with a side of patrol

Vickary lead the party through the brazers and shops, Alex followed right on her heels with Nellara and Marium keeping close behind.

Uniforms have a funny effect, in normal times they are unifying and make it easy to pick a friend out of a crowd. But when you're under threat and there is unrest that uniform can put a target on you that can be felt. Not withstanding the members of the Street who were under Vickary's authority still wore their uniforms.

They were a product of her own design, and somehow managed to walk the fine line between rustic prairie girl and dominatrix. Mostly a deep brown, but with green and black accents veining their way along every hem and pleat, patterned into angular thorns with rats hidden among them. She'd also been instrumental in redoing the guild seal to the face of a rat wearing a wreath of thorns as a neck-ruff. It was appropriately symbolic for the guild, without any gaudy pretense the Street had literally climbed their way out of the gutter and city underbelly to be a legitimate merchant guild, and while every merchant guild dealt with smuggling the Street never made it a secret.

They were still regarded as dirty rats, but they were also respected for the thorns that guilds of the past had pricked themselves on. Most of the members and operatives of the guild were like Marium, someone left to fend for themselves in the gutters of civilization, abandoned by the civilized and exploited by the unscrupulous. Vickary and Spike had both been similar children, and together they decided to make the Street a place for people like themselves to make a home, it wouldn't be a pretty existence, but it would be a safe home for the forgotten.

Alex watched as local customers and shopkeepers interacted with Vickary. When he first met her she was a dirty child tossed into a war as fodder for getting caught trying to pick-pocket a mercenary captain. Her growth was stunted by malnutrition, she never looked higher than anyone's kneecaps, and she shrunk as small as possible whenever he tried to speak with her. Several decades later and the "filthy rat" was walking with a commanding air, demanding respect for her place and accomplishments. She wielded power and everyone knew it, not something as simple as money, but real power--her whims could decide the future of anyone here who dealt with her. Her interactions were treated with a mixture of awe and deliberate caution.

Alex thought about his past, her past, and what Nellara had said to him that morning. As a boy Alex wanted to be a hero to save the world from the evils that were out there, but as an adult it got muddy and he lost his way. Then when his ambition lead him to a path that cost the lives of his closest friends he had fallen into despair, that guilt would follow him forever. But maybe he had done some good too, he was no saint, nor was Vickary, but saving her had been the right thing to do; he was sure of that.

Vickary for her part was dealing with more than just the food requirements of the guild. She was trading information and loyalties. The brewing thieves war was affecting the trade of the whole city, there was no official police **** and so long as no orcs died the council wouldn't get involved so anyone who dealt in trade was bargaining for their future.

Nellara and Marium were much more genuine in their dealings, gossiping and admiring the wares of the shops as young women are prone too. Incidentally their antics and chatter were the perfect cover for Vickary to deal in business as they made it difficult for Alex to sometimes hear Vickary's conversations.

Alex was likewise doing his due diligence, and scanned the buildings and streets looking for any tails that they might have acquired. But for the most part the excursion had been uneventful.

Close to noon Vickary started to wrap up the dealings, she had also brought a satchel to collect request contracts. Alex knew that she couldn't read, but she had sharp senses and was an expert at reading people, so if they were trying to be false in their dealings she would have caught on before accepting the contract, Spike would handle the details later she was the negotiator.

Being as it was close to meal time the two girls convinced Vickary that they should eat out at one of the nicer establishments in town. Vickary relented after some debate, agreeing that dining out was a good way to reinforce their legitimacy as a guild, and their resolve to remain a public ****.

The establishment chosen was locally renowned for their fine cakes and Praenomen deserts, an expensive and mostly frivolous decision. But Nellara had leveraged it on the principle that if she could learn how to replicate their recipes the Street could cut in on their business by providing the information to one of her close friends who owned a local bakery. The street was well established, connected and financially stable enough to afford the expense, and since they had already attempted to steal the recipe they already knew that the chef who made the cakes kept the recipe safe inside his skull.

"If this doesn't work I'll bring Demon out here to see if she can fish the knowledge directly out of his brain." Alex nonchalantly added to the mounting arguments before Vickary relented.

"Are you offering to pay for the meal?" Vickary asked incredulously.

"Not this time," Alex grinned, "I'm just the bodyguard, so I'll have to taste all the food before we know it's safe."

"WHAT?" Nellara wasn't sure she wanted to share.

"You can have some of mine." Marium said a little too wistfully.

"Don't be absurd," Vickary cut off the young woman's fantasy, "Alex will have his own plate, so you won't need to feed him from yours."

Marium pouted slightly but Nellara perked up, "Haha! You just agreed to lunch!"

Vickary sighed, "This is your fault." She said sticking her finger into Alex's breastplate before leading the way to the restaurant.

The meal itself was less than what Nellara was already capable of making, but the smells of the confectioneries were a scent unfamiliar in this part of the world. Alex had some exposure to the concept of deserts from spending over a decade traveling with several women, but the glee of trying something for the first time was a refreshing sight. Alex surmised that Vickary would enjoy the treats, but wouldn't admit to it in public, however he also expected the two young ladies wouldn't have any such reserve.

And in true form the deserts were as Alex expected, made from ingredients that didn't grow in the regions around Grumen 'Kal, meaning most of the price tag for the deserts got wrapped up in the price of shiping the perishable ingredients like wild berries from the other side of the mountains, closer to the coast. Here the land was quite a bit dryer and the berries were more bitter.

Despite her great delight Nellara still managed to study the cakes and icing with the critical eye of a professional cook. Speculating on the various ingredients and methods to create the textures. Vickary joined her in the examination of the desserts while Marium took more joy in trying to feed her entire cake to Alex, who for his part just wanted the berry sauce drizzle from the top.

"Why Mistress Vickary," a haughty voice interrupted their enjoyment, "It is such a pleasure to see you in public enjoying yourself. You really do work yourself too hard somedays."

Managing to turn to the overdressed...gentleman, Vickary managed to lack any apparent disdain for the gaudy, pompous and presumptuous man. "Why Regie, what a pleasant surprise. I didn't know you were back in town. What time can we expect you at the guild?"

"Well," he hemmed, "About that. I'm afraid that I'm just passing through at the moment on my way out of town. I'm only here for the night and I'm leaving first thing in the morning."

"Such a pity," Vickary sighed dramatically, "I was really hoping that in those clothes you'd finally earned what you needed to pay off your debts to our establishment. I know you still have a year, but interest is a dangerous thing to let accumulate."

"Ahh, yes," a nervous chuckle, "I'm afraid that I have no currency on me at the moment. I put it all into merchandise that I plan to sell in Tut 'Tal. I should be able to pay that in full on my way back."

"Absolutely no currency? How did you secure supplies and guards?"

"Well, I needed to call in a few favors from local merchants and I got a bit lucky to find these lads, we're both going the same direction and they've agreed to take the remainder of their service contract on arrival."

"And you're sure they're a good investment with that agreement?"

"Oh yes, they come highly recommended from a friend of mine. Tells me they saved him from a Chimera a few days ago."

Vickary cocked her head to the side and eyed the two lads behind the merchant for the first time. "Killed a Chimera did you?"

"Well, Alex did most of the work." Edward pointed to Alex at the table.

"Don't be ridiculous," Alex bounced back, "I just held the head still, you boys earned the killing blows."

"At your direction," the young Alexander added, "You said to go for the jugular so we did."

The merchant, Vickary, and both girls were looking back and forth during the exchange.

Reginald, the merchant spoke first, "You lads know this man?"

"He personally trained us on the trip south from Willowbridge where we met him." Alexander explained, "It was his directions and training that enabled us to save Heinrich and his caravan. He would have stayed behind to help, but free assistance is bad business for a mercenary like him."

"Mercenary," Reginald's eye's suddenly lit up, "You're the mercenary who advised my friend Heinrich on how to harvest the valuable parts of the chimera corpse, aren't you?"

Alex nodded, "Yes, the guards were all debating what to do with the body. I gave them some pointers and left them to the tasks. As for the lads, they're young and lack experience, but they have all the basics down and have better instincts than most of the professional soldiers I've met in my life. You made a good investment by hiring them."

"Thank you," the merchant said, "As I'm sure they told you then they're planing on heading to the annuls to learn about the demise of Alexander Lionheart. I think it's nonsense to want to be heroes in this day, with the lack of great calamities and all that."

"Heroes aren't made from greatness, Regie," Vickary cut in sharply, "You shouldn't mock the youth for dreaming."

She looked to the two lads, "Why the interest in Alaxander Lionheart?"

Young Alexander shifted slightly, "My life was saved by him as a child. He gave me some advice when he did and I've wanted to follow his example ever since. I know he was last seen at Tutmanu 'Taliku, but I want to know where he went and why he never came back."

Vickary pondered, "Is it right to assume that you're ambition is personal then and not political?"

The young Alexander was baffled and slightly offended, "The man was the epitome of heroism, I would be honored to be half the man who saved my life."

Vickary chuckled, it was perhaps the most maternal sound she'd made since leaving the guildhall that morning, "There's a lot about the Lionheart you've yet to learn. There were sides of him that only his friends knew about. He was flawed and human like the rest of us, but he was truly a hero in every way that mattered."

Always the quick one Edward spoke up, "If you don't mind the asking, ma'am, how well did you know Alexander Lionheart?"

"He's the best friend I ever had, and my own personal hero too, my white knight..." her voice trailed off into thought before she came to a decision, "Let me tell you boys a story, about the man whose shadow you're chasing. And with it some advice for if you're serious about becoming heroes."

She rose to her feet, majestic and wise. Height was irreverent when one possesses authority, and from that authority she prepared to teach from her acquired wisdom.