Blood Brothers Chap. 1 Part 5

Garrett was not ready to be awake when Blayce knocked at his door. He grumbled and rolled over, trying to ignore the pounding that seemed to come from both his head and the door. Finally, when the knocking did not go away but became louder and more urgent, Garrett hauled himself up and dragged the door open.
"What the hell do you need so badly that you had to wake me up this- oh." Blayce silently handed him the small flask that Lukin had left with him earlier. With a grateful sigh, Garrett let him in and took a long pull from the little bottle. Blayce quickly filled him in on what had happened already that morning as Garrett hurried to pull himself together.
"So, I'm supposed to be going down in a few moments to talk to the lieutenant. I thought a little extra backup might be a nice trump card, eh?" Garrett nodded distractedly as he slipped his knives into their various sheaths. Blayce noticed that, despite the missing fingers of his right hand, the thief still handled a blade as well as any of the other members of the Court, managing by holding the hilt between the two fingers he had left.
"Does Luke know that you've got me up here?" Garrett knew that Lukin would be making plans for the worst, and it was always better to know all the facts before you decided how to act. Blayce shook his head.
"There wasn’t time, and I only thought to wake you once I got up here and saw your door." He shrugged. "For better or for worse, Luke won't be factoring you in to his plans." Garrett frowned, but he couldn't see a way to get around the issue. Blayce was watching him, so he nodded his acceptance.
"In that case, where do you want me? On the staircase I'll be too far away to do much." Blayce inclined his head in acknowledgment of that fact. Suddenly he slapped his fist into his palm.
"Why don't you go down ahead of me? You can find a spot at a table, and Lukin will see you. That way, we deal with two problems at once." Or one soldier, if necessary, he added silently to himself. Garrett nodded slowly, thinking through the plan.
"In that case," he stood, only slightly less creakily than the first time, "I'd better get going so it doesn't look like we came together. You're welcome to wait in here," he said. Blayce nodded distractedly, trying yet again to think why Barrow wanted to talk to him.
After several minutes, Blayce stood and walked back into the tap room. Lukin and Harold, still at the end of the long table, had been joined by Garrett. Just behind Harold, the private looked up and met his eyes, standing as Blayce walked over to him. The young man sat again and motioned him to do the same. Warily, Blayce settled into the chair across the table from him and waited. The soldier looked nervous, clearly out of place in the Lower City.
"Well? What does Barrow want with me?" The lieutenant startled a little at Blayce's tone, but he sat straighter in his seat.
"The general would like to extend his welcome and hopes that this messenger," here the young man paused and grinned impishly, "finds you in good health." Blayce opened his mouth, impatient with the pleasantries, but the soldier cut him off. "He sends a warning." Blayce's eyes narrowed, causing the lieutenant to shift uncomfortably. When he didn't go on, Blayce asked,
"Well? What is the warning?" The young soldier swallowed. "He says that, while under normal circumstances he does not approve of abandoning one's comrades, in your case he cannot disapprove. That being said, the general feels it is hardly fair for the Army to drag you back to its ranks so soon after you have left." The lieutenant paused, evidently waiting for some response. When none was forthcoming, he continued. "The general has friends among the men assigned to seal off the Lower City, and he has arranged for you to get out."
Blayce couldn't think for a few seconds. He tried to absorb what this news meant- that he would not have to rejoin the Army. His first reaction was relief. Almost as fast, though, was another thought. What about Lukin, and Garrett?
"For me alone," he clarified, and the lieutenant nodded. “Please tell the general that I am extremely grateful. Where should I go?" The soldier reached into a pouch at his belt and withdrew a slip of parchment.
"I'll be in the guardhouse at Finnegan and Market. Show that slip to any guard you find, and he'll bring you to me. Just ask for Crispin," he said with another impish grin. Blayce nodded and slipped the parchment into his own pouch. Then, his news delivered, the lieutenant saluted him, somewhat sheepishly,  and left, heading towards the blockaded main streets.