'You're early.' The words came from behind her.
'Am I?' she asked, recognizing the Claw's voice. 'Or are you late?'
'Let's just say we're both right on time and leave it at that.'
Princess Mariko turned around to look into the mask of the man she had fallen in love with. 'Not in the mood to argue with me tonight?'
'Not in the mood to lose an argument tonight.'
'You're a smart man.'
'I have my moments. Where are you tonight?'
The princess grew serious. 'I'm hearing about a lot of activity down near the docks again. I'm going to go check it out. See if I can get more than I did last time. And you?'
'I'm going south, to Ahlarkhem. I have business with Captain Beetlestone, of Lord Purdun's army.'
'Be on the lookout for vampires. My Watchers tell me there is some recent activity near the ruins of Dajaan.'
'I have heard that too, but it's not the undead that worry me. It's the threats on the king's life.'
'That's the reason I'm going to the underbelly of Llorbauth-to see if I can uncover anything about the assassination threat.'
The Claw opened his mouth to say something, but then shut it again and looked away.
Mariko put her hand to his mask, and turned him to look at her. 'I will not let anything happen to him while you are out of the barony.'
'I know you won't.'
She leaned in and kissed the cheek of his mask. 'Now go to Ahlarkhem, and hurry back.'
The Claw nodded. 'I will see you here again tomorrow night. Be safe.'
'You too.'
With that, the Claw headed south. The princess watched him go, until he slipped out of sight. For someone whose name struck fear in the hearts of evil men, the Claw was far more sentimental than she would have given him credit for.
The princess left the courtyard and headed down the road to the seedy parts of Llorbauth. For the most part, the city was a lawful, well-kept affair. But down by the docks, it was another story. The storehouses, workshops, and trading guild buildings had been constructed long before Erlkazar became an independent nation. Their foundations were built right into the piers and boardwalks, and there had been little if any oversight on the proper construction techniques.
When this region had been known as the Duchy of Elestam, then a part of Tethyr, there was very little in the way of rulership or order. Any organized band of thugs could operate without fear of reprisal, and the people did as they pleased, without regard for the well-being of other citizens or the future of the region. As the population grew and Elestam seceded to become the Monarchy of Erlkazar, the docks of Llorbauth became more and more important to the trade and economic health of the region.
The problem was that the entire area had been built on top of dangerously unsafe structures. Any part of it could collapse or move without warning. The whole port really needed to be torn down and rebuilt, but doing so would temporarily shut down commerce through the Deepwash. And that would be too costly for the merchants and indeed the Barony of Shalanar as a whole.
The king had tried on several occasions to come up with a plan that would revitalize the area and prepare it for the future. But many of the trading guilds employed small armies of their own-sellswords who provided security for the goods and their wealthy owners. The king's efforts had very nearly started an open civil war, and so he had relented. Storming the docks with his entire army was not part of his vision for ruling Erlkazar.
As a result, the waterfront had become a sort of independent state. The trade guilds kept to themselves and protected their own. Anyone who had business there was free to come and go, but their safety was their own concern. It became a place where ordinary citizens never ventured-a place where only criminals and toughs felt at home.
Stepping from the flagstones of the road onto the wooden planks of the boardwalk, Princess Mariko entered the seedy underbelly of the city. She had spent many nights here, patrolling the area for information. She and her Watchers were the eyes and ears of her father, and by extension, of the newly created Magistrates. On any other night, she would be looking for shipments of Elixir or other illegal potions. But tonight was something else.
Slipping into a dark alley, Mariko climbed the tall side of a decrepit wooden building and crept onto its shingled roof. Most of the storehouses down here were owned by individual groups. There were a few larger guilds that had blocks of buildings together, but for the most part it was a patchwork of different businesses all shuffled together.
Reaching the top, she could hear the faint rumbling of conversation passing by in the opposite alley. Crossing the roof, she crouched down and listened.
It was two men, and they were speaking in a language that Mariko didn't immediately recognize. Closing her eyes, she placed her fingers on her temples. 'Reveal to me,' she said quietly, casting a quick spell.
The sounds rising from the alley below transformed from gibberish into words.
'Old Korox is going to get one real good this time, he is,' said the first man.
'Get what he deserves if you ask me,' replied the other.
Mariko lifted herself up and craned her neck. She could just see the men's heads as they traveled down the alleyway. Neither wore a helmet, but she could hear the jangle of chain mail as they walked. Turning the corner, the two men headed east, toward the water and out of earshot.
Getting quickly to her feet, Mariko looked over the edge. The ground was three stories down-a long drop, and one she couldn't make silently. The roof of the storehouse across the alley was probably twenty-five, maybe thirty feet away. It was a shorter building than the one she was on, which would make the jump a little easier.
Turning around, she crept back to the opposite side of the roof. Then, spinning with the grace of a stage dancer, she faced the storehouse across the alley. The edge of the building blocked her view of the landing spot. For that matter, it blocked the view of the docks and other buildings as well. All she could see was the open sky and the waters of Shalane Lake in the distance. Steeling herself, she bent her knees and took off at full speed.
Planting her foot squarely on the edge of the roof, she pushed off into open space.
The princess hung for a moment, suspended over the alley by nothing but the dark of the night. She stretched, spreading herself out to reach across the emptiness. It seemed a long time, but was no more than two heartbeats-and she came down on the edge of the storehouse. Her toes touched the bricks that formed the outer wall, and she crouched as she hit, rolling forward into a ball and tumbling once before coming to her feet already at a run.
The landing had been a little noisier than she had hoped. Sliding to a stop at the easternmost wall, the princess cautiously crept up to the edge. The two men were passing just below. They were still talking, apparently so engrossed in their topic that they hadn't heard her leap.
'That'll teach him to go messing with our livelihood and all,' continued the first. 'Say, when do you think it'll happen?'
'Don't know. But I'll bet the Matron does.'
Mariko's heart skipped a beat. The Matron? This was much bigger than she had first thought. If what they said was true, it could only mean one thing: the underworld planned to start an all-out war with the throne.
The men continued down the road, and Mariko followed. The storehouse was nearly side-by-side with the slaughterhouse, and the princess simply hopped over the intervening space to continue her pursuit. She was much closer now and could see them more clearly. Both men were cleanly shaven and quite well equipped. Each had a long sword on one hip and a dagger on the other. They wore chain mail tunics, which were covered partially by sleeveless white robes. She couldn't quite make out the symbol they carried on their chests, but from the short glimpse she did get, it appeared to be the profile of a woman with long golden hair.
'I wish I could see his face when he knows he's done for.'
'Yeah, wouldn't that be something?' The man slapped his companion on the arm. 'Hey, what would you say to him? You know, just before you did him in?'
'That's easy. I'd say-' Their words were drowned out by the sliding slaughterhouse door being pulled open as the two men walked inside.
Lifting the edge of a skylight, Mariko followed, slipping through the roof and lowering herself down onto one
