Negotiations

After I had rented a room I sat down on the bed, since there wasn’t any chair available. My expectations had suggested me that I wouldn’t be able to leave so easily after having won against Troef. On the other hand they had had suggested that I wouldn’t even be able to leave the table in the first place.

The next step was clear. I had to find a moment to speak with the governor without being seen or overheard.

He surely wouldn’t risk to stay here for the night. People might ask questions if he leaves for too long.

That meant that he would leave this town tonight. There was no use for Troef in guarding him since he returned here by his own will. This would be the moment. I’d just have to leave this town unrecognized. At least I’d have to leave the building without being seen by Troef.

I opened the window. My room was located on the right-hand side of the building, which was pointing towards the entrance through which I had entered the town. Next to the house was yet another house which was separated through a small alley.

The room wasn’t situated too high, so I might just have jumped out of the window, but it would have left me without a possibility to enter the house again. Thinking about it, I had to leave this town anyways and try to find a less suspicious way to leave than just fleeing by night would have probably strained my luck.

So all I had to do was wait until everything started to calm down. As soon as the governor would leave, I’d jump out of the window, get my horse and follow him. There was still a lot of noise and laughter coming from downstairs, so there was no telling when he would leave. All I could do was look at the small piece of the road that was visible from my window and hope that the governor would actually take this route.

The chances were good since it was the closest way out of town, but in the end, he might take another route just because he thought the view was nicer or something like that.

In this case I’d have to visit him in his official office, leaving the town alone and unprotected. Also meeting him there could be considered a threat by him, which wouldn’t strengthen our position.

The temperature fell just below the point that could still be considered comfortable when the last talk downstairs faded.

I heard somebody laughing in front of the building. Only one person. Then the sound of hooves. More than one horse was leaving the place.

Now or never. I jumped out of the window. Then I looked around to see if somebody had seen my maneuver. Nobody had. The street was empty. Only a few guards were walking up and down the road. I went to my borrowed horse and sat onto it.

“Come on. Just like last time.”, I said as I directed it towards the gate.

I tried not to raise too much attention while leaving the town but after having left the lights of the town behind, I spurred the horse, and it started to gallop right into the direction the governor must have taken.

After a short while I heard the sound of the hooves again, but their pace increased after hearing me approach.

“Seems like they don’t want to talk, my friend.”, I commented and made the horse increase its speed yet another time.

“Governor!”, I exclaimed.

“I don’t have anything left to say anymore! I told you I’d come back next week!”, he replied.

“I’m not here because of your debts!”

“What else would you have come for?!”

“To offer you a way out!”

He and his companion slowed down their horses until they stood still.

“You!”, he said as he finally was able to see my face in the dim light.

“Yes, it’s me.”

“I thought you didn’t speak our language.”

“I couldn’t believe it myself that everybody bought this terrible act of mine.”

“Who are you?”

“I’m the sheriff of old branch town.”

“Then where is your star?”

“Taking that thing with me inside the village would have been suicide.”

“Sure.”

He didn’t seem like he fully believed in my words but he was too intrigued to just immediately leave. The thought of finally getting out of his misery was too tempting. He would be able to live a normal life, and one in a well paid position of power. There was little people like him wouldn’t do for such an outcome.

“I see you are interested to hear me out at least.”, I stated.

“Let’s see what you’ve got to say.”, he tried to play it off. The cool air had sobered him up just enough to have such a serious conversation with him.

“My town is quite close to this place, you know?”, I began, expecting that he wouldn’t know where it was even if I pointed on it on a man and paid him to remember the location.

“So?”

“That of course makes us a little worried, as you might understand. Finding out one of the most wanted men in this country took over a village in your neighborhood is not the most pleasant thought to wake up to every morning. And as I understood he haunts your dreams as well.”

“What do you know?!”, he snorted.

“You forget that I sat at your table. Troef didn’t try to keep it a secret that you gamble and lose using the states money.”

“That’s not how it was!”

“How else should it have been then? Did you use your money and then lost so much that you had to turn into his pawn?”

The governor kept silence.

“Actually, it’s your lucky day. I don’t even care how you got into this situation. I just really hope you know how to not get into such a mess again, on behalf of the whole country. Still interested in listening to my offer?”

“Go on.”

“We want to free Meadow Creek and put an end to Troef’s plans before he decides to pay us a visit next. We’d like to have some support of course but it was already denied. The very least we expect is that you don’t make our plan more difficult than it already is. If Troef finds out about our plan he might just come and kill us all or he tries to use your position against us. If that happens, just play on time. In return we kill Troef before he can tell anybody about your misery.”

“What if you fail?”, he asked.

“Well then we are all dead and you remain alive with your good ol’ friend.”, I joked. “There is no failure.”

“Seems like I’ve got nothing to lose.”

“That’s a once in a lifetime opportunity one could say.”

He went silent and stared into the distance for a moment. Somewhere in the distance howled something that sounded like a Wolf, making the horses uneasy.

“I will see if I can arrange something that might help you. But don’t write me letters or anything. I can’t get involved into the matter in case something goes wrong.”

I nodded silently and climbed on my horse.

The governor looked up at me.

“Do we have an agreement?”, he asked.

“That’s up to what you are going to do. We are trying to kill him anyways.”, I replied and turned my horse into the direction where I had left Gav and Archie. I had told them to leave, but I somehow felt, that they still would wait for me there.

I left the governor behind, following me with his gaze as I rode off into the night.

“Now let’s hope Troef’s offer won’t be better than ours.”, I said to myself as the wind blew around my face.

Those types of people would do everything to save their necks. Even betraying those who offered them help.