The Outlaws

"Trouble is, I don't trust Liskano," Caden said. "He tracked me down and threatened me. I work hard to be untractable, and I don't exactly enjoy it when someone waves a knife around my face."

"She won't double-cross you," Liskano said. "I worked with her sister, she was trust worthy. She was killed in the battle at Escondreda. They spilled her guts onto the ground, but I was dealing with about 30 men." He turned to Alix. "I'm sorry about what happened to your sister. You look like her so much."

Alex swallowed hard and kept a firm face. She hadn't known that was how her sister had dead, she had never really been told that.

"Are we going or not?" SHe asked cursing her voice for sounding kinda weak.

"Don't worry, your sister was tough," Liskano said reassurenly. "If it makes you feel better: it took 30 men to kill her only after she gutted about 20 of them. I know you'll be as tough as her." Liskano drew at a sword he kept on his person. "Here is her sword; she told me to give it to you."

Alex took it and looked if over.

"So are we going to go fight or not." She said trying to change the stupid subject.

River

"In that case I believe we have a deal and by the thieves code shall that deal be made. Therefore by the thieves code shall all who break the deal be condemned. What say you outlaws. Do we fight?" The head of the council proclaimed to which the room burst into approval.
"How many of us will not see the sun again?" Caden sighed thoughtfully.

"Liskano. I know this isn't the time but I'd like to know more about the Elves," I stated when the noise had died down a little and people had begun to filter out of the room, off to fulfill their part of the bargain.
"I don't enjoy idle talk. I will return again soon," And with that he turned to flee again. I reached out hastily and my fingers brushed his sleeve before he was gone. I Almost had him that time.

Caden started back to the inn, and Grey ran to catch up with him. "Are you going to fight?"

Caden bit his lip, but he smiled at Grey and said, "I'm sorry, you're speaking in my dead ear. What did you say?"

"Stope that. You and I both know you have better hearing with one ear than almost everyone with two."

the thief sighed and rubbed his scar absentmindedly. "I haven't used a knife except to pick loks and bluff my way out of trouble."

Grey grinned mischeivioiusly. "Ah, so they were bluffs."

"I'm serious, Grey."

"So you're going to fight, or what?" Grey asked.

Caden was silence for a while, then said, "The fox who hides and runs away, lives to steal another day."

Grey raised an eyebrow. "The saying is fight another day," she corrected. "So you're going to run?"

"I didn't say that!"

"So you're going to hide."

"No!"

"Caden," snapped Grey, struggling to keep her voice down. "Stop speaking in 'yays' and 'nays' and in stupid sayings and spit out clearly what you're going to do!"

Caden looked away. "I'll do what I can," he said evaseivly, and he left.

Caden found Alex, standing uncertainly in the square. "I'm sorry about your sister," he said quietly.

Molton started up the stairs to his inn, then stopped. Someone was following him. After listening a moment, he relaxed and smiled. "Not many inns serve nonhumans," he said quietly. "I do, though."

"I've noticed that," Liskano awnsered walking through the door. "I take it your boy has never taken anothers life?"

"No, and I never wish he has to."

"It be different taken anothers life than taking an animals. Always having on your mind why he was doing what he was doing. He could've been a man trying to get his gets food.

"I remember well the first person I killed. He was a man who had a starving son. He was trying to rob me and I defending myself. He stabbed him and soon learned he was only a desperate man trying to keep his son from starving. Now I have to live with the guilt that in in ending that mans life, I probably ended his sons."

"I know," Molten said, "it ain't the killing that gets you. It's what happens because you kill that man."

Molton sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "How long do you plan to stay?" he said, trying to change the subject. "I don't keep an inn to get a profit, i keep it to keep one of our entrances safe and to give our thieves an aboveground sanctuary, so you can hold on to your gold."

Alex looked at Caden then around her, she pushed all emtions otu of her mind to keep from showing anything.

"There was nothing i could do to save her. I was too young, i got news from a travler, the worst way to recieve it." She replied, "Do you know anything about Liskano?"

"Me and Kasko plan on staying till this fight be over," Liskano said. "I need to tell your boy something. Send hin to whichever room you put me in."

"This is about the killing?" Liskano nodded. "Well you probably killed more people than me, so I it's probably best you tell him. I'll send some food up to your room with him once he arrives."

"Good, I be waiting."

"i know absolutley nothing about Liskano," Caden answered stiffly. "except my father knows quite a bit about him."

Alex looked up at him. "Molton's your father?"

"well..." Caden hesitated. "Not in blood, but I have full rights to call him that."

Molton smiled. "Very well, I'll show you to your room."