The western woods

The door leading to the den creaked open and a slim boy slipped inside. With his hat pulled over his head and his leather coat hiding most of his body, he swiftly walked past the others and stood at the corner of the room, focusing solely on table no. 09 as the game continued on its pace.

Time passed and the dealer was swapped with a new one. The boy watched as the dealer left the table and swiftly moved through the crowd of gamblers scattered all over the den. He walked past the bar and up the stairs before disappearing into a room directly in front of the stairs with an adjusted sized fox Crest hanging onto it.

The boy shrugged and followed the dealer. He reached the door and knocked two times before lightly pushing it open and slipping inside.

The dealer stood behind the desk positioned in the center of the room as he calmly poured some wine into two silver goblets before he looked up at the boy, holding out the goblet for him to take while he sipped from the other.

"News, Zuko?"

The boy took off his hat as he slumped down onto the chair opposite to the dealer.

"Allen's acting up. She's starting to wiggle in her seat. We gotta do something about her, Ren. Any idea how Gale's gonna react to her offer?" Zuko begun speaking as he took the cup from Ren and sipped on the wine with a low hiss.

"Who knows. Gale has always been one to do whatever his heart desires."

Ren replied as he walked up to the window overlooking the entirety of the eastern side of Craverial. Zuko, on the other hand, took a deep sigh showcasing his frustration as he mumbled quietly.

"Even after what happened to Moira? You think he's still gonna go ahead and do business with Allen?"

As he uttered those words, Ren's body froze up before he turned his face around to look at Zuko with a stone-cold expression.

"What happened to Moira? Zuko, spit it out before Gale makes you"

Zuko looked at him with a humorless smile as he begun to explain the events which unfolded today.

"She came back with a scar on her left eye."

"Well, I'm sure Allen must've pulled her triggers to make Moira fight and its-"

"She didn't say a single fucking word when he returned. She's been locked inside her room ever since."

Ren fell quiet at that. That was unlike Moira. She was someone who enjoyed sitting in the den, watching over the games which rolled on one after another and staying up for long sloppy hours, drinking and chatting with anyone who would listen. Besides mere scars wouldn't have been enough to break someone like Moira. After all, she was known specifically for them. Her scars. A prove of her strength and bravery.

She was full of life, so for her to just shut herself in her room didn't sit right with anyone who knew her.

"Why don't you explain it in a bit more detail, zuko?"

A sharp voice cut through the air, making both Ren and Zuko freeze in their places. Zuko sighed before he got up from his seat and turned around.

"How long have you been standing there, Gale?"

"Long enough to know someone fucked something up. Now speak, will you?"

Zuko stared as Gale slowly made his way towards his throne-like leather chair. The atmosphere in the room shifted and the tension became unbearably thick.

This was more then serious. Serous enough to scar Moira. He felt stupid for doubting, even for a second, that Gale wouldn't curve out Allen's heart if Moira was in danger. He smiled to himself before he slouched down on the seat again and begun explaining to Gale their current situation with Allen.

Meanwhile, Ren shook his head and poured some wine in another glass goblet and handed it to Gale.

Gale looked at the glass then at Ren before taking the glass in his pale hands, gripping it from its neck ever so delicately.

"Moira was supposed to return earlier this morning. Though she arrived in the late evening and went straight up to her room. She had her face covered with a scarf, probably to hide the scar on her left eye. I went after her, of course. She didn't tell me much of what happened to her instead just gave me all the details of her interaction with Allen. Allen's not backing down. She's persistent and wants you to give in to her offer. In all honesty, Gale, it's a stupid ass offer. And after what they did to Moira, I-"

"Are you sure it was Allen who did it?"

Gale interrupted him, leaning forward onto the desk with his chin resting on the palm of his hand. He was calm. Scaringly so. Which made Zuko stop entirely as he pounded over whatever he'd said up until that moment. He sighed.

"It's true I have no proper proof that it was her work but it's obviou-"

"Zuko, do you think we'd have come this far if we'd simply believed in what was obvious and assumed our way through? I don't work with guesses and you know it, you know really well. So go on, take your time and bring me solid information on Allen and her guard dogs. I'm not going to agree to her terms and requests as she stands. But it would be far better if whatever she's offering is in our hands rather then her inexperienced ones. Go and find out anything you can. I need information, Zuko. Do what you're best at, and figure this out for me."

"Alright alright, I got it." Zuko replied with an exasperated sigh as he threw his hands in the air in resignation before he reluctantly got up from his seat and, eyeing Gale, swiftly, picked up the small roll of cash sitting on the table.

"I'll be taking that, thank you" he muttered as he walked out the room, whistling an unrecognizable tune.

Ren, who was standing at the corner of the room, watching the whole scene unfold, finally moved forward and sat down on the seat where Zuko was just a moment ago. He put his hands up on table, intertwining them together as he stared up at Gale.

He seemed like his usual self with that cocky smile and silver hair, gripping the wine glass from its neck with his slender delicate fingers. He hummed unconsciously, when he felt Ren's gaze on him. So he lifted his eyes up and looked at him, waiting, his gaze as calm as the deep sea or a frozen lake.

"You know, those eyes of yours piss ms off sometimes."

"I think they're pretty."

"They're not."

Ren sighed, seeing Gale's grin widening. This man really was full of himself. To think he'd call himself pretty so unironically was absurd. Still, that didn't change the truth. Gale was what one would call 'exceptionally attractive'. He had piercing blue eyes which made one shiver solely because they could feel the coldness they radiated. White, pale skin, almost like a ghost and silver hair which fell at the nape of his neck, brushing against the grey scarf he always wore around his neck. He was tall, almost 6 feet, with broad shoulders.

It would've been a lie if Ren said he wasn't slightly jealous of Gale's looks. Though that jealousy really only went so far.

"I can't believe I take orders from a cocky bastard like you."

"They keep you alive and your pockets filled though."

"Still doesn't change the fact that you're a cocky bastard."

Gale smiled wide at him as he sipped his wine, staining his lips red.

A moment of pure silence passed before Ren spoke up again.

"There's one more thing."

"Other than Moira?"

"Yes."

"What?"

"The rumours, Gale."

Ren felt the atmosphere shift again. Gale was always serious when it came to business.

"What about them?"

"They're circulating fast. Apparently, a man went hunting in the western side of the forest and saw a girl. Said she didn't have any clothes on and was swimming and singing inside that lake. He also said that she had charcoal eyes. Could've been a Fiana. But it's very unlikely for one to be here. They usually roam in bigger countries to hunt down royals and influential people. An island like Craverial shouldn't be their target of interest. Besides no one ever, goes near the drummer shallows. Even Fianas. They don't sing, and they certainly don't swim. Not there."

Gale listened quietly, taking a long moment before he begun to speak.

"I might have an idea of what happened to Moira."

"How?"

"Well, let's just say she's a curious one. If the rumours are circulating fast, then it wouldn't have taken long until they reached her ears."

"So you're saying she went to check the woods out?"

Gale sighed and got up from his seat. He walked over to the door leading out the room and stopped, turning his face sideways to look at Ren, a faint smile playing at his lips.

"Like I said, Ren. I don't work with guesses and assumptions. I'd like to confirm it first."