It was a typical afternoon at Yearling Brook. Typical since the Baroness had packed up the majority of her household and made for permanent residence in Yransea. Typical that meant quiet. Masons continued to work on the walls as the manor grounds continued its transformation from family residence to barracks and martial grounds.

Recruits, some few trickled in each week, looking for a place that had structure, gave them training, purpose, and in a way safety, practiced in the mornings under the eye of their superiors who practiced earlier in showing new moves and instructed new techniques. They kept their patrols of the grounds and watched passersby on the road from their positions by the gates, but visits were even rarer than before.

There were lights in the barracks windows and some in the guest house, but nothing glowed from the manor building. It was a husk of life as cast off as a cicada from its skin. Dark windows haunted with expectation of life returned. It was the melancholy building that though still straight of beam and roof, seemed to shrink in its loneliness from the more lived in buildings around it.

A sunset visitor had the band on their guard, the gate watchmen, inspecting the person and not recognizing her, their hands resting on the hilts of their swords. A runner was sent back to the barracks to speak with the captain in charge. It was a burly man, thick of mustache and little of hair on his pate, and in his wake was a slender, young woman of short cropped hair and a suspicious smile. ?Something we here at Yearling Brook can help you with, miss?? the burly captain spoke. There was no anger in his voice, but he did not hide his wariness of the visitor?s intent.

The two listened to what the visitor had to say. Not only they but the two watchmen at the gate listened in as well. Willen, the young woman, spoke up. ?Baroness Sylvia has moved on, Miss, but if it is matters of the warehouse, you can speak with the men in charge there. Master Rhys or Master Hudson.? Willen gave a glance to the captain, who while he knew what she was going to say, did not stop her. ?It is true Her Excellency might have word of some histories from her time as a mercenary down there, but there?s no few hundred that would have the same information.? Which laid down the unspoken question of why Sylvia that kept them all on guard.

?There?s no staying on here, Miss Juke,? the captain spoke up again. ?Unless you?re wanting to be a recruit of Yransea. We don?t take guests up without permission of Master Corinsson, and he is not likely to be reached for some time. But we?ll be happy to see a guard escort you back into town if you?re worried of the road.?

Looking over the woman, Willen nodded, ?I will volunteer. Can bring Jeffers with me.? She had heard of this S.P.I., and even knew a little of its doings from the times she worked with the Holding Houses. It would be an interesting trip for nothing else than she might send word on to Master Corinsson that one of their group is taking an interest in Yransea holdings.

?That suit you, Miss Juke?? The captain asked though it did not look like he was actually giving an option.

Willen motioned for Jeffers to take up a position on the back of the carriage, and while she did not trust the woman any further than she could throw her, she obliged to sit in the carriage with her. If nothing else, Jeffers would know of her death and be able to escape to report it. Information, they had been taught, was of greater worth than facing a fight. If Willen came to trouble, she trusted Jeffers conformation to training and he would escape to report it leaving her to her own fate.

It was just the way Willen liked to live: on the edge; an edge she saw Master Corinsson live on every day, and it was what was so sexy about him. She wanted him like no other. Maybe, she thought, if she made this work, learned whatever this woman had to speak with the Baroness about, he would take notice for once that she was just like him. She just had to prove herself and this was the opportunity.

?You aren?t familiar to me, Miss, and I?ve been living the streets of this place all my life. New come then are you?? Or, Willen thought, if not, then keeping very well hidden which would be telling in its own right.

Willen kept her gaze moving from the windows back to the woman. The distance on the seat was maintained. She needed to be free to move if things went sour on the trip back to town. ?Just where are you staying anyway? If you?re in the employ of S.P.I. it seems unlikely you?ve taken up residence just anywhere.? Because not just anywhere would do for that lot.

Studying the woman without making it obvious, Willen took in account the way her eyes moved at certain words, if the breathing was even or not, and all in moments of casual exchange of her view.

Willen listened to Wren Juke speak about her place in what to her was a new world, the comment upon being a nobody, which, if Willen had been in a less formal capacity, would have brought a snicker, and the need to disappear. It was a telling moment in the easy way the lady revealed what could be most truths and partial lies.

When the question came, Willen gave an unreadable smile, her body moved easily with the bumping sway of the carriage and did not disturb her. "My allegiance is where I am told it is to be." She would let Wren read into that comment as she willed.

A glance to the outside, surveying their progress and the surroundings, Willen asked, "You came to Yearling Brook to speak about warehouses? Yransea holds but one warehouse in the district, and its use is obvious. The business of trade goes on there for the Barony and Captain Caisson. There is some knowledge of neighboring warehouses, but if you were informed the Barony held more, then I am afraid you were lead astray."

With the change of road, Willen knew they had reached the city, and she tapped the top of the roof twice in light strikes with her knuckles. Two taps returned, and she smiled to Wren. "It seems so far so good, Miss Juke. You will be able to rest soon enough, but until then, tell me if you will, what in particular took you about this warehouse with such an interest as to take you to Yearling Brook?"

It was a comfortable way to keep her hands, though it looked ominous she supposed, to rest one on the hilt of her dagger, though it was, in truth, to keep it from jabbing into the seat. It was either damage the cloth or look like she was ready to strike at any time. Either reason was good enough for her, and she gave a bit of a cocky grin to match.

Willen was not as schooled in keeping her thoughts away from her expression. She smirked as she got out of the wagon and her partner, Jeffers, hopped down from his station to join them. "Easy road in," he remarked with a grin that Willen shared.

"Miss Juke wants us to show her what we know." Willen let Jeffers in on the summation of the conversation. Relaxing, hands loose at her sides, Willen took a look around where they were. With the motion from Jeffers, it was just a scratch at his cheek, but she knew what it meant, Willen continued, "Miss, I don't know what you already know. You weren't exactly forthcoming on the way down. I still don't know why you have an interest in that warehouse, but we all have our secrets to keep, I suppose."

Jeffers took up the conversation with the air of tour guide. He was all light and mirth because he was sure that he was revealing nothing unknown to many. "From where we stand you are about four blocks from the Whistling Downs holding house. There are two others that we spend our time, but the closest to the warehouses is Port South." His hand reached a pointing gesture to the south of them.

"Old Gaston leads that house," Willen offered with a frown. "We will be telling him of your interest." The your being a rather inclusive statement. Wren was just a new played pawn. Willen knew that position well. Recognizing the gestures, the ploys, and the mistakes of her own. She was going to try to work her way out of that wasting position, just as she felt Wren was going to try to do the same. Information was a game.

"Miss Juke," Jeffers looked around the area again, "be careful where you stick your nose around these parts. I don't know where you came from or what you're used to, but there's them that won't bat an eye in taking you out for nothing more than you might be wearing the wrong shade of blue."

"I think she knows that, Jeffers," Willen smiled. "Now, on the road into town you looked like you needed some rest. Now it is you are wanting me to show you about. So the question is, what is it you want to see? If you say everything, I'll be leaving you right here, as there is no everything in RhyDin. You give me something specific, and I'll see if I can help you out." Willen ignored Jeffers frown at her offer. "Know this, though, Miss Juke, we don't trust S.P.I., so being so open as to who you work for was your first mistake." And stating that was Willen's.