I am finally healed and my armour repaired. I did spend another day at the Leatherworkers, and with all my efforts on my armour I got Repair Leather Armour to the Apprentice level. That was a difficult, and expensive, skill to learn, but now at least they pay me. It is no wonder not many people have the skill. As a side bonus, learning to cure hides properly, all the leather working knowledge and making my new cloak, got my Hide Armourer up to Journeyman level. I can make good work now that will last. There is a market for it according to Tabitha, particularly coats, cloaks and hats.

Tabitha is out most nights now. Apparently she has found someone to train her in gambling? I don’t know how that fits in with a travelling merchant, but there must be some crossover skills. Or she has become addicted to gambling and is hiding it. I know her Mental Strength isn’t the greatest. I might follow her one evening and check.

The city has stepped down from the high alert although there are double strength patrols going out. The Mercenaries can get called to action in defence of the city against monster incursions. We must respond and we get paid a standard daily rate. I am on my way to the Mercenary Guild to see about another job or two. In the city would be prefered. Tabitha told me about the trading houses and their rivalry and the potential for Spy to level. I will look. The weather is getting cooler. My big scary monster snake wouldn’t leave his spot by the fire. I have been trying to level Cold resistance but it is slow now. It is nice to be able to communicate better with Tāoke.

I head up to the counter and am discussing how to get the sort of jobs that are not normally put up on the job boards. They keep lists of members who might be available for such work. He will put my name on the Espionage and Acquisition lists, but I declined to go on the Assassination list. He was trying to convince me otherwise because Hunters are generally quite good at assassinations. I did have to admit I had the skills for it.

Then I hear a loud yell behind me, “Wiremu Hunter!” Deceive helped me not to react and to carry on with my discussion. It was then repeated closer, “Wiremu Hunter!”

The Guild attendant said, “I think they are talking to you.”

I turned around and saw four large men standing there, one of which was holding the paper with my bounty on it.

“Hello gentlemen, I am Warren Carter. Can I help you?” I asked politely.

“You’re Wiremu Hunter!” the loud mouth with the paper accused. He ID as a warrior as did two of the others and the other one was an archer. No specialisations that I can tell. I suspect they were wanting to get the Bounty Hunter Specialisation and a successful bounty hunt would go a long way. The guys didn’t seem intelligent enough.

“No,” I said and showed them my Guild ID. “I am Warren Carter. I do have the Hunter Class, but don’t let that confuse you about the name.” I knew I was sounding a bit patronising when I said that, but I always did have a hard time not winding up idiots like these. Although, when I thought about it, these idiots were actually right this time.

“You look like him!” Loudmouth accused. “We are taking you to Kirsk for the bounty!”

“May I see that?” I asked and he handed over the paper. “First up, no snake. You don’t see a snake do you?” I specifically asked the Archer who will have the highest perception. He shook his head. “No Quarry Worker or Spy classes, although with Status manipulation I could be hiding those.” I conceded. “I obviously don’t have a fair complexion and this drawing is not me. These eyes are too close and the nose is too straight. I also have a much stronger chin, but I guess you couldn’t tell that under the beard. Nope, not him,” I declared. “I also live here with my sister who is also a Carter, although I have to admit, she has accused me of being adopted. Sisters eh?” I gave them a smile and handed the paper back.

They were wavering. The confidence was gone, but they were not totally convinced.

“Maybe we should go and question his sister, that should get the truth!” Loudmouth grinned. “Maybe we will all enjoy it.” They backed out the door to the street with evil grins.

I had lost my smile, but made no move to follow.

“Aren’t you going to warn your sister?” the Guild attendant asked.

“No,” I replied. “Firstly, that is what they want me to do and are probably waiting to ambush me outside. So I am going to go and relax and have a couple of ales at the bar and make them wait. They have obviously never hunted anything before and are not the patient sort. Secondly, if they happen to find my sister she will have no problem dealing with that lot, and I won’t have to worry any more.”

“What does your sister do?” He asked.

“She is a merchant at the Sølv Emporium,” I replied, leaving a very confused clerk at the counter.

After my ale, I browsed the Guild merchants, but didn’t buy anything. I then decided I would stay and have an early dinner at the Guild bar. It would be better if I was accosted in the dark as there would be less reliable witnesses.

I left the Guild not long after dusk and headed home. I picked up a tail almost immediately, the archer I think. He had some nominal stealth skills but he had no chance against Hearing Aid and then he got too close and Bond Senses latched on and tracked him. As I neared our house Loudmouth stepped out of the alley next to our house and then the others formed a semicircle around me.

“Hello again, I wasn’t expecting to see you again,” I lied.

“You are Wiremu Hunter,” Loudmouth declared, “We are going to get the truth from you and your sister and claim the bounty!”

“Getting the truth is going to be difficult for you when you already have the truth,” I said.

“We will see about that,” he said, taking a menacing step toward me.

“It seems this is your lucky day because here comes my sister now,” I indicated behind him. He actually looked. The idiot actually turned his head and looked. I could have killed him right then and he would never have known. I didn’t because Tabitha was actually coming.

“Hello, Warren,” she said. “Who are these handsome friends of yours?” she said in a sultry voice. The way she walked all the idiots were looking at her. I rolled my eyes. I know Tabitha sensed it through her Spatial Awareness Skill. There was a little smirk on her lips.

“These gentlemen think I am some guy called Wirey Hunter who has a bounty on him.” I replied.

“Wiremu Hunter.” Loudmouth supplied. I am sure there was some dribble there. Only the Archer was keeping a partial eye on me.

Tabitha saundered right up to Loudmouth and put her hand on his chest. “Wow you are a tall one,” She said. I really think she was way over playing it, but it seemed to be working. She moved around the circle getting close to each of them as she said, “So you think my brother Warren is this Wiremu guy? Really Warren, I told you that you were adopted. What has this guy done?”

“Murder, escape capture and damaged stuff.” Loudmouth said. Then something seemed to change in his eyes and it was like he woke up. He grabbed at Tabitha, “We are going to make you tell us the truth bitch. Using a skill on us! I am going to fuck you for that and make you pay.”

All of a sudden there was an ominous feeling in the air and everything went dark. But not everything went dark. I could still see Loudmouth who was near me but not the others. She must have levelled Engulfing Shadows if she could now vary the density of the shadows.

I took the opportunity to create a small Granite Shield on my arm and stepped forward and used Quick Strike and Power Strike to bash Loudmouth's head. It was too much and his skull caved in and he collapsed dead. I stepped back making the shield disappear so I was in the same position as before. The shadows disappeared and there was no sign of Tabitha.

“I think that should be a lesson for you all about bad mouthing and threatening to rape women.” I said pointing to Loudmouth's body. I stepped over him and continued, “I suggest you take him and go and don’t let me see you again. Remember, I warned him about running into walls and he ignored me.” Ignoring the fact we were in the middle of the street.

Two of his friends dragged the body off. I watched until they were out of sight and entered the house. Tabitha was just settling by the fire.

“Seriously? Moral lessons about women?” She queried.

“Well I figured they should learn some respect.” I replied

“Just like you respected that guy by bashing his head in?” She replied.

“I put a bit too much behind that one. Anyway, I never said I was the best example. Besides I thought I passed the blame to you on that one?” She wavered her hand indicating a response of maybe.

“Anyway, what is this with your act?” I continued. “Do you have some new skills?”

“I am trying to get a new skill in acting. It is not as easy as it sounds. Most of that was my Distract Skill. When I discovered Distract was more than sounds in the shadows it suddenly went to Journeyman level. I can use almost anything to distract people, including my body, and the skill works. I got around them all and got all their coin pouches,” she said, bringing them out.

“I figured that was what you were doing, but I still didn’t spot you doing it.”

She grinned at that. “Trevor has been teaching me about skill synergy.” she said. I raised an eyebrow in a silent question. “I have high Physical Agility and while my Pickpocket Skill and Sleight of Hand Skills are still in the Novice levels, they synergise so well they act like the upper Apprentice levels.”

I realised that is probably what happened to my Repair Leather Armour and Hide Armourer skills. If I ever wanted to get Leather Armourer it would be fairly easy for me. I didn’t because they needed a lot of tools and I was not settling down yet.

“I will need to look at my Skills and see what synergies might be good. So who is Trevor?” I asked.

“Trevor and I are teaming up in the gambling houses and in exchange for a bigger cut of the take he is helping me get some new skills, and hopefully a new class.” She replied. “It might end up being a specialisation of the Thief Class, but I think something is close. I don’t know what and Trevor won’t tell me what classes he has. I am levelling Spatial Awareness trying to find out though.”

“So what happened when Loudmouth started threatening you?” I asked.

“I assume his Mental Strength suddenly broke through the act,” She said.

“You were pretty over the top.” I said.

“Yeah, that's why I need a skill to help be convincing to people. Breakthroughs will happen less then.”