Snippet #2579652

Richard

"Hope explained to me that you took something from your school," Uona seemed to lean down towards him before continuing. "And that the school is willing to kill you to retrieve it. He also mentioned the school will not let you return it, which struck me as odd."

That sinking feeling he felt earlier came back with a real resurgence. He told her everything didn't he...

"I do not understand why they would not let you return it if they want it so badly. My proposed plan was for myself, and Axel if he accepts the job from Hope, to travel apart from the three - four of you and direct our attention towards the school itself in order to investigate just why it is they would refuse its return in favor of taking it from your corpse. We will also be gathering what information we can on your enemies and their movements so that you may more easily evade them."

He kept silent for a moment, stopping dead in his tracks right before the gates leaving town.

Nope.

He was not one to be overly judgmental but the ogress's plan was terrible. Not only did she not understand what he understood about the people he was on the run from but given her basic lack of knowledge of who he had taken the board combined with the risks it provided it was strongly objectionable on many levels.

Firstly she was offering to step into a scenario she has little grasp or understanding of the risk that she'd get found out and expose him, a risk that was far too great. They had many means by which to divulge information and even the smallest connection to him was more than enough. She's seen his face, she knows his name and she knows he stayed at this town. All that would be more than necessary for them to narrow down their search and knowing who was spear-heading the hunt it would not be long before he's found. He had estimated it would take them at least a few years to find his trail. With her plan it'd be more like a few weeks.


"Look, do not take this in the wrong way but I would much prefer it if you were to dedicate your efforts into a different venue. I have not the funds to pay for either of you and quite frankly the plan you've constructed makes me significantly less safe, not more. I'm adequately protected with the current security I've employed so I honestly need no more people than this. So I just ask, please... Just please find alternative work. My deepest apologies if you were misled."

After finishing his humble plea he finally took in a deep breath, exhausted both from the stress and the lengthy amount of talking he just did. He didn't mean to work himself up like so but the thought of what unsightly fates would await him if he were caught really did scare him. They would probably disassemble Validus too. A very depressing thought indeed.


"We'll be fine with hunting, by the way," Altara broke up the heavy silence that briefly followed his sentence.
"Or at least, I will. Don't know about your tastes, though, Richard...hey, Lyra, you ever eat bear meat cooked
over a fire?"

Her idle chatter helped distract him from the more depressing thoughts of his. In response to her verbal train of thought he just shrugged.

"I guess we'll both find out."