Once Rezkin retrieved his knives, he slipped out of the galley and headed for the stairs leading below deck. Applying the Skills he learned through years of practiced stealth, he managed to descend with barely a creak. The first two berths were ransacked, and one was covered in blood, but they were otherwise empty of brigands. As he approached the third berth from the shadows, he could hear two or more men speaking in hushed whispers. He glanced into the fourth berth to make sure no one would surprise him from behind then drew Bladesunder and his dagger as he edged closer to the other doorway.

Rezkin listened carefully to their voices to gauge their locations and then, with a running start, bounded into the room so fast the men had little time to react. He ran up the tilted floor in an arc slicing deeply into one man’s back with Bladesunder. He kicked the second man in the chest, which sent him tumbling down the inclined floor. The first man fell forward as he died and slid down the floor until he crashed into his comrade. Rezkin controlled his descent down the wooden planks, and plunged his dagger into the abdomen of the second man. Not wanting to wait for the man to die, he drew the blade across the man’s exposed throat.

After examining the dead men and cleaning his blades, Rezkin abandoned the berth to check the cargo hold. He was careful to inspect the berths again to make sure no one had come up already. The cargo hold was mostly under water and empty of brigands. Satisfied that the riverboat was now clear of threats, he returned to the captain’s quarters. He tied a rope around the unconscious brigand’s chest, lowered him into the dinghy, and then rowed against the current back to the other vessel. He knew people were watching him from the banks, and while he was too far away for a crossbow, he was still wary of arrows.

As he rowed, he checked himself for blood. Based on what he knew of Frisha, she would be upset if she saw any blood on him. He did not want to have to deal with a hysterical woman on top of an ambush. The crew lowered a rope ladder while he secured the dinghy, and he once again boarded the ship. Tam and Frisha were waiting to one side. Frisha was worrying her lip fretfully, and Tam did not look much better. He met each of them in the eye and said, “I am fine.” Both of his friends released pent up breath and nodded.

Rezkin motioned to the captain and lieutenant to meet with him privately. “It was an ambush,” he said. “I brought one of them back for questioning.”

“One of them?” the lieutenant asked. “How many were there?”

“There were five aboard, but I overheard them speaking and expect more on the banks.”