Davide put his hand down between his balls and Dunc's elbow, turning so it hit his thigh. He grunted and kicked out at the shoulders of the smaller man.

Duncan managed to roll out of the way so that the kick clipped his elbow. Back to the wall, he glared, wide-eyed, at Davide. The line of blood--a glam--had already vanished. "Are you drunk?" he asked, furious and confused. "You can't arrest me, you haven't the authority. Go ahead and try. We'll see who ends up in a cell after the countess finds out. I don't even know what I'm supposed to have done!"

"I have the authority to arrest. I'm one of her Majesty's guards." He replied. "And I'm arresting you for kidnapping, fencing illegal goods, material support to a hobgoblin, resisting arrest and assault of a Queen's guard." He closed the distance between them again. "Get up and get walking or I'll just start kicking the shit out of you."

Duncan jumped to his feet. "You stay the hell away from me. I haven't done anything. I'm getting the house guard. We'll let them settle this."

Davide sighed and punched Duncan in the face again. "No." Was all he said in reply.

This time Duncan was ready for the blow, and the impact of the brass knuckles striking his face traveled up Davide's arm as solidly as if he had punched them into the wall, and with no effect on Duncan other than causing him to wince at the vibration, and his head to go back with the force. From his belt, he slid his dagger. "Davide," he said coolly. "Step away. I'm not interested in killing you. You just don't mean that much to me. But I am not going to let you arrest me for nothing. Nor am I going to let you beat me to a pulp. Tell me what the hell put this idea into your mind."

Davide stepped away and held his own hand, stonefaced even with the appearance of a knife. "I'm not telling you, beyond to say it was convincing." He said. "Convincing enough for me."

"I was with my wife when the little girl went missing," he said quietly, without raising the blade. "Lady Morgana had just left us. That mad bard was in the room where the little girl vanished. They found her there right afterwards. I'm not blaming the bard but if I had been there, don't you think she would have said she'd seen me as soon as she got her head 'round right again? She didn't. I'm not going to argue this further. Go get the countess and you can give whatever evidence you have. If she believes it, I'll trot along to jail like a little lamb. If you touch me again, I'll kill you."

"Why, do you want to add murder to the list of things you're wanted for?" Davide replied gamely, reaching out to grab the hand that held the knife and yank it forward, twisting it at the same time.

Duncan twisted his hand back and out of reach. The knife flashed out and slashed down the outside of Davide's forearm. "Dammit, man," he said, gritting his teeth, "if you knew how much killing you would fuck over everything else I have going just now . . . just walk away from it, why don't you?" He raised his voice. "Guards!"