
Luke's face was expressionless, "We agreed to basics did we not?"
"Why'd you come to Corus?"
"To start over."
"Oh come on," Rhazier said exasperated, "I wasn't that basic."
Luke shrugged, "Let's just say there was nothing left for me in Tyra."
Rhazier sat down on the bed, looking deep in thought. "I bet you didn't think about how you'd live once you got to Corus did you?"
"Didn't really cross my mind," Luke said, grinning.
"Well," Rhazier said slowly, "I can't turn you out in the street, you know too much."
"Are you offering me a place with you rebels?" Luke asked.
Rhazier smiled slightly, "I suppose I am."
**** Well? Good, bad, ok, please tell me!
Two figures rode up to the city gates as the sun was setting. They had the slightly tired and disheveled look of travelers that had traveled great distances in a short period of time. They nodded wearily to the two guards at the gate as they entered Corus.
The two men were silent as they made their way down the broad street. Some commoners glanced curiously at the two, but quickly went back to whatever they had been doing. After all, much more exciting and stranger people visited Corus all the time.
Suddenly, one of the men stopped his horse. "We'll rest here tonight," he said to his companion as he gestured to an inn.
Luke, who had been lost in thought, looked at where they were. Rhazier had led them to a slightly run down part of the city. The inn he had pointed out was a three-story building with a large stable and courtyard. "The Dancing Dove," Luke read off the wooden sign above the doorway.
"Come on," Rhazier called to Luke as he led him towards the stables. After the two men had taken care of their horses, they went inside the inn. They walked into a brightly-lit room filled with all sorts of cheerful and rambunctious people (probably drunk). Rhazier nodded at a few of the patrons as he sat down at an empty table by the stairs. Luke followed him as he took in his surroundings.
"Can I get ye lads sumth'n to drink," a woman with reddish-blonde hair asked.
"Two ales miss," Rhazier replied, "and a couple of rooms for the night."
The woman nodded, and Luke noted with interest the almost unnoticeable silent communication between her and Rhazier.
As the woman walked away Luke asked quietly, "Who is she?"
"Don't miss a thing do you?" Rhazier replied just as quietly. "That was Loni Donner, the owner of this inn."
"Does the owner usually serve her guests?"
"Let's just say, we're old friends."
Luke raised an eyebrow at Rhazier. "GOOD old friends," he inquired innocently.
"Yes, good old FRIENDS," Rhazier replied scathingly.
Luke fell silent as Loni returned with their drinks. She also brought them the keys to two rooms on the third floor. Luke silently sipped his ale as Rhazier chatted with men who stopped by their table. He frowned. There was definitely more to Rhazier than he thought.
"Why is that table over there empty," he asked Rhazier as the last man left.
A look of resentment crossed Rhazier's face. "It's reserved for someone," he said flatly.
For once, Luke didn't question him further. The look on Rhazier's face told him he should wait to question him more about the empty table.
"We should probably turn in," Rhazier said at last, getting up from the table.
Luke nodded in agreement and followed Rhazier up the stairs to their adjoining rooms. As Rhazier opened the door and went in to his room Luke followed him and closed the door behind him. "You've got some explaining to do," he told Rhazier sternly.
"I am not obligated to explain anything to you," he replied haughtily.
Luke clenched his fists. Rhazier could be such a pain in the ass sometimes. "You are not obligated," he said slowly, "but you should at least answer some of my questions."
Rhazier just looked at him. Suddenly, he gave a curt nod, "alright then, but I will not answer if I don't want to."
Luke knew this was as good as it was going to get. "Fair enough," he sighed. "First of all, how do those men know you."
"I work with them."
"And I suppose you work with Miss Loni as well?"
"Yes."
"And I don't suppose you would tell me what that work might be?"
"Not a chance."
Luke debated on asking his next question. In asking it, Rhazier would immediately be suspicious of him, not to mention want to know all about his past. Well, he needed answers, and this was the only way. "Why was your King of Thieves absent from his throne tonight?"
Rhazier jumped up in shock. "Just who the hell are you!" he demanded angrily.
"Calm down," Luke told him quietly.
"I want to know how you know about the Rogue," Rhazier asked more calmly, though his eyes were narrowed.
"It seems we both want answers doesn't it?" Luke said mildly. "I bet you feel a lot more 'obligated' know don't you?"
Rhazier scowled. "I can't tell you everything," he said. "Not only would it be dangerous for you, but I can't say I trust you very much."
"Likewise," Luke replied coolly, "however, I will let you know the basics if you will do the same."
"Agreed," Rhazier said somewhat reluctantly.
"First, back to my question that started our little bargain, why was your King of Thieves absent from his throne tonight?"
"Technically, there is no current Rogue on the throne at the moment," Rhazier stated grimly. "The 'regent' is out of town on business to Port Cayne."
"Regent?" Luke inquired, interested, "how did that happen?"
Rhazier sighed. "About ten years ago, the former Rogue, Marek Swiftknife, disappeared without a trace. Usually, there would have been many claims to the throne that would have been solved by combat. However, at the time, the Rogue was having some trouble with a Scanran by the name of Igor Furtashak.
When Marek disappeared, Igor took the throne. He was an agent sent by members of the Carthaki, Scanran, and Copper Islander Rogues. He claimed it for the Alliance of Three. The Alliance has had almost total control of the Tortallan Rogue ever since with Igor as the regent."
"Almost total control?" Luke asked.
"There has been a secret rebellion group for the past eight years," Rhazier explained. "I am a member of this group, along with Loni and the other men you saw tonight."
"I assume those weapons you brought are to be well-used?"
"Oh yes," Rhazier replied with a twisted grin, "very well." He looked at Luke. "Now you will answer my questions."
"Shoot," Luke replied.
"Where are you from?"
"Tyra."
"Where in Tyra?"
Luke grinned. "Like I said, Tyra."
Rhazier frowned slightly, "I forgot the capital was named the same as the country."
"What was your occupation?"
"Thief, sometimes a bodyguard, depended on how money was."
"Where did you learn to fight?"
"Traveling warrior."
Rhazier scowled. "Traveling warrior?"
Luke's face was expressionless, "We agreed to basics did we not?"
"Why'd you come to Corus?"
"To start over."
"Oh come on," Rhazier said exasperated, "I wasn't that basic."
Luke shrugged, "Let's just say there was nothing left for me in Tyra."
Rhazier sat down on the bed, looking deep in thought. "I bet you didn't think about how you'd live once you got to Corus did you?"
"Didn't really cross my mind," Luke said, grinning.
"Well," Rhazier said slowly, "I can't turn you out in the street, you know too much."
"Are you offering me a place with you rebels?" Luke asked.
Rhazier smiled slightly, "I suppose I am."
**** Well? Good, bad, ok, please tell me!