The lone wooden shop was our destination.
Because of the nature of the docks, very few vendors were able to keep a shop running all the time. Instead, they would just set up a booth, then take it down once their wares were sold or they needed to move on to the next place. If a shop was going to stay year-round, then it would be safer to buy a license and set up in town where more people would have access to buy your wares.
The scaled woman behind the counter of the curiosities shop had her bare feet propped up on the counter while she was leaning back in a wooden chair. She was dressed in tan shorts and a top that covered less than it left exposed. Her slitted yellow eyes locked on to us as soon as we walked in. She adjusted the bandana on her head as she rose to her feet.
“Blanch! Get out here and cover the front!” Talia smiled broadly as she spread her hands and approached us. “Garm! My favorite pirate!”
“Not a pirate yet.” My father set down his load so he could give the brown and green scaled woman a hug. “Not as long as you keep me honest.” He winked at her as he pulled back.
“I do what I can.” She turned her attention to me and Vin. “Your boys can set those down in the back, they know the place.” She turned back to Garm. “You can bring yours with me. We have a lot to talk about.”
“Aye.” The Dwarf picked his crate up. “Madam Rosa told me about the wedding.”
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The Gorgon paused, then turned back to us. “Best not to talk about such things here.” She looked around. “BLANCH! GET OUT HERE!”
A four-foot tall brown-furred rabbit biped in oil stained brown coveralls cautiously bounced out of the back. The Lepan bowed her head, dropping her long ears as she knelt. “I’m sorry missus. I wasn’t finished…”
“You can work back there later.” Talia cut her off. “We have a new shipment and I need you to watch the front.”
“Of course.” Blanch kept her head bowed.
“That’s a good bun-bun.” Talia petted the Lepan on the head. “Watch over everything while I’m out.”
The rabbit-girl smiled and I saw the row of sharp shark teeth. I’d seen one of her kind fight once. Between the powerful kicks and their sharp teeth, the giant octopus had been shredded in minutes.
Talia walked into the back of her shop, which was much larger than the front. There were open crates everywhere, with items scattered about. To anyone else, they would think that the shop was a mess, but I knew that the Gorgon knew exactly where everything was. Wherever something was placed was for a reason and I was smart enough not to try to organize things again.
Vin and I set down our crates in the empty space near the back where we always did, then waited for Talia to finish opening the secret hatch in the wall. A slab of stone from the city wall peeled back, revealing stairs that led underground.
It was the common meeting place for Talia’s clients. At least the ones she trusted. It was also where she kept all the illegal stuff.
Garm went down first, then Vin and I followed. The Camadt had to hunch over to get in. The hole was intended for smaller beings that were under six feet tall. Part of that may have been to make things more difficult if the Elves ever discovered this place. Or it may have been as simple as that was what they had to work with. Either way, it was a place that the Elves didn’t know about, so it was somewhere that we could talk in private.