Bounty-ful

The bookkeeper sagged. "I just want to know what you want from me. Because nobody seems to want anything good."

*

Aurelia shrugged.

"We don't go back to base immediately, and we make damn sure we're not seen. And we leave now. They seem to like to work in threes and we only have two accounted for."

Ephraim nodded, "And this?" he gestured to his revolver, "should I have it ready?"

Thea looked at the bookeeper pityingly and replied, "as of this moment we are the ones fighting for your life, so perhaps you could wait until we have finished risking ours to accuse us? We should get inside."

Aurelia looked at Ephraim, one eyebrow raised delicately.

"And here I thought you were the type to be always ready."

She turned to look down the dock the way they had come. There was a lone figure standing just where the dock intersected with another boardwalk.

*

The bookkeeper deflated.

"Fine. But I want some answers when we get inside."

Thea giggles and said, "For that you must seek the favour and permission of the captain, as the giving or withholding of information is under her domain."
She gestured at the door and ushered the bookkeeper in, trying to signal behind his back to Orin to check out what he had been up to.

Orin caught Thea's gesture. He made a comment about staying outside as watch until the others got back. Once everyone else was inside, he went over to the hatch in the deck and quietly opened it, descending below deck. He scanned the surroundings, checking to see if anything was out of place from when he was last down there.

Nothing had changed since Orin had been down in the cargo hold last. It appeared that the bookkeeper had simply used it as a hiding place, since nothing was disturbed.

"I am" Ephraim replied, as he turned to look at the figure. After about two seconds he leaned in to Aurelia. "We split?" He asked, "Meet up in two hours?"

"There's a good tavern on Broad Street that will be open all night. First one there gets tables, second buys," Aurelia said, flicking back a strand of hair.

"Works for me" Ephraim said over his shoulder as he wandered away from Aurelia and the shadowy figure. "See you then."

Orin frowned, giving the hold a final once over. Satisfied, he returned to deck to keep watch like he'd said. Given the situation, it seemed like a good move.

Thea escorted the man inside, then quickly updated Kestrel in case she hadn't heard everything.

The figure made a move as if to follow Ephraim, but didn't. Aurelia slipped by with a smile that glowed slightly in the moonlight and disappeared into the tangle of docks.

*

Kestrel frowned, taking the bookkeeper by the shoulder and sitting him in one of the chairs at the table. He turned desperately to look at Thea.

"You said you were going to tell me what this was all about."

After a short distance, Ephraim rounded a corner and, once out of sight of the figure, rapidly drew a quick series of runic symbols to scan for any eyes or ears, magical or mundane, that might be paying him any attention.

Ephraim's spell told him that he was being watched by a mundane pair of eyes from back in the direction of the enemy ship.

Thea raised an eyebrow and smirked. "I informed you that you would have to inquire of the captain for information."

"Wonderful," said the bookkeeper, "More half-truths. I definitely trust all of you now."

Kestrel rubbed her face in her hand. Where to start? She decided to begin with her arrival in the port, the bounty she had selected, and the information broker. The bookkeeper listened, eyes wary. When she had finished, he crossed his arms.

"Well, for all your good intentions, you still have no idea what this 'Akiralta' wants with me. Or you know and you're not telling. I think I'd be better taking my chance out there," he gestured expansively in the general direction of the city.

"Out there," Thea stated calmly, "there are several suspicious figures blowing up ships and assassins making attempts on your life. I doubt you would be any safer."

Ephraim nodded silently and kept walking. Once he had rounded the next corner he took off as quickly as he could, heading towards the centre of town.

Orin absent-mindedly began to hum an old dwarvish tune quietly to himself. He glanced idly in the direction of the column of reddened smoke where the ship burned, and from there let his gaze wander across the docks, fiddling with his bow as he did so.

Ephraim rounded a few more bends at full speed, not letting up until he spotted a deep doorway and quickly twisted in. After a few seconds off silently hiding, he cast the same spell as before.

The bookkeeper shrugged.

"I'm taking a chance either way. Tell me why I should take it with you?"

Kestrel snapped back at him, "Because we don't actually want you to die. Because you've been pretty bad at hiding so far. But mostly because I'm the one here with the big sword and I'm telling you how it's going to be. I'm sorry your options suck, but what did you expect by defying the Marids?"

***

Ephraim sensed no eyes on him.

To make sure, Ephraim stood and waited for fifteen minutes.

Thea shook her head and said sadly, "And I thought this man had some intelligence..."

The bookkeeper gave Thea a weary glare.

"The Marids have been after me for weeks. Intelligence can only take you so far." He stood up abruptly. "I'm going to bed. At least I'll be well-rested if you're walking me to my doom tomorrow."

**

Ephraim heard the city life, diminished at this hour but never gone, pass by. Two men drove a heavily loaded cart down a nearby street towards the docks. A drunk stumbled into the mouth of the street Ephraim was on, looked briefly confused, shook himself and moved on. Someone on the street was snoring, the sound echoing slightly in the narrow corridor. Nothing else happened.