The four decide to forego the Kings offer of transport, instead deciding to walk. Before setting off though, Fennel gets Cliff to introduce them to an underworld contact who he says had previously stolen something from Hayse. The harbour is busy, and the fleet of warships in port shows why the King could not simply allow them to take a boat from here. There is barely any room for a small fishing boat.

However, Cliffs knowledge turns out to be out of date. The house he leads them to is no longer a house, but a pile of old rubble. A middle aged woman surveys the group as she hangs out laundry.
€˜I don€™t know what you think you€™ll find here,€™ she says. €˜It€™s been six months since this house was destroyed.€™
€˜What about the man who lived here?€™ Cliff asks nervously.
€˜The wizard who did it took him out before he collapsed the house. I couldn€™t hear much, not that I was trying mind. He said something about a theft. I haven€™t seen the man since then, I think he left town, but I have sometimes seen the wizard around. He€™s a regular customer at the blacksmith€™s.