From the landing down on the water, someone was yelling, demanding to know who had left a half-awash coracle beside his cages.
Reaching the alley mouth, the man walked in a few paces, then paused in the shadow between the high-walled warehouses. He drew off his floppy hat and wiped the grime from his brow. His black hair, while thinning from the front, hung in a long ponytail that had been tucked up beneath the hat but now fell to the small of his back. His forehead and face were seamed in scars, and most of his left ear was missing, slashed away some time past. Scratching a moment at his beard, he settled the hat back on, and headed off down the alley.
He was set upon less than ten paces later, as two figures closed on him from alcoves, one to either side. The one on his left jammed the point of a dagger against his ribs, while the other waved a short sword in front of his eyes, using it to direct the man against a grimy wall.
Mute, the man complied. In the gloom he squinted at the one with the sword, then scowled. ‘Leff.’
A stained grin. ‘Hey, old partner, fancy you showing up.’
The one with the knife snorted. ‘Thought we’d never spy you out wi’ that stupid hat, did you?’
‘Scorch! Why, I can’t tell you how glad I am to see you both. Gods below, I would’ve thought you two would have met grisly ends long ago. But this is a great discovery, friends! Had I any coin-any at all-why, I’d buy you both a drink-’
‘Enough of that,’ Leff said in a growl, still waving the sword in from of the man’s frits, ‘You’re’ on our list, Torvald Nom, Aye, way down on it since most people figured you were long gone and almost as long dead. But you ran out on a debt-a big one and bigger now, aye-not to mention running out on me and Scorch-’
‘Hardly, I seem to recall we formally absolved our partnership, after that night whim-’
Scorch hissed, ‘Quiet, damn you! Nobody knows nothing about none of that!’
‘My point was,’ Torvald hastily explained, ‘I never ran out on you two.’
‘Don’t matter,’ Leff said, ‘since that ain’t why you’re on the list now, is it?’
‘You two must be desperate, to take on one of those-’
‘Maybe we are,’ said Scorch, ‘and maybe we ain’t. Now, you saying you’re bloke is bad news, Torvald. For you more’n us, since we now got to deliver you. And my, won’t Lender Gareb be pleased.’