In only moments, the men reemerged, one carrying a heavier purse, and Rezkin was relieved. He had no desire to infiltrate the location, and not just because it was a slaughterhouse. The basement likely had only one entrance, and the enclosed space would make it dangerous to penetrate and escape if necessary.

Rezkin followed the men in a winding route, passing through the working district and then the merchant district. Eventually, they entered the back courtyard of a moderate but well-appointed estate house not unlike the general’s home. As the young men entered, a couple of others were leaving. One raised his hand in greeting, and his sleeve fell back to expose the guild tattoo. Interesting. It seemed this guildmaster lived lavishly and liked his luxuries. Unfortunately, Rezkin had no information on the current Razor Edge guildmaster. The last information he received about two months ago had indicated unrest within the guild. The former guildmaster had been killed, and at the time, no one had been able to hold on to the position.

The young warrior wondered who lived here and if the current resident was the rightful owner. It was not uncommon for criminals to set up shop in an empty home while the owners were away. Perhaps they had even killed the owner and someone had yet to discover the treachery. It was even possible that some minor lord or merchant had decided to extend his influence with the darker side of society, not unlike the disgraced Lord Urek.

Rezkin could learn only so much from sitting outside in the shadows. He also tired of the inaction. The young warrior dropped from his perch on the low branch of a tree, silently landing within the estate courtyard. He slipped through the shadows to one side of the building that was lacking in doors but had plenty of windows, which were just as good. Actually, Rezkin preferred windows. People did not expect anyone to enter through windows, and they were often located in secluded places rather than along corridors that others used for passage. He wondered how people could feel secure at all when their sanctuary was riddled with such weaknesses.

The intruder casually pulled himself through one such weakness on the first floor. He was a little surprised to encounter a minor ward, probably one intended to discourage entry and alert the homeowner of an intruder. Rezkin was unconcerned. This ward was a negligible annoyance compared to the plethora of wards he had encountered in the bank.