User:Moses/The Story of Sesom/Chapter 4

Chapter 4: A Surprise at Wawnet

As I stepped into Wawnet Inn, I immediately heard a gasp. "Psst, hey, you!" someone whispered loudly. The voice seemed strangely familiar, and so I turned to face it. Before me, sitting on the steps, was a man I'd never seen before. I must have looked confused, because he added, "It's me, Rowley Eardwulf, from Kvatch! Last I heard you were locked up in the imperial prison for life!"

I certainly remembered Rowley. He was the one who gave me the book, the one that had gotten me jailed in the first place. As I rotted in that cell, I came to the conclusion that it wasn't really his fault, but seeing him here called back so many bad memories, I couldn't help but let out a growl. "Tell me why I shouldn't attack you right here."

Rowley sighed. "First of all, I could kill you without effort," he said. "Secondly, even if you do kill me, you'll likely end up right back in the imperial prison. Third, I have some information that might interest you. It concerns a certain friend of yours, a friend from the Morag Tong. I like you, and I do feel a bit sorry for what happened, even though it's not my fault you were careless and got yourself caught calling the Brotherhood." I was curious, so I voiced as much and continued to listen. "Hadn't you ever wondered why he didn't try to kill you again in three years?" he asked.

I was shocked. "Has it really been three years?" I questioned. "Well, that's three years I spent in the imperial prison. No assassin could get in there, and besides, I was sentenced to life, who would have bothered to kill a man who was already dead?"

Rowley chuckled. "Breaking into the imperial prison is no small matter, but it's been done before. He'd have tried, and probably succeeded if he wasn't in jail himself. Anyway, back to Kvatch. I heard the assassin mention Sundercliff Watch that day, an old fort in the east of the province. That wasn't the first time I'd heard of the place, though. There's a Telvanni mage who's been organizing some sort of group down there. He's been pretty secretive of it, but the rumor is that it's some kind of army. I wanted to know what was going on, so I followed him there, only the idiot was captured outside. I fled, but I've got a friend in house Telvanni who knows someone on the inside of the Sundercliff operation. While I can't figure out what they're doing down there, I did figure out that for whatever reason, they've got a Morag Tong assassin who they've kept locked up for three years."

"Three years?" I asked incredulously. "You're trying to tell me I was locked away for three years?"

"Well, a little over, but yes, certainly. I suppose that the passage of time is of little consequence to one who's been locked up for the rest of his life." A moment of somewhat awkward silence passed, and he continued, "I'm hoping that in exchange for this information, you might bring me back the details of the operation whenever you decide to go."

"And what makes you think I'll go? I've half a mind to -- " Rowley cut me off with a gesture.

"I figured you might say that. Do you think that assassin won't eventually escape? They've kept him alive this long. They're not likely to kill him, and he knows that. He's just biding his time until he finds the perfect moment to escape. Who do you think he'll want to visit as soon as he gets out? But, as I've said before, I like you. There's a lot of potential in there. Because of that, I've got another reward for you, one that will serve you better than any gold. Tell me, what do you want more than anything right now?"

It didn't take me long to come up with an answer. "I want to get away from all this, the assassins, the law, all of it."

Rowley smiled. "And that's precicely what I'll give you. I've been given some property by an old friend, but I don't plan on living there again. Too many bad memories. Perfect for you, though. No alive one knows about it but me, and it's yours after you come back. Think about it. All you have to do is infiltrate an old fort for an old friend."

"Why me?" I asked, ignoring his offer for the time. "You're an assassin, and you hate the Morag Tong. Why not go kill him yourself and get whatever information you need?"

"Let's just say I've retired from the... business. I'll be here for at least a few months. If I should happen to leave, I'll tell the owner where I'm headed, so just go ask."

"I didn't say I was going."

"Your eyes betray you, friend. You want to end this once and for all, and I'm going to help you do just that. Have you got a map? I'll show you where Sundercliff Watch is."

I handed him a map, which he marked with a small X. With nothing else to say to Rowley, I turned my back to him and headed out the door.

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