A Thief’s Tale (Complete)

Chapter one

A Thief’s Beginning

I remember the first time I watched Petri’e practice picking pockets. He was using a mock person that was dressed in merchant clothes. There was tiny bells sewn into the suit of clothes and they rang if he did it wrong. I was lying on the floor in the next room looking through a small hole. I was only twelve and he had taken me off the streets.

We were in the attic of the thieves guild. I had followed him up from the apprentice floor. Preti’e was a journeyman pickpocket. I had spent the last two years as a helper in a blacksmith shop, but the blacksmith had been killed when he was kicked by a horse. I did pick up the skill to make small edged weapons as well as slim throwing spikes.

Eight weeks later I squatted beside a vegetable cart and watched the market crowd. I finally stood and walked into the crowd. I followed close behind a couple of merchants as they walked unsteadily. When they staggered into another merchant I slid closer. My left hand moved as my right brought the tiny, razor sharp hooked bladed knife up and sliced the leather thong holding the merchants belt pouch.

My left hand swept the pouch down and into the inside pocket sewn into the waist of my pants. I continued walking and made my way to the other side of the market square. I squatted down against the stone wall and went back to watching. My left hand slipped into my inside pocket and moved behind me to tilt a brick and slide the stolen belt pouch behind it.

It was a couple of hours later that I slipped into the guild house. I moved through the crowd to the kitchen counter. I picked up a bowl of stew and a hunk of bread before heading to a vacant table. I was wolfing the stew down when under master Gerg walked up with two other under masters. He sneered, “Pic, a noble lady was robbed in the market square today.”

I glanced up, “I do not steal from ladies.”

He snarled, “Put them on the table, Pic.”

I looked at them and pulled six merchant belt pouches out and put them on the table, “See, no lady’s pouch.”

He grinned reaching for my stolen pouches, “Not bad Pic. I will just…”

I shifted and moved, my hands blurred, the left stabbing a tiny strait bladed knife into his left hand as my right stabbed another into his groan. I yanked my right hand to the left cutting his privates as he screamed. I was off the bench with my left hand striking into his throat in a small neat slice.

I crouched facing the other two men as he fell to the floor with a geyser of blood coming from his throat. The huge guild common room was suddenly deathly silent, “Guild law! No one steals from another guild member in the guild house.”

The two under masters shifted, moving hands away from daggers, “we are neutral Pic.”

I looked at them and then bent and cut the belt off Gerg. I slipped the tiny knives back into my sleeves and slipped the belt pouch off. I pulled the fancy Drimmin dagger with a milk white stone handle and tucked it behind my belt. I retrieved my stolen pouches and then the bowl. I walked across to the kitchen counter and put the bowl up.

I looked around and walked into the masters hallway. I walked into the counting room and crossed to the desk, “I had good luck Master.”

Master Toni smiled and turned from the painting he was looking at, “Show me, Pic Jason.”

I grinned and slid the six pouches across the desk. I watched as he poured the coins onto the desk. He counted and split the coins and pushed the larger pile back to me. I pulled my own meager belt pouch from another hidden pocket and dumped the coins into it. I smiled at Master Toni, “Thanks Master.”

I left and went up onto the apprentice floor. The Apprentice Master scowled, “you should be out working Pic.”

I grinned, “I finished early.”

I stepped into the small room that was mine and looked around. I had learned a harsh lesson shortly after I got here. If you slept to soundly you did not hear the Apprentice Master sneaking up. If you did not hear him, he beat you with a stick. I had taken another way out. I stepped onto the bed and jumped up. I pulled myself onto the wide beam and shifted around to lay down.

I still slept lightly and when the normal sounds of the guild house changed my eyes snapped open. I listened and realized I had drawn the dagger from Gerg. I turned my head slowly towards the door. It opened slowly and quietly and a black clothed assassin stepped in. He stood still with a long curved Drimmin Shamshir sword in one hand. He pulled a Tarantine fighting knife with his other hand and moved towards the bed.

I silently rolled off the beam, the dagger stabbing into the man’s neck severing his spine. My other hand slapped over his mouth to keep him from calling out. I landed and pulled the man down with me. He was convulsing as I pulled the dagger out and stabbed up into his brain. I twisted it and pulled it out.

I felt his twitching body to remove his belt. I slipped the Shamshir back into its sheath and put the sword belt over my shoulder with the belt pouch slipping down against it. I picked up the Tarantine and moved silently to the door. When I stepped out I saw the body of the Apprentice Master. I had only taken a few steps when another man stepped out the door near me.

My actions were more reaction as I swiped across his throat with the Tarantine and then stabbed up under his chin with the dagger. I let him down as quietly as I could and took his belt with belt pouch, Tarantine knife and Drimmin Shamshir. Whoever they were they had quality weapons. I glanced at two apprentices as they stepped into the hallway, “Go up and out the roof exit. Use the guild route and stay away until a master comes for you.”

I turned away and moved to the Apprentice stairs. I sheathed the Tarantine and let a throwing spike drop into my hand. I slipped down quietly and stepped into the journeyman hallway. An assassin half way down the hall turned. I brought the throwing spike back and threw as Blacksmith Johansen taught me. The assassin grabbed at his throat where my spike had struck.

Before I could move closer another assassin stepped out of a nearby door. Unfortunately for him, he looked towards the other assassin and stepped towards him. I took two quick steps and stabbed through the base of his head. I yanked the dagger out and let him fall before moving to the other assassin. He was lying still as I pulled the spike out and took his belt.

I checked the rooms and removed the belt from the assassin I had stabbed. I started down the stairs towards the main floor and a black clad assassin stepped into the stairwell. I did not even have to think as my hand flicked the throwing spike down toward the assassin. The assassin’s head snapped back with the spike through his eye. I moved down swiftly as I pulled another spike.

I moved past the dead assassin and brought the dagger around and through the wrist holding a sword. I twisted up with the dagger and slid under the arm as it straightened. The dagger came out and I stabbed through the man’s armpit and into his heart. My other arm whipped up and back as I sidestepped and then I threw. The assassin moving quickly down the hall staggered as my spike slammed into his chest.

I pulled the belts off my shoulder and tucked a Tarantine in my belt. I moved to the counting room and looked in the open door. An assassin was trying to pry Master Toni’s lockbox from the wall. I pulled a spike and threw it in one motion. The spike slammed into the back of the assassin’s skull. I turned and moved toward the corner of the hall with the other hallway leading to the large common room.

I had just reached the corner when an assassin walked around it. He did not have his knife or Shamshir out and his eyes widened. I swiped across his throat as he stepped back reaching for his Shamshir and knife. I followed as he staggered into the other hallway holding his throat. When I came around the corner another assassin was in the common room, he turned and started running towards the main doors.

I pulled a throwing spike and threw, following after it. The spike struck the running assassin low in the middle of his back. He sprawled out as he fell and I reached him as he was trying to reach the spike buried in his spine just above his waist. I knelt and stabbed through his ear. His weapons were much better then the other assassins.

Both the Drimmin Shamshir and Tarantine had black Onyx hilts. As I was pulling the spike out of his spine, I felt another dagger between his shoulder blades. It was a slim double edged dagger with a six inch blade, it had a pale blue stone for a hilt. I took everything he had and then went to the alarm pull. I yanked several times and began retrieving swords belts.

I ended up with ten swords, Tarantines and the one blue hilted dagger as well as their belt pouches. Most of the Masters including the Guild Master had been killed as well as most of the journeymen and apprentices. Master Jariss was the master who took over as the new Guild Master with several other under masters that shared his sadistic ways.


Chapter two

Pay Back

Two years had gone by since that night. I was the best pick pocket in the city. I only worked a few days every week and was very careful who I stole from. One of the things Master Jariss had changed was the way the guild dealt with merchants. Before, a merchant could purchase his belongings back for a price. Now he could do the same thing but for a very large price, he could demand the thief and get him.

Those that were turned over were usually seen hanging from one of the marketplace walls. Even though I never officially trained as a house breaker and lock pick, I learned everything there was to know. I no longer slept in the guild house even after Master Jariss made doing so mandatory. When one of his new masters had confronted me, I had pulled my Onyx hilted Tarantine and thumbed the edge of the blade, “Make me.”

Even in the silent common room my meaning was clear. Everyone knew who had killed all the assassins. Master Jariss was sitting across the room and his lackey looked at him. I glanced at Jariss and he was red faced but shook his head. Several times since then I have had one of the masters try to follow me as I headed out to find somewhere to sleep.

Petri’e was one of the few journeymen to live through the assassinations. It was not long before he began learning the art of house breaking and lock picking and began teaching me on the sly. Jariss had accepted a commission for the return of a merchant’s stolen goods. He had also accepted a commission to turn the thief over to the merchant’s guild.

I had been working for a friendly blacksmith on the side for the last couple of days. When little Sofie slipped into the shop wide eyed I knew it was trouble. Sofie was very smart and like me she refused to officially train for anything beyond picking pockets. She was thirteen but looked much younger.

She moved near and whispered, “Jariss turned Petri’e over to the merchants.”

I looked at her and then carefully put the dagger shank I had been working on back in the furnace. “When?”

She was looking around but the blacksmith was busy with a large horse he was shoeing, “The day before yesterday.”

My eyes narrowed, “Is he on the wall?”

She looked into my face, “They strung him up this morning.”

She looked away, “They beat him and cut him up good Jason.”

I closed my eyes, “The theft was just supposed to be a small one. Jariss was the one to set it up.”

She cleared her throat, “They left a note saying that from now on they would treat every theft the same way.”

I looked at her and then nodded, “Stay out of the all the marketplaces. They will be looking for anything.”

Sofie nodded, “I still have plenty.”

She hesitated, “What are you going to do?”

I smiled as I turned to the forge, “Now, why would I do anything?”

Sofie touched my shoulder, “Make sure they pay a lot.”

I nodded, “I am sure something will happen.”

When I turned around Sofie had slipped out. I went back to work on the dagger thinking that it was time the merchant’s guild learned what a true thief could do. While I worked, I saw one of Jariss’s tame masters hanging around watching me. I nodded to myself, time Jariss learned a lesson too. When I finally finished, the Blacksmith was grinning, “Not bad Jason. I always get good prices for your work.”

I smiled as I dressed, carefully placing throwing spikes and tiny knives. I slipped the pale blue hilted dagger into the sheath hanging between my shoulder blades. I was only wearing the Drimmin dagger as my visible weapon. I slipped out of the shop and moved through the market place. I noticed a few more merchants just hanging around looking eager as they stared at everyone.

I moved down an alley and halfway down I exaggerated looking around before slipping into a slip through. I knew Master Baker would follow and after a few feet jumped and caught a brick sticking out of a wall. It took a couple of seconds to pull myself up onto a spar sticking out from the wall. I reached up and pulled down a small narrow tube.

I squatted down on the spar and waited. I did not have long to wait as Master Baker stopped at the opening to the slip through. He did not even pause before starting down the narrow way. He moved past me and I aimed the tube and blew. He jerked and grabbed the back of his neck and then pulled the tiny dart out. He looked at it and then looked behind him.

He shook his head and took two steps before his legs buckled and he fell. I waited another few minutes and then returned the tube to its hiding place. I climbed back down to where Master Baker lay. I took his belt pouch and then pulled him back to the alley. I found an old piece of twine and tossed it over a thick beam. I propped the dead Master against the wall and put the twine around his neck and let him go. I slipped away and moved through the city.

It was late that night as I stared at the large building next to the one I crouched on. I had been sitting against the brick chimney and napping and now it was time to move. I carefully extended a plank and then another. I placed them together and moved across. I attached the hooks for the rope ladder to the side of the building and moved down to the window I knew was never closed.

I slipped inside and quietly moved across the small linen closet to the far door. I listened and then silently opened the door and peeked into the hall. I moved down the hall away from the wide stairs leading down. I was almost at the end of the hall when I stopped next to a bare part of the wall where servant stairs used to be. I pressed and there was a click as it opened. I slipped into the narrow steep stairs and closed the panel behind me.

I cracked a tiny black lantern and carefully moved down. In the pitch blackness I passed panel after panel. When I reached the bottom of the stairs I listened at the panel. I finally closed my lantern and pulled on the small wooden knob and there was a click before the panel opened. I moved into the basement hallway and closed the panel. Halfway down the hall was a heavily padlocked door.

It took me half a minute to unlock all the locks and open the door. I pulled the tiny dark lantern from my waist and cracked it open again. Inside the room was four oak chests. I opened the first chest as I pulled my pack off. I pulled several large folded canvas bags and loaded gold coins into the first. After I emptied the chest I moved to the next one.

When I finished emptying all the chests I had twelve heavy bags. I grabbed four and move down the hall and opened the panel. I set the bags on the right side and returned to the treasure room for another four bags. After I carried the last four into the hall, I took a minute to relock all the locks. I closed the panel behind me and began the task of moving all the bags to the stop of the stairs.

I listened and opened the upper panel. I quietly moved all the bags down the hall to the linen closet, closing the panel on my last trip. Next was the hard task of moving the bags up to the roof two bags at a time. After carrying all the bags across the planks, I pulled the planks back. I moved the bags to the far side of the roof and then slipped the light rope I had waiting through two tied together.

I lowered two bags at a time to the ground and pulled one rope back to lower the next. I released the rope after the last set and then went over the edge and climbed down from window to window. I uncovered the two wheeled cart and put all the bags in. The rims of the cart were cloth covered to reduce the noise it made. I took the handles of the cart and started pulling.

I moved slow enough to make almost no noise. I also used narrow little used alleys. It was over an hour before I stopped beside a crack between buildings. I moved the bags through the narrow opening to the tiny cobbled yard. I set a wooden box over the bags and went back to the street. I pulled the cart several streets away and removed the cloth from the rims before standing it up beside another.

I slipped back to the tiny cobbled yard and pulled several coils of light rope out of a water barrel. I tied a rope to a few bags at a time and then tied a piece of twine to the other ends. I moved to a nearby corner and used force applied in different directions to climb up. I stopped on the third floor and moved along the narrow edge of a beam to a small hole in the wall where bricks where missing.

I climbed in and then pulled twine with the ropes up. One rope at a time I pulled the bags up and placed them in a corner. Unlike any other room this one had no other entry. I grabbed a bag by the hole in the wall and carefully climbed out. I balanced on the edge of the beam and pulled bricks out of the bag and placed them in the wall. It did not take long to fill in and then I edged over to the corner and climbed down.

I slipped into the night using the shadows to hide me. It was only ten minutes before I slipped through a crack between the city wall and an old Inn. With my back to the wall I used the Inn to press my feet against and climbed up. I stopped by the attic vent and leaned forward to give it a tug. It swung open easily and I pushed away from the wall grabbing the bottom of the opening and pulling myself into the attic.

I glanced around and saw the huddled form on the small straw mattress. I smiled and turned to pull the vent closed. I walked over beside the mattress and pulled a board loose before pulling a folded quilt out. I undressed and reached down to pulled the thin rag of a blanket aside and then lay down and shook out the quilt. I pulled a shivering Sofie against me and she sighed, “Took you long enough.”

I smiled in the dark, “I had errands to do.”

She snuggled closer and put her head on my shoulder. A couple of minutes later her breathing changed and I knew she was asleep. I relaxed and a few moments later I was asleep. I woke to the first hint of dawns light and caressed Sofie’s sleeping face, “time to wake up little angel.”

Sofie opened her eyes and looked into my face searching. She slid out of bed and turned away before dressing. I stood and folded the quilt, “Next time do not lay there and freeze.”

Sofie laughed, “But I like using you to warm up.”

I shook my head and got dressed. I opened the vent and Sofie moved to the edge and stretched her legs across to the wall. I followed her down after closing the vent and led the way through alleys. I finally turned sideways and edged into a crack between two buildings. Sofie slipped in behind me and I came out in a tiny covered flagstone room.

I waited for Sofie and then pushed against one wall. It groaned and slowly turned. I started stripping and Sofie grinned and whistled softly. I grinned at her and finished what I was doing. I pushed against the other side and the wall slowly closed. I led the way back to the street and turned to start walking.

When I walked into the common room the loud crash of voices fell silent. Master Paul stood with the scrape of the bench he was sitting on, “You killed him you little bastard!”

He started towards me as he pulled his dagger. I twitched and let a throwing spike drop from my sleeve into my hand before throwing. There was a stunned silence as Master Paul choked and gasped as he went to his knees and then fell onto the floor. My throwing spike was still embedded in his throat as he began convulsing. I looked straight at Master Jariss before starting across the room.

Everyone cleared out of my way and the room remained silent. Beside Master Jariss was a black clad man with a Tarantine on his thigh. I was almost to the guild master when the other man moved. I turned and back stepped as he went from sitting to lunging. I had expecting him to do something and let a tiny razor knife slip into my hand. I turned, kneeling as my hand flashed out to stab twice before I rolled backwards.

I came to my feet and began circling, “You are already dead assassin.”

He glanced down at the blood pouring out of his inner thighs. His face went white and he shifted. Before he could move, I pulled my dagger. His eyes narrowed and he took a step towards me only to have his knees buckle. I watched as he went to his knees and then fell onto his face. I looked at a white faced Master Jariss, “You own me a life debt of two gold pieces.”

He straightened, “I am the guild master.”

I took a step closer, “You accepted the commission. You planned the theft. You talked Petri’e into doing the job. You turned him over to the merchants so you are responsible. Now, either you pay the life debt or I take yours.”

He was white faced as he hastily dug two gold coins out of his purse. I caught them when he tossed them and backed up to kneel beside the twitching body of the assassin. I cut the belt and took his pouch and then the Tarantine. I stood and walked towards the door where Sofie waited. I was almost there when the door master reached for her arm.

He jerked it back suddenly as she stabbed with a tiny knife. The room laughed as he hissed, “you were out without permission, apprentice!”

Sofie looked at him calmly, “I paid my dues. I will sleep where I think I am safe.”

He glanced around at the silence but I pushed him out of my way as I continued towards the door. That was the beginning of a minor rebellion with apprentices sleeping away from the guild house. By the afternoon there was tenseness throughout the city. The word of my theft of the merchant guilds gold spread everywhere. I was in a bakery shop off the main marketplace.

I actually talked Sofie into being my helper. I glanced outside several times to see Jariss or another master standing around. When the four mercenaries and the large fat merchant came in, they ignored the baker. The merchant looked straight at me, “You will come with us and give our gold back.”

Sofie was in a corner and I could see a tiny knife in one hand. The baker was in front of her holding her behind him to protect her. The only thing I had done when I had gotten here was put an apron on. I slipped tiny knifes into both hands as I stepped around the counter. When a mercenary reached for me, I cut his wrist. I looked at the other mercenaries as they reached for daggers, “You touch a dagger and I will kill you.”

They stopped for a minute and then pulled their daggers. I nodded and tossed my tiny knives onto the counter. As one mercenary stabbed towards me, I turned and grabbed his hand. As I twisted up and back I was pulling the Tarantine from my thigh. I stepped in and turned the other way as the long knife went under his chin and up into his brain.

I jerked it out and shoved him into the merchant and two other mercenaries. I brought the knife down and out, knocking a dagger away as the other mercenary stabbed at me. My left hand pulled my dagger at the same time. I fainted with the dagger and then stepped in. While the mercenary brought his dagger around to block mine, my long knife stabbed through his throat.

As he staggered back, I faced the other mercenaries and the merchant. They knew they were in serious trouble now. As the two mercenaries started moving apart, I slid sideways to block one. He cut at my hand and I stabbed through his wrist and twisted. I brought the Tarantine up as I slid further to the side and stabbed under the arm and into his heart.

As he fell my dagger was pulled out of my hand. I did not even have to think about it, I pulled a throwing spike since the fat merchant was pulling the shop door open to run away. The spike took him in the back of the neck. As he fell, I moved again and the last mercenary was licking his lips. I reached under my shirt at my back and pulled the blue hilted dagger.

The mercenary slowly backed to the door and I followed. When he stumbled on the twitching body of the merchant I flipped my dagger and threw. I followed it but did not need to do anything as the mercenary grasped the dagger hilt sticking out of his throat. I turned back to the shop to drag everyone out. I pulled my daggers and throwing spike out and cleaned them.

There was a small crowd that had gathered around. I had already removed all five belt pouches and walked to a nearby stall to buy five short cords. I hung the five men on nearby beams that stuck out from buildings and walked back into the bakery. I apologized to the baker and started cleaning the mess the men had made. The baker seemed nervous but after a few minute he relaxed and seemed excited.

I glanced at an amused Sofie as she pulled out several loaves of sweet broad we had been making before this started. Business for the shop exploded for the rest of the day. Mostly people just wanted to say they had been here. When I left the shop with Sofie several masters were watching. I stopped to return their look and they shifted around before walking away.


Chapter three

Bringing the Lesson Home

I was sitting on my heels beside a merchant stall watching the crowd when young Daniel knelt beside me, “They say Sofie took some noble lady’s purse.”

I looked at him as something in the pit of my stomach settled. Sofie did steal ladies purses but stayed away from nobles. He looked at the crowd and then into my face, “Master Harris caught her eating and said he was turning her over to Baron Stanley.”

I was on my feet and walking before he even finished talking. It had been a year since my message to the merchant guild. Things had gone quiet and only once since then have they dared to hang a thief and I did not object since he had killed a little girl during the robbery. Since my fight with the mercenaries I had kept all my weapons on me.

It was fifteen minutes before I came to the Baron’s manor. I did not even pause as I approached the two guards by the gate. They turned to face me and stepped out. I had not pulled a weapon yet but that was about to change. When the guard on the left held his hand out to stop me, I slid to the left. My right hand grabbed his left as I continued forward past him, a tiny knife dropped into my left hand.

I brought the knife over his shoulder and cut his throat as I released his hand. I pulled my Tarantine as I continued around the dying guard and closed with the other one. His face was white and he stumbled back reaching for his dagger. I fainted with the tiny knife and when he clumsily tried to block, I stabbed him with the Tarantine.

I turned and pushed the gate open and walked through as he fell to the ground. I opened the tall main doors and walked into the main hall drawing a throwing spike. I put my Tarantine through my belt to draw a second spike. On the other side of the great hall I saw the crowd. Six guards, four Nobles and a battered and slightly bloody Sofie.

I started for them and after a few steps one of the guards turned to see me. I was the last thing he saw as I threw a spike that slammed into his chest. As he screamed and staggered back, I was pulling another spike and throwing the one in my other hand. That spike took a guard in the neck. I was almost there as I threw again and pulled two more spikes.

The last spike I threw missed the guard I had aimed at, but struck a noble in the gut. I threw a spike low and hit another guard in the groin as they fanned out. I threw the last spike in my hand to kill a noble that had turned to run. I pulled the bloody Tarantine and my dagger as I moved sideways with purpose. The first guard that reached me, lunged and I blocked outward with the Tarantine before stabbing him below the ribs and yanking up into his heart.

The last two nobles had pulled slim swords but the two guards only had daggers. Sofie was on the ground wiggling under a bench with her hands tied behind her back. I moved around a table to block the nobles and one guard. I moved closer to the other guard and recognized the uniform as the guard captain. He fainted with his dagger, thinking I would block.

What he did not expect was my dagger through his hand as I slid to that side. I did not go for the body, I stabbed into his inner thigh and cut the artery. He staggered back white faced as I moved away. One of the nobles had come around the table and he lunged with his sword. I blocked out with my dagger ignoring his dagger as I stabbed through his sword arm with the Tarantine.

I brought the Tarantine up and around as he screamed and turned with his arm still impaled on my knife. I brought my dagger around his throat and yanked my Tarantine out as he fell to the floor. Both the guard and the noble turned to run. I dropped my Tarantine and dagger to pull two last spikes. I took the noble through the spine and the guard in the back of his neck.

There were cries and groans but I picked up my weapons before heading to the bench Sofie was under. I knelt and carefully pulled her out before cutting her hands free. She fell into my arms, “What took so long?”

I smiled as I pulled my other dagger and gave it to her, “get their pouches and wait for me in the alley off Long Street.”

I stood and headed into the manor. The servants all ran as soon as they saw me. I found Baron Stanley’s den and his money chest. It was not really that big so I lifted it to my shoulder. I walked out carrying the chest and left through a side door. When I found Sofie she looked cleaner but I could still see where she would be bruised.

I led her into the alley and stopped before what looked like a stone wall. I set the chest down and looked around before pushing against the wall. A section grated and slid back into the wall. When it stopped, it was four feet inside and there was a narrow stairwell leading down. A few feet down the stairs was a narrow walkaround that led back behind the entrance.

I carried the chest in after sending Sofie down in front of me. I set the chest down by the walkaround to push the door closed and Sofie lit a taper. I carried the chest after her to the bottom of the stairs. There was a small round room with a thick mattress in one corner and a water tank in another. I set the chest next to the bed and reached out to strip Sofie.

She smiled and handed my dagger back when I was done. I tossed it on the bed and pulled Sofie to the water tank. The water in the tank drained through wall into the city sewer. I used a bit of cloth to carefully and gently wash Sofie. I was quiet and every time she hissed and jerked I looked up.

When I finished cleaning her, I went to a small set of drawers and came back with a small jar. Sofie hissed, “I hate that stuff.”

I smiled as I began to apply the cream, “If you would stop getting hurt, I would stop putting it on.”

She cuffed me, “You just like me smelling of flowers.”

I laughed and looked into her face. “This time it was close Sofie.”

She nodded, “That stupid oaf Harris. Everyone knows I do not do nobles.”

I shook my head as I pushed her towards the set of drawers, “They were just looking for a scapegoat.”

She opened a drawer and started dressing. When she was done she looked at me, “I am not quitting.”

I nodded and she sighed, “You know how close it came to me having to… to be a doss.”

I nodded again and she looked down, “Alright, I will start helping you at the shops more.”

I grinned, “Baker Simon likes you.”

She grinned at me, “That is because he likes my sweetbread better than yours.”

I laughed and started cleaning up and changing. When I was ready, I nodded to Sofie. She snuffed out the taper and I pushed on the wall next to the bed. It turned quietly and I slipped into the foul smell of the sewer. When Sofie came through I pushed the door close. The walls of the sewer gave off a faint glow and I waited until my sight had adjusted.

I led the way to an intersection and leaped across. Sofie hesitated and then followed. It was twenty minutes before I opened a thick wooden door and led Sofie into the basement of the guild house. We made our way up darkened stairs and pushed open a hidden door. I walked into the common room with Sofie stopping in the hallway.

The room fell silent and everyone looked at Master Jariss as his face went white. I smiled, “I believe you own Sofie a blood price.”

He only hesitated before nodding jerkily and looking at a youngish master by the door. I knew this was Master David the skilled mercenary he had brought in. As the new master stood and stepped away from the table, a throwing spike dropped into his hand. That was enough and I pulled both my Tarantine and a throwing spike, “When you throw it I will kill you.”

He only shrugged and his wrist began its throw. I slid sideways and brought my Tarantine around to knock the throwing spike away as I threw my own. His body jerked as he stumbled to the side with my spike deep in his belly. A second spike dropped into my hand as I back stepped to let another spike from a hidden Journeyman pass me.

I threw the second spike and ignored the journeyman as I began to close with the mercenary. He was holding his gut and a dagger as he tried to stand straight. The journeyman had fallen straight back with my spike through his eye. As I slid closer, the mercenary tried to get me to turn so that my back was to the room and I moved into his path instead.

He tried to faint and I stabbed through his wrist and twisted. I turned with him in front of me as he screamed. I pulled another throwing spike as I yanked the knife out. As he dropped to the floor holding his arm, I threw. Jariss screamed as the spike slammed into his shoulder. I looked around the room before nodding to Sofie who had waited by the hallway.

She walked to Master Jariss and reached out to cut the purse off his belt. She used her tiny knife to slice open his cheek, “Next time I will cut your throat. Everyone knows I do not touch nobles.”

She walked away and joined me as I left and walked out the front doors. I headed for the largest marketplace, “Mrs. Sonnes needed help with some quilts in her shop.”

Sofie groaned, “You know I hate sewing.”

I grinned at her, “This is only quilt work and you know very well we get good gossip there.”
She grinned at that and then laughed, “Plus she does give us tea.”

I laughed with her and ten minutes later we walked into the shop. Mrs. Sonnes looked up as the door bell jangled and then smiled, “Sofie!”

Sofie smiled back and curtsied, “Mrs. Sonnes.”

I smiled as I led the way across the room to the other three ladies, “I promised I would come by to help.”

They laughed and scooted around to make room for Sofie and I. It was not long before we were listening to the latest gossip and sipping tea. When a woman would come in for a fitting Mrs. Sonnes would take them into the back.