Arcturus's offer was simplicity itself. In exchange for a book written by Reizeskshan Chiba, Cogidubnus would would kill this man haunting Arcturus's lands. Assassination was certainly not beneath Cog - and certainly not for what the Mage promised. He would have done far more to gain such a prize - not for ink or leaves, of course. The book was worthless to him, but for its author, and its subject.
The mage knew this, of course, and was rather pleased with himself. The werewolf had completed his plan nicely - his only missing element had been someone desperate and ignorant enough to do what he asked without investigating further. When he parted with the werewolf, it had been with a grin on his face.
He had left with Cog two items of import, however. A parchment containing a map to his lands on one side, and a list of directions on the other. The second item was a letter of introduction to one of the captains currently docked in the Harbor, one Horatio Aiile. Arcturus had urged the wolf to make all haste, and left himself after that.
Cog had no idea was going to get home, nor did he care. He simply ate his fish in silence, with only the wind for company. When he finished he left a silver coin on the table, and headed for his room. His possessions were sparse, and largely ready for travel - he gathered his belongings and headed for the docks. The ship left today, or so the mage had said, and if he missed the boat he would have to charter another himself - something that would take more time and much more money than he had. He did have a few chores to take care of before he left, however.
Paying the inn for his stay, he made his way to the docks. He had only two stops between him and the ship - one to a merchant of dried goods, and another to a lesser-known outfitter for oil and papercloth. He had no idea how long he would be gone, and rust was always a danger on the sea. Best to be prepared, after all.
The docks, in contrast with the rest of the city, was a boisterous center of activity, perhaps the only such place on the island. Constant loading and unloading of various smallgoods and a veritable horde of passengers embarking and disembarking gave the impression of utter chaos, and of frenzied, calamitous tidings. Captains' stood either mourning the eternally foul and treacherous waters, or bellowing orders to their crew, both telltale signs of their beleaguered status. Cog merely walked through calmly, sidestepping the crowds as neatly as he could, his pack swung over one shoulder and his face betraying his...nonplussed attitude. He generally avoided crowds when possible, but sometimes such things must be endured. His face relaxed, and he sighed in relief as he spotted his destination, grateful that finding the ship would be no great ordeal. In scarlet, bold letters upon the side of one of the ships was written the 'Azure Rose', the ship that Arcturus had bid him sail upon, and he navigated the crowds until he reached the vessel.
He could see the captain on deck, directing the flow of goods on and off his ship, and although his voice was no less loud or commanding than the other captains, it had a certain amount of cold imperiousness about it that spoke of a deep calm and confidence, and probably no little bit of arrogance mixed in. Cog observed the ship for a moment before calling out to the captain. "Captain Aiile!" he yelled out, cupping one hand to his mouth as he yelled. "I seek a charter!"
The captain spared him only a passing glace, raising a single eyebrow and murmuring something to his first mate. The burly man nodded and began to direct traffic in his stead, the captain gracefully descending the gangplank and approaching the were.
Up close, the fox seemed even more refined than he had seemed from afar. He wore the dress of the old sailors, a blue coat over a white shirt and black pants, and a pair of knee-high leather boots completed the ensemble. At his belt hung a polished saber and dagger, and a holster behind the smaller blade held a dully gleaming firearm. The blue of the coat was a brilliant contrast to his white fur, and his blonde hair was tied back into a ponytail. He stared at Cog with brilliant green eyes, and made a short bow.
"My time is short, and you seem hardly the type to afford the services of a ship. I'll see the money before I see anything else." he said, his voice curt. Cog nodded and fished inside his jacket the envelope that Arcturus had given him, and handed it to the captain. The man sighed, and opened it quickly, ripping the letter out and scanning it quickly. He would have preferred banknotes, something he could simply view and confirm, but as he continued reading he began to slow down, and a smile spread across his face. He nodded, and placed the letter in a large pocket upon the side of his coat.
He nodded to the wolf, and began walking back to the gangplank, motioning for him to follow. "Yes. That will do nicely. Your passage has been arranged. You can expect landfall in a few weeks." he said, walking up the gangplank. "Mr. Weston! Make up a cabin for our guest! We have new passenger."
He looked down at Cog, and grinned. Money was certainly to be made with this one. A lot of money...
The voyage over the sea went much as sea voyages do. Slow to the point of plodding, implacably monotonous, and harshly grueling for those who crewed the ship. Though it was not one of Cog's favorite memories, the beginning of the journey had not been so bad - the storm that eternally sulked and raged about the island made for very choppy seas, and the time at first passed quickly with the aid of sheer terror and excitement. The rest of the voyage, however, was one grand vista of the ocean after another, a green sea that sparkled out in seemingly infinite direction. The boredom was magnificent.
Cog had not thought to bring even a book with him, and as passengers were not allowed on-deck, he didn't have the space to practice his swordsmanship. The cabins on the ship were efficiently made, small and compact. Lacking any sort of stimulation besides wave-watching, he found himself at a loss for something to pass the time. He found himself repeatedly polishing and oiling his blade to pass the time.
The only reprieve was during meals, which he ate with the captain and the one other passenger on the ship, an extremely dull accountant who spoke little, and when he did deign to speak, it made one wish he hadn't. The captain, however, seemed an interesting sort, but to Cog's frustration and infinite dismay he kept to the confines of polite civility, making small-talk and changing the subject when he deemed it prudent, or the topic controversial. Getting him to talk for any length of time about anything interesting, or anything about himself, was an exercise in futility. Cog found himself going increasingly mad the longer he stayed on the ship. He decided he would bring a book next time. Or a pen. Hell, a rubber ball to bounce against the walls would have provided adequate stimulation.
But despite how much it felt like eternity, the journey did not last forever: the ship finally made port several days later. Landfall was made at the port of Huad, another coastal town, situated on the granite rocks that outlined the continent, a deceptively rocky coast that belied the lushly forested inland.
To his relief, Cog was allowed to stand on-deck on the day of his departure, and though he resented his practical imprisonment in his cabin, he saw the logic in it. The main deck was only slightly less frenzied at sea than at port, and passengers underfoot could cause myriad problems.
When they finally made port, however,and the necessary inspections and clearances by customs had been made, Cog was finally allowed off the ship. To his surprise he was escorted off by the Captain himself, who expressed to him his wishes for good luck in his further travels. He left saying that he had other business to take care of in the city, and disappeared. Cog slung his pack over his shoulder and made his way into the city.
Finally off the damned ship, he followed the directions on the back of the map and headed for the 'Eyeglass Tavern'. Arcturus had indicated 'further instruction' awaited him there, although he had not been kind enough to provide any sort of concise direction to it. New to the city, it took him some time to locate it. It was, of course, situated much closer to the docks than he had expected, and thus he found himself doing a great deal of backtracking. Upon entering the establishment, he saw the mage himself sitting at one of the tables, enjoying a meal of gravied lamb and a brandy. He waved the wolf over.
"Cog, my lad! Good to see you! Your trip was not too uncomfortable, I hope?" the tiger said, a grin suffusing his features. A bit of gravy was clung to his chin.
His false sincerity, however, grated on Cog's nerves, something he had not thought possible after such incredible boredom. The mage continued to amaze. Cog sat down heavily, his face a picture of distaste. A few seconds passed in silence, and he was finally forced to answer the him. Formalities must be observed, after all. "I'm here. Alive. Good enough then, I suppose."
The tiger nodded. "Good, good. Glad to hear it. But now that you are here we can really begin." he said, gulping down another bite of lamb. He swallowed loudly, and continued. "The man I spoke of earlier, the trespasser - his name is Giles Monterrey." The tiger watched carefully for any sign of recognition. Cog didn't react at all. He grinned inwardly and continued. "A vagabond of the blackest sort. He has terrorized my lands for months now, demanding tribute from the villages surrounding my tower."
Cog put his face in his hands in case he couldn't hide his smirk. The last comment made quite a bit of sense to the werewolf - demanding tribute, and likely giving the farmers an excuse to pay less in taxes, likely. The tiger simply kept talking. "He is feared as a 'master' arsonist. The people fear he will burn their villages to the ground. Now...it would simply not do for me to kill this man. I am, after all, a man of peace."
Cog couldn't keep a snort from escaping him, but the Tiger didn't seem to notice. "Killing him is out of the question, for me. So, I found myself in need of a mercenary. That, good man, is where you come in." He grinned and held up his fork in the air. "Kill this man! Save my people, and, earn your reward!" he said, his voice dramatic. Cog simply cringed inwardly. He shook his head, and managed to keep himself from grimacing. Shifting one leg, he stared at the man from behind his shades.
"Truly, a hero's quest." he said, his voice deadpan. As he kept speaking, he kept his voice soft. "I'm sure your people are in torment, and likely you wish to resolve this as quickly as I do. Where is the vagabond now?"
The Tiger held his fork in the air for a moment, and brought it back down to his dinner, stabbing the meat left on his plate. "Yes, yes. To the point. Fine." He said, his voice short. He seemed somewhat put-out by Cog's lack of enthusiasm, but his attempt at keeping a cheery attitude were worthy of applause, or of a mild sickness to the stomach. "Last seen, he was thirty miles out east, well into the wilderness. You should be able to see my tower form outside the town?. Simply walk towards it, and when you reach the first village, turn towards the smoke."
Cog quirked an eyebrow. "The smoke?" he said, his voice incredulous. The tiger simply nodded. "Yes, the smoke. Oh, and take this." The mage opened a pouch at his waist and handed him a single, silver hounds-tooth. In comparison with the rest of the somewhat fetid and hot tavern, the piece of silver was ice-cold. He held it in his hand for a moment, staring at it. It didn't warm in his hand, but simply sat there like a piece of ice. "When you find him, you might need it. 'Till then little doggy!" The tiger said, putting his fork down.
With those words, Arcturus's stood, wiped his mouth, and disappeared. Simply vanished into thin air, leaving his empty plate and the silver tooth in the werewolf's hand. He closed his fist around the charm, letting the chill permeate his hand. He sat at the table for a long while before getting up and finding a place to stay. Damned if he would spend his first night off that ship sleeping on a rock.