How deep are you dabbling, Bryce Larose?

[channe]

Report of brother Bertrand Bell, patrol of south woods on the evening of Sunday, Sept 10th, as dictated to the duty officer:

"On our patrol we observed Aspirant Bryce Larose walking alone through the forest. We were wondering why he would be doing such a thing after he was so obviously sick and placed on medical leave. Sister Kaczmarek recommended we speak to him and tell him to get the hell back to the Barracks because of that terrible cough of his, and we were just about to make ourselves known when Aspirant Larose began to speak with a minotaur -- the one which had previously been identified as the leader of the mercenary company that slaughtered the Olsmith family three months ago and took hostage Aspirant Larose and two others."

"The minotaur and Larose talked for a while about 'tasks' Larose was going to do for him, and then the minotaur gave Mr. Larose a bag of these leaves, which he claims is tobacco but is really -- smoking-leaves which are quite rare in these parts, they grow south of here but are usually too expensive to bring to Myrken Wood proper -- and then the minotaur dissappeared into the brush."

"We did not move at that point because Larose then began to talk with the two Rain Wilds Traders who've been seen around town; they'd just shown up, see, and I don't think, honestly, that they were involved in anything due to the conversation we overheard."

"When we confronted Mr. Larose he claimed that he was negotiating with the mercenary company to help fight the drow, but, faugh -- it's bollocks, sir. From what we saw and heard, Aspirant Larose is in utter cahoots with the people who killed the Olsmiths, he is being paid by them, and he is absolutely unrepentant about it. He's in deep, sir, and he's been pulling the wool over our eyes."

"Therefore, Aspirant Larose is under guard in his room awaiting the attention of Lieutenant Maxwell Bishop."

[Vanidor]

It was a report that was, eventually, intercepted by the Captain of the Brotherhood. Listened too and looked over and then dealt with.

Aeryn wouldn't really say -what- agreement he made with the young Larose, but it was certain that he allowed the man to have his tobbacco pouch back. And it would, of course, be full of tobbacco, if not the -other- leaf that was inside the pouch to begin with. Aeryn was rarely hard, but he wasn't stupid.

And he knew addiction when he saw it.

[Civet]

When Bryce got the switched tobacco he wasn't fooled in the slightest. He's been smoking the pipe weed for months now and wasn't going to be tricked that easily. The young man was tired, exhausted from sleep constantly interupted by the chronic cough and not getting any healthier. His hair was a blond tangled mess, his face pale and chin a week overdue for shaving.

All he gave the soldier that brought him the pouch was a dirty look, thick with betrayal, and then set off to search the barracks for Captain Aeryn. So much for promises.