What a day! In the Pony, making my usual rounds and was I bored! Met the new cook, never seen her around till today. Overheard some local lout call her "Z", made me chuckle.
Being bored I naturally decided to do my usual thing and strolled through the Pony's back halls, checking locks 'for security', of course. Found a few that were easy to pick, plus, interestingly enough, I found "Z" tailing me. No nice loot to be found, either. So, in the interests of, um....boredom again, I went along with her at her request to have a 'private chat'. Long story shortened, she figured I'd be a good addition to the group she was part of and offered to introduce me to the boss. I went along with it. We rambled down through Bree to the mess hall and strolled in to find four other people already there. Unfortunately, one of them wasn't exactly invited and "Z"s boss took exception to the guy's attitude when he ever so politely requested that he should leave.
Now, you know me, I'm not fond of wet work without a damn good reason, but this Gaston fellow just casually told his people to kill the interloper. "Z" had already locked the door, Gaston and some kid had the guy cornered while "Z' and another fellow with a bow stood back to watch. I kept near the column across from the oven to stay the hell out of the way. The guy with the bow shot twice, one arrow hitting and bouncing from the armor over the guy's stomach, the other ricochetting right off of him. I was pretty annoyed by then and made a dash for the door, planning to unlock it and run.
This worked about as well as could be expected and I ended ducking an arrow myself, pretty sure it was aimed at me, too. Then the moron who'd been getting shot at originally grabbed at my wrists, see? I broke his hold and did what I normally do, kicking him between the legs. I mean, come on! "Z" wastes no time, yanking him aside and holding a knife to his throat. Gaston meanwhile, gets right up in my face and tries the 'tough guy' attitude. Wanted to know what I was doing. I told him in no uncertain terms that I didn't do wet work without the target needing to be removed and I damn sure didn't do it casually. Meanwhile, the apparently brain dead guy they'd been shooting at kept on babbling about assassin's and what not. Even I knew what was coming and sure enough, before too much longer, Gaston gave "Z" the high sign and calm as a Town Watchman clubbing a belligerent drunk, she slid her dagger right through his throat.
Then, with little or no fuss, Gaston's boys, and girl "Z" are out the door and lo and behold, he's over trying to stem the bleeding of the moron, who I'll be damned, was still alive! I jump in too, getting bandaging and slapping some of that salve I get from Bill, the apothecary, to prevent infection and inhibit poisons on the guy's wound. Meanwhile, Gaston and I have a heart to heart about how he runs things and how I do. Way long story short...ha ha!...it's an epic story already, I agree to go meet the rest of his crew and we get the moron bandaged and tucked away in a safe house Gaston has tucked away in an dive near Beggar's Alley....you know the one I mean. Then we duck out and take a trip to Gaston's hide-out. More about that later. I'm getting tired of writing. Just wait till you hear what happened the very first day I get back in Bree, damn, "Z" and I are going to be raising hell together for some time, if one or both of us don't get killed...
