“I didn’t hurt you.” Mac Anu
said.
“Didn’t hurt me! You nearly kicked me lungs out
me throat!” Argued the flustered thief.
“No.” Mac Anu said, his gray eyes narrowing on
the smaller man. “I … didn’t hurt you. She’s
did that. But I will hurt you if you don’t settle down
and tell me where the temple is.”
“Okay, it’s not a secret or anything.” The
pickpocket said quickly, deciding that this was not worth the
effort, and only argued this long on principle. After quickly
scratching directions on the alley floor with the edge of a
rusty dagger, he handed Mac Anu a copper coin.
“What’s this for?” Mac Anu asked.
“To buy yourself a map, so you don’t bother anyone
else on your way over there. It’s hard enough to make
a living in this town without barbarians coming in and bashing
folks in alleys.” He said and then bolted down the alley.
“Got what we wanted.” Naill said, watching him
go.
“Don’t know why he’s so upset.” Mac
Anu said, “It’s not like we did anything against
tradition. He even offered up the traditional bribe to let him
go.”
“Maybe they don’t do that here.” Naill said,
making a copy of the map the pickpocket drew on a wax board
tablet.
“Maybe not, but I would rather error on the side of caution.”
Mac Anu said, and after Naill finished duplicating the map,
he wiped it out with his boot, and then headed down the alley,
back to the street.
It took them an hour to find the temple. A simple building,
single story, with what looked like two rooms. A large area
where the doors were, and then from the window positions, a
smaller room, possibly an office of some type.
Sitting across the road they watched the traffic and the doors.
Five people had gone in and come out in the last twenty minutes.
None of them looked like worshipers of the Lady of Shadows,
but that was the point, wasn’t it.
“Not much to look at.” Naill said, sounding disappointed.
“What did you expect?” Mac Anu asked, sipping on
a glass of ale, and looking down the street to the west.
