hardly worth the trouble of robbing. We have little money--"
"You tossed plenty on the table at the inn," one of the men said with a laugh. She recognized him, although he had not worn the headband in the common room, and a long-coat had hid the colors that they all seemed to wear. What gave him away was that a small corner of his left nostril was missing. Hard not to notice a characteristic like that, even from across the room.
"All for show," she replied. "The coins are painted and worthless. This," she pulled at her extravagant cloak, "I stole. My companion and I were just trying to scam some money out of that table of fools. I'm sure you saw how that turned out."
She hoped the scuffle in the inn helped support her lie, but if they also thought about how she had manhandled the one drunk, all the better.
"Don't see how a hoity-toity girl from the Ciantar family would need to scam farmers for money," one of the thugs barked.
Wonderful, one had overheard the conversation.
"Even with her family business destroyed, I bet they had lots of coins hidden away," another added. "I would bet my left eye those coins were real."
"You already lost your left eye when you pissed off Bullwhip," said another.
"I know," the second man popped out a wooden eyeball and held it up. "That's why I wouldn't mind betting it."
That earned the man a round of laughter from his fellows. Ezzy might have joined in if things didn't look so grim. The fact that the men felt they could joke around was a clear sign they weren't afraid of anyone happening upon their little mugging. Ezzy and Nolan were on their own. Mostly.
"Well," she said, grimacing when her voice cracked slightly. "I'm sure we can come to an arrangement that doesn't involve any bloodshed."
"Sure, my ladyship," wooden eye gave her a mocking bow. "Hand over all your money, any jewelry you have, and come along without a fuss. You do that, we won't rough up your servant here too much."
"The money, of course, is no problem. Unfortunately, any jewelry I had was sold long ago. As for coming with you, I'm sure you understand that would be a waste. If you know my family has fallen from grace, then you must know that any ransom for me would be less than the money you would spend to keep me fed."
That caused another round of laughter.
"Ransom?" Missing nostril scoffed. "A pretty girl like you will make us a nice bit of coin working in a brothel."
"You probably couldn't afford a girl like her!" Another man shouted, sending the thugs into a roaring round of laughter again.
"You think you can turn me into a prostitute!" Nolan tried to grab her arm, but Ezzy pushed him away as she stormed over to the man. "If any man tried to even touch me without my permission, I'd snap each of his fingers!"
"Fiesty, too!" Nostril joked, sticking a stubby finger in her face. "But just like every other girl, you'll break--"
"Poor choice of words," she said in a flat tone as she snatched his finger and twisted her wrist. The accompanying crunch brought a smile on her face.
Snatching his hand back with a yelp, Nostril cradled it against his body. He retaliated with a clumsy kick that Ezzy avoided with ease. She swatted it down, causing the man to spin and tumble to the ground. He put his hands out to stop his fall, and let out a high pitched squeak as his injured finger hit the dirt.
Expecting the other men to rush to his aid, Ezzy was surprised when instead they all burst into laughter yet again.
"She got you good!"
"He'll have problems fondling his own parts now!"
"Guess he won't be picking his nose with that finger!"
The men continued to toss out their jibes until a voice cut through their laughter.
"Enough!"
A bald man stepped past the group of thugs blocking off the path. He wore the same garments as the rest of the gang, but stood a head taller and walked with a confident gait. A thick, bearded head covered in scars sat on massive shoulders. A large whip hung coiled from his waist. He moved
"You tossed plenty on the table at the inn," one of the men said with a laugh. She recognized him, although he had not worn the headband in the common room, and a long-coat had hid the colors that they all seemed to wear. What gave him away was that a small corner of his left nostril was missing. Hard not to notice a characteristic like that, even from across the room.
"All for show," she replied. "The coins are painted and worthless. This," she pulled at her extravagant cloak, "I stole. My companion and I were just trying to scam some money out of that table of fools. I'm sure you saw how that turned out."
She hoped the scuffle in the inn helped support her lie, but if they also thought about how she had manhandled the one drunk, all the better.
"Don't see how a hoity-toity girl from the Ciantar family would need to scam farmers for money," one of the thugs barked.
Wonderful, one had overheard the conversation.
"Even with her family business destroyed, I bet they had lots of coins hidden away," another added. "I would bet my left eye those coins were real."
"You already lost your left eye when you pissed off Bullwhip," said another.
"I know," the second man popped out a wooden eyeball and held it up. "That's why I wouldn't mind betting it."
That earned the man a round of laughter from his fellows. Ezzy might have joined in if things didn't look so grim. The fact that the men felt they could joke around was a clear sign they weren't afraid of anyone happening upon their little mugging. Ezzy and Nolan were on their own. Mostly.
"Well," she said, grimacing when her voice cracked slightly. "I'm sure we can come to an arrangement that doesn't involve any bloodshed."
"Sure, my ladyship," wooden eye gave her a mocking bow. "Hand over all your money, any jewelry you have, and come along without a fuss. You do that, we won't rough up your servant here too much."
"The money, of course, is no problem. Unfortunately, any jewelry I had was sold long ago. As for coming with you, I'm sure you understand that would be a waste. If you know my family has fallen from grace, then you must know that any ransom for me would be less than the money you would spend to keep me fed."
That caused another round of laughter.
"Ransom?" Missing nostril scoffed. "A pretty girl like you will make us a nice bit of coin working in a brothel."
"You probably couldn't afford a girl like her!" Another man shouted, sending the thugs into a roaring round of laughter again.
"You think you can turn me into a prostitute!" Nolan tried to grab her arm, but Ezzy pushed him away as she stormed over to the man. "If any man tried to even touch me without my permission, I'd snap each of his fingers!"
"Fiesty, too!" Nostril joked, sticking a stubby finger in her face. "But just like every other girl, you'll break--"
"Poor choice of words," she said in a flat tone as she snatched his finger and twisted her wrist. The accompanying crunch brought a smile on her face.
Snatching his hand back with a yelp, Nostril cradled it against his body. He retaliated with a clumsy kick that Ezzy avoided with ease. She swatted it down, causing the man to spin and tumble to the ground. He put his hands out to stop his fall, and let out a high pitched squeak as his injured finger hit the dirt.
Expecting the other men to rush to his aid, Ezzy was surprised when instead they all burst into laughter yet again.
"She got you good!"
"He'll have problems fondling his own parts now!"
"Guess he won't be picking his nose with that finger!"
The men continued to toss out their jibes until a voice cut through their laughter.
"Enough!"
A bald man stepped past the group of thugs blocking off the path. He wore the same garments as the rest of the gang, but stood a head taller and walked with a confident gait. A thick, bearded head covered in scars sat on massive shoulders. A large whip hung coiled from his waist. He moved
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