Made it Up

"Cinder! Where's the carriage!" Osric yells at the group behind him, trying to catch up.

"At an Inn near the near the entrance!" She yells back.

"That doesn't help me," He replies, stepping off the sidewalk to cut through the grass.

Cinder jogs in front of him as they pass the courtyard fountain. "I will show you the way."

Randolf catches up too.

"What's the hurry?" he asks.

"We're leaving. What's wrong with that?" Osric shrugs, throwing his hands up.

"Master!"

Elayne's mother runs after them, dragging Elayne.

"Master! I don't know how to thank you. I thought I was never going to see my daughter again. I'll do anything—"

"You don't need to." Osric stops her. "Just tell me your name."

She stops, a smile spreads over her face.

"Helen."

The sound of clacking metal grows louder behind them.

“Hold it!”

Lady Veronica speeds by, stopping them.

“On the way here, you promised me you would prove the lord was accepting bribes. ”

“The evidence is all there. You can figure it out,” Osric says, stepping around her.

“Might I remind you that both of you killed four individuals here in Silverquay? You are not free to leave.”

She reaches around, grabbing Osric's arm and pulling him back. Osric stumbles, putting both hands in the air.

“It was self-defense!” he exclaims.

“That still has to be proven in court,” she argues.

Osric scoffs. “What — we have to go before that corrupt Lord? Not happening.”

“How do you know he’s corrupt?” she asks, her eyes narrowing.

“Hah! It should be obvious,” he says, turning on his sage voice.

He poses, thrusting his open hand out toward her.

"All the pieces are already there — you just need to put them together. The fact that Broadhold was nowhere to be seen after the incident, Lord… whatever his name is, stopping you from investigating, the lock on the mortuary door. And I'm sure you have even more evidence. You put that all together, and the conclusion is — Broadhold paid the Lord off to cover up for his mercenaries," he explains.

"This is just evidence! I need proof!" She shouts.

"You call yourself a sage and you can't give me undeniable proof that the Lord is taking bribes. Something like your magic liquid — a magic liquid that only bubbles when poured on the guilty!"

"A liquid like that doesn't exist. All you can do is gather as much evidence as you can and present it to the judge, or whoever." he says, trying to step around her.

She blocks him, sticking her leg out.

"But I've tried that," she shouts again, her voice straining. "All it does is get me kick out of the capital — and sent here to this vile place to act as some puppet guard captain!"

Her shouting echoes through the courtyard. Everyone listens in silence.

The capital? Osric thinks, scratching his chin. She's someone important — Well, people do call her "Lady" Veronica. It might be a good idea to get in her good graces...

"Come down here," Osric beckons. "I will share with you more of the Sage's wisdom."

She kneels down.

"Who did you present your evidence to? The king?" he whispers in her ear.

"No, of course not!" she belts out.

"Shh!" Osric shushes her, covering his ringing ear

"Have you tried showing your findings to the people — the masses?"

"No."

"If you truly believe that the powers that be are corrupt, show your findings to the people. I know of a few places where that was enough to unite the masses," Osric says, giving her a wink.

"Are you suggesting I incite a revolution?" She whispers.

Osric uncovers his ear. "You said it not me."

Osric pats her armored shoulder before pushing her back to her feet.

"You didn't see us here today, alright?" Osric says, brushing past her.

The rest brush by her as she stands there, brow furrowed, her armored foot clacking as she taps it.

>>>

They make it back to the City. Osric stares in disgust at the packed street they're about to embark down. The evening orange sun bounces off the windows of the colorful buildings into his eyes, only irritating him further. This place is too crowded, I hate it.

"And then there were big scary men all around us, and I was scared. But then he said some funny words and a big ball of fire appeared."

"My, I'm glad you're okay!" Helen exclaims, throwing a hand over her mouth.

He listens in on Elanye and Helen behind him. Elayne skips along, holding her mother's hand as the two lag behind. Elayne's tail occasionally peeking out from behind her — it's wagging. Seeing her tail wag brightens his mood slightly.

The group blends into the crowd. Osric takes several hits from the heels of those in front. He's bumped from behind, stumbles forward, and is falling — he's lifted. Randolf sets him on his shoulders. This is much better, He thinks, gazing at the sea of heads beyond him.

"I fully believed there was no way to solve that without violence, I'm impressed," Randolf admits.

"Oh I still planned to use violence."

"Really?" Randolf peeks up at him.

"Well, I had to think of a way to get Broadhold's slave to lower the knife and to lure them out of the guardhouse to somewhere more secluded. The bet was just the way to do that. Even if I lost, there's no way I was going to be that guy's slave. I was confident that the two of us could take his slaves and even Lady Veronica, if we separated them."

"You might be overestimating your old man a bit," Randolf admits.

"Come on, you still got it in you, right?" Osric pats him on the head.

"Your plan seemed so foolproof, with the curved cuts, and the dust. How did you know you know about the dust? Did the Grand Sage pass on that knowledge?" Randolf eagerly asks.

"There's no such thing as a particle that stick only to blades, I made it up." Osric shrugs. "When you distracted the room, I sprinkled some chalk on the body. Then the acid in the stale beer reacted with the chalk, making it bubble. That's why we stopped at the tavern and that street merchant."

"Acid? I'm not following."

"Eh, don't worry about it." Osric waves his hand trying to brush the topic away.

"But how did you know that Broadhold paid off the Lord?" Randolf asks.

"I didn't, that was just an assumption."

"You're saying you lied to her?"

"I wouldn't say I lied, per se… but what does it matter? It's not like I'm ever coming back here. This place gives me the creeps," Osric shudders.

"You surprised me, you're quite the tactician," Randolf says

"What, are you doubting the Grand Sage?" Osric shot back.

"I was, a few days ago. After the way you spoke to your mother," Randolf replies, bluntly.

Don't remind me of that. Osric thinks, turning his gaze back to the sea of bobbing heads.