Leaning on the bar, observing the quiet of the tap room in the Pony, Furley felt content. He'd finished his beer some time ago, but he had nothing better to do besides hang around awhile. Suddenly, from behind him, he hears a familiar voice.
"I haven't seen your face in a while" it says. Or rather, she says. It's Idathiel, and he smiles at her voice. "Sorry your days have been darker for not being in its presence" he jokes, and she smirks at him. Buying him a drink, she offers him into one of the quieter rooms in the back, and as he enters, all mirth drops from his face, seeing Vanden, and another associate of theirs.
Feeling his heart drop a little, he feels like he's interrupted some sort of staff meeting, but he acts friendly. The one he doesn't recognise seems rather bored of him, though she tries to play with him, throwing jibes at him. "A bit overdressed for a drink, aren't you?" she jests, indicating the armour he rides in out of habit. He shrugs. "I'd say I'm ideally dressed to share a room with one of Ida's... associates. In fact I'd say I'm not the most prepared in the room, it would seem" he smiles, gesturing at the dagger at Vanden's hip.
The subject of his friend, Bridghet's resignation crops up. They chat about it, and he jokes about how Vanden and co. aren't exactly easy to handle. Until Ida says something that makes Furley's face flush red.
"Nah, mate, if (Bridghet) was good at it then you'd be in jail with the rest of us Furley."
Referring to the incident with Deorla and the rangers, he grits his teeth, but tries to stay calm. He tries to smooth it over, but it isn't working. "You're a hypocrite", he is accused of. "You do what we do, you'd wet your panties".
Furley nods. "Aye, suppose I am. Never professed to be anything so your label will do. And aye, I probably would. That's why I found enough coin for you to nod your head that time. Pockets empty, panties dry"
Vanden responds. "Meanwhile our pockets are as full as ever, all while you're in our boat." he jerked his head towards Ida, "We go down, you go down. Well...People like us don't go down so easy. Might just be you if you fall lad. I wouldn't look at us like we're beneath your boot. And what would your precious wife thing if she knew what you'd done?"
Furley's temper flares, and he feels his hatred of the man slowly bubble beneath his surface, threatening to boil over. Still, he tries to smooth it over. "Oh, but I didn't commit anything. You did. And she knows I did what I had to do, so it'd matter not". Looking to his left at the woman, clearly inebriated, he looks at her, finally sizing her up for the first time. "But we're not here for old feuds, are we? I thought we were here for a casual drink".
Apparently not. Vanden pursed his lips, "You were behind the whole thing. With our word and the word of many more who can vouch for me for coin, you'll get a worse card dealt then us. Know that next time you think You're not in my pocket. You're on thin ice"
That was it. Something inside him snapped, and he remembered how much he hated the man, and how much he had made his life back when he was a watchman nigh on impossible. Furley looks to Ida, saying nothing, then laughs at Vanden, shuffling a little closer, glaring. "You say thin ice, but we're on the same path here, and when it breaks beneath us both, you'd better know how to swim boy".
Vanden quirked a brow, " Believe me, Furley, The Ice for me broke a long time ago. See I'm the kind to swim, get back onto the Ice, and start walking again. I thrive off it. I shake bushes, and deal with what's behind the leaves in a way that even the watch can't handle. More and more people turn to us for help nowadays...the watch is a ghost."
Well, that left only one question in his eyes. "Aye, the watch is a ghost... but I ain't in the watch am I, now? I'm very much alive. So there seems to be one question that really needs answering... do you. Have a problem. With me. Not being. In your dirty, backwatered pocket. Eh?"
Vanden snorted a chuckle, "Why would I give a sh*t? You're nothing to me. I get nothing out of you. If I want a scrape of coin, I'll sell you out to the watch if they even still give a sh*t about Deorla. Gather up some of that ransom money".
Furley grins. "You see? If I'm nothing, you get nothing. You've got nothing to sell". Looking at him one more time, biting his lip, feeling his hands shake ever so slightly. "Keep holding yourself above us all in that high regard, my boy. I'll love it ever more when you fall even further".
Throwing his tankard onto the floor at the man's feet, he glowered, before looking at Ida. "Good to see you as ever. But don't forget the first night we met, I stand by that you're far too good for this gutter rat". Glowering, lifting his hood up, turning to leave, he spits out finally. "Sell me out behind bars? Before I see a cell, you'll see a shallow ditch at the side of the East Road. Good evening, both of you".
Temper flaring, he finds his horse, saddles up and rides out of town. Partly for protection, and partly so he can give himself space to think. He'd just rattled the cage of one of the most dangerous men in town, but this time he didn't care. He was done with walking on eggshells around the man, and letting him have the run of the mill.
"I should have dealt with him years ago" he growls, beneath his breath. "I swear to god, that man tries anything, I'll see him in that ditch. I've marked you, boy, and you'll find me much more prepared than the Watchman fool you used to know".
Digging his heels into his horse harder, he sped over the horizon, wondering what he'd accidentally just unleashed.
