Seth & the Elves

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"You can't leave me with these people!" babbled Pilserier, spittle flecking at the corner of his mouth. "Can't you see they're lying?"

"Nope," said the militiaman, angrily. "All I see is an old man tryin' to waste our time. Ain't that right, Gulli?"

"Yeah," said Gulli, in a surprisingly deep voice. "That's right."

"The Captain wants to see you, the Captain wants to see you. I don't know why he din't send a proper Guard, but the letter says it's him, right?"

The scribe nodded.

"Then we're done. You try a stunt like that again, and it'll be you up 'afore the Sergeant, mister."

Muttering to himself, the militiaman pushed his way back out through the crowd, Gulli pausing to give Pilserier a two-second stare before lumbering after his companion. Sensing the theatrics were over, the crowd of onlookers began to disperse, only a couple of reluctant idlers remaining to watch the cowed Pilserier face his persecutors.

With a nervous laugh, the apothecary retreated a few steps back into the darkness of his wagon.

"I - I didn't mean it, you know. Not seriously. It's just, I'm getting old - got a bit frightened - let it get the better of me - no hard feelings?"

His words trailed off into silence.