Cloaked in black, he slouched in the rear corner of the Leeward Inn. His hood fell low over his eyes and shadowed his upper face. Stalamen’s flowing garment covered most of his body with liquid black fabric. An amber and black weasel like creature lay across his shoulders. Slowly he pulled on the long clay pipe in his mouth. An old battered wooden door on the far wall opened and the strange animal on his shoulders tensed, its ears focused on the new comer and it growled softly. Its long tail curled and swayed from side to side as it stared intensely at the tall dark haired woman. Stalamen’s eyes followed the creature’s gaze as he glanced under his hood at the woman.

            She wore the long neutral green robes of the oppressed Surfs. Her dark hair was splattered with mud and things far worse. In her hands she carried a purse. She glanced around the sparsely populated bar room. The barkeep, a young man with blonde hair and blue eyes spat on her as she walked towards Stalamen. As she neared he averted his gaze and continued to smoke his pipe.

"Your youngest son has extraordinary possibilities," he muttered beckoning her to sit. "I could take the boy off your hands," he paused letting her collect her thoughts, "for a price." He paused, looking at her, "It would be one less mouth to feed this winter."

"How do you know of my child?” she asked looking harshly into his eyes her natural motherly defenses shining like an iron blade behind her eyes.

“I know of many things.” 

She looked at him shiftily and pursing her lips she whispered, “then you must know of his origin, know that he is a bastard from my husband’s brother.”

“All for the better, a child of passion,” Stalamen muttered biting the stem of his pipe and running his tongue over his lips. 

She glared at him with a loathing Stalamen could not absorb and he looked away, “A child of rape,” she spat and threw the purse onto the table.

Stalamen smiled slyly under his hood, this boy had promise. "Bring him here after sundown on the morrow." He reached across the table and pulled the purse towards himself. "Oh, and Surf, let no one know of this meeting."

The woman stood and inverted her gaze, saying, "As you wish, master." She tossed her hood over her face, wrapped her cloak around her and left the smoky Inn.