Part 7
Scar-Arm was stubborn and bloody minded. Before he finally gave up the whereabouts of his gangs hideout, he was missing many of his limbs...
Admittedly, Taala was not entirely comfortable with torturing a man, despite the fact, the man would have taken her life that night on the road without conscience. She did have some reservations, she had served with the riders in Eaworth and fought with honour...where was the honour in this? But where was the honour in robbing hapless travellers of all their worldly goods? How many innocents had died at the hands of these bandits?
Eroforth, on the other hand seemed largely unphased, it was a heinous thing they had to do and they had agreed that he would take the lead. Eroforth tried a conversational approach, with a menacing undertone...
Impatient and frustrated, their agreement to do things Eroforth's way was short lived when Taala sliced off one of Scar-Arms fingers, hoping to scare their captive into spilling his guts quickly, so they might end this. Eroforth winced, but only because his own game-plan was preempted, shooting her a look of disapproval, he continued with the grim and distasteful task at hand.
Scar-Arm knew he was done for and he was defiant because of it...but finally Eroforth discovered his breaking point...his woman, who was with child, bargaining for her safety, he finally relinquished the whereabouts of their hideout. His story tallied, Taala remembered the woman who had stopped to help the brigand she kicked from the wagon, was swollen with child, nodding, she confirmed this to Eroforth.
Without hesitation, Eroforth set the point of his knife carefully along the man's side inbetween his ribs and gave a quick, hard shove into his heart and ended the wretched man's suffering.
As the subdued pair prepared to leave, the last thing Taala expected was to be grabbed by the shoulder and pushed up against the door of the shack.
“We do something like this” Eroforth snarled, his voice angry but contained, “we stick by the agreement. We say I lead, I lead. No switching up in the middle..that gets people killed! We clear?”
Taala blinked in shock, her chest rising and falling, composing herself, her tone calm and measured, “Get your damned hands off me, or I'll deliver that sword this is costing me into your gut, you are not speaking to some damned child here”
"That locket means a lot to me, I lost my temper, we agreed a plan, you are right I strayed from the plan, but you ever put your hands on me again...make sure you finish me...understand?"
They sized each other up...respect established. By the time they were outside of the bandit's hideout, on a farm in Chetwood, things were amicable and professional again...
