Seeing the ladder beneath him, Shen hurried down it and turned in time to see a man loom out of the shadows of the cellar. He had a dim lantern in one hand and a sword in the other. Shen brought his own sword up, ready to block any attack.
“Who are you? What are you doing here? Get out of my house.” The man gestured towards the ladder with his sword. “You don’t belong here.”
Shen tensed. He was surprised the man hadn’t attacked already. “I’m looking for someone.”
“They’re not down here,” the man growled.
“Are you certain?” Shen wished there weren’t so many dark areas in the cellar.
A loud bump in the darkness sounded behind the man who shot a glance over his shoulder, cursing. The pool of light shed by the lantern didn’t reach very far, even when it swung at the man’s movement.
“What
