She was a meticulous one, he had to give her credit. 

Davian had nearly fallen for the false lead of the palanquin, and in fact had passed her position on the street before realizing he had been temporarily duped, drawing his 'requisitioned' horse up short. The beast was a well-trained one, and he felt a sinking in his stomach when he realized he had not caught the name of the man he had taken it from. Guilt aside, he had retraced his steps and had left the beast with a contingent of Defenders, the local authorities accepting his explanation with the flash of his seal. Davian had decided to make this spot of the city his web, and had found a comfortable seat atop a tanner, reviewing all of the inns and bath houses on the rolled up map he had procured. Luckily he had a few contacts in a handful of local establishments in the craftsmen's quarter, mostly to be safe. He had no dreamed the thief would be a lovely woman in a handsome dress, but he was nothing if not thorough in his hunts.

Across the street, the local butchery called [i]The Sharpened Knife[/i] was congested with locals and foreigners alike, the smell of cooked meat from the apartment windows to the south causing his stomach to complain. He found he looked away from the map from time to time at the men and women walking out with paper-wrapped flanks and prime cuts, causing his mouth to water. He had only reviewed half of the inns once he spotted his quarry, causing him to do a double-take when he realized the woman called Sakura walked out with a sizeable portion. 

From there, the thief-taker followed, albeit as far off as he could manage, but she did not seem to be in a hurry. 

At first, he did not take her because he wanted to find the right moment, but afterwards, he found he was impressed. She walked with careful purpose, and a confidence that seemed suited to royalty. Even the women from his home country had an arrogance that outstripped their high station, but this Sakura walked with perfect poise and with no false bravado. After two stops, he realized she was throwing him off her trail, and it would have worked had he not spotted her by chance. Silently, he applauded her. He found he felt it was a shame to toss her behind bars, but business was business, and even a woman as stately and attractive as her was not above the law. Or his pay. 

Checking the map, he realized she was walking in a relatively short area of the city, and more like as not she would tire or grow weary of this game soon. He broke off from his pursuit, and decided to check in with one of his contacts. 
[hr] 

Inesa plucked a plump piece of bread from a used dish, curling her lip and tossing the item out the open window and into the alleyway. The scullery maid shoved the dish under, scrubbing it with lye and dunking it into the clean water. She wore a typical chin-high collar and ankle-high hems, ensconced in a worn apron spattered with suds and stains. A fair woman with an imperious chin, she had always believed her life was worth more than working a job so her worthless husband could paint and deal with the merchants that frequented the craftsmen's quarters, but burn her it would break his heart if she quite. She dunked another dish in the water, and had she not known any better, she swore she had heard her name whispered. 

"I suppose you want to keep working like this rather than being paid for something real?"

She nearly shoved the bucket over in fright, spinning around to see that louche Davian standing there, somehow having made it into the back of the kitchens. "Do not sneak up on me, and where have you been? It's been a month since-" 

"Have you been watching the customers?" He asked, and narrowed his eyes. "Do not lie to me." 

"O-Of course, I have!" She stammered, speaking as loud as she dared. "Why?" 

"There is a woman I am looking for. I will tell you her description, and if you tell me what I wish to know, you will be well rewarded..." 
[hr] 

Davian had sat in the common room, a wide brimmed hat hiding his eyes and a pipe in his mouth. The smoke wafting lazily before his dark eyes. An illainer tossed a pair of dice across his table, grinning like a snake as he discovered the creator smiling on him with the roll. A borderlander cursed, and a Saldean shook his head in disappointment. Davian's eyes gathered the table in a single moment, straying very little from the shapely woman that had come through the lobby. Silent as a half-man, Davian slid out of his chair and stepped into the lobby. He glanced to the left, and caught the eye of a young boy, ruddy cheeked and laughing at the jokes of a traveling tinker who regaled a table with no doubt fake tales of Shara. The boy clapped and nearly fell out of his chair from a well-turned phrase before he saw Davian's keen eyed look, and he subtly nodded, before scampering out of the Four Coins.

Inesa walked out of the corridor, plates in her hands. Her lips mouthed 'four' and eyed the left, before stepping away to complete her tasks. Davian paid the fee to enter the bathing area, before sliding into the fourth doorway. 

A minute passed as Zoya lay in the bath, silence surrounding her. There was no noise of any footsteps, and it would be hard to tell Davian's movements even if he wore the Tairen clogs. As she ran a dainty hand of water over her arm, a familiar voice spoke from behind her. 

"I checked your dress. Nice knife." One did not have to look to know Davian examined the blade with a professional air. "You're good, but the game is up. In minutes, twelve Defenders will have surrounded the place. You have a choice. If you want to go in with a bit of dignity, I suggest you finish bathing, get dressed, and come with me. Otherwise, the other men might be less accommodating."