SARINA huddled against the river, a small town earning a living from the trade barges that usually plied the waterways. The typical Veldrin facades coloured the buildings in garish hues, while a broad avenue ran down to the water's edge.
Miro and Amber headed directly to the riverside. As they arrived, a barge tied up at the dock, unloading a cargo of Gokani refugees. The Gokani were shepherded to a border station where a team of officials processed them and handed them over to some of the Emir's men to be searched.
"Wait here," Miro said.
He found the owner of the barge talking to an official, waving and gesticulating.
"These fees are outrageous!" the bargeman said.
The official shrugged. "How much did you earn from each of your passengers? Tell me, did you charge the normal rate, or did you bump it up? You've given us more work than we can handle, so we need to pay more men to help out. That gilden has to come from somewhere."
Miro waited until the grumbling bargeman handed over several coins.
"Excuse me," Miro said. "Can you take us to Maelan?"
"Aren't you going in the wrong direction?"
"We have urgent business in Wengwai."
The bargeman peered at Miro with calculating eyes. "How urgent?"
"We aren't made of gilden," Miro said, "and I'll warrant your boat will be making the journey back empty in any case."
"Two silver crowns."
"One."
"One silver crown and six copper swords."
"One silver crown," Miro said.
He saw another barge approaching with a new load of refugees. "Perhaps I should try him?" He gestured.
The bargeman turned. "Oh, all right then. Fine. One silver crown. We leave right away, though."
"Perfect," Miro said.
He waved Amber forward.
~
THE RIVER was placid and wide, and the empty barge made good time. By early afternoon Miro saw the smoke of chimneys in the distance, and then a cluster of buildings. Gokani architecture was more sombre than the vivid style of Veldria, favouring function over form, and the buildings were made of wood and stone rather than brick.
As Miro and Amber waited by the rail, the bargeman stomped over. "Now, where's that silver crown."
Miro handed over the coin.
Looking at the approaching dock, Amber pointed. "Who's that?"
A man stood with the refugees crowding the pier, yet a careful distance was maintained around him. He wore a black robe with a crimson lining, and the emblem of a triangle bound by a circle could be seen on his breast.
"That's a Guildsman," the bargeman said. "Surely you've heard of the Guild?"
"Of course," Miro said smoothly.
The bargeman left them to oversee the docking process.
"What should we do?" Amber asked. "Should we talk to him?"
"I don't know if we can," Miro said. "Look. See that group of soldiers in red uniforms? They're going to talk to us when we disembark. Meanwhile our friend the bargeman is going to load up his vessel. By the time we're finished with the officials, the barge will have left."
"Nothing's ever easy, is it?"
"Don't worry," said Miro. "Something tells me there'll be more of his kind around."
"Disembark!" the bargeman called.
Miro and Amber crossed the gangway, and as the only people crossing into Gokan, were quickly surrounded by soldiers.
The guards shepherded them to a desk. "What's your business in Gokan?" an official asked.
"I'm bringing gilden for a friend," Miro said.
The official's eyes lit up. "How much gilden?"
Miro hesitated. "A silver crown?"
"That should suffice," said the official. "Here." He handed Miro a small sack. "Place any forbidden items in here, and I'll see they are disposed of. Forbidden items include redberry, heartfire, and black powder."
Miro looked at the surrounding soldiers. He discreetly dropped a coin into the sack and handed it back to the official. "I have no forbidden items."
"Very good," the official said. He gestured to the soldiers. "They can pass."
Miro turned to look back at the barge, but the alchemist had boarded, and the barge was gone.
"Come on," Miro said to Amber. "Let's find lodgings."
They'd made it to Gokan.
~
MIRO pressed his back against the wall and counted for three slow breaths, before again looking down the alley.
The alchemist hadn't spotted him.
He'd been following the Guildsman for an eternity, looking for an opportunity to question him somewhere quiet. Miro had discerned no obvious pattern to the robed man's wandering. Was he heading home? Perhaps to his place of work? He knew so little about these people.
The black robed alchemist turned another corner and Miro crept along the wall, popping his head out before bringing it quickly in again.
This alley was as quiet as he would find in the small town of Maelan. The place was crammed full of refugees, and the alchemist had so far stayed on main streets. This was the time to take him.
Miro ran forward, but stopped in his tracks as the alchemist turned to face him. "Why are you following me?" the alchemist said, levelling Miro with dark eyes. "Is it gilden you're after?" He shrugged. "Never mind."