“How are we this low on gold already?” Costin was complaining again, but Joscelin paid him no attention. It was a mannerism of his Blade Brother that was easy to tune out, and they had been together long enough that it barely registered any more than the chirping of the birds. His head lifted from where he was digging a stone from his mount’s hoof. The birds were quiet. Even the wind whispered rather than roaring as it had when they had first come onto the plains. He straightened and looked around at the scrubby area around them. “Costin.” “What?” “Shut it.” Costin came around the horse to see what was under his skin, and noted the stillness around them as well. Both men drew their long knives, better for combat in such close quarters. In …show more content…
“What do you expect me to do, take a whole train of slavers on?” “I haven’t been hit that many times Jos,” Costin replied in an almost reproachful tone, knocked a gloved fist on the side of his head. “But I want to know where the Hell’s Horns they got their hands on an elf and a couple of nobles. Could be money in that somewhere. Bet they have a caravan looking for them.” Jos gritted his teeth, already knowing he would lose this argument. Costin was generally motivated by gold and his stomach, shortly followed by his appetite for women and drink, but beneath the brash exterior he was a good man. A good man with a hot temper towards slavers and pirates, he reminded himself. Costin was never one to spill blood loosely, but he was truly frightening for reasons he would not disclose when it came to those who made a living on the backs of others. He saw a familiar black expression on his Blade Brother’s face now. “We’ll swing around to come behind them tonight,” Jos relented. “But we cannot take the whole caravan with us. At best we can kill the slavers and hand the supplies and horses over to the slaves. The nobles and the elf…we will see.” “Good man!” Costin cried with a laugh, already cheered at the prospect of the evening’s