In sleep, her arm extended to Kole's side of the bed. Cold sheets met her fingertips waking her instantly. She eyed the smooth pillow and the patted down sheets. He had not returned as promised. Sera rubbed at her eyes, determined to wake now that she had reason. It was not difficult. Sleep fell from her like a loose shift and she extricated herself from the sheets. A peek at the high window told her dawn was approaching, Hannah would be waking soon. The girl woke like a cockerel.

The preparations for the day did not take very long. Breakfast for three-hopefully-a small lunch for Hannah, even though Porter did offer some snacks for the children. Hannah had an appetite like a young, growing boy. There was also the hardship of tying her unruly locks into a presentable braid. The small looking glass Sera owned reflected back a messy, but secure braid of russet hair due for a chop. Sera pursed her lips, giving it a final tug.

By the time Hannah emerged, pushing the curtain-door aside with her face contorted in a yawn, Sera had finished packing her washed work clothes and employment papers into her satchel. She sat with a hot, bowl of oats before her.

Hannah's blue gaze swept the room before settling on the cooking pot. Her jaw jutted to the side as she stomped towards the pot and dished herself a hearty serving.

"Did you sleep well?" Sera asked.

Hannah nodded.

The disappointment Hannah was feeling was not unjust. Sera could not help feeling the same, having heard the promise and seen the hope it brought. Kole's life, being as it were, left little time for his sister. Or at least, the time left was when Hannah was either sleeping, at Porters or with her friends - doing what all ten year olds should be doing - having fun.

Sera licked her lips, preparing to find an excuse halfway through her first word.

"You don't need to tell me it's work," Hannah said. Her eyes downcast, she filled her mouth with another spoonful of oats.

"He may be home early this evening. He surely had good reason for deciding to work instead of being here. You always come first."

"Don't always feel that way though." Hannah's curt response cut through Sera's chest like a cold wind.

"Don't speak like that, Hannah."

"Why not? We street folk? Why do we gotta act any better than our neighbours and friends? Joey says-"

"Any sentence starting with Joey says, is not a good starting point."

Hannah scowled.

"Look, if I see him before tonight I will give him a hard time."

"Like the last time he brought home that cat?"

Sera shuddered at the memory of the filthy-flea-ridden-mange-infested-feral beast. Broken leg and half stared, the thing scratched Sera raw and cost her a good shirt, but she still mended the leg, only to have rid of it that much sooner. "I was rather harsh then." Once the cat ran off, she turned on an already sulking Koltin and made him eat watered-down potato soup for almost a fortnight.

"You have my permission to feed him cow fodder."

Sera chuckled. "Not much in cow's fodder. We don't want him to starve. He still has to bring home coin so that we can eat."

Hannah grunted, dug her spoon into her oats and shovelled the load into her mouth.

"Hannah? Hannah, look at me, please." Sera pushed her bowl away and leaned across the round table to take the small, stubborn chin between her fingers. "I promise he will have a good reason, kiddo."

Hesitant, blue eyes met Sera. She yanked her chin away, folded her arms on the table and rested her head atop. "I know."

"Then what is wrong?"

No sound came from the dark mop, until Sera nudged her foot against a socked one. "I can't help but..." Hannah's face appeared, hair covering her one eye and the other pieces of a rough fringe poking out in every direction. "I sometimes wonder... if..."

"If what?"

"It's nothing."

"No, tell me. Please, Hannah."

Hannah thought for a moment longer before everything came tumbling out. "I just feel like I am useless, not contributing. A burden on both your shoulders, when if things were normal, you'd be free and no-"

"Normal?" Sera scoffed. "Hannah Seaward." Sera stood, no longer feeling hungry. "If you think either Koltin or I consider you a task we would have never willingly started, you better bang your head against that stone hearth and start thinking otherwise."

"But if my ma had-"

"If your mother was still alive..." Sera swallowed what she had been about to say. If Caitlyn had survived her heartbreak, she would have been a fourth mouth to feed and more of a burden to Koltin than Hannah could ever be. But to say such words would be sinful. She knelt in front of Hannah, taking the small hands in her own. "Your mother, bless her soul, would have seen you fed, dressed and happy. She would have also seen you grow up and prosper into a pretty sapling with far too many foul words at her disposal than is likely good for her age." Hannah smiled at this. "But, what would have also happened is we would have never become as close as we are now. We wouldn't have the memories we share. Instead, they would be replaced with others, and who's to say those would be good?"

Tears had appeared under the dark, lowered lashes. Sera brushed them away with her thumb.

"What I am trying to say, kiddo, is I would not change a thing. If your mother had lived, I would have been happy. The fact that she did not, does not make me unhappy when it comes to looking out for you."

"But you would not have me to worry about."

Sera shrugged. "I worry for many things, Hannah." She smirked. "In fact, there is very little that I do not worry about. But what I do not regret or take issue with, is choosing to worry for you."

A small pink tongue eventually swept across Hannah's pursed lips. Sera smiled and straightened. Hannah was never appreciative when Sera took pity or showed too much affection. All Sera wanted to do was embrace Koltin's sister, which was why she turned away. "Now, dress for the day. I will be walking you to Porters and unlike your brother, I don't like to be late."

Chase leaned over the map, his gaze flicking from map to ledger every so often. Kole held a cold rag to his face, dabbing at the bruises with as much care as he could. He hoped by evening the swelling would have subsided, his right side was swollen with bruising under the eyes and around his jaw. Sera would have something to say, not only about the bruises, but about being absent this morning. He broke a promise.

As Chase worked on deciphering the many scribbles and possible clues that both ledger and map help, Kole closed his eyes, hoping to catch a glimpse of sleep. When Chase spoke next, he jumped with a new ache in his neck to add to the others.

"Did you say something?" He rubbed at the base of his skull and stretched, the den still only occupied the two of them. The silence was eerie.

Chase nodded. "As far as I can tell, foreign coin has been prominent in three of Shogan's establishments. The Quivering Lips being the main contributor, but it brought in little noble clientele from the looks of things. See here." He flipped the ledger over and showed Kole the back pages.

"Noblemen names."

"Aye, and not all our local lot." Chase scratched his chin, deep in thought. "To avoid approaching Shogan at all costs I think we might want to try this avenue first. See which of these names has a link to some illegal trade. I can start at the noble inns. Call in a few favours."

"You don't need to call in any favours for me, Chester," Kole sighed. "Besides I don't think we have time for sneaking around noblemen affairs. That kind of thing takes patience and precision. I don't have time for either."

"I got plenty of favours to call in. I don't plan on using them all on you, but one or two can't hurt." Chase smirked. He leaned over and grasped Kole's forearm. "We can cover more ground if we work different angles. Scarlet may have a bit of information on any one of those names. A name off that list is one step closer to our prey."

Kole suppressed the pessimism that was building in his gut and forced a smile. "Suppose once we are on a trail, be it true or not, I will feel more inspired to find hope in all of this."

"Or you could think of handing Sera over to this man and what that would feel like."

"Balls!" Kole stood, clicking his neck. "Even hearing such things makes me sick to my nethers."

Chase laughed, rolling up ledger and map and replaced them in their hiding place. "Thought it might. We can meet back here at sunset? Perhaps then we will have something for our friends to help us with."

"Would if I could. Midday might be safer. I think I better make an appearance before I disappear again. Sera's likely to have a list of familial crimes I committed this morning."

Chase made a face that forced Kole to elaborate.

"It's Hannah. She's getting older, of course, and full of questions and observations and the more I am not there when I say I will be, the more she questions. And the more she questions, the more likely she will see through the lies we are weaving."

"Have you thought of telling her?"

"Humph, sure, Hannah, your brother is a thief. He steals, threatens, pickpockets and intimidates his way in life to provide for you. But don't worry, he doesn't kill. Not any more at least."

"Well, I wouldn't put it like that."

"How would you put it then? Bare in mind she is my sister. So pretend you are talking to a ten year-old me." At ten Kole began his life as a thief. He had been caught more times than not, and flogged until his ears burned more than his back or bum, but every failure only hardened his resolve to practice.

Chase opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again. "Ah."

"Precisely."

They both donned their coats and gave each other meaningful looks.

"Try not to tell the whore too much."

"Try not to be caught with your pants down by husbands with too much power ."

They prepared for their separate endeavours in silence. Kole slower than his friend because of his injuries.

"I've been thinking, Chase."

"Oh," Chase sighed. "I should start praying now."

"Pfff! You'll be proud of this one. I was thinking perhaps bludgeoning information may not be the best tactic in this scenario. If word gets round of someone beating folk up and asking questions, whoever this guy may be is sure to latch on and divert me."

Chase's lips parted. So slow, Kole barely noticed, he nodded and leaned closer, as if to examine a parchment.

Kole swatted a wayward hand making towards one of his bruises. "What?"

Chase snapped out of what could have been a trance. "Nothing. I just... I was wondering if maybe one of those blows had knocked some sense into you and if I could figure out which bruise was its source."

Kole swung a clumsy hand towards Chase's shoulder.

"You never know when you might need that sense to be topped up."

Hannah waved farewell to Sera. She waited, Sera always turned back multiple times. Once she had turned a corner and was out of sight, Hannah sighed, shaking her head.

She turned, meeting a set of vivid blue eyes behind a frock of deep red hair.

"She gone?" Joey asked.

Hannah nodded and grinned. "Come. Before Porter finds us."

The two scampered away from the old cathedral towards the docks, where the rest of their friends waited. Hannah's shorter legs made it difficult to keep up with Joey's longer strides but she was determined not to be the one to slow them.

Being small in Lethilian came with some perks, mainly being able to to rush through adult legs with little repercussion. Joey had once slowed to apologies and been caught. Since then, they just ran.

By the time they reached the docks and ducked under the slatted window of an abandoned fishing hut, Hannah was out of breath and flushed in the cheeks.

"Hannah! Joey!" an older voice called out. "That be you?"

"Aye," Hannah panted.

An older boy stepped out from the next room and grinned. "About time. Them crawlers be docking soon and we need our wee ones ready."

Hannah felt Joey bristle beside her. He hated being called small. Hannah found it pointless to fight the truth. They were small, but they were also the youngest. Travis, the lanky lad who watched them with a cynical eye, was three years older with hair the colour of mud and eyes that matched clouds when not filled with rain. He made Hannah nervous when he walked into a room, he seemed to make Joey nervous too, but Hannah did not think it the same. Joey bristled the way Kole did when Chase said something he did not want her to hear.

"Well?" Travis insisted. "You two ready? On with ye." he thrust two bags into their hands and pushed them from whence they came. They stumbled onto the street.

Hannah grinned at Joey. "See ye in a wee bit." Joey snorted and ran towards the fisheries on the south side, while Hannah rushed northwards.

She might have been invisible for all the attention the bustling men gave her. All of them dressed in thick overalls covered in slime and stunk worse than the old fish shack they had been in. The trick to looking like you belonged was believing you did. Hannah strode with purpose, kept her eyes ahead and not on the floor. She passed the larger ships with their previous cargo already disembarked. Men and women gathered, hugging one another and exchanging stories of their escapades.

Hannah thought she might like to board one of the trading vessels one day. The thought of seeing more of the world she knew excited her. Kole wouldn't allow it, but she knew there would come a time when his hold on her safety wouldn't be as firm. Even now it was slipping.

When the smell of fish became too strong that she could taste it, she dipped into an alley and worked her way to the fish sheds. There was a loose slat at the rear of one and it was here she slipped in. She rolled and pulled her empty sack behind her. She replaced the slat carefully, hearing men working inside. A large crate blocked her view and hid her from the fisherman. She waited a while until the men's voice drifted out of the shed to fetch more of their cargo and emerged from behind the crate. Buckets of fish lined the walls and in the centre a massive tub with even more silver oblong shapes. Hannah made quick work, stuffing half a dozen fish into the small satchel and darted out again.

Her next target was her true goal. The coin houses where atop the fish sheds, where the true business took place, selling the fish to the inns, traders, brothels, noble estates and the like.

Hannah used a drainage pipe to climb up the wooden building onto the second level. As usual, the second landing's window was open. She peeked through and found its usual occupant absent. She fell into the room with less grace than she would have liked and hid in her usual place. Being small meant she could fit into small places. This time it was the cupboard of the large, central desk.

The desk was supported by two solid cupboards, on top of which were shallow drawers where men of coin liked to store their wealth while doing business. The drawer was locked with a key kept on the coiner's person, but Hannah did not need a key. From her small cramped hiding place in the cupboard, where only a few files were kept, she had cut a hole big enough for her hand to reach and grab the closest coin pouch.

The coiner, being older than some of the ships, was half blind and did not se the gaping hole in his drawer, or if he did, he paid it no mind. Hannah also thought that perhaps his wits were failing as he still seemed none the wiser for the missing coin.

She just closed the cupboard door when she heard the old man enter with his usual coughing and wheezing. A regular cob smoker, the man's lung health was somewhere between restrictive and dead.

He was muttering under his breath about the smell as usual. He even punctuated his complaints with several references to the trawlers being in less than agreeable states. Half of which he muttered, Hannah ignored. His first customer was sure to arrive soon and she felt a cramp in her calf already.

The first meeting arrived with a short knock and no pause for admittance. Hannah waited for a price and a weight to be agreed upon. The boredom she felt was relentless. It was unbelievable how men bartered around prices for so long. It wasn't like they got anywhere. Most of the time they ended up saving a few silvers or gaining a fish or two. The whole ordeal would be made far quicker if they just agreed upon the stated price from the get-go.

Three more men came for their turn at bartering the old man down in price. All succeeding in adding a dozen fish to what would have been owed to them for their coin. Hannah's little hand had extricated four gold coins so far. She did not think it wise to take an entire pouch.

A fourth man came in and to her surprise, her old coiner sighed with more sorrow than she thought necessary.

"Tell your master I have just opened up shop and have nothing more to share."

"Nothing, sir? How about a stock take of what was brought in?" The voice was mild and rather understated. Hannah imagined a man small of frame and soft of features speaking to the hog coiner.

"Well, I have record of what was brought in downstairs with the lads, but that is usually brought up once all the fish have been tallied and their worths accounted for."

"Oh I see. Still," - the nice voice said - "I am afraid a report is needed from your establishment. I cannot have any good business suffer for my lack of efficiency. I don't know how the old lord used to run things, but I am afraid my lord is rather... thorough."

The coiner coughed, spluttering an agreement.

"Dear me, that is quite a cough you have there. Contagious?"

A silent exchange of looks prevented Hannah from knowing the response to that question. She lifted her scarf over her mouth and nose anyway.

"What can I do to satisfy your master? I can show you our records of late."

"That would do wonderfully."

Hannah heard the man move closer to the desk and scrape a chair forward. She heard the wood creak and then the coiner shuffle some things on his desk.

"I have a uh, a uh, a ledger of sorts that uh, might do." There was quite a bit of movement as the coiner searched for his ledger. Hannah flexed her foot, the cramp growing. She shifted as silently as she could without making a sound. Her hand slipped on one of the leather bound book she shared company with. She moved it irritably and placed it behind her. Just as she had done so, her eyes widened. That was a ledger.

The door to the cupboard opened and revealed the blotchy, red nosed face of the coiner. His small eyes widened in shock before a single exclamation escaped his thick lips. Hannah kicked out. Her heel catching the man in his jaw. She clambered out, crawled towards the window as the coiner whined and held his jaw. A hand grasped Hannah's collar but she swiped backwards, feeling her nails break skin. She was released with a yelp of pain.

She lunged for the window, and climbed down the pipe as quickly as she could. She heard the coiner shouting above her but did not wait to hear what orders he was giving. She ran.