Rat's Nest
Matthias looks to his friends that are staring at him, all of them with various degrees of disbelief. Berwald's just expressed in a deep thoughtful line over his eyebrows, but Tino and Vilje are openly gaping at him. He looks down at his hand, still clutched firmly in the grasp of the Rat King; time seems frozen as everyone waits for something to happen, like a horde of criminals jumping out from various nooks and crannies to tell them it is all a joke and they are about to die for entering their turf.
However, nothing happens, the one guard remains unmoving, no horde of bandits join him and the Rat Kind starts grinning in a way that shows off all his yellowed teeth and shows he is even missing quite a few. "Now let us walk boy," he says cheerily and finally let go of the handshake. Matthias fights down the urge to wipe his hands on the clothing, thoroughly disgusted, but he is sure the Rat king will take it as an insult to his honor and renounce their deal.
"Your friends will be perfectly safe in my home, Bjarke will look after them." The guard in the corner grunts in confirmation, but otherwise does not move. The Rat King puts a hand on Matthias' shoulder and guides him towards the door. His friends sit still by the table, but it looks as if they are fighting hard to resist following them outside. "When we are done with our little talk, we will make arrangements for you to bring us these horses you claim to own. Tomorrow we will make our exchange, I get my horses and you get you guided tour into the heart of the kingdom, sounds good right?"
They step out in the cold night air; the rat king takes an exaggerated large breath and lets it go in a huff of white fog. He spreads out his arms as he closes his eyes as if he is enjoying the moment even though there is little to like, as the air is foul and filled with smoke. "I do love nights like these," he says lightly. "It is not often I get an opportunity like this, usually my nights are quite boring listening to my men's report of the latest stabbings in the different Mud Town districts and the feuds for food."
"Why do you even need me?" Matthias askes angrily, interrupting the 'King's' musings. They already shook hands on the deal; he has no reason to be excessively nice anymore. "You have dozens of people at your disposal and you have your way into the city. What can I possibly do that your men can't?"
"Very little I have to admit," the Rat King says with a smile and leads him further away from the hovel and his friends. "But the way I see it, we can gain a lot from a partnership. We are both smart enough to know that my little nest of rats won't survive the war if you rebels launch an attack on the city. My people are not fighters. I want to see the king go down, but I am not fool enough to try to organize an assassination on my own. I would love to knock him down a few pegs, but my guys are a little too busy making sure our existence down here will continue and I'm not going to do that sort of dirty work myself." He pauses for a few moments and eyes Matthias closely. "If the king finds any of my rats in his home, he will exterminate us all, but if he finds out a rebel is the one behind his problems, he will have no reason to punish my people. You get me?"
"I'm not going to tell the king or his people how I got into the city," Matthias snaps defensively, "and what exactly is it you want me to do? You want me to cause problems for the king?" Matthias asks doubtfully. They came to the city to cause problems and the Rat King seems to know it, asking that as a favor would cost Matthias nothing, and the Rat King does not seem like a man willing to sell his favors for cheap.
"We both want the same thing," the Rat King says smoothly, his voice so full of deception and it makes Matthias' skin crawl. "But don't take me for a fool; I see what you are thinking. You are here to end the king's tyranny, and you will cause quite a few problems in the process, that will happen whether I help you or not. The chaos you cause will benefit me of course, but that is just a natural consequence of your actions, and I would be stupid to ask that as I payment for my fine favors.
Matthias almost sighs, of course that would be too easy. People like the Rat King live of exploiting people and there is no way he will help them without making sure he can get the absolute most out of their dealings. "Of course," he says dryly. "What was I thinking?"
"You're a smart lad," the 'king' continues in the same slimy tone. "I have people all over the city working for me, spying, and looking for ways further into the city past the other walls. The guards have become annoyingly good at figuring out my rats and I lose more than I would like, some new blood in my ranks would be good. I can show you ways around the city, help you get closer to your goal and then you can teach me new ones as you are forced further in than I have needed to go." The Rat King's eyes sparkle cruelly. "So, for now I just suggest an actual partnership, you help me, I help you, but one day, I will have a special assignment for you to complete, and I always get my reward. A rebel in my ranks, the possibilities that can bring me."
Matthias crosses his arms in annoyance. "Why this whole charade with taking a walk outside, when you're not really going to say anything besides making it clear that one day you will ask a favor of me? You could have just said that while we were inside, it is not like any of that needed to be a secret."
The Rat King rubs his hands together gleefully and then twirls the ends of his whisker-like mustache around his finger. "Maybe it was unnecessary, but I like testing the people going to work for me, to see what they are made of you see. I can't have cowards in my team, and you learn many things this way. You, for example are brave, maybe to the point of stupidly, but do not completely lack a brain. Little can stop you from achieving your goals. I can appreciate that. The rest of your group in there are a little more hesitant, but they trust you."
The Rat king licks his lips and leans in uncomfortably close; letting out a hot rancid breath that sends a full body shiver through Matthias. "Right now, they are probably imagining all the ways I can kill you out here without them being able to do anything to stop me. They might wonder if I will kill them next, I love seeing the fear on people's faces, it makes me feel so alive. And they will serve a purpose as well, for you see, if I have you under my thumb, I also have them."
Matthias' hands clutches into fists by his side and his jaw is hurting from how tense he is. It is getting harder by the second to stop himself from just punching the scumbag.
The Rat king laughs manically now and steps a little bit back as if to get out of reach should Matthias lose his temper and lash out. "I know that expression," he laughs. "Remember boy, I am the king of rats, I don't care about your petty little feelings. You can be as angry and disgusted as you want. When the kingdom goes to shit, I am the one that will be waiting beneath the woodworks to take my place among whatever remains, my kingdom will remain."
Then he spins on his heel and begin walking back towards the hovel. "Tomorrow I will show you how this town works, but for tonight, you will pick two of your people that will return to your camp to pick up those horses for tomorrow night. The last one will stay with you in my home for tonight, I guarantee your safety of course, free of charge even. Make you choice quick or I'll make it for you. I assume you want to send the bear of a man back; you can defend yourself; he will defend the other team member you send with him. Now who will you stay with yourself, the girl, or the boy? I can't wait to see."
Matthias feels as if he just signed away his soul to a devil and now that it has him trapped, it is letting him know just how bad a deal he got. He is regretting it with every fiber of his being and just talking to the Rat King leaves him with a feeling of having rolled in slime, mud, or even tar and he desperately wants to take a bath.
They enter the hovel again and all the eyes in the room immediately turn to them. Matthias' group breathes a collective sigh of relief as they see him appear behind the Rat King. Their eyes roam over him, most likely searching for any signs of injury and relaxing some when they see none.
The Rat King pulls Matthias in close in front of himself and places both his hands on Matthias' shoulders, leaning in over one of them to address the group. "We have come to the agreement that your leader here and one person of his will enjoy my hospitality here in Mud town until tomorrow evening," he says slyly and Matthias can see a few of his group members grimacing suspiciously. "The two others, will return to your camp immediately and return here tomorrow with my horses, let's say three hours after sunset. Then I will hold true to my end of the bargain, and we can continue as friends. Now, have you made your choice dear boy?" He whispers the last sentence in Matthias' ear, leaving dampness on his entire neck that sends a shiver down his spine and makes his skin break out in gooseflesh.
Matthias considers the options carefully. He wishes he could have Berwald stay here, together they have the strength to fight off several of the rats should they have to. However, the Rat King is right, that would leave Tino and Vilje at a clear disadvantage, not because they are not as strong physically, but because their fighting styles do not compliment the other. Tino is best fighting from a distance with his bow and not in close combat like these people prefer and works best when someone can keep their enemies at a distance so he can fire off his shots. Vilje is not going to be able to do that for him, she is fierce in a combat but also rash and does not think before she acts, leaving the enemy way too many openings if she has nobody to cover her back properly. He wishes he could get Vilje away from this place just because he has seen no women in the Rat King's circle, but he does not want to separate Tino and Berwald, so the choice in the end is obvious. "Vilje," he whispers with a heavy heart. "I want you to stay here."
There are countless mixed emotions around the table as they process his choice. None of them really wants to leave the others alone in this place and none of them wants to wait another day before they can enter the city and at the same time, Matthias imagines they are all eager to get as far away from this place as possible. Tino looks both disappointed and relieved, Vilje looks mostly nervous, but she quickly switches to determined and nods slowly.
The Rat King laughs quietly in Matthias' ear, "So you chose the girl, interesting." Matthias wants to punch him for making any sorts of assumptions about Vilje and just for being a creep in general, but he breathes through his anger, counting each breath until he feels like he can move without attempting to turn the Rat King into a bloody mess. "Then it is decided," the Rat king announces and claps his hands. "Bjarke, lead our friends to their room, I will show our other guests to the end of town and see them safely on their way." He then walks towards the door, lifting his eyebrows expectantly.
Bjarke, the large guard crosses his arms and grunts in confirmation. The group stands up hesitantly from the table. Berwald grabs Tino gently by the elbow, leading him towards the door but stops close to Matthias on the way and whispers; "Are you sure you will be alright?"
Matthias lets out a nervous breath of laughter, he wants to say 'no', because he is not sure anything will ever be all right again, but that is not helpful and he bites back that particular comment. "He has more interest in us alive at the moment," he whispers back. "We still have something he wants, and he gains nothing by breaking his promise right now. We should be fine, just get back safely."
Berwald nods sharply and then follows the Rat King outside.
Matthias watches them go and feels strangely abandoned considering he is the one that told them to go, but with the group separated, they are vulnerable and there is no way to let the others know should anything go wrong. Vilje steps up next to him, her fingers gently brushing his arm to get his attention. The guard is watching them expectantly and gestures towards a door on the wall opposite the front door.
He opens the door and leads them down a narrow hallway to a small room at the very end of the hallway, as far from the exit as they can get. The room is small and smells of damp earth just as most of Mud town seems to do. There are no windows, but there is a crack in the wall ad it allows them to see the outside. There is a tattered blanket on the floor along with several layers of mud, but nothing else.
"Night," Bjarke grunts and slams the door shut after them so hard the frame rattles and the floor shakes. They can hear his footsteps moving away from the room, but they do not go far, so Matthias assumes he must be standing at the end of the hallway where he can keep an eye on both the room, should they try to make an escape and on the main room if somebody enters the hovel.
Vilje sighs quietly. "Home sweet home, I suppose," she whispers. Matthias can barely make her out in the dark room, left in pitch darkness after the guard left. "They could at least have given us a lantern, some candles maybe, I can hardly see anything." There is a dull thud as she drops her bag on the floor. "Maybe that is just as well, might not want to look at this room all that close after all."
"I'm sorry you have to stay here," Matthias whispers back and drops his own pack. He pulls out all the extra clothing and blankets he has packed and places most of them atop the ratty blanket; otherwise the night is going to be very uncomfortable on the hard floor. He pulls off his boots, cold and soaked with mud, but keeps the rest of his clothes on. The Rat King and his people will not catch him unnecessarily vulnerable in a place like this and puts his axe on the floor within easy reach as he lies down and stares towards the ceiling wondering if he will be able to catch any sleep at all.
Vilje ruffles around in her own pack then adds her own pile of clothing and blankets on the ground. Then she surprises Matthias by snuggling in close to his side, pulling one of her blankets atop them both and letting out a long sigh.
Matthias freezes on the spot, not sure how to react. The Rat King's comment about it being interesting that he chose 'the girl' whirls around his head and he wonders what else he might have done that Vilje could have misinterpreted as interest. He stutters and attempt at an excuse but she in quick to stop him.
"Calm down Matt," she says with a snort and a quiet laughter. "I can practically hear you thinking. Don't worry. I'm just cold and this place gives me the creeps. I am not looking for anything else; I know your heart belongs to someone else."
Matthias remains frozen as she takes the liberty to settle down, resting her head firmly on his shoulder and slings an arm over his chest and wraps the blankets closer around them. "How do you know?" He asks weakly, still not sure how to react.
She snorts again as if he just insulted her intelligence and maybe he did. "The nightmares that we all pretend do not happen," she says carefully. "You keep muttering a name; it is kind of obvious it's someone you really care about. Don't worry it is nothing embarrassing. I've not seen you show that kind of attention to anyone in the main group and the name is unfamiliar. Who is he?"
Matthias almost panics then, he wants to get up and run, every muscle in his body tenses with the need to flee. Nobody was supposed to know anything about Lukas, especially not the way he feels about him. His mind is reeling, Vilje knows, does that mean the others do too? He has no idea what he might have said while trapped in a dream or a nightmare and what the group might have picked up. His breath leaves him in short, panicked gasps.
"You don't have to tell me," Vilje quickly insists trying to calm him down, but it is too late. "Crap, I'm sorry. Try to breathe with me." She sits up slightly and grabs his hand to hold it over her own chest so he can feel the gentle rise and fall as she breathes slowly. Matthias is grateful for the darkness so she cannot see how close he is to tears. She continues talking quietly, but he cannot really catch on to her words but eventually he calms down and the boulder that seemed to be resting on his chest finally seems to lift a little and he can breathe normally again.
"I'm so sorry," she repeats and lies down again, gently stroking his hand. "I should have known it is nothing you want to talk about and respected it. I was just trying to get my mind of everything else and my curiosity got the better of me." She pauses for a few moments, waiting for him to reply, but eventually takes his silence as a cue to continue. "Back with the group, the girls talk, you know. They kind of talk about you, well also some of the other guys, but I can tell, you are very popular and I figured you would end up with one of them. It was judgmental of me, but I just did not expect there to be a man in your life." The statement sure sounds like a question to him, even if she did not phrase it as one.
"I didn't expect it either," Matthias sighs, almost choking on the words, still a bit frazzled after his earlier panic. Vilje is perceptive and shutting her out might make her more determined to learn more. It might even be nice to talk to someone. It is not a lot he can tell her, but the mountain of secrets is getting so heavy to carry alone. "He kind of snuck up on me," Matthias whispers, thinking back to the first time he even saw Lukas and realizes he was captivated from the very first moment. "I saw him one day, talked to him a little later and then I couldn't get him out of my mind," he sighs.
"What's he like?" she asks, still unsure if she is pushing him too far. "He must be quite the guy to have you so enthralled."
"He is gorgeous," smiles to himself as he says the first think that comes to mind. He is about to fall deep into his memories.
Vilje slaps his chest and pulls him out of his daydreaming. "Not just looks, dumbass, Gods, men are so shallow. "Tell me what he is like."
"I haven't actually asked him what he likes to do when not fighting in rebellions." He replies flatly.
He cannot see Vilje grimace in the dark, but he can imagine that is what she does. "Sorry again, I seem to keep putting my foot in my mouth. I thought you might have met him before this entire mess started, but you've talked. You must know something about him. I'd love to hear it."
Matthias sighs deeply. Feelings are so much easier to deal with when he can just show them to the far back of his mind when they become too much to deal with. For a moment, he wishes he picked Tino to stay in Mud Town instead, because he would have been less likely to pry. Eventually the words start flowing, they come out a bit jumbled, but Vilje seems content to lake him take it slow.
"I was drawn in by his looks at first," Matthias mutters. "I'll admit that. In a large crowd of people, I could see only him. I felt as if he could see right through me; know who I am with just a look. I thought he was a dream at first until I finally got to talk to him." He clears his throat awkwardly as he feels the beginning of a blush creeping up his neck. He finds it weird to talk so openly, but Vilje shows no signs of judgement. She only hums encouragingly and wait patiently for him to continue.
"He is fond of his secrets, never wanted to tell me more that he had to, and he acted so cold, as if he didn't really care about anything. I kept pushing him, and I got angry when he didn't want to tell me anything, it was so frustrating. Then his war went on and I saw a side of him that I don't think he wanted me to. I think he cares too much, and it is tearing him apart." The last few words come as a stutter as emotions threaten to overwhelm him again.
"Do you love him?" Vilje asks gently, her voice so soft it is barely audible.
Matthias closes his eyes painfully hard to keep the tears at bay and the heavy weight on his chest is back. "Yes," he sobs, and heaves for a breath. The word seems to echo in the tiny room, taunting him, with the emotions he has struggled to keep at bay for the last few days. "I do," he repeats brokenly, "and Gods it hurts so much."
"Does he know?" she asks even softer, voice a bit thicker now as if she is on the verge of tears herself.
"I think he do," Matthias whispers with a strained voice. "He is just not in a place where he wants to accept that or even hear it." He pauses for a few moments to firmly push aside the memory of Lukas braking down at his almost admission and considers his next words. "I want to win this war for all our people, but more than that, I want to win it for him now. This war is turning him into something I don't think he wants to become, we've all done things we're not proud of, but I am afraid of what it is doing to him, afraid that he might give up. I'm just constantly afraid of losing him."
Vilje tightens her arms around him in a comforting hug, sniffs a little, and wipes away a few tears. "It will all work out alright," she assures him gently. "Tomorrow we'll get into the city, and we'll find a way to win this war, and then you can return to him, then you will work out all out, just you wait and see."
Matthias stares blankly at the ceiling, unwilling to look at Vilje and her observant gaze; he wishes it were that simple.
Vilje must sense his darkening mood and decide to switch the subject to something a little lighter. "You know, when I first joined little group as the only girl, I figured I'd be fighting off you boys left and right to keep my honor, but no." Her voice is lighter and full of mock offence. "Then all of you go and fall in love with men instead, makes a girl feel really bad about herself you." She sniffs as if she has been deeply offended and Matthias cannot hold back a snort of laughter she startles out of him with her new direction of conversation.
She punches him in the chest, but he can barely feel it. "Don't laugh," she says affronted and tosses her hair back and points her nose up towards the ceiling like a highborn woman unhappy with something. "I had it all planned out, I was going to return to my hometown when we win this war and claim I had the heroes of the rebellion all fighting for my attention. Everybody was going to admire me. Men would want to be with me, women want to be me, but then you all go and mess everything up. Instead, now everybody will know me as the woman that made all men switch team! Tino and Berwald, I don't know who they think they are keeping it from, you have your mystery man, for all we know Trym and Gorm are in a secret relationship and just argue to keep us off their trail!"
Matthias cannot stop laughing at her more and more ridiculous raving. There are tears streaming down his face and his stomach is aching, but now it does not feel like his own insides are trying to tear him apart. Vilje is laughing too.
"Lie still," she orders, but the laughter is making her impossible to take seriously. "I was trying to sleep but my pillow keeps moving." She bats weakly at him.
Eventually they settle down, the silence is a bit strange after the sudden echo of laughter, the wind whispers though the cracks in the walls and brings with is a smell of rot and wet soil. Matthias feels lighter than in a long time. "Thank you," he whispers as his eyes grow heavy and sleep feels within reach.
"Anytime" Vilje whispers back and they fall asleep, taking some comfort in each other's presence.