#scatterwag

But he gave a friendly, curious smile as he cocked his head to get a good look at Caldren. "You's a new face 'round here. What can I gets ya?"

"Something to eat would be wonderful. I've had a long journey."

"You's got it. Just a moment." He hopped off the stepstool he'd been standing on. Caldren peered over the bar at him. That's when Caldren realized the tapping was the sound of a pegleg on the wooden tavern floors. The boy was missing his right leg from the knee down.

But it didn't stop him. Caldren traced him as he dashed back and forth, dancing between the tables with only a hint of a limp. He smiled and bantered and called everyone by name. And among all the tattooed sailors and battle-scarred cutthroats, he almost didn't look out of place.

What a strange little guy. Caldren chuckled to himself. He was like a funny little troll from a fairy-tale, a good sort that popped out of the rocks and left you little treasures if you solved his riddles.

The boy soon disappeared into the back room and came back out, bringing him a plate of stew with a large chunk of bread. “Here ya goes!” he said brightly, as he set it on the bar. It smelled amazing. “Anything else? Something to drink?”

"No, this is fine.” He paused. “Actually, I'm looking for Scatterwag."

The boy glanced about the pub with a shrug. "He's 'round."

"It's important." Caldren leaned against the bar. He pulled out Jacque's medallion and dangled it by the chain.

The boy's eyes grew wide. He reached for the medallion, but Caldren yanked it back and stuck it in his pocket. "Tell Scatterwag I want to talk to him."

The boy nodded hastily and scurried off into the back room.

The medallion really was the charm he’d needed. He’d known he’d need a calling card to join the Revolution, and Jacque had the connections. Stealing his medallion may not have been the best way to repay Jacque for giving him information, but then again, this was all Jacque’s fault anyway.

Caldren dug into his meal, keeping an eye on the doorway. He should probably be too stressed about this upcoming conversation to eat, but he was confident he could get what he wanted. One way or another. So he ate calmly. The stew was greasy, and the chunks of meat a little tough, but it was warm and filling. Caldren shifted from using his spoon to sopping up the stew with his bread.

It wasn't long before the boy came back out. "Scatterwag'll sees ya in the back." He motioned for Caldren to follow him.

Caldren came around the bar to step into the back room. The boy motioned him ahead. Caldren kept his guard up as he stepped through the set of swinging doors to the back room.

...

(Scene here of meeting Scatterwag, which is unimportant)

...

“Peg!” Scatterwag shouted, and the boy from behind the counter scurried over, his pegleg clomping across the wooden floor. “Show our new friend to the storeroom for the night.”

“The storeroom?” the boy asked. “There’s extra cots upstairs–”

“Upstairs is for paying guests and regulars. You know that.” Scatterwag gave him a light smack on the back of the head. Scatterwag’s grin seemed like he meant it to be friendly, but seemed a little too aggressive towards the small boy, who almost stumbled over but caught himself. Caldren narrowed his eyes.

“Yes sir.” The boy motioned to Caldren. Caldren followed him to a doorway under the stairs. As the boy– Peg, was it?– pulled a key off a hook and fiddled with the door, Caldren got a chance to compare his own height to the boy’s. Peg standing next to him only just reached his chest. Part of that was the way his back was hunched. He was so tiny. What was a child like him even doing in a place like this? And yet he seemed perfectly at home, the only child in a crowd of thugs.

He opened the door and handed the key to Caldren. “Guess you should has this now so’s you don't accidentally gets locked in.” They stepped inside. The “storeroom” was basically just a small closet under the stairs. It was full of crates and things. Peg stared at it for a moment, then started to pick up one of the crates. “Best shift stuff ‘round so’s you has a spot to sleep.”

That crate was at least half Peg’s size. Way too big for him to be lifting. “Here, let me.” Caldren grabbed the other side of the crate and helped him lift it atop another box. They shifted some other things around until there was an empty corner big enough for Caldren to sleep in. They sat down on another crate, taking a breath after all the lifting.

“So, you're Peg?” Caldren asked.

The boy had to stare at him kind of sideways to get both eyes looking in his direction. "Yep, that's what they calls me!" He stuck his wooden limb out and thumped it. "A most creative name, I know."

"I'm Caldren." He held out his hand with a smile.

Peg eyed his outstretched hand warily. "You must be from somewheres fancy. 'Round here we don't shakes hands much, 'less we's making an agreement."

Oh. Interesting. "Sorry." He started to drop the hand, but Peg stretched out his own.

"I doesn't mind."

The two boys shared a handshake (surprisingly firm on Peg's part) and a friendly smile. When Peg smiled, the disfigurement of his face seemed less noticeable. Or at least, less important. His grin was just… genuine.

Peg settled back into the crate. "You best gets to learning how things works iffen you're wanting to survive. Scatterwag likes you, but you does something stupid, he won't hesitates to kill you."

Whoa. Caldren arched one eyebrow. This was quite a place. But he wasn't about to give up on his mission over some random tavern keeper. "I'm willing to learn, if someone'll teach me."

Peg grinned. "I can teach you to avoids the wrong kind of trouble, but that's all. I's just errand boy and part-time bartender. But iffen you's wantin' to make the sorts of trouble you was talking 'bout in there, you has your choice of teachers. As long as you play your cards right."

"In what way?"

"Lemme give you your first lesson. Never owe. Never owe money, never owe favors, and certainly never owe revenge. But make sure people owes you. Never do a job for nothin'. Favors is better than gold 'round here, and when people owe you, you can gets whatever you want, whether it's a place to sleep, a treat, or... a lesson."

Caldren had never thought about that. He certainly owed revenge, that's why he was here, but he'd be paying that back as soon as possible. He'd make sure he never owed anything else. As for getting teachers... well, he'd just be the most helpful person around, and build up as many favors as possible. "Thanks."

Peg winked his looking-slightly-to-the-side eye. "Well, I gaves you advice. I guess you owes me a favor now."

"You–" Caldren's mouth dropped, and then he burst into laughter. "You're a sly one, Peg."

"Nah. Jus' smart." Peg grinned and hopped off the crate.

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