Eli was suddenly aware of a second presence on the balcony. A heavy-set, moustached man was leaning on the balaustrade beside him, drinking from his own mug and letting the teapot hang from his fingers over the side of the balcony. He proffered it to Havelock, "Refill?"
"Please." The man poured a stream of the steaming liquid into his cup.
"I tell you, I can't be dealing with these frakking disturbances." He began, seemingly listening closely to Lord Cyrus and venting his emotions to Eli at the same time, "It's bad for business. These frakking sumpsuckers," he indicated the central group of rabble-rousers, "Coming into my frakking tavern, raising trouble, talking too much and drinking too little. There's no money in it." His voice was a low rumble, probably inaudible a few feet away, his lips hardly moving. "Now I can tell a motherfrakking stand-up civilized gentleman like yourself shares my opinion. That's what we need more of in this frakking town, a frakking consensus." He stopped. Lord Cyrus had finished and was sitting in the center of the square. The surrounding crown had not yet reacted, didn't know yet how to react. "That's why I ask you," he muttered in the silence of the square, "To now stand here beside me, smile and shut the frak up."
"What do you.." Eli began,
"My Lord Cyrus!" The man bellowed suddenly, his voice cutting the dead air like a thunderclap, "I have a concern!" Silence. Quieter, directed to the crown closer to the balcony, "My house smells like shit." There was a ripple of tension-releasing laughter in the people nearest, he waved his hand and continued before Cyrus could speak, "I apologise my Lord, I wished to voice that despite the tragic death of my own brother, my own flesh and blood at the hands of a werewolf - one of your own people - this very night past," A pause. Silence. "I stand the frak with you!Pardon my language." Another ripple of laughter, "And may I be the first to say," he placed his hand square over his heart, "Gods rest the souls of those poor, murdered men and may their killers be brought to swift justice!" The silence was broken with a few murmurs of assent.
"And ale's half price next fifteen minutes!" The crowd burst into spontaneous applause and cheering, a few of the men already darting into the tavern. "Gods bless this alliance!" He finished, and turned to go inside.
He stopped beside Eli before leaving, "That goes for you too, my friend. Al Castengen. Pleased to frakking meet you."