[piosenniel]

The old Pikestaff looked as rundown as ever to Pio’s eyes. She slipped in quietly, adjusting her eyes to the low lighting in the room. Her nose wrinkled from the years old layers of soured ale, spilled wine, and Men’s unwashed bodies. ‘Or perhaps that is me, I am smelling!’ she laughed to herself. She slid into the shadows along the wall to her right and narrowed her eyes taking in the scene.

There they were, with some boy at their side, in deep conversation with the Innkeeper. Her eyes flew wide as she saw Cami there, dressed as a boy, and talking also. There were three objects on the bar that Gamba kept pointing to as he spoke, an old book she thought and something like a large flat stone with an engraving on it; and what was that other thing - a framed picture of some sort. He was arguing about something, and Kesha was standing on one of the bar stools, making comments of his own while glaring at the Innkeeper. The anger in the youngsters’ voices was escalating, as was the irritation in the face of Gareth.

She had just made up her mind to step forward and confront the Halflings, when the door to the Inn swung open once again and the Guard she had seen in the marketplace walked in, accompanied by the boy who had made the complaint of stealing. Brodda’s eyes went wide at the sight of the Guard and he tugged on the shirts of Gamba, Kesha, and Cami saying that they must get out of there and quickly.

‘Hold those boys!’ cried the Guard, seeing that his quarry was on the verge of escaping. He pointed with his cudgel at the two smaller Hobbits arguing with the Innkeeper. Gareth, for Pio had now remembered his name, grabbed the two firmly, by an arm each, in his big ham fists and hauled them up to the bar top, plunking them firmly down on their backsides. Brodda thought wildly for one moment that he still had time to escape, but he looked at his new friends about to face a City Guard and opted to stay by their side. He nodded at them, and Gamba looked back at him gratefully.

‘And what might you be wanting with these two?’ asked Gareth, eyeing the guard with suspicion. ‘Their brother’s paid the bill here, and we won’t be needing the likes of you.’ He preferred to take care of matters concerning the Pikstaff at his own discretion, without interference from the city. The guard cleared his throat nervously, noting the patrons, all hearty men of the sea, who had suddenly come to hem him in as he approached the bar. ‘There’s been a complaint.’ he said, ‘From Dauran, or so this boy says.’ He hauled Gilthor foreward. ‘He says that Dauran’s been robbed and these are the boys who did it.’

Brodda glared at Gilthor. ‘You’re nothing but a liar, Gilthor!’ he said, walking toward him, his hands balled into fists. ‘If anyone tried to steal, it was you that tried to cheat them out of the money Dauran paid them in trade for their wares. You’re only here to cause trouble because I stopped you from doing that!’ Gilthor backed away from Brodda and ducked behind the Guard.

‘Here! Here!’ came the deep voice of the Guard as he raised his cudgel to push back Brodda. ‘I think perhaps I had better haul all of you back to the market place and we’ll get this straightened out there.’ His gaze took in Cami, who was looking just as suspicious to him as were the other boys. ‘You,too! To my way of thinking you probably put them up to this.’ He stepped toward the trio, menacing them with his club. ‘Come along now!’

‘I think not, Sir.’ came the low voice from the smokey shadows. Pio stepped foreward, and strode to the bar. The faces of the Halflings blanched as they watched the rough figure come toward them. ‘They are mine, by right. Three runaways from The Star now at anchor in port. These two are cabin boys and she, their sister, works in the galley as cook’s helper.' She pulled off Cami's cap, showing her to be a girl. 'All sworn to the service of the ship and Captain for this one year voyage by their parents. I am the First Mate on the Star, and I have come to claim them.’

Gareth’s eyes went wide at the sight of her. ‘Pio?! Have you had a rough passage? You look a little the worse for wear this time.’ ‘Rough enough,’ she said, winking at him. ‘And now made rougher by these three.’ She came close to the Halflings and looked at them closely, smelling the tell-tale scent on their ragged breaths. ‘Drunk, to boot!’ she cried. ‘Surely the Captain will see you get a taste of the lash for this.’ She chuckled at the thought, an evil glint in her eye. ‘Loan me a length of stout rope, Gareth. I shall need to bind them to make sure they do not get away from me again.’

The Guard started to protest at this, but the seamen gathered round him and showed him the way to the door. A ship and her Captain always had first claim on the lives of its crew, they let him understand.

Pio securely bound their hands along the length of the rope – Cami at the end of it, with Kesha and Gamba in a line in front of her. The Elf led them, the rope grasped firmly in her hand, through the door, their heads hung down, their faces sullen. When they had gone a fair distance, and the Inn had receded round the curve in the street, Gamba called out to Pio. ‘You can let us go now, they can’t see us any more.’

She halted, and turned round to look them over. Her cold gaze froze any hope of release. ‘Let you go!’ she laughed. ‘And risk having to spend my time hunting you again. You are going back to the ship in my keeping and until Mithadan has negotiated the deal for ships - for your safe transport, I might remind you – I will be your very best friend, as close to you as the air against your skin.’ She drew her knife, testing its point against the palm of her hand. One drop of blood welled up, proving the sharpness of the point. She resheathed it saying, ‘If any of you, so much as approaches the ship’s rail or steps near the gangplank, I will pin you by the collar high on the ship’s mast until we are well away from port.’

They stumbled down the street after her. She smiled inwardly as she heard Kesha’s whispered question to Gamba. ‘Do you think she really means it?’ and Cami’s quiet response. ‘Best not to trifle with Pio. Once she has laid the rules down clearly to you, she means for you to abide by them.’

[ December 14, 2002: Message edited by: piosenniel ]