Lunk was having a steady night with his usual patrons. Men tossing dice or playing cards over their ale when Gunnolf entered the establishment. The kobold took a seat at the counter more swiftly than usual, the blue scaled fish-man leaned over to Gunnolf.

  “Are you alright there? You’re later than usual in getting here,” Lunk said with a tinge of concern.

  Gunnolf was silent and placed eight Zoa in front of the bar keep. Lunk gave a start but grabbed a glass to fill it with brandy. “Did Zarmhel come by at all?” Gunnolf finally asked after receiving his glass.

  “Not at all,” replied Lunk. “A fellow asked about his location earlier today.” Another patron raised their hand to get Lunk’s attention. “Excuse me a moment.” He went to tend to the customer.

  Gunnolf gulped down his first glass of brandy and awaited for Lunk to return, a feminine voice came from behind him. “Aren’t you the Wandering Dark Wind?” Gunnolf stared straight ahead not answering. “I’m speaking to you sir,” the woman behind him persisted, patience growing thin as he ignored her again. “If you are the Wandering Dark Wind, I need your help.”

  Lunk returned from attending to his other customer. “Already done with the first drink, eh?” He grabbed the glass and refilled it as he noticed the young lady. She had midnight black hair to her shoulders and ashen complexion with pointed ears that stuck out and her eyes were a honey amber and she was wearing a gray-blue blouse with a thin tan coat over it. A belt was at her hip and seven small throwing knives hung from it and lower she wore beige trousers with wide pockets.

  “Ah, you have a visitor,” Lunk informed Gunnolf.

  He nodded as he received his brandy, “I’m hoping she leaves,” he muttered just loud enough for the gilken to hear.

  Fists on hips, fury struck the woman’s face, “I will have you know, these ears are not just for show!” she barked.

  Gunnolf made eye contact with Lunk, at least from what the fish man could tell, “She’s an elf isn’t she?”

  “Aye,” Lunk replied after a moment and another patron waved him down, “I’ll be back.”

  The elf woman took a seat next to the kobold. “Listen, I need help locating my partner.”

  “Not interested, I have my own problems to worry about,” Gunnolf said before finishing his next glass.

  “Worried for Zarmhel?”

  Gunnolf backed away from her immediately. “How—”

  Her eyes flickered, “Meet me at the inn when you are done here, my name is Lylen. Ask for me.” She then left the Capsized Fish leaving Gunnolf standing there in silence.

  “That lady has some sort of serious business with you, does she?” Lunk asked from behind the kobold, while cleaning the glass that held brandy moments ago. “She is young but very capable. I can tell she’s one who has a list of deeds that law makers would shudder if they were brought into their view.”

  Gunnolf was silent as if considering everything that has happened so far. This woman knows Zarmhel. An ally? Or foe?

  “Be careful out there,” were the last words of Lunk before Gunnolf vanished into the night.

  Outside, a chilly wind rippled over the water of the lake. The wolf-man paid no attention to the serenity of night as he calmly walked the creaky planks that connected every building of the floating city. Only a handful of people were out at this hour, humans, gilken, and the occasional aviar were the most common and of those nearly half were Guards of Saha’dryr, ensuring criminal activity would be on the down low assuming bribes weren’t happening out of plain sight.

  The Tipping Canoe was the name of the only inn on this western side of Saha’dryr, it had to be the place Lylen intended. The Nightwaterer was on the eastern side of Saha’dryr; the one Gunnolf spent every night for the last four months or so at since he met the well paying client, Zarmhel. Approaching the quaint inn, it was floating on its own raft and as long as three and half houses and as wide as two. The front door was simple wood that allowed candlelight to shine at its bottom and another lantern dangled to the right of the door. Many windows were already darkened save for two on the second level. Entering the establishment, Gunnolf strode to the counter where the proprietress awaited. The entry room had a simple wooden bench with ordinary tan cushions and wall sconces kept it dimly lit. The proprietress was a bulbous yet short woman, a human and in her middle years if the kobold had to guess with gray kissing her otherwise chestnut colored hair at the roots.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  “Welcome to the Tipping Canoe, a single room this evening?” the plump woman asked.

  “Was instructed to ask for Lylen,” Gunnolf replied curtly.

  The woman’s eyes lit up, “I was wondering if that girl was making a fool out of me but I see she was telling the truth!”

  Gunnolf’s mind was muddled but his expression remained emotionless.

  “Twenty-four Zoa if you please!” the innkeeper happily held her hand out. “That covers both of you for tonight and be out after sunrise.”

  Agitation wanted to bubble within Gunnolf but he remained as cold as stone. This had better be worth my time. He shoved the light green coins into the woman’s hand and she gestured with her empty hand for him to take the stairs beyond the counter.

  “Far end on the left.”

  At the top of the stairs, the corridor was narrow; large enough for one typical sized person to fit, maybe two small children. A large, sliding windows was at the end where the corridor split off to a door on the left and one on the right. Heeding to the innkeeper instructions, Gunnolf gave a single rap at the door, and then folded his hands within the sleeves of his kamishimo.

  The door created open enough for a honey colored eye to peer at him before it opened further to allow him entry. The room was quaint with two beds and a short, wooden chest between them and a small rectangle window just past the second bed with two candles illuminating the small room.

  “So you came after all,” Lylen said as she closed and locked the door behind him. She turned to find the tall kobold standing still. His face gazing at her but his eyes hidden leaving his face a riddle.

  After a moment he finally said, “Speak. You have forced me to pay your fare here.”

  The black haired elf took a seat on one of the beds. “Me and my partner, we work for Zarmhel too.”

  Gunnolf remained still as he stood. Listening.

  “Two days ago, we were in a ruin after investigating Walthruhn the whereabouts of a person of interest Zarmhel wanted to keep eyes on. A trap got sprung and sealed my partner, Atzler in the ruin while I was able to escape. We lost track of the target but one of Zarmhel’s contacts in Walthruhn mentioned you, so I came looking for you. Zarmhel is missing now too. The body in his hut, was that your doing?”

  Gunnolf gave a slow shake of his head.

  “If any of the guards discover that body it could lead them to searching for both of us since Zarmhel is tied to the Governor of Saha’dryr.”

  Gunnolf shook his head again, “I doubt the Governor knows about Zarmhel’s connections, about us directly.”

  Lylen looked at him with contempt, “Do you have a plan on what to do next?”

  Gunnolf replied, “Zarmhel left a note mentioning Walthruhn.”

  “That was for myself and Atzler, I’m sure,” Lylen broke in. “Anyway, about my request to save Atzler…” she awaited an answer.

  Gunnolf leaned against the wall and his eyes were fixed to the wooden plank flooring, “It seems I must head to Walthruhn anyway. Is this ruin you speak of somewhat near that town?”

  A grin broke Lylen’s lips, “Yes, it is behind the waterfall below Lilthiken.”

  “West and south of Walthruhn,” Gunnolf said steadily as if still considering setting his sheathed blade against the wall next to the bed. “We set out in the morning then.”

  “Thank you, Wandering Dark Wind,” the elf woman stood and gave a curtsy to him.

  “Gunnolf will do. My enemies know me as the Wandering Dark Wind. I have no intent on spilling your blood at this time so there’s no need for that title,” he then lied down on the bed nearest to the window and rolled his back towards her.

  She sat back down and stared a moment, “Perhaps you can get your own─”

  He cut her off without moving a muscle, “You cost me money for this room. I shall sleep here this night.”

  Lylen shivered, “I have to share a room like this? I don’t even know him, and I haven’t gotten changed for sleep yet,” she muttered to herself. No answer came from the kobold, his breathing slowed, indicating sleep was beginning to overtake him. She carefully fumbled her way into her sleep ware and snuffed the candles out after several minutes trying to ensure Gunnolf wouldn’t wake.

  Within the domain of sleep, dreams twisted and the urge to spill blood was there within Gunnolf’s mind. The gnashing of bare fangs, steel meeting steel, cutting of flesh and screams of people that would soon choke on their own blood filled his mind’s eye. Banners of the Lowlands and the banner of Illisea Kingdom collided as bodies across both sides fell in mass heaps. Surely this was a nightmare, not a dream and not even the first time the black furred man dreamt it. His mouth was a smile in that visage as his body rested until dawn would once more crack that sky.