The Road to Salaband

[Jack Rothwell]

'All the Gods damn it...'

Jade made no reply, instead gritting her teeth and gently unrolling the bundle with her free hand. Inside the leather strip was a selection of tools designed to clean and repair the firearm her current source of aggravation was carrying. The blacksmith removed a long, thin metal pin along with a tiny screwdriver, before rolling the bundle back up and returning it to her duster; she'd lost enough possessions for one trip.

"I get you out of this, you give me my gun back, then you piss off and leave me to my thievery. Deal?"

OOC Feel free to keep negotiating Al./OOC

[Alberich]

He considered for a moment, and whispered back. "So, you shoot 'em in their sleep and plug me in the back? Better idea, you get me out, I keep the gun, I get moving, you take what you came to take and off we go. You know I'm not gonna let this thing off and wake 'em up."

There was no haste or desperation in his tone. If there was any in his heart, it was well hidden.

[Jack Rothwell]

"You even think about leaving here with that gun and I'll use the last of my likely-gut-shot-adrenalin-soaked-strength to geld you after I cut your throat." Jade said in perfectly level tones. "It's obvious neither of us are getting out of here unless we work together, but the gun is non-negotiable."

It was/had been her father's after all, and the last memento she had left of him. Jade was hardly self-destructive, but taking a bullet to ensure something so precious wouldn't leave her side? That was a concession she was willing to make.

"We're wasting time." She murmured. "If you have a suggestion, let's hear it."

[Alberich]

Nice gal, but she didn't have the heart of a horse trader. She was showing she was in a hurry. Aden kept a big grin off his face while he drawled his calm answer.

"Well, 's like this. I'm happy to give you the gun back in town. 'cos I don't think you'll plug me in town. They might lock you up for disturbing the peace and not cleaning up after yourself. So you let me go, you get the stuff you came to get, we take a little walk together to some nearby town, I give you the gun back, and off we go.

"It's Ester to the rear, Havloc to the front, or we can cut across country thataway" - he tilted his head slightly southwards - "and make for Thranel."

[Jack Rothwell]

Well, that was about the best offer the blacksmith could expect after such a hasty negotiation.

"Take the gun from my ribs and we have a deal."

Jade hadn't exactly had an excess of experience in the field of lock-picking, but the chains were of simple design and her tools elegant for the job. As the tiny clicks and scrapes rang like a cacophony of bells in her ears she caught herself wishing again that some of her friends had been there to take on the task. Sneaking around in the dark, whispered negotiations, breaking chains... it was all too cloak and dagger for a (relatively) honest woman like herself.

A few seconds dragged by before a final snap signalled the gun-thief's freedom had been obtained. Jade pocketed the last of her tools and gave a warning to the ex-prisoner as she turned warily towards the tent.

"You cover me. No funny business, alright?"

[Alberich]

"Right you are," whispered Aden in his cheery, unhurried way. In fact, a little "funny business" with Jade would suit him just fine, but not right here and not right now.

He added: "Don't hurt Tubby 'less you have to, though. He'd a good egg, just a little..." - and he tapped his forehead with two fingers of his non-gun hand.

[Jack Rothwell]

Jade waved a hand without turning as she cautiously pried open the flap to the tent, she wasn't the bloodthirsty kind in any case. Retrieving her stuff and getting away clean was the sum of her hope. With a scowl of concentration, she tip-toed over the links of the unbound prisoner's chain and ducked inside.

The interior of the shelter wasn't too cramped at least, although it took the blacksmith several seconds of wide-eyed staring and deep, shallow breaths to adjust to the darkness and mute the hammering of her heart in the close proximity of her goods. It took her a further moment of looking around, and a sense of rising panic, before she spotted the bundle resting damnably under the sleeping form of the dishwasher.

Jade crept forward inch by inch until she was crouched by the back of the man's head with her calves wailing a protest. With a silent grunt she clamped the blade of the knife between her teeth (in case a quick switch needed to be made) and tentatively reached toward the pack...

[Alberich]

Udo moved unexpectedly - his hand snaked out and found the back of Jade's head. And began scratching it. That was weird - more like what a man would do to a pet pussycat than an intruder. And if she stayed calm enough to pay attention, she'd realize that he was in fact still asleep.

Jade didn't know about Udo's colorful military career, and so had no occasion to wonder whether this was why he had to leave...

[Jack Rothwell]

'What in the-?'

Jade had experienced some strange things in her short but colourful life. While not the weirdest, being sleep-petted by a man she was trying to steal from ('retrieve from' she reminded herself) was a fairly surreal scene. After the initial panic had worn off that Udo's reaching fingers had been the prelude to a grab she'd done her best to ignore the inappropriate touching, all the while working her hands into the right position to take back her goods. One had gotten grasp of a protruding strap of the pack; the other was gently cupping the chubby cheek of the highwayman.

She braced herself with a final shallow breath, and made the lift.

OOC Leaving a window for any last second hijinxs. The mental picture of Udo sleep-petting Jade was hilarious btw./OOC

[Alberich]

By careful experimentation, Jade noticed that if she handled Udo gently, he'd stay sedate, with no worse than a sleepy tomcat "rowr." Her warm hand on his three-day fuzzy cheek made him beam most dreamily.

Thus, with careful handling and maneuvering, she managed to get the satchel out from under his head and tease it off to one side. Now there was just one problem. Somehow or other he'd ended up with an arm over one of her thighs and his cheek resting there. His other arm went around her waist and he seemed to be very, very comfortable indeed. Without knowing it.