Fenrin went to Taka first. If that's where Lyra had spent most of her time, there had to be someone who suspected where she'd gone.

The city was dirty and the briny sea air didn't help the smell. Fenrin preferred the wilds or the sea to cities, but he wasn't unfamiliar with them. When a pair of kids bumped into him while playing tag, he grabbed one's wrists and lifted him into the air.

"Hey! Owww! Let go of me!"

Fenrin's grey eyes narrowed and he flipped the kid over and shook him. Fenrin's belt pouch and a few other trinkets clattered to the cobblestone. Slinging the kid over his shoulder with one arm, Fenrin reached down and picked up his bag. He stuck it in his shirt where it was usually kept and held the kid in front of him again, upside down.

"So, I'm guessing you can tell me where to find the thieves guild?"

The kid stuck his tongue out and Fenrin caught it, pinching between two fingers. "Not gonna talk huh? Then I guess you don't need that tongue."

The kid's eyes grew wide and Fenrin let go, wiping his hand on his pants.

"Mister, I really don't know where they are I—" Fenrin growled and the boy bit his lip. "I-I know someone who does though. I can bring you..."

Quickly, Fenrin flipped the kid back upright and dropped him. The urchin glanced back, looking ready to run. However, one look at Fenrin's face and the predatory grin on it stopped him. He gathered up his fallen trinkets and said, "Follow me."

The kid was smarter than he looked, Fenrin had to admit. He did his best to lose Fenrin in the intricate maze of alleys, but Fenrin the Wolf never lost his prey and eventually the kid gave in and they came to an alley where a woman with her head half shaved and a tall lanky man were chatting. At the sight of the kid, the woman raised a pierced eyebrow.

"Someone wanted to see ya," the boy said before running off, slipping through a hole in a fence. Fenrin let him go, stepping from the shadows. The woman was instantly on her guard.

"Who are you?" she asked gruffly.

Fenrin sauntered up closer. "Name's Fenrin. I'm looking for someone."

The woman didn't back down as he stepped forward again, but the man's blue eyes darted back and forth between them.

"Oh?" the woman asked.

"Girl, my age, blonde hair and green eyes. Tattoo of a bear on her shoulder."

Recognition crossed the man's face but the woman didn't react. Fenrin sized the two up quickly and he bolted forward, slamming the man into the wall behind him, his sword at his throat in an instant. The woman pulled out a dagger but she stopped, carefully eying the situation.

"Hey, hey buddy. No need to get rough." The man raised his hands, a crooked smile on his face. "We know Lyra, Zari here just doesn't like nosy people."

Fenrin let the man go and he brushed himself off, Zari looked at him annoyed. "My name's Geryl. Lyra left about a month ago, said she was headed west. You're not the first to come asking, just so you know."

Sheathed his sword, Fenrin said, "I know. So tell me, how long was she with the guild?"

Zari held up a hand and Geryl shut his mouth. She eyed Fenrin closely. "You with her father?"

"You could say that."

"Then we already told your people everything we know."

"Yes, I heard the report. But you and I both know that if Lyra said she was going west, she didn't go west."

Zari shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. Your guess is as good as mine."

The wolfish grin returned to Fenrin's face. "Ah, see that's where we disagree. I have a feeling your guess is much better than mine."

"Not likely. She didn't tell us she was leaving until the day she left. That's all we know. This conversation is over."

Zari signalled Geryl and started to move, Fenrin drew his sword again. "I wouldn't turn your backs to me."

The woman held her dagger higher and in the dim light, Fenrin noticed it's unusual design. It had two prongs curving up from the handle, making an almost trident-like blade.

"Is that a threat?" Zari hissed.

"A warning. You don't leave until I'm satisfied with your answer."

"You realize you're outnumbered right?" Geryl had a short sword in his hand now.

Fenrin's response was to move forward, easily knocking the short sword out of Geryl's hand and pivot, smashing his elbow into Geryl's nose. He yelped and fell down on the street.

Turning in time to see Zari charge, Fenrin blocked her first swing but the prongs on her dagger caught his blade, throwing him off balance. She swiped at him with her other fist and Fenrin leaned back, just catching a glance at the sharp metal secretly protruding between her fingers.

Fenrin released his sword suddenly and kicked upwards, catching Zari in the stomach and knocking her back. He scooped up his sword again and moved towards Zari who recovered almost instantly and expertly moved to catch his blade once more. This time, Fenrin just turned his blade and put his hand on the flat end, pushing and crushing Zari's arm and her knife back towards her.

She kicked him in the stomach, but he just grunted and kept pressing down. She tried to disengage her dagger from his sword but he twisted it, locking them together.

Seconds from being knocked over, Zari let go of her dagger. She swiped at his sword arm, grazing it with her sharp fist. A few drops of blood splattered the floor, but Fenrin caught her arm with his left and, dropping his sword once more, pulled Zari into a grapple.

He got behind her, twisting his grip into a headlock. She scraped his arm, the metal between her fingers gouging his bracer. Geryl stood up, his eyes a bit crossed. As he focused he saw Zari's face turning pale and her eyes roll up as she passed out.

"If I let go now, she'll live. Start talking."

Fenrin saw flashes of emotion across Geryl's face. Concern for Zari, fear for his own life, and lastly the hatred of a man who’s been beaten by stronger men many, many times. Fenrin grinned his predatory grin, relishing that look.

"Alright, alright. Let her go."

Fenrin let Zari's unconscious body thud to the ground, picked up his sword, and slammed its blade a hairsbreadth from Zari's face. Geryl flinched. "The little Tigress wasn't kidding about you guys."

"Tigress?"

Geryl sat back, nursing his once again broken nose. He had regained his composure, hiding his fear behind roguish charm. "Lyra. Listen, it's like Zari said. She up and told us she was leaving one day. Said someone would come asking and to tell you she was heading west. She didn't talk much about her past and in our business it's polite not to ask."

"How long was she with you?"

The man gave a sly grin. "Well Lyra spent many nights with me, as for days-"

Fenrin didn't even remember kicking the man. But before he knew it the man's smile and its implications were under his boot. Geryl let out a bloodied laugh and groaned through gritted teeth. "Don't...ask questions...you don't want answers to."

Fighting to stop himself from crushing the man's neck, Fenrin scolded himself for letting the wretch get to him. He stepped back and grabbed Geryl by the throat, punching him again. Geryl spat up blood on the cobblestones and wheezed. Fenrin kicked his side and felt a rib crack.

Pulling, himself against the wall, Geryl glared at Fenrin through a swollen eye. "Now this feels personal. I know for a fact you're not her lover, so then who..."

Fenrin wrenched him up by his hair, pounding his head against the wall. "I'm her brother, you bastard."

Geryl grinned, blood dribbling from his split gum. "Ah, she never mentioned a brother, but I know she hated her family. Damned them whenever she could. We had a real nice thing going here until your little time limit sent her off."

Fenrin's rage simmered and his mind started racing. He was good at tracking people and when trying to find the start of the trail, the first thing you needed to know was what the prey wanted. Fenrin knew his sister, she was blunt and generally made her wants known. If she really had found a place here, he doubted she'd abandon it completely. Not with the craving for attachment he knew she felt.

He dropped the man who sucked in his breath painfully as he hugged his ribs.

Lyra always wanted to know what was going on. Years of hiding in the walls of the estate kept her privy to Bryn's plans. Maybe she wanted to do the same here. Maybe she never left. Maybe she stayed hidden from friend and foe, awaiting to see how Bryn's messengers handled the news.

If that was the case then she'd know he was in town, that he was on her trail.

"Dammit." If she knew he came, she'd be leaving as quickly as she could without a trace. He needed bait, something to slow her down. He glanced at Geryl. The man could work but he'd be a pain to travel with in his condition. But the woman, Zari, she was tough and dangerous.

"Give me your belt."

Geryl gurgled a laugh. "Sorry laddy, ladies only."

Fenrin kicked him over and pulled Geryl's belt from his pants loops. Using it to lash Geryl's arms behind his back.

"Stand up."

"Not bloody likely."

"I can carry you, but I'm in a hurry. You can stand up and walk or I can start taking fingers."

Geryl's hands twitched and Fenrin saw his threat take.

He stood up, wincing as he uncurled his body. Fenrin turned him around and pushed him into the dead end's corner so Fenrin was between him and escape. Bending over, Fenrin started tying Zari up, using her belt and dagger to hook her arms behind her and to the iron fence that made up the end of the alleyway.

After double checking his handiwork, Fenrin retrieved his sword and plunged it into Zari's leg. Her eyes shot open and she screamed, but it was cut short by Fenrin shoving a piece of cloth in her mouth. Geryl lunged forward, barreling into Fenrin but he easily dodged, spinning the man around by his tied hands and frog marching him out the alley.

"That should slow her down following us. I can actually kill her if want to make a fuss."

"You're a dead man. The guild will track you down and when you die I'll piss on —"

Fenrin cleanly sliced Geryl's right pinky off, covering the man's shout of pain with his hand. Geryl tried to bite him and Fernin moved his hands back to Geryl's tied ones, forcing him out of the alley.

"Every word until we're out of the city is another finger."

Geryl hissed but said nothing as Fenrin marched him to the gates. The guards raised eyebrows at the bloodied man, but one glance at Fenrin's face and they let them pass. One guard even chuckled, "Looks like Geryl finally pissed off the wrong guy. Good riddance."

Fenrin retrieved his horse and from the saddlebag took a bandage to stem the bleeding from Geryl's severed finger. He also added a rope to his bonds to form a sort of leash before mounting and heading out from the city, Geryl, pale from blood loss, stumbling along behind.

The man began to spit curses at Fenrin, who merely sped up the horse until Geryl was too winded to speak. He tripped a few times and was dragged along until he found his footing.

When Taka was well out of view, Fenrin stopped, dismounted, and turned to Geryl. To his credit, the man was standing, dirty and bloodied, but standing. His legs were shaking and his breath rattled.

"Alright, now that we're alone, let's chat." Fenrin yanked the rope and Geryl got spun around and fell onto his back.

Fenrin untied and rope and unceremoniously, dragged Geryl off the road and into the trees. Tossing the wounded man by a large rock, he knelt down. "Where's my sister?"

"Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you, you son of a bitch." Geryl struggled to sit up, leaning against the rock.

"I'm surprised you're willing to die for someone you've only known a year. Was the sex that good, or did she threaten you with something?"

Geryl opened his mouth then closed it. Fenrin obviously wouldn't be goaded with innuendo now. Geryl wiped some blood from his face with his shoulder. "Thieves don't rat each other out."

"I'm surprised Lyra got along with a group with such loyalty. She's quite the opposite, I have a feeling you don't actually know her very well."

"I know enough. She saved my life."

"Intentionally?"

Geryl took too long to answer and Fenrin grinned. "Ha! You're dumber than I thought." Geryl growled but Fenrin leaned in closer. "Let me tell you about my sister. Last time I saw her was our birthday when she poisoned my drink. Now ask yourself if someone who poisoned their own twin brother is someone you're willing to die for."

Geryl spat a bloody gob in Fernin's face. "Everyone's got a past. Having met you myself, I wish the poison she’d used was lethal."

Fenrin wiped his face calmly. "Your loyalty is admirable. Stupid, but admirable. So I'm going to give you a fighting chance to get out of this."

He pushed Geryl onto his stomach, planted a knee on his back, and cut the belt. He took Geryl’s left hand and held it to the ground, slicing off the ring finger. Geryl tried to bite back his scream. When Fenrin released him and stood up, Geryl curled into a ball, pressing his bleeding hand into his already copper stained shirt.

Fenrin picked up the finger and put it in a bag. "Here's what I think, Geryl. I think my sister also admired the guild's loyalty. I think she didn't want to leave and so she actually stuck around, spying on the men who came looking for her. After my father's men left, she waited to see if Bryn would come, ready to flee at the slightest chance. I think when she saw me, she followed the same plan.

"Now whether she went south or west is the question. So I propose you go south and I go west. All you have to do is find her, give her a simple message and you're free to return to Taka only two fingers short. Now if I find her and give the message, I'll come back and finish you off. I'd say that gives you a pretty good shot."

Geryl stared up at Fenrin. "How do I know you won't just follow me, or kill me anyway?"

"I won't follow you because I can't risk her getting away to the west. If you find her and deliver the message, I won't kill you because I don't care whether you live or die."

Geryl considered this and Fenrin knelt down and patted that man on his shoulder. "Look I'll even let you take the horse."

"And the message?"

"Ah, yes." Fenrin took out a paper and piece of charcoal out of his saddlebag and scribbled a note, tucked it in an envelope, and dropped it by Geryl's face.

"There. I don't care if you read it. You have one week. If you find her then your fate's in her hands. If you don't, then I suggest you make the most of your short life. Now, I've given you enough handicaps, I can't afford to give you a headstart so I suggest you get moving."

He turned and left, heading due west. Geryl slowly and painfully reached out and took the letter, pulling it out of the envelope.

Lyra,

Father wants you back. If you return there will be no punishment, just a position at his side. We're not children anymore, there's no need to compete. Let's work together.

If you don't come, Bryn will come to you. I was kind to the people who sheltered you, but you know if he comes, Taka will burn.

I will be at The Spotted Mare in seven days. I will wait there for three. If you do not show up, I will return to the estate with your refusal and join father in finding you and finish what I started.

As for this messenger. I'm curious how you'll repay his loyalty. His life is in your hands.

Fenrin