Sineater

Captain Hayne Viregarst.

I remembered his name before he reached us. Captain Viregarst was older, over a hundred at least, which was middle aged for a powerless elf. His age meant that he had something that a lot of the other guards didn’t. He’d been around for the great war a hundred years ago. Any guards from around that time period had served with my father, or more accurately, had probably served under him. Which gave us a little bit of notoriety even if we weren’t a prince and a Camadt.

“Little Ironguts…” The captain shook his head. “Are you trying to start a war?”

“I didn’t kill them!” Vin looked down at the elves at his feet, then squatted so that he could check for pulses. “Nope, not dead!”

“To be fair, I did try diplomacy.” I spread my hands. “And they attacked me. I would have been within my rights to kill all three of them.”

“I can kill them?” Vin smiled as he looked up at me.

“No you can’t kill them you overgrown cat!” Starna hurried over to us. “Do you want to cause an international incident?” She huffed and looked around the street. “Where is the wagon?”

Vin sighed as he stood up. “Sectum was about to start a fight, so…”

“So you forgot it?” The elf put her hands on her hips. “Seriously, how did you even know that Sectum was in trouble?”

The Camadt tapped the side of his face. “I have good eyes and a nose for trouble.” He lightly punched me in the shoulder. “Besides, if Sectum is breathing, he’s not far from trouble, I remember this one time in Porthy….”

“If I’m breathing?” I glared at my brother who was laughing at his own joke. “Who was the one that got us in trouble at Laleah during that arm wrestling competition? Who was it that scattered spice all over the dock in Inamac? Or what about that time at Fort Wrete?” I smirked as I finally saw shame replace the earlier pride. “I still don’t think we’re allowed back there.”

Captain Viregast looked over at Starna. “You’re the only one that they’re sending to watch these two?” He mumbled something under his breath. “... I’m going to need more men.”

“Trust me captain, it wasn’t my first choice of assignment.” Starna pointed at the two of us. “Both of you. Stay here and don’t cause any trouble! I’m going to go get the wagon.”

“Bring back breakfast!” Vin cupped his hands as she walked away. My brother looked at me. “Do you think she heard me?”

As loud as he was, half the city probably heard him. I saw the gesture she made without looking at us. “Yeah, she heard you, but I doubt you’re getting anything.”

“Seriously…” The captain shooed us away from the unconscious elves so other guards could collect them. “Both of you need to stop treating this like it’s a game. You’re representatives of the kingdom now. What you say and do reflects on all of us and one wrong insult could start a war where thousands of people that you’ve never met that depend on you for protection end up dying.”

“Trust me, we know.” The responsibility wasn’t lost on me. That was partly why we were messing around at the moment. A few weeks ago the only thing we’d really had to worry about was if our ship would be able to escape the harbor if we messed up. After a few years, things would calm down and we could go back, except maybe to Fort Wrete. I doubted the Nymph Queen would forget about Vin and they lived almost as long as Elves.

Vin grinned down the street and I saw Starna riding in the back of a wagon with a Dwarf driver. She shouldn’t have had time to reach the stables, let alone have the wagon get ready.

“You were bringing the wagon.” I looked at my brother. “I thought you said you forgot it.”

“She never let me finish.” Vin smirked as he looked at the captain. “I didn’t want to drag a civilian into a fight. I didn’t know it wouldn’t even be a warmup…”

The captain sighed. “You still attacked diplomats from another city…”

Vin extended his claws and began inspecting them, giving the elf a good view of weapons that he could have used. “Pretty sure two of them were hit with the other one’s staff.” He retracted his claws. “And the loud one wet himself before I got to hit him.”

“I doubt that’s how they’re going to see it.” The captain stepped out of the way so the wagon could pull in between us.

Vin and I got into the back of the wagon. As we sat down, I turned towards the captain. “Don’t worry, we know what’s at stake.”

The captain didn’t say anything as we headed out, but judging from the glare on his face as he watched us leave, I doubted very much that he believed us.