The fellow that many people knew by the name of Jonathan Chess immediately spotted this half-brother's adopted son entered The Curious Octopus, a tavern in the Mariner's Row region of Boralus, and smiled. Jon was very aware that Jon both intimidated and impressed his adopted nephew; Snow FitzSilver had been taken under Jon's wing, to a degree, and had the makings of a first rate intelligence agent. Snow was currently spending a lot of his free time at a stripper bar called the Steel Rose, which was slowly stealing clientele from the Scrimshaw Gang's headquarters, the Kelp Club. Jon's younger daughter Cassia was a bouncer at the Steel Rose, and a friend of Snow.
Jon's eldest daughter Reina periodically slept with Snow FitzSilver; very little happened in the Chess household without Jon knowing about it. Jon was aware that Reina had been the aggressor where Snow was concerned, and that Cassia had no interest in Snow romantically; as neither points of information was Jon's business, he ignored them.
Jon did enjoy speaking with Snow; he suspected that Snow suspected that Jon knew everything, but was smart enough to keep the suspicions to himself. Jon approved - learning to keep one's cards close to the vest was important in Jon's business.
Jon was the personal spy and occasional assassin for Jaina Proudmoore, and had been her man ever since she had taken up the rulership of Theramore. Jon has been recruited by the former Alliance spymaster Elling Trias, and working as an Agent of Cheese had provided him with cover for extensive travel and an opportunity to gather intelligence reports from Trias' agents.
Jon was aware that his years of work had left him physically damaged; his body was festooned with scars, burn marks, and other souvenirs of torture. He was slower, and less inclined to put himself in harm's way. He was happily married with Alia, and adored his children. Jon hoped that if he had lost a step, that Snow would be a worthy replacement.
He loved his children so much so that he had never wanted them to follow him into service.
"Mind if I sit down?" asked Snow, after he made his way up the stairs and all the way to the end of the balcony.
"Please do," said Jon.
"Thanks," Snow said. "I'd hoped to find you here." He settled himself in the chair opposite the back wall; Jon always kept his back to the wall, a habit of longstanding.
"Oh?" said Jon.
"Yeah... I need some advice," said Snow.
"...So long as you remember that free advice is sometimes not what you paid for it... quipped Jon with a chuckle.
"Well, its like this... I've been offered a bodyguard job for a Ren'dorei lady, who is travelling to the subterranean city of Hallowfall. She wants to study the phases of the Beledar crystal, but she is not sanguine about her safety amongst the Arathi."
Jon nodded, recalling what he and Alia had learned in their sojourn under the lands near Dorn. The light provided by the radiant crystal, which had served for many years as a constant form of light for the under-realms, allowing the settlers to grow food in abundance. When Sargeras plunged his sword into Azeroth, the stability of Beledar was affected, with the radiance shifting to periods of shadow. The creatures of darkness took the opportunity to attack he Arathi settlements.
"It might well prove dangerous," Jon agreed, nodding. "She might need a good right arm, under the circumstances, even if the Arathi don't bear the Ren'dorei any ill will." There was much danger in and around the area, noth the least of which was the constant encroachments of the Nerubian forces of Queen Ansurek and the kingdom of Azj-Kahet. "So... what is the problem?"
"The problem is that I don't want Cassia to be left without backup," admitted Snow, blushing.
"I see," said Jon. "Snow, understand me clearly when I say this with love and respect; my children don't need protection. They were raised to be able to assess risks, and undertake them when they deem it necessary. Cassia has backup, even when you don't see it; her family is always there for her, and her boss at the Steel Rose is a friend of Griffonclaw's."
Snow looked crestfallen. "Oh," he said in a meek voice.
"Make no mistake, kid. That you feel that the family is important enough for you to put yourself in harm's way is proof that Griffonclaw made the right choice in adding you to the family, but understand that it goes both ways - the family will always be there to back you up, as well." Jon stood, and clapped his hand on Snow's shoulder. "Besides, I can always use another set of eyes down there. Just remember to make the reports on the back of the letters you send home to Alia." One of the first lessons Jon had taught Snow was how to write invisible ink.
"Letters?" said Snow.
"You don't want her to worry, do you?" said Jon.
No comments:
Post a Comment