The slaver smelled like a dead animal. The way Killian thought weasel dens would, littered with their recent kills. He was small and grimy, smiling up at Kili while he wrung his sweaty hands. He agreed to the slave price and handed Kili a hefty bag of gold coins, opening the barn doors to reveal a large cage on wheels.
“All right you lot!” cried the slaver, “jump into my carriage and enjoy the journey!”
He unrolled a whip he had coiled around his arm, flinging it to the ground as he waited. The children complied, fearfully holding onto each other as the doors were opened and they filed in. The smaller children whimpered as they passed, but the older children hushed them and climbed into the cage.
“Easiest handover in a while,” the slaver remarked, “usually you’ve got one or two who think they can bite the hand that feeds ‘em.”
Killian said nothing, his heart twisting as he helped shut and lock the door. “Where are they headed?”
“Ah,” the slaver said, tapping his nose, “better not to know some things.”
Kili watched the slaver flick the reins, two big guards falling into line behind. This was going to be a long night.
.OoO.
“I knew I would look dashing!” Ti remarked, twirling in his black cape. “And the soot in my hair makes my eyes dazzle!”
“Are you a man or a butterfly?” Kili asked, watching Ti duck next to him.
“You also look great,” Ti offered, passing him the mask, “… maybe I should do this as a side gig.”
“A highway man?!”
Ti shrugged, “if it pays well enough.”
Kili sighed as Ti grinned, his teeth very bright in the gloom.
“Now,” Kili said patiently, “we need to loop around him and –”
“I know, I know,” Ti said, waving his hand. “I’ll dazzle him, shoot a couple guards, you lead the children away.”
“He has to think it’s not worth the investment stealing children from the capital. We gotta scare him.”
“I’ve got this,” Ti said confidently, slipping on his black mask, “stop fussing mother.”
“Only when you –” Killian looked back at Ti to see a smile stretched across his face. “Why are you smiling?”
“… I was smiling?” Ti asked, receiving a mocking shake of Killian head.
.OoO.
“Halt if you value your life!” A voice thundered down the road, sitting upon a black horse.
The slaver frowned, ready to charge past him. An arrow flashed and thudded into the wood by his head. The slaver sighed and pulled his horses to a stop, crossing his arms.
The guards hurried to the front of the cart, fumbling with swords. “Reach for your weapons and at your peril.” The voice laughed, knocking another arrow into the bow he held. The slaver could see it was well made and well cared for, both not good for him.
“What do you want?” he asked finally.
Ti laughed manically, slapping his thigh, “you’re ten miles away from the capital with an arrow aimed at you… what would I want?”
A jingle sounded and Ti again laughed loudly, pressing a thigh to his horse so he moved closer while drawing his bow.
Behind them Killian murmured a curse as the chosen boy carefully threaded the chain off the door of the cage. During the ride a clever fingered girl had already unlocked it with provided lockpicks. Killian made a mental note to get them back off her.
Ti continued with the theatrics, telling his audience of his latest scores. “He was big,” Kili could hear him say, “he could’ve squashed me flat if he thought of me a chair!”
Killian rolled his eyes, oiling the hinges with oil from an oilskin on his belt. The silently doors swung open, the children’s eyes wide and bright in the moonlight.
“Okay,” Killian whispered to the boy at the front, “you need to go to the spot we told you about. Do not go home.” He showed them the bag of coins he had on him, “I will give each child who waits a gold coin.”
The children stared at the pouch for a moment and as one nodded. A gold coin could feed their families for months.
“Not coming sir?” the boy asked.
“I have to save an idiot from his own ego.”
The boy grinned, jumping silently to the ground, “we’ll leave you to it then!”
“Woah there boy,” Ti grinned as a guard stepped forward, looking ahead to see the flap of Killian’s cape as he came closer.
“Say hi for me!” Ti said, leaving enough time for the guard to ask, “say hi to who?” Before Ti leapt off his horse and slashed him across the throat.
While the guard fell Ti was already on the second, coming up and under to slash him belly to throat.
Ti batted the slaver’s dagger out of his hand, shoving him off his perch. He fell to the dust, scrambling for the gold he held, “here! Take it! What use is it to me if I’m dead?”
“Good logic,” Ti agreed, “but I’m afraid the knight guard have me butted up like toast!” he put a hand mockingly to his brow, “no slavers!’ They tell me! They pay me for every hand of a slaver I can find. Easy enough considering the slaver brand after all!”
The slaver paled, wringing his hands, “h-how long as this been going on?”
“Oh, a couple months I think,” Ti smiled, “it’s good money too!”
“W-wait! What do they pay? I will d-double it!”
Ti frowned, “will you come back?”
The slaver shook his head, “n-no never again.”
Tirowen gripped the man’s tunic and lifted him into the air, meeting him bright green eye for murky brown. “If you or any other slaver were to haunt the capital again… I will lop off your hands. And then your arms. Then I will go for your feet and shave off each toe at a time.” Ti leaned in closer, wrinkling his nose as the man’s stench, “then I will staunch the bleeding and continue to chop you up bit by bit.” His eyes were ice cold, as though the sea had been frozen over. “Are we understanding each other?”
The slaver’s pale face slowly nodded, bile in his throat. With his free hand Ti used the slaver’s own dagger to calve an infinity symbol into the man’s thin arm.
“This vow will stand until you go to the underworld.” Then he shoved the man, stepping over the dead bodies of the guards. Killian reappeared, leading the horses back the way they came.
They walked quietly together, until Tirowen turned and said, “was that scary enough?”
Kili nodded in the dark, “I think we both wet our pants a little Ti.”
Ti ripped off his mask theatrically, “well, maybe I’ll look into acting!”
“I hate you.” Kili muttered.
“That’ll change.” Tirowen promised.
.OoO.
The rest of the job required little work. The children each received their reward from the extra gold the slaver had… donated. The squires were sure Sir Kain wouldn’t notice or remember any of the children, but to be sure they ordered the children to stay clear of the streets for a couple weeks. Killian would provide the promised gold to Kain and he would be non the wiser.
Or so they hoped.
The experience had brought the two closer – a bond that sparked much gossip and wonder. The rivalry was still there and thriving. But the deep-seated hatred was gone, replaced with Tirowen’s cheerful spirit matched with Killian’s dry humour. Kili quickly became known as Ti’s tender, often seen rebuking his friend much like a mother.
But as they grew closer, Sir Kain’s anger only heated.
ns 108.162.216.58da2
and then Add to home screen.