Leon listened to her go on about the spirits, still taking swigs from his drink as he allowed her to distract herself. Perhaps such a practice would drown out the fear of a dagger in her back... But if he was to be honest, he was only half-listening, somewhat because religious affairs weren't of any real interest to him, and also because he needed his ears so he could listen out for any odd sounds.
Once she was done, he scoffed, shaking his head. "Not too big a fan of ghosts, kid... The whole, 'spirit' business gives me the creeps." He explained simply, pausing as he heard a distant shouting from outside. They were quite far from the main road... Out in the deep forest, as a matter of fact. Who was all the way out here, shouting? It wasn't a distressed shouting, either. More like someone calling for someone.
Leon cast an odd glance at Flordia, before looking back towards the front door with narrowed eyes. As the shouting got closer, Leon was better able to pick out a voice. And he knew that pretentious, snotty tone from anywhere. Edwin. "Flordia! Flordia!" Leon heard the name more clearly, that of which belonging to the girl he was supposed to protect. Giving a growl, he stood slowly, grabbing his sword and shield. "Stay here... Something's not right..."
Leon had that same pit in his stomach he got every now and then. It was a feeling he got when he was certain that he was walking headfirst into a trap. Why was Edwin all the way out here, instead of dealing with matters in the castle, regarding the assassin's whereabouts? And if the killer had been caught, why was he out here retrieving them alone? Now that he was so close, Leon could pick out only his scent. No others.
He walked towards the doors, almost expecting Flordia to come prancing up behind as soon as the opportunity was ripe. Perhaps her curiosity was admirable, but it was also something that could easily prove to be her downfall. With that in mind, he hoped she'd be smart enough to stay behind. Just this once. Upon reaching the doors, which were still just slightly cracked, he peeked out to see if he could spot the guard captain.
Twilight was looming over the forest at this point, the sky a mix of pink and purple, with stars beginning to twinkle directly above. "Flordia! Your Majesty, come out, please!" His voice rang out once more. At that moment, Leon saw Edwin storm from behind a shrub, out into the open. He looked stressed. Frustrated. So much so that his shortsword was in hand, the man holding it with an iron grip. He looked from side-to-side, lips pursed as his arms began to tremble angrily.
Leon watched as the elven man shouted in anger, throwing the sword, which stuck into the ground about ten feet to one side. At this point, Leon was happy he had hid the horse behind a band of trees nearby. Out of sight, just for occasions like this. "Damn... Everything's ruined!" He snarled, Leon raising a brow in confusion. Suddenly, Edwin paused, turning slowly and pointing towards somebody just barely out of view. "You..." He watched as Edwin gritted his teeth. "This is your fault!"
Just moments later, another figure stepped in, this one too odd-looking for Leon to even comprehend. Dressed in colorful, jester-like attire, he at first didn't take the newcomer seriously, what with his hat of long, belled tendrils and curled, bell-tipped shoes. However, it became very clear very soon that he was dealing with a real threat here, as soon as he saw the belt around his waist, outfitted with two pepperbox pistols and twin daggers.
Along a thigh, a bandolier of throwing knives sat, a satchel hanging off the side of the belt carrying gods know what... His exposed arms were a olive green color, leading Leon to believe that he was orcish in nature. However, above all, the thing that made this newcomer stand out most was the porcelain mask which covered his face, stylized as a comedy mask for plays, the eyes nothing more than black pits and the creepy grin stretching ear-to-ear. Whatever true emotion this person was showing, it was completely disguised.
"If it wasn't for your hesitancy, I'd be a prince right about now! If it wasn't for your poorly-placed traps, that snot-nosed brat would be good and dead! If it wasn't for that stunt with Nalda, she and that disgusting Adelan wouldn't have had a chance to escape! You're ruined everything!" Leon watched as Edwin proceeded to verbally attack the jester-clad figure, walking up and poking his chest. "You rat bastard... She was a friend! An associate! Her death wasn't in the contract! You're fired! You're... Gah!" Edwin wasn't able to find the words to express his anger, reeling back for a punch.
As soon as the fist came careening towards the jester's face, he caught it in a big, green hand, which proceeded to crush down on Edwin's much smaller fist. Edwin's expression filled with pain, grunting as he attempted to pull away. "Your contract means dirt to me." The jester finally spoke, his voice booming. "You came to me to get rid of an unfit heir. You claimed you had your kingdom's best interests in mind. Clearly, you're a fraud." He continued, baring down even harder, almost sending Edwin to a knee. "You're power-hungry. Deceitful. You played me like a violin, and I'm fed up."
Leon watched as the jester drew one of the pistols, pulling back the hammer threateningly as he held it up by his head. "You never seemed to care to tell me about the bodyguard, or the fact that he's a damned lycan. That's your fault. Not mine." He growled. Edwin's eyes widened in surprise at this, as well as Leon's. How did he know...? "Your friend took a late night stroll and caught me. She could've jeopardized my mission. That was her fault. Not. Mine." He growled a bit louder. At this point, Edwin was visibly terrified.
"You seem to think I exist to be your henchman... Let's get one thing straight, elf... I'd rather be eaten by wolves than serve you. Your position in the castle makes no difference to me. I'm not here for you. I'm here to kill the girl. Got me?" The jester asked, Edwin gulping a bit. Before he could nod, the jester began talking again. "That punch you just took tells me you know nothing of respect. So... Here's what I have in mind..." He yanked Edwin in, gripping him by the upper arm and placing the barrel to his diaphragm. "I'll teach you a lesson in respect. And mortality. Say hi to your friend for me."
Before Leon could act, there was a loud pow, accompanied by a flash of light and a plume of white smoke. A gush of blood shot out from Edwin's back, the man's jaws agape in visible pain. This didn't last long, however, as Edwin fell onto his back soon after, motionless. Leon swore under his breath, backing up and silently drawing his sword. Looking back towards Flordia, he gritted his teeth. "Hide!" He hissed quietly. The jester-like figure looked towards the sanctuary, aiming his pepperbox. "I know you're in there." He took a shot, which pinged off the iron door.