Eremis wondered what Soran could have possibly done to get himself in trouble with the law. One minute they were calmly walking toward the Apothecary Shop together then in the blink of an eye everything changed. Eremis thought he'd heard one of the guards call Soran a murderer yet there were no corpses near the shops. Could it be a case of mistaken identity? Soran might resemble someone the guards had been after for an earlier crime. Since the youth wasn't guilty of anything, why the hell did he have to go and run off like that? A simple matter of mistaken identity could have been cleared up easily if only Soran stayed put and talked to the guards. At least that's the way Eremis saw it.
The healer pleaded with Cas to leave the matter alone for now. He feared his lover's temper might lead him into a confrontation with the angry guards that would land him in jail. "You can't help Soran from the inside of a dungeon cell," he kept repeating until Cas calmed down. The tenseness in the healer's body fled once the demon boy agreed to accompany him and Jeremy back to the Cracked Goblet.
Knowing that a snide comment by Jeremy would ignite Cas' anger again, Eremis' eyes pleaded with him to remain silent. Thankfully, the otherworldly youth did just that, opening his mouth only to order a round of drinks. Before he realized what he was doing, Eremis took a sip of wine then quickly pushed the glass away. Temptation rushed up to consume him. What was the harm in drinking one little glass of wine? The sudden arrival of a dirty, little boy took his mind off the liquor.
Eremis shook his head after his eyes scanned the horribly misspelled message on the paper. Was everyone in Bizmar illiterate? When Cas prodded him, he read the message aloud. He didn't bother to try to change his lover's mind about going to Swine's Tavern because he knew it'd be pointless.
"I'll stay here in case Rowan or any of the others return," Jeremy said. "If they do, I'll pass on Soran's message to them."
Eremis nodded then hurried after Cas who was already half way out the door. They paid a beggar a silver piece for directions to Swine's Tavern then increased their pace. "Once we get there I think we should convince Soran to turn himself in if he's innocent of whatever those guards are after him for."
Shortly after Cas and Eremis left the inn, Jeremy stepped outside and flagged down a passing guard. "Thought you might like to know that I just overheard a bum say he saw that kid on the new wanted posters over at Swine's Tavern." The otherworldly youth smiled as he watched the guard rush off to tell the news to other guards in the area.
He reclaimed his seat at the table and ordered more wine and a light meal. While nibbling on a piece of cheese, Jeremy envisioned Soran being tossed into a cell. It felt pretty damn good to know he'd soon be rid of the ex-whore who'd stolen Rowan's friendship from him.
*******
Since Soran needed a safe place to stay until he could think of what to do next, he decided to accept Huck's offer even though he sensed something odd about the kid. He shrugged the feeling off, attributing it to nerves and his inability to trust anyone right away. As he was about to announce his decision to Huck, he caught sight of Rowan entering the tavern. The way the greedy bastards in the place eyed up the elf didn't sit well with Soran. Now he was more anxious than ever to get out of the low class dive.
Quick introductions were made then Soran told his teacher about Huck's offer. After Rowan handed the youth a gold coin they watched impatiently while he tested it out with his teeth.
"Follow me," Huck quipped.
While they kid rattled on non-stop about a variety of things, Soran whispered a quick explanation to Rowan about finding the ruby brooch in the fountain. Carefully, he eased it from his pocket and slid it into the elf's hand so that he could inspect it at his leisure once they reached Huck's place. "Seeing it in my hands makes me automatically guilty to those guards, Ro. I know they won't believe anything I have to say. They'd just toss me in a cell to rot then brag about how quickly they caught their latest criminal."
Soran chewed on his lower lip. There had to be a way to prove his innocence. Finding the real culprit and getting him or her to confess to the crime would be ideal but the odds of that happening were next to nil. Maybe they could find a witness instead, who got a good look at the thief before he or she got away. Of course such a witness would have to be a trusted member of the community for something like that to work because the rulers of the city wouldn't believe just anyone.
A feeling of apprehension came over Soran right before a group of thugs turned the corner they were approaching. When one of them pointed at him, he turned to flee again but stumbled and nearly fell when a pipe hit the area directly behind his right knee.
Soran spotted Huck and Rowan trying to fight off the thugs as he regained his footing. Immediately he broke into a run, hoping to draw the pipe wielding youths away from his companions since he was the one they were really after. His plan worked like a charm. More than half of the thugs pursued him.
He jumped over a beggar sleeping in the street and managed to reach the end of the long block before a pipe smacked into the back of his head. Soran caught himself on his hands when he fell to the ground. His vision swam but he fought off the darkness that threatened to take him. Now wasn't the time to pass out! The thugs in this city might sell his unconscious body to a cult, slavers, or a one of those insane vivisectionists. He'd heard stories of things like that happening in Bizmar all the time.
He tried to rise but was knocked back down by a thug who then moved to straddle him. The youth flipped him onto his back, pinning his arms over his head. "Gimme the brooch, asshole."
"If you can find it, you can have it," Soran said, struggling beneath the youth's weight.
Suddenly he was hauled to his feet, and held between two of the thugs. A fist flew into his stomach then another punch landed on his jaw, snapping his head back. As he teetered on the brink of unconsciousness, Soran felt hands searching through his pockets.
"If we don't find that brooch, we're gonna have to start cutting you up until you tell us where you stashed it."
*******
Following a tip from a very strange looking youth at the Cracked Goblet Inn, a group of guards were now on their way to Swine's Tavern. If the information they'd obtained proved true, they'd have the youth who murdered Talem's son and robbed his jewelry shop locked up tight in a dungeon cell far beneath the Halls of Justice within the hour.
