#anywhere

He picks up the note, and.. which way is the pigeon going? Towards the Freehold? Or another direction?

Another direction..towards a closed book store!

He hesitates, but heads that direction. Find allies, they said. But also to be cautious. He circles around, checking for any windows, back doors - a place he might be able to listen, peek, or sneak or squirm into before walking headfirst into a potential trap.

The ambush is.. uhm.. two redcaps, a Balor sidhe Knight with a mace, and a large troll named Guido

He freezes, cursing inwardly.

"Quatre?" He asks, so quietly it's hardly a breath.

Tap?

He pulls out his tiny knife, and pricks a finger tip, offering it to her.

!

She drinks!

"I'm about to do something incredibly stupid. Fair warning." He sucks the fingertip until the bleeding stops after a moment, and then, before he can think about it any longer, goes and taps softly on the front door, note held in hand.

The door opens ....and the troll is the only one in immediate view.He says "Greetings.. quickly, quickly, it's a dangerous world. Here more than some places"

He makes a show of looking around, then stepping in. "Whew. I was worried for a minute there." He whispers up to the Troll. "New in town, and no one much wants to talk. Not a very welcoming place. Haven't even met the local freeholder yet."

"What brought you?" he asks

"I've heard tales, but I only trust what I've seen. And there are secrets here I am curious to find out." He runs a hand through his hair. "I heard that there was a treasure here, one intended for sluagh." Letting greed drip into his tone a bit. "Why shouldn't I find out about it? It's like, if you heard about a, I don't know Troll-Axe that some sidhe was holding onto. It's not right."

"Word is out among your kith ? Amazing. I thought we were isolated so it would never get period" the troll nods "Do you know a sluagh named Wenceslaus?"

He scowls. "Don't know the guy. I just heard it was a treasure for sluagh use. Why shouldn't I have it?" Petulant.

"The elders treat kids like information is precious gold that we don't deserve a taste of. Just dribbles and "when you are ancient, you will understand." He puts on a crotchety voice. "They don't get it. But if I win a treasure, then they'll see."

"He's not a freedom fighter" the redcap says "He's just a greedy asshole" Symon knew he was there, trying to move behind him.

"You were supposed to wait, " The troll says to the Cap, then looks at Symon "Kid. I hope you like the place. You're about to be living here."

He blinks, surprised. "You're the freedom fighters. I help you out, and I get a dig at the treasury. You're not sluagh, you wouldn't even want one made for our use."

And startles appropriately at the Surprise of the redcap.

They gather around

He backs away, and darts for the door.

The knight balor drops his veil (Which Symon saw through anyway) and says "By Order of the Baron Harkson , rightful lord of Dry tears, you are hereby charged with attempted theff"

the redcap is kind of in the way

"I didn't ATTEMPT anything!" He hisses! "This is a setup! The pigeon! THE PIGEON!"

"You mean Feathers?" A gesture

And there's a feathery headed pooka girl "Workers of the world, Unite... bad spellers of the world UNTIE"

"A fucking pooka" Disgust. But then he gets a sly look, and then hides it behind a properly contrite expression. "Go ahead and lock me up then." He can't hide the smug tone, though he seems to be trying to. Does he think they are morons? Apparently.

"Beat him up, put him in the bag" The troll says.The other cap pulls out a bag and nods

This may not be what he expected

Symon realizes that the floor board under his feet is..there's a knot hole in it. If he's lucky he might pour down into the basement. But he still might fail

Fuck. He might not survive the type of beating these folk look likely to give. He cowers on the floor, groveling, "Please, sirs. Gracious sirs. Don't hurt me!" Hoping that his hunched posture hides that he has a toe through the knothole, and trying to squeeze the rest through.

"SHut up" the bagless redcap gut punches him. It's not a killing blow but crap that hurt

It seems they don't notice his toehold ..eyt

yet*

He wheezes, and crumples. Apparently this one is more fragile then most. "Ffffff. Fuck.. you!" Metatarsels folding like jelly, ankle collapsing inward with a bit of a shhlllllrrrrk feeling.

'Gross.. it's almost no fun hitting him" the redcap says

the knight scoffs "Enough. Bag him. If we had the chain it would be easier. But Milady Varich is apparently offering much."

Symon finds himself stripped of knives or anything they see as a weapon. NOT the ring.

He doesn't have to feign it when he struggles against the grasps. Clinging with toes to the inside of the hole, and trying to pull through - but they jerk him out with a SCHLORP.

"Don't make me dictum you" the Balor knight says

And they pour him in.

"I did good right?" Feathers says.

"As usual," There is a sound of coin changing hand

He squishes unpleasantly into the bag. and takes inventory. Internal organs, all there. No little knife. No scalpel. Did they take his dice?

And more importantly, is there any small vermin clinging in the depths of his hair?

Dice left... and a spider tapping like mad