Albrecht had sworn never to come back to this infernal city. It had been years since he left and from the looks of things, nothing had really changed. Why would it? Those with money still had their grand homes nearest the hill, looking down on all their human cattle. A testament to the virtues of avarice. Was he, a mercenary, any different? After all, he had just returned aboard a privateer ship loaded with the bodies of dead pirates, collected as proof of a job well done. Ten crescents a head, and Albrecht had brought in almost as many as the leader of the pack. He would be having a substantial payday from the families…his employers…those who probably wanted to see him dead, given his history.

No. Albrecht was different from the selfish and the self indulgent. He had taken the job of pirate hunter, not out of a love of money but as an act of genuine service. People depended on trade, on the sea for lives and livelyhood. The swordsman wondered if he would have taken the job knowing it was being organised by the Duchy. Still, the past was past and there was nothing to do about it. All he could do was look for his way out…a task made harder by his success the weeks before.

Tucking his bag under his arm, the fencer made his way toward the slums, using his spear as a sort of walking stick. There were a number of poorer flop houses in that area. He could hide there, where the families paid less attention as he waited for tomorrow, when the next ships to the mainland would start taking on passengers. At least, that was the plan. Keep his head down and hope his comrades did not bring too much attention to him.

Kaye had spent far too long in the strange world of rumors, and was glad to at last be near the end of her quest. Could this really be it? the place where her true parents were? for one of the first times in her life, she felt genuine hope. she was so happy she didn't even notice the squalor of the little huts or the huge palaces that loomed over them. she thought back to her seven longest, hopeless years at the village. How many times had she dreamed of finding her real parents, who would never, could never throw her away? the wolf she had spent a few years befriending had bought her some modicum of happiness, but she had still longed for human connection.

Then the scholar had come and taken her away. She had been terrified during the long horse ride, despite the mans kindness, partly because his elven face reminded her so much of the hated faeries who had caused her so much pain. Then she had met Lewyr, someone who finally understood her, and for the first time since she had been abandoned, she was truly happy. she didn't even mind his constant questions about the faery world because he fed her food so much better than what she had had in the village, and taught her to make others able to understand her as well. he had even let her go back to the village to pick up her wolf.

Snapping out of her reminiscence, Kaye finally saw the state of the city. this was clearly a place where the nobles did not much care for the lower classes. she wondered which her parents were. somehow she hoped for both and neither. After all, if they were nobles then they allowed the city to be like this but lived well and if they were peasants they would have been horribly mistreated but good people. As she thought on this, she stumbled into another man, who she now noticed had been walking slowly, with his head down, as if to avoid detection. "sorry" she said, as she helped him up. "Are you okay?"

At the moment, it was hard to place the true cause of his tumble. Perhaps a cobble in the road was uneven and had caught his toe. Perhaps his bag of gear, once hidden under his cloak and now laying in the street, had thrown off his balance. Perhaps still, it was the woman who had inadvertently bumped into him. It could have been all of these, or none of them and frankly, it mattered little. What mattered now was salvaging his pride and getting to his feet in a hurry.

Thankfully a hand was offered to help speed his rise. Flipping his gray cloak aside, he let the woman from earlier help him up. "Nothing hurts but my ego, ma'am," he said as he bent over to retrieve his bag, careful to avoid hitting anyone with his polearm. With his cloak flipped aside, the facetted pommel of his sword was visible, marking him as a fighter, and at a glance he could tell she was as well. After flipping his bag over his shoulder, where it gave a slight metallic sound, he said, "Besides, it was more my fault anyway."

As he was about to walk on, he paused. "Are you new in town?" She seemed the sort. "If you're looking for something in particular, I could be able to help."

as kaye helped the man up, she noticed that he had a sword under his cloak. a warrior then? he flipped his bag over his shoulder, where it made a curious metallic sound. just as he was leaving, he seemed to pause. He asked if she was new and if he could help her with anything. was it that obvious? 

Kaye wondered if she should tell the man. after all, this did not seem like the type of city where people could be trusted. she hesitated, then spoke.
"actually I am looking for an old couple." she said. "a man by the name of Lirric and a woman by the name of Elena. " Those names had taken her months of work to procure, and it felt almost painful to be saying them so openly. "Do you know where I can find them?" She worked to keep her eyes and voice level, and barely succeeded. 

She looked down at Lunin, her wolf as she waited for an answer. his coat was a shaggy gray, with hints of rust and copper, and a small splash of white on his nose, like spilled milk. she thought back to the day she had first met him. a year into her stay at the village. she'd been unafraid, as she had never seen a wolf before. she had left him food for days, then slowly had him eat from her hand. over the course of another year they had grown to trust each other. over the next five years it seemed only he could understand her. they had formed an unbreakable bond. suddenly she heard the beginnings of an answer and stood up straight, startled but listening.

Albrecht took a moment to think on the names. Reaching up with his free hand, he scratched his chin; this was largely unnecessary for him but it did shield his face from a passing guard. "I'm afraid these names are not familiar to me," he admitted. "I do know some who might be able to help and I could put you in touch with them. Perhaps if you could tell me more about them…their professions, perhaps?"

A nervous instinct drove the mercenary to glance over his shoulder. The guard stood at a street coner and seemed to just be lingering. Not wanting to risk the danger of being recognized, he suggested, "Even with such information, it might take some time to track them down; this is a big city, after all. I know a place with remarkably affordable rates." Not to mention the owner was an old friend…though he doubted there would be much happiness in the reunion.