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Hunter hands over the gold coins to the landlord, his hood drawn up over his face. Logan stands behind him, his face hidden by the dark cloth wrapped around his head, only his dark green eyes on display. The landlord, a large fellow with a belly that hangs over his trousers and rough well worked hands. He bites onto the coin and nods slowly. He steps into his tavern and beckons a woman, his wife. She bustles over, wiping her floury hands down on her apron. She beams at them, with bright eyes and rosy cheeks. It falters slightly at the darkness coming from two of their new customers. She glances at her husband.
"They want two rooms and complete privacy." The landlord tells her as he eyes Hunter's cloaked figure. Hunter turns his head and raises a silent dark eyebrow. The landlord immediately looks away, back to his wife. She nods, more confident now she understands their strange guises.
"Well follow me then." She saunters away. Leo and Jag instantly follow after her, both eager to sleep in a comfortable bed after roughing it for several weeks. The landlord disappears through a different door that must lead to the kitchen. Logan catches Hunter's arm and pulls him back. Hunter huffs a little with impatience and turns to him.
"I really do not think we will be safe stopping here. We are still within the Ricell's lands." Logan's utters quickly and quietly, his voice smothered by the cloth.
Hunter glances at the closed kitchen door, his gaze suspicious. He marches back outside and Logan has no choice but to follow. He halts a reasonable distance from the tavern and leans against a tree. "I have paid for their mouths to remain closed. I stopped here before and no one knew of my existence. It is only one night." Hunter softly speaks his tone a little manipulative.
Logan rolls his eyes and pulls down the cloth covering his face, his back to the tavern. "How do you know that no one was told?" Logan shakes his head. "I am a criminal on the loose, a murderer, if they think that they will not keep their mouths closed for the few gold coins you gave."
"Then do not give them a reason to think that you are." Hunter says as if it is too simple. Logan lets out a loud sound of exasperation.
"We have gone in there with faces covered and paying for privacy. Does that not scream guilt to you?" Logan asks slowly, trying to make his brother understand.
"Trust me; they have many guests who have done exactly as we have. It will be much more suspicious if we leave now." Hunter replies with a shrug of the shoulders. "I am going inside to bathe and sleep. You may remain outside and keep an eye out if you wish."
Hunter strides away but keeps an ear out. Several moments pass but a smile twitches at his lips when he hears his brother's footfalls following shortly behind him. The landlady looks up from wiping some tables. "Straight up the stairs, second door on the left." Hunter nods quickly. "Will you young men be wanting dinner?"
"In our rooms." Hunter replies, his voice purposely deeper and gravelly. Logan has to choke back his laughter. They head up the stairs and go into their room. Hunter slides the deadbolt across and throws himself onto one of the beds. Logan removes the cloth from around his head and lets it drop to the floor. The room is very bare, just two single beds and wooden floorboards. A tin bath sits at the end of the room. Logan drops onto the other bed and relishes in the comfortable surface.
"What on earth was that?" He asks with his eyes closed. Hunter chuckles at the question.
"It's the voice I used last time. I sound too young if I use my own voice and I end up paying more for secrecy."
"I am starting to think that Wolfe and I never knew half of the things you got up to." Logan says with a chuckle in his voice.
He opens his eyes to look over at Hunter. He falls silent at the sight of his little brother's closed eyes and peaceful expression. His chest rises and falls slowly and soft sounds fall from his open mouth. Logan stands and removes his brother's boots. He leaves him there and walks out into the hallway. A door opens and Logan flinches. Leo bites his lip, an apology in his throat. Logan offers a weak smile and walks into their room. Jag grins at him from the bed where he sits crossed legged with a book on his leg.
"Where is Hunter?" He asks.
"Asleep. I think it may be the first time he has properly since he rescued me." Logan replies.
Leo nods in agreement, "He has constantly felt the need to keep watch." Logan sits down on the free bed. Jag looks over at Leo and a silent conversation takes place. Logan sighs and they both look to him.
"Whatever you wish to say, please just say it out loud." Logan orders.
Leo takes a seat by Jag, the bed compressing greatly with his weight. "I cannot say for sure but I have felt like we have been followed, there always seem to be eyes watching." Leo utters softly, his voice low so no one in neighbouring rooms could possibly overhear.
"Do you think it is dangerous to stay here?" Logan asks him, prepared to leave immediately if he must.
"No, we are safe here. The landlord will lie through his teeth to anyone who comes and he has men working in his kitchen who will keep his customers safe. It is how he keeps money coming in; he would not ruin his reputation." Jag says in a cheery tone, before his gaze drops down to the book he had been reading before Logan entered.
"Hunter has not mentioned it; do you think he has noticed?" Logan queries.
"There is very little chance that he has not. Perhaps he wished to not alarm us until it was necessary." Leo rolls his large shoulders in a blasé manner. Logan does not quite so believe that idea. Hunter has been keeping a little bit too sparse with information recently. Someone following them is not something he should keep to himself. How can he expect them all to travel safely if they are not all aware of the dangers ahead and behind?
"I should go back; we should not be alone just yet." Logan tells them and both men make sounds of acknowledgement. Logan leaves and enters his room. Hunter is still dead to the world on his bed, the sheet brought up over his clothed body. Logan removes his boots and his shirt before getting into bed. It takes him a while as the thin mattress is a huge adjustment. He considers moving to the ground but knows he must get used to this once again. It is not too bad, it could be much softer.
Hours pass and darkness settles. Logan hears the door brush across the floor, open and closed. He does not bother looking to see what has happened. No doubt the landlady has brought up their dinner and Hunter has taken it. It can wait. He does not mind eating it cold. Many minutes pass and Logan realises he is simply lying there, unable to fall back to sleep. He does not quite know why. He is still fatigued and sore from riding for so many days. It should be easy to fall back into his dreamless sleep. Then it occurs to him. There is no smell of food wafting up into his nostrils. There is no sound of his brother's breathing.
Logan sits up and looks around the small room. It is empty of food; it is empty of his brother. Hurriedly he picks up his shirt from the floor and pulls it on over his head. He finds his boots and pulls them also. He sees Hunter's boots still there haphazardly on the wooden boards. His worry increases. He creeps out of the room and down the stairs. He considers alerting Leo and Jag but that could waste precious time. He edges downstairs and makes his way across the seating area. No one pays him any attention; they all keep their heads low and covered, slowly drinking their drinks. Hunter is not one of them.
Logan walks outside and sees a small light within the stables. He makes his way over, careful to keep his steps light and silent. He peers through the entrance of the stable building, keeping himself hidden out of sight. His eyes slowly focus on a man who has no boots on his feet. He is about to move forward when two men step forward into the light and hand over something white and thin to Hunter. Hunter pushes down his hood and takes it. He opens what Logan can now see is a letter. His dark eyes quickly scan through the writing and he bites down on his cheek. He shreds it and drops it into the straw beside him.
"No." The one word reply is definite. The men shift their weight and glance at each other. Neither wish to speak.
"No?" One repeats. "You want us to return with that as your answer?"
"This information changes nothing. I refuse to put my brother back in a situation where they will change their minds and make him a guilty party again. The answer is no."
"That was not your deal with him." The previously silent one adds. Hunter raises an eyebrow and steps closer to the man, removing a dagger from under his cloak as he does so.
"What would you know about my deal with him? You are just a messenger, and only one needs to return to give my answer." Hunter threatens darkly. The man's gaze flits down to the light reflecting from the dagger.
"You owe him." He bravely ploughs on. "Logan would not have got this far if it was not for him." Hunter's eyes narrow, his wrist flexing as he prepares to drive the dagger in. "I am more than a messenger before you do something foolish." His eyes now look pointedly at the sharp blade. The other man pulls him back, separating the two before anything can be done.
He speaks now, "You have read the letter. Do you not wish to prove your brother's innocence? He does not need to be on the run for the rest of his life." He tries to endear him to the idea. A muscle in Hunter's jaw jumps.
"I am grateful for everything he has done, you can tell him that." Hunter closes his eyes briefly and rubs his temples. "But how do you expect me to convince my brother that we must return to a place and a family that previously wished him dead? I would rather he run for the rest of his life than die by their hand. I will run forever by his side if I must."
The man nods in understanding but knows his orders are not to accept such an answer. "Tell him you have heard news that Gethin has been found responsible for poisoning Gavriel and for killing Jasiel. Tell him you must return so his name can be cleared, so that he does not have to fear for his life. Gavriel will sabotage your escape if you disobey."
Hunter grits his teeth. Logan leans against the wall, his mind troubled with what he has just heard. He waits, listening out for Hunter's reply. "It will be done." Logan runs back to the room as quickly as he can without being noticed. He slips into the bed and closes his eyes. Hunter returns soon after and he looks at his brother's silent body. Anger courses through his blood and he leaves again to get a drink downstairs.