The Sapphire Tiger

Chapter 5: A Familiar Face

Leif slept more comfortably than he ever had. In fact, he slept right through the night, something that rarely happened when was with his former comrades. His mind was filled with dreams about the Sapphire Tiger and the many adventures one could have with such an artifact. At one point in the night, however, he dreamed of the general who took him prisoner, that he and his army laid siege to the castle and had taken all the young as prisoners while all who were of age were slain and left strewn about the grounds. Once he'd awoke in the morning, he began to pay it no mind. He never took much notice of his dreams and was perfectly used to having the odd nightmare, given the horrible things he had done in the past.

Luke lay awake for several hours that night thinking about Leif and Snow. He tried to take his mind off of it but simply couldn't. He didn't like this Leif character but he, in his own mind, was a fair wolf and decided that he'd give Leif a chance in the morning and even make a sincere attempt at getting to know him. He knew that this was the only behaviour Snow would approve of.

For Snow, sleep came almost as easily as it did for Leif, though she lay awake for a short while thinking about her new friend. She wondered about all the things she hadn't asked him yet like if he planned to ever go adventuring again and was even considering asking him if he would train with her. She was certain she could learn some excellent techniques from him. She'd gotten so excited about meeting such an interesting person, she hadn't even noticed Luke's strong distaste for him.

Leif, being quite an early riser, was up and about hours before most. Had he a weapon, he'd have been out training in the courtyard or up on the battlements. It had only just sank in that all his worldly possessions were gone. Without a weapon, he felt naked. He was sure he wouldn't need one while in the castle but he knew that Syrrak and his soldiers were looking for him. If they found him, he'd need to be prepared. The general had already gotten the better of him once. He was sure that if it happened again, he wouldn't be so lucky as being placed in an unguarded cell with a crafty feline to help him find his way out. He had contemplated going back to the treasure hoard where his old partners had betrayed him to grab some of the loot that hadn't been taken yet so that he could kit himself up in the town when he went with Snow and Luke. He knew they'd ask questions about where his money came from though, since he'd shown up at the castle in nothing but what was essentially a loincloth. They also knew that he had been a bandit in past years so they would probably begin thinking he had gone right back to robbing and marauding, especially Luke. Leif had noticed that Luke wasn't very fond of him and was certain he'd relish a chance to paint him as a villain. Even if they didn't draw any bad conclusions, they would likely want to see this treasure hoard, especially Snow, being an adventure enthusiast but Leif couldn't bear the thought of them wandering into the place while he wasn't with them and running into those brutes. He knew exactly what horrible things those filthy dogs would do to two such inexperienced young wolves, especially a young, attractive she wolf like Snow. But he dared not think about it.

A tough situation indeed. But he really needed money and he had noticed that Lady Moss wasn't exactly hesitant to hand money over to Dusty, as shady as she seemed. But Leif didn't want to ask her for money. He never liked asking for things, always found it difficult to admit he needed the help of others. He'd also considered that there were plenty of weapons in the castle but if he went asking about the weapons,  the guards would probably get suspicious. It was already clear to him that most of them didn't trust him. It was settled. He would head out of the castle through the front gate, tell the guards that he was just going for a walk and then, as soon as he was out of sight, he'd run as fast as his legs would carry him. With his new body, he could make it all the way back to Arnor in less than half the time it took he, Dusty and Max to walk from there to  Castle Songvale. He wasn't sure how he'd explain any sudden wealth he came back with but he had decided he would cross that bridge when he reached it.

As soon as he started thinking about that accursed city, he began to have second thoughts. As soon as he got spotted by a soldier, which were probably all over the place, he'd be in a very tough scenario. He wished Dusty were with him. She seemed like a cunning little Noctule. She'd probably have an idea. By this point in his thoughts, Leif had wandered down into the courtyard and sat on the grass as he stared blankly up at the stars, which were slowly being rendered invisible as the night gave way to the dawn.

He wracked his brain on the matter for a few minutes before he heard a voice behind him belonging to a very quiet creature who had approached him. 
"Now what would a young 'un like yourself be doing up at this hour?" He turned his head to see Snow's grandmother, who he had met yesterday, sitting down beside him. Leif hesitated.
"I just have a lot on my mind right now." He replied. "Just needed to clear my head."
"I see, dear." Martha said as she placed a hand on Leif's upper arm. "You went through an awful lot yesterday but you're with friends now and you have a permanent home here." Leif sighed and decided to get right to the point. 
"Martha, I don't think I should stay here."
"And why's that, dear?" She asked and Leif hesitated once again. "You can be honest with me. What's wrong? Don't you like it here?" Leif, having slowly deviated his gaze to the grass beneath them, looked swiftly back up at Martha. 
"Oh no, I do." He replied. "I love it. You, Snow and Lady Moss have been nicer to me than my own mother was." He hesitated yet again. "I just don't think it's wise." He said, now looking down at the grass again. 
"Do go on, my dear." She said, waiting for him to continue. "Is it the soldiers? You mentioned yesterday that they were looking for you. Are you worried they'll find you here?"
"I'm not worried for myself," He began. "I'm worried for everyone else. I have confidence in the Lady's guards but those soldiers are ruthless. I don't want a single person losing their life because of me." Martha thought to herself for a moment. 
"It certainly wouldn't be your fault dear. The only one to blame would be that godawful queen. I do understand though. Were you a child, I'd tell you to stay put no matter what but you are a grown man and I'll respect whatever decision you make. But I do hope you'll stay here. Captain Birch's evacuation plan will see everyone out of the castle by way of a secret tunnel should those barbaric creatures come knocking."

This was the first time this evacuation procedure had been mentioned to Leif. Hearing about it now put his mind at ease, to an extent. He still worried about it though. What if they bombarded the castle with arrows or catapults before the evacuation could be carried out? The lives of young children would be at risk. Leif nodded.
"I see. I didn't know about that. I still think I'm putting people at risk here though." He sighed. "If I could fight them myself I'd feel a lot better but my only weapon was taken when the queen's general arrested me." Martha nodded. 
"Oh, I see. Well Snow tells me you're heading into the town this morning. Perhaps if you promise to do some chores around the castle, the good lady may just give you a bit of pocket money to spend while you're out?" She suggested when yet another voice came from behind them.
"Oh that won't be necessary." Came Lady Moss's voice as she stood behind and loomed over them both. Leif stood up right away and helped Martha to her feet.
"Oh, good morning, m'lady." Leif said as he stood up and helped Martha to rise.
"Money is no object in these walls, dear child." Said the Lady. "My father left behind a great fortune when he passed on."
"Oh, my condolences m'lady."
She raised a hand to silence him.
"He lived a full life and left us peacefully." She replied. "Now, I confess that I have been listening and I understand your need to feel prepared. You have lived the life of a fighter, a killer and the need to have a weapon close by is deep-rooted into you. My guards wouldn't wish I do this but I'm willing to satisfy your need to feel able to protect yourself and the others around you."
"That's very kind of you, m'lady. I'm surprised you're willing to trust me." He replied and she smiled.
"You've confessed your sins when you could have chosen to hide them. A continued villain wouldn't have done such a thing. I truly trust that you are no danger too us, child." She said and embraced him warmly, almost as if just now remembering that she hadn't hugged him yesterday. 

Leif sat in the dining hall for the first time as breakfast was served. Everyone was given the same, a sizable chunk of bread and a glass of whine while the children had a smaller slice of bread and a glass of orange cordial that was brought over by Lady Moss's servants. Leif recognized a couple of the girls who bathed and clothed him the previous day but until he was found by his new friends, he made out no other familiar faces. Leif was quickly joined by Snow, who sat on his right and Luke, who sat on his left. Leif was silently surprised that Luke chose to sit next to him when he could have sat next to Snow and battled him for her attention. 
"You gonna buy anything in town today, Leif?" Luke asked, knowing that the human had come to the castle with no money and not knowing that Lady Moss had given him some, most likely in an attempt at mocking him. This did occur to Leif which only made it satisfying to be able to answer his question rather specifically.
"Well, I fancy myself a chain mail shirt and a new sword." He said and Luke remained silent, as if he had no idea what to say. "What about you two?" Leif asked. "You going for anything in particular?"  
"I might try and find myself a nice cape or cloak with the money I've saved up." Snow Answered. "Three days a week, I go into town and help an elderly squirrel run her market stall, selling fruit and vegetables. She can manage on her own but it makes her life a bit easier." Snow wore the same green tunic and brown trousers she was yesterday and Leif gave her an approving nod and offered his opinion. 
"I think a decent cape would suit you, and it'd go well with what you've got on now." She smiled in delight and they spent the next few minutes exchanging fashion tips and telling one another what they would look good in. Snow was more than a little surprised that the human cared for fashion. Bandits weren't really known for caring how they looked. Leif finally turned his attention to Luke. "So what about you?" He asked. 
"I do odd jobs around the castle and Lady Moss gives me a bit of spending money each week." He answered. "I just need to pick up a few odd things while we're out." 

At that moment, Leif felt a rough bump against his back. He turned to see a rather old-looking he bat with long silver hair staggering about with a wine goblet in his hand.
"Oh, I beg ya pardon, sir." He said, drunkenly slurring his words. Most of of the words he spoke barely made it past his lips at all. Leif could hardly believe it. The sun was barely up and this bat was already drunk off his feet, almost literally. He Gave Leif a second glance. "Oh 'ey, you're tha' 'uman everyone's bangin' on about." Before Leif could greet him Snow began to chide him. 
"Blathazar, are you drunk already? You look like you've had three glassfuls!" The old bat looked slightly insulted. 
"Oh the nerve on this one! I absolutely have not!" Snow glared at him in silence for a few seconds.
"I've 'ad five," he answered and Snow sighed and rolled her eyes at him. "'an lemme tell ya, I ain't had nearly enough!" Leif found it hard to resist laughing but his face stayed as stiff as ever. Balthazar leaned forward, bringing himself closer to Leif. "Do watch yerself though, big fella. You don't wanna know what they almost did to the last 'uman they 'ad in 'ere." Leif felt he was expected to ask what happened but frankly, he didn't really care. He was about to tell Balthazar this as politely as possible when the poor bat jumped out of his skin and drunkenly staggered away when Martha, who Leif hadn't noticed had just sat down next to Snow leapt up and began smacking Balthazar roughly on the back with her walking stick. 
"Away with you!" She barked. "We'll be having less of that around this poor creature! He's been through enough without you filling his mind with that awful man!" This time, Leif couldn't help but crack a smile and almost broke out into a giggle at the sight of Balthazar fleeing from Martha as she swung her wooden stick around like a long sword while Lucy jumped on top of the dining table, shouting and egging her grandmother on. She was soon pulled down and re-seated by Snow who reminded her of how many times she'd told her not to jump on the tables. Leif had momentarily found himself curious about this human who was apparently let into the castle before. He'd heard him mentioned twice now but the little performance over the table had made him forget all about it.

Only fifteen minutes later, Lief, Luke and Snow were leaving the castle through the front gate and began making their way towards the town. Leif had asked Max if he wanted to come but he refused. He hadn't any money and besides, he seemed too attached to his new friend Jessica, who was another cat who looked to only be a couple of years younger than him. Leif was glad to see his new friend had settled in as well as he had himself. 
"So where were you keeping your money, Leif?" Luke asked as they walked. "I heard that you only had a piece of cloth around you when you arrived." 
"Oh, I didn't have anything on arrival. Lady Moss was kind enough to throw some spare coins my way." Luke could barely stop himself from growling. On top of everything else, Lady Moss was giving this ex killer and thief money? And for nothing even! Luke earned every coin he ever got from Moss, whether it was hard work or not. 
"Oh, that was nice of her." Said Snow. 
"Yeah, will her kindness never cease?"  Luke thought sarcastically to himself. He felt that all the kindness being shown to Leif was undeserved. Of course, he had no idea what Leif had really been through. He probably wouldn't be so hard on him if he had. 

Once they were in town, Leif smiled to himself as he realized that this was the first time since he became a bandit that he walked into a town and wasn't immediately being pestered to go to the nearest tavern for drinks by Hollowskull. Rage still burned inside him however, when he thought of his old partners. He hated them for what they had done and if he ever got his hands on them, they would only live long enough to regret it for a few excruciating seconds. 

The first place they visited was Garnet's General Garments, a small clothing store that had all kinds of robes, coats, capes, trousers and almost anything else you could ever want to wear. Some items were rather affordable while others were quite expensive. Leif spotted quite a few nice things that he hated he couldn't afford without going back to the treasure chamber before it got completely emptied. It was at this point that Lief started thinking to himself. He wondered if his old partners had been back to the chamber yet and what their reaction was when they found he was gone and there wasn't a single drop of blood on the ground when they were expecting to find his dead body lying in its own vital fluids. He daydreamed about meeting them again and seeing their faces as they saw him standing in front of them, not only alive, but healthier and stronger than ever. He also wondered if he would say anything to them or if he would just grab them and tare their insides out. His thoughts were abruptly brought to a halt when he felt a tug at his sleeve as Snow tried to get his attention. 
"What do you think of this one?" She asked and Leif looked admiringly at a thick green cape that had caught Snow's interest. It was a very similar shade of green to her tunic and was mostly plain except for a lovely dark green vine-like pattern going around the edges with a few leaves sprouting off of it in places.  Leif Smiled with a nod. 
"Very nice." He answered. "That'd suit you brilliantly." 
Luke didn't say anything and brooded silently at not being asked for his opinion. After only a moment of hesitation, Snow had made her decision and was paying for her new cape while Leif looked around the store once more when something caught his eye over in the 'Second Hand' section that he hadn't noticed before. It was a tall pair of brown leather boots. They caught his attention because they looked exactly like the ones he wore when Nidella attempted to slay him. On closer inspection, he noticed a small line of stitching on the heel of the left boot. His eyes widened slightly in surprise. The boots he wore had a small line of stitching in exactly the same place where he had to mend a tare in the leather. It was easy to just shrug this off as a coincidence but he reminded himself that these boots were right under the sign that read 'Second Hand'. Somebody had brought these in and sold them here.   

Snow and Luke were just walking away from the counter as the shop keeper bid them farewell as Leif walked in their direction. Snow seemed alarmed at the seriousness on his face. 
"Is everything alright, Leif?" She asked.
"I'll tell you in a minute." He said and carried on past them and approached the middle-aged Badger at the counter. 
"Hello there, my dear." She said with a warm smile. "What can I help you with?" Leif nodded towards the leather boots in question. 
"About those boots over there. Would you happen to recall who brought them in?" He asked.
"Oh yes, it's hard to forget a bunch like that." She replied. "It was a young vixen who had a rather loud group of friends with her." Her answer was like music to Leif's ears. This group sounded exactly like Nidella and her new lapdogs. 
"I see," He replied. "Would you happen to know where they went after they came by? Only, they're old friends of mine and I was hoping to catch up with them." Garnet thought to herself for a moment. 
"They did a great deal of talking while they were here and one of them mentioned staying at the inn just at the top of the road for a few days. It was yesterday they came by so I don't know how much longer they'll be there, dear." Leif smiled politely. 
"That's terrific. Thank you so much." 
"It's no problem, my dear. You kids stay out of trouble." She said as Leif rejoined Snow and Luke as they left the shop. 

"What was all that about?" Luke asked once they were outside again. 
"Do you remember I told you that I was robbed by my old comrades before I arrived at the castle?" He answered and Snow gasped as she realized what he was saying. 
"You mean those boots were yours and those people were the ones who robbed and nearly killed you?" Leif nodded. 
"They only got the better of me because the tore my sword away from me while my back was turned and cornered me. But now that I know where they can be found, I'm going to make sure they are given what they deserve."
"Wow now," Luke interrupted. "You can't just go around attacking people! You swore you'd put all that behind you!"
"I swore that all my banditry is behind me, Luke. And that I will do my best to make the world better for those around me. I also promised myself that I would allow myself the small pleasure of paying them back for what they did to me. Besides, I would be doing everyone in the countryside a favour if I got rid of them. I know what I sound like but this isn't just a blind lust for vengeance talking. Nidella is a proven monster and her new followers are more than stupid enough to follow her orders. There's no telling what they could do to this town and it's residents while they're here. I know them and there's no way in the world they would just leave quietly once they're done here." Snow and Luke remained silent for a moment. 
"Leif, how many of them are there? Do you want some help?" Snow asked and Leif shook his head, surprised at how calmly she was reacting. 
"No. Once I've got what I need, you two should wait somewhere safe and I'll meet you when our business is concluded. I can be in and out before anyone even realizes what's happened. No one will even know I laid a hand on them so there's no need to worry about getting into trouble." 
"Leif, I just don't think this is right." Luke offered. 
"Luke, did you not hear what these people are like?" Snow replied. "And besides, what they did to Leif is unforgivable. They just can't be allowed to run rampant, doing god-knows-what to the town and its people." Luke still seemed unconvinced but eventually nodded, realizing that he would finally have a moment with Snow and without Leif. And who knew? Perhaps the stupid human would get himself killed and be out of Luke's way entirely. 
"I suppose you're right." He said. "We'll be waiting by the fruit and vegetable stall when you're ready." 
"Aye," Leif replied. "But first I'll need something in the way of a weapon." 

As they entered 'Bran's Battlewear', all three of them were in their element. Leif took a good look around at the weapons on display, struggling to decide what type of weapon he really wanted, which was surprisingly hard, the sounds of hammer on steel just a few feet away in the back room behind the counter. He knew that, thanks to the Sapphire Tiger, he could now wield any weapon he chose as well as or even better than any master who had been practicing in real combat situations for a great many years. He was particularly fond of the idea of a sword though. He had already spent a great deal of his life wielding them and felt more comfort with such a weapon than any other. On top of that, the sword was also Snow's weapon of choice. He'd noticed her bring her own into the town with her, almost wondering if she expected to need it. If he acquired a sword and all the combat knowledge that came with it, he'd be able to teach her a lot. He'd wished he could teach Luke too but his weapon of choice seemed to be a staff. While, Leif already had mastery of staff type weapons, he could tell Luke didn't like him much and he preferred to keep out of his way whenever it was possible. He struck Leif as the kind of person who might take an offer to learn from him as an insult and he wanted nothing less than to end up getting into a fight with him.  Snow, on the other hand, struck Leif as the kind of person he once was. Hungry for adventure and action. He could see a true adventurer in her. Were it not for her age and lack of experience, he would even invite her to join him once he decided to leave Castle Songvale to live a more honest life of adventure than his previous. However, she was young and seemed to have a great deal to learn about the world that she wanted to go traveling in. Leif shuddered at the thought of her getting herself slain and him having to return to the castle to inform Lucy and Martha of her death. There was no doubt in his mind he'd be blamed.

Leif's thoughts were interrupted by a young fox behind the counter who asked if he could be of any assistance. 
"Hey there, folks." He called over. "Can I help you with anything?" Leif noticed the young fox trying to puzzle out what kind of creature had just walked in. This was common when he was around children or young adults while older folks would normally know what he was but usually seemed surprised that he existed while others didn't bat an eyelid at him.  
"I certainly hope so, sir." Leif answered in his usual polite manner. "I'm after something in the way of a short sword. Nothing fancy, just something dependable. 

As the fox showed Leef a few short swords of slightly varying weight, (not that Leif could feel any difference, they all felt light as a feather to him) Luke thought to himself about these bandits who had made themselves the target of the human's wrath. He began to wonder if Leif wasn't so bad after all. He used to be a bandit but now he was going on about slaying bandits himself. Mind you, he was obviously doing it for revenge. Luke wasn't fooled by Leif's speech about them needing to be put out of action. Not that he didn't agree with him. He agreed that they needed to be brought to justice but he was sure that Leif was just using that as an excuse to go on a crusade until they were all dead. He'd probably rob them and strip their bodies bare too, that filthy human. 

Leif had made a decision and was now purchasing the heaviest sword he'd been shown when 
when Luke heard a commotion outside and opened the door to take a look. Passers by all stood around and watched from a safe distance as a lone weasel was dragged out of the inn, thrown to the ground and repeatedly kicked by five uniformed soldiers.
"Snow," He called back into the shop as quietly as possible. "It looks like someone might have beaten Leif to his bandits." As Leif strapped the scabbard of his new sword to the belt around his waist, Snow looked out at the scene and back at Leif with a look of slight alarm on her face. 
"Leif, they're soldiers! You'd better stay out of sight."  The fox behind the counter began to look worried and the hammering in the back room ceased as a rather burly looking boar came out into the shop. 
"Are you a fugitive?" The fox asked Leif who hesitated. Luckily, Bran the Boar, like many others, knew what queen Sila was like and that her soldiers were always pestering people for complete nonsense reasons. 
"Calm down, lad." The boar said. "I doubt he's done anything wrong even if he is. Innocent people are always being hauled off to that she hag's castle." 
"Yes, the poor man showed up at Songvale Castle with no clothes after escaping from those evil buggers in Arnor." Snow explained. "They've been looking for him since." Leif watched cautiously out of the open window as a rather dirty and scruffy weasel was brutally kicked and jabbed with the blunt ends of spears. For a split second, Leif managed to get a good look at the weasel's face and recognized him. It was Hollowskull, one of the five traitors who attempted to make worm food out of him. 
"Luke's right." He said to the others without looking away. "It's one of the bandits who robbed me. His name's Hollowskull." Leif was surprised. He'd thought that seeing someone else laying into this bandit would have made him angry that the pleasure wasn't his but he was just glad to see the glorified rat getting what he deserved. Snow and Luke joined Leif at the window to see what was being done to the outnumbered weasel. 
"Please! Let me go!" He begged. "I've seen the wanted posters! That 'uman the queen's lookin' for, I know 'im!" The beating stopped momentarily as the three men and two women standing over him waited to hear him continue his claim.
"Go on." A female skunk barked impatiently.
"Yeah, he used to be one of us but we put 'im down. Killed 'im good, we did. Shoulda seen the mess he left." He said, sounding almost proud of himself.  
"Oh, you did, did you?" The she skunk asked. "The very one on the posters? You and your crew killed him?" The weasel nodded erratically.
"Yeah, I can even show you the body." He said with a hopeful smile. 
"That won't be necessary." The she skunk replied. "Not that I believe that a few pitiful bandits could destroy a creature as powerful as the human, but if your claim is true then your fate is sealed." A grim smile graced her lips. "The queen needs that human in her army and if you've killed her new pet, it's curtains for you, weasel." Hollowskull panicked and began to beg frantically. 
"N-no, wait. I can make it up to 'er majesty! See, I can be a soldier. A real fine one! Gimme a chance and you'll see!" The soldiers scoffed and the she skunk smirked mockingly at him. 
"You don't seem like soldier material to me." She said coldly. "You're scrawny, weak and with that broken leg of yours, I don't see how you could even be capable of carrying supplies or ammunition." A slightly puzzled look washed over Hollowskull's face. 
"Broken leg? Both o' me legs are fine, m'lady." The she skunk nodded to one of the soldiers who proceeded to bring his great tower shield down onto the weasel's left shin, smashing the bone to splinters. An almighty scream from Hollowskull's throat echoed through the streets as people gasped, some forcing themselves not to look. With one more signalling nod from the merciless female, the other four soldiers flipped their spears over, the tips pointing downwards and the streets were filled with even more horrifying screams as the spears were repeatedly thrust into the weasel's belly, chest, legs and throat. As soon as the screaming ceased, the she skunk raised an open hand, which the soldiers took as a signal to stop and flipped their spears around, placing the blunt ends firmly on the ground. The malicious skunk placed her sandal-clad foot against the dead weasel's face, turning his head back and forth before surmising that he was well and truly dead. 
"Not to worry," She said to her comrades. "We'll find his little friends. Attempting to rob the queen's royal soldiers is a crime that won't be ignored. We know where to find them now so they'll be dead by the time the sun comes up tomorrow, if all goes well."

As the soldiers marched out of town, Leif  realized he had learned two important things. The first was that the bandits hadn't been back to the treasure hoard yet since Hollowskull still thought Leif was lying dead there. The second was that there were posters around with Leif's face on them. The latter concerned him. If there were posters scattered around with his face on them, it would be more likely that someone would realize he was wanted by the queen and would probably be able to tell the soldiers where he could be found, if they had seen him with Snow. She worked in the town and so was probably known by a fair number of people who probably knew she lived at Castle Songvale. 
"Sounds like you've got more to worry about than I realized, Leif." Snow said. "I'm sorry you couldn't deal that weasel justice yourself." Leif shook his head. 
"As long as he's out of this world now it's fine." He sighed. "It looks like they were forced to leave town early and I'm not sure where the others are to be found now so I can only hope those soldiers really do know where to find them." 
"Well don't worry, we'll take down any posters we come across and burn them." Snow said.
"Is that a good idea?" Luke interjected. "If a soldier caught us doing that, it'd be straight to the chopping block for us both." 
"Don't worry about it, kids." Bran said, walking over to the young three who were still standing by the window. "Everyone knows the queen is always looking to execute people for rubbish reasons. A lot of the posters have already been taken down or defaced by people around the town but I can't speak for any other places they might have been put up in." 
"Thank you, Bran." Snow said. "I just hope they don't lead to them investigating the castle."
"Try not to stress about it, Snow." Leif replied. "I just need to lay low for a while and hope nothing more comes of it. In fact, as soon as that soldier patrol has gotten far enough away, we should head straight back home." 
Luke and Snow agreed and now that they had what they had come for they were ready to head back to the castle.