Private Tales Brothels and Broken Things

[Cassian]

Cassian snorted and nodded at her words "Aye. When you looked at me like I'd violated you." he corrected and smirked as he ate. "That may be. I suppose I'll have to get used to it.. then again, you cared for your commander too, so maybe you need to get used to your men carin' 'bout you too." he tilted his head at her. "Chew on that chunk of hypocrisy." her grinned.

He finished his meal and washed it down before undressing again. Naked was the way to sleep, and whether she liked it or not, he was climbing back in next to her. He groaned with exhaustion and propped his head up with his hands, since the feather pillows were no more, and his eyes closed with a deep sigh.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

Check mate.

Lexi stared at him like he was a completely different person. Calling her out on her bullshit and her hypocrisy. Well wasn't that her told? She gave him a dark look though failed to be very serious given the way her lips struggled not to form a smile. Instead she focused on her dinner which she washed down with the ale and set to one side. Now she felt truly sated. Well... As he got undressed she debated just how sated she was until she felt the yawn. There was plenty of time tomorrow.

She threw her blanket over him too and then wriggled down beside him to use him in replacement of the pillows she had bitten through earlier. Or were hers the ones Cassian had shredded? Another quiet yawn as Red curled up between them and then she closed her eyes.

 

[Cassian]

Cassian wasn't used to sleeping with anyone, at least not for some years now. But in his subconscious he pulled her to him and kept her close, enjoying the warmth of her smooth skin. He slept soundly, he'd been well worked and plied with copious amounts of alcohol and a decent meal, and he wouldn't wake until their door was knocked the following day.


"Mh...Fuck off."

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

"Commander you're needed in Alec's room."

Peter sounded worried which was never a good sign. Despite the fact her limbs protested she was pushing herself off their bed and pulling on clothes before she was even fully awake.

"Coming, coming," she yawned. "Go find coffee," Lexi threw the half a pillow at Cassian to wake him up before she disappeared out the room in a dishevelled state. Peter raised an eyebrow at the feather in her hair which then turned to a small smirk but the withering look was enough to turn him pale and having him striding off down the hall. Lexi dogged his steps to the room and let out a short breath.

"You called me out of bed for this?" Lexi wanted to be mad but she couldn't. Alec was propped up on the bed with an array of breakfast dishes laid out around him. There were enough chairs for all of them. "Go get Cass, wouldn't want him to miss out," Peter nodded and disappeared back out the door.

"I wanted to say thank you," the youngster said almost shyly as she sat down on the bed beside him. "For you know, putting my organs back in my body."

 

[Cassian]

Cassian flinched as the pillow hit him with another explosion of feathers and he growled at the woman in response, pulling himself upright to rub the sleepiness from his face.

Peter’s head peaked around the door, his eyes widening at of destruction in the room. Cassian lifted a fingertip in warning, a look of don’t on his face.

“The cat got a bit out of hand. She’s a fuckin’ lunatic when she wants to be.” He answered his silence and the cat stared up at the boy with a quiet mew, as though she knew she was being blamed for something. His brow lifted to Peter as though forcing him to accept his story.

“Right.... well. Lexi’s asked you to come next door.” he told him through a suppressed grin and disappeared.

Cassian dressed groggily and threw some water on his face before going through to lean against the door frame of Alec’s room, another glance to Peter who seemed quite amused.

“Glad to see yer doin’ alrigh’ lad.” he smiled to Alec and cleared his throat, reaching to pluck a feather from Lexi’s dishevelled hair.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

"This is very sweet of you Alec," Lexi's eye - for she had managed to put the eye patch back on before leaving this time - swept the array of food and she settled herself comfortably on the end of the bed in preparation. Kain gave her an odd look but she ignored it when she took a plate from him and began stacking her own up with a bit of everything from bacon to sausages and even a pancake or two.

When the other two entered the look on Peters face pretty much said it all and she put a mushroom in her mouth whilst giving him a warning look. Though having a feather pulled from her hair probably didn't help matters.

"Thanks Cass - and thanks for having my back out there. I heard you and Peter are to thank for me not being trampled also in my er.. state," he grinned as he began piling up his own plate. Soon everyone was sitting and chatting like nothing had happened. Lexi enjoyed these moments and savoured them.

"Lexi," Kain murmured after a while whilst Peter told a particularly dirty tale about a woman he had once slept with, and she slid herself from the bed to go and stand by the window. He passed her a letter. "It came this morning," the wax seal of the Scholars of the White Raven sat proudly on the back. Grimacing she undid it and read it. Read it again. Then she walked to the fire and promptly threw it in.

"Alec do you think you can ride today?" Lexi began tucking her shirt into her breeches.

"I should be fine, yeah."

"Let's get packed up people I'm needed back in Evora," And just like that the moment was over. she nodded once to Kain then left the room to head back to her own.

 

[Cassian]

Cassian reached down to squeeze gently at the crook of Alec’s neck at his words, but he didn’t feel he was owed any thanks. “It shouldn’t have happened in the first place lad. But, we’ll be quicker next time, looks like i’ll be stickin’ around for a while. I’m glad yer still here to have my back little brother.” he grinned at the boy and patted his head.

He enjoyed breakfast whilst trying to avoid some questioning looks as he ate, sharing his own stories and laughing at theirs. Then it was over and he got up to follow Lexi with the task of finding his things in the rubble that had been their room.

“What’s wrong?.. What is it this time?” he asked her quietly as he collected his things together and Red climbed up onto his shoulder.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

Lexi was ramming things into her bag when Cassian slipped in but so deep in her own thoughts was she that she almost missed his words. She glanced up and looked at him blankly as if she couldn't remember what he had asked or why he was asking it and then she blinked and rubbed at her face with both hands. The letter had tired her out let alone dealing with the contents when she got back.

"Politics. Give me monsters any day," she ran a hand through her hair roughly, found another feather, and then went back to ramming her armour into her bag. "There is another Templar Chapter requesting sanctuary in our city. The Templars split a long time ago into a million different 'Chapters' and we don't exactly get along but in our city we house a lot of the Orders information. It's kind of like a massive fortress library. Anyway, any Chapter has a right to request entry to read them, but the Commander is asking to talk to me. Which means trying to be pleasant to someone I hate."

 

[Cassian]

He thought about trying to calm her, thought about taking her shoulders, cupping her face, reassuring her. But he thought better of it. He doubted it would help any and he wasn’t about to get in her way and risk another deathly glare or some sort of injury. Best leave her to her violent packing and just listen.

He never had the patience for politics, he was a soldier and had done his job well, leaving the political affairs to those far more diplomatic than he, he struggled to hold his tongue enough to be trusted with such matters.

He thought about making a joke, but thought better of that one too and so cleared his throat and nodded to her “Right... Well, I put my commander in the infirmary with a cracked skull ‘cause I hated him so I’m afraid I couldn’t offer any wisdom on that front. Unless you need me to crack anyone else’s skull to keep yer hands clean.” he shrugged.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

Lexi laughed despite the stress at his comment and it slowed her actions, forced her to take a breath and just think. She wasn't used to having people in her room this long to see her in this kind of state. She did a sweep of the room as best she could and then tied the bags up more calmly.

"You will have to get in line when it comes to the skull crushing," she leaned heavily against the wall. "Yesterday just... made me forget who I was for a while. It is a shock going from that to dealing with something like this is so soon. I was quite looking forward to having another day to just...." to just not be a Commander. To not have responsibilities or people to care and think about. She rubbed at her tired eye again.

 

[Cassian]

He dropped his things down as she leaned against the wall, her words causing a boyish smile to tug at the corner of his lips. He stepped into her personal space, his hands resting against the wall at either side of her and he pressed his lips to her neck with a suggestive rumble.

“Another day just to..” he kissed. “I’m sure they can wait another few hours, lass..” he smirked.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

A groan escaped her lips as his lips met her skin and she tilted her head back slightly.

"You..." she sighed as her eye shut and she ran her hands up his arms to his shoulders. "Are going to get me into so much trouble," but it wasn't a no. It was definitely not a no.

A few hours later she swung herself up onto her horse and winced a little. It had been worth the delay but by god were her thighs going to complain for the journey. The rest of her men mounted up too and she noted Alec's complexion change and she made a note they would have to take it easy.

"We're about two days out, we should be there by tomorrow evening. Alec if you need to stop you just tell me ok?" she waited for his nod and then she turned and led them back onto the road. About an hour into the journey Peter and Alec sidled up either side of Cassian.

"So..." Alec grinned.

"How did you sleep?" Peter followed up.

 

[Cassian]

The woman was wild. He loved it. And the bruises were worth every minute with her.

"But, this is far too much ser, our rooms don't cost anywhere near that much.." said the owner's wife as Cassian insisted she take the gold coins he'd pressed into her palm.

"Trust me. It's not too much." he smiled at her and closed her other hand over the payment and patted it in a silent apology for what destruction awaited her upstairs.

He had been quietly watching Lexi on the road up ahead of them when the two boys ambushed him. He found it difficult to suppress a grin and he shook his head, looking between the pair and deciding that eye contact wasn't as easy as it had been. "Aye, I slept well enough." he answered. His neck felt hot.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

"Aye I bet you did," Peter mimicked Cassian's accent and smirked. Alec began to laugh so hard he was struggling to breathe. "Come on you can't keep details like this to yourself. I saw what you did to that room."

"I haven't seen Lexi that relaxed in a long time so you definitely scratched an itch."

"Is that why you agreed to join up for a bit? Hoping to keep the fire going?"

"Oooff I wonder what Rose is going to think of you."

"Oh I hadn't even thought about that lovely reuinion."

Kain pulled his horse up close to Lexi's and for a while they rode together in silence. She was back to looking like the Commander of the White Ravens with her hair combed back and feather free, clothes meticulous. He watched her for a moment, debating what to say then decided to try a different tact all together.

"Do you have any idea what The Forgotten want to discuss?" Lexi shook her head and her frown deepened. It was what had been worrying her too.

"I suspect something about an alliance. Jer probably heard about our little run in with Saul and Elris the other week. This is why I didn't want to get involved," a frustrated sigh. Kain nodded and frowned himself, though he was a bit more controlled in his anger than his Commander. It was what he expected too.

 

[Cassian]

Cassian shot Peter a half smirk, half scowl as he tried a very bad imitation of his accent. He rubbed at the back of his neck in silence as the pair continued to berate him, his head falling back and his eyes closing with a grumble.

"You're gettin' nothin' out of me, lads. That's your commander you're talkin' 'bout and if she could hear you.." he whistled and shook his head. He grinned at the pair and pulled his horse back a pace as they moved forward, lifting both hands to land a loud smack on each of their horse's rears to send them sprinting forward and out of his hair.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

"Aw c'mon Cass I'll tell you ab-" Alec was cut off when the pairs horses suddenly reared and went forward at a gallop with a whinny. Lexi and Kain both pulled their horses up short at the noise, turned behind them in time to see the two boys catch up to them and then leave them literally in a cloud of dust.

"What the fuck..." Lexi blinked twice then looked back again to Cassian with a quirked brow. There was a scream in the distance then a splash. Swearing under her breath she turned back and then kicked her horse up into a gallop after the two lads. When they finally caught up it was to see the two horses grazing contently by the bank of the river and the two lads spluttering as they tried to pull themselves out of it.

"What the fuck is going on?" she was off her horse and over to the pair before they had much time to scramble back to the safety of the river. Lexi had one in each hand as they began blabbering apologies before she tossed them onto the back with an irritated sigh. "Go and get some fire wood we'll camp here tonight." The boys threw Cassian dark looks as they trudged off.

 

[Cassian]

Cassian's hands were lifted by his side as Lexi turned back to look at him, his shoulders lifting in a shrug and his expression one of complete innocence and confusion. Her grinned though as she had her attention elsewhere again and he kicked his heels to pick up his speed behind them.

It took a lot not to laugh outright as the two failed to scramble away from Lexi's grip, his jaws hurt as he watched them, trying to maintain a serious look of minor disappointment as he shook his head at them and slid down from his horse..

"Lads ought to learn to better control their horses." he muttered and patted the stallion's neck before lifting unsaddling him and finding himself a comfortable looking spot at the root of a tree. He had packed food from the coachhouse for their journey, so there was no need for any competitive hunting. At least not tonight. He left the sack of bread and dried meats by the fire, and took a long drink from a sack of wine before offering it to Lexi with a small smirk. "It ent whisky but it ent bad either."

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

Lexi set about unsaddling the two idiots horses and her own and Kain wisely stayed out of her way. He knew the look when her temper was beginning to fray and he chose instead to sit down after seeing to his own duties with his horse. Whilst she worked he handed the telescope to Cassian.

"You can see the city from here on the horizon. Tomorrow we will have to cross the river and then it's a straight ride along it all the way there," he pointed it in the right direction for him. There was a smudge of white like a mountain. Lexi sat down a moment later with them after unrolling her bed and took the offered wine gladly. Popping the cork she tilted the skin back and instead of a sip took four long gulps before passing it back with a grimace.

"Least there is no smoke so those bastards haven't set fire to my city yet," she muttered darkly before leaning against the tree.

 

[Cassian]

He looked through the telescope and found what he assumed was the city in it's view before handing it back to Kain "Set fire to it?.. I thought these were diplomatic talks?.." he sat and looked between the pair, feeling Lexi's tension radiate from her. Whilst they weren't in private he couldn't offer to help her with it and so had to suffer it with the others. He found it difficult not to go to her though, and the longer his eyes stayed on her the more they wandered and he tore his gaze away to focus it on Red, lifting her into his arms as he sat himself down.

"Should I be prepared for things to go sour?" he asked them both.. "I mean I haven't had a good fight in days.." he smirked.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

Kain waited to see if Lexi would explain but she just shut her eye and focused on breathing which was probably a wise thing. So instead he filled Cassian in on what they were about to be facing.

"It is a Chapter called The Forgotten - they used to be very similar to the White Ravens in the past but went... dark. They choose to harness monsters and use them instead but obviously this is a dangerous thing. They don't care much for humans who get in the way either and they hate other races. A few weeks ago we ran in to another Chapter called the Black Roses - they deal with the undead specifically - but also the Commander of the Broken Sword called Saul. Now Saul is trying to reunite all the Chapters again into one Order. We think another alliance is also forming headed by The Forgotten to rival that. I don't expect any fires but it would not surprise me if when Lexi tells them to fuck off they will get ... less diplomatic."

Lexi gave a surprised snort of a laugh.

"The Commander is particularly interested in the spell I used to bind Gaia to my own soul, it is a magic that he will also ask me for again. Whilst the information we look after is open there are restricted areas that only Commanders can read, and then some only the highest scholars can read. It is forbidden knowledge but he doesn't accept it," she picked up a tuft of grass and began ripping the blades to pieces.

 

[Cassian]

He listened with a look of utter confusion but nodded slowly anyway. He hadn't realised there had been so many different chapters, it was difficult to keep up.. "Well.. If you need me to kill someone or somethin' just..point." his brow lifted. He'd said it before, he was a soldier, and he did his job well. He didn't have much love for diplomacy and frankly hoped that Lexi would just tell them to fuck off so he could have himself another brawl.

Cassian watched her in her frustration, and without a word moved to place Red into her arms to give her something she was less likely to tear apart, and lay down to kick off his boots.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

Kain snorted a laugh at his comment before unsheathing his sword and beginning to sharpen it almost as if he were silently agreeing. Lexi destroyed some more grass until the kitten was placed upon her and she stiffened a little. The ginger kitten looked at her and she looked back. Then very slowly the kitten raised her paw and put it on Lexi's nose.

"Ridiculously cute, it should be illegal," she muttered under her breath but it had the desired effect of relaxing her and she focused her attention on giving the ball of fur all the love she deserved. The two lads, still damp, came back a while later and soon a roaring fire as going with a few rabbits laid over the top. Lexi had drifted off to sleep at some point with the cat leaving the men to talk.

"You should get some sleep too," Kain murmured to Alec, keeping his voice down so as not to disturb her.

"I honestly feel fine, perhaps too fine for that spell, I think she put too much energy in to it," Alec cleaned the meat off the bone of one of the rabbits. "I'm just starving." Kain frowned but nodded a little.

"So you looking forward to joining the cult?" Peter glanced to Cass.

 

[Cassian]

Cassian smiled as Red had the desired affect and settled the woman, the cat was about the only thing that had a similar affect on him too, he supposed that was why he'd kept her around.

He ate hungrily too and helped himself to more wine before passing it round. His attention had been on Lexi again as Peter spoke to him and his brows rose as he turned to look at him "Cult?.." he frowned at the word, it sounded like some sort of brainwashed group of worshippers...Perhaps he was already.

"I'm looking' forward to havin' some steady coin an' fightin' with folk I can trust again." he admitted, the wine was talking, and he stopped before it talked any more.. He propped himself up against the tree and groaned as he stretched.

"You boys sleep. I'll take first watch." he nodded and rubbed his face.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

"It'll be nice to have you around," Peter grinned but he meant it. The group made murmurs of agreements until he suggested taking a watch and the usual good natured argument began.

"Yeah right, you look like shit. Go to sleep I'll keep watch," Kain snorted. Alec was attacking another rabbit leg clearly with no regards for wanting to go to bed any time soon and Peter had begun to lay out his and his friends roll mats in preparation for the coming fight to get said friend into bed.

"I feel like I could run a marathon you guys should sleep," Alec threw the bone into the fire but his suggestion was met with glares from all corners and he muttered darkly as Peter helped him over to his bed.

 

[Cassian]

Cassian gave Peter a thoughtful look at his words and nodded with a smile. He snorted at Kain and grinned at him "Hey now Blue Balls, that's just unkind." he laughed under his breath. "I'll have you know I look a bath." he mused...What a bath it had been.

He wouldn't sleep easy if he slept at all, he wasn't comfortable enough to sleep. He wanted to pull Lexi against him for warmth and it made him restless. He lay down and let the canopy and sounds soothe him, but as was always the case with quiet it left his mind to drift back through his memories and soon he was sitting bolt upright as he couldn't breathe. He wasn't sure if he'd been asleep or not, but his heart hammered against his ribs and he lay back down and regulated his breathing, rubbing at his face. It was going to be a long night.