High atop the streets of Wurtbad, a shadowed figure runs along the rooftops, leaping from one to the other, the evening fog muffling his sounds. The route was carefully mapped in advance, and he had timed it perfectly so that he could pass unnoticed. He reached his destination without trouble, a townhouse near the Castle - and far from the two townhouses that everyone in Wurtbad's criminal community knew not to touch. With a grin of triumph, he reached into the sheath at his belt for his trusty crowbar made of blackened steel-
The window was already open.
He hesitated, but stiffened his resolve, slipping the crowbar back into the sheath on his belt. After a moment of thought, he reached to the other sheath and confirmed the presence of his sword. He slowly bent down to peer into the room, searching for anyone standing guard. Clear - nobody waiting for him. He relaxed. A careless servant, perhaps. He slipped through the window soundlessly and into the sitting room, and suddenly, in full view of the window, where he knew he had looked and seen nobody, was a slight figure all in grey, wreathed in the evening fog that rolled in through the window to curl around her almost lovingly.
---
"The Dämmerlichtreiter," the man breathes.
You blink in surprise at him. "The what now?" You had been prepared for all sorts of reactions, but not calling you that.
He stares, wild-eyed, pointing accusingly. "You! The Rider of Dusk! The woman who rides the coming of night across Stirland, bringing ruin to the enemies of the Hunter-Count!"
You stare back, and a delighted smile spreads across your face. "I mean... gosh. I hadn't realized people had been noticing. The Rider of Dusk? That's... wow." You bask for a moment, but duty calls. "Anyway. Not why I'm here."
The man's hand edged toward his sword, but an indecisive moment later away from it. "I will not resist the will of Stirland."
"What? No, I mean, yes, technically, but I'm not here to arrest you or anything. In fact, go ahead and rob them, they haven't paid taxes since '62. I'm here to offer you a job."
The man thinks that over, and relaxes somewhat. "Okay. What's the item?"
"Oh, not that sort of job. Meet me at the Golden Eagle Inn at dawn tomorrow, and we can discuss it." You walk past the man, patting him on the shoulder as you go, and climb out the window. You can feel his eyes on your back as you climb down empty air like a flight of stairs, and can't keep from grinning at how thoroughly you nailed that dramatic exit.
---
The man sits at your table as you work your way through your morning sausages. You glance across at him as you chew. Jack Albright, career thief and a damn good one at that. Originally of Marienburg, but attracted too much attention to himself and now on a protracted tour of the Empire. Charismatic, well-travelled, skilled in a variety of thieving arts and possessing of strong morals. You smile across at him. "Good morning. You look tired."
"I didn't sleep well," he mutters.
"The night before an interview," you nod understandingly. "Don't be too put out with your Fence. He would have warned you if he had remembered me." You smile at the wild-eyed look you get from him. "So, I take it you've heard of news with the Watch?"
He looks around the inn nervously - it's usually crowded, but not this early, and there's nobody within earshot. He lowers his voice anyway. "You're fighting the War Below."
"The War Below," you say musingly. Overly dramatic name for fighting against vermin and smugglers, but it has a nice ring to it. "The Watch is looking for an new leader. Ideally, someone with the creativity and inside knowledge to bring it success as it expands across Stirland."
"You want me to betray those I work with," he mutters.
"If I thought you would, you wouldn't be worth hiring. Besides, I envision the Watch as an organization with it's attention elsewhere." As you talk, you dip a finger in your mug of small beer and draw an X on the table. Jack looks down at it thoughtfully as you wipe your mouth with a napkin, and then you place the napkin atop the X. "There are many threats to the good order of Stirland and the Empire, and a few thieves are the very least of them."
"I... think I understand," he says.
"Good. I'll give you some time to think it over - I've got to interview another candidate in Steinbachthal tomorrow morning, so if you're willing drop by my townhouse the day after, where I'll be receiving visitors." He stares at you, likely mentally calculating the distances, and you smile again. Being a wizard was so fun, sometimes. "Have a nice day."
