represented a kill.
Dane steered the boat to a small wharf next to a squat and ugly stone building with boarded windows; he thought it looked like an abandoned blacksmith’s shop. The next closest dock to starboard was broken and badly in need of repair, while the port dock was occupied by an iron cargo vessel whose crew celebrated at a raucous tavern up above.
This should work nicely.
The ship cut through blood-dark waters and up to the pier, which was secured to the sandstone shore by thick iron beams. A young boy with shiny golden hair and oversized black clothing ran along the false shore, keeping pace with their vessel.
“Hello sir!” he shouted. “Could I be of some assistance today?!” His eyes and smile were eager and bright, and his enthusiasm was almost infectious.
“ You can help me get my ship tied,” Dane called back. He’d donned a black cloak he’d found aboard the ship which allowed him to keep his Veilcrafted armor and vra’taar concealed. They needed to avoid trouble if they could. “What’s your name, boy?”
“ Tolliver!” the boy shouted.
“ Tolliver, you don’t need to shout.”
Dane had already pulled in the sails and neither he nor his hidden passenger were rowing, so the small vessel was moving along at barely a crawl by the time it reached the dock. Dane carefully guided the vessel parallel to the loading platform and tossed Tolliver the mooring line, and the boy tied the rope tight to an eye bolt with amazing speed and efficiency for someone who looked to be all of ten years old. The boat bumped to a halt.
Dane glanced up and down the wharf and felt satisfied he’d picked a relatively isolated spot. They were in the shadow of the ironclad cargo vessel, which blocked them from sight of much of the rest of the pier. A passenger ship was docked a few hundred yards past the ruined dock to their starboard side, but it appeared to be devoid of any occupants save a couple of ship hands busy mopping the deck. Aside from the blacksmith’s shop and the tavern on the level above there were only a couple of general stores; most of the larger businesses were located either several stories up or on the other side of the massive pier. Dane unsteadily climbed out of the boat, his balance so unsure that for a moment he thought he’d fall headlong into the waters. Tolliver threw out a hand for support.
“ You must have been sailing a long time,” he said.
“ Long enough,” Dane said. He glanced at the tarps, then back at the boy, who excitedly gave the ship a once over.
“ Good ship,” Tolliver said. “What’s her name?”
“ The Dream Witch,” Dane replied.
“ Impressive.” The boy gave him a questioning look. “So, do you need help unloading your cargo?”
“ No. I’ll only be here for a short while.”
“ A short while?” Tolliver asked. “Where are you from? Ebonmark? Raithe?”
“ You ask a lot of questions,” Dane said. “I need to meet someone, and then I’ll be on my way. If you want to help, you can give me some information.”
“ All right,” Tolliver smiled, and he held out his hand. Dane shook his head, reached into his belt pouch and fished out a Den’nari gold coin.
“ How’s this?” he asked.
“ It’ll do,” Tolliver said, even as he eyed the coin suspiciously.
“ Don’t worry, it’s real,” Dane said. “First question: what’s the worst tavern in this part of the city?”
“ What do you mean by ‘worst’?” Tolliver asked earnestly.
“ Worst, as in the one with the most gambling, the most fights…”
“ The most whores?” he asked.
“ Sure,” Dane said. “Those, too.”
“ Then you want the Scarlet Lair,” Tolliver said knowingly. “It’s run by the Phage. Anything you want, you can get it there. You know about the Phage, right?”
“ Are you an only child?” Dane asked. “Where is it?”
Tolliver pointed to a road sloping up
Dane steered the boat to a small wharf next to a squat and ugly stone building with boarded windows; he thought it looked like an abandoned blacksmith’s shop. The next closest dock to starboard was broken and badly in need of repair, while the port dock was occupied by an iron cargo vessel whose crew celebrated at a raucous tavern up above.
This should work nicely.
The ship cut through blood-dark waters and up to the pier, which was secured to the sandstone shore by thick iron beams. A young boy with shiny golden hair and oversized black clothing ran along the false shore, keeping pace with their vessel.
“Hello sir!” he shouted. “Could I be of some assistance today?!” His eyes and smile were eager and bright, and his enthusiasm was almost infectious.
“ You can help me get my ship tied,” Dane called back. He’d donned a black cloak he’d found aboard the ship which allowed him to keep his Veilcrafted armor and vra’taar concealed. They needed to avoid trouble if they could. “What’s your name, boy?”
“ Tolliver!” the boy shouted.
“ Tolliver, you don’t need to shout.”
Dane had already pulled in the sails and neither he nor his hidden passenger were rowing, so the small vessel was moving along at barely a crawl by the time it reached the dock. Dane carefully guided the vessel parallel to the loading platform and tossed Tolliver the mooring line, and the boy tied the rope tight to an eye bolt with amazing speed and efficiency for someone who looked to be all of ten years old. The boat bumped to a halt.
Dane glanced up and down the wharf and felt satisfied he’d picked a relatively isolated spot. They were in the shadow of the ironclad cargo vessel, which blocked them from sight of much of the rest of the pier. A passenger ship was docked a few hundred yards past the ruined dock to their starboard side, but it appeared to be devoid of any occupants save a couple of ship hands busy mopping the deck. Aside from the blacksmith’s shop and the tavern on the level above there were only a couple of general stores; most of the larger businesses were located either several stories up or on the other side of the massive pier. Dane unsteadily climbed out of the boat, his balance so unsure that for a moment he thought he’d fall headlong into the waters. Tolliver threw out a hand for support.
“ You must have been sailing a long time,” he said.
“ Long enough,” Dane said. He glanced at the tarps, then back at the boy, who excitedly gave the ship a once over.
“ Good ship,” Tolliver said. “What’s her name?”
“ The Dream Witch,” Dane replied.
“ Impressive.” The boy gave him a questioning look. “So, do you need help unloading your cargo?”
“ No. I’ll only be here for a short while.”
“ A short while?” Tolliver asked. “Where are you from? Ebonmark? Raithe?”
“ You ask a lot of questions,” Dane said. “I need to meet someone, and then I’ll be on my way. If you want to help, you can give me some information.”
“ All right,” Tolliver smiled, and he held out his hand. Dane shook his head, reached into his belt pouch and fished out a Den’nari gold coin.
“ How’s this?” he asked.
“ It’ll do,” Tolliver said, even as he eyed the coin suspiciously.
“ Don’t worry, it’s real,” Dane said. “First question: what’s the worst tavern in this part of the city?”
“ What do you mean by ‘worst’?” Tolliver asked earnestly.
“ Worst, as in the one with the most gambling, the most fights…”
“ The most whores?” he asked.
“ Sure,” Dane said. “Those, too.”
“ Then you want the Scarlet Lair,” Tolliver said knowingly. “It’s run by the Phage. Anything you want, you can get it there. You know about the Phage, right?”
“ Are you an only child?” Dane asked. “Where is it?”
Tolliver pointed to a road sloping up
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