“Don’t you think it’s ironic that a bunch of traitors are at a tavern? Is there no other place for them to go?” An annoyed expression made it’s way onto Luke’s face as he walked beside me.
“Yes, I find it ironic that thieves and murderers like to go drinking as a form of entertainment. Where would you prefer they go, Samuel? Their homes? Where they probably have a family or maybe in the fields where they work,” he replied sarcastically.
“I was only saying,” I said in defense. Not wanting to irritate him any more than I had already, I changed the topic. “So, what’s the plan? What do I do if something happens? How do I know where to find you?”
Nonchalantly, he answered, “We’ll be around.”
They’ll be around? Around where? I wasn’t going to be able to find them with my luck and I wouldn’t put it past him to leave me behind.
“If you wanted to get rid of me quicker you could just do it yourself,” I muttered.
Unfortunately, I didn’t speak low enough. I eyed his hand on the handle of his sword cautiously. He snickered, “You’re right I could, but then my cousin might have a problem with that.” His steps faltered as he slowed down. It didn’t take long for me to notice he stopped walking entirely. Turning around I saw the condescending gaze he had directed at me. “I don’t understand why you didn’t refuse her.”
Now, it was my turn to be confused. “Weren’t you the one who volunteered me?”
“I didn’t think you’d agree. I wanted to embarrass you. Granted, I succeeded, but only a halfwit would agree to impress a girl.”
I took a moment to think about what he said, before saying, “I suppose I’m a halfwit then.”
He closed the distance between us. “You can’t possibly like my cousin, not in such a short amount of time. You don’t know her. If her looks are all you like about her then you're in for a real treat when you get to know her.”
His words didn’t worry me like he probably hoped they would. “From this short amount of time, I have gotten to know her, and she intrigues me all the more,” I said grinning ear to ear. I will admit she may come off as callous, but she wasn’t completely unfeeling. The more I thought about her the further the stupid grin on my face grew. I sighed happily as an overwhelming chill shot through my body. The next thing I knew I was drowning in my thoughts of her. “Though, since you brought it up, she is very pretty.” I laughed forgetting the reason we were even having this conversation.
I felt a hand make contact with the back of my head. “Ouch,” I rubbed the spot where he hit me. “What’d you do that for?”
“I don’t know what she sees in you. You don’t even have half a brain. You’re dumber than a halfwit. And stop daydreaming in front of me, especially when it’s about my cousin.” He shook his head. “You need to focus.” He pointed in the direction of the only well lit building near us. “That’s where you are going to be in the next few minutes.”
I took this moment to glance over the building. Well, the people coming out of it anyway. My lips flattened into a frown. About two or three drunk men stumbled out the door laughing and slapping each other on the back. Another was leaning against the stone exterior doing nothing. He was just leaning there lingering. That was enough to tell me he was already done with life to be lingering outside a tavern. I gulped trying to get the words out. I raised my not so steady hand and pointed to myself. “Me... you want me...to go...in there?” I finished pointing towards the mess that was in front of me.
Luke lifted his fist waving it around while doing so angerly. “Goodness. I told her not to trust you. He looks like he’s going to pass out before he makes it three inches near it.” He motioned for a man he’d brought to come closer. He gripped the man’s shoulder and said, “Do you remember what I told you? That if needed you would go in. Now is that time. Just do like I told you and you’ll be fine.”
Offended and hyperventilating at the same time, I asked, “You told him something?” I bent over with my hands on my knees and tried to catch my breath. “As in actual directions? I didn’t get those.” My eyes widened as a fingers wrapped around my shirt clutching it into a fist. I felt myself being pulled up into an upright position.
“Stop leaning over. It only makes breathing harder. And if I show up with your lifeless body, I might never be forgiven.”
I put my hand on my chest. My heartbeat was slowing down thankfully. “I...I can do it. You don’t need him.”
Luke crossed his arms and glanced over me, then he frowned. “You’re joking.” When I didn’t agree he went on. “I hate to be the one to tell you this, but a minute ago you looked like you were about to die.”
“That might be true-”
“Might be? Or is true," he asked interrupting me.
I chose to ignore him and continue, “But I’m fine now. I’ve recovered.”
He still didn’t look convinced, but I wasn’t going to change my mind. He sighed before saying, “Alright. Just know that if you do die in there, I’m leaving your body in there.”
I slowly laughed not knowing if he was joking or not. My eyes narrowed when I noticed he wasn't laughing with me. And the more I thought about it the more I wanted to know why. “You’re not serious, right? That was a joke? Luke?”
He didn’t give me the satisfaction of answering. Instead, he acted as if I hadn't spoken. “If you’re going to do this hurry up. I don’t have forever.” With that he shoved me from the shadows where I’d been hiding.
I looked back and whispered in an unusually high-pitched voice, “You’re going to be here waiting, right? If anything goes wrong,” He halfheartedly reassured me they wouldn’t be too far away; and that they would be able to see everything.
“Yes. All you have to do is go in, mind your own business; listen around and maybe even talk some. Get any information you,” he said. “And remember, look a little less scared. Or else you’ll ruin the plan.”
At that moment I could whole heartedly confirm; he most definitely hated me. Sending me here was a clear sign of that. I gulped back my nervousness and inhaled deeply before walking pass the group of men I saw earlier. I gripped the door handle and prepared myself for what was inside. Here goes nothing. And like that I opened the brown wooden door.
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