The Iron Teeth

A Tradesman's Tools 8

Luphera fluttered her eyelashes as Blacknail considered his options. He did really feel like killing someone. He was also very good at it, so he could probably murder Najget without any real difficulty. The feat would also certainly impress Luphera...

Wait, what was he thinking? Why would he want to impress her anyway? She was just a human woman, not a prospective mate, and she wasn't even of his tribe! Not that he trusted everyone in Herad's tribe though. Some of them weren't nearly as dependable as him.

The hobgoblin's confident look turned to one of suspicion as he met Luphera's gaze. He didn't even know if Najget was a real person.

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" he asked her doubtfully.

"Well, I haven't raised the alarm," she pointed out, with a friendly smile.

It was a nice smile... No, he had to concentrate. There might not be a lot of the perfume from before in the air, but there was still a lingering trace of it, and that was apparently enough to mess with his head.

"Yes, but if you were noisy I would have stabbed you," Blacknail countered.

"Oh, stop being so paranoid, Blacknail. Haven't I always helped you out? Now, I just need you to do one small thing for me, kill Najget. It's what you should be doing anyway!" she exclaimed assertively.

"Maybe," Blacknail mused. It did sound like fun, but Saeter had once told Blacknail that paranoia was the only thing that kept you alive. His master was also really old, so he probably knew what he was talking about.

Even if Luphera wasn't outright lying, she still might be playing down the danger involved. There were an awful lot of guards around, and Blacknail didn't even know where Najget was, or what he smelled like.

Luphera moved closer and leaned against his shoulder, and her body was surprisingly soft. As the hobgoblin watched her warily, she gave him a pleading look.

Blacknail immediately took a step back away from her. He didn't like the hungry look in her eyes; he wasn't used to being on the receiving end of an expression like that. The sudden mad beating of his heart also unnerved him, it hadn't been caused by fear.

"You're so shy. Not at all what one would expect from your reputation," Luphera purred as she took another step after him.

"I still don't trust you" Blacknail replied as he hastily backed away again.

Instinctively, the hobgoblin glanced around the room for something to hide behind, even though he knew it would be pointless and stupid. Luphera's attention was becoming more than a little uncomfortable.

He didn't know what to say to her, or even what to think. He just knew he wanted out of the room. He had no reason to put himself at risk to kill someone right now.

"Maybe later, I have-ss to get back," he muttered, as he turned away from Luphera and her unsettling eyes.

"Please Blacknail, I need your help," the woman pleaded.

Blacknail ignored her, and immediately fled towards the window he'd used to enter the building. Once outside the fresh air would clear his head. Before he could get more than a few feet though, he heard a commotion from outside the window.

The sudden sound of several people shouting filled the air. Someone was raising the alarm! They must have discovered the bodies.

"Shit," Blacknail hissed.

Almost immediately, he heard heavy footsteps from below as people from the building flooded out into the street. There were at least a dozen of them, and there was no way Blacknail could escape that way anymore. He'd let himself grow distracted, and had talked to Luphera for far too long!