'Look!'

Aaspaelwin pulled his eyes up from his tired feet. At first he wasn't sure what to look at, but then he spotted the dark shadowy wall of Yaarpa through the heavy morning fog, tall and imposing. Unlike the palisade of Toin Caas, Yaarpa had a proper stonewall with battlements and towers.

'Almost there,' Sekafi said, relief audible in her voice.

Aspen smiled, but was too tired to say anything. The heavy rains had pelted them through their entire journey, slowing them down and making sleep impossible. It had only stopped a few hours ago. His clothes clung uncomfortably to his skin, his hair lay plastered against his head and face, and mud covered his boots and hose. Sekafi looked just as bad, her fur flattened and tufty. He wondered if they'd be let into the city, looking like this. But surely, the guards must realize the weather they'd just travelled through?

'Do you think this fog will last all day?' Sekafi asked.

Aspen frowned. How could she have energy left for small talk at this time? 'I don't know, and I don't care.'

Her laugh cut sharply through the silence. 'Well, someone's in a bad mood.'

'How are you in such a great mood? We're drenched! And by the gods, I'm tired.'

She giggled. 'I don't wanna rub it in or anything but I told you so.'

He huffed and muttered, 'I think you do though.' But he didn't really mind being poked fun at. They always did.

Some time later they approached the gates in the tall, sand-coloured walls. If anything, the fog had increased with the rising sun, and the sky blazed a blinding white above, making the shadows under the wall stark black. He couldn't make out the guards until they were almost upon them.

'Hold up,' one of them ordered as they entered the shadows by the portcullis.

Aspen and Sekafi stopped as one. He studied the guards silently, not sure what to expect. They appeared human, dressed in white gambesons covered by mail, open-faced helmets, and armed with spears.

'What're your names and business?' The first guard demanded, but his relaxed posture told Aspen all he needed.

'Aaspaelwin Selksem and Sekafi Zand,' he replied. 'We're here to visit a friend.'

'Visitation only?' The guard raised an eyebrow and swept his gaze over their muddy appearances. 'From Toin Caas?'

'Yes. Family crisis,' Aspen said. 'We're in a hurry.'

'Not fleeing then?' the guard asked in a sceptical tone.

'Uh, no.' Aspen shifted his weight uncomfortably. 'No yet,' he added under his breath.

'Lucky. We've had several non-humans arriving lately because of what's going on over there.'

'I see. Well, we're just visiting.' He hoped he sounded sincere enough.

The guard nodded, gave a slight smile and pointed towards something by the entrance. 'Measure your weapons. If they're longer than that, you have to leave them here before entering, as the law states.'

Aspen glanced at Sekafi, but she didn't even blink. Maybe she had known?

They walked up to the wall. A black-painted wooden short sword hung by a chain. They pulled out their weapons and measured. Aspen's knife reached about halfway, but Sekafi's golok was on the verge, the tip protruding a tiny bit longer than the wooden sword's. But the guard made no comment as she looked his way. She sheathed it again, nodded to the man, and started walking in under the tall gateway. Aspen followed. They seemed less opposed to non-humans here in Yaarpa, he thought. Either that, or it was just this guard. Didn't really matter though. They had gotten in.

The city square opened up beyond the gateway, and both Aspen and Sekafi looked around curiously. Yaarpa was a larger city than Toin Caas, having a better location by a broad river, and most of the buildings framing the square were made from light clays; white, grey, pale yellow, and some ochre and red. They sported the same flat roofs as most houses in Toin Caas. People milled about in the foggy air, salesmen shouted out wares to passersby, and animals called. The scent of fish and newly baked bread mixed with the smell of damp earth. It dawned on Aspen that finding one woman in this city might not be as easy as he had somehow imagined. They knew nobody, and they didn't know much about this Salabil Kadaj either. He sighed but wouldn't give up. He'd find her somehow. He picked a direction and walked, Sekafi following beside him.

'You almost look like you know where you're going,' she commented after a while.

'I don't.' He looked for inns and taverns. He thought they'd be good places to start looking. People gathered there, new people, travellers. It wouldn't be odd to ask for directions there, he hoped.

As they meandered through the narrow streets and past the many stalls, he noticed something. The populace. While the majority were human, he imagined there were quite a few dwarves, minotaurs, lizardmen and ikelos. He thought he even spotted a pair of blond elves once.

'There!' He pointed to a sign above a narrow, open doorway.

'The Mumbles?' Sekafi snorted. 'What kind of name is that?'

Aspen chuckled. 'It's just a name. But more importantly, it looks like an inn, doesn't it?'

'I guess,' she agreed as a small party of dwarves and humans exited the door, talking loudly and congratulating one of the dwarves for something.

Aspen and Sekafi watched as they vanished down the populated street, then entered the inn. In the crowded place, they were hard-pressed to reach the bar. Some people eyed them curiously while others gave them unfriendly stares, probably spooked by Sekafi's size and weapon.

'Excuse me,' Aspen called to the innkeeper behind the counter, but in the ruckus, his voice drowned. 'Hello! I'd like to ask some questions, please.'

'Oi! Innkeep,' Sekafi barked, causing a momentary silence to settle around them.

Aspen's face heated as everyone stared. Sometimes he wished she wasn't so helpful.

'There, fixed it for you, shorty,' she giggled and nudged him in the side.

'Yeah, thanks a lot,' he grumbled.

'Whaddya want?' the innkeeper asked as he pushed some beer mugs across the bar to a pair beside them.

'Can you tell us where to find a woman called Salabil Kadaj?' Aspen asked, reassured by the friendly demeanour of the innkeeper.

The round-bellied man gave him a blank stare for a few seconds, then shook his bald head. 'No clue, stranger. But you could ask in the tavern Streetwise. It's a place where many locals go. Here are mostly travellers and newcomers.' He slid away from them to talk to some other patrons.

'Wait, where is it?' Aspen tried, but the innkeeper paid him no heed. He supposed the man realized they weren't going to buy anything. With a sigh, he signalled to Sekafi to leave.

Once back outside, they spent the remainder of the day asking around for the woman while looking for the tavern. When evening fell, soothing and cool, they still hadn't found anything. They couldn't pay for a place to sleep overnight and found a small park to rest in instead. Wrapping a humid blanket around him and leaning back against a tree, Aspen grumbled about the size of the city.

Sekafi laughed. 'Well, I told you it'd be impossible to find her on such short notice. But you insisted.'

'Not the time, Sekafi. Not the time.'

'Not the time, but...'

'No!'

'I told you so.'

Frustrated, he hit her arm with the corner of his blanket. 'We must find her tomorrow.'

'I know, elfling, I know.' She gazed up into the star-filled sky, an oddly serene look on her face. 'You know, we could leave. If things go south, I mean.'

No.' He shook his head. 'We can't abandon everyone. It's not right. Besides, I want justice for Malwi and Gaen. And Lady Hennaja. They deserved better.'

'You want revenge, you mean,' she snickered.

He didn't reply, but she was right. He let out a deep sigh, then set his jaw. 'Let's find this Salabil tomorrow.'

Sekafi smiled. 'Deal.' After a pause, she added, 'Then, if things go south, we leave. We don't have to live in Toin Caas after all.'

Aspen chuckled. It wouldn't be the first time he left a place he'd called home. But it'd be the first time he'd do it together with a friend. Though, he didn't really want to leave the city. He wanted to save it.

Sekafi awoke early the next morning, fog obscuring vision and dew glittering in the rising sun's beams. She brushed off the dampness from her leather travelling pack before opening the lid to get their last meagre rations of dry bread, hard cheese, and smoked meat. She observed some people passing by before poking Aspen in the side. He grunted something.

'Oi, lazy, get up.' She poked him again. He sat up, bleary-eyed and shivering. 'Here, have some breakfast.'

He took it and sat munching in silence for a while before speaking. 'I thought we should try and find that inn before noon today. We have to find her as soon as possible. If we go to the central marketplace, it shouldn't be too hard to find someone who knows where it is.'

'Good morning to you too.' She smirked. Clearly, he hadn't slept much if that was the first thing on his mind.

'Sorry, morning,' he chuckled and stood. 'Best get started. Let's go.'

Sekafi stretched and got up on her feet, checked her gear and hefted the pack. She understood his haste. They had to get back home to meet up with Lady Ileena two days from now. That gave them only today to look for her. She groaned inwardly. What if they didn't find her? They didn't even know who she was or what she could do, but surely she was important if Lady Hennaja had wanted them to find her?

The pair trudged through the streets of the large city, asking around and searching for a few hours before deciding to take a break from the hot midday sun, despite being desperate to find any clues of Salabil's whereabouts. They had found the Streetwise inn, but people there hadn't known or hadn't wanted to talk. Sekafi had noticed a woman making a warding sign at the mention of her name however. Strange.

They approached a busy market where food was apparently given away to the poor on a daily basis. Though the woman who'd told them about it had said, if you were late, you might not get any. Sekafi sighed as she looked out over the open place. Stalls vied for space, and vendors everywhere called out their wares, people of all kinds milled about, buying and selling everything from jewellery to horseshoes.

'I can find anyth...' she paused. There appeared to be a line of people waiting behind some stalls further ahead.

'Huh?' Aspen said listlessly, his face hidden in the shadows of his hood as usual on sunny days.

'There!' Sekafi pointed and strode towards the line of people. It had to be there, but they'd had to get closer to make sure it was for the right thing.

As they rounded the stalls blocking their vision, the queue stretched before them, reaching all the way to a side street leading away from the square. At the head of the line stood some city guards and people handing out food. Aspen sighed, and she turned to him.

'We don't have time for this,' he muttered. 'It'll take too long.' His lips thinned with resolve.

Silly little thing, Sekafi thought. How did he think he'd make it without food the entire day?

Suddenly he perked up and brushed back his hood with a hand, staring ahead. 'Isn't that...' he breathed.

Sekafi followed his gaze along the queue. Humans, some dwarves, a pair of ikelos, more humans, a minotaur. Something red and gold glinted further back, the bright colours drawing her attention. A lizardman. A samandar. Could it be?

'Hiaashaqwi?' Aspen said, thinking the same thing.

'Maybe?' She wasn't sure. She didn't recognize the bright yellow spots on his shoulders and sides. But then, she'd only seen him wearing his armour before. Now, he only had a pair of grey, baggy hose on, tied up right above the knees, exposing most of his red and yellow scaled body.

'There are exceptionally few liz... samandar here. Surely it must be him?' Without waiting for a reply, Aspen set off towards the lizardman.

Sekafi hesitated only a second before following. As they drew near, the dragon-like head of the samandar turned their way, then he stiffened for a second. Sekafi wondered what he'd think, seeing them here. She raised a hand, hoping it was actually him.

To her relief, Hiaashaqwi returned the greeting.

'Aspaelwin, Sekafi,' he said in his whispery voice as they stopped before him. 'What are you doing here?'

'We could ask you the same thing,' Aspen said, a smile riding his lips.

The samandar shrugged, though his amber eyes narrowed and his tail flicked back and forth in an annoyed manner. 'I had to leave. It wasn't my choice,' he muttered.

'We heard from Hapow,' Sekafi added.

'How's my Jaki?' His eyes softened. 'Getting into trouble as usual? Giving you trouble?'

Sekafi snorted, but Aspen shook his head and said, 'No, he's been really helpful. We were worried about you.'

Hiaashaqwi blinked in surprise. 'That's... good.'

Sekafi couldn't hold back a sharp laugh.

Aspen nudged her in the side with a sharp elbow. 'Hey, since you're here... maybe you can help us find a person?' he asked in a low voice.

Hiaashaqwi cocked his head, looking down at the small half-elf. 'Who?'

'She's called Salabil Kadaj,' Sekafi asnwered. 'We need to find her today, but we don't know anything about her.' She sighed. 'Impossible task, if you ask me.'

The samandar made an odd face, his amber eyes glittering and his tail-tip flicking back and forth like a cat's. What was that supposed to mean, she wondered.

'I know where she resides,' Hiaashaqwi stated, raising his nose into the air and giving them something that resembled a smirk.

Aspen gasped. 'That's great! Can you show us where?'

Sekafi couldn't hold back a grin from her face either. What incredible luck to find Hiaashaqwi here. He might just have saved them all.

'If you tell me what's going on.'

'Of course,' Sekafi and Aspen said in unison.