basin's inner shell had long ago turned an oily black color. The smells of cooking fish, meat, and the occasional spice were everywhere, but did nothing to mitigate the nauseating odor of the bodies gathered around the fire for warmth or sustenance.
There were no benches near the outside of the basin. People sat on the crude walkways built around the pit, cradling children in their laps or leading the elderly by the arm.
A pack of young girls, the youngest no more than five years old, was selling cooking spits for a copper a foot. Tarvin bought two from one of the older girls and shooed the rest away.
He leaned close to the child's ear when he paid her and asked in a confidential whisper if she'd seen a particular young woman walking by the Hearth.
'Black hair, white skin like a ghost's,' he said, and he saw the girl's eyes widen. 'Not a real ghost,' he said quickly. 'There's a man with her-tall, with red hair all over his head. Have you seen anyone like that passing this way?'
The girl shook her head. Tarvin gave her the copper coins and sent her off. He scanned the crowd a second time, his eyes coming to rest on a woman sitting alone near the edge of the fire. She was wrapped in a thin, dirty cloak, trying to blend in with the crowd.
In need of some amusement, Tarvin crouched next to the woman. He smiled when she averted her face. She had straight, drab brown hair and a tiny hooked scar on the bridge of her nose.
'Can I buy you dinner, pretty lass?' He held up his newly acquired spits, twirling them like batons.
The woman looked at him, but she didn't smile. 'What are you doing here?' she demanded. 'This is my territory.'
'Lovely Deelia, I'd never infringe on your authority. I was just doing some independent scouting,' Tarvin said. He made a vague gesture to the outer rim wreckages.
'You'd better hope she's not out there,' Deelia said. 'That's gang territory.'
'Yes, it would be a shame. if they dragged her off, had their fun, and didn't leave any pieces for us to find,' Tarvin drawled.
Deelia shot him a look, but she didn't comment. Tarvin knew she didn't want to be out here anymore than he did. But the Warden had spoken, and the Watch had answered the Wolfhound's call. Icelin Team would be found and hauled in from Mistshore on the end of a leash if need be.
'Foolish to come down here,' Deelia said. 'This place'll eat her alive. What was she thinking?'
'She's afraid of the wolves,' Tarvin said. 'Us,' he clarified when Deelia only stared at him.
The Watchwoman shook her head and turned her attention back to scanning the crowd for Icelin. Tarvin wanted to tell her not to waste her time.
The crowd huddled closest to the bright flames was mostly made up of women and children. Tarvin had thought this would be the first place she'd run to, with the late season darkness running cold and the wind colder still on the harbor. If the gangs hadn't already caught up to her, she'd need light, warmth, and especially food, if she hadn't had time to gather any. But so far, his search had come up empty.
'Did you know Therondol?' Tarvin asked abruptly.
'No,' Deelia said. If she was surprised by the change in topic, she didn't show it. 'I came to the Watch after his time.'
'That's right. I'd forgotten how many years he's been gone. You'd have liked him, though. Steady, but he had eyes that could cut, you know? You could never lie to the man. I don't know why that made me like him, but it did. He was smarter than all the men in his patrol, but he never looked down on anyone.'
'He sounds just like the Warden,' Deelia said.
'Better than,' Tarvin said. 'But all that's gone, so no use dwelling on it, eh?'
Deelia shrugged. 'Why are you out here, Tarvin? The Warden didn't send you. You should be on patrol in South Ward.'
'What does it matter? We're all looking for the same woman, as if there wasn't a whole city of more worthy folk to mind.'
'You'll be reprimanded,' Deelia said.
'Be worth it, if I get to bring her in.'
'Good luck to you, then,' Deelia said. 'Now either leave me, or stop talking.'
Tarvin didn't get a chance to reply. A pair of women sat down directly in front of them, too close to their personal space to allow any private conversation.
Tarvin exchanged a glance with Deelia. After a breath, one of the women half turned to face them. Her left eye was swollen shut. Blood crusted the seam.
'Are you Serbith?' she whispered, addressing Deelia.
'Yes,' Tarvin said, ignoring Deelia's sharp poke to his ribs. He loved to irritate her.
'Who are you, then?' The other woman turned. She had an open sore on her lip.
'I'm her bodyguard,' Tarvin said without hesitation.
'Wasn't part of the deal, her bringin' another pair of eyes,' the woman said. As she spoke, Tarvin found himself unable to look at anything except the ugly sore. 'Never mind then, no hard feelings. I brought the goods. Let's see your coin.'
'My bodyguard has it,' Deelia said sweedy.
Tarvin smiled. 'Of course. But I want to inspect the goods before I pay a copper.'
'You hear that, Mabs? He wants to count fingers and toes,' the woman with the swollen eye said.
'Oh, he's got 'em all, no mistake there.' Mabs laughed and unwound a thin wrap from her shoulders.
Deelia hissed out a breath and a curse, but Tarvin kept his composure.
The baby was naked and new, probably only a handful of tendays old. His lips, fingers, and toes were blue from the cold. He should have been wailing his discomfort for all Faerun to hear, but he was too underfed- He didn't have the strength to cry.
'How long has he been off his mother's milk?' Deelia said. Her mouth was set in a grim line.
'Never been on it,' Mabs said. 'It was the mother's fourth, so her teat's all dried up. But he's the best of the lot. Lord Theycairn's gettin' his coin's worth, don't you worry.'
Tarvin stiffened. Lord Theycairn was a nobleman recently widowed. His wife had died in childbirth, but the family insisted the babe, a boy, had survived. No one had yet seen the child in public.
Deelia said abruptly, 'I am satisfied.' She removed her cloak and handed it to Mabs. 'Wrap the child in this, please.' She waited until it was done, then went on, 'If Lord Theycairn should happen to have interest in… other children-'
'Lookin' to stock his larder with heirs, is he?' Mabs chorded. 'We can do that. The other girls and us, we got just as many go in the harbor as not, on account of how we can't feed and clothe 'em all. But we could save back the best of 'em for you to inspect.'
'That would be acceptable,' Deelia said. 'Could you remain here? Someone will be coming with your coin.'
'Thought you said your bodyguard had it?' Mabs looked at them suspiciously.
'Lord Theycairn sent us to ensure you kept your end of the bargain,' Deelia said quickly. 'Serbith has your coin and will come to collect the babe. She knows nothing of us.'
Mabs scowled, but she finally nodded. Her suspicion wouldn't keep her from taking the promised coin.
Deelia took Tarvin's arm and hauled him to his feet. When they were out of earshot, Tarvin said, 'What was that about? I'll wager this Serbith is Lord Theycairn's washerwoman, or some such. If we'd waited, we could have caught her buying babies in Mistshore.'
Deelia looked pale and angry. 'And risk that baby being one of the discarded if the deal went badly? Better that one becomes Theycairn's heir. I'll report to the Warden when we see him next. We have to see about getting some food down to the prostitutes, at least those on the shore. You're right, there are more important things going on in Mistshore tonight than Icelin Team.' She shivered. 'I hate this place. Babies in the harbor-godsdamn bloody mutilated part of the city. That's all it is. A leech.'
'Nice to see you again, Morleth,' Bellaril said.
Ruen inclined his head. 'It's been a long time, Bells.'
The dwarf's expression darkened. 'You know better than to use nicknames with me, Morleth. That's going to cost you.'
