A Drowned Whelp

Chapter 14

"My feet hurt!" Miranda complained, her accent rough enough to cut through stones.

"So very glad I'm a bloke," Hill noted, inspecting the heels as the woman just let out another sound of defeat. They were expensive, the kind of brands that few people would ever see in real life, forget own a pair. Blood was crusted on the heel and along with the straps that went over toes with the soles scuffed badly ruining the things. Miranda had been running in these. Not a great idea. No heels were designed to be good from running in but these, in particular, were purely a cosmetic pair of shoes. "My footwear is always good for escaping in," he noted, placing the shoe on the table.

Miranda peeked up from behind her mess of blond hair, her dark roots beginning to show. Her entire look was worn and near tatters. It had clearly begun as a rich young woman look. Between the platinum dyed hair, makeup crumbling off her face and a purple evening gown that had several splatters and tears on it now, it was clear upon getting closer to her that something had happened. Her blue eyes pierced into him as she glared at him. She sat back up sharply before angrily grabbing some chopsticks and starting to eat messily. A deep scowl still on her face as she slurped up the noddles.

Hill ate his own food calmly, not missing how people were shifting around them. Any empty tables near them had gang members on and any locals who moved were quickly replaced. Xin and another member openly sat with them, Xin's knee brushing against his. Miranda's eyes flickered over to them but didn't acknowledge the two people who were clearly guarding Hill.

"I messed up," Miranda exhaled, as she finished her angry silent rant in the noodles. Her rough accent disappearing as she switched to the noble's tongue. Hill wasn't certain how well it would work to mask their conversation. The noble's tongue was used in the upper circles and also the traders. It wasn't the hardest of the dialects to pick up if a person had a natural inclination towards languages, but wasn't one many knew unless they were in those circles. "I knew you were missing from Sondrift and were hoping you had made your way here. At least that part of my luck did not fail me.

"We all do at some point," Hill noted, playing along and speaking in noble tongues. "Though how bad you have to mess up to come into a dangerous den on the hope I was here and able to help is concerning," he said. Miranda was going to need some new clothes and shoes to start with. That wouldn't be too much of an issue unless they decided to make things difficult for him.

"I free fell from a cruise ship into the bay after some of his men tried to have me killed," Miranda said bluntly.

"I swam from a ship after slavers kidnapped me from my current team," Hill offered back, passing a shoe to the second gang member who had sat with them. Jun, a local who Hill remembered from his previous time with the gang. He was a loyal man and Hill had always had a respectful relationship with him. "Jun, could you see if any of the girls have better clothes for Miranda? And some shoes she can actually run in?" he switched to the native tongue to talk to Jun.

Jun's eyes sparkled with curiosity and Miranda's turned blank. Hill took note of both. Miranda didn't trust him completely then. Good, she was being somewhat smart about this. Jun took the shoe slowly and frowned. "I can ask," he shrugged. "Who is she?"

"An old colleague and friend," Hill said in common. Miranda looked at Hill.