A Tale Of Two Flowers

Timestamp: Drunken Hare, Lowood - Evening

Hunter watched as the mixture of soldiers gathered in the Drunken Hare to collect their drinks and snacks. They all seemed to have a comradery in this mood which was different from the training grounds and barracks. Normally the soldiers would form small groups they preferred to hang out with. Hunter managed to exclude himself from all that to save money and not exposed himself to weakness, friendship or danger. Sir Zane came in with more men and began toasting and gambling through the bone dice, 'Zin's fingers', he pulled out. Several toasts to Hoi came about to encourage everyone to drink.

Hunter smiled as he cheered along from the side as he nursed his watered down ale. He had no plans to get drunk but could easily play along as he cheered on the gamblers who wagered small bets. When he noticed the direction of the drinking challenge he would quietly move around the crowd to not get selected next. He knew he would not have to worry about it to much since it was a matter of time before the others got to drunk to remember who was next. Hunter only had to play along with a fake laugh, wobbly walk and a lot of hands on the shoulders of the nearby men to hold himself up. This gave the illusion of him drinking with them and eased their tension of hiding in a corner. Whenever someone wanted to give him more drink he would use misdirection give a drink to an empty mug nearby or point out something funny to distract them. Blending in any environment was a common practice for his past job so he used his skills to fool the soldiers with a smile.

Ironically the soldiers seemed to have a strong constitution so they were able to handle a lot of the watered down booze. To complicate things more customers came in to join the soldiers. Many females who were feeling the need to find a future husband or just someone for the night came in when the men were more open to suggestion to their ideas. So a few were picked off right away while others wanted to drink longer. This was bad for Hunter as he knew the women would catch on to his being sober since they are very perceptive in many ways. So he needed to find a way to leave the party without making a scene while avoiding the dice game. Then by chance a pair of twin sisters in their twenties entered the pub and looked around as if they were looking for someone. he recognized them from one of the food booths. They made the best skewers in the place so he was a frequent customer. Hunter was hoping to get past them while stumbling about pretending to head to the outhouse.

Then the twins locked eyes on Hunter and a sly smile came on their face as they approached him. They told him he looked like he needed some help as they each took an arm and escorted him out of the pub. Hunter almost turned red as some of the soldiers cheered him on for landing himself two ladies for the night. He was not ready for that kind of attention in public. He felt out of sorts as the twins seemed eager to help him out of the pub. Once out he said he wanted to head to the barracks to sleep but they seemed to have a different plan.

Hunter continued to pretend to be drunk as they took him somewhere else. He was expecting them to try to rob him, but wanted to see if anyone else was involved so he played along. Then they arrived at an old shack which could work for a base of thieves, but when they opened the door he saw a simple room with no one in it. He figured they would just knock him out and rob him in his sleep but oddly enough they had no killing intent or malicious feeling behind their smiles. They simply sat Hunter on the bed and got up to stand before him. Hunter was puzzled as he debated his next move. Then they spoke up nervously as they were a bit nervous in the dimly lit shack. Only the fireplace gave off the light in the shack. That night hunter was enticed by the twins in honor of Hoi.

The next morning, Hunter woke up with a flower snuggling on each arm. As he looked at the happy sleeping smiles on both women he wondered why they wanted him in particular. He never did anything to stand out and he never flirted with any women. As he reached for his clothing he heard them speak up, "leaving already?" The twins sat up as they looked at Hunter who had scars on his body. It was obvious he lived a hard life, despite being only a Hunter. He never showed his scars to the others in the barracks so it was not common knowledge to others. The twins were cute and would probably look very pretty if not for their poor lifestyle. By the looks of their shack they were living day to day

Hunter put on his pants as he listened to the twins tell him that they were hoping to win his favor so they could buy meat directly from him. Apparently the meat market was being controlled by someone in the shadows and they were tired of working hard to barely make a living. They understood that the military had to have a priority but it wasn't fair for them pay so much for meat and spices. Even though they had no collateral they were willing to offer themselves to Hunter in exchange for meat at a lower price. This way they could stay in business. When Hunter asked why they chose him they responded by saying he was very reserved and not motivated by greed in their eyes.

Hunter asked if they considered the idea of him betraying them and they responded that they would not live the rest of the year based on their income alone so they had to take a chance. They lost their parents to sickness already and their brother died in the military on a secret mission. All they had was their cooking skills and what their family left them to survive. They were desperate and pleaded with hunter as their last option for hope. As Hunter got dressed he looked at their eyes to see they were desperate indeed. He had to choose wisely now since his actions could have dire consequences. He told them he would need to look into how things work before agreeing with them, but at the very least he could score them a few rabbits to help out. The light in the eyes of the women light up as Hunter was quickly seduced again.

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