Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree

"Pratik," he answered, uncrossing his arms to sit a bit taller. "Chrenko."

He was pleased Ash hadn't tried to haggle. He knew many men in these positions tried to start high so they could fight it out -- he preferred to just set a rate and get it over with. He had better things to do than fight with rich men.

"Loquitur has ten pods of twenty men each on their way to Reeve Veryl's east. Six are already in place, in an arc that stretches from the west of, north, and east of the township, a few miles out. The four additional ones are a two day's march away, coming up from the south to fully surround the estate. Once they're all in place they'll attack the township from all sides at once. They plan to steal resources, no doubt, and I would assume will be selling your subjects in the South once they take prisoners. Who knows? They might even try to ransom Veryl to you, if they don't kill him on the spot."

Pratik carefully watched Ash's face, but still wasn't quite sure how to read him. Yet. That would come with time.

Gaius raised an eyebrow. "Where did you learn this?" Veryl was worth little in the long run, but the loyalty of his subjects was important indeed. The prospect of his townspeople being sold South was of little concern to him; he knew Tomhas shared his beliefs regarding the slave trade. They would likely be slaughtered or imprisoned, and that itself was cause for wariness. Veryl's township was a fair distance from his own Keep but was very near to Count Calhun's. Capturing that Keep would mean Loquitur's forces would have easier access to the territory surrounding him.

Pratik smiled wryly. "That information is not for sale. But you can check it out if you don't believe me. They'll be where I told you."

Gaius nodded slightly; that was fair. "What about the name of this mercenary my brother has hired? Who are they?" This was something he wasn't going to wave aside. If it cost another thousand that was fine. If it was higher, well, Gaius had ways of making people appreciate their lives more than they appreciated money.

"How much it worth to you?" Pratik countered. That information had been bait. If Ash wanted an actual taste, he was going to pay for it.

Ash smiled at that. It was the thin, tight smile of a man unaccustomed to pleasure. It did not reach his cold blue eyes.
"I will pay another five hundred," he replied patiently. "Is that to your satisfaction?" Though he framed it as a question, he left no room for argument. Gaius was not in the business of paying more money than he deemed necessary. The right amount of prompting harsh enough for the informant to stop taking life for granted usually substituted as payment just fine.

Pratik bit back a sigh. So, they were devolving to haggling after all. "Surely that information is just as valuable to you as what I've already told you?"

"Less so. I already have a source watching my brother, so I could find out for myself if I so wished." Gaius leaned forward ever so slightly. "Impress me, Master Chrenko." A challenge, hopefully a profitable one. Mercenaries were proud people, whatever they called themselves.

"Seven fifty and it's yours," Pratik countered, mirroring Ash and also leaning forward a bit. Master Chrenko was it? That was a new one. He kind of liked it. "And then perhaps you could ask your spies why it is they let one of the most dangerous mercenaries on the continent go on your brother's payroll without informing you?"

"It would have been a recent development," Gaius said icily. "And you make no allowances for the duress under which they find themselves. To find the time to send a coded message is difficult when one is undercover. I would have thought you'd know that." Gaius had decided he disliked this fellow. He was arrogant and seemed to have a certain naivete. Those weren't traits a mercenary ought to have, even if arrogance was well-earned. "You will have seven hundred-fifty clappers, then," he relented.

Ash was getting pissy. But Pratik didn't particularly mind. If Ash didn't want him, he'd just go over to Loquitur. He still had unfinished business with that mercenary anyway -- a score that still needed settled.

"He's been there no less than five weeks," Pratik said. "If your spies aren't capable of sending a message in that timeframe, then what is their use?"

He decided he didn't want an answer.

"I know him by the name Isya Hren," Pratik continued. "Other names I've heard for him are Raelsi Crio and Gylden Kroft, gods know which, if any of those are his true name. He is one of those men that I mentioned who is both intelligent and dangerous. He's the only person who's ever come close to stopping me."

He took a deep breath, deciding to test his luck.

"Two years ago I was hired to get rid of a pest in the East. Isya was hired to keep the same man alive. We danced back and forth nearly a week -- a pain, really -- before outwitted him and got past him to killed my target." Pratik pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the panicked shuffling of the guards, and pulled up his tunic to show a huge scar covering the entire right side of his toned abdomen. "But he left me this lovely souvenir to remember him by in the process."

Gaius observed the scar thoughtfully, then nodded. "I will speak to my sources about this and get a confirmation. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, sir." He handed the dagger back to the soldier it had been stolen from and turned toward the door. "You may spend the night here or outside; your payment will be delivered first thing tomorrow morning. Next time you have something of value to say, do try to come by at a more reasonable hour." Captain Bay stood to the side as Gaius stepped out.
"Keep the door locked and guarded if he stays here," Gaius said under his breath. "I'm not entirely convinced he didn't come here on Tomhas's behalf."

(Alrighty. I've gotta get to bed! Goodnight )

(night!)

Pratik dropped his shirt and waited for Ash to take his leave, well aware that he wasn't going to be allowed anywhere near the hallway until Ash was clear of it entirely. He watched as Ash leaned in to one of his officers, but he spoke too softly for Pratik to hear, and was facing away so he couldn't read his lips.

Probably telling his man to keep Pratik under lock and key. Or, to kill Pratik... try to, anyway. But he wasn't particularly concerned about that. He hadn't been joking when he told Ash he didn't have any of the good mercenaries on his payroll, and they were the only men who Pratik wouldn't be able to hear coming.

"I'd love a bed!" Pratik said brightly. "And a warm meal. I believe I earned that as well."

The soldiers glared at him. It only made him smile more.

"Take care of that for him," Gaius said over his shoulder. Captain Bay dropped back to relay the orders.
Gaius trusted Bay; he was in line for a promotion already. He was quick, smart, and loyal. General Zander had served his time; it made sense to replace him with this man.
He knew Bay wouldn't let the mercenary get far if he tried to escape.
Gaius intended to discuss what he'd been told with Sara and Sera the next morning; he could bounce ideas off them quickly and efficiently. But for now, his wife was waiting for him in bed and his leg was killing him.

Pratik was pleasantly surprised that Ash both heard and agreed. He half expected them to toss him in a cell and give him a stale roll if he whined long enough.

He laced his fingers behind his head and followed the soldiers to the room where he was to stay, getting jostled more this time since he’d embarrassed them in front of Ash.

The room they sent him to was simple and nearly barren, just a cot shoved in the corner and a small fireplace. But it was enough. Pratik set to work on lighting the few twigs still half-charred in the fire pit, waiting for his food to be brought.

A while later they brought him a steaming stew. It was simple, but it filled the aching hollow in his stomach and warmed him from the inside out. He knew he’d been locked in — and noted when someone brought the food in that there was a guard posted outside — so there was no point in picking the lock to go snooping around. He didn’t want to hurt any of Ash’s men if he didn’t have to.

He shucked off a he heaviest of his coats and reached in the sleeve of his leather jacket to loosen the hidden dagger he still had, in case he needed it quickly for an attack in the middle of the night, then drifted off to sleep.