A possible lead

Brenan and the two brothers finished the dregs of their drinks in silence. Having agreed to help Sasha none of the three had a clear idea how to proceed. Setting his empty mug onto the heavy wood table of the Hammer and Anvil Brenan thought over everything else he had to in addition to this latest quest.

Later this evening he had agreed to meet with Walter Ambrose about a possible cargo; he still needed a few more seamen to round out his crew; a cook to keep him and his deckhands fed; more supplies as well before he could consider any long haul. If he stuck to the island chain he could get by easily enough with what he had on board already.

"Another round?" Reuben asked, surprising him out of his contemplation. "I'll just rest my legs here a bit if you gentlemen don't mind." With that the dark skinned bartender took a seat on the bench next to Brenan. "That’s better" he sighed as he looked around the nearly empty inn.

"It'll get busy enough soon I guess. Not rowdy though, and thank Xeltan I don't have to worry too much about whores in a respectable place like this." Reuben mopped his bald head with a white towel before tucking the cloth back into his apron. "Now a place like the 'Drunken Sailor' there could be all sorts of women in a dive like that. Not that gentlemen of your standing would be looking for women of course." As he stood he added softly "No promises boys, but she did ask about it by name last night." With that he collected the three empty mugs and returned to the bar where a couple of merchants were waiting impatiently.

"Why didn't he tell me that this morning!" Complained Julien "I must have walked by that place three or four times as I was looking this morning." Brennan placed a hand on the swordsman's arm to calm him.

"No-one likes a bartender who can't keep a secret. The fact that he told us anything at all means he thinks Sasha is better off with us than that Veer spider who was directing her men." With that Brenan left a sizable tip on the table and lead the two brothers outside into the afternoon sun. No sooner than the three men emerged from the Hammer and Anvil's doors than Brenan spotted a lad of about ten separate from his friends and sprint for the waterfront.

"Spider Bitch has had you watched." Brenan told the men and then quickly added as the brother's heads started swiveling around "Don't look, just believe me. They know you care about Sasha after last night, and certainly after your activities this morning there can be no doubt about the fact that you are somehow related." At this Julien pulled his arm from Brenan’s gasp and nearly snarled at the older captain.

"What was I supposed to do?!? Just let those barracuda take her away?" The voice was no louder than Brenan's but like his own Brenan recognized the anger behind the flat tone and cold stare.

"Easy Julien," Brenan was thankful he remembered the young man's name, if he had called him 'lad' or 'son' there might have been a fight right there on the cobblestones. "I've been playing this game of 'Fox and Hounds' with agents of Veer for about as long as you've held a sword in your hand." Brenan's eyes locked with Julien's for a full two seconds before the younger man dropped his gaze. With a nod, Brenan continued "The first thing they always do is buy up the local talent. Scum like you saw last night and as many of the local boys as possible to act as runners and scouts, I just knew enough to look for them."

"James glanced behind them as they walked." Brenan knew exactly what he would see.

"Yup." He confirmed James' unspoken questions "The two dock scum following us, the blond one with the limp and the smaller dark skinned man by his side." Julien gave his brother a quick look and, in the slightest of movement that Brenan would have missed had he not been watching for it, James confirmed what Brenan had been saying.

"I saw those two and the boy hanging out together as I went in, figured that they had been set to watch for someone. Didn't reckon it was you two until I heard your story." Brenan and the brothers walked in silence a little longer; he wanted the two to understand that it was not a simple matter to take on the Veer agents that operated in these islands. After a block or two Brenan looked them over and then continued.

"If we go straight to the 'Drunken Sailor' we could be leading them right to Sasha."

"OK" nodded James "Then how do you think we should handle this?"