Disclaimer: I do not own 'Shadows of Amn', the 'Forgotten Realms' or any characters therein. Wizards of the Coast do, at my last check. Lucky them.
I do, however, own Fritha and certain other characters and plot points. Basically, if you don't recognise it from the game, it's probably mine.

– Blackcross & Taylor

Hide and seek

Nalia stood at the window looking out onto the silent city as she absently pulled a comb through her hair. It was just before dawn and the street below was grey and lifeless, the slums still steeped in sleep before the sun awoke them to a another day of hopes and hardships. She turned from the window, suddenly disheartened, trying to focus on others things as she finished her brushing and packed her bag.

The previous evening had turned out to be quite enjoyable in the end, Fritha insisting that they return to the table to 'play nicely' as she had put it, quelling her initial dissent with a stern wisdom, and Nalia recalled her words clearly.
'Only two can be in a relationship, but I am determined that whichever two they are, three will remain friends after this. And perhaps, even a fourth can return…'

Nalia had pointedly ignored Fritha's last comment, though she had eventually agreed to join her, and they had returned to the table together, Fritha taking a polite interest in Aerie's acting, the girl suggesting different scenes for them to practise with and even managing to convince Nalia herself to join in on some of the readings.
Nalia smiled as she recalled the girl sat next to her, giggling gently into her sleeve at some quip of the bard's, looking flushed and lovely; she honestly couldn't see why Haer'Dalis was having trouble picking between them.

And so they had been, until Jaheira had arrived at the table and she and Fritha had returned to the bridge district, Anomen, Aerie and Haer'Dalis leaving for the docks just after dinner and Nalia had returned gloomily to her room soon afterwards.
It had been difficult those last few days, watching the others discussing their investigations and hurrying off to meetings, while she and Minsc had trudged about the city looking vainly for work.
Nalia sighed. She had always felt very assured of herself and her own worth and it was an unwelcome sensation, to feel more of a burden than an asset, though no one in the group would have ever said such.

At least she and Minsc had found work for that day, she considered, cheering slightly. Or for that morning anyway; a local goldsmith needing someone to escort something of value from his workshop in the promenade to one of the noble estates in the northwest of the city. She and Minsc had easily secured the work with his size and her reputation, though payment was only a hundred gold- a lot for simple delivery-work, but nowhere near what the others were looking to earn and she felt embarrassed that they had been unable to find anything better.

Nalia sighed, her good mood wavering again and she threw her cloak about her and shouldered her bag to leave before her melancholy could reassert itself once more, stepping resolutely into the hall to almost collide with someone.

'Oh, good morning, Anomen,' she greeted once over her surprise, 'I had not expected anyone else to be awake yet.'

'Good morning, my lady,' he replied with a polite nod, fastening the cloak at his shoulders as he continued.' You go to meet Minsc? You are acting as couriers for one of the guilds today, are you not?'

'That is so,' she confirmed, unwilling to dwell on this and quickly changing the subject. 'Did your visit to the docks prove fruitful?'

Anomen nodded evenly.

'Perhaps. Avis was there and we spoke to her initially, the girl introducing us to the rest of their group. Had it not been for her, I doubt they would have spoken to us as at all, but it soon became apparent they knew no more than she… or so it seemed.'

Anomen frowned slightly. 'We spoke to many there, and it was nearing midnight when we made to leave, Avis catching us on the edge of the docks. It seems a good friend of Lirsand's has information on the pair. He feared to been seen speaking with us, but I have arrangements to meet him today in a tavern on the other side of the slums.'

'This morning?' she questioned, still at a loss as to why the squire was leaving the inn so early. Anomen shook his head.

'No, I wish to attend matins at the temple, though I have a few moments yet. Ah Jaheira,' he continued as the woman in question appeared in her doorway, dressed, though only in the literal sense, her feet bare and hair still tousled from sleep. 'How went your evening, my lady? Did you find the, ah, woman you sought?'

Jaheira frowned slightly, though Nalia felt it was more the puzzlement of finding them both stood in the hall at such an hour, than any real displeasure.

'Yes, eventually,' the druid finally replied, taking a step from her doorway to join them. 'Though the girl remembered very little about finding the body; just a dark shape fleeing down the alley and a smell, a smell of guril berries. Though I find this fact unlikely,' she continued with a terse sigh. 'This all occurred a month ago and the berry was not in season then. Fritha thinks we therefore need to look for something that smells the same; we plan a trip to the promenade this morning.'

'You go to rouse her now?' asked Nalia, but Jaheira snorted crossly.

'Oh, no. Merely to see if the foolish girl is even abed! I have no idea when she returned last night. She insisted on going to help with the sewing in the theatre once we finished our investigations, and would not hear of me waiting with her. I was downstairs in the common room until the moon peaked and saw no sign of her return.'

Anomen looked troubled.

'She made the way back here alone?'

Jaheira sent him a glare.

'Well, I strongly advised her against such a course, recalling to her the dangers of the streets after nightfall with this guilds' war and a murderer around the bridge.'

'And did she heed you?' asked Anomen, still looking a touch concerned.

Jaheira snorted at his naivety.

'Of course not, and her sincere assurances that she could run very fast when the situation called for it were hardly a comfort!'

Nalia felt herself smile, hiding it in her sleeve, though Anomen was smirking slightly too and even Jaheira had a glimmer of frustrated amusement in her eyes.

'Well,' said Anomen, breaking the silence with a slight bow, 'I should be going. I wish you well, ladies.'

'Farewell,' she and Jaheira chorused, the woman nodding politely to her before continuing on to Fritha's door and Nalia turned to follow Anomen down the stairs, unable to help a smile as the sound of the druid drifted after her.

'Fritha? Are you awake? …Yes, I know what time it is, now open this door!'

xxx

'Are you all right, Minsc?' Nalia asked again as the man next to her hefted the load in his arms with a sharp breath. It turned out that their delivery was no less than a gold-plated shrine statue the size of small child, something Minsc could lift without much of a problem, though travelling a distance with it was another matter and she could see the strain on his face as they closed upon their goal, an estate just east of the Government District, the city about them slowly awakening as they walked.

'Come, let us rest again,' she offered, the ranger making a weak noise of protest that died completely when he realised she would not take any refusals and she led him to stand in the shelter of a narrow side street, the man crouching to set the load down on the smooth cobbles before them. The idol was bound and protected by canvas and ropes and a for moment, she thought it looked like they had been tomb robbing. She smiled slightly at the idea, though it was not something she would ever consider doing in reality; she preferred her targets alive and wealthy enough so as not to miss the loss.

Nalia sighed. It had been a while now since she had a chance to exercise her more disreputable skills, full days making for tired evenings. Her work with Fritha was most definitely of a help to others, though not quite in the sense she was used to and Nalia rather missed her night time jaunts about the city. Keeping to the shadows and scaling walls all in search of the elusive mark and, quite apart from the fact she had not been able to donate anything to the temple of Illmater for a tenday now, she was a little worried she was getting out of practise.

At least, they would earn something from this work, though she suddenly realised with some dismay that their payment for this delivery would merely cover what she and Minsc would be given in payment. Well, at least they weren't costing the group money.

Nalia glanced to the man next to her, Minsc leaning back against the building they were stood before, stretching and rubbing the muscles of his arms and clearly trying to work the ache from them. She liked the ranger and had found a sincere respect for the man ever since they had been paired together to search for Belgrade some days before. Though he was obviously quite addled, he had a earthy wisdom, albeit one he seemed to insist on attributing to his hamster, and Nalia thought they worked well together.

His company had certainly been more than welcome over the last few days; Minsc and sometimes Boo assuring her that work would be found and everything would be for the best (and sometimes evil would be brought to justice along the way as well). Besides, Nalia considered practically, half the nobles houses in Athkatla probably thought she was mad, who was she to judge the mental state of others.

The ranger glanced to her with a smile, gesturing to the statue at his feet.
'Boo says we should set out again before the streets grow crowded. If we go back to the guild soon, they may have more work for us, yes?'

Nalia nodded, smiling gently, and they continued their journey, the roads growing wider as they travelled, the houses no longer opening onto the street but concealed behind high-walled gardens. And, at last they reached their destination, the pale stone walls of the Farrel estate; not the eldest nor the richest of Athkatla's noble houses, but a respected one nevertheless.

Nalia led them through the gates, the gravel path crunching pleasantly underfoot as they walked up the tree-lined path to the grand sandstone house, the girl knocking politely on the wide arched doors, a blonde pink-cheeked maid appearing at one after a moment. Nalia smiled.

'Good morning, we are-'

'Deliveries are round the back,' the girl cut in sharply, shutting the door before Nalia could utter another word and she felt herself flush at the affront, Minsc giving her shoulder a kindly pat before he stooped again for his load and they returned to the path, following it through the well-kept gardens to the back of the building, Nalia seething as they went.

Had her household ever been so? No, she was sure it had not, despite her Aunt's influences, and Nalia was hit with the sudden realisation that the castle was perhaps being managed quite differently now Delcia and the Roenalls had rule. Nalia sighed crossly. Well, of course she had known it would be run differently, but she had never really considered it in light of the small courtesies her father had always extended to anyone who came to them, and she felt a strange sense of shame wash over her, glad for the first time that she was no longer associated with the place.

They had reached the much plainer back entrance now, the door hidden by a line of trees and Nalia was struck by a pang of irritation that even though the maid was well aware that they were coming, she was not there waiting for them. Nalia reached a hand up and knocked sharply, the door eventually swinging open to reveal the same pink-faced maid.

'If you just leave it there,' the girl continued indifferently, gesturing to the step, 'I'll have one of the-'

'Go and fetch your master,' snapped Nalia, her voice taking on the crisp imperious tones of her aunt, well aware that the officious deportment of the nobility could have its advantages, 'this requires his seal. And bring this man some water, as well!'

The girl stared at her open-mouthed, before her instinct seemed to take over and she bobbed a quick curtsey, hurrying off to do her bidding. Minsc laughed breathlessly, setting down his load for the final time and leaning back against the wall of the house.

'Such a fine temper! You speak with the spirit of a Wychlaran, young Nalia. Even Boo trembled.'

Nalia smiled in spite of herself, trying not to feel too pleased as she recalled the girl's shocked expression.

'Ah, your water, miss,' came a voice before her and she glanced up to see another maid, brown-haired and younger, stood holding out a large earthenware jug and cup, the girl disappearing as soon as it was taken.

'Here,' Nalia smiled, passing the cup to Minsc, who received it gratefully, the girl pouring him some water before setting the jug at his feet and she straightened just as a loud and decidedly exasperated voice drifted through the doorway.

'Fine, fine, go back to your duties!' snapped the half-dressed man of middling years she assumed to be Lord Farrel, the maid hurrying off as he turned his attentions to them. 'Now what is this? My maid said you need a seal.'

Nalia nodded once, drawing the slim beeswax tablet from her bag, the crest of the goldsmiths' guild gilt upon the back.

'What? The idol from the goldsmiths?' he exclaimed, finally glancing to the solid bundle set just outside the doorway as he handed the tablet he had just stamped back to her, his voice dropping as he continued half to himself. 'But I need this to be over at the temple of Lathander, they are expecting it today! I had completely forgotten and all my porters are required here, we're hosting the first of the Autumn Hunts.'

Nalia shrugged, quite uninterested in his plight.

'A pity, I am sure,' she continued indifferently, slipping the tablet back into her bag, 'farewell, sir.'

'N-Now just you wait a moment,' he exclaimed, bristling at her tone, 'you must take it over there!'

'Must?' repeated Nalia icily, more than done with being ordered about for the day. 'We were hired to deliver the statue here. Was this incorrect?'

Lord Farrel quailed slightly under her look. 'Well, no, but-'

'Then I see no must about it,' she cut in dismissively, 'Good-'

'Madam, really,' he continued conciliatorily, 'it was merely a turn of phrase. Now, please be reasonable and redeliver this to the temple. I am sure I can pay you for your time.'

She glanced to Minsc who nodded imperceptibly; tired but willing.

'We will do as you ask,' Nalia continued, clipped and authoritative, 'for the fee of two hundred gold pieces.'

'Two hundred?' Farrel breathed, seemingly left almost speechless in his indignation. 'The initial delivery was only half that!'

Nalia shrugged turning to leave.
'As you will. Come, Minsc.'

'Fine, fine,' Farrel burst out with clear frustration, glancing back into the house to shout for his purse, before returning his attention to them with a scowl. 'You understand I consider this no less than robbery, madam!'

Nalia smiled. And there she had been, worrying she was getting out of practise.

xxx

Fritha yawned widely, trying to stifle it in her sleeve and shaking her head in an attempt to wake up, the bustle of the morning promenade an unreal blur through her haze of sleep. She and Jaheira were stood on the western steps, the druid surveying the marketplace for a likely stall while Fritha stood behind her, leaning heavily against the plinth of one of the stone lions that guarded there, her cheek resting against its flank, the cool stone pleasant on her hot tired eyes. She had been late to bed last night, helping to sort and repair the props with the troupe, the sense of camaraderie they shared making light of the work and she had been surprised to find the moon almost set when she finally left the Five Flagons.

Fritha frowned. But even the lateness of her return would not have been so bad, if it had not been combined with the druid seeing fit to wake her with the dawn, the women sitting on the end of her bed to give her a stern lecture on the irresponsibility of wandering about the city alone at night. She had tried desperately to ignore the woman, unpleasantly stuffy with the covers pulled over head, though it was all in vain; she had been unable to return to sleep even after Jaheira had departed and after an hour of lying in bed, staring at the ceiling as the room about her grew steadily lighter, Fritha had given up and gone down to the common room to join the woman for an early breakfast.

Fritha stifled another yawn, feeling slightly cross that the druid had seen fit to disturb what little sleep she had managed to get.
'Remind me again why it was necessary to get me up with the lark this morning,' she reproached the woman, Jaheira merely glancing back from where she had been scanning the marketplace to give her a stern look.
'Well, it would not have been had you agreed to allow me to stay and walk back with you last night. I merely wished to ensure you were not lying dead in some alley between here and the bridge.'

Fritha scowled.

'Well, it would have been a bit bloody late to do anything about it if I had been,' she muttered, squinting as they moved out from the shadow of the archway. 'What were you planning to do if I hadn't been in my room? Scribble my name at the bottom of your "vengeance" list and go back to bed?'

'Do not even joke about such things,' Jaheira snapped, though not as sharply as she might have and Fritha hoped she was starting to feel a touch guilty about waking her. 'Now come along, do you have the berries we bought yesterday?'

Fritha nodded and drew a slightly squashed packet of dark indigo berries from her pack, following the women down the steps and through the press of people to a nearby apothecary's stall, the tables bowed under the dishes of spice and herbs, baskets of dried fruit and roots at their feet. Fritha brought the packet to her face and inhaled deeply, trying to memorise the bitter faintly aromatic scent of the berries before taking a pinch of crisp green leaves from the nearest basket and sniffing at them tentatively.

'Greetings ladies, a pearl…'came the apothecary, finishing with a customer to turn to them and trailing off with a bemused look to her. Jaheira rapped her knuckles with her own and Fritha hastily returned the leaves to their basket, straightening to give him a smile, the man looking relieved when Jaheira began to speak.
'Well met, sir. Though this may sound like a strange request, do you have anything that smells like guril berries?'

'Guril berries?' he repeated with a frown, 'well, I do not stock them myself; their medicinal uses are tenuous at best.'

'Well, what would they be used for?' asked Fritha, licking a spot of the astringent juice from the tip of her finger and finding it difficult to believe anyone would eat the berries by choice. The apothecary shrugged loosely.

'Well, I know of only one use myself. They can be combined with other certain herbs to make a salve for, ah,' he coloured slightly, 'intimate afflictions.'

'Oh, Hells!' Fritha burst out crossly, ignoring the merchant's surprise to whirl on the woman next to her, 'it was probably just her last customer!'

Jaheira nodded slowly.

'Hmm, perhaps.' She turned again to the man. 'Do you have anything else that would smell like it?'

He shook his head.

'I surely could not say, madam, though you're welcome to keep, ah, looking, as it were.'

They nodded their thanks, the merchant turning to serve his next customer while the two women poured over the baskets, some of which so exotic even Jaheira could not recognise them.

Fritha sighed, absently scratching her hand. It seemed she'd had a reaction to something she had handled, the fingers of her right hand itching maddeningly and, even more frustratingly, they were fast running out of herbs to sample. The girl sighed again, stooping closer to a dish of fine dull grey powder and drawing back almost immediately as the bitter smell assailed her.

'This,' Fritha exclaimed, pointing the dish out to the woman opposite, 'this is the closest yet. Excuse me,' she continued to the merchant, 'what's this?'

The man nodded politely as he passed some change to a customer and bid them farewell before glancing back to answer her.
'Er, that? Ground oak bark. Used to make a draft for the treatment of dysentery.'

'Oh great,' sighed Fritha, 'so we're looking for someone with chronic diarrhoea,' Jaheira snorting noisily as she continued to the man, 'what else can you use it for?'

'Oak bark? Well, mixed with certain metal salts it makes dyes and of course, if you brew it up right you can release the tannin, which they use for-'

The women suddenly glanced to each other and Fritha saw her own dawning realisation mirrored in the druid's eyes as Jaheira finished his sentence.
'Curing hides…'

xxx

'Is this the place?' asked Fritha, looking up at the plain wooden building that stood about halfway along the bridge. Jaheira nodded, peering around the corner of the house and into the neighbouring lane to point above the door.
'Yes, there is the sign, see; Rejiek Hidesman.'

There were three tanners in the area according to the local merchants, though this was the only one actually situated on the bridge, and Jaheira had believed it the best place to begin their investigations. Fritha threw a glance to the woman, leaving the main street to walk along the short alley and knock sharply on the door, moving to the closest window when no one answered to peer through the grimy glass, an empty workshop just visible though the dirt.

'Well, he doesn't appear to have opened up shop today, does he?' she said finally, turning back to Jaheira and the woman nodded, her eyes narrowed.

'Quite, and it was closed when we were questioning the residents around here the other day as well. Perhaps he is ill.'

'Well, he's going to feel even worse when he sees his door,' Fritha grinned, drawing her sword and Jaheira took a step closer, shielding her from view of the street as she forced the lock.

'There,' Fritha whispered with satisfaction, sheathing her blade as the door swung open and she took a step inside, the workshop large, but gloomy even at highsun and Fritha wondered absently how the man worked with so little natural light. No doorways led off to other rooms, the sharp bitter smell of tannin drifting up a flight of steps that led down to the floor below, the stairwell full of shadows.

'Hello? Anyone here?' Fritha called, glancing to Jaheira with a smirk as she continued with a friendly concern, 'Someone appears to have forced your door open; are you okay?'

The druid rolled her eyes, moving over to the nearest workbench, where scraps of leather were piled about a half-made satchel.
'Look, this is same type of hide as the one we found on the last victim.'

Fritha watched as she drew the piece of leather from her bag, her hand hovering over the workbench before descending to hold it up to the scrap already there; the edges matched completely. Fritha swallowed, her throat suddenly dry.
'What do you think? Should we tell Aegisfield or investigate further?'

'Both,' answered Jaheira firmly, returning to the door to call loudly back into the street. 'Here, child.'
A pause and Fritha listened to the approach of bare feet before the druid continued to her unseen herald.
'Here is a copper piece. There is another here awaiting your return if you go and fetch Captain Aegisfield, or any other members of the Watch. Understood? Go on then, quickly now.'

The woman remained at the door a moment as the footsteps faded before turning back into the room and Fritha moved to the top of the stairs, the dark silhouette of furniture below just visible in the gloom.
'Are you ready?'

Jaheira said nothing, merely nodded once, adjusting her grip on her staff and Fritha turned to descend into the darkness.

The smell of tannin was much stronger down there, the only light from the room above them and Fritha felt her hand tighten about her sword hilt, though she did not draw it.

'By Silvanus,' Jaheira muttered behind her, 'it is like pitch in here.'

Fritha nodded, finally reaching the last step and letting a hand brush lightly against the wall next to her, fingers finally finding what she sought.
'Here, I've found a window. There,' she muttered, feeling for the catch and at last throwing open the shutters, the view of the river shimmering blue green under a bright noon sun quite a nice one, though she took no time to appreciate it, turning back into the room to finally take in their surroundings.

She was not sure what she had been expecting, but the sunlight had opened out a plain and serviceable room; a large washtub of tannin in one corner, an open trapdoor in another, stone steps leading to what she assumed was the cellar, while spaced neatly about, hides in various stages of curing were hung or stretched over frames.

There was an open firepit in centre of room and Fritha moved to look at the rail suspended above it, where a pretty piebald horsehide was hung next to some strips of a pale sallow leather she did not recognise. She looked closer, the leather thinner than anything she had ever seen before, almost translucent and she moved a hand up to touch it, Jaheira suddenly grabbing her sleeve, her face pallid.
'Don't. I- I think it is skin.'

Fritha dropped her hand, stepping back as a wave of nausea washed over her, her heart suddenly beating wildly.

'What are you doing here?' demanded a sharp masculine voice and Fritha whirled with the druid to see a stocky man of Amnian-colouring stood at the trapdoor, another fairer man just visible behind him.

'What are we doing here?' she shrieked, her temper flaring before she could master it, throwing a hand towards the hides behind her, 'what in the Hells are you doing here?'

Jaheira took a step forward, her staff held ready.
'Rejiek Hidesman, by order of the City Watch of Athkatla you are under arrest and are to come with us.'

The man tensed, his eyes dark and calculating and, for a moment, Fritha thought he would attack when he suddenly turned and fled back down the steps, almost barrelling into his companion in his haste.

Jaheira leapt after him, Fritha drawing her sword to follow her, the two racing down the steps after them. The stone was slippery underfoot and Fritha nearly skidded in to the back of the woman when Jaheira stopped suddenly halfway down the staircase, the girl glancing up to question her and her heart stopped.

The cellar about them was like a scene from Irenicus's dungeon and yet a thousand times worse. The stone walls were black with damp and mould, stacks of rotting crates rising in the gloom like the columns of some decaying temple, though hardly any of this registered when at the foot of the steps a large solid table was stood, covered in blood, a half skinned body lain out upon it. Next to it, skins were stretched over frames similar to the ones they had seen upstairs, the remnants of flesh to be scraped from them before they could be cured, a plague of rats swarming beneath, feeding on the scraps.

Along two of the walls, other bodies had been hung and left to rot, their skins still intact from what she could see and Fritha wondered whether they had somehow been deemed unsuitable, hung up there and denied burial as some kind of punishment for the inconvenience.

They walked down the rest of the steps in measured silence, eyes scanning the disorder, searching for some sign of the men to little avail. The room was at river level, the floor ending before the enclosure of the walls did, and Fritha could see the dark water lapping against a rotting wooden jetty, two narrow punts moored there, a low archway leading out to the river beyond, the world outside bright and unreal.

Fritha came to the foot of the stairs, letting her eyes drift unseeing over the bloody table before them, her mouth salivating as the bile began to rise in her throat.
'Rejiek, you sick bastard,' she shouted with a bark of hollow laughter, 'come out here and I swear we'll take you in alive.'

Silence. Jaheira glanced to her, indicating the way ahead towards the jetty with her staff while nodding for take the vague path left through the crates and the women split up, Fritha watching the druid begin to prowl forward into the darkness before turning to walk left along the wall, the stacks of rotting crates looming over her.

Fritha crept along, straining to hear anything over the roar of blood in her ears, heart beating a smart tattoo in her chest as she passed body after mouldering body hung on the wall next to her, some little more than skeletons, others disturbingly fresh and she felt their eyes on her as she walked by.

She reached the end of the aisle, pausing to consider the skeleton there, half-hidden by shadow and rags, its bleached white skull looking out of place in the murk of the surroundings. Fritha sighed and turned to make her way back when she heard the rattle of bones behind her and she whirled in time to see the flash of steel, Rejiek suddenly there, stepping out from behind the body, a stiletto already sweeping down at her. She screamed, bringing her blade up with a speed that surprised them both, Rejiek's hand hitting the ground a moment before the rest of him did, Fritha's sword stuck halfway through his head.

'Fritha,' came a cry before her and she looked up to see Jaheira rushing towards her. 'I heard you scream, are you injured?'

'No, but Rejiek's dead.'

A dull creak of timbers broke the silence, the gentle swash of water against a prow echoing about the cellar and Jaheira's eyes went wide.
'The other!'

She whirled about and was gone, haring off back towards the quay, Fritha freeing her sword to run after her and the women reaching the jetty just in time to see the stern of a boat disappearing into the sunlight.

'Damn his hide!' swore the druid, continuing her tirade with a few more inventive curses that Fritha thought best to ignore, the girl's attention pulled back to the steps behind them as she heard the rattling footsteps of those in armour. The Watch had arrived.

'We heard fighting,' called Aegisfield as he and another five guards descended, all looking as horrified as they first had, 'are you both unharmed?'

'We are fine,' Fritha called back with a sigh, 'but the murderer is dead and his accomplice escaped by boat.'

'Could you describe him?'

Fritha shrugged, glancing to Jaheira who nodded curtly.
'Tall, fair hair, wearing black clothes and a dark green cloak. I did not get much of a chance to see his face.'

The captain nodded, turning back to his squad.
'Okay, Williams, Owen, take men to search the wharfs in and around the bridge, and send some over to check the harbour as well, he could have sailed down river.'

Two of the guards saluted, already marching smartly back to the steps as Aegisfield turned back to them.

'We should make a search of this place as well,' continued Jaheira with a cursory glance about her, eyes narrowed as though she did not look forward to the task she had just set them, 'Rejiek may be dead, but there is perhaps some clue here as to why he was doing this, or whether he had anyone else working with him.'

It was agreed, they and the four remaining guards splitting up to search the cellar, Fritha tying her bright turquoise scarf about her head in an attempt to protect her hair from their unpleasant task. It was all in vain though, gore and filth seemed to cover every surface and though Jaheira insisted she be the one to examine the half-skinned body, Fritha and the guards searched the other corpses as well as some of the surrounding crates, and all were filthy by the time they finally trooped upstairs to search the room above.

For her part, Fritha was just glad to out of the cellar, the churning of her stomach finally quieting to a dull queasiness, the astringent smell of the tannin actually helping her nausea as long as she did not think on what it had been used for.
She glanced up from the ledger she was leafing through, leaving bloody fingerprints on each page as she looked for anything that could lead them to Rejiek's accomplices, the others about her searching similarly though the drawers and chests. Aegisfield and a guard had gone upstairs to check the workshop and Jaheira was knelt at the chest next to her, slowly going through bills and invoices though the thing which had caught her eye were the two guards opposite her.

The initial search of the room had revealed a bed, wardrobe and linen chest which she had previous missed, hidden behind a set of folding screens as they were. The screens were folded up and leant against a wall now, the older guard, grey-haired and stocky, trying to force the lock on the wardrobe while his friend, a lanky tow-headed lad, was sprawled on his stomach struggling to get something from under the bed. But it was clear from his sighs, he could not reach in far enough, his shoulder guard catching against the bed frame, though his friend was hardly sympathetic.

'Are you still writhing around down there?' the older man laughed, 'just move the bed, man!'

'I can't, you old eejit,' the lad huffed crossly, giving up to sit back on his haunches and send the man a scowl, 'it's bolted to the floor!'

Fritha smiled slightly, laying the ledger back on the workbench and moving to his side.
'Here, I'm smaller, I'll fetch it out.'

He nodded and stood, stepping back with the other guard to watch her, Jaheira moving across to join them.

'Be careful,' one of them warned, the druid sending them a look as Fritha dropped to her knees and finally lay on her stomach, face pressed to the floorboards as she stretched an arm under the bed.
'Do you have it?'

'Almost… there,' she sighed, fingers finally closing about it, the material soft in her hand as she drew it into the light. The group behind her gasped and she straightened, pushing herself up from the floorboards for her gaze to fall on a neatly tailored jacket of sallow leather. For a strange bewildering moment she wondered what had disturbed everyone so, when suddenly it dawned on her and she was on her feet and stumbling backwards into the onlookers, wanting to put as much distance between her and it as possible.

'I- it- it's'

Two firm hands gripped her shoulders, the druid's voice at her ear.
'Fritha, calm yourself.'

She shrugged her off though, pushing through the group and making it all the way to the stairs before she was sick, the mutters of sympathy faintly audible as the guards disbanded to continue their search. Fritha drew in a deep breath, dabbing her watering eyes with her sleeve as she turned to sit heavily on the stairs next to her, glancing up as Jaheira approached.

'Feeling better now? One of the men said to give you this,' she began gently, passing a narrow flask to her and Fritha looked past the woman to where the older guard was stood making a good show of searching through the wardrobe he'd finally opened, though he was keeping half an eye on them, giving her an encouraging smile as he noticed her watching.

Fritha smiled faintly as well, knocking it back for a quick sip, the spirits burning her throat as she swallowed, though the heat it put in her stomach was bracing and seemed to bring her round slightly. She passed the flask back to Jaheira with a nod.
'Thanks.'

The druid sent her a measured look.
'You know we may as well return to the inn. The murderer is dead and the Watch can finish things here.'

Fritha shook her head, well aware of what she was doing, but determined to see it through.
'No, we should stay until it's done.' She sighed, rising tiredly to stand next to the woman. 'Many hands, and all that…'