Back to Page Three
-----Wain turns his cold eyes toward the Dread Pirate. "Ah, . . . the Fire Knives," comes his low voice, almost in a whisper. "You are right, they are blaming us for the counterfeit coins." He slowly strolls away from Kazel, his tall form caressing the shadows. "And," he adds, "they have succeeded in convincing the town also."
-----When he turns to look at the young thieves again, a small fire seems to grow in his eyes. "You see, rumors of our guild has sprung up during the last few weeks and they were finally confirmed in the minds of the officials last night. It seems a murder took place just after midnight in the market area. Three people were killed, their possessions and weapons taken. Someone identified a halfling, a young girl and a fancy-dressed man as suspects. They are rumored to have connections to the ‘Thieves Guild of Hearthorn’." Wain pauses to let the implications sink in.
-----He begins to speak again and his voice has an icy tinge to it. "You say you need training. I will be glad to offer training to all three of you. You will most certainly need it."
-----He then turns towards Kazel again and his eyes seem to float in the darkness. Still talking to the trio, he says, "You mentioned someone named Nodeus. You will tell me everything you know, then you train."
-----Kazel slowly blinks a couple of times, arms crossed as she leans on the wall. "Actually, he just told you everything." She says lifting a finger towards Gimplefwick. After a moment of silence or two, she adds, "Well, except that the big assassin was called Horace. And he's as dead as your smiling muscles."
-----She then cups her chin and taps her cheek as if in deep thought. "And I wouldn't worry about the rumours. They seem to know the guild as well as you seem to know them. So this is just bound to have happened anyway sooner or later, and only sooner because Calron spends too much time telling people about the guild and too little on checking his cargo."
-----She then turns to Gimplefwick and asks, "So where did you hear the name Fire Knives?"
-----Gimplefwick shrugs at Kazel, "I don't really recall. I'm sure I heard it from someone. Anyways, that’s about all I know, except that those assassins are supposedly holed up in some tavern room. I don't seem to remember the name of the place or the room number though, perhaps Kazel or Seth remember."
-----Seth looks up. "No, I do not remember, but I do need to go back into the town today. Wain, is this going to be group training or individual? Because if it is individual I will go back into town while you train Gimplefwick and Kazel. While I am in town I might find out something."
-----Seth gets up and looks around the room, "For this trip I think I should effect some disguise... Ah I need a brown ..No a beige robe or cassock and a staff...Mmm, Wain, my good man, please point me towards the disguise chest...."
-----Wain’s shadow suddenly seems to loom over the thieves. The Fly shrinks back quivering into one of the corners. The Guildmaster’s eyes seem to burn through Kazel. "I am glad you feel confident," his icy voice says from the dark, "You maybe right that they know little of the guild, although someone out there certainly knows the three of you."
-----The fire in those eyes now looks at the Dread Pirate, "However, I want to know more about our opponents and I want to feel that our members are giving me the right information. If there is more that I should know it is in the best interest of the guild that you tell me."
-----Finally looking at Seth, his voice says, "I am afraid you have it wrong. You will not go out into town by day. Your training starts now. I will send you three out at night. There are tasks I want you to perform and perform them you will if you wish the best chance to survive. Is there anything else I should know?" The room seems to grow a bit chillier.
-----"Well yes, there is Wain," Seth puts on as petulant a face as possible, "I NEED my pack from Brad's Tavern. In fact, if I do not have my pack, I shan't be going anywhere at night until I retrieve my pack!"
-----Seth crosses his arms and looks at Wain, "Maybe Dora May could pick it up for me, but truly I need the pack."
-----"Of course they've known us long since beating it out of Calron. What I meant was that they knew a lot about us, not a little, and that you know them at least well enough to recognize them." Kazel shifts her position a bit, hands in her pockets as she continues. "So how about telling us everything that you know and what you've been doing about them. We're part of the guild too."
-----"This pack of yours, does it have things you need to train with? Tell me what it contains, what it looks like and where it is located in the tavern," Wain asks Seth.
-----"What we have been doing," Wain begins to tell Kazel, "is we have been working with the beggars to locate the whereabouts of the counterfeiters. We have kept Calron where he is for now on the chance they ship more through the warehouse. The last word I received was that one of the beggars had information for us and had made contact with ‘one of us’ before he died."
Go to Page 5