Hooligans: Adventures Recounted

Five: You Had One Job

"I cannot believe you did that," Oswin chided as Aera and Aylin tended Corus's bruises. Admittedly, there weren't many, but the other guy was pretty fucked up.

"I could not stand there and let him sass my friends," Corus said. Aera and Aylin shared a look.

"Well I think it was hilarious," Aylin added, cringing back at Oswin's look of seething Mom Friend FuryTM.

"And why did you have to follow him?" Oswin asked, rubbing his forehead.

A few hours prior, during the fight of the century, the Fort Strade guardsmen had burst into the inn to break it up. Corus and the other man, Gus Sand, were reprimanded strongly, before the captain of the guard escorted the man to his home. Being curious, and perhaps brash, Corus had snuck out the back door of the inn and followed Gus and Fortin Hara, the guard captain. Corus, in a rare burst of stealth, had managed to overhear some of their conversation, but nothing that did any good other than to peak his interest.

Corus shrugged at Oswin, "Green man, where I'm from, a fight between men is unbroken until one of us yields or dies."

"He was pretty well past the point of yielding, Corus," Aera murmured.

"Well I'm not sorry," Corus said, wincing as Aylin pressed into one of his bruises, "I think he knows more about what's going on than he says."

"Perhaps he does," Oswin said, sighing in exasperation, "But we'll go about getting that information the correct way."

With that, Oswin bid them goodnight and headed to one of their two rooms. When he was gone, Corus looked Aera in the eye, "Bird man, I have an idea."

"Shit, I thought you might," Aera said. Aylin leaned in.

"Do tell, fish man," she said. Corus looked at her guardedly.

"You must swear with blood that you won't tell Oswin," Corus said, "He does not understand."

Aylin used her forefinger to cross her heart, "No blood, but I swear. This is too fun to tell ole' fuzzy britches anyway."

Corus let out a deep breath, "I know he's hiding something that could be valuable to our operation and for the people of this town. I propose that tomorrow night, during the ball, Aera and I sneak into his house and beat him until he tells us!"

Aylin nodded three times, "That would work, Corus, except that you've been banned from approaching his home on pain of arrest."

"I would give my very life to save the innocents in this town," Corus said, rising to his feet with dignity, "Keep Oswin busy at the ball, get some information, and we will do likewise."

Aylin chuckled, patting Corus's back, "All right. But we probably need to find you some less... flamboyant clothing." She indicated his silvery armor with its elaborate patterns, inlaid with rare stones and decorated with dark blue shrouds. He'd topped his armor with a blue cloak, as well, which looked great in battle, but might catch attention elsewhere. Corus thought about it, and then he nodded. The three of them shook hands as if they'd just concluded a business deal, and then they went up to the rooms.

The next morning brought mist over the town, humidity choking the warm air. The sun was shrouded in a wreath of gray cloud, and rain was likely. The party made their way downstairs for breakfast, commenting on each others' various versions of bedhead and laughing. They ate a fine breakfast of eggs, bacon and house-made bread, the scent of which was practically intoxicating. Aylin spent some part of her morning writing in her journal, detailing the adventures of yesterday and revisiting some of the previous ones with a woeful smile.