The Bounty Hunter

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Scaera was as disorganised as Safita remembered, a messy mass of houses, inns and shops all crammed in to the smallest place possible. It had none of the beauty of the ‘official’ cities, but at the same time it was strangely alluring, like the hole which a lost tooth leaves in the gum; it was so different that it contained a much different kind of beauty. Or maybe its beauty stemmed from the potential for Safita to earn money.

She led Sansa through the streets slowly, not wishing to trample any of the many pedestrians underfoot but also allowing her horse a well-deserved rest. They had reached Scaera faster than ever before, cutting nearly half a day off their journey and now the pair needed a break. Safita headed straight for The Flying Dagger, dismounting fluidly and handing the reigns over to a stable boy before bracing herself and taking one last breath of fresh air.

The stench of the inn was vile, the heat and smell of the many bodies crowded inside it making Safita’s eyes water as she pushed her way up to the bar. “Have you heard about anyone asking for the Spider?” she asked the barman quietly, her voice drowned by the raucous cries of the other men.

“Yes, there’s one foolhardy man who’s been hanging around for a while now. Don’t know why he wants to see the Spider; it’ll only get him into trouble.”

“Have you seen Ultuc recently?”

“You don’t want to be mixing with the likes of him either, I’ll tell you that now,” the barman said. Quicker than he could blink Safita pulled the knife from her sleeve and stabbed the wood beside his hand. “I know you’re trying to be helpful To, but you’re wasting my time and my time is precious.” To just stared at the knife beside his hand with his eyes wide. “You shouldn’t react like that,” she remonstrated, “you ought to be used to it by now.”

“I’m sorry Mistress Safita, I didn’t realise- Please don’t harm me, I didn’t mean nothing when I said-”

“Look, just tell me where Ultuc is.”

“He’s not here; not yet, at least.”

“Oh thank fortune,” she exclaimed with a grin. “Where’s the man who was enquiring after the Spider?”

“He’s not here. He’ll be back though. He’s always hanging around here,” the barman muttered.

“What does he look like?”

“Can’t tell you that,” the barman said.

“Why not?”

“I mean, not that I don’t want to,” he said hurriedly, “but he keeps his hood up all the time, dunn’e? Not unlike yourself, but you get a lot of strange types around here.”

“Are you implying that I’m strange To?”

“No, not at all Mistress, just that he might be,” he backtracked hurriedly.

“Do you know when he’ll be back?” she asked, her patience beginning to wear thin.

“Not in the slightest but he does come and ask for the Spider every night.”

Safita slapped a coin onto the counter in front of her and said, “Well, in that case, I’ll take a private room and you can tell him that he’s in luck tonight.” With that she gathered her cloak around her and strode towards the small door which led to her favourite room in the inn, the crowd parting in front of her and staring in awe, whispers sounding behind her like leaves muttering in a breeze. Safita slammed the door behind her and lit a few of the candles, creating alternating pools of light and shadows which clung to every edge and crevice. Safita settled herself in the chair at the edge of a halo of light and settled down to wait.