Meanwhile, Humphrey had been packing. Things didn't get this bad very often. Rarely got much worse than the occasional scuffle outside. But every few years, the East Market would explode into riotous action with bounty hunters scouring the streets and all sorts of conflict. He had learned years ago to watch out for when this started up because he had several friends killed in previous flare-ups. Whenever he felt that the time had come again, he had gotten into a routine of simply closing up the pawn shop and leaving to visit his family. He regretted going back on his promise to give Akkina a place to stay, but she was one of the main causes of the flare-up this time, and he had no obligations to her—he hardly knew her. He comforted himself by thinking that she was a smart girl and a competent swordswoman. She could take care of herself.

He shooed out the remaining loiterers within the shop, locked up the front door, shut and locked the windows, and left through a back door that led directly into the city walls. It was dark and musty, unused for many years, but he lit a torch that stood just within, loaded up the cart he kept there with his luggage, turned left, and headed toward the East Gates so he could waste no time getting out of the City (because only the East Gates and North Gates leads directly out of the city—the rest of the gates lead into the city itself).