The Glowing Powder Seas - Surge [4]

Chapter 4/4

Copper eventually spots the black bandana in the kerfuffle and locks onto it. She weaves through all the patrons, dodging a tankard of ale as it's knocked off the table with alarming force, and when she reaches the badger with her back to the folf, Copper grabs her by the shoulders and spins her around to face her.

"Where's the bloody crate?!" she demands, coming off a little stronger than she would've liked.

Surge looks like she's just been accused of murder. Like she wants to run away as fast as she can.

"Hey!" she returns once she recovers, "I stole that crate fair and square! Ask Farley, we have our own rules and stuff-"

It takes every ounce of self-control for Copper to not just slap the badger then and there.

Luckily, that's when Farley shows up, crouching down in front of Surge to be on the same level as her.

"Surge," he says, "we need that crate back."

"But that's not how it works!" Surge returns, "if you needed it so badly you should've just guarded it better-"

"No, Surge," Farley presses, "it wasn't ours."

A pause.

"Well, yeah, I mean, nothing's yours till it's been spent."

"No, nonono," the fox puts a hand on her shoulder, "as in, we were delivering it. To someone else."

Surge's face falls so far so quickly it's like she's just been stabbed in the chest. She brings a gloved hand to her mouth, her eyes wide.

"Wait, shit, really?" she barely manages to say.

Farley nods.

"Like, honestly? No tricks?"

Farley nods.

"Oh my...oh my god I'm..." She stares at Farley for a few moments, looking like she's on the verge of tears. "I'm sorry I...I thought it was yours...god I'm so sorry..."

"Hey, it's okay," Farley lies, "just tell us where it is now, and we can go get it back."

Surge winces, averting eye contact. "I may have sold it."

"To who?" demands Copper instantly.

"He's uh...he's in this inn somewhere. A stoat, I think, with kinda..." She flails her hands around a bit. "Sorry I...uh...yeah, pretty sure he's got like this short, brown jacket, with sort of golden buttons. And one of those stupid hats that look like an eggcup. I-I'll help you look for him."

Before she even stands up, Copper's already running off back into the crowd to find this vendor.

"Thank you," Farley says anyway.

He goes to turn around, but Surge makes him stop.

"I...really am sorry," she insists.

Farley faces her, then gives a genuine, warm smile. "It's alright," he says, more sincerely this time, "we're sorting it out. Don't worry."