This is proving to be fruitless.
The evening spent at the dockside tavern hadn't yielded anything of use, much like the day following Havaldr around while he dealt with his merchant's business. Only rumours and gossip of little value, a captain's unfaithful wife, the threat of corsairs looming closer to the city, fishermen's tall tales, the drunken boasting of thugs and lowlifes.
And no lead on this Mendel fellow either.
Ameren pushed the untouched tankard away and rose from her seat. The small group of mercenaries she'd been sharing a table with didn't seemed to notice that she left, and no wonder at that, she'd hardly spoken to them. Just listened and asked the occasional question to steer their conversation where she wanted it. Stepping out onto the street and taking a deep breath of the cool air, she turned her gaze upward to the city.
Havaldr is going to have to keep an eye out for his old friend on his own, now that he's settled down here. My time will be better spent elsewhere.
By the time Ameren had made her way to the richer districts the streets were mostly empty. A handful of people here and there on their way home after a night of drinking, and also the portion of Linhir's criminals who preyed on the unwary upper class, stalking around in the shadows of large, fancy white buildings. She was idly watching a trio of thieves across a small square as they pried open a window and disappeared inside when a muffled cry drew her attention to the alley behind her.
A damsel in distress? Could I be so fortunate?
Silently she moved over the rooftops toward the source of the sound, a woman cornered by two large, scruffy-looking men, no doubt with very ill intent. Ameren gripped the hilt of the hunting knife sheathed at her back, not yet drawing the blade as she sank down into a crouch and crept closer, trying to get a look of the woman past the men's broad backs.
Damned, just a stray servant girl.
She had stopped a few metres away, sitting crouched two storeys above them, close enough to hear the young woman's frightened whimpering despite the hand pressed over her mouth. Ameren flicked her gaze toward the square again, letting go of the hilt and heading back across the rooftops.
Patience, the night is still young.
One of the thieves had emerged, a cloth sack that looked quite heavy slung over his shoulder, nervously scanning the street below. Just as he was about to drop down loud, tuneless singing echoed between the buildings, causing him to slink across the roof and out of sight. A very, very drunk man came stumbling at the far end of the square, the front of his fine, dark, silken clothes splattered with sick and drink, his long, brown hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, his gaunt cheeks flustered.
Well, well, well, look who we have here. If it isn't the steward Lord Tarias himself. And it appears that he's kept drinking since we saw him at midday.
A pair of near identical men followed him, his personal guards no doubt, both wearing worn leather armour without any insignias or symbols that would make them part of the city's garrison, and with their weapons in plain view to ensure no one got the idea to try anything. Same colour of hair, and Ameren saw that they even had the same face when they got a bit closer.
Twins? How eccentric, Lord Tarias.
She looked them over again and frowned slightly.
I'm not liking that they seem so familiar, though...
"...-gold wash and Shain had fled! Left me here all... Alone! Sharksh naked in bed!"
"Aye, naked sharks in bed... If you're going to sing nonsense, is it too much to ask that you learn how to carry a damn tune first? You're making my ears bleed."
"Show shome reshpect! I am the Lord'sh shtew!"
"We know you are, your stewship, otherwise we wouldn't be following you around."
"Your brother needsh to learn shome mannersh! Now, where wash I?"
"Naked sharks, your stewship."
The tuneless singing continued, but Ameren didn't take note of it. She was glaring darkly down at the twins, following the trio as closely as she dared. It had been ten years since she saw them, and they'd all been in their teens then, but save for somewhat deeper voices, taller, stronger builds, and patches of dark hair on their chins, Liam and Aiden were the same.
Looks like it was too much to hope for that I wouldn't run into any of that lot down here.
She had suspected that this might happen though, which was part of the reason behind her cover. Lee's syndicate had been based in Gondor, after all, and it was back here they all went after the decade spent in Bree. It was a slight comfort that she now had the upper hand in this.
I didn't see either of them at the audience chamber earlier. But there were plenty of real guards around Lord Tarias then. Still, they won't know me by sight alone. Not like this, anyway. Only confirms that Tarias is close with Seldorien, to have those two watching over him.
Ameren watched as they went into one of the larger estates, the steward's most likely, silently climbing up along the walls and peering in through the windows. It didn't yield much, as Lord Tarias went straight to bed and the twins lounged in the sitting room, speaking too softly for her to hear. But she remained there for a little while longer, watching them through the window. They had not been friends, her and the twins, there was no such thing in the syndicate, but they had grown up together.
Street urchins, like me. Father was an abusive drunk, and their mother a whore? Something like that. More than happy to join up with Lee and Jasper to get away from them. Liam always got himself into trouble, and Aiden became an expert of getting him out of it. Dragged me into it a couple of times too, didn't they?
She found herself smiling slightly as she sat there, straining to hear the faint sound of their familiar voices.
And they will happily kill you when they find out who you are and why you're here.
Her smile faded and she pushed herself up.
Just like you're going to have to kill them when they get in your way.
She climbed down and headed back the way they'd come, she still had work to do.
Here we go, this is more like it.
Following a small band of armed thugs after overhearing their intent had presented Ameren with just the opportunity she had been looking for. They had prowled around near one of the taverns in the rich districts, waiting for the last drunk patrons to leave, then followed a pair of young noblemen and their guard through the streets until they had managed to corner them in a back alley. The nobles didn't look like fighters, even if they had decorative daggers on their belts, but their guard was a veteran who knew his business. Had Ameren stepped in the thugs wouldn't have stood a chance. Only she didn't. She watched in the dark from the the far end as the guard was overwhelmed and cut down, taking two of the thugs with him.
It's nothing personal, but I need you out of the way so I can take your job.
The noblemen cried for aid, but the thugs had chosen the spot and the moment well as there were no guardsmen nearby to hear them.
Is this the end for our heroes? Will their young corpses be found stiff and pale in the morning, silent screams on their fair faces? The scene is set.
She drew the dagger at her hip and came half-running around the corner, feigning slight surprise as she caught sight of the three remaining criminals and slowed her pace to sneak up behind them.
But look, what is this? A kind and heavily-armed stranger arriving just in the nick of time? Could our heroes be saved?
Ameren sprang up on the closest of them, her right hand over the man's mouth pulling his head back and downward as she slit his throat. When the noblemen's shocked gasps alerted the other two of her presence she had already sidestepped around their companion as he fell and drawn her sword, the blade giving a smooth, threatening hiss as it left the scabbard.
Not too quickly now, you need to give the gentlemen a bit of a show.
So she danced around with the two thugs, the sound of metal striking metal ringing through the air and bouncing off the walls as she deflected their swings, taking her time to manoeuvre them away from the noblemen and then striking them down. The first fell after her sword slipped in under his ribs and dug right through his gut, the second when she'd cut a long gash in his thigh and landed a well-aimed strike to his temple with the pommel of her dagger.
One left alive for the authorities, our brave heroes saved and without a scratch on them, alas the loyal guard was slain, but will be remembered for his devotion.
"You two all right?" asked Ameren, wiping her blades clean on the shirt of one of the corpses and glancing at the noblemen. The younger of the two had knelt next to their guard, looking as he might be sick at any moment. The other man, his older brother by the looks of him, was carefully stepping around the dead thugs toward her and giving a relieved sigh.
"Yes, we are, thanks to you, miss. We were lucky you showed up when you did."
Aye, very lucky. Almost as if I planned it.
"Lucky I got lost in this damn city and spent the past few hours wandering the streets," said Ameren dryly. "Shame I got here too late to help your man, though."
"Ah, yes... A terrible shame it is, but this proves that he perhaps should have been replaced. Loyal to a fault, but he appears to have gotten slow in later years."
The younger brother gave a silent sob, causing his brother to smile sheepishly and clear his throat, holding out his hand to her.
"My name is Eithil, and this is my brother Laegorn, and we are most grateful for your assistance."
"Branson," mumbled Ameren after shoving her blades back in their sheaths and giving the man's hand a firm shake. "Reckon you can get your brother on his feet and moving? I'll stay with you until we find a patrol, I doubt these are the only troublemakers on the streets this time of night."
They didn't have to walk far until they came across a group of guardsmen, taking them back to the scene and telling their versions of what had happened. Ameren was then given directions on how to get back to the docks, after which Eithil insisted that she come by their estate the next day so that he could reward her selfless efforts. There was even the mention of a possible employment opportunity.
