(OOC: Sorry about the long delay -- I'm back in the mix now.)
Things were indeed getting...
interesting.
When Torak grabbed his throat menacingly it was all Kassom could do to let out a chuckle past the grip around his vocal cords. Assassin -- he'd expected as much. And like most people who killed for a living Torak wasn't afraid to give a demonstration...
and an impromptu lecture on strength and fear. The guy had guys, Kassom had to give him that... but, as expected, he lacked subtlety.
He never even noticed that while he had the Feral thief in a death grip, Kassom had slipped a lone coin out of his sleeve and pretended to drop it. It hit the ground with an uncharacteristic soundlessness, transforming into a copper-hued puddle that then slithered snake-like under Torak's shoe. Assassins: good for fighting, killing and proving their bravado... not so great at the less obvious stuff. When Jack had the other Wolves forcefully separate the two Kassom couldn't resist a smirk; everyone else would think he just enjoyed messing with Torak, but the sly grin had another source entirely.
Torak had
no idea he'd just been spared from a great deal of potential trouble.
THrough it certainly wouldn't seem like it when -- after an odd interrupt involving a woman wearing only a bed sheet -- Torak continued to push his luck and duke it out with the Wolves who'd been restraining him. If this guy ended up dead he was no good to anyone, and that alone was enough to change Kassom's disposition. When he was dragged off to a holding cell, though, Kassom's expression lightened some. Even if the cell they were putting him in stopped him from using those fancy armor enchantments it would only work against
magic... and the Lone wolf had powers of an entirely
different sort. Maybe this would pan out after all.
Rubbing his neck -- partly because it hurt, and partly for dramatic effect -- he waved and gave a hoarse "Yeah, thanks." to Jack as he left. To everyone in the bar he'd seem like a loudmouth who'd banked too much on authority and almost gotten killed for it, a weakling who'd been unable to defend himself against the rogue assassin. Misinformation was a handy thing indeed.
"Yeah, why not?" Kassom replied to Zeina, then put a few coins on the table. "Same here Alko. I could use a good drink after that."
One of the coins towards the edge of the pile rolled as the Feral put it down. That in-and-of-itself wasn't all that interesting, especially considering the haphazard manner with which he put the money on the bar. Nor, really, was the fact that the coin
happened to roll right over to Zeina, practically right into her lap. What
was distinct, however, was what the Coyote would find written on the coin when it got to her.
Rufus called me.
Kassom watched her expression but said nothing -- his own gaze careful. Depending on whether she saw the message and how she reacted he'd know, or at least have some idea, whether she was friend or foe in this whole convoluted mess. It wasn't the first time he'd gambled on someone that day... nor would it be the last.
---------------------------------------------
When Torak woke up in his cage, some things were almost a given. For one, someone would've taken the crossbow bolt out and quickly patched him up -- imprisoning him for the Grey Wolf's later judgement was a meaningless effort if he bled out all over the floor. The armor would be gone, taken from him again and stowed who-knows-where. And if the phrase 'magic containment cell' was any indication then Torak was now in the one place no one expected any kind of trouble. And why should they? The Soot Wolves weren't novices;
any cage they used wouldn't be something a thief could just lock pick his way out of, and one designed to hold mages was guaranteed to have some potent anti-spellcasting enchantment on it. It probably wasn't even heavily guarded -- it'd be a waste to have thieves watching an inescapable cage. In some senses it was the most secure place in the entire Den.
In others, not so much.
On the cage floor next to him, Torak would find a small copper coin -- the very one Kassom had secreted onto his person during their altercation. When the assassin took the time to examine the unlikely object he'd find some very fine writing on both sides of it: a message for him.
Zahi may be in danger. Rufus wants her safe.Be patient. Nice choke hold. ~Kassom
