Months ago, Drachen Walde had loaned Alain D'Mourir and the nearly two hundred refugees from Nouveau Bretagne the services of one of their surveyors in exchange for a share in any "initial find." They had made quite an impressive find, an astounding source of silver, and after getting the small mine on its feet, it was time to repay their debt.

Clattering their way through the streets of the RhyDin were two wagons laden completely with heavy wooden boxes, escorted by six horsemen. While RhyDin had its fair share of the unusual, what might be considered normal" would be six knights or mercenary swordsmen, and archers on the wagons... but each horseman wore over his trenchcoat on his back a scabbarded broadsword, and a six-shooter at his hip. The coachmen cradled shotguns over their laps, and the single passenger on each wagon held a rifle.

The strange caravan pulled up to Drachen Walde, and Alain D'Mourir shouldered his Mini-30 and hopped down from the lead wagon. He squinted through aviator sunglasses at his surroundings, set the cigar between his teeth, and made his way to the door.

"Special delivery from the Village of Esp?rance Communal Silver Mine."

"Don't know if she'll know the name Esp?rance," Alain replied, thinking. "...But she'll know me. Tell her Mister D'Mourir's arrived to pay what he owes."

At the request that he step inside, Alain looked back at the group and gave a couple of simple signals. Four of the horsemen dismounted, tethered their horses, and took up more appropriate positions for the defense of the convoy.

"Sure. Hope you don't mind me smoking." The cigar remained between his teeth as he stepped inside, and pushed his glasses back into his hair. He took advantage of the opportunity to look around and get a better feel for Drachen Walde's aesthetic.

And the first thing Alain did was scan the room for an ashtray so he could knock the ash off the end of his cigar. Then he smiled at Azjah, and said to her, "Remember our agreement - that I give you a percentage of our initial find?"

He moved closer to her so he could look at the front door and gesture that way, directing her attention. "Out there is no less than one half ton of silver from the communally owned silver mine of Esp?rance. Should come out to... eighty thousand silver crowns, to ballpark it?" His grin returned. "Maybe not much for a major corporation, but much more than what you invested."

"I'm a man of my word, Azjah - the agreed fraction of our initial find sits in those two wagons. The only question that remains is, where do we put it?"

Alain tapped his cigar over the ashtray and followed Azjah.

"Through a combination of normal refinery and magic, it is all 99.96% silver. Not the purest, but more than pure enough."

He turned his head to look at her. "Where's the Assayer's Office?"

"Dockside," he said with a frown. It was where he kept his office, and he was well aware of its dangers. He hadn't expected the convoy to go south of the river. He considered for a moment...

"I'm going to link up with Lieutenant Cowrie of the Old Market Watch for an escort, and meet Lieutenant O'Brien from the West End Watch at the bridge over to Dockside. But if you have someone handy you'd like to send along, I'd be happy to have them."

Alain had to think about that. He looked out at his convoy, then nodded to Eoin - "Following behind. In a well-organized raid, there's no difference between two men and twenty if they're all on the same wagon."

The detective, now Lord-Protector, grinned around his cigar at Azjah: "Hey, we couldn't have gotten started without your help." He would linger for more pleasantries, but it was important that they stay on the move. He nodded to Eoin, then held his cigar aside to whistle sharply through his fingers at the others. The convoy started to move, and Alain jogged alongside a few moments before scrambling back onto a wagon.

He leaned out of his seat to wave at Azjah, and then they were off to the Watch Company K headquarters and the Assayers' Office.