CHAPTER 2: Of Course You Are

Sheaf started moving quickly. He made his way back to the square, which was still bustling. It was the dead of the night, but the town couldn't be more alive, as people walked to and fro, merchants trying to hawk their wares at passersby. Sheaf turned down an alley. Here was quieter and darker. He clambered up the side of a building, trying to get a good vantage point of the town around him. He reached the roof and searched around, spotting a small courtyard at the dead end of an alley. He made his way over and saw a group of people, all sporting the same rune on their sleeves. He wasn't sure if this crowd was the Jimenas or the Yiguays, but he was sure they were with one of them. He hid in the shadows, waiting to see if the Belker would appear. Several minutes passed, and he could see the people below him get nervous. This was taking longer than they wanted, and every second was dangerous.

Suddenly, Sheaf caught sight. A figure in flowing robes and a white mask silently bounded across the rooftops, and arrived at the courtyard. He watched for a moment from a ledge, scanning around, before jumping down into the center of the men. As he fell, mist shot out from him and filled the courtyard. The men yelled and realized they had been caught, frantically trying to escape the courtyard. Sheaf's sharp eyes peered through the mist to watch the Belker as he gracefully attacked each of the criminals. Just as the drunk in the bar had said, a fierce green glow emanated from the Belker's eyes as he fought. As the mist cleared, the courtyard was empty of living beings and the Belker shot away. Without a moment's hesitation, Sheaf followed, easily moving from shadow to shadow. As he followed, he thought about what he had seen.

The mist was magical, to be sure, but the Belker was no sorcerer. Sheaf felt strong ki flowing from the Belker. He was clearly a monk following the Way of the Four Elements, but something more than that concerned Sheaf. The way he fought, he recognized as near perfectly mirroring the teachings of Master Omguri at Ganden Monastery. Whoever the Belker was, he had been a student alongside Sheaf.

Now Sheaf was set. He originally intended only to observe the Belker, but he had to intervene now. He started moving more quickly, gaining on the Belker until he was close enough, and, timing his strike with one of the Belker's jumps, and attacked in such a way that he was pushed off balance. The Belker hit the ground hard, his momentum carrying him crashing into a wall. Sheaf stepped out of the shadows and revealed himself to the Belker.

"Some people around here think you are a wizard. But I know. You're a monk, of Ganden. Reveal yourself, Belker. Who are you and why are you killing so many in Saúte?"

The Belker silently rose, a slight glow still spilling from his eyes. He had fallen into a small enclosure, three taller buildings walling him off, while an alley opened up behind Sheaf. He tried to reach the alley, but was easily rebuffed by Sheaf. Sheaf watched him closely, and saw the glow from the mask leave as he closed his eyes. He opened them again, the glow much brighter, and Sheaf could feel the ki around him strengthen. He saw the Belker make a movement toward him, and suddenly he couldn't move. He recognized the Clench of the Northern Wind technique, and waited until the Belker was upon him before acting. While he was seemingly incapacitated, Sheaf escaped the wind's grasp, launching a completely unexpected counter-attack. The Belker was thrown again into the wall, and when he recovered, Sheaf had disappeared from sight.

The Belker frantically looked around, as Sheaf melted out of the shadows behind him. Sheaf grabbed him, and in the blink of an eye, Sheaf immobilized him with a rope. Sheaf pushed the Belker against the wall, reaching for the mask, green light spilling from the slits. The Belker, however, had different plans. An explosion of mist broke onto the roof, and the Belker tore open a waterskin at his belt. He let it spill on the rope, then froze it, snapping the rope. A jet of air buffeted Sheaf as the Belker flew away, long gone once Sheaf could see through the mist.

Sheaf looked to his hand, where he held a piece of paper he found in the Belker's robe. On it, writing, which he suspected belonged to the Belker. He studied the handwriting, and found it disturbingly familiar. While more scratchy and hurried than he'd ever seen, there was no mistaking Keyreith's flowing script.

He leapt across the rooftops and found his way across the street from Keyreith's home. Surely enough, he soon caught sight of the Belker drop from a nearby rooftop and slide into the shadows. He focused his ki and peered into the darkness, watching her remove the mask to reveal the familiar face of his friend, who then slipped into a trapdoor and entered her house.

Sheaf dropped down to the street, ready to confront his friend. He silently passed the door, and heard her muttering.

"Of all nights for him to track me down, tonight? I couldn't well let that deal go through, though, could I? Damn, he can fight though. I'll need to find some way to get him out. This is too important to be disrupted."

Sheaf stepped from the shadows. "Or, you could have told me the truth."

Key whipped around, pointing a small crossbow directly at his heart. Her eyes widened at the sight of him, and she lowered the crossbow.

"Sheaf! What are you here for? I mean, I didn't exp-"

"There is no need for the facade, Key. 'Yiguays, important meeting behind Calzin's shop. Must intervene, find what info I can.' I know your handwriting, Key, even if you have become more sloppy."

Key squared her shoulders. "Alright. I'm the Belker. You caught me. But you seemed to forget to mention that the ship you sailed in on is the Cockatrice. Those are pirates, Sheaf, you're a pirate! Why the hell are you taking up with criminals?"

"The king is the real criminal, we have never attacked an innocent vessel. Surely you know as well as we do that Duskstone is not the paragon he seems."

She gripped the table in front of her. "So why are you here, Sheaf?"

He looked her in the eyes. "I want to help you."

Key was confused. "You want to help? But… alright, sure. But how?"

"What did you take from that deal?"

She pulled a neatly folded piece of paper from a satchel. "This," she said, passing it to him.

Sheaf studied the paper, and found exactly what he was looking for. He gave the paper back to Key, and pointed out a seal in the corner. "See this? The Navy uses this seal unofficially, it belongs to the admiral. I told you, all of this is connected. This right here is code for an incoming shipment."

"Yes, I know, but what of?"

"The admiral's seal here, what could they be waiting for?"

Key spoke breathlessly. "Weapons. Military-grade arms, right from the source. Gods, Sheaf thank you! I've been following this dead-end trail for weeks now, the shipment of weapons. I was so confused, here, look," she pulled a sheet of paper from a drawer, pointing at it. "This is from the other clan. Right there, the same seal, the same code, it was like they were getting the same thing. They are." She thought, then grabbed Sheaf's arm. "But wait. Why would Duskstone's court supply the clans? They're directly opposing him."

Sheaf shook his head. "Tax collectors still come around, right?"

Key nodded. "They watch their backs closely, but they get what they come for."

"So why bother paying to keep the law, when they can profit from the chaos?"

"You're right. If the clans keep fighting like they are, neither can take control, and neither can take Saúte away from the king. It would be easy if they weren't fighting. Gods, I'm sorry for thinking the Cockatrice to be the criminals."

"And I am sorry for throwing you. So, what do we do next?"

Key wracked her brain. "A big deal like this, both Jimena and Yiguay themselves are going to want to be present. This clearly isn't just a one time thing, this is the ante to a partnership. Duskstone is playing them both, right under their noses. They'd want something discreet, and to keep things in their favor. How many ships are coming here?

"Thirty. Twenty-six Navy, three hired mercenaries and one civilian tag along."

"The tag along won't be a part of it. Too risky. The mercs are just extra muscle, maybe cannon fodder, there's going to be two meetings going down, on the Navy ships, and separate ships. That way, Duskstone can ensure that Jimena doesn't know about Yiguay's side, and vice-versa. When do they arrive?

"Tomorrow night."

"Then we'd better get to work. You should sleep here tonight, I assume you'll have to report to your captain tomorrow. When you do, leave me out of it, please? The mystery is what keeps the Belker dangerous."

"Of course. And Key?"

"Yes, Sheaf?"

"It's good to work together again."

Key broke into a wide grin, and grabbed Sheaf in a tight hug. "I've missed you a lot, Sheaf," she said into his feathers.

Sheaf was surprised, but returned the hug. "I missed you too, Key."

After a moment, Key broke the hug, and settled herself. She laughed, and said, "Ah, what am I, the little girl from Ganden again?"

"Nothing wrong with that."

She smiled at him, and kissed his beak. "Go sleep, you goof."

He blinked, still not understanding why she always did that. He followed her suggestion, though, and made himself a comfortable place to rest. He closed his eyes, grateful after missing sleep for the last few nights.

Sheaf rose as twilight entered the sky. He didn't hear Key, and figured she was either still asleep or had already left. He stretched his arms out and gathered his things. He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Key. She was bleary-eyed and still wearing her nightclothes, but she was in good spirits.

She yawned as she said, "trying to leave without a goodbye, feathers?" She stepped over to him and gave him another hug.

Sheaf returned it and said, "I will be right back, I am just going to tell Captain Nima what I have learned. Excepting you, of course. Anyway, how could I stay away? We have treason to plan." Key laughed at his joke as he let go of her, setting his pack down on her table.

"There. Now I have to come back. Get some food in the meantime, you seem hungry." Key nodded, wandering to her kitchen. Sheaf stepped through the front door and onto the street.

He stepped through the streets toward the main road, arriving at the docks. Glancing left to right, he stepped onto the Cockatrice as the sky lit with deep reds and oranges. The rest of the ship was barren, save for a figure sitting on the side of the ship, up on the bow. It was Captain Nimma, her legs swung over the side of the ship, as she stared out at the sunrise. Sheaf approached her silently, and looked up over her at the cresting sun. It was a beautiful scene, with reds, oranges and yellows mixing into a soft gradient over the rolling waves. Nimma leaned to the side, and Sheaf saw her face. It was, oddly, soft and happy. She wore a gentle smile as she leaned back, her eyes closed, enjoying the rocking of the water under the ship. She opened her eyes and caught sight of Sheaf.

She stared for a moment, then straightened up. She swung her legs back over the ship and stood, once again taller than her scout.

"You saw nothing, Sheaf. I take it you have something to report?"

Sheaf nodded, and pulled down his hood. "Duskstone's shipment is for two clans fighting for control of the city."

"Clans fighting for the city? What are they called?"

"The Yiguays and the Jimenas. I believe Duskstone intends to prolong their fight so that neither can take control, and the king can keep the city."

Nimma nodded. "That figures. The ships are coming in tonight, right? That doesn't give us much time to prepare."

"That is alright. I have met up with an old friend, here in Saúte. With your permission, I would like to take this mission into my own hands."

Nimma stared at Sheaf. "Are you sure about that? According to the documents you copied down, we're looking at some of the biggest, and most heavily guarded, ships. You and this friend are going to take them on alone?"

"This situation calls for subtlety and stealth, specialties of mine, as you know. We cannot afford to disturb the meetings. If tensions rise between any of the present factions… many could die in the crossfire. Let me handle this."

Nimma slowly nodded, and gestured to Sheaf. "Alright. This one's yours. Of course, you have the full help of the Cockatrice and her crew, should you need her. I want a full report afterwards. We're sailing out of port around noon tomorrow, I want you here by then."

"That should not be a problem, captain."

She reached into her pocket and handed Sheaf a small rod. "Take this, it's a flare. If we see this tonight, the Cockatrice will start firing as long as she can keep it up. Should work as a distraction if you need it, and we've escaped worse fleets before."

Nimma nodded, and turned around, dismissing him with a wave. Sheaf turned around and made his way off the ship, glancing behind him to see Nimma once again gazing out into the horizon.

Sheaf walked over the uneven planks of the dock, and heard rapid footsteps heading toward him. He looked up and saw Plume rushing at him, an expression of panic on his face. As he neared Sheaf, he spoke breathlessly.

"Sheaf, got to help me hide!"

"What is the matter?"

"Not important, tell you later, quick!"

Sheaf looked over his friend's shoulder, and noticed some angry-looking men, blades drawn, walking up the street. He looked back at Plume's wide eyes, and shook his head. He gestured to Plume, guiding him swiftly off the dock and down a dark alley. The men after him passed by the alley without a glance, and Sheaf turned to Plume.

Plume was exuberant, a wide smile on his feline face. "I can always count on you Sheaf, you always know what to do, and… is something wrong?"

"Why were those men after you, Plume?"

Plume put his hand behind his head, sheepishly looking away. "Oh, you know, we were talking, they got the wrong idea, one miscommunication after another… I stole a ring. But look at it!" Plume pulled from a pocket a gold ring, with what appeared to be a crest carved into the metal. "Imagine what sort of story is behind this thing, Sheaf? Who owned it originally, because it sure as hell wasn't any of those guys. Theystole it, I think they might be pirates, Sheaf."

Sheaf gave him a long stare. Plume shook his head. "No, like, real pirates, piratey pirates. Pirates who commit piracy and steal stuff, like this ring!" As he said this, he pointed at the ring. Sheaf grabbed the ring and closely inspected it. He committed the inscription to memory, and pocketed the ring.

Plume frowned, and asked, "What are you doing with it?"

"Returning it."

Plume jumped up, "No, no no no, don't do that, we need it to find out what it is!"

Sheaf shook his head. "It looks to me like a signet ring. I have the crest itself memorized, so we can recreate it later. It would be better not to have them after you, I'm going to be too busy tonight to watch your back everywhere you go."

Plume nodded. "Well, alright, but next chance we get, we're going after that signet, right?"

"Of course. Keep out of trouble for a little while, you have a lot of attention on you."

Plume saluted. "Aye, captain." He scampered out of the alley, making his way straight for the tavern. Sheaf went the opposite direction, and pulled out the ring. He took a rough piece of metal and filed away at the engraving, until it was nearly unrecognizable. He was just as curious about the signet ring as Plume was, and didn't want to risk these pirates solving its mystery first. He came upon them, grumbling in frustration over their lost target. Sheaf imitated the sound of a clearing throat, grabbing their attention. They all turned to him, wary but not hostile. He showed them the ring, saying, "It's yours, if you leave the tabaxi alone." The leader of the group nodded, and stretched out his hand. Sheaf tossed the ring his way, and turned toward Key's house.

Walking down the tightly winding streets, he found himself in front of her door. He stretched out his hand to knock, only for the door to open before him.

Inside, Key was smiling. "Saw you through the window. Come in."

Sheaf stepped through the doorway, and the door was shut behind him. Key was now properly awake, dressed in her practical robes once more. Her hair was back in its neat tail, and he could see a bag hanging from her hip that he was sure contained her mask.

"I have been meaning to ask you, Key. Why do you do this? The Belker, I mean."

Key's face fell, and Sheaf could see her thinking back. "It's a…long story. A lot has happened since you left Ganden. I suppose you should know, though.

"About two years after you left, there was an attack on Ganden. The same day, my family was visiting. They were killed. It… angered me. I was angry at the attackers, for killing them, at the monks for not reacting fast enough. But mostly I was angry at myself. I blamed myself for their deaths, and turned that blame into a nonstop desire to train." She laughed, "thinking about it now, it wasn't healthy. But, it got me here. I graduated the very next year. I wandered, dedicating myself to destroying injustice and evil. Then I stumbled on Saúte. It was perfect for the Belker here. No royal presence, no policing, and the Jimenas and the Yiguays were preying on the populace. The Belker had a place here, still does. The last few years, I've been fighting them and whatever else comes Saúte's way. I've had time to… cool down, in the meantime, but I still believe in what I'm doing. I only let the anger fuel me, not control me."

Sheaf nodded, feeling bad for his friend. "I am sorry that happened to you. And I am glad you have found a place in the world."

Key nodded. "I haven't thought about all that in years. But, it's probably good for me. Never mind all that though, we have a raid to plan." She broke into a wide smile.