“Get back here! Don't make this harder than it has to be!”
Tecovis chased down the strange man who had stolen his waterskin through the scattered tents.
Just what I need, some idiot trying to ‘stick it to the man.’ It's like he's trying to get in trouble.
He wished he'd spent more time learning from Pan as he leapt over makeshift tables and chairs. The criminal was clearly ukitu. He couldn't tell what kind, and every time he tried to focus on the thief his eyes crossed.
But a thief was a thief.
“Stop in the name of Jormond-!”
A woman with short red hair and greenish scales for skin shoulder checked the thief to the ground.
“-Skov?”
Tecovis pushed his confusion aside and resumed his duty. He leapt on top of the scrambling thief, fighting to pin him to the ground.
“Hold still you wriggly- Gah!”
Tecovis fell to his back as the thief bucked him with surprising ease. The Gurnian woman ran over as he tried to scramble away, grabbing one of his ankles to keep him from standing. The thief kicked at the woman's face with his free leg. Tecovis rolled to his feet, rushed over to the thief, and pressed his knees into the criminal's weirdly shaped spine.
“Last chance!”
“Go *@&% your mother, 'uman!”
Without a seconds hesitation, Tecovis smashed at the thief's temple with his elbow. As his body went slack, Tecovis whistled for his horse. Even unconscious, he couldn't get a good look at him no matter how hard he tried. It was as if the man's existence was designed to ward off his gaze.
“Was not expecting to be making an arrest today, I really need to keep my shackles on me. You alright? That looked like a good kick.”
The ukitu woman was sitting up in the dirt nearby, holding her hand against the side of her head.
“Yeah, I'll be fine in a *&@^#& minute. I have my dad's thick skull.”
“What's your name, citizen?”
“Azalea.”
"Odd name for a gurnian."
"Half-gurnian. My dad named me because I reminded him of some (*@%$&' bush when I was born."
"Half... what's the other half?"
"Klovenite, why?
"I've never met any who weren't full blooded. Is that why you're skin is green?"
"*@^$ man, you can't just *(@&%^# ask someone why their- Ha! Look at your *&^!&^# face! I kid, I kid. Yeah, my dad was green as &^%!$# grass, and I take after him."
She looked at the scales in her arm.
"Mostly."
“Interesting. Thank you Azalea, I'll make sure you're rewarded for your help today.”
“Least I could do. I'm sick of these ^@$%"&# taking everyone's $#!÷.”
“You and me both.”
Tecovis went to get his waterskin, only to discover a torn up pile of wet leather. He picked it up by the nozzle and examined it.
“Craaap, That was my favorite waterskin.”
“All that for water? The river is right ^@$%!# there!”
“This has… uh… had water from a well in town. It's possible he got desperate thinking it was a wine skin, or he just thought it might taste better.”
“Does it?”
“It still tastes like dirt, but it doesn't smell like fish.”
“The ^@$% is wrong with fish?”
Tecovis chuckled.
It wasn't long before Sandalwood arrived. Tecovis reached into his saddlebag and produced from it two sets of manacles. He bound the ankles of the thief together and locked his hands behind his back, as well as making sure to keep the keys somewhere safe. He also took notes in his work journal.
Worst part about this job. Paperwork. I hate it so much. I swear, I will burn every scrap of it one day.
Burn…
Tecovis shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose.
No. Focus.
“Nice horse.”
“Thank you. She's three, if you're curious.”
“*@&$, that young? Pretty good size."
“You should have seen her sire, tallest animal I've ever met. So tall in fact, I needed to stand on a box just to reach the stirrups.”
“Bull-@#!%.”
“No actually, horse crap.”
Azalea laughed at the pun, which made Tecovis smile with pride. He then hoisted the would-be thief onto the back of his horse.
“Have a good day Miss Azalea.”
"You too guardsman."
He then made his way back through the tents to where he had previously been taking statements. Once back by the river path, he found Zeb waiting for him. He looked lost in thought as he sat on his strawberry roan, and almost didn't notice Tecovis arrive.
“Back already? I take It there wasn't much you could use at that fishing spot?”
“Quite the opposite. I've got a good number of leads now.”
“I'd be impressed if I didn't know you personally. You always had a good eye.”
“I can't take all the credit this time. There's a lot to go over and I'd prefer not to talk about it in public. We can take it to the Buruzagi.”
“Do you think we can convince Jormund to send more resources our way?”
“Worse is coming if he doesn't. Let's move out.”
Tecovis wondered at Zeb's unusually grim expression as they set off for the city. Around the time they arrived at the gates, Tecovis heard a groan coming from the thief on the back of his horse. Zeb heard it too and looked back towards Tecovis.
“Are you- Oh. I didn't notice your new friend.”
Tecovis said with sarcasm, “Well you know me, always finding excuses to meet people.”
“What did he do?”
“The jerkwad stole my father's waterskin.”
“The one you had when I found you on the road those years ago?”
Tecovis sighed heavily. “Yeah. That one.”
“Well, that would explain the knot on his temple.”
“It gets worse.”
Zebulon's face dropped as Tecovis pulled the leathery mess out to show Zeb.
“Maker's breath. I'm sorry Teco, I know how much that meant to you.”
“Nothing I do is going to fix it, so maybe I'll use the scraps for something else. I'll find a leather worker if I think of anything.”
Zeb acknowledged him silently before facing the road again.
“I'll go with you to the garrison.”
“You don't have to do that, Zeb, I can handle him. I don't need you around just to comfort me.”
“Standard procedure Tecovis, minimum of two guards for all prisoner transports.”
“Always hiding behind procedure. You just can't admit you're an ol’ softie can you?”
Zeb failed to suppress a grin as he said, “I'm tough as nails.”
Tecovis couldn't stop his own smile either. “Suuure, and I breathe fire.” He jabbed at Zeb's pauldron with a clang and they laughed their stress away.
