The Loose Cannon was located in Hook Point in Boralus, a short distance from the Steel Rose. The place is run by Crimper Mirjam, who presumably earned her name from the nautical practice of of kidnapping people to serve as sailors by coercive techniques such as trickery, intimidation, or violence. Although forewarned by her name, her establishment was still popular among the stevedores and dockworkers of the Ashvane docks.
Still Snow was well-aware of the myriad drugs used by the unscrupulous to knock out potential targets to be impressed. Snow entered and walked up to an open seat at the bar. "A bottle of Dalaran Noir, please," Snow ordered; one of the ways to minimize getting something slipped into his drink was to order a sealed bottle.
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| A Shady Individual |
"Wise choice," came from a voice behind him. Turning in his seat, he saw that a shady individual had come up stealthily behind him. She wore heavy nautiful boots, leather trousers, and a dark grey shirt. She wore a golden anchor around her neck. At her waist she carried both a mariner's cutlass and a ling dagger. "It seemed like a reasonable precaution, under the circumstances, this is my first time here, after all."
"Yes, well... perhaps, but I find that playing it safe restricts my freedom," she replied.
Snow's ears perked up. "That may be so, but freedom just means free from obligation, which would weigh heavily on royals across the seven kingdoms, although the power has an upside, I imagine; but only the Uncrowned are truly free." Snow supplied the proper countersign, identifying him as a member of the Uncrowned.
The Uncrowned was a secret organization of rogues, thieves, and ne'er-do-wells led by the Shadows, their leaders, who form the Council of Shadows. The Uncrowned was organized to co-ordinate the battle against the Burning Legion during the demons' third invasion. Members included select individuals from Ravenholdt, Deathstalkers, SI:7, the Shattered Hand, Steamwheedle Cartel, Shado-Pan, Bloodsail Buccaneers, Hidden Circle, Gnomeregan Covert Ops, Royal Apothecary Society, and the Defias Brotherhood.
Snow had been offered membership in Dalaran, and worked for his assigned leader as called upon.
"That is a good point. my friend," the woman said. "Maybe we might continue this discussion, and share your wine, in private? I have a room here, after all."
"I would like that," Snow said.
Snow followed the woman, noting that the leather trousers fitted her shapely ass very well.
They reached her room and she unlocked the door, entering and beckoning for him to follow. The room was well-appointed, with a narrow bed in one corner, a small round table with two chairs. A wardrobe was pushed against the wall, next to a narrow bookcase.
"Please have a seat and open the wine? I'd offer to open it but you would distrust as to whether or not I might drug the wine," she said, chuckling.
Snow sat in one of the chairs. "Actually, I wasn't planning to drink the wine at all."
"Fair enough," she said. "My name is Roxanne, and Mirjam employs me as, well, as bait. Unwitting sailors come to my room, we have a drink or two, and then when they become... insistently amorous, the bouncer comes up and knocks them out. They wake up onboard an outbound sailing ship, an unwilling part of the crew."
"You, on the other hand... well, I was warned that you would be coming, and that was to help in any way I can. I assume that the Shadows have an interest in the Steel Rose?" Snow opened his mouth to respond, but Roxanne stopped him. "Never mind...none of my business."
Snow kept his mouth shut. "Well, my Uncrowned handler has an interest... his daughter is a bouncer there, now, " he thought. Or did Chess have another agenda?
"Just know that I am here to back you up in any way you need, " Roxanne said. "And... if you need.. never mind." Roxanne blushed. Her sudden surge of attraction to Snow was, under the circumstances, inappropriate and unprofessional
"...if I need?" Snow said.
"Well, if you need to talk with someone, on a personal basis... well, I would welcome such," she elaborated. "Its not often that I find someone with whom I can be completely honest. Being an operative of the Uncrowned can be very lonely."
Snow paused for a moment. "Perhaps we can have dinner together then, sometime soon?
Roxanne blushed even more. I'd like that... but given that we both work at night, lets make it lunch, instead?"
"It's a date," Snow said.
((As is so often the case, the outline for this installment changed in the writing, becoming totally different!))
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