Chapter 7: 7, The brothers

Irin made her way to the kitchen in search of breakfast. She found the two brothers sitting at the table, looking worse for wear, each staring down into a bowl of porridge.

“Morning,” Irin said, sounding as cheerful as she could. Both men looked up at her and grunted. She laughed and went over to the big pot of porridge, taking some for herself along with milk and honey.

“You had fun last night, I presume?” she asked as she sat down next to Koth.

“You could call it that,” he said. Jasper started to nod, but seemed to change his mind and held his head in his hands instead.

“Looks like a little too much fun.”

“Why do you sound like you're enjoying yourself?” Koth asked, sounding grumpier than usual.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Irin told him. The young apprentice came into the kitchen and said good morning to Irin.

“The Father would like to see you in his study when you are done with breakfast," he told her and Koth.

“Thank you.” Irin smiled at him and then looked over at Koth. “Maybe you should head back to bed. The priest and I can do some brainstorming, and then you can join us after lunch.”

“No, I’m fine,” he told her.

“Sure. You do know you look greener than usual,” she pointed out. He grunted, and his brother tried to chuckle, but it turned into a groan.

“The two of you are pathetic,” Irin told them.

“It will be fine,” Koth said stubbornly.

“Okay, but the Father will take offence if you throw up all over his study.”

“Please, my lady. Don’t talk about things like that,” Jasper moaned, turning almost as green as his brother.

“I told you not to call me that. I should keep talking just to make you suffer for it.”

“Please don’t, Irin. I don’t think I could stomach it,” Koth said.

“Well, okay,” she agreed. “I still think you should head back to bed.”

“I will be fine.”

“It’s your head,” she sighed and finished her breakfast.

“What are you two discussing with the priest? You never told me why you're back after all these years,” Jasper asked.

“Nothing, just keep your nose out of it, little brother,” Koth told him.

“Oh, come on, you know I will find out. Why not just make it easy this one time?” Koth looked at Jasper and then at Irin.

“Don’t look at me. I don’t trust him, but he’s your brother. If you think he can be trusted, I won’t object.”

“You know, Irin, when you say things like that, it hurts. One of these days I will think you don’t like me,” Jasper said, sounding sad.

“I wish you would hurry up and get there already,” she told him.

“Words hurt just as much as swords,” Jasper whined. Irin shrugged. She hated to admit it, but Koth’s brother was growing on her. Maybe she could look at him like a fungus, something you just had to deal with and keep an eye on to make sure it didn’t become poisonous.

“He will find out whether we tell him or not. He will just be a bigger pain in the arse if he needs to find out on his own,” Koth told her.

“Fine, then he can come with us to see the priest.”

“I thought you said Koth didn’t have to come? Can’t we get back to bed and join you later?”

“Koth said he was fine; it’s now or never,” Irin told Jasper.

“Fine, I just need to lay my head down for two minutes,” Jasper said, dropping his head onto the table.

“Okay, enough. The two of you are basically useless in your current state. Just sit still for a moment,” Irin told them and got up. She put her hand on Koth’s head and said a blessing. As she felt the magic move from her to Koth, she moved over to do the same with Jasper. As the magic passed into Jasper, he sat up in his chair with a huge grin on his face.

“That’s amazing, I feel completely fine. Are you sure you won’t come to work for me?” he asked.

“I'm sure. I’m not going to use my magic as a hangover cure. I need the two of you to be able to think clearly, or you are no use to us,” Irin said.

“Thank you, Irin,” Koth said.

“My pleasure. Are you ready to start the day?” The three of them joined Father Havon in his study. They explained the situation to Jasper; he already knew about the talisman and was more than happy to help them. His own house would be doomed if something wasn’t done.

“Koth and Father Havon are adamant that we can’t buy the amulet from him, so we need to find an alternative option,” Irin told Jasper.

“Well, that is easy, we steal it,” he said.

“Steal it?” Irin asked.

“We?” Koth said.

“Sure, it’s the best option. And of course I will join you. My brother is too big to be unnoticeable, not the one you send in on a stealth mission. And forgive me, Irin, but you are no thief. You need me.”

“And you will hand the object over to us once you get it?” Koth asked. That was a good question, Irin thought. They didn’t need to steal it from one person, only for it to land in the hands of another house.

“You wound me, brother,” Jasper said in a dramatic voice.

“I’m sure you will live. Do we have your word that you will hand the object over to Irin?” Koth asked. Jasper sighed.

“You have my word. I know the danger an object like that brings with it. I do not wish for it to remain in the city,” Jasper said. It was the first time Irin had seen him drop his mask of carefree prankster. He would be more likeable if he left the mask off, she thought.

“Can we trust him?” She asked Koth, disregarding the fact that Jasper was sitting next to her. He just grinned at her.

“Yes, my brother has many flaws, an overwhelming amount of them, but he will always keep his word if he gives it,” Koth told her.

“Hey, why do you make me sound like a scoundrel?” Jasper asked, slipping his mask back on.

“Probably because it suits you,” Irin said, shooting him a smile.

“If I get a smile from you every time he calls me that, I will be more than happy to be called a scoundrel until I die.”

“Don’t,” Koth told him. Irin laughed, while the priest merely looked at them in mild amusement.

“So, we are stealing the amulet. How do we do it?” The three men looked at her as she asked the question.

“I thought you would have bigger qualms about it,” Koth said.

“Why would I?”

“You are a cleric,” Jasper pointed out.

“Father Havon, does our lady say anything about stealing in her teachings?” Irin asked the priest.

“No. The texts tell you not to harm others if they are not intending to harm you or those under your protection, and there are texts about treating your fellow beings with sympathy and care, but nothing about stealing,” he answered. Irin smiled at Koth.

“So you are okay with it?”

“It’s a means to an end. The fact that we are stealing is overshadowed by the need to get the artefact away from the head. We can’t sit back and do nothing just because doing something means stealing,” she told them.

“I definitely need to get you to work for me. A cleric with a flexible conscience and with the strength of your belief,” Jasper said, shaking his head.

“Drop it,” Koth told him.

“So, my original question stands: how are we going to steal it?” Irin asked, ignoring the brothers' bickering.

“We need to sneak in and grab it,” Jasper said.

“You make it sound easy. I’m presuming he has it secured somehow.”

“Probably. I would guess he has it on his person at all times,” Koth said.

“Yeah, that would be how I would do it,” Jasper agreed.

“So someone needs to lift it from him?” she asked.

“Yes, it will require someone with a feather-light touch, and even then, we need a distraction,” Jasper said. A look filled with amusement played in his eyes.

“What aren’t you telling me?” Irin asked.

“You are in luck, cleric. You are in the company of the best duo of thieves in the empire,” Jasper said, looking at Koth. Irin looked between the two of them. They watched each other in silent amusement.

“Is someone going to let me in on the joke?”

“My brother and I used to do street hustles. I would distract the target and he would lift their valuables,” Koth told her.

“What?” Irin was stunned at the information. She had expected it from Jasper, but Koth? Not in a million years.