They tell Brenan about meeting Sasha

"There's not too much to tell" Started James "We're friends of hers, more or less. Atleast we'd like to be."

?She?s in trouble boys, and I?m trying to help her.? replied Brenan ?So tell me what you do know about her, and maybe we can work something out.?

?We met Sasha last night at the Hammer and Anvil.? James spoke while Julien toyed with his mug and listened. ?There were a couple creeps following her, not the same ones you saw her with earlier, but very similar.? James paused and took a sip of his ale before continuing. ?Galahad here wasn?t going to stand by and let some dock scum find her so he created a distraction. As soon as the owner got a look at the Veer army lackies arguing with one of his gentlemen patrons, he had the two louts thrown out.? Brenan checked James' story for any hint of deception and found none.

"It was the least I could do.? Muttered Julien, ?I only wish they had drawn a weapon on me, I would have quite happily run them both through.? Brenan had little doubt about either Julien?s desire to make an example of the two lowlifes or his ability to make good his threat. The young man had the look of a competent swordsman and if he ever had to meet with him in an alley Brenan decided he was definitely worth spending a couple of his limited pistol rounds to drop. James picked up the tale smoothly after Julien?s interruption.

?Sasha joined us for a drink; she even stayed and chatted with us briefly. But when she found that we had no ship to sail on either she was up and gone. Julien walked her home just in case the two louts showed up again, but that?s as far as he got with her.?

?Where is she staying?? Brenan turned quickly to Julien but Julien only shook his head sadly. ?She was at the Three Dolphins, but she checked out last night and didn?t leave any information about where she was headed.? He lifted the mug again only to set it down again a little too hard against the table. ?I should have insisted on staying with her last night.? Looking up at James? and Brenan?s amused looks he added quickly as his face flushed betraying his youth.

?Not like that you pigs.? Although Brenan suspected that Julien as well as most men would have been all too happy to share this mysterious Sasha?s bed with her. ?I meant stay to make sure she didn?t do anything stupid.? His eyes moved to Brenan?s as he added ?She was pretty rattled after last night and I?m not sure she was thinking clearly at all. Something or someone has her running scared.?

?So my brother and I have spent a good part of the morning wandering around Freeport mostly on the docks hopping to find her again just when we spot her you showed up and pulled your stunt. That?s as much as we know.? After a slight pause he looked at Brenan and prompted him.

?It?s your turn.?

Brenan thought quickly about how to explain why he decided to help Sasha when he didn't even know her. Was it necessary to go into the details of how he enjoyed foiling the plans of Veer agents or why. These two young men struck him as upright and honest, but years of keeping his past to himself had kept him alive. He had to tell the brothers something though, and these lads were pretty sharp Brenan doubted they would be fooled by a simple tale.