After leaving Jaleem's party in the early hours of the morning Scathe returns to his house in the Maze, while Ulag disappears off with Redella. Tarod offers to let Peepee sleep at his house, where Arthur is also staying. The group arranges to meet at Martha's Place for lunch.

Neither Scathe nor Ulag arrives for lunch. Arthur, Tarod and Peepee find that Martha's Place is closed and Martha is meeting with some of the other owners of businesses on the Street of Smells, including Alten Stulwig. It emerges that a newly promoted Captain of the City Watch has taken control of the local patrol and has demanded large amounts of protection money from the local businesses. They have three days before he returns demanding money. They ask for the group’s help in return for various services they can provide. Arthur gets a well made suit of studded leather armour from the tanner, Peepee gets a fine set of garishly coloured clothes from a dyer/tailor, and Tarod gets a magnificent winter coat from a fur trader. In addition the local stable master offers them free rent of his horses in the future, and Alten provides each of them with a powerful healing potion.

Peepee also agrees to resume the street cleaning that Rorbin the Dwarf did for Martha in return for free room and board.

The group try to track the Captain while he is patrolling during the day. Whilst doing so they hear rumours that a magic weapon shop of Vashanka has appeared in Processional. The group decides to investigate.

The rumour turns out to be true and after a complicated selection process Tarod emerges from the shop with a very fine axe, Arthur with a rapier that appears better than his existing weapon, and Peepee apparently has a bag of shurikens that will never empty.

Tarod then encounters two Hawkmasks of Jubal who are recruiting. He agrees to come to Jubal's Estate the following day in order to try and join the Hawkmasters.

The group encounters the Captain and his City Watch patrol. There are four members - too many for the three of them to tackle. They follow the patrol back to the City Watch post to see if the Captain comes out in the evening. He does not do so.

Peepee suggests that if Tarod becomes a Hawkmask he can use his blue hawkmask - the distinctive armour worn by the Hawkmask - to get the Captain to travel alone from the post to Jubal's Estate where he can be ambushed on the way. This plan is well received by Arthur and Tarod.

That evening Parnice also contacts the group to explain about the Captain muscling in on Guild protection money and pays them to do something about the Captain. They do not reveal that they have already made plans to dispose of the Captain for the local businesses. Parnice reveals that the name of the upstart is Captain Olaykon. He has recently been promoted to Corporal after the fight with the group in which four members of the City Watch died. Tarod and Arthur, who failed to recognise him when they saw him in the street, now remember who he is when Parnice mentions his name.

The following day Tarod heads off to Jubal's Estate. On the way, while passing through Downwind, he is accosted by a gang of teenage youths demanding "toll money" for Tarod crossing the bridge over the White Foal River. Tarod refuses to pay and they attack him with daggers. Tarod cleaves the leader from shoulder to waist with his new greataxe and sends the rest fleeing.

Tarod passes the initiation tests at Jubal's Estate, the first being unarmed combat and the second armed combat to first blood. Jubal asks if Tarod has any affiliations and Tarod mentions his connections with the Guild. Jubal asks Tarod to agree to switch his allegiance to Jubal if he is prepared to serve as a Hawkmask. Tarod agrees and is given the blue cloak and mask of a Hawkmask.

Tarod quickly realises that his new loyalties put him at risk with the Guild. When he arrives back in town he tells Arthur and Peepee that he failed the initiation test but managed to steal a blue hawkmask and cloak. The group plan for Tarod to fetch Olaykon in the guise of a Hawkmask and they will ambush him once he has passed Downwind on the way to Jubal's Estate.

The group rise early the following morning in order for Tarod to visit the City Watch post before Olaykon sets of the day patrol at dawn. Arthur and Peepee head off to the ambush point. Tarod realises that if Olaykon leaves the post with a Hawkmask and is never heard of again that word could well get back to Jubal. He wisely decides to visit without wearing his hawkmask. He unwisely forgets that Olaykon knows him and that he is wanted for murdering members of the City Watch. Tarod's visit to the City Watch is extremely unsuccessful (!) but he escapes across the bridge over the White Foal River badly injured and avoids capture. The City Watch does not follow him, instead they mount a guard on the bridge.

Seeing Tarod fleeing for his life through Downwind, badly injured and without his hawkmask, Arthur and Peepee are quick to appreciate that something has gone wrong with their plan! Arthur returns to the house he shares with Tarod to see if the blue hawkmask and cloak have gone as he is curious why Tarod wasn't wearing it. Much to his surprise they are still there and there is no sign of a break-in. Arthur is confused, but given that Tarod told the group that he stole the mask and cloak, he sees nothing wrong with taking them in case he and Peepee needs them. They return to Martha's Place to wait for Tarod. Arthur gets Martha to store the hawkmask and cloak in her cellar.

Tarod waits until nightfall to discover that the ford across the river is also guarded. He has no choice but to swim. He is not prepared to leave his armour behind and his attempts to cross the river are hazardous. He comes extremely close to drowning before he hauls himself onto the Sanctuary side of the White Foal River. He returns to Martha's Place but refuses to explain what happened to Arthur and Peepee. All he says is "it went wrong". Arthur and Peepee do not push him. They all agree their last resort is to attack Olaykon whilst he is trying to collect the money from Martha when he arrives the next day.

The attack goes surprisingly well and the group manage to kill Olaykon and his two cronies. As they flee the scene Peepee and Arthur shout "this is for messing with the Hawkmasks" and Tarod shouts "this is for messing with the Guild". Most of the witnesses are left frightened and confused!