A soft murmur was her reply, “As me lord and master wishes.”
He quickly left the room and house so as not to get sidetracked again. He had very nearly caved into her desires, as well as his own, to throw her on the bed. Taking a deep breath, he crossed to the guild hall and set his hand on the latch when the knife sank into his spine, instantly killing him. Gazing down on his corpse in surprise, Alburet watched a dark clothed figure remove the knife and clean it before stepping away, vanishing as they did.
Two minutes later Alburet respawned in the graveyard outside of the Dead Man Inn. His nostrils flared as his anger finally started to catch up to his surprise. “Motherfucker,” he snapped, his jaw clenching and unclenching. Jaw set, he used his Homestone, appearing on the street just as Stacia came out of the house.
“Asthore, ya be okay?”
Alburet turned to look at her, his eyes filled with anger over having just been killed by an assassin again. “Not so much. I was just killed by an assassin.”
Stacia’s brow knitted. “Did ya get a look at him?”
“No,” Alburet ground out, reining his anger in as best he could. “I was struck from behind just as I unlocked the guild door. The assassin then stepped out of the arch and vanished.”
“I’ll go check on Erin,” Stacia said, and bolted through the door to the guild hall.
Alburet watched her go, understanding the urge to check on family if an assassin was about. He stayed outside for a few more minutes, trying to calm himself. Stacia, Erin and Wilbur were all gathered in the main room when he finally went in. “What’s going on?”
Some flicker of emotion, gone too quickly to identify, flashed across Wilbur’s face. “I was visiting Erin tonight. I hope that isn’t an issue?”
“No, that’s fine,” Alburet replied. “You’re both adults, so you can do as you please. We’re probably going to have guests shortly. It’s up to you if you want to go before they start arriving, or hang around and meet them.”
“I have a question if you don’t mind, actually,” Wilbur said. “Erin was asking to go hunting with me on my next day off, which is today. She went so far as to say that if I didn’t take her out, then you and Stacia would. I am concerned about her sudden desire to court death. Why did you offer so readily?”
“Because she wouldn’t even get scratched with us at her side, Wilbur. I have ample protection for her. I did insist she ask you first though, as it seemed you two were getting along. You are getting along, aren’t you?”
Wilbur grimaced, “Well, with issues, but yes.”
“His family said they were going to disown him iffin he keeps seein’ me,” Erin cut in. “I told him we do nay need his family iffin they goin’ to be like tha’.”
Wilbur looked back at her with a frown, “I won’t just cut my family out of my life, Erin. My father wouldn’t disown me, I know that.”
“It’s your brother again, isn’t it?” Alburet questioned.
Wilbur sighed, “Yes. We have never seen eye to eye. He wants wealth and power and I want to see the family name become a beacon to the citizens of the city. Too many of the nobles have lost touch with people, like Erin, who work to survive every day.”
Alburet nodded in agreement, “Same story everywhere you go. My other world was much the same for a long time, and still is to a degree. It is up to the common man to elevate himself though, not have it handed down from those above them.”
“I agree, but we shouldn’t be pressing them back down, either. My brother actively tries to stop the more successful middle class from gaining the ranks of lower nobility. I think they should be encouraged, to show those even lower down the rungs that it is possible if they work hard enough.”
Grin spreading across his face, Alburet eyed Wilbur with a bit more respect. “I think I’ll like you as a brother-in-law.”
Wilbur grimaced and looked away, “I don’t think I would object, as I would have even a month ago. However, I don’t think that it is going to be. If I married Erin my father might well be swayed by Skippy, and he would have me disowned. I couldn’t come to Erin as a penniless, houseless beggar.”
Erin stomped her foot, “Bah. I still say tha’ does nay matter to me, ya pillock!” She ran towards her room, wiping at her eyes.
Stacia gave both men a level look, then followed her sister. Alburet sucked on his teeth watching them both go, while Wilbur hung his head.
“Maybe I should go for the night?” Wilbur sighed.
“Just make sure to come back when the sun is up and take her hunting, Wilbur,” Alburet told the man. “Also, you should consider what it is that you want, and not what your family might do. People would still take heart that a noble, no matter how minor, risked his name to court and wed a woman of lower rank out of love.” Alburet’s lips curled up in a happy grin as his brain finally nudged him about a quest he’d been given. “In fact, if you are willing to marry Erin, I might have some way to make your brother furious and leave him unable to harm either of you.”
Wilbur raised one eyebrow, “You seem to have a scheme in mind, Alburet.”
“I do indeed. After you take her hunting we should do dinner. I’ll make the arrangements, all you need to do is bring your conviction with you.”
Frowning slightly, Wilbur nodded, “Okay. I will see you later, then. I hope your guests aren’t too disruptive.”
Right on cue, Alburet’s guild icon started flashing. “We shall see very shortly. Good day, Wilbur.” Alburet saw Wilbur out, checking his guild messages as the door closed softly behind Wilbur.
Message from Gerald:
We are here. Be bringing the recruits by the guild hall in about thirty minutes.
Message from Karen:
I’ll meet you guys there.
Message from Fluffbalclass="underline"
Should I bring something with me?
Message from Alburet:
Just you, Fluff. Hurry up, Karen, we could use more hands. We started tea for the recruits, how many we looking at?
Message from Marysue:
About a hundred agreed before we got to the medical exams.
Message from Gerald:
It should be between fifty and a hundred.
Alburet let out a soft whistle before he replied again, then he went to find the sisters. He found them in Erin’s room with Stacia holding Erin and rocking her. “You going to be okay Erin?” Alburet asked as he took in the scene.
Erin sniffled looking over at him, her eyes all red and puffy. “Why does he nay understand?”
“Because men are dense,” Alburet told her. “But I’ll bet good money he comes by later to take you hunting. I’m going to give you the day off, and we’ll do dinner for you after. I just need you to do something for the guild right now, please.”
Erin wiped her eyes, getting to her feet. “Wha’ be it ya need?”
“Go borrow a hundred cups from your father, please.”
Both sisters blinked at his request, speaking in unison, “Ya want what?”
“We have anywhere up to one hundred people showing up shortly. We need more cups than we have at least for tonight. In the morning we can get more. But for tonight, I need to borrow them from your father. Promise him payment when we return them, just get them back here as quick as you can.”
Erin looked skeptical but nodded, “We only be needin’ another twenty, then. Kim purchased a large supply of cups the other day.”
“We have twenty,” Stacia put in, “help me grab them from the house, sis.”
Alburet was left looking around an empty room. “Well, at least the people around me are more prepared than I am.”