of the Old Man’s disappearance… only these ships were larger, much larger.
He began working quickly, his one arm aching and cramped with the effort of
quick-hauling his nets. The alarm spread from boat to boat and soon the entire
fleet was on the move to shore. Some abandoned their nets and traps, preferring
to lose their equipment to remaining there on the fishing grounds.
By the time they reached the piers, over a hundred sails were in view, all on an
unwavering course for the town called Sanctuary.
* * *
Word spread through the city like wildfire. A fleet, a big one-bound for
Sanctuary. Some said it was an invasion from the north. Others argued hotly that
the design of the ships was not northern; their specific point of origin was
unknown, save that they could not be from the Northern Kingdoms.
All that was known for sure was that before nightfall new feet would tread the
streets of Sanctuary. Some panicked, fleeing to the palace or the temples for
reassurance. Others, more practical, began boarding up their shops and hiding
their valuables.
* * *
Hanse Shadows? awn heard the news with mixed feelings, wishing anew he could be
certain how long his guarantee of divine protection would last. Finally he
decided that discretion really was the better part of valor and headed for the
ruined estate that had been the scene of his recent adventures. An estate that
was well outside the boundaries of Sanctuary proper. Things had been so much
simpler before he had anything to lose.
* * *
Myrtis, ruling the Street of Red Lanterns from her Aphrodesia House, was perhaps