Iskra had spent the afternoon aparently browsing the Market stalls, actually following her target, the merchant so loathed by her employer. Iskra didn't know the merchants name and didn't want to know especially. It made life easier if she was ever questioned.

Since she'd been following him the last few days she had a fair picture of his movements now and, despite the close call checking out his home the other night, she felt confident of the best way to take him out.

First of all she'd need something made though and she had a feeling that the young blacksmith she'd seen in the Dove was one of Lasser's folk and therefore the best person for the job.

She pushed open the door to the shop, having check one more time that she wasn't followed. Lasser had tried having her followed the first day but soon learned his lesson.

Inside the shop she couldn't see anyone. She strode over to the counter, leaned forward on her elbows and called out, "Hello?"

While she waited for a response she walked over and looked out the window, she saw a thief robbing a young woman blind. "What do you know?" murmered Iskra.

OOC: I edited this, I forgot Mercy was in the fight with the others too...don't want any time travelling going on! hehe.

Mercy head jerked up as she heard someone call out from inside the store, peachy she thought to herself as she finished wiping off Lyonel's cut on his knee. In her mouth was the cloth she had used to wrap around his leg, she spat it out, "I'll be there in a minute!" she yelled loudly.

Looking at Lyonel tears in his eyes, a few of them escaped and were slowly creeping down his cheeks, "I told you not to do that didn't I?" with his nod she continued, "but we had to play didn't we?" again he nodded, "and we learned our lesson right?" he nodded again. She wrapped up his knee gave him a kiss on the forehead, and stood up as she ruffled his hair, "take a nap I have a customer, I'll be back in a bit," already Lyonel nodded as he climbed up onto his cot. Nodding Mercy walked out into the main store.

She saw the woman looking out the front windows, "How can I help you out?" she asked as she wiped off her hands with a towel.

Iskra turned when she heard Mercy speak.

She raised a hand in greeting to the woman. "Good day to you. We finally get to meet. I am told there is nothing you cannot make out of metal. I have a requirement for a job of a more....unconventional nature. I have it on good word that you're well aquainted with such things." A tiny smile touched Iskra's lips.

"There is some rubbish in the city that needs disposing of."

She took her one remaining dart and her blowpipe from her belt. It was a wicked looking device, needle thin and about 5 inches long with a flight on the end.

"I need some more of these made. They neeed to be able fit in here, to fly well and they need to be made of a metal that won't corrode quickly."

She held out the objects for Mercy to inspect. "You think it can be done?"

Mercy smiled to herself at the compliments, she looked at the dart, "I'm positive I can make something like that," she said as she leaned down and grabbed some pieces of paper and ink. She started to sketch on the paper making little notes on the side, every now and then glancing up to look at the dart.

As she was sketching she asked, "So who told you I was good and didn't care about making, such interesting weapons for unconventional means," Mercy chose her words wisely, looking up into the woman's eyes, "and by the way since every now and then I get rather curious and we have a habit of running into each other, who are you? Also I shouldn't really care, but do I want to know what this is for," she said as she glanced up from her drawing

Iskra grinned wickedly.

"I'm surprised our little ladybuck Lasser hasn't blabbed about me yet. He seems awfully fond of me, always sending his men to make sure I get about safely. Alas, one or two of them had unfortunate injuries. Wont be following anyone for a while."

She laughed huskily,

"I'm Iskra, and as for the darts, well they're going to help me give someone a little bit of medicine and keep me conveniently distant when that medicine kicks in."

Iskra had figured there was no point in pretending she was someone else, Mercy had seen her meet with Lasser so she would know that Iskra had a less than regular job.

Mercy shrugged, "Well name's Mercy, and Lasser doesn't give me information like that cause I choose not to talk to him," grimacing she continued, "he on the other hand chooses to talk to me, when is not wanted, but never worry that his people will come in here," smiling an evil smile she continued, "they've been warned."

Mercy glanced down at the drawing and held it out so that Iskra could look at it, "I believe I got it correct. I can start making it as soon as my cousin gets back from lunch and takes over for me," keeping a completely straight face she finished, "of course I'll get it done for you right away so that the person who needs the medicine can get it as soon as possible."

Iskra looked over the drawing and whistled appreciatively. "That's about the measure of it." She said, smiling and clapping the woman on the shoulder. "This will do the job a treat and no mistake."

Thinking, she said "so tell me how a pretty little boy like Lasser has been parking his backside on the royal throne for so long. I heard word of him in Scanra, but we thought he'd be dead in a ditch by midwinter."

She tucked the pipe and dart back in to her belt. It was good to talk with someone who didn't turn squeemish at her profession, especially another female.

Mercy wanted to laugh but stopped herself, "Lasser over-threw the last guy, nobody really knows what happen to him," with a shrug she continued, "I wasn't around during that time, I got here about three or four years ago. Since then Lasser has been on my case about things," her eyes drifted towards the windows for a second, inching over so that Iskra blocked her from anyone looking in the window, "Lasser uses cheating ways to remain on top," using her fingers she counted off, "blackmail, harrassment, offers to protect, if its sleazy and underrated he does it or is behind it. Those loyal to him are his main source of power."

"That is all that I really know, but I expected him to be gone earilier than midwinter," with a shrug she continued, "what part of Scanra were you located at, I was up there about two years ago," Mercy asked as she grabbed a stool and gestered for Iskra to take the other one.

Iskra took the seat gratefully.

"No less than I expected from his ilk really. He was under the false impression that I was going to be easily bought when I spoke with him."

Going back to Mercy's question she said, "Uppsmeir originally," Her face darkened a second, thinking of the villagers and her first murder, "but then I drifted amongst the boarder camps alongside the Vassa River, mostly in the one we called The Rookery, not so bad if you want to meet some of the worst scum this world has to offer." she grinned. "It served me well enough though, you can never have enough aquaintances amongst the dregs of society, some dregs I'd even call family."

Laughing Mercy said, "I've been at the Rookery but that was a while ago I went up north more toward Hastel. I had some work to do up there. After that I went to the Yamani Islands for a bit, jumped over to the Copper Islands for a few weeks and came back to Corus," she looked a Iskra and smiled, "not that you needed to know all of that I'm sure."

"Lasser is an interesting fellow, he's been trying to get me to do some work for him, but I've been going straight," waving her arm around the gesturing towards that walls and the middle section that held jewelry, "not that you can't tell or anything. But Lasser seems to think that everything has a price and if it doesn't he can get blackmail of a sort," shrugging Mercy asked, "but thats Lasser right? And most King of Theives?"

Iskra nodded. "All the Kings of Thieves that I've met anyway."

She took in the shop and the warm homely feel of the place. It was seldom that she regreted her life, but she felt a twinge of envy now that this woman was building a life for herself outside the Rogue. Iskra had all but forgotten such a life.

A sad look crossed her face momentarily and she frowned.

Quietly she asked, "Is it hard? Going straight? I don't know that I could do anything else these days...other than the life I know I mean."

Nodding Mercy answered, "yea it’s hard, but that’s life I've just come to accept it. People always take the easy route, which was my old life, this is hard, but I like it. I like not looking over my shoulder every minute, I like sleeping with both eyes shut," sighing she continued, "It is hard but, is it worth it."

Mercy thought for a second reminiscing over her past "mistakes" Iskra wasn't about to turn her in to Lasser if she let one of her many secrets out.

Giving Iskra a small evil looking smile she continued, "but I'm not completely straight now am I? Where do you think I get all the material to make this stuff! With the taxes that go along with being straight I can barely afford to keep a roof over our heads!"

Iskra returned the grin.

"Indeed, nothing wrong with keeping those that live off the fat of the land getting that little bit fatter. My father...."

She caught herself. She'd not spoken about her father with anyone, not for many years. She shocked herself. She faltered for a second then continued.

"My father was a carpenter...and a warrior when the need called...he said what the Lord doesn't see wont hurt. He had a similar philosophy on business."

Her voice cracked slightly as she recalled her father's words.

Mercy eyebrow went up with the crackle in Iskra's voice. Iskra didn't seem the type that liked to loose control of her emotions so Mercy choose too not draw attention on that emotions brought forth with the mention of a father, placeing a smile on her face she said, "Sounds like something my mother would say. My brother, a magistrate, chooses to inform us that what we do is wrong, while my sister, a Player, points out that its not wrong considering we steal from other countries, not Tortall. Which leads into a fight and dad kicks us out of the house."

Mercy heard a noise and looked at the door that lead to the back, Lyonel stood there with his blanket in his hand dragging after him, his thumb shoved in his mouth. His blue eyes looked darted between Mercy and Iskra. Mercy raised an eyebrow, "want to say hi to our guest Lyon?"

Lyonel took his thumb out of his mouth, said "Hi" and then shoved the thumb back in.

"Families, made to make you crazy." Replied Iskra, appreciating Mercy's tact.

Iskra was surprised by the appearance of the small boy.

"Well here's a handsome young fellow!" she said. She said hello to the boy in Scanran and then in common. "It can never hurt to start learning useful words young." She said, winking at him.

To Mercy she said, "Well you've made a proper little magpies nest here haven't you! I'd not figured you for a mother. Another good reason to keep Lasser at bay?"

Iskra suddenly realised that time was drawing on. she'd lost track, enjoying chatting with someone who understood Iskra with no pretences.

"How long will you need to make the darts?" she asked Mercy, "I'll need them pretty soon. You'll be paid well for it." she smiled.

Smiling Mercy glanced down at Lyonel, "I play the mother role pretty well. I perfer Lasser didn't know about him, my cousin Kassie agrees. Lasser would ahve a field day with Lyon."

She looked at the drawing, "it can be done by later tonight, the store will be closed by sunset, but if stop by in the back later I'll probably be working on my next trip. So give me....," she glanced outside, "give me a couple hours I'll have." she thought for a second counting out her fingers, then continued, "I should be able to make ten or more in about 3 hours, depending when Kassie comes in, and how creative I get. Is that okay?"

"Perfect." replied Iskra. "I'll stop by later then."

Iskra pushed herself up off the stool.

She waved to Lyonel and nodded, smiling, to Mercy.

"'till later."


She walked out of the shop, a satisfied, if somewhat grim, smile on her face. Mercy had certainly proved interesting and had given her some food for thought.