"I don't have time to waste with you," Ludwig said as he looked up, "Things are about to get ugly in here. I've barely bought a few days of time, I'll keep you company the next time."
The frozen pier creaked beneath his boots, the brazier behind him hissing as the half-frozen sea scraped against itself in dull groans. Able's pressure hung over the hamlet like a predator's shadow, quiet enough that the fishermen only shifted uneasily without knowing why.
Able snorted, "If you say so. Quite interesting, seeing the one Celine is speaking so highly of be this kind of… person." His voice carried the lazy edge of insult, drifting just close enough to make a man want to reach for its throat. The pause before the last word was deliberate, sharpened without needing to be explained.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ludwig frowned. His hand twitched near his coat, not reaching for a weapon yet, but close enough that Kaiser noticed. The insult had landed. Not deeply, but enough to scratch.
