Deep Water in Waterdeep

Toothless, Part II

"I need to get a message to Scratch," Ara said.

"Ain't nothin' happens for free, you know that Aramil," Toothless said, smiling pink gums.

"Don't use that name here. Ever." Ara looked north and south up and down the alley to make sure no one had seen or heard. "Two copper. It's all I can spare right now. You want more, see a farmer in Eisenwier. He's offering a 5-copper bounty on some wolves."

"Eisen-where?"

"Close," Ara teased, "Eisen-wier. It's a small village half-a-day's journey from the North Gate. A prophet and his priests have settled in the village, taken over, built a chapel. They're calling themselves apostles of a lower-deity named Scionel."

"Never 'erd of 'em."

"And when's the last time you were in church, anyway?"

"Point taken."

"Two copper. You in or out?"

"I'm in."

"I need to know more about Eisenwier and Scionel. There's a priest in the chapel that wants a Drow to the north killed for no reason other than the Drow is lawless. The priest's willing to pay 50 silver for the Drow's head."

"Now that's a bounty!"

"You and your friends are no match for a Drow, Toothless. You'd all be dinner for his spiders before sunset, so don't get any ideas. Look, see if Scratch can get someone into the village on a caravan. Maybe get someone close to that farmer with the wolf bounty and get some clues as to what's going on, but whoever goes in needs to careful. The prophet and his priests are on a mission to reform or kill the lawless. There's no middle ground in Eisenwier."

"All that for two copper, eh Ara?"

"Just get word to Scratch. Two copper to carry a message is more than fair. I told you where you can find more if you're looking. I'm just scraping by myself." Ara dropped two copper into the palm of Toothless's fingerless glove. "I don't even know where my next meal's coming from."

"Welcome to the club, boss."

"You've got a week. No more than two. If I don't hear back from you in three, I'll assume you're dead."

"You're startin' to sound like me wife."

"God speed, Toothless."

Ara said nothing to the party. He prefers they know nothing of his past at this point.

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Photo: https://kinnas.deviantart.com/art/The-Thief-13199804