Spying on someone seems straightforward enough. As a kid, I sometimes played at spying on friends to then surprise them. Or while playing hide-and-seek, trying to see where the seeker was. Or even on mom to take a sweet bun when she wasn't looking. In every case, you knew where your target was. But the town was a big place, and they had left me no clue as to where they would be. I would have to be creative in my search if I didn't want to come up empty handed.

I did have one thing I could use: the tracking skill. I hadn't leveled it up much, it wasn't a skill I thought I would need. If a quest required seeking out a NPC or a creature then the tracking skill would be a useful skill to have. But tracking other players was much more difficult, you'd be up against their hiding skill. At my skill level I wouldn't be able to track Ricky's movement. But for Karla it was a different story because she was on my friend list. In this case the hiding skill is ignored, it's akin to getting a huge bonus. I guess it was a feature of the game to help friends stick together, and prevent them from getting separated.

But to use the tracking skill I had to at least spot my target or know where they had been recently. The trail from the drawbridge had already gone cold. I had to start my search somewhere else, so I headed back to the inn. The common room was empty, which didn't surprise me much. I went up to the rooms and in front of Karla's door I hesitated. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. No one answered. I breathed out slowly. I was sort of glad she wasn't there, I probably would have made a fool of myself had she opened the door. But her not being there meant I had to seek out a new starting point.

"Where would be the best place to meet someone in this English styled town?" I asked myself. And as is often the case the clue to the answer is often in the question: "An English style pub, of course." I acclaimed snapping my fingers. I headed to the market area where I had spotted a place that looked like a pub. Sure enough, there it was: the "Pub of the Wild Boar". They were probably inside already but I had to make sure. As I didn't want to barge in and have everyone eyes on me, I waited until a few players were about to enter the pub and I tail-gated them.

The place was warm and inviting, it looked like it was hundreds of years old, decked out in dark wood, leather and brass accents. It wasn't worn down or falling apart, but well used, as if it had see thousands of patrons over the years. It continued to be welcoming as the place was packed with people, both players and NPCs. This was definitely the favorite hangout of the crafting gang. Players that looked like farmers, woodcutters, artisans, and hunters were all gathered here. It was lively with conversation and it made you feel like grabbing a chair and spending some time among friends.

It was a shame I wasn't there for an evening of fun; tonight I had other plans. I quickly looked around the place, scanning the bar and the tables, hoping that no one was looking at me. Luck was on my side, I spotted Karla sitting at a table against the wall. She was talking to someone I couldn't see, who I assumed was Ricky, and wasn't looking in my direction. That was all the information I needed: I knew where they were. I quickly left the pub and looked for a place I could keep an eye on the pub door. Then I waited.

The pub was catering to a lot of people. I imagined it could be a good business for a player that wanted to settle down. I didn't know if it was a business a player could run, but the game offered such a variety of shop-like businesses players could have, it was surely a possibility. It would be a logical extension for an information broker, you would meet so many people. And by the looks of this pub, a business like this could be quite successful.

From my spot outside, I could see all the people that crossed the pub's threshold. But it was nerve-wracking: every time the door opened I jumped a little. I expected to see Karla and Ricky stroll out each time. I saw all types of groups going in or out of the pub: parties of players, some of the crafting types getting together, solo players looking for someway to pass the time, and a few couples who had managed to find a little more than just xp and col in this game.

It took about an hour before my wait paid off. Karla and Ricky came out of the pub and seemed to be disagreeing on something, but I couldn't tell about what. Finally, they headed down the street. I waited till they turned a corner and headed in their direction. I activated my tracking skill which permitted me to see Karla's tracks even if she was out of sight, as I had guessed I would have been at a loss following Ricky, I could only barely make out his tracks. As long as they didn't suspect anything I would be able to follow them without being seen.

They went down one street then another, turned left then turned right, they seemed to be going round in circles. It was strange, as we headed deeper into this maze it got quieter, I could barely hear the noise from the main streets and no sound was coming from the buildings. With less ambient noise, it meant that any noise I made might be heard. I suddenly heard Karla's voice getting closer. I ducked back into the alley I'd just come from and tried to stay perfectly still. "What is it?" Karla asked Ricky. "I told you to wait." Ricky replied. "Don't move Wolf, don't move Wolf..." I kept repeating in my head.

"Come on Ricky, I haven't got all night." Karla pressed. I heard them leave but I didn't move. If it wasn't for Karla's impatience I would have been spotted. I stayed in my spot for another ten seconds before deciding to peek around the corner: no one in sight. I took a deep breath and cautiously continued my tracking. I stayed as far as the tracking skill permitted me without losing them. I turned a corner and came to a dead end with a high fence and a door. The tracks showed they had gone through the door, so I approached it and listened as intently as I could. It became clear that this is where Ricky wanted to take Karla as I heard nothing to indicate they were going anywhere. I could hear some bits of their conversation, mostly from Karla, Ricky seemed to be keeping his voice as low as possible, but I couldn't see what they were doing.

I heard Karla complain to Ricky about how he was acting. I smiled, at least I wasn't the only one who got annoyed at Ricky. My smile faded as I heard Karla's voice get more annoyed. I resisted the urge to intervene, Karla was very capable of handling herself and others. It was not my place to interfere in her affairs. Or was it?

Karla's voice suddenly got a lot louder, "Watch where you put your hands! ... What does this have to do with training? ... No I don't want to! ... This is not what I expected. ... Stop please. ... That's it I'm leaving ... Let go of me!" Karla's voice had changed from annoyance to fear, and I could feel it. I couldn't stand by any longer. I equipped my battle axe, took a deep breath and walked into the small courtyard they were in. Ricky stopped moving and looked at me, surprised. I leaned my battle axe on my shoulder "You heard her." I said

"Now let her go."