“You may have killed Esmeralda, but that doesn’t frighten me!” Astrid called out defiantly with a furious voice, waving her arm up towards Liaena. “I will not submit to your threats, bitch!” “Offhh, can’t we just consider it?” Suddenly sounded the rather muffled voice of Donald from the bag on Liaena’s lap. “If it’s a parley you want, I consent!” “Are you mad?!” Astrid screeched back, her gaze falling momentarily down upon the satchel that Donald was still trapped in. “We can’t trust her!” “No, but this isn’t getting us anywhere!” Biting her lips, Astrid turned her head to glare back up at Liaena with a look of utter distrust. However, before she found the tolerance to formulate some words that was not swearing to the other girl, the sound of gunshots from a rifle could suddenly be heard from the corridor outside; which made Astrid instinctively twist her head towards the door, before glancing back up at Liaena. “Did you take us to some kind of gun club or is that a reason for us to be worried?” ------------------------------------------- “What is it, lass?” Doin asked as he threw a worried look towards the paper in Kathlin’s hands. Walking up to the girl, the dwarf extended his hand to take the piece of crumpled paper from her and stretched it out to read it. Behind him, Frarn stood on his toes behind his father to peer over his shoulders and down on the newspaper. In between numerous advertisements, job-openings and fashion tips stood a large title written in bold letters, reading: “Advisor of Treasure, high ranking member of Stormwind Royal bank murdered last night!”. “Last night? Was it yesterday?” “No, son. It happened just few hours ago. Fresh print.” “It’s four in the mornin’!” “Seems they brought us an exclusive… how very considerate of them.“ Doin mumbled, scoffing at the text as he continued to read out loud; “He was found dead in his private quarters, by his own wife who was spared by the assassins. ‘No one came in or out!’ says Captain Ragnar, who was the hired mercenary of the Red Vanguard assigned to protect him. On questions regarding if he is accusing the wife of involvement, he had no further comments… well shit.“ “Why didn’t we hear anything about this sooner?!” Frarn asked, and Doin shook his head. “I have no idea. We need to tell the rest!” “What’s going on out here?” Suddenly sounded another pair of voices from outside the window, as the Red Vanguard officers and members at the first floor had stepped outside. In front of the Guild Alehouse, where the two younger White Hands had stood, now saw no less than almost a dozen white cloaks gathering outside. The men and women were all mounted on horses, donned in black leather armor and shining silver platemail armor. Some of them had their white hoods pulled over their heads, with their faces hidden behind stainless steel masks. Facing towards the doorway where the Red Vanguard members had emerged from, one of the black haired riders, apparently the leader; trodded forward as he raised his hand. “Good evening, Master Glacus.” Called Sevarian from his steed, the darkcaster wearing a white cloak around him similar to the rest of the people in his company. Beneath his cloak he wore a stainless cuirass and shoulderplates over some expensive black silk robes. The man beckoned towards the older guildmaster of the Red Vanguard, a man in his early sixties called Renhard Glacus. Upon being called out, Glacus narrowed his gaze at Sevarian. “What do you want? It’s the middle of the night. Have you no notion of space and time?!” Glacus called back, and Sevarian hummed on a light laughter. “Perhaps we don’t, but perhaps it’s also for the better. If you hadn’t been sleeping, dear Mister Longbarrel might not have been dead.” Sevarian smiled, before leaning a little forward on his steed as he noticed the surprise that mixed with the suspicious looks on the faces of the Vanguard members. “Or don’t you read the news?” “Dead? If something had happened, I would be the first to know!” Glacus stated, throwing Sevarian a slightly confused look. Sevarian, looking rather amused by Glacus' reply; turned to his nearest compatriot standing next to him. The iron masked rider pulled a news article out from beneath his cloak, the very same article that Doin just had read, before throwing it down into the snow covered pebblestone street. The Vanguard officers looked down at it, as one of them stepped forward to pick the article up before returning to the group where they all gathered around it to look. A moment passed, before Glacus; now with a grim look on his face; turned to look back at Sevarian who was still on his mount. “Have you come all this way just to gloat, or do you actually have anything of value to say?” Glacus asked as he cast Sevarian a dark stare. Sevarian took a few moments to answer, staring back at Glacus with a sly smile. “Though I might carry dark tidings, I also carry advice.” He finally said, looking out across the Vanguard members. “It would be better if you looked for jobs elsewhere. It is no secret that Stormwind has become too competitive for you to thrive, no… survive. If you cannot even protect your top clients, who would hire you?” “Are you doubting our skill? If so, let’s have a duel; your man against mine! I will not tolerate your lot coming on our turf and insulting us like this!” Glacus shouted back, pointing at Sevarian where he stood as anger filled the old man!