Lessons From the Devil and the Plowman [M]

[DragonSong]

"Fuck," Aria repeated, frowning. She made sure to catch her their little tail's eye and made a "get over here" gesture.

[Lion]

But the boy just vanished from their sight again, not interested in obeying.

Vance sighed with annoyance. "Shall I deal with the pest?" he asked, tilting his head with an 'I told you so' look to his eyes.

[DragonSong]

"We're not gonna kill a child," Aria protested, exasperated. "C'mon, let's just track him down and nicely figure out what he knows."

[Lion]

"I didn't say that," Vance added quickly and grabbed her arm.  "Just wait here. I'll snatch him up for you."

After ten minutes, Vance did return with the annoying rat on his arm, and yanked him inside.  "There."

[DragonSong]

Aria sighed, then shook her head at the boy. "Look. Why exactly do you feel the need to keep getting yourself into trouble?" she asked, arching an eyebrow and cocking a hip to the side.

[Lion]

Will squirmed until he soon realized doing that was pretty pointless.  They weren't going to let him go any time soon.

"I ain't done nothing!" he hissed.  "And you two are awful nosy."

"Then why do you keep following us, kid?" Vance muttered and shoved him toward Aria.

[DragonSong]

She caught the boy by his shoulders. "An excellent question." Another raised eyebrow. "Why do ya keep tailing us, kid?"

[Lion]

"Hrm!" Will griped.  Clearly he didn't want to answer, but he was tired of getting caught as well.  "Cuz you came outta that house. Where the lady screamed, and tried to make it like nobody noticed. But I noticed. Now, why'd you do it!? Are you a murderer?"

[DragonSong]

Aria sighed, then knelt and gave him a small smile. "Yes," she answered honestly. "But not without a reason. That man was...bad. The world's better off without him. Do you understand?"

[Lion]

At that Will laughed, spewing bad breath toward although not on purpose.

"Life ain't no fucking fairy tale, Miss. One goods and bads here are 'n how you're willing to pay and be paid," Will hissed.

"You got a sour mouth on ya kid." Vance chuckled.  Maybe this kid wasn't so bad after all.

"So what ya do? Slice his throat? Stick it in his back?"

[DragonSong]

She arched an eyebrow. "Does it matter? He's dead."

[Lion]

"Matters to me," he said and looked to Vance. "Get us some drinks er sumpin. I'm parched."

"Just tell us what your following us for?" Vance said, smacking the back of his head. "Quickly, because our patience is running thin."

"Hey! I'd just wondering if you two had any more of that gold. Or if 'n ya need someone to keep an eye out for things. You already know ya can't shake me."

[DragonSong]

"No, Will." Aria shook her head. "I'm leaving town soon anyway. It'd be better if you just forgot you saw us."

[Lion]

"No can do, sister. Yer stuck with me now," the kid shrugged.

Vance was losing his patience with the kid.  "We don't want you. We don't need you, now scram!"
Will scowled at the pair.  "Then maybe I did see something...  Maybe something one 'o them knights wanna know ."

[DragonSong]

Gods she hated doing this.

In less than a moment a knife was in her hand, pressed against the boy's throat. Her eyes were ice, expression blank.

"You might want to rethink that, m'lad," she murmured. Of course she wasn't actually going to kill him, but nothing in her manner suggested that.

[Lion]

Will just scowled at her.  "Aww c'mon! I won't be in the way.  And I ain't got anywhere else to go!" he whined.  Vance just watched the pair, silent.  Not that he condoned the killing of a child, but he wasn't going to interfere with Aria's business.  He still needed to get paid after all.

[DragonSong]

Aria pressed the knife to his skin a little more firmly, then drew it back. "You keep your mouth shut, and if you get in the way I'll leave you out in the woods with a raw steak to attract wolves," she informed him, then turned and started walking again.

[Lion]

"Hrmm, seems a little harsh," Vance murmured. "A little honey and an ant hill might do the trick."

[DragonSong]

Aria smirked. "Fair enough. You want to be in charge of him?"

[Lion]

"All right! I get it! You want me to scram! Geezers," Will mumbled and shifted away from Aria.  "Thinking you know a big score. You two don't know jack shit. That ol bum was small time."