Crimson 1
Noah ground his teeth in annoyance at the sight of Zsien shamelessly pawing the barmaid in his lap. The man grinned smugly at her yelp and grinned even wider when she tittered and pressed herself against him. No doubt he could feel every dip and curve of her body. He murmured something in her ear and she tittered again, louder this time. Noah knew just what words she had reacted to, the same words every other willing woman in Threetown had already heard. The same words Zsien loved to toss at him whenever the man thought it to be proper. Or improper, as it was most times. Noah scowled and pointedly turned his eyes elsewhere.
A dry hand brushed against his shoulder and neck, sending a shiver down his spine and Noah shifted in his seat and shrugged out from under it. His eyebrows drew as he turned his head to see who had come close enough to touch him.
The barkeep gave him a faintly apologetic smile and a twitching shrug of his slim shoulders, the crowded room his explanation to the unintentional touch. But Noah felt unease at the man's nearness despite the apology. He hadn't even noticed him approaching. Although, when the barmaid's tittering once again broke into his thoughts, he blamed his distraction on Zsien.
He nodded once as acceptance of the apology, smiling with a friendliness he didn't feel towards the wiry barkeep, and watched as he weaved his way back to the bar through the throng of bodies.
As Noah turned back to grasp his ale, his eyes fell on a man in the back. His face was all sharp angles and lined by weather, his tall body dressed in sturdy clothing made for prolonged travel and the long twin knives in his belt made for more than just skinning prey.
He was leaning casually against the wall next to a table where men were gathered around a game of dice and cards. Although his head was titled as if he was watching the game and the players, his attention was clearly not in it. His eyes followed the barkeep's path across the room, back to where Noah was sitting and although his gaze only briefly lingered on him, Noah very clearly felt the malice in it.
Noah dared to meet the man's eyes only to feel a shiver run down his spine. He quickly turned away, unwilling to draw any attention to himself that he truly didn't need. To his relief he sensed the man continue his survey of the room and Noah took a not so steady sip of his ale.
The main room of the Silver Goblet was filled to the limit this late in the evening, the supper hour had come and gone and the lone bard on top of a wobbling table in the middle of the room did his best to get the patrons' attention. He succeeded, in a manner of speaking, when a drunken shipmate tossed his tin cup in the bard's direction and almost succeeded in hitting him. That produced a sour note in more ways than one; bony fingers twang the cords of the worn, well oiled lyre in the bard's lap.
Noah grimaced and relaxed his shoulders slightly as the offended man grumbling climbed off the table and slid away into a corner to tend to his bruised ego.
"Not to your satisfaction, I take it."
Noah fought not to look at Zsien and the widely smiling barmaid in his lap. "Not particularly," he answered, not too fond of engaging in yet another pointless conversation with Zsien. It only always ended with him laughing smugly at his own cleverness and Noah stalking off somewhere to find peace and quiet. And more often than not, to calm his wildly pounding heart.
"I should take you somewhere more appropriate and according to your fancies next time, then. Would you like that, Noah?"
His eyes shot to Zsien, wondering what he had in mind this time and whether or not he'd see it coming in time to avoid it. "Why should you concern yourself with what I fancy?"
"Why should I not?" Zsien replied, his eyes narrowing slightly and wavering between green and dark gold with whatever mischief he was concocting now. Noah studied him surreptitiously to try and discern what he was up to.
He was wearing that forest green coat with the long sleeves that ended in wide, triangular cuts over his hands, the hem around neck and wrists adorned with silver embroidery to match his hair, the only gold on him was the solid bracelet around his right wrist, the two rings in his left ear and the tanned color of his skin.
A wide leather belt around his waist held the rapier next to his left hip and the long dagger rested against his right, both of which Zsien had proved more that able to handle. Noah had been quite surprised to see him so swift and agile in such an aggressive situation, so different from his usual leisurely movements and actions.
The coat was long enough to reach his knees when he stood, but sitting down, he had opened it to accommodate his spread legs, showing the black pants he had ordered the tailor to make after having sneered at the simple breeches of the kind Noah wore, and they were currently tucked into knee-high expensive leather boots. Zsien liked to spend his money to dress well and he wasn't afraid to show he was wealthy enough to do so, even in this neighborhood and company. At least he had consented to wear the native tailoring instead of his own fashion, when visiting the city. Noah refused to consider what kind of attention those clothes would have attracted.
"Is it not my concern to see to your wellbeing when I can, as you have seen to mine?" Zsien was saying. Noah looked up, somewhat startled out of his perusal by the deep voice. "I wish only to repay you for your kindness."
"Sure you do," Noah grumbled under his breath, as if Zsien d'Ethai would sacrifice his coins to repay his debt. No, Noah though he knew just how Zsien wanted to repay him and he was certain he didn't want to partake in that. He took a mouthful of his ale and almost choked on it when he felt the toe of a boot sliding up his shin. Incredulous he stared over at Zsien as he wiped the spilled ale from his mouth with the back of his free hand.
The man just smiled smugly at his flushing cheeks and much too slowly removed his foot. But not before the barmaid had seen what he'd done and tittered loudly over it, even as her hand circled above the hem of a white cotton, button-down shirt that must have cost a fortune, her fingertips teasing the smooth skin along Zsien's collarbone and the mark visible there.
Noah tried his best to regain his composure, but it felt like the entire tavern had seen what had just happened and he wanted very much to be away from here and their rude stares. He set the mug down and rose on stiff legs, his hand surreptitiously checking the knife in his belt as he took his cloak from the back of his chair.
"Leaving so soon?" Zsien asked and turned dark green eyes to him. His hands were firmly planted on the barmaid's hip and the generous swell of a buttock where she sat in his open lap, enjoying the feel of him, no doubt. He was so easy to arouse sometimes. Noah snorted.
"I need some fresh air. No need to get up," he added even though he knew the man wouldn't leave here until he had gotten what he wanted from the girl. Goddess, he hoped she had a room of her own where she could take Zsien, or Noah wouldn't get a minute of decent sleep all night. He remembered Zsien's stamina from last time they had visited the town. Sweet, merciful goddess, that girl hadn't been able to walk properly the following morning.
Zsien just shrugged and turned his attention back to his choice for the night. She smiled pleased and rubbed her pert little nose against his, making him emit a low, rumbling laugh deep in his throat. Noah quickly made his way to the door and the fresh evening air outside.
Noah took a deep breath and let it out slowly as the noises from the tavern faded behind him when he walked down the street. He had never been much for large crowds or the company you found yourself in whether you wanted it or not, but rather preferred his solitude even if it was on an empty street or in the loft of a stable. He thought briefly to find such a loft for the night, but knew Zsien would be hell mad once he returned the next morning, the man was strangely possessive and in his own way overprotective of Noah. Though Noah had no notion why, and decided he'd rather not know.
Light spilled out over the muddy cobblestones through the dusty, filmed and haphazardly placed windows in the taverns and inns lining the street. Laughs and shouts and even on-key songs could be heard when a door opened here or there to admit or release patrons as they came and went between the establishments. Noah took care not to get in their way, most of them were drunk and some even enough so to need aid to get back to their nightly retreats. He wondered idly how many of them would lose their pouches this night. He checked his knife again and made sure his own coin pouch was securely hidden under his tunic.
He had no clear idea as to where he was going, just that he needed to walk and to keep away from the Silver Goblet until he was certain Zsien had retreated for the night. He didn't feel up to facing him again. Why was it they always ended up arguing about something?
Noah gnawed absently on the inside of his lower lip and turned another corner, realized he had stepped into the main street of Harbor Quarters and continued along it, a goal in mind now and feeling easier about this whole excursion. Maggie would always welcome him, he knew.
The heavy footfalls of what sounded like more than two men broke into his consciousness, and he angled his head to better pick up the sound. They were heading up the street not far behind him and he shifted slightly in his posture to peek over his shoulder without letting them see he was looking. Three tall, broad shouldered and burly men they were, not as far behind him as he had wished, and they seemed intent on catching up to him.
Noah bit his teeth together and thought quickly. The odds were against him in case they intended to do what he suspected, he couldn't take them all without hurting them badly and he'd probably pay for it in like fashion. His only option was to run and hide, however much it stung his pride, but Noah was not stupid, he knew when he was outmatched.
The men let out surprised and not a little bit angry cries when they saw their quarry duck into a dark ally, and over the pounding of his heartbeat and the swift thudding of his boots over the debris and dirt, Noah heard them give chase.
So he had to lose them in the streets. It wouldn't be easy, they were surely more at home in Threetown than Noah and he had been to Harbor Quarters rarely enough to not know where every street led. He'd always stayed in Hill's Hamlet, knowing the clientele that walked this part of the city was not desirable company. Damn Zsien for insisting on staying here again this time.
He turned another corner and came out on a narrow street lined with large, dark wood and stone buildings. The warehouses. This street led straight down to the docks, then, and he in no wise wanted to go there at this late hour.
Voices reached him from the alley behind him and he turned around to head the other way up the street. He had no time. They were too close and now they had their victim within their sights.
"Thought ya could outrun us, did ya?" one of them said in that rough accent that was so typical for the shipmates. "Not goin' too well, then, is it?" he mocked.
"Think you ain't gonna leave here wit'out us gettin' what we want," another of them said as he began circling around Noah to get behind him.
Noah squared his shoulders and shifted on his feet to lower his center, keeping his balance in the middle and his eyes on them all to the extent he was able. They would in the end get what they wanted, Noah did not fool himself thinking he would come out of this unharmed or in possession of all his belongings, but he wouldn't make it easy for them.
"Boy wants to fight, then, eh?" the first man mocked again, his laughter a harsh, shrill noise down Noah's spine.
Noah didn't waist his breath answering.
He barely had the chance to react before one of the two still in front of him lunged at him, and he pivoted to the side to let the large body rush past him. He drew the knife in the same motion and left a blood-seeping cut across the man's ribs. Angry howls accompanied the hiss of pain and then he was forced to defend himself when the other two attacked simultaneously, their fists clawed and reaching for him.
But no sharp weapons. No knives or daggers. Only the blunt clubs and knuckle irons they pulled out of their clothes.
There was no way he could keep them away with just his knife, nor stay untouched, and he rapidly suffered a fist to the side of his chest that surely would leave an ugly bruise, and a kick to the shin that almost sent him sprawling.
Noah ground his teeth together around the pain and thrust up with the knife. The man jumped back to save his gut, yielding his brief hold of Noah's cloak, and Noah had a moment to pull for breath before he was again crowded by them. He stroke a hit on an arm, though he knew not whom it belonged to and in the next moment, before he could feel the tiny bit of triumph, there was something solid colliding with the back of his head. The dark night shattered into tiny pieces of white light and he fell to his knees. It hit again and he toppled listlessly onto his side in the dirt with a shrill ringing in his ears.
Through the haze that settled over his senses he could make out the men's voices like menacing, buzzing sounds, they were laughing and mocking him for sure. Beyond their blurry, dark figures he saw something fall from the sky and when wetness touched his cheek, he thought for an instant he might be crying. He tried to lift a hand to wipe the sign of weakness from his skin, but the limb refused to move. Then, as more wetness fell on him, he realized; the early summer rain was here.
* * * * * * * *
Zsien stretched like a large, lazy cat where he lay under the rough blanket in the barmaid's bed and pulled a deep breath that filled his nostrils with the smells of wood and mildew and spent sex. The smell of wood came from the walls of this little hideout she had behind the tavern, while the mildew most certainly came from the straw that covered the floor. The smell of spent sex… well, he was responsible for that.
It had been a pleasurable night, the girl a willing lover and not afraid to experiment. She was exactly what Zsien had needed. And she had surprised him, too.
Contrary to what Zsien had thought, she had been fascinated by his markings when she saw them. He'd given her the simple explanation that they were signs of manhood from where he came and she had tittered again as she stroked her soft hands along his flanks, saying she needn't no markings to see that.
He grinned lazily and slitted his eyes open. He was alone in the shack, but that didn't bother him, he often woke up alone after these nightly bouts of pleasure, although he seldom woke in another bed than his own. But he had remembered Noah's discomfort last time Zsien had taken a woman to bed. Noah had cursed at him as soon as they were alone and vowed to never be in the same room – let alone in the same building – next time Zsien decided to copulate.
So he had been considerate of his companion this time and taken the girl to her own bed instead. He hoped Noah appreciated it, because he was fairly certain he had one or two bites on his body that was far too small and too itching to have been made by the girl's teeth. He suspected not human mouths had caused those.
Zsien decided after a while that he had been idle for long enough and made to go back to the tavern and their room to see what mood Noah was in this morning. He spotted the barmaid on the way between relieving his bladder and entering the tavern through the back door, and she gave him a seductive smile and pointedly rubbed the back of her thigh. Zsien grinned back at her, he knew she was lithe, but that particular position obviously demanded more flexibility than she possessed.
There were only a few guests in the main room this early and Zsien called for the barkeep and ordered a decent meal for breakfast. While waiting, he went upstairs to the room and prepared to be thoroughly scolded for his behavior, as Noah always managed to find something to complain about. He was such a prude. The young man definitely needed to find himself a woman that could tend to him for a night. Or else Zsien would have to see to it himself. He grinned at the thought of a writhing, gasping Noah under him and decided to keep every woman away from the young man.
Zsien pushed open the door and ducked his head under the low doorframe to enter. He didn't bother to hide his smug grin as he knew Noah would instantly blush or sputter or glare at him, like he always did when Zsien was full of himself and whatever it was he had accomplished, but it vanished when he saw the room was empty.
Frowning, Zsien glared at the empty bed that was supposed to contain a bleary, adoringly sleep-mussed young man who in turn was supposed to glare back. Zsien did not approve of this. He crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes. Noah had not slipped past him downstairs, he would have discovered him easily as he seemed to be attuned to the young man's presence. He took a closer look at the bed, seeing it had not been stirred or the pack sitting next to it opened since last night.
He considered the thought of the young man not sleeping in his bed at all last night, which may well be the case if Noah had thought Zsien would take the barmaid upstairs. Noah had not known Zsien had been considerate enough to take it elsewhere, since he'd left the tavern before Zsien had even gotten to the point when a public location wasn't proper anymore. Noah might have found sleep in one of the stables as he sometimes preferred to do when Zsien's choice of accommodation was not to his satisfaction.
Zsien shook his head at that silly habit and left the room again to have his breakfast. He'd deal with Noah when he showed up and let him know just how good Zsien had been this time. And let him know in detail just how pleasant the girl had been. Zsien grinned widely; he would not refuse himself the amusement of watching Noah blush or sputter just because he wasn't there when he was supposed to.
He sat alone at a table by the wall, his rapier and dagger comfortable weights in his belt, facing the main room with an eye on the door so he could easily see everything that went on around him, who came and who went and most of all where and what the barkeep was up to. Zsien suspected the man was not all as honest as he made himself out to be, he'd been looking too closely at his guests last night, not to mention the ogling he had given Noah. Zsien scowled, no one was allowed to look at Noah like that but him, let alone touch him. He'd seen the barkeep creep up close to do that as well.
The barkeep came with Zsien's breakfast, a plate with generously buttered bread, slices of cheese and ham and a cup with warm cider, and put it down before him. The plate rattled just a bit against the tabletop and Zsien arched an eyebrow and studied the man from the corner of his eye. The barkeep looked a bit pale, his brow glistening with a thin sheen of sweat and he firmly refused to meet Zsien's eyes. He wiped his long fingers on the apron and with an odd bobbing motion of his head waited for Zsien to pay.
Zsien narrowed his eyes, examining the man closer. The barkeep's lean chest heaved with every breath and the stringy muscles in his neck were stretched taut. Could be the man was nervous because of Zsien – he often had that effect on weaker males – but he didn't think that was the case this time. He'd seen the barkeep the night before, tossing out drunken guests like they were trash without as much as a blinking at the foul words sent his way. No, there was some other reason for the man's unease.
With deliberate slowness Zsien fished out his coin pouch and idly stirred it in search for the proper coin. He watched surreptitiously as the barkeep became increasingly apprehensive and wiped his hands on the apron again.
"You do not happen to know where my companion is this morning, barkeep?" Zsien's low voice broke the silence and the man jumped, a suspiciously guilty look flashed across his thin face before he quickly averted his eyes. Zsien frowned, concerned. Something was not right here.
"I – I don't know, sir. I'm only a barkeep; I don't keep track of the customer's comings and goings." He darted quick glances around him as if to make sure no one was looking. The other four guests present were either too hung over or too deep in their meals mostly consisting of beer, to care what went on around them.
Zsien handed over the coins, but before the long fingers could close around them, he grabbed the thumb and bent it backwards with a simple twist. "If I find you are lying to me, I'll take care of the rest of your limbs in like fashion," he murmured deeply. The barkeep stared wide-eyed and terrified at his eyes turning amber.
"No – n–no," he stuttered, twisting his arm to be freed from the vice like grip on his thumb. "I know nothing, not a thing; they never come here to drink, even. I don't know who they are."
Zsien surged up into the man's face, the grip tightening further as his heartbeat suddenly began racing in his chest. "They?" he urged, leaning closer.
"I don't know them! I don't, I swear, I've never met them."
"You have heard of them," Zsien concluded.
"Ye – NO! Nothing! Please…" The thin man began trembling, his free hand wrapped around his captured wrist as he once again tried to pull free of the grip.
"Who are they?" Zsien pushed. But the barkeep was becoming frantic. He twisted the thumb further and the man wailed meekly. "You know enough to tell me where I might be able to find someone who's willing to speak to me."
"They'll know it was me. They'll come for me, they'll burn my tavern!" he protested, his fear of losing his life and possessions to these men greater than his fear for Zsien.
"If they do not, I will and I'll tear you slowly apart, limb for limb and make you watch as your life burn to the ground!" he growled in his throat, he could play that game as well, he'd done it for a lifetime. A hundred lifetimes.
The man whimpered, droplets of sweat running down his face. "The docks, they stay at the docks." He twisted furiously in Zsien's grip. "That's all I know, I swear!"
Zsien scowled, not convinced of the man's claim at ignorance, but let him go so abruptly he fell over, sprawling gracelessly on the floor. "If I find out you are keeping anything from me…" he let the threat hang unspoken in the air between them, certain the man would imagine a punishment more horrible than Zsien could himself at the moment. He fiercely pushed down the anxiety that threatened to seep up inside him and render him useless.
Zsien turned from the whimpering man, disgusted with the sight of such a spineless being, and noted in passing the other guests had mysteriously vanished. Well, the three that were able to walk anyway, the fourth man sat blinking hazily, too much alcohol running through his body to make walking a hazardous affair. The other patrons had obviously thought it wiser to leave than take part of whatever unhealthy business that was going on between the barkeep and the tall, silver-haired stranger.
Zsien's gaze fell on the five barmaids standing wide-eyed and gaping in the door to the kitchen. His eyes narrowed dangerously and there was a unanimous ripple of twitches going through their bodies. Zsien crooked a finger at the girl he had spent the night with and she hesitated before she stepped forward. There was a wary expression around her eyes and she stopped at a safe distance from him. Zsien frowned at her reservation now that she'd seen what he was truly capable of, and took the last two steps up to her, forcing her to tilt her head back to look at him.
"Your employer tells me he does not know where my companion is this morning. However, I sense he's not telling me the truth. I am familiar with how things work in taverns like this one and know that girls like you hear about everything that goes on in the city. I only want to find my companion, but if my gut feeling is accurate, I might be too late even as we speak." He put a fingertip under her chin and titled her face up. "Am I correct?"
Her full, lower lip trembled with words she hesitated to speak and he bared his teeth, remembering her taste. "Tell me," he whispered huskily and her lashes fluttered as he leaned in closer.
"I don't know where your friend is," she began in a whisper. "But I know the men," she admitted. "One of them was here briefly last night. They stay at the docks, sometimes for days, sometimes even for a week or two, before they head inland to Guinwara."
"Guinwara?" Zsien was not familiar with these lands and he regretted his negligence now.
"Our neighboring country." Her slender eyebrows drew slightly at his lack of knowledge. "They have a trade rout through Fior from the harbor here in Threetown."
An unsettling thought made Zsien's stomach churn. "And what is it they trade?" he asked and pushed the tip of his finger harder against her chin to make her meet his eyes.
"Slaves," she whispered and her eyes held all the fears his did not.
Zsien growled and spun around to make a grab for the barkeep that scrambled backwards on the floor to get away. He caught a good handful of the man's shirt and yanked him well off the floor and close enough to his face to smell the man's thin, alcoholic breath. "You tried to keep this from me!" he growled furiously.
"Please!" The barmaid's hand was suddenly on his arm and he turned fierce, golden eyes to her. She quickly removed her hand, holding it close to her chest as if she had burned it, but courageously held his gaze. "Don't hurt him, sir."
Her plea had effect, and after a moment more Zsien dropped the man with a disgusted snort. "Pathetic man to need a woman to beg for you," he spat at the man once again on the floor, whimpering.
"He won't tell you anything, sir. He's too afraid of them."
"And I am not a man to fear, then?" Zsien turned to her with a dark eyebrow arched. "Am I not the one to threaten his life and limb?"
"Yes, you are," she admitted slowly. "But you will be gone when your business here is done, they will not. They value this trade rout too highly to ignore any man that threatens its existence. Should the Lords ever find out the Guinwarans use this trade rout for purposes that are illegal in Fior, they will close it down and Guinwara will suffer economically. It is too important to them to let one man ruin it for them."
"They ruin it for themselves when they commit such an act. I do not care about the principles of Fioran lords, I only care about my companion and wish him back where he belongs."
The girl tilted her head and looked at him. "He's more than a companion, isn't he?" A smile pulled at the corner of her mouth when Zsien troubled turned his eyes away. "I saw it last night, remember? He is dear to you."
"I owe him a great deal," Zsien muttered. "I need to repay my debt so I can be rid of him."
She smiled knowingly, believing she understood Zsien's and Noah's relationship. It bothered Zsien that maybe she understood more than he did himself. "You should ask at the docks, there are ships there that sail under the Guinwaran flag. They should be able to tell you more."
Zsien looked down at her heart-shaped face. Now he understood why he had chosen her last night, she had a sharp intellect and was not afraid to use it. He'd always enjoyed a woman that could challenge him. "Thank you," he murmured for her ears only.
The look she sent after him was both sad and hopeful when he went to get his and Noah's belonging from their room, the breakfast forgotten. If he found what he was looking for at the docks, he wouldn't have to come back here. He hoped that was the case or every man responsible would pay for it with his life.
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