Jacob glowered briefly at someone crossing his path a little too slowly. The man quickly moved out of the way, a look of concern flickering across his face.
Jacob was pretty sure that Keller thought he was something of a village idiot too. Too busy thinking about the big world out there, not spending enough time concentrating on the real world right here. Wasting all this time visiting the harbor to get the same lack of news, spending what little money he had on a few drinks with that handful of friends down by the dock-side.
Jacob's march took him across another street, scattering the pigeons that had just settled there to peck at some crumbs. An old woman, her hair tucked into a head scarf, and her granddaughter, clutching half of a small loaf, watched the birds wing away. Their faces fell.
And, okay, mentioning the harbor might not have been the best thing to do. Sure, it was true, but it wasn't really the sort of place a nice young man should be visiting. Jacob began to slow down a bit as he considered that it probably wasn't the wisest thing he could do with his time. It probably wasn't a good idea to walk onto the dock all het up and distracted either. He might not be a trouble-maker, but he didn't have to prove it by making himself an easy mark for some-one who was. He slowed down some more, and allowed himself a smile.
He reached the harbor a little later in the day than he usually would have, and scanned the area for any familiar faces.
The docks of King's Court main harbor at the Mer de la Luna were a busy place. The capital was one of the major ports in the Western trade routes because this was the seat of government that nobody dared ignore. Cargo filled the warehouses with luxury goods and there was a constant stream of passengers arriving and departing. Ships of all types frequented the port and tied to the docks, representing many of the countries of Tazlure. There was even the occasional airship from World's Mouth checking in.
After dark the docks were not a healthy place to be with a certain criminal influence ruling the streets. Smugglers and thieves usually managed to stay out of the hands of the Vanguard, who gladly looked the other way as the boys and girls they shared their childhood with ran amok. Sailors tended to be rowdy and rough talking too, so it was a tawdry place full of life and arguments as space was at a premium. Along the water's edge many warehouses are jammed next to each other with only very small tight alleys between them. Rats were frequent of course and the place smelled of fish, lamp oil and stale, rotting water.
The Harbor Office was prominently labeled. That is were all ships are officially registered, duties and taxes are paid, lists of available sailors are displayed, the shipping schedules, etc.
The battles and trials of Kings Court even reached this waterfront. Some of the buildings were recently damaged by fire, their walls crumbling. But despite these dismal surroundings trade was picking up again, the coronation of the King inspiring new hope.
Any new arrival disembarking from a ship must report to the Harbor Office before they are allowed to proceed into the city.
Jacob looked up at one of the ships that had recently docked, and was still offloading various barrels. The figure head seemed to be carved into the shape of some sort of dragon. The name plate said The Wyvern.
It was not a name Jacob recognized.
Jacob looked up at the figure head again, wondering what exotic waters it had flown over as it led the ship towards distant ports. Then he turned his own head towards the Harbor Office. Although he knew the list of available sailors might let him know who was in port today, it looked pretty busy. He scanned around the docks one more time, as he slowly made his way to where some of the older sailors would sit and play cards.