Shingles to WestPier

It only takes Malvick and Ariva a few minutes to get their bearings back in familiar settings. Minutes later around some back alley and up a fire escape leads them up to the roof tops of Korvosa littered with tall tents and haphazard huts hiding the horizon.

The Shingles span multiple stories forming the slums above Korvosa. As the small group passes over a bridge from one roof to another two very young men leap the gap two stories above them fearless of the heights. Sasha's attention perked right up, "What the hell are they doing? Running from guards?"

Malvick replied, "Nope. They're Shingle Running. It's kind of like a sport up here."

Finally after rounding two more corners Malvick stopped in front of one of the scummiest doors of the lot. A sign was stapled across it in big red letters, Turn back! Chokers are about! He chuckled to himself and then knocked on the door. After a few moments two knocks came from the inside and Malvick immediately whistled. Ariva's ears jumped up.The door opened a crack and a gruff voice came from a gruffer shadow. "Speak up, why do I care?"

"It's Mal for Mas" Malvick said quietly. The door suddenly shut.

"What the hell was that?" exclaimed Sasha.

Malvick looked back not appearing too concerned, "Give it a minute."

A small mail slot opened beside the door and a parchment appeared. Malvick grabbed it and Sasha caught a glimpse. "Two blue circles and a green square. You've got to be joking." Malvick started off back the way they came. "Where are you off to now? Aren't you meeting your friend?"

"Just a few more minutes. We're close." Malvick got back to the street and after a few twists and turns came to the back entrance of a church. The back door was ajar and the group let themselves in. They followed Malvick up to the bell tower. From here you could really see all of Korvosa.

"Great, nothing!" Sasha still wasn't impressed.

A voice came from a second entrance to the tower. "Nothing. I would hardly consider this view nothing. You can spy on anything from up here. Malvick, you really need to teach that horse dog of yours to move more gracefully. She's as bad as a dwarf."

The group all spun at once. Malvick walked over immediately. "Masfaul! You're still a skinny elf bastard after all these years." The bear hug almost looked like a man trying to snap a twig. "You look well."

"What are you doing back here? I zigged and you zagged that night and I never saw you back. I heard you were doing fine in other places but the last place I expected you was here."

"The details can come out tonight over a drink, but I need to tie up some loose ends and you always know the people."

Malvick detailed his group's trip to Korvosa and Masfaul didn't look impressed. "The older, well dressed man is Yargin Balkro, the face man for long time con artist and black marketeer Gaedren Lam. You remember him I'm sure. The half orc is a two bit thug named Giggles who took up with Lam's crew of degenerates a while back. Word is Gaedren Lam has turned legit in his old age. He now runs a rundown old fishery on Westpier 17. I can only imagine what the despicable Gaedren is thinking. He still preys on Korvosa's street orphans and poorest children. The abductions and false hope to get them joining his gangs of pick pockets never stopped after you left. You know, Lam's Little Lambs. The old fishery is just his latest front for the operation. What Lam's involvement is with the rats and the Brothers of Seven, I don't know that one, but Lam is a practiced fence and often moves contraband goods through the city's tight customs for a hefty price. I'll try to dig up more... but I'm hoping this stuff is worth something."

"I'll see what I can do, Masfaul. I always did."

***

Later that day, as the sun sank towards the horizon, the group found themselves standing in a shadowed allyway looking across the road at the old fishery on Westpier 17.  Some investigation had revealed that Masfaul's idea of "going legit" was a little sketchy.  The fishery's actual owner had been killed by a devilfish last year, and the building had been held in escrow by the city ever since.  Lam and his crew were squatters.  The companions watched desperate fishermen come and go from the dilapidated building.  They exchanged spoiled or unfit catches for a  few coppers, or a couple of buckets of slurry.  On several occasions a man matching Yeargin's description had been seen in the doorway, arguing with a fsisherman or cuffing a child. Quite a few of these "water rats" as Sasha referred to them came and went as well, and seemed to make up the fishery's workforce.
 
The building itself was a one story affair.  A dock ran around one side and out to a broken down old barge moored behind it.
 
At almost exactly sundown, a well appointed carriage pulled by two horses - quite out of place in this neighborhood - pulled up to the fishery.  The carriage driver tethered the horses while an armed bellman open the carriage door and offered his hand to a striking red haired woman in an aristocratic dress.  The obviously armed bellman then escorted the noblewoman inside the fishery while the driver stayed outside with the carriage...
 
***