Naull drew her cloak tighter around her neck and shivered against the chill wind. The weather had taken a decided turn for the worse, and threatening black clouds loomed in the west. Already, the young mage could feel the chill pinpoints of rain on her face. The cold water of the River Delnir reflected the gray sky and the sight of it only made Naull shiver again.

The boat rode low in the water, weighed down by Regdar and his men. The watchmen were dressed in full plate armor and carried long swords and longbows. Some of the younger ones shivered as well, from the cold and wet at least, but likely with fear as well. Four of them worked the heavy oars, and they crossed the wide river at a good pace, considering the speed of the southward current they had to fight the whole way. Crossing from west to east, passing the southern point of the Duke's Quarter, they at least had the growing wind at their backs.

Constable Jandik, the tracker who found the trail left by the monster, sat in the bow of the boat, guiding the oarsmen toward a gaping, black hole in the high river wall. Naull sat next to Lorec, the young watch sergeant who had gathered the other four watchmen at Regdar's command. Regdar stood on the bow next to Jandik, looking for all the world like some grand admiral leading his armada to victory.

He likes it, she thought. He's settling into this new life of his, and he loves every minute of it. Maybe Maelani was—

Naull shook her head, dislodging the thought, and tried to concentrate on the task ahead.

As they approached the river wall, Naull noticed some of the men making signs and gestures surely meant to ward off evil spirits. All of them eyed the building at the top of the river wall with apprehension if not terror.

It was a huge manor house of sprawling wings, high turrets, and wide verandas. Whoever lived there must have been the envy of any of the duchy's wealthiest families.

"Haunted," Lorec whispered in her ear, startling her. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I saw you looking at the mansion."

"It's beautiful," Naull said.

"It is," replied Lorec, "and people pay a pretty penny to stay there. It's sort of a high-class boarding house. Personally, I wouldn't spend a night there if my life de—"

He stopped when the boat nudged up against the river wall. Regdar reached up and grabbed a rusted iron rung, and Jandik handed him a rope. As Regdar tied the boat to the ladder, Naull looked up at the circle of blackness that marked the entrance to the sewers.

"Look alive, men," Lorec called to his watchmen, who were already stowing their oars.

Thunder rumbled in the distance and Naull shivered again. She had to bite her tongue not to call out to Regdar to stop. He was already scaling the ladder to the sewer entrance with his mighty greatsword swinging from his back. Naull had a very, very bad feeling about that sewer.

Regdar peeked into the sewer from the bottom edge of the opening while trying not to look like he was peeking. It seemed to Regdar that a Lord Constable shouldn't peek, but stride confidently into any situation. Regdar was too smart for that.

There was nothing in the immediate vicinity of the entrance, so^J he drew himself up the rest of the way and stopped when his knee rested on the edge of the opening. He tried to listen but all he could hear was echoes from the boat tapping the river wall and the boatload of watchmen gathering their gear.

Regdar looked back over his shoulder and caught Lorec's eye.

"It's narrow," the lord constable said, "so we'll have to walk single-file. I want Jandik in front—" the tracker nodded—"then myself. Naull, you stick behind me and be ready with those spells. Behind Naull I want Samoth with sword and lantern, then Lorec, then Lem and Asil, all three with bows. Drahir, you have the rear with lantern and sword."

Each of the men nodded in turn, and Regdar leaned to the side to allow Jandik to scramble up into the sewer entrance past him. He drew his greatsword and followed the tracker into the sewer, clearing the entrance for the others.

Regdar had taken the time to learn the names and even some of the strengths and weaknesses of the men Lorec had gathered. They seemed fit enough, but only time would tell. Regdar had been in enough battles with soldiers both green and veteran to know that each man would perform in his own way. Some would never be meant for combat while others would take to it like he had. Unfortunately, there was only one way to find out for sure.

He helped Naull up into the sewer and said, "Are you all right?"

The question offended her but Regdar didn't care. She seemed worried.

"I'm fine," she said, "but I'm not sure why we're going this way. If we know the trail leads to an abandoned slaughterhouse, why not just go there? Why creep around in darkness and filth?"

Regdar waved her deeper into the sewer to allow watchman Samoth to get in after her.

"I did send a contingent to the slaughterhouse," he said. "They're likely there already. This is the way the creature, or whatever it is, moves. It may not be in the slaughterhouse itself, and if it's chased out by the men on the ground, it'll likely run this way—into us."

He could see her swallow hard.

"That doesn't make me feel any better," she said.

They kept moving deeper into the stinking, black tunnel as the rest of their party climbed in and lanterns were lit.

"Don't tell me you aren't itching for revenge," Regdar prodded. "If somebody flipped a bed on top of me they'd better paralyze me or something, or I'll—"

"Here," Jandik interrupted, raising his lantern.

Regdar looked up and saw deep furrows scratched into the top of the cylindrical tunnel—the murderer's trail.

"Well done," Regdar said to the tracker. "Lead on."