➵ we live in a society, balthus

[shootyourshot]

Though Garreg Mach has its own marketplace, one cannot find all of the possible bargains at one place alone. That and the merchants are beginning to grow wise to Ashe's haggling, so sometimes he takes a trip down to the village nearby the monastery. The market down there is often visited by church staff and academy students alike, so it's not out of the question for them to go to town.

He doesn't expect to see Balthus on the way, but he gives the large man a bright smile and a cheerful wave before he keeps going on his way. One doesn't have to look very hard to see Balthus' kinder notions, the way he and Hilda laugh together or when he sneaks an extra pastry for Lysithea. Ashe has a pretty good opinion of him, even if they aren't very close; he's lent money and the occasional snack without expecting to be paid back. Hapi's remarked to Ashe once or twice that he lets himself get walked all over, but Ashe prefers to think that a little kindness can go a long way. Besides, he knows how to be frugal with his own money and not give more than he can spare.

Almost to the market, and Ashe hesitates. He knows this feeling from having spent a good year dodging people which included village guards. He's being followed.

The young archer turns around and finds himself face-to-face with a couple of scruffy looking men.

"You're not here to rob me, are you?" Ashe asks kindly. "I know times can be hard, but I'm sure I can spare some coin."

The men look at each other, briefly confused as Ashe is digging into his pouch.

"Hang on, I think I have enough to give you both a hot meal or something," Ashe mumbles to himself.

"We're not here for your money, kid," one finally growls.

"Oh. ...I guess I've made this a bit awkward, huh?"

The other sighs. "Let's just grab him and go."

That's about when the brief scuffle breaks out. Ashe will kick himself for it later, but he drops his pouch of coins in the midst of it. He manages to bean one of them in the head with his bow and stab another with an arrow, but beyond that Ashe hadn't truly been expecting to end kidnapped of all things. Isn't that usually for nobles or something?

Comments

[ashenputtel]

[All in all, that Ashe kid is a pretty decent fella, in Balthus's opinion. For one thing, he's generous — like Hapi says, maybe a little too generous. Or more like gullible. He's maybe a little too quick to help a guy out, if there even is such a thing; goddess knows Balthus has taken advantage of that hospitality on more than one occasion, but after the first time or two, he's started getting a little discomforted himself about the whole thing. It's one thing to willingly put yourself in debt and invite the exchange; it's another to have a guy all but thrust his generosity upon you. And Balthus has still got his honor, debts or not. A couple unequal favors? Sure, that's just life. But making a habit out of it? Way different.

But luckily, they didn't have that kind of interaction today — and a good thing, too, because he'd just gotten done with some of his own business down in the village, checking in with his spies to make sure his mom's still properly squared away. Something's been on the wind lately that he doesn't like; his stepmother's gotten complacent, it seems like, and the last thing he wants is for her to forget about him and turn her wrath onto someone else.

He's still mulling that over as he meanders his way back toward the monastery, walking slow and enjoying his time in the fading daylight, when the wind and natural acoustics carry back the faintest sound of a scuffle from somewhere back in the direction of the marketplace.

And maybe it's just a flash of intuition that does it, or maybe it's something he heard without consciously processing, but one way or another he's standing there one second and he's taken off running the next, and thinking all the while it's been too quiet, it was too easy, she didn't forget.]

[shootyourshot]

[The latest pair of assassins don't seem too keen on making sure to cover their tracks, though perhaps that's the point: coins are left behind, as well as a quiver of arrows. Along whatever trail they've left, a broken bow and a bloody arrow, pointing east of the marketplace.

It's terribly convenient, but it does lead to a more decrepit part of the village, undoubtedly with a fairly empty building the assassins are using.

There's a yelp from one of them while Ashe bites a hand trying to cover his mouth.

Little brat! the man hisses, backhanding him.]

[ashenputtel]

[Shit. That's the sign of a skirmish, all right — and it's the bow in particular that bothers him. He's never been one for that kind of ranged weapon, but he'd be willing to wager (a good wager, one he'd actually win for a change) that he's seen this very bow before, in the hands of one little comrade of his back at the ol' Garreg Mach.

The blood on that arrow better not belong to Ashe Ubert.

But now he's running double time, automatically gravitating to the path that will take him to the worst part of town, because he knows how these things go. After you've lived life on the lam for a while, you start to figure out why shady characters choose the hideouts they do — and how to spot them, if you're ever looking for one yourself.

(The sound of a hand hitting a face inside a place that's supposed to be abandoned is kind of a dead giveaway, too. All things considered.)

There's a time and a place for strategy. That time and place is usually when Yuri or the Professor is calling the shots. As for right now, Balthus is just going to go for the ol' tried-and-true: run in headfirst, and figure it out as he goes.]

Well, well, what have we here?

[He says dryly, looming in the doorway so big and broad that he's actually blocking out most of the daylight from it.]

Coupla guys who just made a big mistake, it seems to me.

[shootyourshot]

[The scene that Balthus walks into is about what he expects: one guy just finished hitting the student, Ashe's jawline marked and promising a bruise for later, and another assassin with a bleeding shoulder looking dumbfounded for a moment before he points his sword at Balthus.

One step closer and the kid gets it! one of them snarls while his partner grips Ashe by the hair. So how about you turn yourself in?]

Balthus--!

[He can't help but feel like a fool for not perceiving this situation a bit faster. Otherwise he probably could have avoided this.]

[ashenputtel]

[His mind is made up from the instant the sword comes out, really; it's one thing to throw himself recklessly into danger, but with an innocent bystander at the point of someone else's sword, he can't in good conscience put them at risk.]

Hey, now. No need to get hasty, right? He's not the one you want.

[He shifts his weight a little, pulling it back onto his heels, giving a subtle indication that he's not planning on rushing them with his balance off like that. As he does, he glances back and forth between the two assassins, gauging the distance, before holding out his arms with his wrists together in indication toward the one with the sword.]

C'mon. Look, I'm turning in, all right? I'm turning in.

[...Of course, you can't hold a sword and tie a guy's hands, both. Here's hoping these guys are the kind of cautious idiots who'll play it safe and try to move him to a secondary location before killing him.]

[shootyourshot]

Balthus... I'm sorry.

[Ashe's heart sinks and he feels terribly guilty. If he'd just been keener or smarter, they wouldn't have ended up in this situation. The grip in his hair tightens and he winces, leaving him to watch helplessly as Balthus evidently is ready to turn himself in.

The assassin holding the sword doesn't seem to have thought this out too far as he tries to think of how to handle this. Eventually, he carefully clenches the sword blade in his teeth instead of just, you know, sheathing it like a normal person. It frees up the assassin's hands so he can take out some chains.]

[ashenputtel]

Can't have you just sitting there blaming yourself, pal. If this is what it takes to get these bastards out of your hair...

[...Okay, so maybe Balthus is not the greatest when it comes to slick coded messages in the heat of the moment (or at all, really), but he's got to at least warn the guy not to write him off so easily, right? Ashe seems pretty content to just hunker down and blame himself for this bad situation they're in; he can't be having that. If an opportunity opens up, he's got to know his partner here is ready to buck up and take it.

Still, there'd been that broken bow and bloody arrow — and the one who's advancing on him has a bleeding shoulder. He's not stupid, Ashe Ubert. He'll pick it up quick...hopefully.]

All right, c'mon, hurry it up! All this waitin' around's gonna kill me faster than you two will.

[He steps forward, hands still out, and moves toward the one with the chains —

And then, when he's close enough, grabs him by the injured arm and twists to get a yell out of him, before pivoting his weight and using the momentum to throw Sword Guy across the room at the one holding Ashe by the hair.]

[shootyourshot]

[It takes Ashe a moment to put that together, what Balthus actually means by that. Admittedly, Yuri is better at implications, but Ashe catches on nonetheless. He bites his lower lip, watching Balthus, waiting for what could be an opportunity.

So he waits, watching quietly as Balthus approaches the assassin with his arms out before he springs into action; once the assassins collide, Ashe is ducking down and scrambling to get away, but he feels a hand grab onto his ankle.

Ashe squeaks, but he doesn't remain helpless: he kicks down with his other foot, right into the man's face, getting himself loose so he can make his way to Balthus. There's the urge to apologize some more, but he swallows it back for now.

Let's just kill them both! one of the assassins growl, shoving his partner off before he's working to get back onto his feet.]

[ashenputtel]

[Even as Ashe is scrambling toward him, Balthus is already moving, himself; trying to get into a position in the reasonably cramped room that will force any forthcoming attacks to fall onto him and not his wayward companion. As soon as he's in arm's reach, he's quick to grab his pal and pull him behind him as best he can, using his body like a shield.]

Get outta here, pal! Get running! I've got this.

[yes balthus that's a real knightly thing to do, scramble like a scared little kid and run away with his tail between his legs]

[shootyourshot]

[It's too much to ask of Ashe to turn his back on a friend and flee, even if he's unarmed. Especially considering he does genuinely blame himself for the current circumstances as they are. He can't match up to Balthus or even Caspar when it comes to unarmed fighting, but he's sure he could offer something.

He tugs at the edge of Balthus' jacket.]

We'll have more room if we're outside. It's too cramped in here, especially for you.

[They won't run. They'll just have to make a better battlefield for themselves.]