Upon exiting the brewery, you stick close to Aflia and speak to her in a stage whisper, just loud enough for her to hear, hopefully drowned out in the noise of the crowd. "Ready to take a crack at the Sirens?"

Aflia looks at you stunned, then responds in the same low voice, "you are quite mad. No one challenges the Sirens on their home turf and wins."

"I caught a look a the punk trailing us earlier. Human, cheap clothes, cheaper knife. Their strength lies in numbers and intimidation. Their habit of picking off 'exotics', probably all non-humans, will have kept their members to just humans. I've seen more non-humans than humans in Chedal, so they won't have that many members. Plus, we can count on the support of any people they have enslaved, even if only to stay out of the fight and get away."

Aflia ponders this over for several moments. "I see what you are getting at, but do you really want to start a fight between the Guild and the Sirens?"

"They did when they tried to make a move on you. No point in sitting on our hands. I want to hit them tonight, kick them to their knees, put the fear of the Gods in them, and make them really regret picking that fight."

"If you can convince Riben, then I'm in."

"Lets go check in then, let him know we finished up our contract."

When you re-enter Riben's office, he is leaning back in his chair, with his feet kicked up on a drawer. "How did it go?"

"Four big rats dead, the client's 'rat poison' dumped on the nest, no injuries, no collateral damage."

"Think the rats will be back?"

"Probably not. We got the breeding pair and their offspring, but Mr. Hobson's 'poison' was just regular rat poison and won't do a thing to Big Rats."

"My read of that situation too. He'll come bitching and moaning, looking for a refund or discount if another set moves in. I'll deal with that if and as it arises. Housekeeping got a pair of rooms set up for you two. Fourth floor, 403 and 405. Doors are open, keys are on the bedside table. Part of the benefits package."

"Thank you sir!"

Riben glances from you to Aflia and back. "Why do I smell something else cooking?"

"The Sirens tried to kidnap Aflia. We shook their tail."

Riben comes back upright. "Then they just made a mistake. I'll start calling in some assets, see if we can get something organized."

"With respect sir, they're a bunch of jumped-up punks. Might be more than a few of them, but a half-squad of soldiers would go through them like grog through a sailor. With a sorcerer in support, I can take any six of them and win. Start calling in assets, but let's start hitting them tonight, hitting them where it hurts before they can cover up."

Riben runs a hand through his hair. "Ok, I'm listening."

Aflia leans forward, intent on hearing what you propose.

"We know they grab non-humans for sale as slaves. We know they tried to grab Aflia, despite armed and armored escort. That indicates either a special commission or desperation trying to fill out a quota on an upcoming shipment. They must store their captives somewhere, probably in a warehouse down near the wharves. Do we know where?"

Riben nods slowly. "Verra pegged them as using the old warehouse at the end of the number two pier for that purpose before the Bad Moons started making noise."

"Then we have a target sir. Open the fight by stomping right on their throats and then keep the boot there. Aflia and I go in tonight, break out what slaves we can, and get them out. We should have more people and more targets in the coming few days, and we keep hitting them. Never give them a chance to get back on their feet."

Riben cocks an eyebrow at you. "City Guard won't take that laying down."

"Then pull them in on our side after we open the fight. If they've been turning a blind eye to the Sirens, they are either scared or bribed. Seeing the Sirens get taken down a peg should stiffen their spines, and cause any bribed guardsmen to consider becoming unbribed. Wouldn't do them any good to get caught when their fellows start sweeping up the pieces, so they'd have to prove their usefulness by leading those same sweeps and catching some Sirens."

Riben nods slowly, then more quickly. "I know a guy in the guard I can trust. Old half-orc, got demoted to gate duty under murky conditions."

You nod, "I think I met him. Greybeard, almost bald, seen damn near everything and still here?"

Riben grins at you. "That's Old Mork to a T."

You grin hugely. "If he's been in the guard for that long, and lived, then he knows were all of the dirty little secrets are buried."

Riben grins back at you. "We have a plan."

Aflia shakes her head, "how long did you two rehearse this number?"

Riben nearly falls out of his chair laughing. "We didn't. I'll wake you two hours before dawn?"

"Two hours before dawn it is."

Status Report:

Money: 1 platinum coin.

Food and water: 5 days of hardtack rations.

Equipment: in good condition.

The Ring: obsidian band with three empty gem settings.

Total Deaths: 1