Tales from the mug: Merc's choice

-This may contain a kid being terminated, but not in a brutal manner... just a heads up-

“You’ve slain a thousand, why remember one? It’s just another score to count!!” The tavern swelled with noise. Mugs slammed, ale spilled, voices rose to match the young mercenary.

“I mean, really, if I were to kill that many, why even spare a moment of your time, right?” He bellowed as he leaned far back in his chair. “Yeah!” his posse agreed with him as they sloshed their ale around.

He noticed a quiet patron on the side, not fawning over him like the others. A large, grungy woman, you’d mistake her for a grizzled bear. “Seems like we got some brooding beast here, I’m guessing you know why one should?”

She continued drinking her burning spirits.

The bar went silent.

“I cut down more than I can count, and still, I don’t care, plus I’m pretty sure you just tripped outside the tavern to have that look.” He scoffed as he nudged the others to laugh with him, and she didn’t.

The man, annoyed by her silence, started to move away to entertain his followers, but she muttered, “And if that one was innocent?”

Everyone turned to her, and the man was stopped in his tracks. “…Would I care? I killed those, too!!” he snapped back.

“You wouldn’t know,” she said, taking another slow sip.

The man cleared the table and sat across from her. “Try not to bore us.” His posse stood behind him, listening.

“Back then, I would take jobs like you,” she sighed. “I was the one summoned when things got ugly.”

She looked down at herself as she remembered.

“I was just doing what I learned to do.”

She took a heavy sip before continuing.

“…but there was one job that changed it.”

She clenched her fist.

“On the surface, it was easy. It was second nature.”

“It was simple: set a trap in the woods, stop their carriage, and end it on the spot. Most men I hunt run, but not this one.”

She paused.

“I approached the father and daughter with my blade drawn.”

“He pleaded.”

“For his little girl.”

She gives a faint shake of her head.

“I still killed him anyway.”

“Then I moved to finish the job.”

“The girl fought.”

Her tone shifts.

“…reminded me of someone.”

“Then I raised my sword and killed her. The End,” the young mercenary cut in.

“You’re soft. Not built for this, woman,” he snarked, taking a drink.

Some of his posse shifted, less amused.

“No,” she replied calmly.

“I hesitated.”

“The girl’s punches were weak. When she realized it, she ran.”

“I didn’t chase. The job was done.”

“She would’ve died alone in the forest anyway.”

“I left the scene and proceeded to go back to town, but it was a few days away from where the bounty came from.”

“I left the scene and started back to town, but there was a feeling someone was following me.”

“That wasn’t new.”

“…but this time, it wasn’t hiding.”

“It was just… there.”

“I looked back, and there she was in the trees.”

“We heard a howl that made me reach for my blade.”

“…but they weren’t after me, but her.”

“I ran.”

“The wolf lunged.”

“I got there first.”

“I saved her.”

“Another came.”

“and without a thought, I used my arm to shield her.”

She faintly smirked.

“Pretty sure that’s where I got this.”

She showed her arm that holds the mug.

“The wolf bit down harder, so I pulled it towards me.”

“I drove my blade into its neck until it stopped.”

“I was hurt.”

“That was nothing new, but I was relieved she was safe.”

“I left her… then she tailed me again.”

“I did ignore her for a few more moments, but as soon as dinner came, I brought out my meal, just good enough to feed me for the night, but I heard a grumble within the bushes, and I already knew who it was.”

“I left half of my grub behind me, pretending I didn’t see her so that she could steal and feed, she did, but it was less of a sneak and more of a ruckus as she grabbed for it.” She chuckled before sipping from her mug.

“She stayed hidden as I heard her munching, but while she eats, I set up camp for myself as I am still a day away from the town, and I know how cold the nights in the forest are.”

“I looked in her direction, and I know by tomorrow she’s possibly gone, so I went into my tent and slept.”

“In the middle of the night… I felt something warm within my reach.”

“I knew someone had slipped into my tent.”

“I reached for my dagger.”

“…but I stopped.”

“It was her, curled up and shaking.”

“I didn’t mind.”

“…I even held her close, and I don’t know why.”

“She was small.”

“Messy.”

“Curly orange hair.”

“Blue eyes… I think.”

“Missing a tooth.”

She held her mug tighter.

“…even after what I did…”

“She felt…”

“…warm.”

“By morning, she was gone from my arms.”

“As I stepped out of the tent, I saw berries laid out before me.”

“She was at a distance…”

“…but this time, she wasn’t hiding.”

“I thanked her.”

“And gave some back.”

“I didn’t understand what was happening to me.”

“She came closer and stood in front of me.”

“She held onto me… and she cried.”

“I didn’t move…”

“…but I didn’t push her away either.”

“She soon slowly calmed down and barely let go.”

“We started back to town.”

“On the way…”

Her tone drops.

“Mercenaries.”

“They took the same job, and they wanted her dead.”

“We ran as more came.”

“Eventually, we reached the edge of the forest.”

“A cliff.”

“Cornered.”

“They demanded the girl and offered to split the gold.”

“I hid her behind me and drew my weapon.”

“Thirty against one.”

“You did all that on your own? Yeah, right,” the man interrupted her again.

She didn’t answer and kept going

“They were formidable… together.”

“But one by one…”

“…they were inexperienced.”

“Just like you, boss!” One of the posse commented

The room went silent.

“Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” she assured him, and the posse smiled as the leader was seen to be annoyed.

“Each of them was another kill for me, and this time, I was fighting not for me, but for her.”

“The last one of the mercenaries questioned me on why I refused to complete my bounty, but as I was about to answer, he was able to strike me in the chest, so I had to end him and pushed him off the cliff.”

Her face slowly contorts as she proceeds to tell.

“She… came to me, and hugging me, and as I hug her back… I feel the sharp pain as I bleed, and the words, for the first time, I am not finishing my bounty, but…”

“I had to…”

Her tone brought the room’s demeanor down.

“As she willingly approached me, I wrapped my hands around her neck and slowly began to strangle her.”

“I saw her face, trying to fight me, the betrayal in her eyes, and both of us struggling.”

“It was over… and I still didn’t stop.”

“I didn’t have the strength to look her in the eye.”

“After that moment…”

“She stopped…”

The room was colder than before, and no one, not even the man, had a word for a moment

“You really went there…” He asked quietly

She didn’t respond.

“…but you got paid, right?” he added. “That’s what matters.”

The posse tugs the man’s shirt and points to the notice board, the face of the woman they were talking to, “sh-shes the ‘Thousand Slayer’.”

And no one muttered as she stood up except for the posse.

“What killed her… your choice, or your instinct?”

She didn’t reply

She left bloody coins on the counter.

And walked out.