Father and I worked on my swordsmanship for the next four days. After the close shave with the dire wolves, he was determined to make sure I knew how to protect myself and so he worked me to the bone. Every night, I would collapse on my bed, only to repeat the process once I woke up the next morning. But, the intense training produced results, and at the end of the four days I had grasped the fundamentals of swordplay.

On our last night at Dunby’s ford, my father told me that we wouldn’t be training the rest of the day. “I want to share some drinks with the rest of the Knightly Bards,” he explained. “We’re going to be consuming a lot of alcohol, and I don’t think you’d enjoy talking to a bunch of drunk old people.” He grinned at me. “I spoke to your mother. This area seems pretty safe, so if you promise to not do anything stupid and be back before 10 o’clock, we’ll let you explore the town a bit more by yourself.” I put on a hurt expression at the stress he placed on “anything stupid,” then let a smile spread on my face.

“I promise,” I said. Then, holding out my palm, I looked expectantly at father. He shot an inquisitive look at me. “Time to fulfill your fatherly duties, sir” I said solemnly. Laughing, he lightly cuffed me on the ear, then produced a couple of coppers from his wallet.

“No way you’re going to swindle any more than this off of me,” he laughed. “If you want more, go ask your mother.”

Grinning, I pocketed the coins. They were more than enough for some of the street foods that I had my eyes on, anyways. “Well, I’ll be off then!” I said, puffing my chest out and saluting.

“Be safe!” father called at me as I strolled away to the night market. As I walked through the narrow city streets, the setting sun illuminated everything in a nice, warm glow. The cicadas chirped on in the background, and the cool air was just the right temperature to enjoy a nice stroll in the city. All in all, it was quite the perfect night.

Up ahead, I could hear the hubbub around the market. Due to its high traffic, Dunby’s Ford had become not just a river crossing but almost a tourist destination of itself, and the night market looked to be profiting richly off the business. The main road had been completely transformed, stalls lining the wide cobble street as each vendor peddled their wares.

The aroma of roasting beef gently wafted towards my nose, and following the scent, I wandered my way over to the stall. The merchant stood behind his stand, turning eight or nine skewers of beef over a fire. My mouth watered as I watched the fire crackle and sizzle each time a drop of fat fell into it.

Noticing my hungry gaze, the merchant smiled. “You look like you’d enjoy some beef skewers,” he said over the noise of the market. “Two skewers’ll set you back a copper coin.” Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out a copper piece. Reaching over the counter, I handed him the coin. The merchant took two skewers off the grill and handed it over to me. Looking at my hungry gaze, he laughed. “I got a kid your age back at home,” he said. “I know how much y’all love to eat. Here, kiddo, another one on the house.” He handed another skewer to me. “Be careful going home, now. There are some pretty unpleasant folk around here after dark.”

Thanking the merchant for his generosity, I turned around and walked away towards the other stalls. Wandering around, I sampled my way through the food stalls, taking short pauses to look at some of the wares the vendors were offering. Just as I prepared to head home, I caught site of a familiar face. Bert, the drunk at the inn, was walking rather shiftily through the market, hand on his dagger sheathe at his side.

His eyes slid from side to side, and he looked over his shoulder every other step, as if he were being tailed. I was suddenly filled with an overwhelming sense of adventure – despite promising not to do anything dumb, I knew that I wanted to see where he was going. Quickly, I slipped through the crowd, getting closer and closer to Bert. Suddenly, he abruptly turned into a little alleyway, disappearing from my view.

Did he suspect he was being followed, or was that where he wanted to go? If the latter, I could turn around the next corner confidently. If the former, then the moment I walked around that corner, I could be kidnapped, or worse…

I resolved to split the difference. Silently approaching the corner, I slowly peeked one side of my face to investigate the alley. Light spilled out of an open door to a side building, dimly illuminating the empty alleyway. “Looks like this is where Bert was going,” I muttered.

Tiptoeing on the cobblestone floor, I silently made my way over to the door. Putting my ear on the weathered wood, I strained to pick out the words from inside.

“Do you have it?” Bert’s voice, nervous and tight.

“Right here, my friend.” A voice I had never heard before. It sounded oily, oozing fake charm with a subtle undertone of menace. I understood Bert’s nerves. Even from outside the door, I could tell that this man was not someone to mess with. “Five white gold pieces, and the beast is yours.”

Five white gold pieces? Each white gold piece was worth one hundred gold pieces. Something about a beast… too. Could he be trying to buy a pet? The price made it unlikely. Then, the realization hit me. The only business that could be this profitable… I had stumbled on a trafficking ring, and a deal was going down right now.