The next day dawned dark and gray, and I woke up to a swollen, purple ankle that hurt worse than yesterday. Grimacing, I gently pulled my shoe back on; it was a tight fit since my foot was so swollen, but I eventually got it on.

It’d probably rain before noon at this rate, but I had to get some food; I hadn’t eaten all day yesterday. With my leg injured, I decided to do a bit of begging. Depending on what I got today—along with pawning the bracelet—I might just be able to afford the Rat-Healer. Having dealt with him before, he might give me a break on the pricing, especially if I promised to bring him some ale or a bottle of wine.

As for the bracelet, I was hoping I could convince Yabar to give me at least twelve copper coins if I sold him the bracelet and pouch together. As of right now, the pouch would probably fetch me more money than the bracelet.

Using the wall as a support, I dragged myself to my feet and climbed out of a window, scaling down the backside of my house to reach the ground. Walking down the trash-lined alley, I slowly made my way to the marketplace located near the city gates.

Here, vendors shouted at the top of their lungs, trying to get people to buy their wares. Piles of vegetables and fruits, strings of gold and silver jewelry, and pottery of every shape and size was displayed. Some stalls dealt with rarer items such as spices, exotic perfumes, and rare fabrics.

Moving with the crowd, I approached one of the stone pillars that held up an awning to keep off the sun and rain. Resting with her back against the pillar, safe from the elements, sat an old, gray-haired woman.

“Salma, how are you today?” I asked.

The one-eyed beggar gave me a shrewd look. “Better than you, I’d wager. What did you do to your leg, child? I can see you’re trying not to hobble, but it must hurt something fierce.” She gestured for me to sit beside her.

A beggar’s spot was sacred, doubly so if they were elderly, and one had to be invited before they could sit. Even the lowliest swine wouldn’t dare take an elderly beggar’s spot for fear of what would happen to them. Most people wouldn’t think it, but even thieves, liars, and swindlers had some honor and a set of codes they lived by.

I took the proffered seat. Over the years, I’d done a few favors for Salma here and there, in return, she’d help me out when she could. “Are you sure you’re not a seer or a fortune-teller?” I jokingly asked. Seers were nothing more than legends, and fortune-tellers could be found on every street corner of Navar; on rare occasions, they’d actually guess something right.

“I may only have one eye, but it works just fine,” Salma replied. “So what happened? City guards? Thief gang?”

“It was Karl.”

She chuckled. “That would have been my next guess; that boy has a gift for getting into trouble, and getting others into trouble. He must have been born under a trickster’s star.”