Leo settled deeper into the shadows of the taverna’s second floor, the warm weight of a serving girl pressed to his side as welcome a distraction as the half-filled mug of local ale, far better than the Posca of the camps. His eyes flitted over the half railing before him and over the crowded common floor below.

  It was looking to be a fine night.

  The girl murmured something about her day and longing for a break. He made the appropriate noises at the appropriate times and smiled as she grew more and more animated at his attention.

  An attention that abruptly sharpened as he heard a heavy tread. A specific tread. Conner. And not alone either. A lighter tread, awkwardly matching itself to his confident pace. He leaned to the side slightly, looking past a blocking rail support to see young Adelbert following the older man. Both in plate over hamata and armed with swords as only nobles were allowed to be.

  “-join in the command tent –“ Adelberts voice carried briefly over the din, though not all of it.

  “Yous feel yous worthy of dat?” Conners return cut through the din like a knife. Years of command speech expressed itself even when it really shouldn’t. His voice stuck out like a nun in a whore house.

  Leo watched, with a small smile as the boy stumbled over the question. Want and guilt warring on his features for a time, before he let out a defeated “No”.

  Conner nodded easily, a glint in his eye as he flagged the serving girl for a mug. “When yous change your mind about dat, yous let me know.”

  The boy stopped, spluttering. “That’s… that’s devious!” the boy spoke, as if the word were an indictment.

  Conner laughed that low raspy laugh of his and took a deep drink from his ale. Giving the boy an amused look out of the side of his eyes as he picked up his own and grimaced after a single sip.

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  Their conversation continued briefly, but just for the single cup, wise that was, before they both rose, paid their shot and walked from the inn.

  Leo’s casual smile froze. They didn’t leave alone. The man made it look casual, but Leo knew a hunter when he saw one. He sighed. Leaned over and kissed the side of the serving maid's head before tossing a silver into her cleavage and five coppers onto the table beside the plate of snacks.

  She mewed with dissatisfaction but didn’t cling as he rose, finished his ale with a gulp and made his way out.

  The shadow was sticking to the two men, though with a respectable distance. He stepped beneath a pool of core light and Leo got a better look.

  Dressed like a Labori, but entirely to clean. His status jerked and shifted beneath Leo’s inspection skills as he began to amble after him, gaining on him steadily but without his path leading directly to the man, but past him and to the side.

  He was close when Conner, with a last pat on Adlebert's shoulder, split off. Heading toward the second wall gate, and likely to the Keep beyond that. The boy toward’s the Band’s designated Inns.

  And the shadow followed the boy, beginning to close in. But slowly, waiting for the boy to cut across a shadowed work yard, somewhere between a smithy and a leather worker from what little Leo could see in the dark. Either way, a place where a body wouldn’t be found till morning.

  Leo shook his head. And the boy still hadn’t noticed. A knife emerged from the shadows pants as he began the last quick approach.

  Began but never arrived, as Leo, having seen and predicted the point of contact, reached out of a shadow and cut the man's throat. Careful to avoid the spray, but catching the back of his neck and guiding the flailing body away from tables or an anvil that might make some noise.

  He frisked it quickly, removing a bulging coin purse but nothing else that revealed where he’d come from. Disappointing but not surprising.

  He rolled the body, now no longer jerking, beneath a table and moved on after the boy. Only stopping as he joined a decade of Bandsmen on storming a brothel.

  A better choice than wine for that one. Good enough.

  He turned up town tossing the purse and the generous amount of silver in it up and down once.

  There was a much more expensive evening in store for him now.

  Generous of the man.

  It was indeed a fine night!

  ___