Ben's calm was disturbed a bit by a metalic thud directly behind his head. As he turned quickly to see what the sound was he dragged the Innkeeper over the bar like a rag doll causing him to howl in pain. There he saw held just in front of his face the tin ale cup being held by his new little friend. Before he had time to register what that was all about the little man jumped to the floor and grabbed a throwing knife that had just fell there and expertly returned it directly into it's original owner's throa, causing the man to clutch at his unusually long neck and drop to his knees. From all directions came the sounds of scuffling boots, chairs sliding accross the floor as the seated stood up quickly, cowards whining while looking for cover, and swords and knifes whispering as they were unsheethed. These were the sounds that Ben had been trying to avoid since he left these parts many years ago. For the little man to his left they were the overture before the cressendo of adrenaline rush. Thom was his name, and he was a flamboyantly agressive and daring assasin. Not one to hide in the shadows he would dive into the throng to get at his prey, then fight his way out covered in blood and glory.
Thom was amused that for once he was going to have to fight his way out of a no win situation that he himself did not instigate, to protect a man he didn't know who was protecting a woman that nobody seemed to care about. He pulled out his sword and stepped forward as if to challenge the whole lot of them.
Ben was looking at the little man with a different sort of respect. "Anybody else want to protect the Innkeep here then I bid you say hello to my little friend. Meanwhile this fellow and I have some business to attend to."
The Innkeeper had hired several of the men in the pub to look after him while they were in his establishment. He paid them with free drinks and a no questions policy when it came to "business" dealing there. Right now he was wondering if that was a good investment. If a room full of protectors could not defend him from two ordinary town folk then what good were they? Granted one resmbled a giant, but the one holding them at bay right now looked more like an elf. If he could just reach that cross bow, but it would be too big to lift with one hand. He had a knife in his boot, but reaching down for it would surely be caught by the oaf and he'd probably rip his arm out of its socket.
Thom was amused that for once he was going to have to fight his way out of a no win situation that he himself did not instigate, to protect a man he didn't know who was protecting a woman that nobody seemed to care about. He pulled out his sword and stepped forward as if to challenge the whole lot of them.
Ben was looking at the little man with a different sort of respect. "Anybody else want to protect the Innkeep here then I bid you say hello to my little friend. Meanwhile this fellow and I have some business to attend to."
The Innkeeper had hired several of the men in the pub to look after him while they were in his establishment. He paid them with free drinks and a no questions policy when it came to "business" dealing there. Right now he was wondering if that was a good investment. If a room full of protectors could not defend him from two ordinary town folk then what good were they? Granted one resmbled a giant, but the one holding them at bay right now looked more like an elf. If he could just reach that cross bow, but it would be too big to lift with one hand. He had a knife in his boot, but reaching down for it would surely be caught by the oaf and he'd probably rip his arm out of its socket.
