Gravus, in his overly heightened state flinches slightly at Cassia's approach, his hand moving to grasp the shaft of his axe before recognition relaxes his posture.
Hearing the command of his Domina, he stoops to collect the discarded shield from its position near the balcony rails, and taking a steadying breath, he makes his way down the stairs to offer it to her with still trembling hands. Seeing the hole in the wall, he lets out a quiet growl and shakes his head in annoyance, "me apologies Domina," he says, whatever concoction he had imbibed causing his voice to slur and words to run into one-another, "I should'a thought te recheck this cupboard."
Valka is surprised to see her normally calm and wise Gravus a bit wild and out of control like that!
It takes her a moment to get her thinking in order and answer:
"Don't apologize. Nobody saw it coming. The question now is what do we do? First there are the bodies: I say we dump them in the sewers except for Placidius. Him I say we throw his body to the mourners outside. That way they can witness he is really dead. For Paesentius and the young man we should give them a funeral. Does anyone know who is the official owner of this Inn? Is it Viusenius?"
Valka realizes there is someone new and turns to this Luco:
"You. My name is Valka Spartaca Tisiphone, who are you and what are your ties to Paesentius? Are you just a hired sword in this or more? Do you plan to stick around?"
Cassia looks with mild surprise at the blood and she wipes it off with a bar towel and sheathes the blade looking faintly embarrassed.
"That many bodies will block the sewer," she says dully. "Agneta or Minca will probably know better how things stand now both Paesentius and Placidius are dead. We may do well to go into hiding."
Cassia leans her head on the table top, staring sideways at the world.
"Does your dwarf have any more of whatever he gave me last time I caused a bath of blood at the Vulpes Nigra?"
Gallus finishes securing the prisoners. He then joins the others on the main floor.
"Agneta was offered a place as a second to Paesentius, in return for her efforts. She has done as promised and so shall we. We shall uphold her claim to this place. I think I can speak for Agneta when I offer thanks for what has been done here. And because of my future I thank you as well. This is a bright day for the Vulpes Nigra. But there is still danger ahaead. While this son of a viper has plotted against us and we him, this very organization has been seen as weak and leaderless. So we can count on poaching in Vulpes territory. As I see it, our most important goals shall be to establish ourselves as Agneta's bedrock and firm her claim, and to secure ownership of this building."
"Hiding Cassia? Hiding? NAY!! I have spent years on the road and would have a roof over my head. You want a place and the Gods themselves deliver it, and you hide? Which of us here does not want a place? Which of us here enjoys being cast as a tick from a dog, to go where the winds of fortune take us? To never rest? To never know the next warm meal? Or to sleep with an eye open for the next knife at our backs? Not I! This is ours! Taken, by force, and by guile and by the will of the Gods! This is ours, and I would sooner join Paesentius in slumber than to leave it!"
Valka turns from self-mutilating Cassia to bloodshot-eyes Gravus to now delusions-of-grandeur Gallus thinking: “Has everybody gone crazy?!?!?!?”
But even if her face shows she thinks Gallus is clearly out of his mind, there is something else in her face there too, something more positive towards her new ally:
”So your plan is to claim the Vulpes Inn for the barmaid? Tell me there is more! But I agree with you about not going into hiding. And I like the positive attitude! So ... why not? Let's try your crazy plan!“
Valka gives Gallus an awkward lil trying-to-stay-positive pat on his shoulder.
”You should tell Agneta to help us out with the bodies and get information on what people are saying on the streets. Let’s get this place cleaned up and secure and wait for that.“
Valka gets to work piling up the bodies downstairs close to the entrance door.
As she does it she tells Cassia:
”You’re better at talking then me. Can you talk to our prisoners and see what they know? Oh ... and its a big NO for the drugs: I need you thinking clear if we're gonna pull off Gallus's crazy plan!”
The handsome Almorian's eyes are dark and hard to read as he answers Valka:
"You are fierce, muñeca, I give you that, but Luco is not your dog. You will get your answers in due time. A man and his cousin just died here, and I failed to protect them. I will mourn their death, pray for their souls."
Luco tends to his former employer's corpse and murmurs a silent prayer in his native Velondi.
Outside, the mourners are continuing their chants but it is clear by the lack of unison and rhythm they have been unnerved by the turn of events. When spied upon through the window cracks with his dwarven eyes, Gravus doubts from their reactions and demeanor they knew what Placidius' true intent was.
When Valka investigates the next-door domus, she finds it vacated. The casket maker and his family are nowhere to be seen. Masonry tools are found near the hole (tools used to loosen the wall bricks). The 3 survivors on Placidius' side have indeed fled the scene.
Soon after the bodies are gathered and the hole blocked by heavy objects.
"What would the prisoners know of any value? Kill them and be done with it. They came here to do murder and we'd save the magistrates a job."
She says this after they have woken up and loud enough that they will hear. In a lower voice.
"I will go tell Laurentia Agneta her betrothed has claimed the Vulpes for her and see whether she still wants him. We can't wait until morning to decide on what we do next. If the watch or other authorities turn up, tell them..." She shrugs. "Tell them whatever you like and let Lucius Gallus do the talking," after Gallus' recent speech, she looks a bit uneasy about this, "but don't give too much detail, I don't know what the law has to say about division of the spoils of a civil war within a group like the Vulpus Nigra."
Unless she is physically restrained, (a hand on her shoulder won't do) Cassia disguises herself (as a non-descript, heavily built and thus intimidating, guy) and sets off.
"More than happy to kill those two, Señora Cassia Nigra."
Luco's face is a mask but his eyes are like fire.
Luco spits on both prisoners and executes them by slitting their throats.
"Vete al carajo coño" he simply adds while his victims expire from massive blood loss.
Cassia reaches Agneta's domus and returns with her.
After she has left, Valka realizes something Cassia just said, turns to Gallus, flabbergasted and says :
"Betrothed!!!???""
Gallus intervenes in haste to prevent Luco from carrying out his dread executions, stepping between the Almorian and his prisoners just after he spits on both.
The hired blade doesn't argue and backs off, saying what he said in Velondi to both men.
Valka utters her exclamation just as Cassia left the Inn.
Gallus is left unable to follow Cassia, though it is clear he meant to go after her
Gallus tries to go with Cassia, and when she makes her well timed comment about betrothal, he turns and catches the looks of the others. He looks back to Cassia and she has fled into the night.
Taking a deep breath and a long sigh he turns back to Valka Spartaca, Gravus, Luco, and Bjarturius. "You see why I must object if you call her "the barmaid" again, Valka Spartaca." The joke is flat. Humor never has been this ones strong suit.
"Agneta wanted a solid plan in order to aid us. And she knew a woman as a second for Paesentius would not stand without a more solid backing. I will wed her, and bind myself by oath to her, and by this we have triumphed here. Imagine this night if Micon and his, and Agneta and hers were also here against us? As for Cassia,..." here his face changes and twists with an unspoken emotion. Chasing it from his face he continues, "This union shall bring many advantages, and not the least of these is that Cassia is safer now than she has been in some time."
"The story is well longer than this, but suffice that the impression we made with Matilda and Agneta was very positive, and the Gods themselves showed their favor for us."
"I welcome the wisdom of Agneta when she comes. She is a woman of keen insight. My immediate idea is to search the bodies for what they may have on them of value, and then call the guard and alert them to the fact that the Vulpes Inn was attacked by unknown men and that we defended the place. That Paesentius, because of the way they attacked was the assumed target, and that he had in recent days been worried about a rival named Placidius whom lays here now."
"The only question is what to do about these 2 we hold in ropes. I will be no part of murder, nor stand by to watch it happen, but I am no friend of these, and would see them used for our gain if possible, and if not then they could simply be handed over to the guard."
Gallus waits and takes a breath and looks to see what the others have to say. Unless someone has something to say, Gallus begins looking through the belongings of the dead, starting with Placidius. While he pulls coins and jewelry aside, he seems far more interested in keys or parchment or things of that nature.
Placidius and his strike team were carrying the strict minimum required to accomplish their murderous task while staying light and stealthy.
Gallus only finds weapons, armor and 2 sets of tools (Gallus assumes to be thieves' tools to open locks and the such). A cheap small necklace icon to Hextor is found on one of the corpses. A silver ring on another.
Cassia and Agneta return to the Vulpes only to find an extra man amongst the mourners. He is new and seems out of place, not participating in the wailing nor the ritual gongs.
He steps clear of the sextet of mourners, his face still a mystery in the darkness of night (there are no street lamps on Harlot's Lane):
"Agneta of the Vulpus, we need to talk."
The voice is suave and lightly accented, Cassia failing to identify the accent.
Agneta is taken quite aback by the voice, but her discomfiture doesn't last:
"Aratus."
Aratus adds, his tone neutral: "Inside would be best."
Agneta: "yes."
Agneta shows him in. The light of the Vulpes' Inn reveals Aratus to be a man in his prime, maybe his mid-twenties, of slender built but rather tall. His dark hair make stark contrast to his light blue eyes and pale skin tone. He wears only a simple tunic and sandals, covered by a light hooded city cloak. A single small pouch adorns his belt. No weapons, not even a pugio.
Once inside Aratus' eyes quickly appraise the situation and actors present. He walks to the bar and says, his tone still very neutral (if he is addressing anyone in particular or the general assembly is hard to tell):
"The fate of the Vulpus is most uncertain. Liusides Nesor waits. What happens next must be settled right here, right now."
Aratus looks at Agneta now:
"I'll take Wine."
Agneta instinctively reverts to her barmaid role, hurries behind the bar and serves him a cup. Aratus slaps a coin on the counter in front of her, his hand staying on the coin while he grabs the cup with his other and takes a sip.
Cassia intercepts Agneta and serves wine to both her and Aratus, if it's appropriate to serve a guest first, then him before her.
"Take wine Laurentia Agneta, and introduce us to your guest. Maybe he can prevent that pile getting any bigger before this sorry chapter is done."
She gestures to the mound of corpses.
Gallus recalls the fight. The first man that escaped might have been the 'hooked nosed' man. Gallus isn't 100% sure however.
Aratus' lips curl into a very slim smile when Cassia intervenes in serving him wine (and indeed as guest he would be served first. As a man too, unless in the presence of a high ranking patrician lady)
"My name is Aratus. I can indeed assist here. You probably do not know who I am and that is as it should be. And that is how it will stay if you plan to thrive here in Loutharnium. It is actually the most important rule you need to remember. Derogation to that rule will be dealt with harshly."
A pause. Some intensity in the voice now.
"Very harshly."
The voice reverts to its neutral tone.
"What are your plans concerning Loutharnium and the Vulpi?"
"I have given up making plans. Were I to plan for tomorrow it would be that I still be alive when the sun comes up. After that," she shrugs. "Ask Laurentia Agneta who knows better than I how the dice fall in the Loutharnium."
Gravus continues to twitch intermittently during the effort to restore some semblance of order to the inn, and while the inadvertent movements look as though they would hinder him, they almost seem to be constructive (if a little overzealous,) reactions to practically imperceptible stimuli.
By the time Cassia returns, though, this excess of energy has completely escaped him, leaving him leaning somewhat unsteadily against a wall and shielding his eyes from the dim light of the room. He looks over the newcomer through his now bleary eyes, before silently letting his head fall back again.
Aratus stares at Cassia very intently, making sure the intensity in his eyes echo his slowly spoken words:
“Aerdia does not reward those who cannot plan ahead, nor those who confuse social rank, or unique ability. This conversation will be a short one if I cannot find a potential Vulpus Dominus, or in this instance Vulpa Domina, to address myself to. If I wish to order a drink again I’ll speak to Agneta. Right now I am speaking to you, Cassia Nigra, and to you, Valka Spartaca.”
Aratus briefly turns to Valka, acknowledging her for the first time.
Agneta remains silent and looks visibly discomfited, her previous attempts at concealing it failing miserably now. Whoever this man is, it is clear Agneta is subservient to his unspoken authority.
Gallus gives a small smile to Agneta when she arrives, but it is gone in an instant when he sees this new stranger.
When Cassia intercedes and serves the wine, Gallus catches her eye and mouths the words "Thank you" discretely.
"Agneta, who is this?" His eyes do not leave Aratus as he speaks.
Agneta remains silent and gives Gallus a discreet shake of her head, the kind you give when you wish to avoid an escalation in events.
Valka, who is still in armor with scutum and gladius in hand, walks up and stands close to Gallus. She is of course very serious and very much tense (for those that can spot that!) when she answer Aratus:
"My full name is Valka Spartaca Tisiphone. That last part I earned here in Loutharnium. And I plan to settle here, in Loutharnium, so I don't mind living by some rules if I have something CLEAR to gain in return."
Valka is trying to think ... HARD!
"Viusenius and all his lieutenants are dead. So ... so WHO is next in line? Obviously not Agneta it looks like. I get the feeling NOONE or you wouldn't be here talking to us ... right?"
"A better question might be one of timing. For you to be here within an hour of the demise of Paesentius and Placidius indicates more than a casual connection there."
"How can you demonstrate that you are anything more than one of Placidius' goons returned for a more diplomatic approach?"
"Our plan, as you ask, was ended by Placidius himself. If you have something to offer, I invite you to do it plainly. If you do not, then enjoy your wine and then leave. The Vulpes Nigra is currently closed."
When Valka Spartaca suggests an owner for the Vulpes besides Agneta, he glares at her.
Valka returns the glare with something VERY cold of her own.
Valka is still staring Gallus down when she say:
"You gotta forgive Gallus here. He just announced he had plans to marry Agneta so he is talking out of place. I don't know WHO gave him that idea to marry her to get a shot at the Inn but it gave him illusions of grandeur obviously. Gallus is a warrior I am training. He's got a lot of potential but obviously doesn't remember who right now is the DOMINA and who is the PUP. So let's just say it is LOVE talking and leave it at that."
Valka tries REAL HARD not to get distracted by Gallus so she can focus on Aratus and the delicate situation, she adds:
"My guess would be you're in a way ... ABOVE people like the Vulpus ... or you wouldn't KNOW so much so fast and ... and Agneta here wouldn't be terrified to death of you. Again: am I right?"
Valka keeps on thinking ...
"And you talk about rules to follow, the first been that your identity CANT be known to anyone except those that are supposed to know. So THAT too makes me think you are who I said I think you are! So .... so ... so next I think you'll keep explaining the rules of the game in this city, and if ... IF we agree to follow those rules you're gonna give Cassia and me a shot at taking over the Vulpus. Me cuz I killed just about everything that stood in our way, including the big bosses, Viusenius and Placidius now ... plus my reputation from Pulvis Pontum can't hurt ... and ... and Cassia cuz she has the CLASS .. or SOCIAL RANK like you put it ... plus the fact she is a witch must help too ... that would be the UNIQUE ABILITY part you talked about. Right?"
Cassia almost laughs out loud when Aratus says Vulpa Domina, then decides that this man puts the 'deadly' into 'deadly serious' and keeps quiet.
After Valka Spartaca has finished her incisive analysis, unless Aratus responds, Cassia continues.
"I am tired of being a low value playing piece in a game I have no say in. I had hoped that I could learn the local rules from Paesentius. I imagine they are ultimately the same as anywhere else. Know who your enemies and allies are. Ensure that you have more power and influence than the one. Ensure that you are loyal to the other. Bear in mind that allegiances can change without warning. That's what my father taught me, I expect that it is not unhelpful here."
Aratus drinks in the confrontation, Valka’s long analysis and Cassia’s addendum, taking his time to let it seep in and leaving a long silence before speaking, his lips curving once more in the semblance of a smile.
“Not unhelpful indeed. And right on all counts, Valka Spartaca Tisiphone.”
Another long pause. One could even intuit it implies a measure of respect for the warrior maiden, much like a silence following a prayer to give it weight.
“As for the other rules: there is only one, to start anyway. Strictly contain your activities to the Laxium and only the Laxium. That’s it.”
Aratus sips his wine once.
“The details now. The families of those that must, by right, position and age, seek revenge on you. I can dispose of them or you can: you decide. The Inn is yours, as long as you follow the rules. Legalities will be taken care of. I hope I don’t have to mention not involving the authorities here. The Vulpi have one important patron that needs tending to right away. Do so quickly or you will lose what little support you have.”
He gets up, leaving the coin on the bar.
“For now I speak only to you,” He looks at Cassia,
“and you.” Looking at Valka.
“Nobody else addresses me. Control your men, or they will control you. ”
Aratus heads to the door.
“The Vulpi were the weakest link in the chain. I see this as a portent, an opportunity of better times to come.”
A full smile now, cold and false-hearted.
“A lot more potential here. Salve, Vulpae Nigrae.”
He pauses at the door, awaiting something.
Is there any sense that he's waiting for a formal statement? My recollection is that a client/patron relationship was quite a formal thing and he hasn't initiated such - instead making his position in the relationship pretty clear without delineating it, like a senate faction leader with one of his faction - there's the illusion of equality but it might as well be patron/client - is there a mode of address which would convey an acknowledgement of this?
"Thank you Aratus," you can just detect the inverted commas around his name. "You set us a test which will determine whether we can meet the potential you see, or end us quickly. If you can remove the complication of a continuing web of vengeance without this circus," she points at the corpses, "then do so, please. Who is the patron?"
As Cassia struggles in her mind to equate this situation to some form of social or political protocol she may have seen, heard of or read about, she realizes quickly Aratus did hear what he was waiting for:
"As you wish."
Once again that cold, false-hearted smile.
"No circus, but a touch of necessary theater. Carpe Noctem Vulpae Nigrae."
He leaves.
After he leaves, Valka feels her shoulders fall, like a huge weight was just taken off. She breathes out looong.
"Gravus: you heard everything. You're normally pretty smart about sizing things up. What do you think?"
After that she looks at Cassia, Gallus and Agneta and says:
"Now that he's gone, I want the truth. Who's idea was it for this marriage? And do you still plan to go through with this? And last but most important how do we deal with this Vulpus thing?"
The normally reserved Gallus eyes are alight with fury. His hands clench, and unclench reflectively, and finally after wrestling for a moment with what to say, he spits, "Ah, my "Domina" bids her dog to speak! Well "Domina", I am not sure how it is your concern who I marry or why, and I am sure I would not have any idea what to do next. Dogs are not well versed in such things. Perhaps if I was ordered to roll over, or to fetch, I could provide some entertainment for you, and the "lady of social rank"." He shakes his head and gives Cassia a very hollow look that is tough to decipher, and then turns and begins climbing the stairs.
Valka goes from calmed down to wayyyy upset again, screaming at Gallus's back as he goes up the stairs:
"I DID say you had a lot of potential!!! He even repeated that too!!!"
Valka stomps her foot on the floor, adding something mumbling low in Feruz. Valka gets another wave of anger and shouts:
"MEN!!! Always thinking with what's between your legs instead of your brains!!!"
She storms off outside, mumbling something more in Feruz, this time a bit louder.
When Valka is outside, she realizes she is armed and that she shouldn't be and those mourners are right there. She screams at them:
"You can STOP your damned mourning! You were used by Placidius to distract us while he tried to kill us. GREAT job! We did get distracted! But it didn't work: I killed Placidius just like I killed Viusenius! I am Valka Spartaca Tisiphone and this is now MY Inn so GET LOST before you join Placidius's fate!"
Valka turns around and returns inside, slamming the door behind her!
"Your own assessment of the man was insightful, Domina," Gravus replies, somewhat weakly as he lowers his hand and pushes himself upright, "all I would add, he's clearly a dangerous man, and I don't doubt he would throw ye to the dogs without hesitation if it were te benefit him. It may still be better to work with him for now, though; that he's approached ye rather than another who's loyalty to him is already assured suggests te me not just that he thinks ye can be useful to him, but also that he's worried by your reputation... if he's even half as well informed as he wants te appear, he'll know well of your aptitude for cutting a bloody path through the dangerous men who get in your way, so long as ye don't show weakness to him, I think he'll honour any bargains struck."
"Of course, Angeta seems te know more of him than any of us." he adds after a short pause, "perhaps she would share some insight?"
When Valka shouts up the stairs after Gallus, the dwarf raises his hand once more to his head, wincing at the sound, and then again when she loudly slams the door.
Cassia watches Gallus' dignified departure and Valka's tantrum with an unreadable expression. She makes a half-gesture that might have been an attempt to get Gallus to stay, but it dies, part formed.
"Valka. Behave yourself. You've done an incredible thing, but don't underestimate how dangerous it is, and do not treat an honest man who has risked his life repeatedly in your cause as if he were one of Placidius' minions."
Cassia looks towards Agneta.
"I regret that he sought to humiliate you. We will need your help, perhaps more than we did before the deaths of Paesentius and Placidius."
She turns back to Valka.
"If you remember, the day before yesterday, Placidius had the high throw and all he really had to do was keep his nerve. Laurentia Agneta was someone who could tilt the balance and she agreed to do so. Part of that agreement was her betrothal to Lucius Gallus to strengthen the network of alliances. Gallus agreed...for reasons of his own, but do not think that he was overwhelmed with lust for a comely girl."
She waves her arm dismissively.
"Think through the rest for yourself. It's unimportant compared with the challenge we have in front of us. We are Dominii of an inn with no patrons, a brothel with no girls, a gang with no members. We owe an unspecified service to an unspecified patron. We have a vacuum to fill in any manner we choose and if we underperform or overstretch, we die. Valka Spartaca Tisiphone, what have you done?"
As Valka chases off the mourners, and thier noise stops she hears Gallus, vomiting from the window of the room he occupied before the melee started.
Valka turns very quiet, very calm and very cold suddenly. She approach the 2 bound prisoners. For a second her gladius is VERY close to their throats. She cuts … their ropes.
”You want to live? ”
Valka points the body of Placidius with her gladius.
”Take THIS body and GET OUT NOW!”
Valka waits to see if they do so.
After they leave with Placidius, Valka turns to Cassia and says:
”Maybe you see the challenges ahead as a problem. Me I see them as an opportunity. This place was weak. The weakest link Aratus called it. I say its time to throw out the trash and build this place up all new.”
Valka walks up to Bjarturius and whispers something to him in Feruz.
After that, she turns to Luco and says:
”Hang around if you want a job. New times, new leaders, new chances to rise.”
After, she turns to Gravus and says:
”Pack your things. We’re going. Now.”
She points Agneta with her gladius.
”Don’t assume your old job will still be here when I get back!”
Valka walks to the door and, like Aratus did, she pause at the door to wait for a moment.
"Be careful Valka Spartaca. Maybe I should worry more about what you are going to do."
She walks over to the door and gazes at Valka.
"Really, be careful. This game is only just beginning and we have no idea who else is playing."
Valka is very much a tamed fury right now: cold but full of intensity.
“I know what I am doing.”
Valka starts taking off her breastplate armor when she speaks to Cassia (she will put armor and shield in a large sack to cover it).
“I’m waiting for Gravus, Bjarturius and Veleda. Don’t feel you have to come. I don’t think anyone will attack the Inn. But I may need Bjarturius and can’t leave Veleda’s safety in the hands of people that don’t have the ... stomach …“
Valka gives a quick look up in the direction of where she heard the puking.
”… for the kind of nasty work being a gang leader demands.“
Valka remembers something, goes to the bar where Aratus left a coin. Valka takes it.
When Gravus, Bjarturius and Veleda (and the baby) are ready to go, Valka leaves the Inn, leading them into the night.
Gravus gives Valka a brief look of puzzlement, but then nods and goes about the task of preparing to leave, returning his armour to his pack and re-distributing his assorted alchemical tools about his person.
"You have some plan, Domina?" he asks quietly to Valka at some point during the packing.
Bjarturius does not seem over joyous with the current turn of events but he nonetheless packs his gear, helping Veleda with hers, his intent on following Valka clear by his actions.
Agneta is still visibly shaken by the incident. Valka’s last announcement has left her in shock.
Luco takes the death of his former boss with a sense of accepted fatality. He mentions starting right away taking steps for Paesentius’ funeral arrangements along with those of his nephew. He also briefly states he will tend to Goro (the wounded tall man) if no-one else will. He finishes by informing Cassia he will keep in touch and give word tomorrow.
Valka looks at Cassia who is sitting at the bar. She gives her a very small nod of the head without expression or feeling.
To Gravus, Valka just answer:
”I do. Carpe Noctem.”
She leaves …
Some time later, there is a knock at the doors of the Vulpes Nigra, not filled with urgency, but loud enough to be heard throughout the inn.
Outside stands Gravus, alone.
Eventually, Gravus hears a hissed "What?" in reply to his knocking.
"It be I, Gravus," The dwarf says through the barred door, "I bring news, if ye would let me in te share it."
There's a lengthy pause, as of someone considering, then the door is opened long enough for a dwarf to enter before being swiftly barred again behind him.
"Speak."
Cassia bears a naked sword, she's clad in a light shift, her hair is tangled and there is a slightly hysterical glint in her eyes. The wise dwarf would respond quickly, and to the point.
Gravus takes in the sight of Cassia's blade, and her dishevelled look with a concerned tilt of his head, before scanning the room for any signs of disturbance.
"After departing here," he begins to explain quietly, "me Domina, along with Bjarturius, paid a visit te one Tuso Liusides Nesor, I presume the father of the man who visited earlier. Once she'd gained audience with the man, she offered her talents te him, I gather as a show of her worth as leader of the Vulpes Nigra... the task he laid down was te remove a particularly difficult obstacle which had plagued his business efforts; a nasty beast that served a rival family, the Carani.
"This beast, a Gargoyle no less, made it's lair in a nail factory operated by the Carani here in Loutharnium... having made our way there, Valka Spartica Tisiphone laid down a challenge of single combat te the beast, who foolishly accepted, counting on its stony hide te protect it from harm. Fortunately though, the blessings of Korud, combined with some well placed alchemy on me own part, served te empower me Domina's strikes enough te slay it."
"I've been sent here te inform ye of what has happened, while the others report back te Dominus Nesor. Me domina shall return here tomorrow te discuss matters further."
His story done, the dwarf takes a slow breath. "Is all well here?" he asks sceptically.
"You have delivered your message. Return to your Domina, or stay if she has so instructed you."
The floor of the Vulpus has been cleared of furniture which is pushed together against the walls, and it looks like Cassia was sleeping, or at least lying, downstairs.
"I am te remain here until the morrow," he says, walking a little further into the room and casting a glance up towards the balcony, "does Gallus remain?"
Cassia only glares at Gravus, and returns to the blankets on the floor.