Unpleasant Assignments

[Zero]

For the King in the North.  8)

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Normally Tesha loved missions, it got her out of the Clockwork City for a while, though she never admitted to anyone that being in the underground city made her a little claustrophobic. Right from the beginning this particular assignment had been different, though. Oh the task itself was very straightforward, but her partner for the mission...

Sapphire eyes cut to the man across the room. Tesha found Shadow Ranger Dreylin Zambire obnoxious, insufferable, and an overall pain in the ass. From the moment she'd joined him to set out she'd barely said two words to the fool. They had been Fledglings together, at least for part of her training, he'd passes his Rites a year or two before her. He'd been a pain then too. Arrogant, disruptive, and rash - such troubling qualities in a partner.

Thank the shadows nothing had gone particularly wrong. So far. The trip to La'marri had been uneventful, no one had even really noticed their passing into the city. An order to surrender had been issued to the target, they had twenty-four hours to comply with the Vigilant Shadow's demand to turn themselves in. Now all they had to do was bide their time until the mark obeyed their order or they went to terminate him.

Pondering the time, Tesha decided that the target now had only eighteen hours to do as instructed before the protocol for elimination would be enacted. They were at a tavern while waiting, her idea was to keep Dreylin preoccupied with the wenches serving drinks so he wouldn't cause a headache or trouble. She had taken up an empty table in a darker corner of the establishment, leaning her chair back on two legs and her feet booted feet propped up on the table as she sipped at her mug of ale with cold eyes split between watching the room and watching her partner.

A few men had approached her, but a cold glare before they could even get close enough to ask for permission to join her had sent them scurrying to find less intimidating company. Her soft grey leather armor should have told the fools she wasn't a typical patron that would welcome their attention. If not her leather armor, then the two short swords strapped to her back should have deterred them. Just went to show how dumb men could be - especially drunken men. Shadows, but Dreylin had better not get drunk and do something stupid...

[KingInTheNorth]

Dreylin loved this damn inn. They kept the drinks flowing and the girls horny. Dreylin was particularly interested in waiting here. He had rented a room and put his weapons in a chest. His sword, ice, was stored away under lots of random junk to cover it. He loved missions like this. One thing he didn't like though, was his partner for this mission. He thought she was a complete bitch. Always strutting around acting superior even though Dreylin was the more experienced ranger. Dreylin walked through the room to the bar.

"Rum.", he said plainly.

The bartender was happy for Dreylin to drive up his tab. He took one shot after another and ordered another bottle. He took the bottle and walked over to Tesha.

He put the bottle and a shot glass in front of her," Drink, girl. Ya look like a fuckin' corpse. I'm startin' to doubt if ya' know what fun is."

[Zero]

Frankly, with as many bumbling, drunken women that were roaming about, Tesha had truly hoped that Dreylin's attention would have been completely preoccupied for the rest of the assignment and she wouldn't have to deal with him further. Of course she was never that lucky. Sapphire eyes didn't warm or soften for her partner than they had for any of the other men that had approached her. In fact, they may have gotten harder and colder as he set the bottle and shot glass in front of her.

"We're here to work, not have fun. Also, don't make assumptions about things you don't know. I have plenty of fun. I just don't have fun around you. If my preferred partner were here, I would be having a ball right about now." Kenneth would have had her doubled up in laughter about something, she was sure, and they could have played cards while they waited. Or shared some private jokes about other Rangers that they would never utter in the confines of the Clockwork City.

Sighing, Tesha let the chair fall back onto four legs as she swung her legs back down, getting her boots off the table. The keeper had been giving her dirty looks for it anyway. Dragging the shot glass and bottle over she filled the tiny glass to the brim before knocking it back in a swift motion.  Refilling it, she lifted it in a mock toast to Dreylin.

"To getting this mission done quickly, because the sooner it's done the sooner we can go home and I won't have to deal with you." She was going to hurt whoever thought putting them on a team was a good idea.

[KingInTheNorth]

Dreylin obliged to her toast and drank his shot. He laughed when she made the remark about not dealing with him. Moving the bottle his way to refill he said," Come on... Let go hun'." Dreylin the took another shot of rum and stood up.

"Did I ever tell you about my first mission?, he continued," I was sent to finish the job for some brigands down in the moraki desert. I went and camped for the night when i was almost there, right? All of a sudden, these people swoop down and steal my sword. I was fuckin' hammered, mind you. I go to chase the guy and he runs back to his camp. I stopped following of course. I approached their camp and I walked right through the front door. They greeted me with a hellfire of arrows I can tell you that. After avoiding those I was at the yop part of their camp and jump down on the asshole with my sword. I grabbed it then just kept teleporting back in forth making the guy go in circle.", he said with a drunken chuckle.

"Then I killed everyone there but who cares about that."

[Zero]

Tesha was not amused by the fact that she had just been called hun by Dreylin Zambire. Or that he was telling her to 'let go' or telling her what to do in general. She didn't care if he was two years her senior, age and experience were not substitutes for raw natural talent and skill. Just because he was older, bigger, and physically stronger didn't mean anything!

As he told her his tale about his first mission, her grip on the small glass in her hand became tighter and tighter until, frankly, she was amazed it didn't shatter in her hand. Her teeth were grinding together and blue eyes seethed with rage. That was the sloppiest, most irresponsible job she had ever heard. If she had given a performance like that, on her first assignment no less, they would never have let her remain a ranger. They'd have put her with the Dark Mothers whether she liked it or not.

"And they let you take your Rites? Who the hell gets drunk in the middle of a mission? Nevermind. Rhetorical question - the answer is obvious." What the fuck? If ever there was an example of how unfair the Vigilant Shadows could be, this was it!

[KingInTheNorth]

All that Dreylin could do was smile when she was enraged. He took another shot of rum and sat down. He laughed and said, "I jest. That was my last mission...and my first!", he said bursting into laughter. Dreylin had been on many missions worthy of story. Most of them involving women, alcohol, and lots of blood. He was a skilled swordsman and was sent to do many missions to finish someone when they did not surrender. He sat down once more.

"Anywho Tesh, how long we got before this fucka' dies? Or is this gonna be a borin' mission?", He said.

[Zero]

Tesha growled softly, he wasn't taking this seriously at all. Maybe he could get away with dicking around, but she couldn't! Her career depended on doing her job right at all bloody time. She couldn't afford mistakes if she wanted to ever be taken seriously. Not that someone like him would care. Probably thought that she should be a placid little Dark Mother, guys like him always thought that was what women should be doing. Well she wasn't a fucking brood mare to be hobbled until a stallion came along to saddle her with some colts.

Standing up, swift enough that she bumped the table, causing it to wobble slightly - and to also bash her thigh against the hard wood, though she refused to show that she'd just hurt herself. "He's got about seventeen hours to comply with the cease and desist, if he does, then we go home without having to do anything else. If not, then I guess we'll kill him and still go home. Now if you'll excuse me, go fuck yourself."

With that she made as hasty a retreat to the bar as she could and still appear dignified. Tesha thought she was going to have a bruise on her leg. Served her right. Why did he have to bug her? There were drunk whores all over the place, why couldn't he pester them? Surely stupid sluts that would go to bed with him were more interesting than someone that would really rather just knock the smugness out of his stupid face.

[KingInTheNorth]

Dreylin saw her hit her thigh on the table and quickly smiled to himself as she walked away. He sat down and had drinks sent his way as well as some women. The whores her were very beautiful and Dreylin admired them greatly. As his drinks were served Dreylin pulled the girl onto his lap.

"Ello' beautiful. I think Im gonna take this drink to go...", he said.

He lead her to his room in what would be a long night.