Liaena glanced up at the broker sharply as she broke out of her reverie. “They were. Thank you”

Reaching into a pocket, she produced a purse which she handed to the broker, standing up in the same motion. “I was never here”

Taking a quick moment to check the contents, the broker inclined his head towards her with a broad smile across his face. “Of course not, my lady”

Exiting the agency, Liaena was careful to pace her steps carefully as she strolled casually away down the street, mind racing the entire time. Stepping into a side alleyway away from the crush of the busy street as she rounded a corner, she felt in her satchel to produce a chocolate bar, held it aloft and waited. 

A small, fluffy guided missile rocketed from the sky as Liaena pulled the hand containing the chocolate down sharply and made a lunge with her other hand. She promptly had to suffer several hard pecks on the arm from Hester as the owl squirmed to get free, squawking abuse at her. 

“Would you – stop – that! You can have it in a second” Liaena hissed as she tried to twist away from the pecking. After one more jab, the owl paused in her assault at her words and fluttered away to wait on a dustbin as Liaena let go, all the while glaring at her. 

Pulling a scrap of parchment and stubby pencil out of her satchel, Liaena used the side of the adjacent building as a writing board as she scrawled out a few words. 

[i]Stay away from Eternal Sun street. I’ll see you at Sharons this evening. Li[/i]

Rolling up the parchment, she thrust both it and a chunk of chocolate at Hester who promptly clamped both in her beak, almost swallowing the paper as well. “You get half now, half later if you take this to Kitty. She should be at that noblemans house in the Trade District, okay?”

With another blur of feathers the little bird was gone as Liaena ruefully inspected the scratches on her hands, some of which were quite deep. Stepping back into the crowds while mumbling rude things under her breath, she started walking into the middle of the Cathedral District. 

*

The 32nd of Eternal Sun Street seemed entirely normal. Nothing at all to suggest it was actually a staging ground for the evil sins of a damned follower of the scourge. Liaena paused at a stall a little further down the road and pretended to inspect some silks as she watched the building carefully. 

[i]“I suppose it sort of makes sense. Who would look for him here?”[/i]

The idea that somebody like Sherpa could manage to hide in what was the heart of Light worship in the eastern kingdoms, filled her with great unease. And somehow, she doubted things would go very well for her if she knocked on the door and asked to see him. 

[i]“I shouldn’t rush this. If Sherpa is here, he’s never going to know I’m onto him and nobody’s going to recognise me. There’s no hurry”[/i]

Eternal Sun Street was a residential road, but it opened onto a small leafy square at one end that had a couple of stalls selling knick-knacks like the one she was at now and little cafes with tables outside for wealthy residents braving the chill in the air to enjoy one of the first sunny spring days of the year. Liaena crossed the road to seat herself at one of these, in a position where she had a clear view of the 32nd Sun Street without needing to turn her head. Not looking at the menu, she glanced at the waitress who came rushing out. “Tea. And a pastry please. Whatever’s your best”

Fishing some parchment already covered in her own hieroglyphics and a pen out of her bag, Liaena studied her alchemic formulae so as to appear to be busy as she kept an eye on the Building of Suspicion. [i]“Sooner or later, somebody is going to come out of there. And if they do that, then I know what I need to look like"[/i]