The Warden | A For Honor Fanfiction

A Proposition

It was a quiet morning in the tavern as I ordered my breakfast. The festivities had lasted long past the afternoon, and deep into the night. By the time I had returned from the blacksmith with my armor, the dancing and singing was still going strong, still led by the auburn haired woman. I held no ill will to the patrons for this, after all, any reason these folk had to be merry was a good enough one for me. Besides, by the time I had rested for the night, I was so tired from my errands that I passed out the moment I laid on the bed. It was a small bed, but one that was warm, and soft.

I guessed that the patrons partaking in the festivities had likely had too much to drink, hence the near empty bar and tables around me. Only David and a single cook remained behind the bar, the various barkeeps and employees having not arrived so early in the morning. David wore only a simple cloth shirt and trousers, both of which I noticed seemed to carry a faint hint of alcohol on them. I kept this to myself, however, biding my time by spinning a coin on the bar. I was still thinking about Stone.

According to David, he had traveled east of Morrowgale, having left a day before I had arrived. Admittedly, my knowledge of the exact settlements and terrain in that direction was shoddy, hence my carrying of a map on my person. If Stone truly was tracking a bandit camp, he would likely be on the move often, only stopping to eat and to sleep. Perhaps if I was lucky, he found another town or village to stay the night. If he hadn't, he would have likely changed direction before reaching the mountains. This, of course, was assuming he hadn't already changed course. I feared that even in the best case, I would be tracking my friend for days before I found him. And in the worst... Well, I prayed that it wasn't the worst.

I sighed and tossed the coin into the air before catching it again. I observed it, felt it's light weight in my palm. The silver was indented with various scratches, some the fault of my constant movement in the wilds, others leftovers from previous owners. I twirled it between my fingers for a moment longer as I continued my thoughts, trying to remember any details about Stone that might help me find him.

I was still in thought when I flipped the coin into the air again, only this time, I saw the coin snatched away from me, grasped by a slim, pale hand right in front of my face. I recoiled slightly at the sudden movement, and looked to my left. Sitting next to me was the woman with auburn hair, a sly smile on her face as her bright green eyes stared back at me. Her face was astoundingly beautiful, her cheeks and lips having just the faintest hint of red, with one strand of her hair falling just below the rest, settling just above the tip of her back. She gave an amused chuckle as she pulled her hand away and twirled the coin between her fingers, her other hand resting along the bar. I hadn't even heard her approach, though with how deep in thought I had been, I guess that wasn't surprising.

"Best be careful showing off your coin like that stranger, someone might get a bit jealous of you flipping it around everywhere." She said coyly. Even speaking normally, her voice almost resonated with a musical tone. I wondered whether or not that was intentional. With a brief flourish, she slid the coin into her palm, then to a small coin purse at her side. She wore modest clothing, with a long sleeved tunic and what looked like gambeson underneath it. I could see she also wore a plain white cloak and simple brown trousers, travel wear, if I were to guess.

"I would appreciate it if you returned my coin." I said in a stern tone. The woman smiled and looked away from me, annoying me slightly.

"I think I'll hold onto it for now, at least until we have a little chat." She responded. My irritation grew with these words. I am and never have been a man of ego, but I have always been a man of my honor. And holding another man's rightful property from him was as bad as theft in my eyes.

"You mean to steal my coin?" I asked, not bothering to hide the anger in my voice. The woman looked back at me, and clicked her tongue as David moved in front of her, placing a tankard in on the bar before her.