[CONTENTID2]Iron II[/CONTENTID2][CONTENTID1]

"I wonder what the little blade smith is doing so far away from her forge." The man sitting in the far corner joins his comrade's conversation while scrapping out clumps of dried blood from underneath dirty fingernails.

"I heard she's been promised to a rich merchant. Can't remember his name though. She probably ran away?" He makes a sour face. Just the mere sight of the man sitting in the far corner leaves a bad aftertaste. Completely ruins all appetite. "That's disgusting, Haine. Stop picking your nails with that hunting knife. You're at a table to eat, for 's sake."

The man blows at his nails and continues picking away, ignoring the sudden outburst from his annoyed friend. "But, really... running away... with her own brother? Are they eloping?"

"That boy must have a serious sister complex. They're sharing a room, aren't they?"

"They sure are."

"You think they sleep together?"

"Should we all go find out? Maybe we'll catch the brother in a sharing mood."

"Pardon me for asking, but... what is it you want me to share? I might have missed out on that part. Loss interest somewhere in the middle." The new voice startles them into a murderous silence. They should be getting off their asses right about now. Their hands should be on their guns and knives right about now... to confront the damn brat with the sister complex...but somehow, they cannot seem to manage it well... or manage it at all.

"Did you bunch of good-for-nothing lazy louts think I was asleep? Eh, I'll pass... even if it means sleeping with my sis."

What the...? Sister complex? For real?

One moment, awake and all talk. And then, the next moment, unconscious. Hmm. The sound of something heavy hitting the floor reanimates the bunch of 'good-for-nothing lazy louts,' giving freedom of movement to stiffen limbs and itchy jaws.

"Oh, hey Won. You knocked him out. Great timing. But, where'd you go?"

"Me? Went out for a smoke. The night air's good. Who's the scrawny brat?" The man called Won points a finger down toward the broken heap at his feet.

"Oh, he was threatening us... I mean... he was threatening us, right?" It sounded like a threat... but he is not quite one hundred percent sure.

"Seriously... this kid... like what the hell? I thought he was going to shoot up the building or something because we talked smack about his sister."

"I'm kind of disappointed. I was expecting something interesting to happen, you know? At the very least, some struggle for entertainment purposes. But, man... knocked out in one hit? He's a total let-down."

"Isn't this kid supposed to be awesome or something? I've heard thos