Arthur could smell the pungent stink of cheap alcohol and unwashed men as the boisterous noise and fragrance assaulted his senses. However, it didn't last long as Arthur was more than used to it by now, living in the pub for two years, and no one from the lower classes could wash often.
That was a luxury only the truly rich can afford. Although the poor are normally the ones who work up the most sweat as Arthur was more than aware of from slinking hobs in some richer peoples homes.
He made his way to a corner table and sat angling his ears so he could hear some snippets of conversation. He wanted to know how much was told to the people and if he or any others that escaped now have a bounty on our heads.
"You hear about that raid downtown! Terrible it was! Dead bodies swinging from trees for crows to pick at! Sad way to go that.." One drunkard, who had reached the point in his drinking where every word he spoke was yelled, spoke out at last to his friends.
"Aye, I heard that. They says it was because they were trying ta rob the inquisitors! The damn fools! Good riddance I say for idiots like that have no use for the rest of us." Another much more grizzled man replied next to him as he kept gulping down his pint.
"I heard there's a reward for whoever catches those who got out in time though... maybe we should try our luck eh, hahaha!" The last of three drunkards spoke up to reveal, at last, what Arthur was fearing the most to be true. He doubted there'd really be a reward but the rumours alone would be enough to cause all the people here to turn against him.
Arthur decided to go closer to the bar and order another drink. He knew no one here should recognise him, but after what that man had just said, Arthur wasn't willing to take any more chances. He'd already taken on more than a lifetimes worth of those stupid decisions this week alone and was more than hoping for some sort of break from his chain of ever increasing bad luck.
Suddenly, someone had clapped his back hard from behind. "Young man, it ain't right seeing you drinking all alone. Mind if little old me joins ya?" Turning his attention to where he was slapped on his back, Arthur saw standing there an averaged sized man in a faded red coat.
He has his white buttons tightly done up all the way to a stiff yellow collar hiding the gorget, only leaving the metal front part visible. His cleaned white breaches were the whitest Arthur had ever seen any clothing before, even if it was worn with age, hung neatly over his polished black ammunition boots.
The whole thing looked as uncomfortable as it did clean and smart. Seeing this Arthur immediately figured this man as a soldier as this was their usual uniform. However, this man's uniform was much cleaner and even seemed newer than any Arthur had seen before.
Looking just below the epaulettes, which was a simple affair as he was obviously no officer, they would never come to somewhere like here. Arthur now saw those three white strips on his right arm signifying rank.
This marked the man's rank as he was clearly now a sergeant. Arthur thought back to all the soldiers he had seen in his life. There were many as the majority of this areas youth end up there for one reason or another.
once you have taken the crowns coin no one can hurt or arrest you. But he had never seen many sergeants as they normally tried to get in with the officers lot. Corporals he had seen and lots of privates, the lowest ranking soldier, but not many sergeants. He could count all the ones he'd seen on one hand.
The sergeant must have seen the light of recognition as he stood a little taller as he took in the appraising gaze of all those in the pub able to understand what those three strips meant. Although, Arthur was more surprised that the man didn't seem to have the same hate and disdain he had seen in the eyes of the other sergeants, no matter how hard they tried to conceal it.
Arthur had grown up here and knew how to read people's faces for any slight betrayal of emotions, hence why he was able to control them so well if he had the power to spare.
But he saw none of that malice in this mans eyes, there was malice but not aimed at them though. Finally finding his voice again as a small pregnant pause had taken over the two whilst he had been surveying the sergeant.
"Hum. Yes sorry about that you took me by surprise is all sir." Arthur faked a cough and said. a mischievous gleam ran past the sergeants eyes as he realised Arthur hadn't seen many sergeants and didn't know how to speak to them.
"Hahaha! Boy, you needn't feel uneasy around me. Just think of me as any other man." The sergeant responded laughingly as he took a seat directly across from Arthur, signalling he wanted to talk. Arthur inwardly groaned at this as this whole situation was already attracting too much attention to Arthur.
He purposefully had picked this new corner for its more shadowed effect. Looking around quickly Arthur sighed softly noticing all the others go back to their own conversations and no one recognising him here.
None of this had slipped the sergeants notice, but he chose to stay quiet for now as a small smile encroached on his features. This was going to be just too easy. "So young man, what brings you here to the garrison today?" The sergeant had asked neutrally to get the ball of conversation rolling.
"Nothing much sir, just a drink in silence.." Arthur said back hoping his message was heard and accepted. "Well that can't happen! It's just too sad seeing someone your age all alone!" The sergeant had replied in slight admonishment, which ticked Arthur as this was causing a few stray eyes to roam over to the sergeant and then notice him.
Eyeing his rank badge again, Arthur decided to stay calm as he was a sergeant in his Divine Graces army. Seeing this the sergeant diverted the conversation to it. "Ahh! I see you understand what this is then eh?" he softly felt for his three strips.
"Good stitching if I do say so myself don't ya think?" He had said to Arthur. "Aye sir, good stitching that would have done old bean proud.." Arthur responded whilst inwardly hitting himself for that slip of the tongue.
Old bean was a nickname for the old clothes workshop owner near the gang and if anyone knew him they would probably recognise him. A quick scan and Arthur once again sighed out. No one had heard, or maybe not known him.
Again this didn't leave the sergeants purview. "Hmm.. A smart one aren't ya kid. Know what to say and when to say it, and with that look you keep giving me when I draw attention, know when to keep shut too." The sergeant seemed to mutter that last part barely loud enough for Arthur to hear. But he did and cold sweat fell down his back like a bucket of icy water. a few beads of sweat rolled from his forehead which he discretely swiped away and kept a cool façade.
"A bit small and skinny... but a good meall'll sort that right out eh! You'll be towering over other men in no time with a wrestlers body, ahahaha!" The sergeant laughed to himself again as he carried on his inner monologue openly to Arthur.
"Well boy I think that's about right isn't? Why don't you sign up for the army!" The sergeant jovially shouted as if he had come to the only logical conclusion. Arthur stared agape at the man. Why would he wants some scrawny runt in his Divine Grace's finest? It made no sense to Arthur as he tried to understand what the sergeant was thinking.
"Oh come now boy! You didn't think I'd pass on someone who shows smarts, talent and a good amount of self-preservation! I watched as you listened from another table to those men. Saw you visibly stiffen for only a second before silently slinking off to the bar and relocating here.
A quiet and shadowy corner outside of most others view. Then that whole conversation you played it smart, and when you slipped up naming that man you watched the others before calming yourself and returning to me. You show promise boy!" The sergeant listed all of Arthurs actions, much to the dismay of the small boy as he often thought he was good at hiding his emotions.
Sighing, for what felt the fiftieth time this week! Arthur placed his hands together on the table as he thought it all over. "But..." Arthur said. He was fighting an internal war whether to trust this man enough to tell him why he was acting the way he was or not.
Deciding that, if the man could see through all of Arthur's actions so easily he most likely already pieced it all together, he at last spoke up. "But sir, what o the Inquisitors. Surely they won't let me go?" Arthur voiced his thoughts dejectedly, expecting this sergeant to greedily eye him up as he turned him in to the Inquisitors.
"Damn them!" The sergeant snapped, turning many heads towards us. Arthur balked in fear as the sergeant had a fire lit in his eyes. "They can't touch you once you've taken the King's coin boy!" The sergeant said, so excited was he that he forgot the Kings honourific of Divine making many pale in slight fear.
The sergeant quickly let out a small cough apologising before, Arthur could see reluctantly, adding his honourific. 'So this man doesn't believe him Divine!' Arthur saw the reluctance in that split second and knew this man believed what the heavens say about His Divine Grace!
"Ok... I'll do it!" left Arthurs lips before he even realised what he was saying! The sergeant hid his apparent surprise at how quickly Arthur had accepted. "Great! The names Kage nice to meet you!"