We should say that The Fox has a contact among the more transient "residents", a man called Scab, who is one of many homeless people of the Shadow, a man who used to work at the golemworks above the bridge before he was caught stealing Irespan basalt and ruined.
Alternatively, there are a number of acolytes of Seranrae who once tried to restore the abandoned shrine of that Goddess in the district. Perhaps one of them might still be trying and be a contact for Katla.
Once Katla had closed and locked the doors to the Swan-in-Shadow, she carefully looks out the windows to make sure no one is watching through them, then goes to her room. She carefully arranges her bed, making it look as if someone were sleeping within, then turns and walks down into her cellar. After listening a little while to satisfy herself that no one had somehow slipped in while she wasn't watching, she counts down the stones on the wall until she finds the right one, then carefully pushes the secret switch hidden there.
With a soft click, a section of wall unlatched, and she pushes it back, swinging open the secret door. As soon as she is through she pushes the door closed, listening for the click of the latch to make sure it was shut properly. That done, she quietly sighs as she looks over her hidden dojo.
This double life is wearing, Katla thinks to herself as she begins to gather the Fox's gear.
She carefully changes outfits, making certain she doesn't get any of her long hairs on the Fox's clothing. Once she's satisfied, she changes forms, smiling slightly as her tails sprout out and her face elongates into a kitsune's muzzle.
I may go by my real name in human form... but I feel more myself as the Fox, she notes to herself as she gives herself one last look-over before departing. But for now... the Fox and Katla must not be known to be the same, and so, the Fox must ask more about this Tower, while Katla 'rests from the strains of her self-imposed calling'.
She carefully listens and looks through her hidden exit's peephole before slipping out into the alleyway. She stays hidden as she makes her way through the Shadow, alternating between kitsune and fox form depending on how much cover she has. Soon enough she arrives at her destination--the place she can usually find 'Scab'.
Andrezi considers his options as he watches the men pound on his door from afar.
He could attack them now; it was fairly obvious to him that they were up to no good, but that might cause some suspicion if his attack looked too preemptive, or even unmotivated.
No, it was better to wait for them to 'wrong' Opus. Something the public was aware of that could justify Tempest's involvement and ensure that no investigator managed to draw a connection between the jeweler and his alter ego.
'I'll give them a minute or so, I guess. Maybe then I can follow them back where they've come from.' Tempest thinks.
'But if they force entry, all bets are off'
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After a few moments of lurking in the shadows, the Fox spies her man. Leron Quintus, aka Scab, a Chelaxian-descended man with short-cropped black hair and fire red-orange eyes. Some say he has devil's blood mixed in him, others think him a victim of the mad Queen of Korvosa's plague experiments. In any case, the man seems perpetually covered in sores and boils no magic has been able to cure.
Even the most jaded of citizens find it hard to look at him without showing revulsion. However, his condition does allow him respite from more punitive measures: most of the Shadow's bullies are afraid of contact with the man. This affords him opportunity to go places most might fear, as long as he does so quietly.
As always, Scab somehow manages to sense the Fox before she makes her presence known. "Hello, Fox." he says, calmly, with a deep-timbered voice and a slight smirk.
*****************
After a bit over a minute of pounding, the brute looks to one of the others. [b]"Alright, guess we'll come back. Hey, kid!" the man yells to a nearby waif. He whispers something in the waif's ear and presses something into his palm.
The Shoanti men then move off, headed easterly towards the docks.
"Greetings, Master Quintus," The Fox replies, responding to his smirk with a slight bow. As she straightened, she reached into her purse and pulled out several copper pieces.
Much less likely to get a man's throat slit than silver, she thought to herself, as she had before.
"I would like to hire your services this evening," she continued, jingling the coins slightly in her hand as she took a confident pose. "Have you heard of the 'Tower Girls', and if not, where within the Shadow might be called 'The Tower'?"
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"Sure, sure, Fox, I've heard of them. Seen them once or twice even. But, if someone's telling you they're in the old Clocktower has old information."
He clears his throat and lowers his voice to a whisper. "Them girls moved out of the old Clocktower and into the Crow." he points towards a piling of the broken Irespan that sits several hundred yards out to sea. "I guess they would get to renaming it the Tower after themselves, but it's been called the Crow for as long as Magnimar's been around."
He looks down at the coin in his hand, then back at you. "I do have some additional information about them girls you may want to know if you're going up against them." he jingles the coins suggestively.
The Fox slipped a silver coin into her hand. "I'm given to understand they have a rather... corrupt idea of beauty," she said lightly. "Now, would you prefer this in copper, Master Quintus?"
Tempest looks on, curious, and thankful that the boy is unharmed.
"Strange..." he thinks.
He watches as the Shoanti pull out of view.
Well, I suppose I'd better play along... I wonder if the boy's a messenger, or a look out?
Making sure he's still out of sight, he returns to his causal clothes, packing Tempest's cloak back in its hiding spot and gathering his quickly gathering his composure. Something about wearing the clothes always made him feel more free, liberated. Now, back in his regular outfit, he felt familiar, but limited. Still, there were things only this identity could accomplish.
Moving around the corner, he makes his way to his door, watching for the waif only out of the corner of his eye.
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"I'll find a place to spend the silver, sure enough. And it'll be easier to hide one coin then ten, so long as prying eyes don't get a peak of its color. As to your understanding, I don't think you know even half of the truth. The Mad Queen's b*~~#es, them Grey so-called-Maidens have taken over the Girls. They were once beautiful, too, until the Mad Queen made sure none were prettier than her. Likely, with this Malafixe Argente woman taking over the Tower Girls, none of their beauty will last either." he says, spitting out the name like it's a curse.
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The boy comes up to Andrezi as he approaches the shop, and asks "Scuse, sir, aint yew the owner of thisere jewry store?"
The Fox froze a moment. The Grey Maidens?
She shook off the thought with a slight shake of her head, then tossed Scab the silver piece. "Then I will have to be cautious in my approach," she stated, "In spite of the urgency this implies. Thank you, Master Quintus," she bowed slightly again, "As always, your services have been of great assistance."
"Why, yes, my friend, I am. And what can I do for you tonight? Bit late to be out shopping, isn't it?" Andrezi turns to face the boy, and responds politely and with an innocuous smile, even as he looks him up and down; though he's suspicious and on edge he tries his best to hide it.
The Fox started to turn to leave, but paused for just a moment. "These Tower Girls must surely have someone who stays ashore, yes?"
She debated for the briefest moment, then pulled out three more coppers, knowing Scab well enough to not bother asking without payment. "You wouldn't happen to know where I might find any of them, would you, Master Quintus?"
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"Heh. Yew funny, mistah. I wuz given a message fer yew. Dey sade you are late on yer taxes, and dey wood be back tomorry at sunset tu collect. Dey sade yew owe five silvah an anoder two in trest." The boy's eyes roll back a little as he struggles to remember the wording.
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"Aye, you've always had a keen mind for the askin of questions, lady Fox. Them Girls ain't really got much turf left in the Shadow proper thanks to their war with the Hound's boys. But a few of 'em on the outs with the new leadership gots a loft in the rafters of the Sodden Orphanage. Just a few blocks that way, near the shoreline-too near, really, that's why it's ground floor is often underwater." Scab offers the Fox, heartened by the exchange of coin and information.
She tossed him the last few coppers. "My thanks again, Master Quintus. Let us hope that your service tonight might save some few lives."
"Tomorrow at sunset? Thank you, young man. I look forward to their arrival." Andrezi throws the boy a generous smile and a fancy bow, then makes his way up to his door and begins unlocking the bars.
'Tomorrow at sunset. Well someone will meet them, that's for sure...'
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"Be careful, Lady Fox. That area is a known breeding ground for stirges. They like the standing water and darkness." Scab offers as a final bit of wisdom before Fox departs.
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Andrezi sees no other impediments to reentering his business, and the boy runs off after his message has been delivered.
The Fox gives Scab a final small bow before departing into the darkness.
She travels mostly in fox form, seeking to stay unseen as she slips her way through the Shadow towards the place Leron indicated. She is even more wary as she draws near, aiming to reconnoiter the area first in fox form before deciding on a course of action.
Andrezi enters Opus after unlocking the front door, and then re-locks the bars behind him. Without bothering to light any lamps, he navigates through the pitch-black room perfectly, and makes his way to the basement.
After making his way down the dark, stone steps, he reaches out and grabs a sconce from the wall, twisting it until it creaks to a stop at a right angle. A slot in the wall opens, and Andrezi slips through it, just before it slams shut behind him. He had intended to spend the rest of the evening studying, and didn't plan on the eventual interference of a street gang to impede him.
************
The next morning, Andrezi woke early and fed himself a simple breakfast. Reasonably refreshed after a night of intense study of his tome, he prepared for his menial day, while considering his options for the evening.
'If they're coming back, I suppose I've got two options. I could pay them, and follow where the money, and they, go. Or Tempest could intervene first.'
After considering the pros and cons of both, he came to a decsion.
'It might be more satisfying to beat them, but the thugs I've been intercepting lately have been less apt to talk than they used to be. Maybe their bosses are getting frustrated with me... Regardless, if I want to learn anything, Andrezi had better pay up, and let Tempest follow the trail.'
With that settled, he unlocked the doors and windows, and opened Opus for the day.
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The Fox approaches the dilapidated building. For this area of town, the building is strangely large, measuring a total of two stories plus a loft/attic area, easily forty feet by thirty. The window openings have been covered with boards, excepting one on the second floor, which seems merely shuttered.
The original doorway has also been boarded up, and while some of the abandoned buildings in the area have had building materials ripped and pried away by needy hands, the old orphanage stands much as it did when it was operational save perhaps the high water marks indicating frequent flooding.
Upon further examination, Katla notices that the remaining window would give one a pretty good view across the oceanfront to the Crow.
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Running a jewelry store this close to the Shadow District has its benefits and its problems. Lack of free time is generally not one of problems.
Still, early in the day, the Opus receives an unusual visitor. A finely-dressed elderly man, with hair of white and a stylish beard of the same hue, wearing blues trimmed with white enters and peruses your wares.
Carefully, wary for any signs of stirges, The Fox slips into a nearby shadow and resumes her true form. She stealthily stalks up to the former orphanage's wall, doing her best to stay out of sight of any possible watchers. She touches the wall about ten feet down from the original doorway, whispers the command word for her gloves, and then peers through the wall.
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The Fox peers into the old orphanage, seeing the building's interior is full of rot and ruin. The floorboards have collapsed and a slimy-looking pool of standing water, algae, and undoubtable waste lies where it should be. True to Scab's warning, a veritable swarm of stirges flutters about the pool. The building's upper floor has been buttressed and supported, and it appears that is where the girls mentioned by the informant must be. They seem to have sealed off the upper level, and the stairs that once led there are on the verge of collapse.
So how do they get up there... The Fox thinks to herself.
Fortunately for her, she doesn't need to worry about such issues, and in this case their boarding up of windows should play to her advantage. She would have to be wary for other watchers, though.
She quickly looked about ( ) and then whispered the activation word for her slippers. She silently stepped up the wall of the orphanage, pausing for a moment next to a second-story window to again activate her gloves and peer through the wall.
"Salutations, my good sir, the best to you," Andrezi says to his visitor, as he waves his hands around, gesturing to the shop, before offering his hand to the visitor in welcome:
"And welcome, to 'Opus'. Might there be something in particular you are looking for today?"
Andrezi kept a cheerful, polite tone, and was careful neither to offend nor to imply that he didn't generally see such nicely dressed customers entering the shop.
'Perhaps word of my house-calls has begun to spread? Excellent!'
Andrezi considered the many options for the man's visitation, hoping that it was in fact a sign that his legitimate business efforts were being well received, but never taking a watchful eye off the man. The Shoanti thugs from the night prior weren't far from his mind as he looked the man up and down.
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As the Fox gets closer to the shuttered window, she sees that the ledge of the window has a catch on it. Perhaps the Tower Girls latch a rope or something similar to that to the catch and climb the wall.
The vision granted to the interior of the loft is a grim one. Near the window, a young lady lies, her once beautiful face now suffering from fresh and nasty-looking cuts and burns. She sleeps fitfully, in obvious discomfort and pain.
Nearby, two more of the Tower Girls hold a whispered conversation. On of them has obviously suffered a like disfiguration, although it appears to have healed to the point of scarification. The other, mercifully, retains her youthful good looks unblemished by such torturous marks.
The Fox bares her teeth silently at the sight of the girls' suffering. This she must stop. Positioning herself above the window, she raps on the shutters, almost as if she were knocking on a door.
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"Well, I'm looking for a bit of diamond dust, and perhaps some opals as well. I've a mind to start saving up for a star sapphire to fit onto my walking stick as well. Saw a chap with a really fancy one and it got me started thinking. I was... hoping to negotiate a bit on the pricing." the man says while casually examining your wares. He clears his throat, wipes his hand on his robe, and offers it. "The name's Ezren."
Andrezi takes the man's hand after nodding at his requests in turn, and taking note.
Diamond dust, for a spell perhaps? And negotiating? What's he getting at, exactly? He doesn't exactly appear the type to be lacking in funds... Maybe there's an 'unfortunate' reason he's not at one of the other, 'finer' shops in the city...
With a smile, Andrezi clasps Ezren's hand for a moment, and meets his eye. In a practiced, invisible ritual, Andrezi felt out for the mans' energy, starting from his still-grasped hand and quickly moving up his arm and through each of his chakras in turn and memorizing the unique signature.
Ahh, there you are... he thought, tuning himself to the man's energy. 'Now let's see where you end up after you leave...'
"Well met, Ezren, well met- and I think I should be able to help you very nicely. Now, what exactly would you be negotiating with?"
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The two tower girls the Fox saw talking open the shutters, the scarred one having drawn a whip and standing back while the other opens the shutters, holding a rapier.
"Huh?" the second girl starts as she sees the strange hero of the Shadow at her window.
The scarred girl pulls the whip back, growling "Who are you? What do you want?"
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"Ah, I have a few baubles I've picked up in my journeys and not so few coins with which to bargain, good sir. I'm sure security is a bit... pesky.... in this part of town, and I have a few items that could help with that. Does that seem like something you might be interested in?" the old man's smile is friendly, and his eyes burn with fierce intelligence.
"I'm The Fox," The Fox explains lightly, grinning, "And what I want is to make certain that no one else has to suffer having her face mutilated to match the tastes of a madwoman."
By now all trace of lightness was gone from her tone, replaced by steel as pointed as her teeth. But it suddenly vanishes as she smiles again. "I was just hoping you girls might help me with that a bit."
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The scarred girl with the whip may be prone to suspicion. She clenches slightly, saying in a somber tone "We can take care of our own problems. What do you know about it, anyway."
The other girl slightly let down her guard when you spoke, but takes a bit more of a defensive posture as her friend speaks, saying more about solidarity than any desire for violence on her part.
"Hmm, well, I know you've lost a lot of ground, for one thing," The Fox says, ticking things off on her fingers, "I know you're mixed up with at least one Grey Maiden--which, in case you hadn't noticed, is bad news. And I know I'm going to do something about it with or without your help, because you most certainly aren't dealing well with your own problems."
She gave the girls another grin. "Or is that not quite what you were asking? If you're asking if I know about girls getting caught up in trouble that's way over their heads... well, I may know a thing or two about that, too. I know it'll be easier for them to get out of if they talk to The Fox about it, for one."
"Well, it's no secret about the security, I suppose," Andrezi says, offering a genuine smile back. By now, his curiosity had began to vie with this caution for attention.
"I'd love to see what you've to bargain with. I've always been intrigued by interesting magics," he continues.
"Shall I close the shop so we can go elsewhere, or do you happen to carry your goods on your person?"
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The girl closest to the Fox sheathes her weapon and offer Fox a hand inside. The other lets out a disgusted sigh, coiling up her whip and walking towards the back of the attic space.
"Don't mind Marianne,she's had more than her share of reasons to be distrusting of strangers promising help. I'm Katrine. This is Felina." she says, speaking softly and indicating the fitfully sleeping girl. "If you want to talk, we should head towards the back so we don't disturb her."
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"Oh ho, now I've got your attention. Good. I've brought a few items with me, and I can have one of my associates bring the larger pieces later. First, I think you'll like these." Ezren says, removing two cylindrical metal rods from his pouch. He hands them to you. They are lightweight, perhaps even hollow. "Now, place one on one side of the door and speak the command word shezra. It will affix in place. Do the same with the other, speaking the command word thezra." he says, awaiting your compliance.
The Fox takes Katrine's hand, though she doesn't really need the help, and enters the room in a single flowing, acrobatic motion. She wasn't deliberately showing off--graceful movement was just a part of The Fox.
"Yes, that will work," she quietly agrees, following them into the back of the room. As they walk, she wonders what they make of her--a five-tailed fox-woman who was just standing on a wall as if it were the ground, with the blade of a naginata protruding from her pack.
Once in the place indicated, The Fox considers the two girls. "Now, I know I haven't given you any reason to trust me yet," she says after a moment. "Nor do I think I can earn it easily. But I can do this much--ask any question you wish about me, and I will answer it if I can without betraying the trust others have placed in me."
Andrezi accepts the rods, but doesn't move once Ezren finishes his instruction. Caution was paramount, especially with unknown magics.
"Surprises can be...bad for business you understand. Might I ask before hand what I can expect to see, sir? Please understand I mean no offense."
'Ah, some variation on a classic 'Alarm'.Quite clever, actually.'
Andrezi smiles at the compliment, careful to appear an appropriate level of impressed by the items. As he replies, he places the items on either side of the door, and speaks the command words.
"Oh my, that does sound useful. Very well: 'Shezra'. 'Thezra'"
"I haven't been spying on you in particular for long at all," Katla replies to Mariane. "As to how I know what I know, well, I make it my business to know what's going on here in the Shadow, so I have my ways of keeping track of things."
"As for Felina," she continues, turning to the sleeping girl, "I can, though there may be some scarring left if she's already had these for a while. If I have your permission...?" She gave the two girls a questioning look, with just a hint of a grin playing on her muzzle.
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As Andrezi speaks the command words, the rods disappear from view. Ezren walks back through the door and Andrezi hears a light buzzing sound. Ezren smiles, turning back and returning to the shop. The buzz sounds again. "As I said, you'll see nothing. A friend of mine pointed out that invisible rods would be even harder to disarm. It is rather important that you remember where you put them or have a means of seeing invisible objects. The deactivation words are Zeth and Zesh. Anyone attempting to deactivate them and failing will sound a more urgent buzzing noise, still only audible to you."
The Fox nods. "Good. Now, then, let me see what I may do."
She walks over to Felina, surreptitiously pulling out her holy symbol of Shelyn. She looks over the girl's wounds, and, deciding that they will not need a great deal of power to heal, calls on Shelyn's grace.
"全体性の美しさを復元シェーリン！" she quietly prays, touching the wounds with healing power.
"Very interesting, sir. You've piqued my interest for sure. What else have you to show me?" Andrezi asks, genuinely interested in what Ezren has to show.
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As The Fox intones her prayer, Felina's wounds close up, the faintest traces of scars all that are left of her torment. She drifts further into a much more peaceful sleep.
Katrine motions for the Fox to return towards the back of the loft. She speaks softly, and with warmth "Well done. We've been searching for a potion that might help, but have had to move carefully. One of our friends was looking two days ago and we haven't seen her since. We fear that Mal's Maidens may have found her on the street and brought her back to the Crow for.... well, that." she says indicating Felina.
"I've been trying to see if any of my old friends would join us."Mariane says bitterly. "But either they haven't been able to check the old drop spots or they don't give a damn."
The Fox's gaze hardened, though she kept her tone light. "Well, I suppose it's time for a rescue mission, then. How much do you know about what's going on at the Crow right now? Where do they watch? How many guards are there?"
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Mariane responds to The Fox's inquiries with a bitter rone. "The Greys have taken up the lower levels, and they're probably the ones guarding the secret lower entrance. The Girls are more likely to be in the upper floors, watching the obvious entry. Except the Girls being taken down for initiation. Malafixe had seven Greys when she came, and the Girls were twice that many. With the four of us that left, that still leaves about seventeen. Mind, only about four of the Girls have been true turned to the B@%#* Maiden's cause, the other six might still be reasoned with. 'Course they're probably too scared of her to help too much."