Volume 4: Dereliction of Duty
Chapter IV: The Empty Jail
Sarah stood in front of the makeshift jail behind Sheriff Cosnu's home, pondering how far she might be able to get without showing her pistol. She could have broken down the wheel inside and filed it down to some form of pick if she had time to do so- the ramrod was too expensive to risk damaging, but of course one had to ask what one's freedom was really worth. The young paladin with his hand on her shoulder gave her a gentle nudge forward as she and Keiter disembarked from the carriage.
It was a stomach churning truism that one's perception of events could be horribly mangled by the concept of status. In some regards the idea of getting over on someone of higher status made monsters of the disenfranchised, on the other side of it one might be more inclined to bend a knee. So far Sarah hadn't found the paladin's penchant, but she was willing to bet on the later of the two.
"Young man, I think you greatly overestimate the position in which you find yourself." Sarah shrugged off his second attempt to coddle her along and grabbed her coat. The long canvas draped to her ankles and concealed her pistol, along with a fair bit of gold should she need to run. That it was also weatherproof and lined with cotton made it perfectly acceptable for wearing on the trail, should it come to that.
Just as the paladin was about to attempt another push, Tessarie emerged from the carriage and took her place at their side. "If she goes, I go."
The young man stared at her blankly. What came out of his mouth made Sarah turn away to hide her smirk. "You've done nothing wrong, miss." It was so contrite, but endearing. Genuine idealism wasn't something Sarah had seen in some time.
"You don't understand. She saved my life. . ." She eyes Keiter dubiously. "And his. . ."
"It's a kobold-"
"And you're a human." Keiter said sharply. "One of us has the blessing of their goddess. Speaks for itself, I think. Do you,
paladin
?"
Sarah snapped her gaze at her friend, brow knitting in concern at the sudden outburst. When he met her gaze there was a flicker of righteous anger in those eyes, a kind of pride she had never felt in her own patron and a need to defend the honor of a higher being. Keiter huffed and looked away. "Too many died for us to act this way." With that said he flipped up the hood on his robe and turned away.
"Get back here, creature-" the man started after him at the same time Sarah just happened to start walking forward. He tripped and dived into a roll, on his feet in a split second with combat reflexes; his gaze on her was anything but friendly. She smiled. "I'll deal with you in a minute."
"No, I don't think you will." Sheriff Cosnu's lumbering form took up the doorway to the jail, he waddled towards the group. "Oi! Get back here, runt."
Keiter stopped mid step and sighed a hiss.
"Did he just. . ." The old man started.
Sarah quickly shuffled the conversation to brighter topics. "I trust my paperwork is in order, dear? As it always has been?" She smiled as she outstretched her hand for it, noticing it was a bit lighter than when she'd given it- five gold well spent. "Capital. Now, if you'd be so kind as to direct us to the nearest inn, I believe my company and I have-"
Caldion was staring between them in disbelief. She gave him a quick glance and fought back the urge to be smug. "Sheriff-"
"Not so fast."
"Hm?" Sarah looked to the overweight sheriff.
"He trusted you, doesn't mean I have to. You keep your boots clean here or I'll put you in irons myself, '
Ambassador
'.
"Think nothing of the sort! I cannot imagine why anyone would besmirch the wonderful visage of this. . . Homely hamlet, no dear, if anything I seek only to improve it-"
"Just keep outta my way, if I have to listen to another father telling me about how is kid was deflowered before she was ready for marriage, I'm gonna find a shallow hole for you. Best behavior. Got it?"
Sarah waved dismissively, she was beyond listening any more and she gave Caldion a look that showed her disapproval. He was mirroring her look for entirely different reasons. They eyed one another as the sheriff made his way back to his house. Caldion started to speak but Sarah cut him off. "That was very uncouth, young man."
He scoffed. "Let me guess, you paid him off. You think all your problems can be solved with coin? Even race traitors know better than that."
"She's not-"
"Goading is the lowest form of discourse, and a woefully inadequate use of your otherwise soothing voice, my dear boy. No, think of me as someone who understands the value of my own resources and more than that, my friends." She leaned towards Tessarie. "Be a dear and keep an eye on Keiter, so he's not hurt?"
The small elf looked at Sarah pleadingly, uneasy right from the start with the request. Finally she sighed and quietly trundled off, hugging her ill-fitting dress to her body. When she was gone, Sarah looked to the paladin and pouted her lips in mock thought. She was already planning their real escape, she already knew what palms would need greasing to get a reliable caravan ride somewhere safe. The only thing that needed to be figured out- and quite soon- was whom she would be taking.
"Don't think I'm letting you out of my sight," Caldion said.
Sarah blew her breath into her bangs. "I suppose it would not be the first time I've bathed with a man, come then! Let's-"
"That's not what I meant and you know it."
"Where's your sense of adventure, hm? Surely a strapping young man like you knows there are many uses for one's hands," She eased into his space just a little, making a show glancing at his hands and then slowly looking up over her glasses. "Especially ones so perfectly sized to a multitude of tasks."
There was a split second where the young paladin actually seemed to be taken in; he eyed her, wanting to believe she was genuinely interested in him- not far from the truth, really- but then just like that he backed up and shook his head. His chestnut gaze tracked her with a subtle irritation like a sibling scolding the other. After several seconds of consideration he sighed. He had the look of wanting to say something but he didn't, instead he watched her for several more seconds into an uncomfortable silence.
One he was all too ready to let linger on.
Sarah turned without a word herself and started towards the mayor's house. It might not have been a bad idea to have someone mascaraing as a body guard. "If you intend to follow me, you can at least put on a consolatory air. Or do I do you a disservice in thinking that below you?" She gave him a smile she was too tired to really feel. He fell in beside her and at a slight distance.
"Is that what you're going to do? Pretend you care enough to get in someone's pants and bribe your way out of here?"
'Points for acuity, young man.'
Sarah mused to herself as she adjusted her coat and righted her posture as best she could. Despite being a little dirty, she still looked fairly presentable in her minds' eye. Anything else could be faked, of course. "Don't be ridiculous. That would make me something of a monster, wouldn't it? The man and I had disagreements, surely, but I held great respect for him."
The paladin scoffed.
"Come now. . . If you're going to insist on acting childish, I will not waste either of our time troubling you with the duties of being an adult! The coach awaits you as do its horses-"
"Which are stolen-"
"From a noble who knows nothing of valuing the possessions he has." Of course his death was largely to blame for that but Sarah left that part out. She adopted a more serious tone. "He will be compensated in due time, I'm sure, but greater need and all that, hm?"
"That's not how the law works. You're a liar and a thief-"
"Young man-"
"Paladin."
Sarah's right eye twitched. She used a firmer tone instead. "Caldion."
The larger man spared her an expectant look. She was too tired for this, but giving in to her baser desire to just throw a tantrum and curl up into a ball under a mountain of blankets was not going to do her long term survival any good. The world was full of scary places and things and this was just another.
As was the company she kept, regrettably. At least the boy was keeping up with her, flexibility would get them both farther.
Slowly she took a deep breath to center herself. "I am a great many things, but none of them include being heartless or so obstinate that I would not pay proper respects to a friend- further to that point, I would like to remind you that it's only because of us you weren't horribly butchered along
with
us. You may find this hard to believe, but I have very high standards for the people I associate myself with."
She expected him to scoff or offer rebuttal, but instead he walked with her in silence until they reached the mayor's abode. A candle flickered in the second floor window and the door, so deeply set in the building one could fit three people side by side from the lip of the overhang to the door itself, was cracked open. A potentially dangerous eastern custom- Sarah frowned as she knocked on the frame.
"Why is it open?" Caldion peeked in the crack as best he could without being nosy.
Seemed she wasn't the only westerner. "They say it's so that traces of the soul can leave the house to join the rest."
