"Now who's being cryptic," Irzen quipped, "You neither gave Willow nor I a straight answer. If you keep this up, you might earn The Dungeon Master Award."

Talos burst out laughing, "Hahahaha! Wow! Really? Honestly I have never met Dungeon Master. Although from what I was told he speaks in riddles in the brief time he chooses to appear. I'll take that as a compliment. And to answer your question, you will have to find out for yourself. After all, I am just here to observe."

"And to help us burgle some poor merchant," Serna quipped with a knowing grin, "Am I right, Sergeant Talos?"

Sergeant Talos face palmed himself asking both Willow and Irzen, "Is she always this annoying?"

"Yes!" The Elves replied in unison as they placed a comforting hand upon Serna's shoulders, "But we love her anyway."

Serna gave Talos the cutest grin that he ever did see from a twelve-year old girl.

-Great! Just great! Another suck-up. That won't work with the Bronze Man.- Talos silently watched Neven apply his trade.

The party now entered the Merchant District. It was full of shops varying from potions to armor to weapons far down to the left side of the sea port. While produce and clothing filled up the right side entire. There were large homes of wealthy down both sides but no more than three or four. Each had a pair of guards standing to either side of the gates. Their uniforms varied from blue/gold, blue/red, yellow/green on the left. While red/yellow, purple/silver, and indigo/black to the right.

"So, which way kid? Left or right?" Talos said quietly.

"Shhh!" Neven cautioned Talos, "Let me scan the scene, then we can case it. Okay?"

Neven scanned the area not only for Guards but also for Thieves. He knew that one of them probably knew the lay of the land better than Talos did. If he could have a talk with one of them, he too would be able to understand how the Thieves could have the run of the Merchant District.

Neven could see the fence Gabe had mentioned earlier at the Gallows Pub sitting behind a small puppet theater entertaining a bunch of children to the left. The play took about ten minutes total and when it ended the children got up and left. The Fox Man caught sight of the thief, tilting his head to the left motioning him over to check his theater. "You there! I say, won't you come over watch my little play? Encore showing for your eyes only, lad!"

"How much will it cost me?" Neven replied as he walked over to The Fox Man, "I have only limited funds and even more limited time."

"Well you do look new here so here is a free scroll on the house," Calish smiled to the human thief, "Take a look. I'd recommend small items like rings, necklaces, precious gems, or small weapons, like knives or daggers. Anything bigger attracts too much attention. Tick, tock. Time is a moving, kiddo."

Irzen, Serna and Willow hung back to see what Neven was going to do in his dealings with the Fence.

"Well, thank you for the free scroll and the recommendations," Neven replied as he warily took the scroll and free advice, "Um, why are you trying to help me?"

In true fox like fashion, he snatched the scroll from Neven's grasp with a smile, "Tick, tock! Gabe sent you? You are of the same trade as I but really, really rusty. Don't deny what you are, kiddo."

"I deny nothing," Neven honestly replied, "I just want an honest answer to an honest question: If all of this is a challenge, then why are you helping us?"

The fence tilted his head back and forth again, "Sigh. Helping you, you say? Nope. Just friendly advice, or suggestions." He walked around Neven in a blink of an eye still smiling at him, "Well, go burgle something! Tick, tock. Next show in ten minutes. Sadly, you don't get another freebie. Go! Shoo! You're scaring away the children. Be off with you, kiddo!"

"Okay! Okay! I'm going! I'm going!" Neven held up his hands as he backed away, "Thank you!"

The Thief returned to his compatriots, "Well, I spoke with the Fence but I think something odd is going on here."

"Odd how?" Irzen asked with a raised eyebrow.

"The Fox Man not only gave me a map of a shoppe to burgle but also recommended items to burgle as well," Neven continued, "And he gave me all of this for absolutely nothing!"

"What?!" Serna asked in disbelief.

"Oy! He did what?" Talos shook his head, "I believe it's called a favor or something like that."

"Yeah, he wanted nothing in return," Neven concluded, "In my experience, when a Fence offers you something and expects nothing back one of two things is going on: One, that Fence is insane or two, that Fence is trying to set you up to take a fall."

"If the latter is the case, then why is the Fence trying to set us up? And if for a fall, then for what crime?" Willow asked no one in particular.

"Talos," Irzen turned towards the Sergeant, "Do you have any thoughts on this matter?"

"Calish is an odd character who delights in entertaining children. No matter the back round all children are invited to watch his puppet show. He knows the merchant district well, knows all or most of the people who sell their wares here. If he was gonna set you up, you wouldn't have given a free scroll. It's how he does his job. The thieves guild here in Asylum is really lax compared to others across the Realm." The sergeant remarked, "Where ever or what place you pick, do not tell me. I'll be patrolling the entire merchant district, and I need to check in with guard post here anyway. Good luck."