Lyra tucked her map away, satisfied, she was about halfway to Taka by her calculations and making good time. She travelled along the road but camped off in the trees, taking her chances with wolves rather than men. She hadn't passed anyone, but she knew the road to Taka was a dangerous place for a seventeen year old girl travelling alone.

She froze when she heard the sound of hooves, pulled her hood up, and looked down, hoping the traveler would just pass her without a word. The sound grew closer and she glanced up through her lashes at the brown horse passing by, the boot hanging at its side metal. A soldier.

"Woah." A man's voice, the horse slowed and Lyra tensed. The horse passed and the man circled it back around. "Traveling alone?"

Lyra knew a lie would do no good. The road was straight behind her and it was clear there was no one around.

"Yes, sir. Good day, sir." She began to walk more quickly, her hand touching her dagger hilt under her cloak.

She heard the man kick his horse and, for a moment, she thought he was moving on but he circled back in front of her, his mount blocking her path. He landed onto the road with a thud and she glanced up.

He was leering at her, his teeth showing. She recognized the Taka emblem on his jerkin and hesitated before her hand slid from her first dagger to her second.

The man didn't notice the movement. He stepped forward, leaning over to see under her hood. "A pretty thing like you shouldn't be traveling alone. It's dangerous out here and the nights are still cold. We could keep each other warm." He took another step forward.

She lunged and he jerked back, her knife grazing his cheek. He grabbed her arm and stepped to the side, throwing her to the floor. "You little—" he gagged.

Lyra stood up, dusting herself off, trying to ignore the dying gurgles of the soldier as the poison finished its course. Carefully, she slid her dagger back into its sheath.

The man's horse shifted nervously as Lyra quietly approached it. She made soothing noises until finally she was able to grip the saddle and swing herself up. She nudged the horse around and carried on down the road.

'Taka 1 mile'

At the wooden sign, Lyra dismounted, rummaging through the horse's saddle bag for valuables before sending it into the trees. As much as she'd love to keep or sell the horse, she was afraid it would be recognized. So, she took the last mile of road by foot.

The smell of the air changed, she couldn't quite recognize what the scent was. It was sour, but not unpleasant, and was palpable enough to nearly leave a taste on her tongue. As she reached the top of a hill and saw the first black tipped wings of seagulls she realized what it was. The ocean.

It was vast, everything Fenrin had said and more. Dozens of ships were docked at Taka's sprawling ports. The buildings were mostly wood—unusual for Valhym—with the exception, of course, of the Jarl's fort and a few larger estates. Lyra straightened her cloak on her shoulders, readjusted her pack, and walked down.

The guards let her in without a glance and she began to meander through the cobblestone streets. They were narrow and winding, alleys branched off everywhere and many of the roads were not entirely flat. She tripped on a stone right as two children ran by her, pushing and shoving at each other.

One fell backwards into her, swerving to avoid collision and brushing her off balance. She stumbled and the two boys ran off. With a shot of realization, she reached for her belt. Her daggers were gone. Her poisoned daggers were gone.

"Hey, wait!" She started to run after them but they ducked into an alley. She glanced around frantic.

A woman walked up behind her. "Hope whatever they took wasn't sentimental. It's just the Taka welcome."

She whirled, the woman was tall and wore a leather shirt with no sleeves, showing off her impressive biceps and some ornate steel armbands that gleamed against her dark skin. Half her head was shaved and the other half dangled with short braids. The woman had a little half smile that made Lyra suspect she knew the kids.

Without thinking she blurted, "They took my daggers, but they're poisoned. If they touch the blade..."

The woman's eyes sized Lyra up quickly, her thin eyebrows, pierced by two rings, lowered into a stern line. She grabbed Lyra’s arm and pulled her into a tight alley. The woman's grip was iron and she shouted through a hole in a stone garden wall, "Urt, Rory, get out here." Her voice was sharp and authoritative. Clearly, she was used to being listened to.

Lyra bit her lip, cursing herself for getting attention like this. She just didn't want the kids to kill themselves and it get tracked back to her. They waited and Lyra wondered if the woman would report her. Poisoned weapons were against Valhym law.

After a few minutes, one of the boy's heads popped up over the wall. "Whadja want?"

"You took this lass's daggers?"

"What of it? We saw 'er first."

The woman reached the hand that wasn't cutting the circulation from Lyra's arm and pulled out a few gold coins. "Trust me, you don't want those. They're dirty."

The kid eyed the gold. Faster than Lyra could follow, his arm shot down and snatched the coins. A few moments later, her daggers were chucked over the wall and landed in the dirt at Lyra's feet. She exhaled and tried to reach for the weapons, but the woman beat her to it.

Lyra yelped as the woman swung her into the wall, pinning her with an elbow. She pulled one of the daggers free and held it an inch from Lyra's face.

"Now, let's see whether you were telling the truth."

Lyra froze, her eyes bulged as she tried to see the dagger edge by her cheekbone. "I was! Be careful!"

The woman watched Lyra’s eyes glint with terror and her own dark eyes narrowed. "Alright, so what's a young lass like you doing on the streets of Taka with an assassin's blade?"

Lyra bit her lip, not sure what to say and the woman held the dagger higher, the silver edge entering her vision. "It was for protection! I'm traveling alone and it seemed the best way to protect myself."

"Ah, but why are you here and how do you know how to get one of these in the first place? Are you with the Blades of Kor?"

"The what? No, I'm not with anyone! I made the poison myself, call it a strange hobby. I came to Taka because I wanted to see what it was like."

The woman gave her a grim smile. "Well, what do you think?"

Lyra met her eyes. They were dark brown but the edges of her iris bordered on hazel. She swallowed. "I think I should have brought more daggers."

The woman laughed. "You're definitely an odd one." She stepped back, releasing Lyra, and sheathing the deadly blade. But she gave Lyra a look that told her she wasn't finished with her yet. "So why are you alone?"

"Got kicked out."

"Because of your hobby?"

"Sort of."

"You got a place to stay?"

"Not really."

"Money?"

"Some."

The woman held out an open palm and Lyra sighed. From what she'd seen of her father's robbings, she decided not to try to trick this woman. She handed over every coin she had.

"Follow me."

Lyra started, but the woman didn't give her time to argue, she just walked off and Lyra, not having many options, followed.

She was led down towards the dock, but her guide dropped into an alley and wove through them until Lyra was quite lost. At las, they reached a door and the woman knocked.

"Here for a pickup?" A voice called out.

"I've come to complain about your dirty wares."

The door opened revealing a small man with long thin black hair, tied back at the base of his neck. He had a roguish grin on his face.

"What's this then? I thought you were bringing us goods. Unless you've changed your mind and she's it."

The woman scowled and the man shrank back, holding his hands up to show he meant no harm. She reached and took Lyra's wrist again and barreled into the door. Lyra's eyes took a moment to adjust to the dim room.

It seemed to be a tavern of sorts. There was a small, lopsided bar against the wall with a grey haired woman angrily scrubbing it. A young girl, no older than fourteen, was carrying a tray of drinks to a table where three men were leaned over conspiratorially. Another man who was warming his hands by the fire looked up, his face brightening, and he jumped to his feet striding over.

"Zari, delight of my life! I was wondering where you'd disappeared off to. I thought you might have been avoiding me."

The woman, Zari, rolled her eyes. "I'm always avoiding you, Geryl, it's just damned difficult when you hang around where I need to go."

He winked. "That's the idea." Then he looked at Lyra. "Now what's this little kitten you've brought to this fine establishment.”

"This kitten is none of your business. Where's Raldo?"

Geryl looked at Lyra even more curiously. "Hmmm, oh the old badger's in his den. I'll warn you he's in a foul mood. Morganna was over again."

Zari scowled but pulled Lyra passed the man, whose pale blue eyes Lyra could feel following her. They went behind the bar and through a door, down some stairs, and then a hall until they reached a sort of hearth room. An older but well muscled man was leaning over a table littered with parchment, muttering to himself.

"Raldo, I've got someone you should meet."

He looked up and Lyra flinched. His left eye was milky white, a pink scar running jagged over it. The other was a soft hazel. His beard was wispy, a few frayed braids dangling in it.

"Oh? And who might you be?"

Lyra's arm was released and she was shoved forward. "My name's Lyra."

"And why are you here?"

Lyra shrugged. "I was robbed twice and then dragged here, so hells if I know."

His eyebrow raised and with a frustrated grunt, Zari filled in, "She was carrying a poisoned dagger. Claimed she made the coat herself. Doesn't seem like a Brimstone to me and she says she's got nowhere to go. Sounded like we might have a place for her."

Raldo clucked. "So naturally you brought her straight to the lair."

"Please, she had poisoned weapons. She's no plant or lawman and if she was a Korite, the boys who took her daggers would have been dead and I would have had a harder time getting her here."

He nodded, consenting, and Lyra began to put the pieces together. This was some sort of...gang? Obviously disreputable, although these Korites seemed to frighten them. Some sort of guild of assassins perhaps? The name Blades of Kor sounded vaguely familiar now she had time to think about it. Whoever they were, Lyra wasn't with them and neither were Raldo and Zari.

She toyed with the idea. A gang of thieves or bandits, it might be the best place for her, it was what she'd trained for after all.

Her thoughts were interrupted as Raldo asked, "So you've got nowhere to go?"

Slowly a smile crept to Lyra's lips. "I have everywhere to go, just not back from where I came from. But for now, I think I like it right here."

The sly confidence that Lyra now showed surprised Zari and Raldo and they exchanged glances. The older man coughed. "Well, let me introduce myself. I'm Raldo Stoneshield and this is Zari. We are members of Taka's thieves guild. If you'd like you can join our merry band of ner-do-wells. If not we can come to...another arrangement."

Lyra shrugged. "Sounds like fun. I'm in."