As time passes Malureon continues to remain silent and casually sips his whiskey. He watches the older man from the corner of his eye and can see that he is winning, and it won’t be long now.
Uhtrric’s frustration grows until he cannot bare it any longer. His nostrils flare and he slams the end of his cane hard on the wooden floor, the sound is like a clap of thunder in the near silent room, “Enough! Speak! What do you want of me?!”
“Now now, Uhtrric, let’s not…” he inhales sharply and sneers, “…be too hasty.” The look Malureon pins on Uhtrric is no longer cordial but is filled with wicked cruelty. He sets his glass down on the table, uncrosses his ankles, rises to his feet, and moves to stand directly in front of Uhtric in one swift movement.
Before Uhtrric can react, Malureon’s knife slides out from under his sleeve and is pressed against the older man’s abdomen, “You know why I am here, don’t you.” Malureon hisses into his ear.
Uhtrric swallows audibly and nods his head, “Aye.” All of the vibrato he felt moments before has all but vanished. He realizes that this man is not to be trifled with and he must tread carefully and avoid angering him any further, or risk losing his life.
“Well, then…tell me where I can find her and I let you walk out of here…” he grins maliciously, “…in one piece.”
Uhtrric’s brown eyes meet Malureon’s cold gaze briefly before he looks down and nods. “Aye…I will tell you what you need to know.” His heart lurches and he lets out a breath of relief when Malureon withdraws his knife and takes a step back.
“That is much better…now, sit,” Malureon flicks his knife point in the direction of the chair. “This time, I am not asking…I insist,” his tone is vicious and dripping with venom, leaving no room for protestations. He takes a large swig of the whiskey in his glass and smiles as Uhtrric takes an unsteady step toward the chair and sits down heavily. He takes the second glass of whiskey and places it into Uhtrric’s trembling hands, “That’s better now, isn’t it.”
Uhtrric swallows and nods, he takes a quick sip of the whiskey hoping that the alcohol will steady is nerves. He rests the glass in his lap and holds it in one hand. He cannot force himself to look into the menacing face of this dark man, instead he turns his gaze to study the fire burning in the hearth.
Malureon returns to his chair and resumes his casual position. He turns his head to look at Uhtrric and lifts a dark eyebrow at him when the older man does not immediately begin speaking, “Well? Go on.”
*Stay Tuned for Part 4*
