[Ridge]
Needless to say the girls didn't take the big reveal very well. Caleigh was distraught, trying to leave work to check on her family. Apparently her adoptive son is alone at home most of the time because she can't bring him to the fights. At least Viscount Morin upholds a strict 'no kids' policy within his arena.
Caroley, on the other hand, was livid. She accused Raforn of falling for scammers and demanded we pay him back any money he gave us. I was a little offended at first, as I'd figured word of the invasion would be spreading by now, especially in a place so close to the Riddotha attack. However, contrary to our predictions there has been no talk of war in this area.
I tried to be reasonable and explain things to Caroley, but her inviting nature is selective, and once you're on the outside of it, there doesn't appear to be an easy way back in. I understand. Talk like this could easily be mistaken as treason, and she clearly has things she's not willing to risk on a stranger's word of mouth.
She asked us to leave so here we are, Raforn off somewhere begging for her to hear us out, Tellur sitting alone at the bar, and Kadeeth and I leaning inconspicuously against the back wall of the main room. I'm keeping an eye on the amount of money Tellur spends on drinks, but as far as I know he wasn't carrying all of his stash, so I shouldn't have to worry about him blowing all his funds in one night.
"You're not considering THAT right now, are you?" Kadeeth asks suspiciously, "because if you are, just forget it."
"He offered to help us, and you heard what Caroley said. If anything big goes down, he's the first one to know. If we have to add convincing folks that we're in the middle of a war to our bucket list, I'd rather take my chances on a guy who won't care either way." I argue, watching Tellur order a whole ass bottle of cheap liquor. What kind of freaking bar is this? This is the most extreme bottle service I've ever seen.
"We fail once so we have to resort to working with criminals?" Kadeeth counters, waving his hands around for dramatic effect, "This guy is practically invisible within the social scene, but still holds enormous power over politics because of his unlawful affiliations!"
I grab his annoyingly floppy wrists and hold them still, "Then we need him even more! We're looking for people with influence and connections to help rally troops and gather support from world leaders, Kadeeth. He may not always be involved in respectable business, but he's the first decent step we've come across so far to pulling our weight in this war."
Kadeeth gently pulls his hands away and looks to the side. He mumbles under his breath, his words losing themselves in the noise as a new fight is announced. He looks like Raforn right now, pouty that he didn't get his way.
"Care to repeat that?" I question with a smirk. He pushes me away with playful annoyance.
He starts walking through the congregating crowd and waves for me to follow him, "Alright, you win." He laughs, "Sir Ridge Riddotha, he always has to have it his way."
"I could say the same about you, most of the time." I shoulder check him and briskly walk ahead of him towards where Tellur is sluggishly explaining something to the bartender.
"It was 'diluted', that's what he called it. Them cheapskates tried to trick m-" I sling my arm around Tellur and snatch the bottle from his hand. He whines and tries to grab it back from me, luckily his balance is currently non-existent, so he fails miserably.
The bartender sends me a thankful look and walks off to serve another drunk. I wanted to ask him where the Viscount is, but he looks overwhelmed enough as it is. I scan the room before noticing that some people are dressed in deep red velvet tailcoats with gold ropes draped across the shoulder and chest. How did I not pick up on that before? Uniforms.
"Watch him for a moment." I hand Tellur's well-being over to a flustered Kadeeth, who meticulously takes my arm from around the big guy, "Excuse me," I stop a young man wearing one of the red coats, "Where can I find Vi- Mr. Morin? I have an appointment I'm late for."
~*~
I glance back over to Kadeeth and Tellur, who's now sipping on a cup of cold water. I tap my chest and then point to the closed blue door on the far end of the arena. Kadeeth realizes what I'm about to do and feverishly shakes his head. He tries to walk towards me but Tellur, in a perfectly timed act of telepathy, grabs his shirt and pulls him backwards.
I don't stick around to see him fall, unfortunately, because I just can't risk having to meet this guy with a drunk and a maniac. It was a mistake the first time with Caroley. Although that may have been mostly my fault, now I know what approach NOT to take when telling someone their home and entire way of life is under threat. I'm learning.
I walk quickly over to the blue door and knock, copying the rapid succession of three knocks the Viscount used earlier. Not even a second later a very pointy person opens the door. I'm clearly not Mr. Morin, but they usher me in anyway, as if they'd been expecting me.
"Ah, the Knight. I did hope you would drop by soon." Viscount Morin is sitting behind an enormous chair that still looks too small behind his tall frame. The design reminds me of the Duke's chair from the cabin, but with fewer antlers.
"I'm guessing it's common courtesy around here not to question how you know things you haven't been told?" I eye him warily, sauntering up to take a seat across from him. All the other chairs in this room are equally as large as his, I feel like I could get lost between the cushions.
"Actually that was purely an assumption. Your sword," He motions to my hip, where the sheath of my sword is exposed from under my cloak, "gave it away." He finishes with a toothy smile.
"Touché." I shrug. I tuck the end of the sword back under my cloak and try to make myself appear bigger in the sinking chair.
"Well then, kid, what do you have for me?"