[center][h3]Yer Gonna Pay for It[/h3]
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[hr]
[i]8th of Midyear, Noon, Three Crowns Hotel[/i]

It had been a tiresome night once Meg had returned to the Hotel with Jaraleet. So much was going through her mind. Sora and Latro captured. Jaraleet getting hurt. Raelynn being tortured. Try as she might to sleep, she found herself tossing and turning, restless despite feeling exhausted. When she finally did manage to catch some sleep, sunrise was only a couple of hours away. Even this sleep was reft of peace, nightmares attacking her mind, bringing images of the past, the present and the possible future. J'raij, Jaraleet, Sora and Latro, Zahir... all weaved their way through her mind, until she finally couldn't handle it anymore and forced her eyes open. 

And that was when she realized she had overslept. Normally one to rise with the sun, it was a very rare occasion when she would sleep in so much that the sun was all the way up in the sky. Lurching out of bed and falling to her knees as her foot got caught in the sheets, she stayed on the ground for a small moment, caught in a bout of dizziness from the sudden movement. "I gotta..." She had to tell the others the information from last night, about Daro'Vasora and Latro, about Raelynn and Gregor, about the strange Sevari and the dangerous Zaveed. "Shit." Pushing herself off the ground and standing up, she pressed her palm to her still reeling head as she stumbled to the table, in desperate need of something to drink. There was no water, but wine was good enough for the time being.

A couple of gulps later, she set the bottle back down, rubbing at her face with both hands. "Mara help me..." A pang of hunger was felt in her stomach; she could have ignored it but then she was reminded that it wasn't just herself she had to worry about feeding anymore. She had clearly told him not to steal and that she would meet him outside the gates of the hotel a little after sunrise every day with some breakfast. Today she hadn't delivered. He was probably hungry and disappointed. She could deal with the latter easily enough, but the thought of him getting caught stealing didn't sit well with her. Once she made sure he was okay, she'd tell the others what was up.

Outside, the heat of the day was beating down with no mercy. She squinted as she looked up at the sun- oh how she missed Skyrim's skies. Things were just hot and hotter here in Hammerfell; maybe it was time for her to finally learn how to swim for a cool down? In any case, a quick sweep with her eyes was enough to show her he wasn't anywhere around. "Hm..." It would make sense he headed to the market then, since that was where he normally spent most of his days, according to himself. Perhap he returned to his little sanctuary in the alleyway? Meg pulled her wrinkled map from her pocket and straightened it. [i]Now where was tha'... Ah.[/i] She'd thankfully had the sense to mark the spot on her some days back, just in case.

It wasn't long before she had reached his little hideout. She was slightly disappointed that he wasn't there, that would have made things relatively easy. [i]Maybe wait here?[/i] The ground was as comfortable here as anywhere else, so she plonked herself down and leaned against the wall, waiting. An hour passed, and judging from the movement of the sun, a second hour passed as well. Meg finally pushed herself off the ground and stood up, feeling restless and worried. There was still time for sunset, but curfew wasn't her current worry. 

"'Nough with the waitin'," she muttered. She would find him if she had to question every bloody person in Gilane.
[hr]
There he was. The shifty fruits seller had mentioned a boy being chased by two thugs in the direction of the back alleys, and it seemed he was telling the truth. Meg froze in her steps, unable to peel her eyes away from the boy, taking in the sight of his cuts and bruises, patches of blood staining his clothes. His face was still pressed against the ground, eyes closed yet still tightening, showing her he was still... alive. Standing above him were two men taking turns at kicking the boy, sneers at their lips, muttering swears at the 'stinking thieving rat'.

It was the first time Meg had felt so much anger in her that she didn't spare a single thought, not about herself, not about getting in trouble if she was seen- nothing. Red curtains were drawn over her eyes and all she wanted was to make these men feel regret for what they had done to her little friend. And angry snarl trailing from her lips, the Nord woman charged at the man closest to her, headbutting him away from the boy. Clearly not expecting to be interrupted, the man stumbled back, giving Meg the chance to ram her boot against his shin. As he let out a cry of pain, she leaped at him again, using her body weight  to knock him to the ground and then straddle him. 

"You fuckin' piece o' shit." The growl barely escaped her as she punched him straight in the face, hard enough that she heard the satisfying crack of his nose. "You... don'... touch... m'... friend!" Each word was followed by another fist to the face. Meg ignored the pain in her knuckles, her fury giving her the strength she needed as well as a tolerance to any pain. The blood streaming from the man's nose, the swelling and bruising that had already begun- none of it triggered her mercy.

"You bitch!" The second man seemed to have recovered from his shock and was now rushing towards Meg, fist swinging down at her. She quickly ducked to the side and rolled off the first man, who was too busy whimpering in pain to try and help his crony. "Don't think I'll let you run away after that!"

Meg pressed a hand against the ground and pushed herself up to a standing position, just in time to meet a fist to her face. Reeling backwards, she could feel blood trickling from where her lip had split. It was no matter- if anything the stinging pain fueled her further. As the second man rushed to attack her once more, Meg did the same, charging once more and head butting him straight in the gut. The man lurched at the contact, stumbling back as the air was knocked out of him. Sparing no seconds to waste, she followed her attack with a hard boot to the groin, causing the second man to gasp as he fell to his knees. A second kick to the side of his head sent him to the ground, groaning in pain next to his fallen friend.

"Get this through yer thick heads," Meg growled, wiping at the blood on her lip. "Y'touch someone I love, yer gonna pay for it. Get the fuck outta here 'fore I pull m'sword out an' show ya what I can do with it." Ignoring the gasps, whimpers and cussing, she hurried to where Zahir was still laying prone. "Hey... I'mma get ya away from here." Her lips trembled at the state he was in, and she had to struggle against the dark thought of getting rid of those two men for good.

Managing to ease him onto her back, she was relieved when she felt him stirring. "Jus' hol' on tight," she murmured. Glancing at the two men behind her, she saw the second was struggling to get back to his feet. [i]Shit.[/i] Using one hand to keep Zahir secure, she grabbed at her sword and pulled at it. The sound was enough for the second man to hurry to his friend and drag him away.

"Let's get goin'." Meg could feel the throbbing pain in her knuckles now, but she would have to ignore it. The sun was close to setting and she needed to get Zahir somewhere safe. Recalling an inn she had passed by on her way here, she decided that was the way to go. She wouldn't be able to make it back to the Three Crowns Hotel in time, but truth be told, she wasn't sure if she wanted to take Zahir there. Who knew the limits of the Poncy Man's generosity?

She let her sword slip back into the scabbard and started off on her own way.
[hr]
A couple of hours later, Meg was sitting next to the bed of the room she had rented. Thank Mara for the gold Salosoix had paid her- she finally had a real reason to use it instead of just wasting it on sweets for herself and Zahir. When the innkeeper saw the beaten boy on her back, he had been ready to tell her to go away; a flash of gold coins was enough to change his mind. 

Her eyes rested on the boy, who the inkeeper's wife had agreed to help clean up and clothe after Meg offered a few extra septims for her effort. At least all the grime and blood was off of him. A weak health potion had been offered for a price, and Meg hadn't been about to say no, even if she had known she could get it for less. Anything to ease his pain was a good thing. 

"M-Meg?" 

Meg jerked up and sat straight, gazing at the boy, who was looking back at her through swollen eyes. She smiled down at him, though her eyes were glazed and stinging from trying to force her tears from escaping. "Sorry I was late, Zahir." She reached out and gently passed a hand over his curls.

"I..." He seemed to struggle to speak but continued anyway. "I... I thought... you were gone. Like... Father."

"I'm sorry Zahir... I didn' mean t'make y'worry like that." Meg swallowed, feeling a wave of regret roll over her like water on the seashore. "Don' worry, I ain' goin' anywhere. Go back t'sleep... yer safe now."

She didn't know how long it would take for him to recover, but until then she wouldn't leave him on his own. Too many people she cared for were getting hurt, and she wasn't going to let herself fail yet another one. [i]Raelynn... I'm sorry... I'mma have to wait a bit... Sora, Latro...[/i] She rubbed her forehead before covering her eyes so that the wetness would go away. Sevari said they were safe and sound- she would have to put her trust in him for now, she knew Jaraleet did. Her forehead creased. She'd have to tell her argonian friend tomorrow where she was. She knew he would worry... or she hoped he would.

But for now, she would hold her vigil over her young friend.