track of every person that comes and goes in a city of this size,” she agreed, not bothered by his response. “But I bet you can find out.”
His lips parted in a grin, revealing crooked teeth. “Eh, I can. So what’s the info worth to ya, guildie?”
She dug into her shirt pocket and held up two gold coins, which was a fortune to these children. Siobhan enjoyed watching his mouth drop open. “Two coins if you can give me the day they entered. Four coins if you can tell me when they left and which direction they were headed.”
He recovered his composure and swallowed hard before saying through a dry mouth, “It’ll take a good day or more to find out.”
“I’m searching in other ways to find them,” she warned him. “So you better find out quick. But when you do, I’m at the North Bay Inn. Ask for me and I’ll come to you.”
He nodded slowly, having a hard time taking his eyes off those coins until she put them away again.
“In the meantime,” she stood back up, waving at the food, “think of this as a good faith payment and eat up.”
“Ya drive a hard bargain,” Lenney complained. From the way his eyes shone, he didn’t mean it but hoped to weasel more out of her.
“I’m downright generous, and you know it,” she retorted with a grin. “Come to me with good news quick, Lenny. And be ready to give me details, otherwise I won’t believe you.”
He looked offended that she thought he would lie, but they both knew he would if he thought he could get by with it. With a last wave, she turned and headed back the way she had come.
Twenty feet away from the children, they finally dove into the food like ravaging wolves. She didn’t pause, but kept walking, finally turning a corner and passing completely out of sight.
Wolf leaned in and murmured, “You think you can trust the boy?”
“About as far as I can throw him. But four golds will take care of that entire group throughout the winter, so he’s going to make sure to earn it, one way or another.”
“Is that why you offered such a high price?” Wolf shook his head. “Siobhan, I never know with you if you’re being shrewd or generous.”
“What, I can’t be both?”
He just shook his head, amused, and refused to rise to the bait.
They walked in companionable silence for several minutes as they passed out of the street rats’ territory and back into the normal hustle-bustle of the city.
“So, say they made it through here and went on to Sateren as they should have,” Wolf said with a strange look on his face. “I assume that you want to use Grae’s pathfinding to get there quickly.”
Siobhan quirked an eyebrow at him. What did that expression mean? “Of course.”
“You also remember that he doesn’t have a pre-built path made to go to Sateren with?”
She opened her mouth to respond and froze, nothing but a croaking sound emerging. It actually had escaped her immediate notice that they had never gone to Sateren before and so of course Grae didn’t have a path ready that went that direction. “Oh,” she said weakly.
Wolf nodded, unsurprised. “I knew it. You hadn’t thought that far ahead.”
Siobhan’s head dropped so that it hung in despair. “We’re going to be digging around in cold ground for stones, aren’t we?”
“We certainly are.” He tried to smile but it came out as more of a grimace. “Digging in the cold ground with a fussing, nitpicking Grae hovering around issuing orders. Now isn’t that something to look forward to.”
“Shut it, I’m trying not to think about it.” Actually, just imagining it gave her a headache.
“Maybe if we made it clear we’re in a hurry?” Wolf trailed off and rubbed his chin. “Although that didn’t do any good last time.”
“Or maybe Hammon will distract him with more questions and he won’t be as naggy this time,” Siobhan offered hopefully.
“You realize that’s wishful thinking.”
“If you don’t stop that, I’m making you sleep outside tonight.”
He raised both hands in surrender and didn’t say another word.
No, Wolf was right, no way would distracting Grae work. On the other hand…. “Since we’re going to be here for a good day anyway waiting on informants to get back to us, maybe I can split up our manpower a little? Say, have three people go out to start putting a path together, while the rest of us search the city?”