Cobb is not the man I expected to meet when we were led deep into the close, shadowy, winding confines of the Arrowhead, but I was quick enough realising that he makes a clear kind of sense in a place like this, especially in this company. Maybe it’s a generalisation given his blood, but kyuso are generally looked down upon with even more fervent hate by most than goblins, which is saying something in itself. Even so, I’m impressed to find one who’s risen quite so high in the Thieves Guild, but two minutes with him was enough to make it clear Cobb’s definitely a man who’s fully capable of discharging the duties required of his position.

A man … that’s a word that few indeed would willingly proscribe to someone who’s essentially a very large rat that can talk, walk around upright and nimbly handle tools with his impressively dextrous paws. His black fur’s streaked with a whole lot of grey, he’s definitely showing his age and I know his kind don’t live that long to begin with, and while it’s somewhat bristly and coarse it’s nowhere near as matted and dirty as you see on street rats. He clearly looks after himself, dressing up more in deference to others than his own personal needs, clad in leather gear very much in keeping with his Guild, and even wears a small dagger strapped at either hip. Altogether he’s intelligent, polite and very charming, and I’m already starting to like him. Far as I’m concerned that’s enough to make him a man in my eyes.

The Arrowhead’s a genuine warren once you’re inside it, but it’s perfect territory for a kyuso. At barely two feet tall, Cobb spends much of his time travel time scrabbling on all fours, but he moves faster and with greater dexterity than most of us can on two feet, using whatever’s to hand to jump from floor to seat to table to wherever he need to be. In deference to Big Man we ain’t holding our meeting in his office, which was more like the burrow of a small beast, but then I guess given his size he doesn’t need much room for day-to-day work. Instead he took us deeper into the maze, going down a few levels into something like a mess hall, and within minutes he had the whole place cleared out so we could have suitable privacy. Some were more reluctant to leave than others, but none seemed willing to talk back to Cobb once he started ordering ‘em out before they could finish their meals. That told me enough about the senior thief all on its own, the kind of respectful deference he clearly encourages from every person I seen him interact with here.

“So what you’re basically saying is you run up against a brick wall. I got that straight?” He regards me with bright, beady black eyes, his gaze unfaltering.

“Essentially, yeah.” I shoot a look at Gael, who’s gripping their staff the way they always do when they’re anxious. They don’t hold my gaze for long.

“And the lead this Sonagh mentioned, you reckon we might be able to help you with it, that the idea?”

“Again, essentially.” I sit forward in the simple wooden chair and lean my wrists across my knees as I look back up at him. “It sounded like it had potential before, then we started getting shot at, which kind of added weight to the argument.”

“I should say so.” Cobb looks down for a moment, then prods a plate aside on the tabletop he’s chosen as his perch and drops into a comfortable crouch, thoughtfully scratching the fur under his jaw. Most of us took whatever seats were to hand when asked to sit, Driver 8 preferring to stand like always, but Cobb seemed happier jumping up onto the nearest table so he could get on a relative level with the rest of us. It’s taken a little getting used to, but I’m starting to see the sense in it. “It’s an ugly mess, all of it. Folk disappearing the way they are, ain’t good business for anyone. Worse for the families, o’ course, but …”

“So you’re aware of it? This problem, why Darion was here in the first place?”

He cocks his head a little, regarding me for a moment. “it’s interesting, most folk would’ve asked if we had anything to do with it ourselves, ‘least in a roundabout way.”

“Well, it’s like you said. It’s bad business.” I look at Art now, who’s sat on Gael’s far side with a complicated expression on his face, conspicuously avoiding my gaze again. “Besides, I been round one o’ you lot long enough to know a bit about how you operate. You don’t prey on the poor, so it wouldn’t make any sense you’d be involved. But it does you’d know something was going on.”

Cobb looks Art’s way too, and I swear it gets him squirming a little. “It’s true. We don’t conduct much business past the Square, ‘least not that kind. Those that can turn a decent profit pay us for protection, but we don’t ask more’n can be afforded. As for the highborns, well, they put up with our thievin’ as the cost o’ being rich in one of our cities, ‘least if they know what’s good for ‘em, or they do their best to keep us out but nothing more. An’ the townsguard are smart enough not to stick their noses where it’s liable to get ‘em cut off.”

“So what about Master Yevnik?”

This makes Cobb bare his teeth, and it’s surprisingly intimidating for one so diminutive. He gives a long hiss clearly full of disgust. “Kur’s killers are … not my purview, I’m afraid. I got no say in how that side of our capital gets earned, any more’n he does on mine. That being said, he ain’t involved in this shit either. He’s a cold bastard, but there’d be no more point for him in it than for me.”

“No chance it could be somebody else in your organisation, maybe? Doing this without your knowledge?” I don’t wince at the particularly sharp look he gives me when I say that, but I certainly want to. “Y’know I gotta ask, right?”

Still baring his teeth, Cobb shrugs with clear bitterness. “Yeah, you do. Don’t mean I gotta like it.” Sitting back on his haunches, he takes a deep breath and his expression smooths out as much as it can, hopefully a good sign. “None o’ mine’d be so stupid, even if they could find some kinda worthwhile profit. As for Kur’s, well … he’d take their livers while they were still alive and feed ‘em back.”

I look at Gael again, and this time they don’t shy from me. The worry’s still clear in their eyes, though, their knuckles tight. Still, they summon their will up enough to ask the question clearly gnawing at ‘em. “Have any of your people gone missing, Master Cobb?”

Damn, why didn’t I think o’ that? Seems a pretty pressing detail to overlook.

Certainly Cobb thinks it is, he manages something approximating a cocked half-smile. “Matter o’ fact, no. They ain’t. Which says something on its own.”

“Yeah,” I nod along. “Means whoever they are, they’re smart enough not to fuck round with you. Reckon same’s the case with the local townsguard. Fair guess?”

“From what we can tell, yeah. I suspect it’s a major factor in why the local guards ain’t looked into it further’n passing observation.”

“You have though, ain’t you. This is happening in your territory, and even though they’re leaving your folk alone it’s still disrupting your precious status quo, ‘least in local quarters. Folk are on edge ‘cause of it, and sooner or later reckon someone’s gonna start wondering whether this means it ain’t worth paying you protection any more. Y’know, since you ain’t stopping it.” I cock my brow and fix him with my stare.

To his credit, Cobb just looks right back with his own inscrutable calm. “More or less, yeah. Wouldn’t say we ain’t doin’ nothing, mind.”

“Well we’d be grateful for any information you could help us along with.”

Cobb grins at that, and it’s more like a genuine smile that an intimidation display this time. “Well that’s the trick, ain’t it? You do get we ain’t running a charity here. By our very definition the Thieves Guild is pretty opposite to the temples, Mistress Shoon. This is very much a business here. We don’t do anything for free.”

“In other words, what’s it worth to us?”

He narrows the grin, but it simply becomes more shrewd. “Precisely.”

Once again, I turn to look round at the others, particularly Gael, who’s watching Cobb with something like frustration in their eyes, and Art, who’s just shamefaced. He can’t even meet my gaze for a single beat. Shay, on the other hand, looks mostly curious right now, intrigued by this development. I take a deep breath and turn back to Cobb. “Us, we’d be grateful. It’s the Silver Order you’d be dealing with if you wanna talk about those kinds of terms.”

The smile fades the rest of the way now as Cobb gives me the sharpest, most intense look-over so far, his eyes shining and his face shrewd. Finally he turns to look across the room, searching for a moment, then raises a paw and snaps his fingers.

A halfling materialises largely from out of thin air a few moments later, less than three feet to my right, and it’s all I can do to keep from jumping out my chair and drawing Hefdred. “Yessir.” She tips a nod to Cobb, taking a moment to look me over with a surprisingly critical eye, but otherwise she’s impressively still, stood as rigidly upright as a well-drilled soldier called to attention, feet together, hands clasped behind her back.

Halflings live longer than humans, and once they’ve finished puberty they tend to age slower too, but even so she’s young, ‘least compared to some of us. Pretty too, although unusually thin in face for her kind, her features surprisingly angular, giving something of a fox’s bearing matched by some clear, sparky intelligence in her bright green eyes. She’s got the classic thick mop of unruly curls, though, such a dark auburn the hair’s almost black in the lantern light, and her face is creamy pale as Gael’s save for a generous dusting of tan freckles. She’s dressed very much of a fashion with most everyone else we seen in here so far, making it clear this is something of an unofficial uniform in the Guild. The leather of her armour’s typically well-made, but unlike most I seen she don’t carry any visible weapons at all, which would be almost as unthreatening as her oversized bare feet if it didn’t just make me more wary of her than if she made more of a show of being armed …

“Darwyn, luv, you remember that thing we discussed yesterday?” Cobb says it so matter-of-fact they could be discussing the weather.

“Which thing’d that be, Master Cobb? We talked about a bunch last few days in particular. It’s been proper weird out there lately.”

Cobb cocks his head and regards her for a moment. “Put a little thought into it, Dar.”

The halfling blinks, surprised, then turns to me, looks me over with a very discerning eye. Then the others, lingering for a moment on Art, who I note now looks pretty sour again, actually. Longer still on Yeslee, but it’s Driver 8 who really gives her pause now, as though she’s only now realised he’s here. That said, if she’s intimidated she hides it well enough. “Um … no, boss. Reckon you mean the sellswords, right? This ain’t them, not even close. Way different crew, that one.”

“Yeah, I know that, Dar. Just wanted to know if you remembered about ‘em in the first place. Was you filled me in ‘bout it in the the first place, remember?”

She frowns now, and for just a moment I think she might actually talk back about it, but she just takes a breath and rolls with the reprimand. “Sure, boss. I gotcha. Yeah, I remember, three of ‘em, out-o’-towners like this lot. Well, mostly.” She’s looking at Art again, and I swear there’s some venom in her stare now. Our own prowler, on the other hand, clearly prefers to keep his eyes on his interlaced paws now as he sits back and twiddles his thumbs.

I can’t help it, something about the way she’s glaring makes me feel awful defensive. “I’m sorry … is there a problem here?”

Cobb’s brow arches. “Oh, yes, forgive me. Mistress Shoon, this is Darwyn Trustfoot, one o’ my best prowlers. I’m grooming ‘er for big things, so she’s been shouldering a fair few matters a good deal bigger’n liberating goods from a few rich estates or helping luxury imports fall off a wagon or two.” His sigh is sheepish, but he ain’t even trying to make it convincing. “She also grew up with young Zuldrad and our erstwhile bakaneko.”

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“We parted on … less’n the best of terms.” Darwyn’s response is dripping with sarcasm as she continues to bore a hole into Art’s head with her eyes.

Finally looking up, there’s real heat in Art’s own eyes now as he just glares right back. “Oh no, believe me, you weren’t the one left with a whole bunch o’ scars from that particular split, thank you very fucking much.”

“Y’know what? Might surprise you to learn that there’s other folk in this world ‘sides yourself, an’ they got shit that’s important to ‘em too they can’t just turn their backs on. Ain’t all just about you, hairball.”

“When did I ever say it was?” He sits up now, leaning forward in his chair as he rounds on her, and I swear if this goes on much longer one of these two might just go for each other. “I made it perfectly clear why I couldn’t stay anymore, an’ I would’ve respected your decision not to come with me if you’d acted less of an arse about it.”

“Come again? I was being an arse?” Darwyn takes a step towards him now, no longer bothering with her drilled attitude anymore, and I can see now her style of bracers are all but identical to his. Knowing Art well as I do I know he keeps a pair of slim stilettos hidden in each, so she might be armed after all. “D’you want a reminder of how that conversation actually went, or d’you –”

“Children, please, can we just table this shit for later, maybe?” Cobb raises his voice just a little, but somehow it seems to cut right through the room clear as a thunderbolt, and they both turn to him with a good deal of surprise but also more than a little scolded regret. “This is s’posed to be business, remember? Let’s keep it professional.”

“Sorry, boss.” Darwyn says it first, but Art’s close behind, both sheepishly lowering their eyes, but there’s still a moment where they share a quick but particularly baleful glare before finally submitting.

Cobb might roll his eyes, I can’t really tell. “As I was saying before, Darwyn?”

Looking down for a few moments, I get the distinct impression the halfling’s counting to ten as much as she’s recollecting her thoughts. Finally she lets out a slow, controlled sigh before looking up again. “Before sunset day before last, these sellswords … that’s the other ones … they got attacked. Broad daylight, after a fashion, right out in public, middle of the street. Bunch o’ folk in black, wearing masks. Kinda like they didn’t give the first good fuck if they got seen murdering ‘em. ‘Cept they clearly didn’t reckon on their targets being quite so good as they were, cuz they all wound up dead.”

That makes me blink, and I turn to the others, particularly Gael, who’s frowning deep, and Shay, who’s looking right back at me. Art’s looking up now too, and while his look’s still pretty complex looking at her, there’s definitely more curiosity than anything else in the mix now. This might just be something.

“Anything else special about it?” Cobb’s looking at me now, I notice.

“Well, apparently more’n one of ‘em didn’t die from their wounds, ‘least the guards finally found the bodies didn’t think they did. Truth be told none of ‘em had the first fucking clue how they died. Got ‘em proper spooked, I hear.”

Oh, wow … now that really is something. I catch Gael’s eye in particular again, and they almost seem shook. I reach up and brush the hair back out of my face almost without even thinking about it. “Was it … did it seem almost like they’d drowned? Maybe … their faces were kinda like they’d been in the water for a while? All bloated an’ gross and shit, I mean.”

“Whoa …” Darwyn’s eyes lock on mine, seeming a little startled and even more suspicious. “How the hell’d you –”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” I turn back to Cobb. “When we were with Sonagh earlier and we got attacked, Art an’ Shay managed to catch a couple of ‘em alive, but they didn’t stay that way for long.”

“Bloody weird it was, damn near the scared the life outta me.” Art visibly shudders, looking haunted again as he remembers. “It was like they was just … yeah, I’d say maybe it was a bit like they was drowning. Drowning on dry land. Like they was just choking on the air in their throat, like it was killing ‘em. Poor bastard died bad. And what was left over was not pretty.”

Shay winces, nodding her agreement with his sentiment, but doesn’t look as stricken by the implications. Or maybe she’s just hiding it better.

Nodding, Cobb pushes himself upright out of his crouch. “Yeah, that pretty much tracks with what I heard just before y’all turned up. Not only the same mess, but the same result. Means you definitely wanna talk to those mercs.”

So that was what Sonagh must’ve been getting at. I nod my own agreement and can’t help sitting forward a little more in my increasingly eager hope this might genuinely be the lead we been chasing. “Don’t suppose you might be able to point us in their direction? In the spirit of cooperation, if you will. Like I said, the Order’s be real appreciative.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt it.” Cobb nudges another plate aside with his toes to make a little more room for himself before jumping down into the same empty chair he used to climb onto the table and then the floor again. “And I’m definitely gonna be taking ‘em up on that, given how generous they’d be expected to be under the circumstances. Otherwise I’d be remiss in my duties to the Guild, wouldn’t I?” He looks up at me, and any humour left in him seems to have vanished once more. “Ain’t why I’m helping you, mind.”

Cocking my brow, I can’t help shooting a look to Art, who’s still watching his former superior. “Feeling sentimental all of a sudden, are we?”

Somehow the grin he manages this way seems almost playful, but it doesn’t last long. “Hardly. No, this shit’s serious, I’m helping you cuz we’re all in the same boat. These pricks clearly know better’n to fuck with us, but still making us look bad all the same. This goes on too long it’s gonna stir some more bad feelings up and that won’t be good for what little hard-won peace we managed to scrape together since those arseholes from up north decided to make things so complicated for us. That shit’s bad for business too.”

I watch him for a few moments, thinking it over. What he’s saying makes a fair bit of sense, and it ain’t like the Thieves Guild are known for being a particularly charitable outfit. By reputation as well as their very name, they’re a decidedly criminal enterprise. But something about the way Cobb looks at Art, even if he is so very hard to read … I don’t quite buy it. Reckon I might’ve called it right after all. “I guess it is, Master Cobb.”

“Damn straight.” He nods. “That’s why Dar’s going with you. She’s protecting our investment.”

“Wait, what?” Darwyn blanches, seeming genuinely thrown by this development. Even Art blinks in surprise, although at least he catches himself enough not to voice the thought I suspect he’s just had.

“You got all the information you need to help ‘em on their way, and you’re one o’ the only ones round here I trust on this.”

“But …” Darwyn blanches, searching for words. “I thought –”

“Can I be blunt with you, Dar?”

She watches him for a moment, frowning now. “Um … yeah, I guess. Boss.”

“You’re ambitious an’ you can be proper ruthless when you gotta be, but you got a good heart underneath it all. Just cuz I said we ain’t involved in this don’t mean I’m sure about that. I want somebody in this I know for a fact ain’t bent. Art’s already in this, but he’s been outta the loop for a while. They need you.”

“Yeah, but …” Darwyn looks at Art now, and while there’s still hostility in it, she seems less sure of it now. Might be just cuz she’s rattled still, but might be there’s more to it. “Men an’ him, it’s complicated –”

“Dar, I ain’t asking. You’re going.” He gives her a particularly firm look, I think. It’s interesting, seeing him stood in front of her now, he’s definitely small but so’s she, so while he has to look up to her it ain’t too great a difference between ‘em. Finally he gives her a companionable slap on the arm. “Sides, could be good for you. Give you a chance to straighten that shit out once an’ for all.” He turns away before she can respond, looking to me again.

“That’s very generous of you, Master Cobb.”

Cobb just shrugs. “It’s smart, is what it is. I can’t do it, for a whole bunch o’ reasons. She’s good, real good, almost good as Art is, I’d say. You’ll find ‘er proper useful. Just please bring ‘er back in the same condition, aye?” He extends his paw.

“Aye.” I don’t pause in taking it, even though I’m nervous with such a small paw. My own hand engulfs it and a good deal of his wrist too, but I’m gentle as I can be shaking it. For his part, Cobb just looks me in the eye, clearly making a point. “I’ll try.”

He smiles a little again when I let go. “Well, good luck with it. We’ll be in touch in due course about remuneration.”

I can tell it’s meant as a joke, but they’ll do it all the same. Not that it matters too much to me – we need this, and we’ve been reminded more than once the Order’ll do whatever they got to if it helps us solve this, so remuneration’s on them. When they come calling I can just point ‘em towards Saxiros and let that officious dragonhalf shoulder the burden, an’ I might even enjoy it. So I just smile back as conspiratorial as I can. “Course you will. Anything else we need to know? Even if it’s a stretch, smallest little push’ll still help.”

This time he cocks his head, looking me up and down again. Finally he simply shrugs. “I’ll get back to you if anything comes up I reckon might help. Fair enough?”

“Yeah.” I nod as I finally push my way up to standing again. “Reckon it’ll do.”

“Good. Young Zuldrad’ll no doubt be round to pass on anything I turn up.” He looks past me to Art’s hobgoblin friend, who’s spent the whole meeting stood quietly off to one side, saying nothing, mostly just blending in with his surroundings. Truth be told I’d pretty much forgotten he’s there. He snaps to attention now, though.

“Boss?” He blinks, caught out sure as Darwyn was.

“Try not to shit yourself, Zul. I know you too well.” Cobb’s smile;s grown more subtle. “You’ll be keepin’ an eye on ‘em all, sure enough. ’Least this way I can make use o’ you while you’re at it.”

Zuldrad just stands there for a moment, mouth open some, then finally closes it again. He doesn’t quite a scowl, but I suspect he’s fighting one. “Sure, boss. That’s all right with me.”

Cobb just keeps smiling his little smile. “I’ll just add it to the bill, how ‘bout that?”

“Makes no difference to me, it’s the Order’s gonna be footing it.”

Nodding, Cobb looks me over for a moment more, and I’m still deeply curious about what he’s actually looking for, what he’s seeing. His stare ain’t like the one that creep Yevnik kept giving me, greedy as he detected a potential opportunity, this one’s appraising but softer. Definitely more respectful. I don’t have trouble holding his eyes. Finally he tips me a little salute as he starts to turn away. “Well I wish you all good luck, Mistress Shoon. Gods know you’re gonna need it.”

That has me frowning, I can’t help it, but I let him go all the same. Staying on his hind feet for now, he waddles past Darwyn and Art, who’ve been trying to stare each other down since the conversation turned from them, and I suspect they lost track of everything else while they were at it. “Watch yourself out there, Dar. Don’t you dare let me down.”

Giving a start, Darwyn snaps to attention and clearly has to work out how to respond. Art beats her to it, though, as he pushes himself up out of his chair. “Reckon she’ll be fine. Whatever else she is, she’s a pro.”

“It is good to see you again, lad.” Cobb reaches up with his paw, and Art immediately stoops to shake it. “You landed on your feet, looks like. Always knew you would.”

“Couldn’t have done any of it without what you taught me, boss.” He lets go at last, but instead of straightening up he drops into a crouch in front of the kyuso. “I’m sorry ‘bout how we left things, it wasn’t the right way to –”

“You had to go, Art. I get it. Yevnik … he would’ve broke you if you’d stayed, I reckon. I never faulted you on your choice, it was the wise move. I just missed you.”

For a long moment they just look at each other, and I suspect Art really wants to hug his former mentor, or whatever he really is to him. In the end Art simply reaches out and rests his paw on Cobb’s shoulder, and they give each other a respectful nod. Art stands up as he lets go, and Cobb simply turns to give Darwyn a last look before leaving. Again she opens her mouth to speak, but in the end resolves herself to the lot she’s found herself saddled with.

Turning back to Zuldrad as the others start getting up too, I look the hob over for a moment. “Y’know you might as well just come with us. Be a whole bunch less hassle than having you shadow us the whole time. Thorin knows it’ll work better for my nerves.”

“Mine too.” Yeslee confirms, somewhat surprising him now she’s suddenly right behind him, staring down with one of her sterner looks.

He just looks up at her over his shoulder for a moment, then turns back to me, finally nodding. “In that case, I got gear to snag before we head out, if you don’t mind.”

“Same here.” Darwyn’s joined us now, studiously ignoring Art as he frowns down at her with his arms folded tight across his chest. I get the feeling she’s nowhere near so appreciative of his attempt to back her up as he’d like. “Shadow-boy can lead you out, don’t reckon you lot got any more need of an escort now we’re done with this … whatever it was. Me an’ Zul will meet you outside the Fleet Gate when we’re done.”

“Wouldn’t it be easier for us to come with an’ then you can just come out with us?” Art clearly puts as much of his sigh into it as he can.

Darwyn turns to him at last, and she’s glaring daggers at him again. “You ain’t welcome anywhere near my quarters anymore, fur-brain. You lost them privileges for good.” She turns to look up at me, thoughtful for a moment, finally giving a very respectful nod. “Mistress Shoon.” She’s gone without another word, and again I’m impressed by how deft she moves as I lose track of her well before she makes it to the door. A moment later Zuldrad steps past me, turning on his heels to tip his own nod, then he follows at a more casual pace.

“How does she do that?” Shay breathes, at my side now.

“Quite something, ain’t it?” I cast a sidelong grin her way, and she slowly returns it.

“Yeah, well …” Art’s scowling after her even though she’s clearly left the room now. “She’s damn good, I’ll give ‘er that. But she’s trouble.”

“You gonna be okay with this?” Reckon I already know the answer but I still gotta ask.

“Not even a little bit.” He turns back to me now, and while he’s still frustrated there’s something else in his eyes now. I’m almost shocked to see it, really. He looks haunted. “Ain’t got too much choice in the matter though, do I?”

“Art …” I try to come up with something that might comfort him, but nothing presents itself.

“Look at it this way, boss.” He shrugs. “Least now you know why I didn’t wanna come.”