The problem with Ashvale is that it was a law-abiding city. Certainly, it would have been perfect for him and Veleria to lie low in. Without her, though, Adrian was struggling to find what he needed.
Firstly, the distinct lack of a brothel was a hell he rarely experienced. Secondly, despite knowing there was an outfit somewhere in the city, he couldn’t locate it. Despite these two issues, Adrian did find that the food suited him. The nearby farms deserved praise.
He was counting out some coin for a fruit stall when his two main problems with Ashvale began to draw to a satisfying conclusion. A rambunctious girl ran into his leg, stumbled, apologized, and kept running from her playmates, causing Adrian to drop a few coins. As he bent over to pick them up, he found another gloved hand had come to assist him.
“Look at this crazy asshole casually wearing a dangerous artifact on his belt.” Said the helpful stranger, gripping Adrian’s hand to help him to his feet. Once recognition hit him, Adrian grinned and pulled the man in for a shoulder tap. He pulled away, finished paying for his groceries, and then joined his comrade. They were slender, with long, blond hair they let feather their face and accentuate a pair of simple brown eyes. They were dressed in more casual attire for the area. No armor, unlike Adrian. Although they had it covered, he could see the distinction of the Giarmund Thieves Guild tattoo leaking onto their clavicle. Assuming he hadn’t completely lost his head, then Adrian remembered that their name was Mason.
At least, that was the name he went by when he was last in Almor.
“The average Joe mostly ignores that it exists.” Adrian breathed loudly through this nose, following Mason onto a side street.
“Wild you wanna wear the damn thing, but I doubt you’d be here if it wasn’t something important. Did’ja reconsider that deal with Cromwell or sumthin’?”
“Don’t remind me.” Adrian hissed through grit teeth. “Though I imagine it might be back on the table now that I need the fucker.”
“Pfft. You, needing Cromwell of all people? C’mon, how much shit did you get yourself in now?” Mason scoffed, stopping to lean against the side of a building. Adrian noted that even the lesser traveled streets were in good shape. No falling shingles or broken cobblestones. They even had a rainbow sheen to them. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say the place was richer than Arlaman’s castle town.
Considering his words, Adrian took a bite out of one of the apples he bought.
“I took an escort job, taking this girl to Cromwell, but uh…I guess you could say I fumbled it.”
“That’s hard to believe.” Mason said. “She dead or somethin’?”
“No. She was taken from me. I got taken out for two weeks.” Adrian frowned, watching as Mason knit his brows together.
“Are you, uh…” Mason looked upward in thought. “Are you walking your ass all the way to the mountain? Empty-handed?”
Sliding down the opposite wall, Adrian sighed. That was basically what he was doing, yes, and he didn’t really want to admit to Mason his concerns were on the mark.
“Pretty much, yeah.”
“Bullshit, Adrian. Even you can’t be that dense.”
Adrian’s lips thinned. He generally took most of his peoples’ punishment if only to avoid conflict, but that didn’t mean he liked Mason taking a dig at him. Still, he wouldn’t act confrontational. The situation was bullshit, after all.
“You got a better idea?” Adrian asked.
Mason pointed a gloved finger towards him, “damn right I do. Been here for the better part of a year, and I know for a damn fact that Cromwell has specific folk in town that can communicate with him. He usually doesn’t take guests, so I guess this is sort of a compromise for him. Mel knows one of the guys that edits his books.”
“Mel…? As in, Melissa Townsend? Is she here, too?”
Please be her, Adrian thought. He could still visualize the curve of her hips even after two years apart. One could never forget a body like that.
Mason gave him a lopsided grin, “I know what you’re thinking, you dog. Yeah, it’s that Mel. Bet she’d be happy to see you, too.”
Adrian could celebrate. While most of those under his banner were decent enough people, there were always better ones. Having both Mason and Melissa here when he needed them most was a turn of luck even he couldn’t have foreseen. He touched the mask on his belt absentmindedly, though the Dark Stranger did briefly cross his mind.
“Lead the way,” Adrian smirked.