Smeds Stahl

From Glen Cook Wiki

A second-rate hustler from the north side of Oar, Smeds is the central character behind the theft of the Silver Spike. He is no genius but he has plenty of low, mean cunning and he has learned how to stay alive in a difficult section of Oar.

He is enlisted by his cousin Tully Stahl, but soon takes the lead along with Old Man Fish. In the chaos that ensues following the Spike's arrival in Oar, Smeds survives well, proving very capable of fighting and killing when need be. He successfully negotiates a payment for the Spike and then skips town together with Fish, who dies soon after.

Smeds escapes to the city Roses with his loot and starts a new life. A year later he is a respected member of the community, owner of a struggling brewery. He lives well but without ostentation that would excite unwanted curiosity; he never tells his story to a soul.