Sunset. Last auburn rays of the sun sparkled on the sea, rocked back and forth by the waves. They appeared almost like small glinting fires, glinting on the water that gained a dark, almost black tone this time of the day. The stones of houses, squeezed in tight, crooked streets with many dark corners and dead ends were warm from the light, but the night already begun reaching after the lands with the long fingers of shadows.
The door banged behind him. Athran glanced over his shoulder, still holding an empty wineskin in his hand, then shrugged and begun walking. An old innkeeper that refuses to rent a room for more than three nights was not something to worry about, after all. And it was time for him to leave this town.
His feet carried him to the ports. There were many ships around, sailors, just as slaves, carrying bags and crates to and from the decks. He stopped, hid the empty bottle in his bag, and begun searching for a ship to Yoreiq, and preferably a cheap one, since he didn't have much money left. Confused by the number and variety of all the boats, he stopped a man, walking by, to ask for directions.
"Does anything in here go to Yoreiq?"
The man fleetly pointed at one of the larger ships. "That does." he growled. Athran nodded, and without bothering with thanking him, he trailed towards it. There was a woman, standing behind the narrow plank of wood, leading from the pier onto the deck, overlooking the stock on the ship. The elf ran up towards her, searching for his money bag in numerous pockets between the layers of clothes he wore.
"Is this the ship that's sailing to Yoreiq?" he asked. The woman nodded. "It is. Do you need to get there?"
"Indeed, I do." Athran finally found the rugged bag, made of black leather, and pulled it out from beneath his tunic. It seemed unnaturally light, but that was no surprise after coming through half of the inns in the whole town.
He shook it. It hardly made a sound.
He opened it, and peered into it - and there was only Maigrod's black scale and a couple of rocks inside.
