I have all the information I can reasonably expect to extract from the two witches, mother and daughter. I don't want to stress them any more than they already are either. Thus I take my leave and start my search in earnest.

The temptation to head directly to the waterfront, the place where I'm most likely to find places that smell fishy, is great, but I resist it. Instead I carefully circle through the neighborhood first. This time around I pay attention to the talk of the people too, all the while pretending to be just passing through without paying them any mind. I don't want to put anyone on alert after all.

Both my [Stealth] and my [Perception] keep improving, as I make my way through the local alleys around the witch's house and shop. As I do, I make my way in the general direction of the waterfront too.

Eventually I spot the mentioned Old Gray. Or maybe I should rather say I take note of him spotting me. The hair at the back of my neck rises as he uses an identification skill on me, much like the lynx mother did out in the forest. He easily burns through my [Shrouded Soul] skill too. Well, at least the skill improves a little as a result.

I have to admit. the name seems apt. Old Gray is an old gray tabby tomcat. And although he bears many scars, none of them seem to impair him. No, he wears them much like Brygida's mother wears her tattoos. His gaze is obviously still sharp too and the way he lazes on the windowsill he occupies is utterly deceptive. I have little doubt that he is ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.

The fact that Captain Whiskers supposedly bested this old gray menace seems almost unbelievable. Right until I remember that the familiar bond works both ways. It probably boosts the abilities of the familiar too. Maybe even to the point where the much younger red tabby with the white socks could stand her ground against the much more experienced gray brawler.

I slow blink at him, as a greeting. I most certainly don't get close enough to pet him though. I'm pretty certain that would earn me some scars of my own. Instead I stop at a respectful distance.

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about the whereabouts of Captain Whiskers, would you?"

He just yawns before resuming his nap, his half lidded stare never wavering in the process.

I'm tempted to believe that he understands me just fine despite the feigned disinterest. I decide to risk making a fool of myself, since it might just be worth it. He probably knows both the neighborhood and his scarlet competitor better than I do. Probably not just by a slim margin either.

"Well, if you happen to know something, or if you could actually point me to where she is being held captive, it might be worth a penny."

He seems not impressed, but I press on.

"Well, of course you have little use for coin. But I might pay my dept by spending that penny on some juicy, roasted fish."

Now the tomcat's eyes widen a little. I have him hooked.

"Anyway, watch out for yourself too. Whoever napped her, apparently isn't afraid of going after the toughest cats in the neighborhood. And if you happen to find out anything I'm sure you'll find me long before I can find you."

That seems to be good enough for him. He gets up, stretches thoroughly and slinks off. That I have come to an agreement with Old Gray has another surprising benefit too though. One that comes in the form of a divine whisper.

[*Ding!* Your skill Haggling has leveled up to level 4!]

Well, that is a pleasant surprise. This one counts towards the progress of my masked mediator class. Who knows maybe I'll level it up again soon. That certainly would be nice. The level up reaffirms my belief as well, that the old tomcat is way smarter than your average alley cat too. If I were to use [Identify] on him, which I most certainly won't do, I'd probably be in for a surprise, both in regard to levels and class quality in all likelihood.

Afterwards my next destination is the tavern by the downstream riverfront. I doubt the thieves guild would nab a witch's familiar, but I better make sure anyway.

When I enter the tavern at Riverrun's downstream harbor the sight of Jerzy sitting there at his usual place greets me. I head over and sit down across from him.

"I see you relieved Sylwia after all. Is that family business taken care of?"

He smiles and waves the waitress that is most certainly with the guild too over with a beer for me.

"Oh yes! And it seems our young Sylwia managed to hold down the fort too, despite the unexpected excitement that came her way thanks to you."

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

I accept the beer, just as Jerzy pays for it. I almost choke on it too, as I fight down the urge to laugh.

"So you might just stick her with your job more often now?"

He just winks at me in return. For a moment or two we just sit there, each of us minding our beer. Then he speaks up again.

"What brings you here on this wonderful morning, Viviona? Or did you really just drop by to check on Sylwia?"

I shake my head.

"As much as I would like to claim the latter, I have another little bit of business on my platter. A quest from the adventurers' guild. I thought I better check in with you, since it happens to concern this neighborhood."

He doesn't let on to it outwardly, but I'm pretty sure that I have his attention now. I explain without delay, as not to waste any time.

"Do you know the witch that has her job just a few alleys over that way? Sells potions, works as a healer. Does crazy magical tattoos."

He nods.

"Rysia. Most people around here know her, I'd say. She is pretty well established overall. Her potions are solid as are her charms and wards. The other ladies around here are not too fond of her though. Might be due to her tattoos and the way she advertises them. I can relate. It's pretty hard not to resist the urge to sneak a glance after all. She isn't in trouble is she? She is a pretty solid business associate."

I take another sip and snort.

"Oh, her charms are pretty solid for sure. Her tattoos give me a headache though. Anyway, the trouble relates to her daughter, Brygida, or rather her cat."

His brows furrow for a moment, but he motions for me to go on.

"It seems Captain Whiskers, the cat, has disappeared the other day. Now, that might be a devastating blow for a young girl on its own already, but it seems she bound the cat as a familiar, which makes it much worse. At the same time the bond lets her know that the cat is still alive if not exactly well. It seems she is trapped somewhere. I just wanted to make sure no one from the guild is trying to run a ransom scheme."

He blinks at me in surprise for a moment. Then he shakes his head.

"Not that I have heard of, and I almost certainly would have heard. Rysia and her daughter are pretty much off limits to guild members. They are our best source of affordable potions. Out of curiosity though, if someone were to try and ransom the cat …"

I answer before he can finish the question.

"I would make sure they get the ransom money to ensure the cat's safe return. It better be enough to get the hell out of town though, because I'll grab them the next night, fold them in half and stuff them in an old fish barrel for a few days."

He looks almost delighted at my description. He is quick to focus back on the topic at hand though.

"Well, its not our guild business exactly, but it would be in our guild's best interest to keep Rysia and her daughter happy. So, got any leads concerning the cat's whereabouts?"

I sigh long and hard.

"Not much yet. Except that she seems to be trapped someplace dark that smells fishy. And there are tall folk to be heard, but only every once in a while."

He nods in understanding.

"thus the fish barrel. I see. It's a pretty solid guess, I'd say. Solid enough to keep one of the more rumbustious cats of the area contained too. If I were to hazard a guess, you would be well advised to check the more secluded alleys, especially the dead end ones. Those see less traffic. If it's really dark though, it might be in a basement instead."

I give that some thought, finishing my beer sip by sip in the process.

"A basement, huh? Not any of the buildings directly at the waterfront then. Those don't have any as far as I can recall. Most of the buildings in the second row don't have any either. Still too much risk of flooding. Most people dealing with fish, especially fresh fish that can start to smell, don't live much further from the harbor. That narrows it down a bit."

Jerzy flashes me a grin as I get back up.

"Good luck with your hunt! Don't hesitate to ask for help should you need it!"

I return the grin in kind.

"I might have already hired a very competent local. Someone intimately familiar with Captain Whiskers and her usual haunts."

He looks confused, but only for a very brief moment. As realization dawns upon him he actually laughs out loud.

"Oh dear! Don't let Wiktor hear about that!"

"Don't let me hear about what?"

I almost jump, as the man mentioned speaks up right behind me. I'm a little proud that I don't. There is no divine whisper though. Damn. No new skill or achievement? Well, it's not like I can do anything about it. Maybe I'll have better luck next time. For now I simply turn around and pat him on the shoulder.

"Need to know."

Jerzy laughs out loud again, actually choking on his beer this time around and falling off his chair as a result. Even on the ground, fighting to get his breathing back under control, he never stops laughing though.

The best thing though is, that my [Bluff] skill improves a little. Probably because I was able to deliver that line with a straight face.

As Wiktor helps Jerzy back up, I'm off with a casual wave.

In my mind I'm already going over a mental map of the district. Supposedly the place in question smelled fishy. There was no mention of other strong smells though, thus I cross off a few places with eateries that produce other, very aromatic foods, at least for now. I might still check them out later, but for now other alleys and buildings have a higher priority.

In fact the highest priority location turns out to be only a few alleys away from the witch's home in the opposite direction. Mixed business and residential buildings several floors tall and high enough above the river to have proper basements. No roadside eateries serving aromatic food. And most of the businesses were out front facing one of the larger streets around here, which left one dead end alley in between these buildings deserted for most of the day. Yes, this might just be the best place to get started.

I hit one of the narrow alleys and take to the rooftops, jumping off the opposing walls and using every foot and handhold available, to get there quick and earning some progress for my [Climbing] skill in the process too.

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