All your eggs in one basket... (Dante/Henry)

[Dante Grixis]

Dante listened as Henry spoke his opinion. He wasn't a thief by trade and he figured that Henry knew more about the street price of items. He nodded to him. "If you think it is worth more, we will try for more." He replied. He slid his glass to the end of the bar and looked at Evie with a charming smile. "Please?" He said in a voice that one couldn't say no to.

He turned back to Henry. "I'm sure that it will be worth it." He smiled. This was the best score of their lives, there was no way it could turn out poorly.

[Evie Perroy]

Evie watched the exchange between Henry and Dante quietly, not wanting to get involved. "So any chance of another drink?" she took both mugs and disappeared into the cellar with them, checking the other barhands weren't looking, then returned a few moments later with full glasses.

When she had returned, she noted both boys seemed in good spirits, so assumed they had settled their debate over how much their haul was worth. At this point, the door opened and three brotherhood members entered. She recognised them as recruits who worked up at the palace, two held permanent jobs there and they were incredibly valuable for inside information. They came up to the bar, and Evie had to excuse herself once more to serve them. They were talking loudly but Evie was not paying attention to what they were saying, instead flashing them each a quick smile as she poured them the normal weak ale, then slid back towards Henry and Dante.

[Henry Renold]

Henry remained silent. Although neither boy was angry at the other, he was still deep in thought. Slightly ashamed of his little outburst- for it was so very out of character- and also still wondering where they might find a buyer.
Evie scurried off to serve a new group of members that had just arrived, Dante's eyes most likely following her, like those of a lost puppy. He truly was hopeless!

As he remained quiet Henry began to catch snippets of what the men close by were saying. He heard the word "kidnap" a few times, and slowly more and more men were crowding round, scoffing and mumbling about whatever the men were saying. He decided to listen more closely, it might be a new job that had come available. He left the egg on the bar, making sure Dante was watching it, and wormed his way to the centre of the small crowd.

"Well, I 'eard they taken a lowly servin' girl an 'er missus. Bet they ain't worth nuffink to a king like ol' Uther!" The men laughed, Henry assumed someone had been kidnapped. His mind instantly shot to Gill and he quickly piped up.
"Do you know who it is?" He was telling himself it wouldn't be her, it couldn't be. she didn't serve anyone, but the sense of urgency in his voice was hard to miss, and it earned him a few puzzled looks from the men beside him.
"Oh some kitchen maid, Jill I fink they called 'er?" Henry's heart skipped a beat. Gill? Surely not He nearly keeled over there and then.
"And Uther is sending knights out?" The man laughed, the rest of his band joining in.
"You think he be wasting time on a maid? no boy, ain't no one gone but the maid so he said stuff it!"
"Be different if one of 'is lot 'ad gone 'ey?"

Henry wasn't listening anymore. He barely noticed the cries of "Why'd you care?" And "your an idiot lad!" As he squirmed back to where Dante was sitting. He quickly recounted what he had just heard and looked him square in the eye.
"I have to go."

[Dante Grixis]

Dante watched Henry with a puzzled look as he stood and went to the group that had just entered. He shrugged and turned back to the fresh ale that had been placed in front of him and took a deep drink. "Thank you, Evie." He said with a smile.

Henry returned and recounted what he had heard. The girl that Henry had an eye for, the girl that Dante had met in the Ram many nights ago, was kidnapped. And Henry was going to save her. "I'm coming with you." Dante replied to Henry. Before Henry could accept or deny Dante's help he added, "You are skilled in thievery, not fighting. You will need my help to take out and entire band of miscreants."

But what of the stone? They couldn't just leave it, it would get stolen from them. Now he found himself wishing that he hadn't told so many people about it. A thought dawned on him. "Evie, would you mind looking after the stone while we're away?" He asked.

[Evie Perroy]

Evie took a back seat as the boys began discussing something she didn't completely follow. She managed to keep up just: there had been a kidnapping, some girl it from the castle it sounded like, and the Pendragons didn't seem to be doing anything about it. Henry clearly had the hots for her, because his face had turned even paler than she thought possible, causing Evie to glanced at him worriedly. He did not look well.

Dante spoke then, his words reassuring. Sensing adventure, Evie was eager to offer her services and ask to tag along. After all she was pretty handy with a sword and wanted to see Dante in action, but the next words Dante spoke to Henry kept her quiet- "You are skilled in thievery, not fighting. You will need my help to take out and entire band of miscreants." Although they weren't directed at her, Evie realised, grudgingly, that she had little experience and would probably hold them back. Besides, she wouldn't want to distract Dante from helping his friend.

"Evie, would you mind looking after the stone while we're away?" His request was unexpected, but Evie was keen to be of assistance.

"Course." she replied straight away, "I won't let it outta my sight, I promise." she held out her hand for the bag, unsure whether Henry would hand it to her, he seemed very protective of it. But nowhere near as protective as he felt about this abducted girl she would guess.

"Is there anything else I can do?" this question was directed to Dante as Henry seemed a bit tongue-tied.

[Henry Renold]

Henry handed the bag over instantly. He couldnt wait to get out of here, and that was breaking whatever hold the egg had previously held over him. Now that he was "free" it almost felt like he had been under some kind of spell, wanting to care for the egg and not let anyone else have it. But what did he know about magic spells? No, he shook that thought from his mind.

"I'd appreciate the help," Henry admitted to Dante, "I don;t know what i'm gonna come up against out there. But if you are coming, hurry up. Gill might be hurt or worse!" With that, Henry headed out of the door.

It was going to be no easy task getting to wherever Gill was in this terrible snow. In fact, Henry realised, he didnt have a clue where she was anyway!
Something that one of the men had said made him think of the forest though, so that was where they would go.
"You ready?" He called back to Dante.

[Dante Grixis]

Dante chuckled slightly at his friend's enthusiasm. Like a puppy looking for its master. He grabbed his mug and quickly drained the rest of it and slammed the mug down excitedly as he stood from his seat. His first true love was calling, adventure. She was wonderful, but if you didn't answer her call quickly she would leave.

He turned to Evie and smiled. "Thank you, love." He said and gave her a quick, loving kiss. As he pulled his lips from hers he said quietly. "When we get back I'll come see you." He pulled his cloak around him and quickly tightened his weapon belt. "We won't be long." He said with a mischievous smile as he turned towards the door at Henry's call. The door closed behind him and the tavern fell silent for a moment before returning to its usual noise level.

He pushed through the snow to where Henry was standing. "Finding them will be easy. The snow will leave good tracks to follow." He said reassuringly as he clapped Henry lightly on the back. Henry would need a heavier cloak, as would he and he led Henry down the streets to his home to get them. He wouldn't tell Henry that their first stop wouldn't be the hideout of the bandits but he would just have to deal with it.

As they walked he said, "You know, you really know how to drag me from my normal life on some adventure." He said with a smile.

[Evie Perroy]

Evie took the stone with both hands as it was handed to her, still in the pouch, and placed it gently in the large front pocket of her apron. It felt heavy and pulled at the strings, but wasn't as heavy as she had expected for something of that size... perhaps it was hollow inside. Dante and Henry exchanged a few words as she doubled knotted her apron with deft fingers so it wouldn't slip down under the stone's weight.

When she turned back to the boys, she saw Henry already standing by the door holding it open, he was eager to get going. Dante surprised her with a kiss, then hurried out after his friend. Evie was a little taken aback, it was the first time he had kissed her after all, and she stood mutely with a bemused expression on her face for a few seconds after the door banged closed. The cold draught that swept into the inn shook her into action, and she cleared away the two mugs that were left behind, deciding that after work she would head up to the castle and train. She didn't want to be left out of the next adventure, but she needed to learn how to take care of herself first. Perhaps I could ask Dante for a one-on-one training session, she mused with a smile.

fin-