Queen of Ravens (Sneak Peek)

A little more on of The Raven Story

Sometime later, found him standing outside a tavern warm light spilling onto the foggy street through cloudy windows. Above the door hung a crude sign of a woman leaning on a keg tankard in hand. The drunken wench it read, just one of a dozen or more run-down taverns and alehouses along the wharf district with equally predictable names and equally awful ale. It was filled for what it was worth with local fishermen playing dice. Pipe smoke drifted heavy in the room much like the river mist outside and the air tasted like the inside of a moldy boot. At the bar, a short bald piggy-eyed fellow sporting an apron that at one time may have been white occupied himself cleaning a non-to clean mug with a cloth in no better condition than his apron. The man eyed Kallus as he entered the common room, looking for the entire world like a hermit crab that had lost its shell.

"I only got ale, ain’t got no wine; it be two coppers, its young, and no food at this hour, drink it or not, you pay or be gone," the man barked in that predictable dockside pathos common to all wharf side taverns and bars. Kallus stared hard at the tavern keep until the man began looking rather nervous.

"I would have expected a tavern to serve wine, but ale it is then," he said breaking the tension with a smile that never touched his blue eyes and radiated all the warmth of a winter river.
Chuckling to himself Kallus found a seat in the back corner where he could watch the tavern door and as many of the occupants as possible. A short time later, the Tavern Keep dumped an earthen mug containing a suspicious oily liquid on his table. Kallus shook his head eyeing the Ale slowly coming to rest in the dirty mug. Bestowing the tavern owner with another icy look and he tossed two coppers on the greasy table which the man quickly scooped up and scuttled off with.

Kallus sat observing the patrons for some time before the common room door opened and a slim form in a heavy hooded cloak entered the tavern. Two much larger men not doing a very good job at hiding the fact they were armed to the teeth followed the hooded stranger. Chăñ slave soldiers Kallus noted. Impressive to look at and a truly expensive purchase at the south gate market, but generally not very bright. His client had the coin it would seem.

Scanning the common room, the trio picked their way through the tables of drunken and dicing patrons to him. "You are known as Kallus?” A soft melodious voice with just the smallest hint of a southern Shărrian accent asked. "My master has a job for you," the young woman sat placing her hands on the table. Kallus caught just the hint of a gold band around her delicate right wrist, ‘a female house slave and an expensive one no doubt so the client was a cast noble.’

Typical, the Shăr aristocrats would never demean themselves to come to a place like this, nor in fact risk it."What sort of job?" he asked in a level voice studying the two guards who simply ignored him. The slave gave him a half smile obviously noting his appraisal of the two Chăñ men, "My master bids you obtain certain items is all, and the compensation will be more than adequate I am told."