Written in The Stars

The third scroll: Eugene

Eugene still found the idea of joining the scarlet Rose strange. He was used to relying only on his own senses and resourcefulness in theft. These thoughts continued to hover in his head as he drank some herbal tincture while sitting in the tavern. Lydia said it was delicious. He didn't think so.

"Are you in doubt?" Alisha was standing on the other side of the wooden barrier, wiping a glass.

Lyre slowly looked up at her. The girl looked friendly and even somewhat amused, but at the same time there was some kind of steadfastness and perseverance in her gaze.

"How long have you been covering for them?" Eugene set his mug aside and locked his fingers. A hood pulled over his head partially hid his face.

The tavern owner frowned, raising her gaze to the dilapidated roof – apparently, she was remembering. Her palms were still rubbing the glass vigorously with a ragged piece of cloth. A couple of lyres were sitting somewhere by the window. They could hardly hear this conversation.

"It seems like thirteen seasons ago... Maybe twelve. Only the gods know"

"And you just agreed?"

"Bjorn offered me a good share," Alisha raised an eyebrow. Not strictly, but playfully. She turned slightly away from the interlocutor, placing the glass on the shelf under the countertop.

"Was he alone when he approached you?"

"Do you want to know origin of the society of the scarlet rose?" Lyre folded her elbows on the counter, propping her chin with her hands. "No, he was already with Rogot back then. They were the most famous thieves in these lands. Another season later... They met Violet. She was robbing the house they came into"

Eugene chuckled, smiling faintly and lowering his eyes.

"She wasn't going to stay with them"

Lyre looked at the interlocutor in perplexity, slightly frowning:

"Why?"

"It seems she is used to stealing alone. Something like that"

"Then why did she join them?"

Alisha hesitated, straightening up. She didn't want to answer, but it was too late to keep her mouth shut now.

"As far as I know, she and Bjorn are having an affair," the girl shook her head seriously. "So she stayed"

Eugene nodded understandingly. This knowledge did not seem surprising to him.

"Violet generally likes trouble. That's why she joined in easily"

"It shows on her"

The owner of the tavern took her companion's mug and threw the contents somewhere into a bucket. Lyre did not prevent this in any way.

"What about Gurar and Morty?" he was still calmly interested.

"Gurar joined the society in the snowstorm before last. He was not a beginner, he immediately went on serious business. But Morty was completely inexperienced. He appeared a little later. Violet trained him"

"Weren't you afraid that one of them would get caught? That they would turn you in"

Alisha snorted, shrugging her shoulders vaguely.

"Bjorn is watching his guys. Checks them. He doesn't keep rats. There was one... Didn't last long"

"Were they sent away?"

The girl tilted her head slightly, licking her lips:

"Frankly, I don't know. Bjorn can be a bit... cold-blooded"