The watch sergeant took in the dragonborn’s armor with a pained look. “You’re a paladin. I can’t have a paladin working on a jail crew. There will be arguments and fights every day. The churches will protest. Gods, the headaches alone from that will be too much to bear.”
“You can’t refuse my offer,” Thava said. “I have assumed the debt, and I must pay it. I will insist”
Several members of the watch stepped back.
“I really do like her,” Kwan Yung whispered.
Iados cursed and lifted a purse heavy with coins from the inside of his shirt. Til pay for the damages.”
Thava smiled and clapped the tiefling on the shoulder hard enough to jar him to his boot soles. “My companion and I will settle the bill.”
“I don’t see you reaching into your purse,” Iados said.
“I tipped our server for her troubles.”
“So you have nothing?” Iados sounded as though he couldn’t believe it.
“No. Wealth is an unwelcome burden, Iados. I keep telling you that.”
“7 gladly welcome it.”
The watch sergeant, obviously sensing another argument brewing, ordered, “Settle the matter.” She turned her attention to Lukkob. “Do you have a sum in mind?”
“I do.” Lukkob named it and looked apologetically at Iados. “It is a fair price.”
Looking at all the damage, Shang-Li had to agree. He tucked his fighting sticks back up his sleeves.
Grudgingly, Iados counted out gold and silver coins and spread them across the bar. His purse was considerably lighter when he returned it to his shirt. Lukkob scooped up the coins and made them disappear.
“Thank you, Iados,” Thava said happily.
“You’re going to make paupers of us both,” Iados complained.
“But you’ll have lived with honor,” the paladin said. “And honor is its own reward.”
“Honor doesn’t pay the tavern bill or for lodging.” Iados looked gloomy.
“Bahamut always provides.”
“Truly? I find your god provides from my purse quite often when it comes to your service.”
“Don’t blaspheme or question Bahamut. He accepts your faults and you should be grateful for the tasks he gives you.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The watch sergeant gave the command to her men to take their prisoners from the tavern. Outside, a crowd had gathered to watch now that the violence had come to a halt. A few even dared to come in and have a look around. Lukkob immediately informed them there was a charge for gawking. Some of them still stayed and chose to pay the price.
Thava crossed to Shang-Li and grabbed him in a bear hug that crushed the air from his lungs. “It’s good to see you again, my friend.”
Shang-Li patted her on the back, then took a deep breath when she finally released him. “I’ve missed you as well.”
“You’ll have to tell me of your adventures.” Thava smiled, but a dragonborn’s features never looked entirely devoid of threat. “I’m certain you have plenty to tell.” She reached over and casually righted a table with one massive hand. “We can sit here.”
Kwan Yung cleared his throat, managing to sound like as obnoxious as a strangling goose.
“Thava,” Shang-Li said, “may I present my father, Master Kwan Yung of the Standing Tree Monastery. Father, this is Thava, a paladin.”
Thava’s iridescent eyes focused on Kwan Yung. “This is your father?”
“Yes.”
“But he looks so… so… small!’
“Small?” Kwan Yung raised offended eyebrows and stretched himself to his full height, barely topping Shang-Li’s shoulder. “I am not small.”
“No, of course you aren’t, Master Kwan,” Thava said quickly. “My humblest apologies. But from Shang-Li’s description of you, I’d just expected someone much larger, more fierce, and possessing the temperament of an owlbear.”
“That was his description of me?”
“No. It was more the… manner he said you had regarding him. The interpretive image was my own.” Thava smiled. “But I see I was mistaken. Hail and well met, Kwan Yung, father of my friend. I am most pleased to make your acquaintance.”
Shang-Li didn’t know if his father was more upset over the description or by the bone-bruising hug Thava insisted on giving him. When she sat him down on the floor again, his father glared indignantly at Shang-Li.
“Please forgive my companion, Master Kwan,” Iados said smoothly as he stepped into the mix. “I am Iados Lockhyr. A… traveler and entrepreneur.” He bowed. “Your son has spoken of you with nothing but the utmost respect.”
“You are a much better swordsman than you are a liar,” Kwan Yung said.
“I respectfully beg to differ,” Iados objected. “I’ll wager that you’ll find I am a most excellent liar, this topic notwithstanding.”
“Lying is not one of his most endearing qualities,” Thava said. “But I feel obligated to let you know that he is one of the best liars I have ever seen. Do not overtrust him.”
“Thank you, Thava.” Iados looked confused, obviously wondering if he’d been complimented or condemned, but he gestured to the table Thava had righted. “Shall we sit?”
“Aren’t you concerned that the men you fought earlier might return?” Kwan Yung asked.
Thava and Iados looked at each other and smiled. Then Iados said, “No. Not really. And if they do, if would be their mistake. We’ve already paid for the damage to the tavern.” He turned to Lukkob. “If I’ve paid for the tavern, perhaps I could get some service.”
Lukkob grinned at him. “Aye. And I’ll even name one of the new rooms in your honor when I have them built.”
“You’re much too kind,” Iados replied dryly.
One of the servers brought over a bottle of ale for Iados and Thava and fresh tea for Shang-Li and his father.
“Would you like supper as well?” Lukkob asked. “At least the oven is still of a piece.”
“Gentlemen?” Iados asked. “Thava and I had just sat down to eat when we were interrupted.” He leaned forward and pretended to speak so that Thava couldn’t hear. “But I must warn you: it isn’t safe to let a dragonborn get too long between meals. If you know what I mean.”
“I take offense at that,” Thava said.
“Do so,” Iados warned, “and you’ll be washing dishes for your supper.”
“Perhaps I’m not as offended as I’d first thought.” She drummed her large fingers on the table top.
“Supper would be good,” Shang-Li said. “We have much to discuss.”
His father looked at him doubtfully.
“Lukkob sets a fine table,” Iados said, picking up on the unspoken question. “If you’ve been aboardship for the last few days, you’ll find yourself rewarded. And it will be my treat.”
You’ve just won my father’s heart, Shang-Li thought. “Very well,” Kwan Yung said as he moved to take one of the chairs at the table. “Thank you.”
Supper came and went, and it wasn’t long before the candles on the table guttered in the wind that blew through the broken windows. Lukkob had covered the empty spaces with pieces of sailcloth for the time being, but the bitter wind slipped around them carrying the stink of salt and dead fish. The heat from the fireplace didn’t quite fill the room and there was just enough warmth to make Shang-Li long for more.
“You plan to find the shipwreck and the Blue Lady?” Iados asked after Shang-Li had finished his tale.
“I’d rather find only the shipwreck,” Shang-Li said, “but I have the feeling that I won’t find one far from the other. Given that she has proven to be dangerous in the past, I thought it might be a good idea to look for you two while we were here in Westgate.”
“How do you propose to do this?” Thava leaned forward, intent and attentive.
“I’ve got the coordinates where Grayling went down. Ships tend to drift through the ocean when they go down, so I don’t expect to find the wreckage there, but it gives us a point of origin to begin with.” Shang-Li marshaled his thoughts. “I’ve dived for shipwrecks before. Sometimes you get lucky and find them in a short time, but you need to know that this could take a while.”