A BLESSING IN DISGUISE
by Michael Tucker
[Not a Klingon story but worthy of one]

The thick fog had clung to the forest for days and the cold dampness dripped from the trees like a slow, steady rain. The dirt read, though well used and hard packed, had begun to succumb to the continuous moisture and was turning soft, which made travel on it both slow and messy. An oppressive gloom had settled in when the fog had refused to lift, serving to silence the most vocal birds and five the forest and unnatural stillness.

It was in those dismal surroundings that Tallos now found himself. He pulled his cloak tighter around him as he trudged down the road, in an attempt to keep at least some of the chill out. He continued on until he spotted a fallen tree near the edge of the road and made his way over to it. When he reached it, he sat down and quickly found a suitable stick which he used to begin scraping the mud from the bottom of his boots. The road wasn't wet enough yet for the mud to collect quickly, but he knew the importance of removing it before his boots became too slick. He could ill afford a fall out in the middle of nowhere at his age. He looked up the road as he finished but the fog obscured everything beyond a hundred feet or so and he wondered again if he was even on the right road. He had been told to look for the sign of the Dancing Boar just beyond the bend in the road, but he had traveled on it for three days now and it was straight as an arrow. "Besides, who would build an inn all the way out here anyway," he thought to himself. He finally convinced himself to move back onto the road. "If I don't find it today, I'll just have to go back and accept the consequences," he told himself as he plodded along. He paused and looked up trying to determine where the sun really was and he soon gave up in disgust. He resumed walking and decided to try to reason it out for himself. He had risen, eaten, and set out as soon as it was light enough to do so safely. He wasn't particularly hungry yet so he reasoned that it must be somewhere near mid-morning. Some of the moisture dripping from the trees overhead struck him in the face and he bowed his head and pulled his hood lower. "Even if I don't fall, I'll probably catch my death of cold," he thought gloomily. Suddenly, Tallos thought that he heard the sound of horses nickering and perhaps laughter. He looked up and thought that he could just make out a bend in the road and as he approached it became certain. He came around the bend and saw a light, hazy in the distance. The sounds that he had heard grew louder as he went towards the light and he began to hurry. He slipped once and promptly slowed down. He wasn't about to take any chances now when he was so close to, what he hoped was, his destination. Within a few moments, a building came into view and Tallos continued on until he could make out the sign hanging over the door. There were no words on the sign, only a large red pig with huge tusks. It was standing on one hind leg with the other one straight out in front and one front leg raised over its head. Tallos supposed that it was meant to be someone's idea of a dancing boar, or at least he hoped so. He noticed that there were perhaps twenty or so horses in front of the building, all of different sizes, shapes and colors. A few even seemed to be the large kind which were trained for battle. Apparently, the inn was quite popular in spite of the foul weather. Tallos hoped that the person that he had been sent to find was inside as he went up the steps leading to the front door. When he opened the door, he was assaulted by bright light and noise and he paused in the doorway to allow his eyes to adjust before he continued inside. He took stock of his surroundings as he made his way toward the bar.

The bar took up most of the wall to his right and a large balding mad stood behind it wiping out mugs. He glanced at Tallos briefly then went back to his work.

The largest man that Tallos had ever seen sat at a table in the corner at his left. The table and chair were dwarfed by him and the tankard that he was drinking from all but disappeared in his massive hand. He had apparently failed to notice Tallos at all which was something that Tallos was very thankful for.

Directly in front of the bar, Tallos saw that several of the trestle tables had been pushed together and this was where the rest of the rooms occupants were located and was also the source of the noise that Tallos had heard outside. There were about twenty women seated at the tables. Most were dressed as warriors in various types of armor and an array of weapons clearly visible. There were all laughing, talking and mostly drinking and none of them had paid the slightest attention to his entrance.

Tallos was sure that the person that he had been sent to find was one of those seated at the tables but the only problem was, which one? He considered his problem for a moment then decided that the only thing to do was to approach the group and simply ask for the one that he wanted. He straightened his tunic and ran his fingers through his hair then went to the tables. He stood at one end of the tables and waited for someone to notice him. While he waited, he quickly looked over those seated there. They were all definitely warriors, and they were all definitely ignoring him. Tallos politely cleared his throat.

"Excuse me, ladies, I wonder if you could help me?" he said sweetly.

An attractive woman, with flowing blond hair, was seated at the end of the table to his right. She rose and stood before him and when she had reached her full height she was a full head and shoulders taller than him, but Tallos didn't notice. His full attention was held by the pair of large, bare breasts that were directly in front of his face.

"What can we do for you?" said a pleasant voice that Tallos barely heard.

"Uh," Tallos stammered, "I, uh, have a message."

He felt a gentle pressure under his chin and allowed his head to be tilted up until he was looking into the bluest eyes that he had ever seen. He felt the pressure leave his chin and fought the urge to drop his gaze.

The woman smiled warmly. "If you want answers, the part that talks is up here," she said, pointing to her face. "Now, I believe that you said something about a message."

"Uh, yes," Tallos smiled back. "I'm looking for someone named Arwyn."

Tallos took an involuntary step backward as the smile abruptly left the woman's face and her hand went to the sword which hung at her side. Her eyes blazed menacingly as she demanded, "All right! Just who the hell are you?"

"Who sent you?" rang out another voice from the table.

"Where did you come from?" sounded still another.

"What do you want with Arwyn?" demanded yet another.

Tallos head up his hands helplessly as he looked desperately around the table into the icy stares of those seated there. "Please, please!" he pleaded. "I mean her no harm. Just give me a chance to explain."

"All right," said the blond still towering over him. "Talk fast."

"My name is Tallos. I was sent by master Klawn from Lakedale with a message for someone named Arwyn. Master Klawn told me that she was a warrior woman and that I would find her here if I arrived within a week. That's all I know. I swear it!" The look on Tallos' face pleaded with them to believe him.

"So how did this Klawn of yours know where to find Arwyn?" The question came from a dark skinned woman seated farther up the table.

Tallos swallowed hard, "I have learned not to question Master Klawn's information or ask where he gets it."

A striking brunette, wearing finely woven chainmail that plunged so low as to make it practically useless for protection, was seated at the end of the table on Tallos' left. She leaned forward, causing her neckline to dip even lower, and said, "You say that you were sent from Lakedale, correct?" At Tallos' nod, she continued, "Lakedale is a fair distance away so I was wondering how you arrived. I didn't hear a horse and as you can see," she said, pulling back her hair to reveal a sharply pointed ear, "I would have."

Tallos looked at the ear, then noticed the slight upward slant of her eyebrows. Elven blood definitely flowed in her veins. "I walked," he answered at last.

A large woman dressed in furs rose from her place near the far end of the table and thundered, "Be serious! You expect us to believe that a scrawny, old man like you walked all the way here from Lakedale in this weather!" She pulled out a nasty looking dagger and pointed it at him. "Now try again! This time it had better be the truth!"

The blond who still loomed over Tallos looked over her shoulder and held up her hand, "Wait, Hyndara. Road mud is all over his boots and his cloak is dripping. I think that he's telling the truth."

"Well, if you are, all I can say is that I hope that you were well paid," said the elf.

Tallos puffed up slightly with pride, "Not that it's any of your business, but I was. Half a silver before I left and another half when I return and I'll get another whole silver if I can get back within the next four days."

A brunette, dressed exactly like the blond that was in front of Tallos, leaned back and laughingly exclaimed, "Two silvers! I wouldn't get out of bed for that!"

"Two silvers is a great amount to those of us who are used to having nothing at all," Tallos said indignantly. "With that I will nearly be able to pay off my debt to Master Klawn and then I can start saving to buy passage home so that I will never have to see Lakedale or Master Klawn ever again."

"Well, I wish you luck," said the blond in front of him as she held our her hand. "Give me the message, and I'll see that Arwyn gets it. Then you can be on your way."

Tallos took another step backward. "I was told to give it to Arwyn only," he said defensively.

"Now see here," the blonde said as she put her hands back on her hips, "I'm just about ready to pick you up and ....."

"Enough!" a stern voice from the far end of the table interrupted her. "Let him bring me the message."

"Well, you heard her. Get going," said the blond as Tallos hesitated, trying to determine who had spoken.

He moved slowly down the left side of the table, trying to guess where the voice had come from as he went. At the end of the table was a woman dressed in black leather armor who had many scars. Tallos went to her, pulled a parchment out from under his tunic, and offered it to her.

The woman smiled at him and said, "You do me a great honor, sir, but Arwyn is seated there." She pointed several places down to a rather young looking woman seated next to the large woman dressed in furs. Tallos went to her and offered her the parchment.

The woman studied him for a moment then took the parchment from him and said, "Thank you. You can go now."

"I was told to wait for a reply," he said with as much authority as he could muster.

"Of course you were," Arwyn replied dryly. She turned back to the table and raised her eyebrows as she looked at the seal on the parchment. She quickly broke it and opened the parchment.

While all the attention was focused on Arwyn, Tallos decided to take a better look at those seated at the table. Besides the brunette and the blond that had first spoken to him there were at least two other women dressed similarly. There were also several more elves as well as a few others dressed in full plate mail, while others were dressed in scale mail that was made to resemble feathers. He watched in disbelief as a warrior quietly rose from the table with an empty pitcher and went to the bar. What had caught his attention was the fact that she wore nothing but a very short tunic, circlet, bracers, boots, and a sword belt. The tunic was made of a thin gauzy material which was basically transparent and made perfectly clear that the warrior wore absolutely nothing underneath it. She got a full pitcher and returned to her place at the table, between two others attired in the same fashion, which Tallos noticed were elves, as was the one that he had watched go to the bar. He watched this group for a time then turned his attention to Arwyn. She had long brown hair, streaked with gold and wore a plain muslin tunic which was laced up the front. She had a girlish quality to her features and although there was nothing remarkable about the woman herself, the sword at her waist was another matter. Tallos had just begun to study it when the silence was broken.

"Well?" asked the large woman dressed in furs, "Are you going to tell us what this is all about or what?"

"Yes, Arwyn, please," said one of the elves, "At least tell us who the letter is from. The waiting is driving me crazy."

Arwyn took a deep breath and let it out in a heavy sigh. She looked around the table and replied at last, "It's from Grimslade."

"Grimslade!" the name was spoken in astonishment by several of the women seated at the table at the same time.

"What the hell does that bastard want?" demanded the woman in furs. As she watched Arwyn, she wore a look of concern which changed to suspicion when she glanced back at Tallos.

"He wants me to return to Ameron," Arwyn said after a short pause. With that reply the room exploded into pandemonium.

"Is he crazy?"

"What kind of fool does he take you for?"

"He can't be serious!"

"You know that he would have you killed the moment that you passed through the city gate, don't you?"

Similar exclamations resounded until Arwyn was able to restore order. "Hold on! There's more to it than that!" she shouted over the noise. When things had quieted down, she was about to continue when she noticed Tallos still standing behind her. She turned slightly and looked up at him, "What are you still doing here? You delivered your message, now you can be on your way."

Tallos glanced around nervously then replied, "I, uh, was told to wait for a reply."

Arwyn's eyes narrowed, "Of course you were. All right then, go and get something to eat and drink at the bar, and wait for my answer there."

"I would gladly do so," Tallos hesitated and shuffled his feet slightly, "but all my money needs to go towards my debt to Master Klawn you see, so...."

"All right already!" Arwyn exclaimed as she held up her hand, cutting off any further explanation from Tallos. "Put whatever you want on my bill, just so long as it gets you over there to wait so that you will stop hovering over me like an old carrion bird!" she said as she gestured impatiently toward the bar.

"Why thank you my dear lady, and may I say what a generous offer...." A sharp look from Arwyn stopped Tallos in mid-sentence and sent him scurrying for the bar. When he got there, he ordered a wedge of cheese and some bread with a mug of stout ale to wash it down. He positioned himself so that he could keep an eye on the group of elves, hoping that one of them would need to make another trip to the bar soon. Although his full attention appeared to be occupied this way, Tallos made sure to pay attention to the conversation that had continued at the tables in the hopes of gaining some useful information.

"All right, Arwyn," said the woman in furs. "What's it all about?"

"Well, according to this, Arwyn said as she tapped the parchment, "there's some sort of problem in Ameron and Grimslade thinks that I'm the only one who can solve it."

"What kind of problem?" asked the topless brunette with suspicion heavy in her voice.

"Ummm," hesitated Arwyn as she scanned the letter again, "it doesn't say. All it says is that if I'm interested I need to meet with Grimslade in Ameron and everything will be explained then."

"Sounds like some kind of trap to me," said one of the warriors wearing the feather armor. "He'll probably have you killed as soon as you enter the city."

"Not from what it says here," said Arwyn as she tapped the parchment again. "He says that I 'll be under his personal protection until we meet to discuss the situation and if I accept, until I've resolved the problem. If I refuse, I'll get one until sunset to leave the city and one week after that before he moves against me."

A warrior wearing bettered leather armor and a patch over one eye spoke up. "How can you trust him to keep his word? And even if you can, why should you care about a problem that he has? I mean, after all, what's in it for you?"

"First of all, I can trust what he says is the truth because the letter bears his personal seal," Arwyn said as she held up the letter and showed all of them the intricate wax seal at the bottom. She quickly went on before anyone could raise an argument. "Now before anyone brings up the possibility of a forgery, let me explain how important a personal seal is to someone in the Thieve's Guild. Since it is hard for most people to trust a thief, their personal seal is required on any agreement that they enter into. Any thief that does so and then breaks the agreement can be fined, imprisoned, banished or executed, depending on the type of agreement. Anyone caught forging someone's personal seal is automatically imprisoned unless the Thieve's Guild catches them first, in which case, the person will probably end up praying for death. So, I don't know of anyone that is brave or stupid enough to even try to use Grimslade's seal. Now, as for what's in it for me, if I solve this problem for him, Grimslade promises a full pardon from the Guild. I won't have to keep looking over my shoulder all the time, and better yet, I can return to Ameron any time I like."

"So what's so special about Ameron?" asked the woman in furs as she drained her mug.

"Just one thing," Arwyn paused and a far away look came into her eyes. "My sister is still there. I had to leave her behind when I went to steal the sword," she said as she patted the weapon at her side. "After I had stolen it, I wasn't able to return for her, of course, and I haven't seen her since." Arwyn snapped out of her thoughts and addressed the group again. "Grimslade won't let her leave the city and he knows how important she is to me. That's why he's offering the pardon. He knows that I'm not likely to pass up a chance to get my sister back."

"It would appear that you have decided to undertake this quest, my lady," said a warrior dressed in full plate.

"I have," replied Arwyn firmly. "I plan to leave for Ameron right away." The protests started immediately but were quickly silenced by the woman in furs. "Arwyn knows more about the way these thieves do business than we do, " she said. "If she wants to throw her life away, so be it. The choice is hers alone to make. I only have one question, who gets to take over after you leave?"

"I think I can trust you to handle things until I return, Hyndara," Arwyn said to the woman in furs. Then turning to the rest of the warriors, she asked, "Any objections?" Her question was met by many scowls and a lot of muttering but no one spoke up. "Good, then that is settled."

"What about the shipment of supplies and weapons that's suppose to be coming past here on it's way to Clananda?" asked the warrior with the eye patch. "We've been waiting here for over a week to grab it."

"I've been thinking about that," said Arwyn as she rubbed her chin. "It's already overdue and since this Klawn knew where to find us, it's pretty likely that the shipment has been sent by a different route. I don't want you to wait here more and a few days more. If it hasn't shown up by then, clear out and lay low at the north camp for a few days in case we were set up. When you're sure that it's safe, sneak across the border and spy on Nausler's camp to see if the shipment arrived. Once you find out, head into the mountains to Ryella's stronghold and wait for me there. If I don't send word or join you there after two weeks, choose a new leader and continue on the way that you all think is best." As Arwyn finished, she rose to leave.

"Not so fast, Arwyn," Hyndara said sternly. "What about him?" she pointed to the huge man seated in the far corner.

"What about him? I can't very well take him with me. You know how difficult he can be at times. I'm going to have enough to worry about," Arwyn replied.

"Well, he's not staying with us," said Hyndara as she folded her arms across her chest. "You found him. You take care of him."

"Besides," said the blond that had first spoken to Tallos, "you're the only one who can talk to him. He won't listen to any of us and we wouldn't be able to keep him safe."

"You know how he hates to be separated from you," said a warrior dressed in scale mail. "He'd just end up following you anyway, once he found out that you were gone."

"All right! All right! I'll take him with me!" Arwyn said, sounding exasperated. "Are you all satisfied now?"

"Yes, I believe we are," said Hyndara smugly. "If you want to leave right away, then you had better get ready," she added.

As the warriors at the tables resumed their conversations, Arwyn went to the bar and ordered some provisions for the journey.

When she had finished, Tallos spoke up, "I beg your pardon, my lady, but it is getting on in the day and I was hoping to get your reply so that I can start back to Lakedale to collect my payment."

"Don't worry. You'll get back to Lakedale in plenty of time to collect your payment and your bonus as well. I'm going to take you back myself so that I can give my reply to this Klawn of yours myself," Arwyn replied with a deadly edge to her voice and before Tallos could reply, she had left and went to the huge man in the corner. She spoke quietly to him for a few moments then went out the door. The man drained his tankard then followed her.

Tallos was still looking after them when a sweet voice behind him said, "We couldn't help but notice that you were watching us." Tallos turned and found the three elves standing beside him. "We find you very interesting, also," finished the first one.

"Oh yes. We would really like to get to know you better," said the second.

"Much better," added the third as she ran her tongue over her lips.

Tallos swallowed hard, "I would like nothing better than to...."

"Come on Talbot or whatever your name is," Arwyn interrupted from the doorway. "We're ready to go."

"Oh dear. What a shame," said one warrior.

"Maybe we'll be able to get together some other time," said another.

"Bye," finished the third as they went back to the tables.

Tallos cursed under his breath as he rose to go outside. He jerked open the door and put up his hand to shade his eyes. Though it was still overcast, the day had gotten considerably brighter and warmer. The cool dampness of the earlier day had been replaced by warmth and a near stifling humidity. It took only a few moments for Tallos' cloak, which was still rather damp, to begin to stick to him like a second skin and cause him to start to perspire profusely. As his eyes grew accustomed to the light, Tallos noticed the huge man standing in the middle of the road next to an equally huge animal that resembled a horse. Although he had never seen one, Tallos suspected that the animal was a drindox. These animals were created to pull huge ore carts through the mountains. They were extremely strong and hard working but also notoriously bad tempered. They had even been known to turn on their owners from time to time. He couldn't recall hearing of anyone ever riding one or of one being seen away from the mountains for that matter. He was still pondering this when Arwyn rose up on a fine looking gray horse.

"It should only be about a day's ride to Lakedale," she said as she reined to a stop in front of Tallos.

Tallos was about to respond when the innkeeper emerged with several large sacks. "This'll be four silvers," he said.

Arwyn reached into a small pouch at her waist and gave the innkeeper the money, "Give the supplies to Narl." The innkeeper gave her a nasty look but did as he was told. Narl took all the sacks in one hand and effortlessly put them on the drindox. The innkeeper shot Arwyn another nasty look as he passed by then quickly ducked inside. "As I was saying," Arwyn continued after the innkeeper had gone, "it's only about a day's ride to Lakedale. If we leave now and travel until nightfall, we can be there by mid-morning tomorrow if we start again at first light."

"Well, I would say that sounds about right and I wish you safe journey, but I don't understand why you're bothering to tell me your travel plans," Tallos said as he eyed Arwyn questioningly.

"Because, as I said, I'm taking you with me," she said with a grin. "Climb up here and you can ride behind me."

"What?! Up on that thing! You must be joking!" Tallos exclaimed as he took an involuntary step backward. "I've never been on a horse in my life and to be honest with you, I have no plans to change that."

Arwyn rolled her eyes, then spoke to Tallos again, "Look, I don't have time for this. I have to take care of something in Lakedale then I have to get to Ameron as quickly as possible."

"But why do I have to come with you? I can get back to Lakedale by myself," Tallos nearly whined.

"Because," said Arwyn impatiently, "what I have to do in Lakedale requires your help. Besides, you want to collect your bonus from Klawn, don't you?"

"Of course I do," replied Tallos with an indignant tone in his voice. "But it won't do me any good if I die before I get there. Besides, what do you need me for anyway and how do you know that I'll agree to help you? And another thing...."

"Enough!" shouted Arwyn. "I need to meet with your Master Klawn briefly and I need you to help me get in to see him. Now you have a simple choice, either climb up here behind me or get strapped on behind Narl with the provisions. What's it going to be?"

"Since I don't seem to have a choice, I would be happy to ride behind you but seeing as I have no idea how to get up there, it would appear that we have a slight problem," said Tallos smugly as he folded his arms across his chest.

"No problem at all," Arwyn grinned. Then she turned to Narl and motioned to get his attention. When she was sure that he was watching her closely, she told him, "Help Tallos get on my horse, please."

Narl obediently trudged over to Tallos and reached for him. "Now wait just a moment here!" Tallos started to protest.

"Shut up!" snapped Arwyn, then she nodded to Narl, who in turn, grabbed Tallos under the arms and easily lifted him onto the horse behind Arwyn. Tallos, already nervous, could find nothing to hold onto and fought to keep his balance. As his movements began to make the horse fidget, Arwyn snapped, "Sit still! You're going to get us both dumped on the ground in a moment."

"Well, I'm sorry!" Tallos snapped back. "But if I don't find something to hold on to soon, I fear that I may do myself an injury."

"By the gods!" said Arwyn who was clearly getting exasperated. "Just reach around front and hold on to me." Tallos, being near panic, did just that. He reached around her, directly forward and grabbed the first things that he encountered. Arwyn stiffened immediately. "If you don't remove your hands from there, I'm going to tie a rope around your neck and drag you all the way back to Lakedale," she said through clenched teeth.

Tallos sat frozen. "I'm, I'm .... I'm sorry," he stammered at last. "I don't think that this is going to work. You should let me get down and go on without me."

"You might be right, but we're at least going to give it a try. Besides, I told you that I need you," Arwyn gave a heavy sigh. "Here, like this." She took one of his hands and moved it down to her belt buckle then moved the other hand on top of the first one. "There, now just hold on and try to move with the horse. You're less likely to get sore that way." She eased the horse on to the road and set off at an easy pace and Narl moved the drindox into position behind.

Tallos was surprised at how quickly he was able to get into rhythm with the horse and after a short time, he was even able to relax a little. By the time they had decided to stop for the night, he was actually starting to enjoy himself and was sorry to have to stop. Arwyn dismounted first then helped Tallos to the ground. She then began to unpack some of the supplies while Narl saw to the animals and Tallos tried to get a fire going. As soon as Narl got the animals settled, he disappeared into the woods. Soon the fire was going and Tallos and Arwyn were enjoying some bread and cheese. Tallos was just about to inquire about Narl when he emerged from the trees carrying several fat rabbit. Tallos' mouth began to water as Narl approached. As Narl got closer, he changed direction an walked over to the drindox and dropped the rabbits on the ground in front of it. Tallos watched in disgust as the drindox tore into the rabbits messily. After a moment, he turned quickly away and took what was left of his bread and cheese and set it aside.

Arwyn chuckled as she watched him from across the fire. "I take it that you've never seen a drindox before?" Tallos shook his head and she continued, "Then you wouldn't know that they're meat eaters. Sorry about that. I should have warned you. Don't worry, you'll get use to it."

"I sincerely doubt it," Tallos replied glumly.

Narl came over to the fire and plopped down. He immediately began to tear into a large piece of cheese and a loaf of bread. He quickly finished that off and moved onto some dried meat and fruit and washed it all down with a small skin of wine. Then, without a word, he lay down with his back to the fire and was soon asleep.

Tallos and Arwyn had sat quietly for some time when Arwyn broke the silence, "So, how is it that you've never been on a horse before? Did one scare you when you were a child or something?"

"No. There just aren't that many where I come from," he replied after a few moments.

"Where's that?" Arwyn asked casually.

"A little town called Elnon. You've probably never heard of it," said Tallos as he absently tossed a stick into the fire.

"Elnon. That's on a small island in the Great Bay. It's part of the kingdom of Varoosh, I think," Arwyn said as she grew more interested. "You're a long way from home. How did you come to work for someone like Klawn all the way up here?"

"It's a long story," Tallos sighed. "I suppose that have time to tell it though." He took a swig of wine and settled back. "My family are traders who sail all over the Great Bay. When I was old enough, I went to work on one of my family's ships and, in a few years, I was able to save enough money to get a ship of my own. Soon though, the competition go so bad that I was barely able to get by because I was new and didn't have the steady customers of the other traders. So I set off for new ports. I sailed up the Rynd river, trading along the way, until I reached Lakedale. There I planned to turn around and head back to the Great Bay, hoping that when I got there I would have enough money to buy at least one more ship so that I would be able to stay in the Great Bay and make a living.

When I got ready to leave, the harbor master came to me and told me that I owed docking fees, unloading and loading fees, cargo tax, import taxes, and a lot more. The total was outrageous and when I protested, he told me to file a complaint with the city council. I did, paying a huge filing fee, and waited two weeks for my case to be heard. When I was finally summoned back to the council chambers, the council had a magistrate there. He told me that because I was from another kingdom and because I wasn't a member of the local merchant's guild, that the fees and taxes were proper and that I was required to pay them. Then he fined me for filing a false complaint. When it was all over, I was forced to sell my entire cargo and my ship in order to pay for everything. I felt very bad because my crew was stuck in Lakedale with no money and no way to get home. That's when Master Klawn came to me and offered to pay for passage on a ship to get my crew home. I would be required to stay behind and work off my debt and after it was paid I would be allowed to return home also. It sounded like the perfect solution, so I agreed. Only after I had signed the agreement did I find out that I had to pay him for the shack that he let me stay in as well as for food, clothing and anything else that I needed. He only lets me work part of the time and doesn't pay me enough to ever get my debt fully paid off. I've gotten close a few times, but then I get charged for some supplies or something and I'm back where I started. I've been trying to get home for almost twenty years now and I've almost got my debt paid off again. If I get back in time to collect my bonus, maybe I'll make it this time," Tallos finished and sat, quietly staring into the fire. After a while, he looked up and smiled at Arwyn, "Well, I've told you my story, now let's hear yours."

Arwyn looked away from the fire and scowled, "It's long and we have to get up early tomorrow."

Tallos' grin widened, "Come on. We'll be in Lakedale tomorrow and then we'll part company and probably never see each other again. I mean, I was made to walk all the way to that inn to find you and now you're dragging me back with you to help you do something concerning the Thieve's guild. I think that I deserve some sort of explanation at least. Besides, if you really didn't want to tell me, you would have come up with a better reason."

Arwyn waited for a while then let out a heavy sigh, "Oh, all right. Have it your way." Tallos settled back as Arwyn turned to face him. "When I was very little, I remember my mother taking me and my baby sister from out home to Ameron. There was a house there for us to use and we were given anything that we needed. We tried to fit in with the other people, my sister and I were sent to be taught with the other children and my mother would go out shopping and things like that. My mother also taught my sister and me at home. We learned the customs and beliefs from our home, but our mother would never tell us where we had come from or why we had left. She said that it was safer for us if we didn't know until we were older. She also taught us how to fight with weapons as well as our bare hands because that was what our people were born to do. It didn't take long for our teachers to find out what we were being taught at home and to have a problem with it. To avoid any more trouble, our mother decided to teach us all our studies at home. From the time that we had arrived in Ameron, a woman would come to visit us regularly. Her name was Deliana and our mother told us that she was a priestess of the warrior goddess Helculva, and that she was a friend that we could trust. Deliana began to bring books and scrolls on math, science, history, all sorts of things, so that our mother could teach them to us. Sometimes, she would stay and help our mother teach us to use weapons and would tell us what a great honor it was to be a warrior. She also told us that everything that we were being taught was very important to our future and we should learn all of it well. After my sister and I were put to bed, Deliana and our mother would stay up late and talk and I would try to hear what they were saying. I usually couldn't hear much but I finally figured out that they were talking about our home and my father and some kind of war. I never asked any questions because I knew that I would only get into trouble so I kept everything to myself and tried to learn what I could on my own. As time went by, we got into a steady routine of either studying or working in the house or practicing fighting out in the walled courtyard. We almost never left the house except in the summer when Deliana would take us to the gathering of the Order of Helculva. There would be food and contests and fighting competitions. Everything was going good until my sister started to get interested in boys. Then she didn't like going to the gathering anymore, since there weren't any there, and also started to resent having to stay home all the time. She said that she wanted to be like the other girls and that she didn't care about where we came from because she couldn't remember any of it anyway. She started to refuse to practice and started sneaking out at night. My mother was having a very tough time with her and at about the same time, Deliana's visits became more frequent and her talks with my mother grew more serious. My mother left us with Deliana and because to leave for periods of time. Each time she left, she would be gone a little bit longer until finally she says my sister and me down and told us that she had to leave. Deliana would look after us because we weren't old enough or ready to come with her, but she told us that we would be together soon. Then she left, and my sister's behavior got even worse. Deliana wouldn't answer any questions and would only tell us that the harder we worked, the sooner we would be able to join our mother. Several seasons later, another priestess of Helculva arrived with a package for Deliana. Inside was my mother's sword. The blade had been broken neatly in two pieces. Deliana was very disturbed by it and told my sister and me that we were old enough to look out for ourselves and that she had to go to our mother. She told us that we would know when we were ready to follow her and that when the time came we should go to the temple of Helculva to find out what we should do. Then she and the other priestess left too. My sister grew impossible after that. She told me that she wasn't going to sit around and play with swords just to chase after a mother who obviously didn't want to be around her. If she was suppose to take care of herself then that was what she was going to do. Nothing I could say made any difference to her. She had grown into a very pretty girl and she knew it. She went out and got a lot of very low cut dresses and began to go where men would notice her. Soon she was coming home late, or not at all. Since there was nothing that I could do, I continued with my practices and studies and hoped that she would be all right. Soon, I felt ready to follow my mother except that I didn't have a good weapon and something told me that I would need one. I went into town and found that I would never be able to afford one so I reasoned that the only way that I would be able to get the special kind of weapon that I wanted would be to steal one. Since I didn't know the first thing about stealing, I did what I thought was the logical thing, I joined the Thieve's Guild. I found that I had a natural ability to tell the difference between a magical weapon and an ordinary one. I used this talent to get into the guild and soon became one of the guild's weapon experts. This gave me an excuse to research weapons in the guild library and try to fine the weapon I wanted. To avoid suspicion, I played the typical female that wasn't able to use anything more that a dagger or a club to defend herself. That way, the thieves weren't afraid to let me be around other weapons alone. My hope was that either I would be able to locate a suitable weapon in my research or that one would come to me for examination, but after a time, neither of these had produced results. I had moved out of the house and into the guild but I still went to see my sister from time to time, even though she acted like she preferred not to see me at all. On one visit, I learned that she had become the mistress of an elderly member of the city council. In his prime, the mad had carried a lot of influence and had possessed a lot of power. Age and changing times had taken most of that away from him though and he longed for his younger days. My sister desperately wished that there was something that she could do for him but she had no idea what. I told her that I thought that I could help. I told her to have him contact the Thieve's Guild and have them get him a magical weapon that would give him the power an repect that he wanted. It would probably cost a lot but since he was very wealthy, that would pose no problem. I told her that I would make sure that the weapon was what he needed and that he was charged fairly for it. My sister was skeptical at first but I explained to her that if my plan worked, she would get credit for it and that she might become more than just a mistress. This made up her mind and she agreed. I went back to the guild and got ready. My plan was to wait for the request to come then offer to go along with whoever they sent and use my talent to help them. Then after they got the weapon it would be easy for me to take it from them and be gone before the guild knew what happened. To my surprise Grimslade, the guild master, chose me to go and get the weapon. I thought that my plan couldn't have worked any better until I found out that I had to get the weapon from the Crypt of Kings. Through my research, I knew that this was a dangerous place and that most of those that went in never made it back out. Anyway, I managed to get the sword and get back out alive. At that time, I was naive enough to think that if I sent back all the their treasure that I had taken along with the sword that Grimslade and the Thieve's Guild would be willing to let me keep the sword and go in peace. As I soon found out, I had betrayed the trust of the guild, damaged the reputation of the guild master, and dishonored both. None of these things are able to be forgiven no matter how much money you put out. At first, Grimslade send some of his best thieves to steal the sword from me, but the magic of the sword was from the time of the Eldar and only Eldar magic will work on it. Since all the Eldar disappeared over a thousand generations ago, it was going to be tough to find someone able to do it. I found out later that the neat things about the sword is that as long as I possess it, magic doesn't work on me either. As it turns out, the only way to get an Eldar relic from it's owner is to either get the owner to give it to you willingly or kill the owner and take it. So, of course, the next thing Grimslade did was to send assassins after me. That's when he found out that I knew how to use a sword and was quite good at defending myself. So far, I've sent back four heads to him and it's been quite a while since anymore have shown up. I guess the price got too high. So, since he couldn't get to me any other way, Grimslade put a price on my head and made it worth ten times the amount if I got caught in Ameron. Then he made sure that my sister wasn't allowed to leave the city. I haven't dared go near Ameron since and because of that, I haven't been able to see my sister since I left. I've heard that he's sent messages to her, telling her that I used her to get what I wanted and that he's turned her against me. I suppose in a way, he's telling the truth, but I wish that I could see her again and at least try to explain. That's why I decided to take Grimslade up on his offer. He's given me a chance I never thought I would get. If I can do whatever it is he wants then I'll be able to stop looking over my shoulder all the time. Hopefully, I'll also be able to see my sister again and try to put it right. Then, no matter what happens, I'll be able to put it behind me and put things right. Then, no matter what happens, I'll be able to put it behind me and put my full attention on my parents," Arwyn stopped and took a long drink from the wine skin nearby.

"But who are all those women with you back at the inn and what happened to Deliana and your mother?" Tallos asked, sounding confused.

"After Grimslade had backed off for awhile, I felt it was safe enough to go to the Temple of Helculva. When I got there, the High Priestess was waiting for me and was surprised my sister wasn't with me. After I had explained what had happened, she told me that I would have to be prepared for the journey alone. She told me I was from the land of Clananda, which is just across the mountains to the north of this kingdom. At the time that I was born, Clananda was divided into many different clans, each one represented by an animal. Once every few years, a great gathering was held and all the clans were invited. At the gathering, clans would nominate their leaders to compete for the position of the Great Chief who ruled over all the clans until he was defeated in competition. The winner was chosen by combat between all the clans that nominated members and the clan that won would have its leader become the Great Chief. Other clans that didn't nominate their leaders could fight for another clan's leader if they wanted to. This was how it was until Krunkar, leader of the horned boar clan, became the Great Chief. A man named Solvarius came to him from a far away kingdom and offered his services as an advisor. Before long, Solvarius had convinced Krunkar to declare himself permanent Great Chief. This started a great war between the clans. Krunkar won the support of many of the lesser clans by promising them land and wealth when the other clans were defeated. Of course, the more powerful clans reacted immediately but not together. They all though that they were strong enough to defeat Krunkar themselves and had too much distrust of each other. They soon discovered their mistake as Krunkar began to defeat them one by one. Just as the larger clans were beginning to realize that they would have to work together to achieve victory, Krunkar changed his tactics. He found members of each clan willing to help him and got them to take members of the clan leader's families. Then he would give the clan the choice of surrendering to him or watching his captives die. Few of the clan leaders dared to refuse him. That is why my father sent all of us to Ameron. He was leader of the Black Wolf clan and was helping to organize the other clans against Krunkar. After we were safe, he could continue his efforts without fear. Eventually the forces of Krunkar and clans that opposed him were decided and the real war began. At first, my father believed it would only take a few seasons to defeat Krunkar, but it soon became apparent that it would take much longer. The opposing clans were still distrustful of each other and could seldom work well together. Also, Solvarius showed that along with being an advisor, he was also a wizard. Still, the opposing clans made slow but steady progress. They began to send messages to the clans supporting Krunkar saying he was just a figurehead and Solvarius was really in control. They also asked the clans why they would let an outsider tell them what to do and urged them to stand up for themselves. The plan began to work and some of Krunkar's clans began to rebel against him. Just when the tide was beginning to turn however, Solvarius moved to the next stage of his plan. He began to bring an army from his own land into Clananda to put down the rebellion and enslave the clans. My father saw what was coming and urged the opposing clans to launch a full attack before Solvarius could get his army into place. After some debate, it was agreed and the stronghold of Krunkar and Solvarius was attacked. They were ready though because they had been told by traitors in the opposing clans forces and they set a trap. The opposing clans were caught unaware and only a third of them were able to get away. My father was one of the ones that was either captured or killed and that was the news that Deliana had brought to my mother which caused her to leave. She had to know what had become of my father. Deliana had been giving my mother reports on what was happening in Clananda when she came to visit us. Her order had been allowed free access in and out of Clananda when the fighting started but when Solvarius began to bring in his army, he started a border dispute with this kingdom which are call the northern border wars. This gave him an excuse to close the borders of Clananda and limit access without worrying other kingdoms. After that, it became very difficult for Deliana to get much information. The high priestess explained to me that my mother must have been discovered and it must have been known that she had ties with the order of Helculva because the package that Deliana later received had been sent to the temple first and a broken sword sent to a priestess of the order is a sign that a blood sister has been defeated. The priestess who receives the message is then bound by oath to avenge her fallen sister and that was why Deliana left. What became of her was unknown after she entered Clananda. This was all the information the high priestess had to give me and she told me that the decision about what I should do next was mine alone to make. I decided to go to Clananda and see what I could learn for myself then I would go from there. I was able to sneak across the border and after a time, was also able to find some of the resistance force that was left. I learned from them that most of the members of the opposing clans were either scattered in small groups or were in Ryella's fortress in the mountains. I began to try to join the clans back together but most feared another defeat and felt that they would be completely wiped out if that happened. I found that some of them even blamed my father for the defeat by Krunkar and, because I was his daughter, they refused to listen to me. Still, I was able to convince some clan members, mostly women, to join me and we rallied at Ryella's fortress. There we decided to try to get outside aid against Krunkar and to concentrate our attacks on supplies and troops trying to enter Clananda and to fight Solvarius' army in the border wars. Any attacks made inside Clananda would be hit and run, in and out very quickly until we had a large enough force built up outside Clananda to attack. That's pretty much what we've been doing ever since. I know that the only chance I have to see my parents again, if they're still alive, is to defeat Solvarius. Those women that you saw with me at the inn were a small part of our force. In some cases, they're the only members of their clan that remain free." Arwyn stopped and took a long drink from the wineskin.

"While we're on the subject of those women, I couldn't help but notice that some of them dress in an interesting manner shall we say," Tallos said cautiously.

"The clans are very nature oriented," Arwyn began after a moment of thought. Because of this, some clans believe in being as close to nature as possible and see excessive clothing as getting in the way. Also, the clans see males and females as equals. If a clan allows a male member to go without a shirt, then the females are allowed also. The clans gave up the outdated and restrictive beliefs that most people of other lands have, long ago. There's also an added benefit when fighting warriors from outside Clananda. Most of these warriors aren't used to seeing topless women and the distraction that is causes in battle is usually all a clan warrior needs to finish them off," Arwyn stifled a yawn. "Well, that's enough about me. We need to get to sleep if we're going to start again at sunrise."

She was just starting to lay down when Tallos spoke up again, "I've got one more question."

"This had better be the last one," Arwyn said gruffly. "Now, what is it and be quick about it."

"All right. What about him?" Tallos said, pointing at the huge shape, curled with his back to the fire.

"Narl? There's not much to tell really. I came across him about a year ago. He had gotten himself into some trouble and I helped him get out of it. You see, Narl is, well, different from other people and so he has a hard time getting along with others, usually. Anyway, we've been companions ever since and he comes with me where ever I go, except when I have to go into somewhere crowded, like a city. The close space and lots of people make him uneasy and he gets out of control sometimes. I try to find a place outside of the city where he can wait until I'm done. Which reminds me, is there someplace where he can stay outside Lakedale?" she asked hopefully.

Tallos thought for a while then replied, "There's an old sawmill near the river on the south side of the city. When we get close to Lakedale the road will fork. The left path will take us to the city. The other way goes around the city and joins the Great South Road. There's a path across the road that follows the river and leads to the sawmill. It's been abandoned for years so he should be safe there."

"That should do," Arwyn said thoughtfully. "Now, it's time for sleep." So saying, she stretched out and was breathing heavily in a short time.

Tallos lay, staring into the fire and thinking about all that he had been told, until he fell asleep. In what seemed like no time at all, he was awakened to a clear, crisp morning, by a gentle boot to his ribs. As he blinked the sleep from his eyes, he saw Arwyn standing above him, grinning.

"Be glad I have a soft spot in my heart for older men," she said smiling. "I let you sleep a little longer than us but you have to get up now. I want to be on our way shortly."

Tallos worked at clearing the last of the night from his head as she moved away from him. After a bit, he stood and stretched, his body could still feel every irregularity of the ground that he had slept on, and went down to the small stream that was nearby. A quick wash in the cold water brought him fully awake and he hurried back to the campsite to gather up his things and shortly joined Arwyn, who was just finishing getting the horses ready.

"All ready to go?" she asked. Tallos yawned as he nodded in reply. "Good. Let me get this last strap tight and I'll get on, and have Narl lift you up again."

"What about breakfast?" Tallos asked through another yawn.

"Don't worry," Arwyn assured him. "I've got some travel rations. We can eat on the way."

Tallos doubted that he would be able to let go of Arwyn long enough to eat and still remain perched on the back of the horse, but he kept his doubts to himself. Soon he was once again hoisted onto the animal and they quickly resumed their journey to Lakedale. He was able to fall into rhythm with the horse almost immediately and soon, was comfortable enough to let go with one hand and eat several of the small dried cakes that Arwyn offered him. He told himself that if he ever got back to Elnon, he would definitely look into getting a small riding pony. This was certainly better than walking all the time and he was sorry for having gone for so many years without ever trying it.

After a while, the trees began to thin out and the dirt road they had been following met the Great West Road which was the main trading route between Lakedale and the miners of the Gray Hills. Arwyn paused at the edge and surveyed the road. It was like most other main roads she had seen, well paved with stone and wide enough to allow easy travel in both directions at once. At the moment though, there was almost no one on it. An ox cart was just going our of sight where the road followed the forest and disappeared around the trees to the east. In the other direction, far up the road a farmer was leading a mule away from them towards Lakedale. Arwyn found the lack of travelers on the road unusual but also to her liking. She was just about to ask Tallos about it when he leaned forward and commented, "There isn't much traffic on the road this time of year. Since all the crops are in and the Fall Fair is over, most people stay home and prepare for winter. The only ones that use it now are traders a few times a week until the first snowfall then it's basically deserted until spring."

Arwyn thought for a moment and looked after the farmer and his mule then replied, "Well, at least we won't have anyone in our way. How far is it to the road that leads to the sawmill?"

"About five leagues up the road and Lakedale is about two more past that," Tallos said after a slight pause. He tightened his grip as Arwyn urged the horse forward.

By mid-morning, they had reached the road to the sawmill and Arwyn had carefully explained to Narl how to get there. She stressed that he must remain there and wait for her. When he seemed to grow concerned, she assured him that she would be able to join him there by nightfall at the latest. At last, he reluctantly left them and slowly went off down the road. A short time later, the gates of Lakedale came into view.

As they approached the city, Tallos leaned forward and said, "We should get down and walk to the gates. The guards will be less likely to give us any trouble that way."

Arwyn gave him an annoyed look over her shoulder but dismounted. Tallos had to work a bit harder but was eventually able to find the ground and they continued on towards the city when a scruffy looking man wearing worn leather armor emerged from a guardroom and halted them.

The guard walked to Arwyn and looked her over carefully. After satisfying himself, he leaned in closer and grinned, displaying a row of black teeth and asked, "Well, well, my cutie. Why have you decided to bring your pretty self to Lakedale?"

"Business," answered Arwyn coldly.

"Oh, really. Did you hear that boys? She's here to do business," the guard yelled back over his shoulder to the guardroom. His remark was met by laughter and cheers from inside the guardroom as two more men, of a similar appearance, appeared at the doorway. The guard looked Arwyn over again and said with a sneer, "I'm sure we'd be glad to do business with you. Why don't you come inside and let me and the boys be your first customers?"

Arwyn fixed the guard with a withering stare and replied, "I'm not a swineherder. I prefer to do my business with people."

The sneer left the guards face and he took a step backward and folded his arms across his chest and said, "Right then! If that's how you want it! Before we can let you pass into the city, we'll have to search you and your clothing carefully for anything illegal or dangerous. Then, if you pass the inspection, there will be an entrance fee of two golds and an animal tax fee of another gold. Let's see, oh yeah, there's also the....."

Tallos stepped forward and cut him off. "You'll get out of our way and let us pass, now!" As he said this, he held up a triangular piece of metal so that the guard could see it.

The guards eyes went wide and he went pale. He hurriedly stepped aside and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't realize. Please pass." Tallos and Arwyn walked through the gatehouse and found them on a wide street. Tallos looked at Arwyn and said, "Well, here we are, Thanks for the ride. I have to get to the Thieve's Guild now and collect the rest of my pay. Just follow this street to the city square then take the main street south. It will take you to the south gate and out of the city. You shouldn't have any trouble finding the sawmill from there. It's been really nice meeting you. Perhaps we'll meet again one day. Good-bye."

As he started to walk away, he felt a firm grip on his shoulder. "Hold it," Arwyn said sternly, "I'm not through with you yet. We have something to do, remember? First, we'll go to your place and get your things then you can take me to the Thieve's Guild." She released him as she finished speaking.

Tallos turned to face Arwyn, "I don't remember agreeing to help you. As I recall, I wasn't given a choice. I don't know why you want to meet with Master Klawn anyway. You can make trouble and just leave town, but I have to live here and Master Klawn can make things very difficult."

"Don't worry. I've taken care of that. You won't be getting into any trouble," Arwyn replied. "I wouldn't use you if I didn't need to but since I do, I'll make sure that you're all right. Don't ask any questions now, just trust me. Now let me ask you something. That thing you showed the guard is a token from the Thieve's Guild showing that you're on official business and that no one should bother you, right?" Tallos nodded in reply and she continued, "That token will also get us in to see Klawn, right?" Again, Tallos nodded. "Good. Then this will be easier than I thought. Let's get moving. I don't want to attract attention," she finished.

As Tallos guided her up the street, he looked over at Arwyn and said, "The token will make it easier to get in the Thieve's Guild but if anything happens while we're in there, it won't make it any easier to get back out again."

"Well then, we'll just have to make sure that nothing happens," she said with a smile.

The street was paved and wide with many lesser, more narrow streets leading off of it. Traffic on the street had been nearly non-existent near the gate but the farther they moved into the city, the heavier it became and the more wary Arwyn became. In an effort to comfort her uneasiness, she decided to get Tallos talking.

"So, tell me what Lakedale is like."

Tallos came out of his own thoughts and answered, "It's like any other city. Big, loud, crowded and dirty. It has four main gates each with a main street that leads to the city square. This basically divides the city into four parts. The gate we came through is called Merchant's Gate and the street that we're on is called Trader's Way. Most of the shops and inns are located in this part of the city. Warrior's Gate is on the south side of the city and Priest's Gate is on the north. I don't go into that part of town very often. All those priests and religious types condemning everyone and telling you how to live your life gives me the creeps. The arena is in the south part of the city. I don't get there much either. It's suited for a more wealthy class of people. The city wall runs almost along the west edge of the city square so the west part is actually outside the city walls. It's where the Thieve's Guild, docks, and most of the lower class people are, so I'm not surprised that it's set up that way. This part of the city is called the Warren partly because of how crowded it is and partly because the streets aren't neat and orderly like they are in the rest of the city. The people who live there build their homes, shops, and such out of whatever they can find and wherever there's space. They also tear down anything that's not being used to get it out of the way and so that they can use the materials and space for other things. This can happen quite often so the way the place is organized can change from day to day. You can wake up in the morning and find yourself living at the end of a dead end street with the through street a block away from where it had been. There are only a few things in the Warren that never change, the docks, the Thieve's Guild, any warehouse made of stone, and the three main streets that lead from the docks to the city wall. One of these leads to the main gate and the other two lead to smaller gates near the city square. It's a little hard to understand what the Warren is like just from a description but you'll be able to see it for yourself because that's where I live."

As Tallos finished speaking, the street emerged into, what Arwyn felt must be, the city square. It was a huge, open area, with tents and stalls in orderly rows near the edge, where it seemed that nearly everything was either being bought or sold. The tents and stalls continued farther into the square but were scattered about more randomly and were joined by people moving through the crowds with pushcarts, shouting what they had for sale. There were also those people who considered themselves priests or prophets, standing on anything that could raise them above the people around them and delivering their messages to anyone who stopped to listen. Occasionally, a city guard or soldier could be seen in the crowd, watching anyone that they thought looked suspicious, before moving on.

In the center of the square was a large building that had broad steps leading high to the main level. This area was open to the air except for wide pillars which supported a high, peaked roof. Arwyn guessed that it must be a temple of some sort but none of the people relaxing on the steps or inside seemed to be worshipping. They were either sleeping, playing games of chance, or engaged in various displays of passion.

It seemed that most of the people of the city were gathered in the square and at times moving through the crowd was difficult. Arwyn had been following Tallos, as he dodged around stalls and people, moving toward the city wall which had been growing larger directly in front of them, when she suddenly stopped. "Hold on a moment, Tallos. I have to get up out of these people for a bit. I also want to get my bearings. I hate not knowing where I'm going," she said as she swung easily onto her horse and began to look around.

Tallos looked around nervously, "I wouldn't do that if I were you. Remember what you said about attracting attention to yourself?"

"Relax. I won't be up here very long." She scanned the square for a few moments. "All right, I can see an opening at the edge of the square over there. What is it?" she asked as she pointed.

Tallos looked in the direction and replied, "That's the street that leads to Warrior's Gate and the south road out of the city. It's called Path of Glory."

Arwyn nodded and continued to scan the edge of the square. "I can see two more," she said, looking in the opposite direction. "One is there," she said, pointing, "and the other is over there," she said pointing in a slightly different direction.

"The first one is the street that leads to Priest's Gate called Temple Street, and the other leads to the west gate. It's called either Sailor's, Thieve's, or Warren Gate depending on who you talk to, the street is called High Lane until it reaches the gate. Past the gate and down to the docks it's called Beggar's Lane. Now, will you get down before we get into trouble?"

"Now that I know where I'm going, I'll be happy to." she said as she hit the ground. "Now you can follow me for awhile."

As she started toward the west gate, Tallos stopped her. "We don't want to go through the main gate." he said looking nervous all over again. "It has guards and we'll have to go through the same treatment as before. We'll also have to go right past the Thieve's Guild once we pass through. Follow me to one of the smaller gates."

Arwyn turned and followed Tallos as he headed for the edge of the square, near the city wall, where some shops and houses had been built. A few narrow streets lead from the square among these and Tallos quickly moved down one of them. Arwyn followed him as the street wound through the neighborhood until they came to the city wall and the small gate that Tallos had said would be there. it was low and narrow, a rider on horse back would have a difficult time getting through, but stood wide open and unguarded. Tallos gave her a wink and continued on.

As they approached the gate, an old woman in a patched dress, carrying a load of sticks on her back came through. She kept her head down and paid no notice to either of them as she trudged past and was soon out of sight. As Arwyn and Tallos passed through the gate, they found the body of a large, rough-looking man in the gutter. He still held a knife in one hand and had a stick, identical to the ones that the old woman had been

carrying, protruding from his eye.

"Welcome to the Warren." Tallos sighed. He went and checked the man quickly. "Well, he's dead all right, but still warm."

"So now what do we do?" Arwyn asked cautiously.

"There's really only one thing to do." Tallos said with a shrug. He took the dagger then quickly searched the body, finding the sheath and a small cloth bag. He opened the bag and poured the contents into his hand. "Six coppers, not bad." he said as he returned the coins to the bag and tied it shut. He was putting the bag in his pocket when he saw the troubled look on Arwyn's face. "Waste not, want not." he said with a grin. "It's one of the rules of the Warren. Don't worry, someone will come across him sooner or later and he'll be taken care of. I've just got one more thing to do." He took the stick and pulled it loose from the man's skull and threw it over the top of the nearest building. "I don't want old Dorothy to get into trouble. Now let's get out of here. With my luck, one of the city guards will pick this time to check the gate."

As they went farther into the Warren, following what was supposed to be a main street, Arwyn thought it would hardly pass for an alley in the rest of the city, the maze of side streets that lead from it barely looked wide enough to walk down.

As if in response to her thoughts, Tallos said, "We'll stick to the main street for as long as possible. Your horse might have trouble getting through some of the others."

To help pass the time Arwyn remarked, "I thought you said the Warren was crowded. I haven't seen many people so far."

Tallos shrugged. "It's still pretty early for most people down here. The Warren is more of a night place, most of the people avoid the main streets during the day. When we start taking the side streets you'll see a lot more people."

In a short distance, the street curved and Tallos followed

Up ahead, Arwyn could see an intersection of the street that they were on with another main street but before they reached it, Tallos turned onto one of the side streets. It was narrow but not as cramped as most of the others they had passed.

Just as Tallos had said, when they had gone a short distance away from the main street, there were people. People standing or sitting in the shadows, people sweeping trash out of their doorways and pouring slop out of their windows, people yelling across the street at one another, and people squeezing past them holding hands and laughing. All of them were ragged and weary-looking and all of them were watching Arwyn and Tallos intently. Arwyn felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

Since Tallos had begun to lead her through the maze of side streets she had become completely disoriented. She hated that feeling and also being in such a confined and unfamiliar place. She decided to get Tallos talking again. "So, who's in charge of this paradise,

anyway?"

"If you mean Lakedale," he said with a chuckle, "it has a city council but it doesn't have much power. The guilds really run things, mostly the Merchant's Guild and the Thieve's Guild. Every now and then they let the priests have a say in some matters just to keep them happy but that's about it. Down here in the Warren, we pretty much take care of ourselves. The Thieve's Guild likes to think that they're in charge but really we do what we want. There's just too many people to control. We've got our own set of rules here and everyone follows them more or less. If you don't, you usually end up like that guy we found in the gutter back there. Well, here we are."

Arwyn looked around and saw that the last street that they had been following had widened and they were standing next to shack made of scrap wood and old canvas. It was attached to an old, decaying, stone building at the point where the building narrowed and made a corner. Arwyn looked down the street saw that the clutter of building gave way to open space and the street disappeared from view as it sloped down. She thought that she could see the tops of masts and sails bobbing up and down a little farther on and squinted as something caught her eye.

Tallos drew her attention back to him briefly. "This shouldn't take too long. I don't own much." he said as he stooped and pushed aside the piece of canvas that served as a door and went inside.

"I'll be back in a moment. I need go to the end of the street and look at something." said Arwyn as she moved up the street.

"Be careful and don't go too far." came the muffled reply from inside the shack. "The Warren can be a dangerous place if you don't know your way around."

Arwyn was already well away from the shack and barely heard him. When she reached the end of the street, she stopped and quickly took in the area before her. The street opened to a wide area that sloped down to the docks. Fishermen and sailors were gathered in various places or going about their business but she hardly noticed them. Her attention was on the ships riding on the surface of the lake. They were of all shapes and sizes from plain and ordinary to bright and splendid. One had sails that were every color of the rainbow and that was the one that she concentrated on. After a bit, she went back up the street, having satisfied herself and wearing a slight smile. Tallos was still inside, muttering to himself, when she returned.

"Hey lady, who are ya and what are ya doin' with Old Tom?" said a voice that came out of nowhere.

Arwyn whirled around and started to draw her sword when she saw that the voice belonged to a small boy who was about ten years old and who had suddenly appeared next to her. He was dirty and ragged like most of the others that she had seen here but his eyes had the gleam of intelligence in them.

"Didn't anyone ever teach you that it's not nice to sneak up on people?" she said with a hard edge in her voice.

"No. As a matter of fact they didn't." the child replied bluntly. "I don't see what's wrong with sneakin'. It's one of the thing that I does best." At that moment, Tallos emerged from the shack. "Hey Old Tom." the child greeted him. "Who's the pretty wench ya gots with ya?"

Tallos saw Arwyn's eyes grow wide and her fists start to clench and he quickly intervened. "Now Sprinter, show some respect. The lady's name is Arwyn."

The child, Sprinter, looked Arwyn over carefully then he turned to Tallos with a doubtful look and said, "Why shoulds I have respects? She ain't one of us'uns. What makes this 'un so special?"

"First, because I told you to." Tallos said sternly. "And second, because she's a skilled warrior and she won't hesitate to chop you up into little pieces if you don't watch your mouth."

Sprinter looked her over again and appeared skeptical. "You's really that good like what he says?"

Arwyn leaned in close and displayed an evil grin. "No. I'm really that bad."

Sprinter swallowed hard and took a step back. "Well, 'cause you's a friend a Old Tom's I guess I coulds treats ya nice. Only 'cause he says that I gots to. Not 'cause I'm scared or nothin'." he said trying to sound brave.

"Good. See that you do." Arwyn warned. Then turning to Tallos she said, "What's with this Old Tom bit? You told me that your name was Tallos."

It is." said Tallos as he grinned at Sprinter. "But when I came across Sprinter and his gang a while back, they said that I lived in an alley just like an old tom cat so they started to call me Old Tom."

"His gang?" Arwyn asked.

"Yeah. That's right." Sprinter said proudly. "My gang." He gave, a sharp whistle. From every nook and cranny of the street came children as dirty and ragged as Sprinter. There were about twenty in all and seemed to range in age from four or five years old to about Sprinters age. They quickly gathered around their leader, Sprinter.

"Well, that's an impressive group of little friends that you have there." said Arwyn. "But you all better run home to your parents now because Tallos and I have some important business to attend to."

The children looked at each other and then at Sprinter who stepped forward and fixed Arwyn with an icy glare. "Parents." he said and spit on the ground. "Don't gots none and don't needs none. We takes care of usselves and does it good too." As he finished, all the children nodded in agreement.

"These are my eyes and ears." said Tallos. "Few things happen in the Warren that they don't know about. Don't underestimate them. They've helped me more times then I care remember."

"But they're just children. They should be playing in yards, sneaking around streets." Arwyn said a little dismayed.

"You have to grow up fast down here and I'm glad that they did. They're the best at what they do." Tallos said with a wink at Sprinter.

"Really." said Arwyn thoughtfully. "Then maybe they can help us now."

Sprinter and the children broke out in smiles. "Sure we can. Just tells us what ya needs." said Sprinter.

Arwyn returned his smile. "All right. I need a place near Thieve's Guild to keep my horse safe for awhile but it has to be a place that I can get away from fast if I need to."

Sprinter thought for a moment then said, "Yeah, I knows a place but what's in it for us?" he said looking at the other children.

"What do you want?" asked Arwyn cautiously. "Well," said Sprinter as he rubbed his chin and looked the horse over, "The way I sees it, that horse is worth two silvers easy if I sells it so I figures that we shoulds get 'least that much to hides it for ya."

Arwyn tried not to laugh. Her horse could get close to a hundred golds in the plaza. She kept herself under control and addressed Sprinter. "Well, you drive a hard bargain but I don't have a choice. I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll pay you three silvers if you watch my horse as well as hide it for

me. To seal the deal, I'll pay you one silver now and the other two when I return for my horse. Is it a deal?" She asked as she held out the coin.

Sprinter snatched the coin away and chewed on it to make sure that it was real. Satisfied, he smiled and said, "Deal". of He looked at the children and said, "We'll takes 'um to the meetin' place. Yous guys gos ahead and makes sure that the ways clear." In an instant the street was empty as children disappeared down several streets. "Follow me." he called over his shoulder to Arwyn and Tallos as he darted down one of them.

As they followed him Arwyn asked, "Why do they call you Sprinter?"

"Because," he said as he seemed to appear behind her, "I'm," he said this time from the other side of Tallos, "fast." he finished from in front of them again and laughing, moved up the street and beckoned them to keep up.

They continued up the street and Tallos asked in a low voice, "I don't suppose that you care to share what you want to see Master Klawn about?"

"I want to give him a warning in person so that he'll think twice about sending anyone to find me again. Nothing personal you understand." she answered in the same low voice.

"No offense taken. I just hope that you're not wasting our time. Master Klawn doesn't take warnings very well." he said looking worried.

"Hurry up yous guys. We's 'bout there." Sprinters voice called their attention back to the street and their surroundings. It seemed to be a dead end that ended at a large, sliding, rust covered, metal door that Sprinter indicated was their destination.

As they reached the door, they found the street wasn't a dead end at all but that it made a sharp left hand turn and continued on for a short distance before it opened onto one of the main streets. Sprinter looked around quickly then silently slid the door open and hurried them inside.

It took Arwyn's eyes a few moments to adjust to the dim interior but soon she was able to make out the rest of Sprinter's gang seated around the room on old crates and sacks or on the floor.

"This used to was a warehouse 'til it caught fire. We's the only ones what uses it now." Sprinter said proudly. "Your horse shoulds be safe in here 'til ya gets back."

Arwyn looked around the large room and saw scorch marks on the walls and a hole in the roof, which indicated that what Sprinter said was true. "Thank you Sprinter. This should do just fine." she said as Sprinter beamed. "Now, all we need to do is find the Thieve's Guild."

"Leave that to me." said Tallos. "Sprinter, you and the rest stay here and watch the horse. All right?"

"Ya can count on us Old Tom." Sprinter said, extending his hand.

Tallos took Sprinter's hand and shook it warmly. "I know I can." Then he went to the door and motioned to Arwyn. "We'd better hurry before they know that we're coming."

They slipped quickly out the door and Sprinter closed it behind them. Tallos led her to the main street and paused. After looking in both directions, he entered the street and went at an easy pace towards a large stone building. Arwyn paused briefly, then followed him. The building was set at the base of the city wall which ran along two sides of it. Main streets ran along the other two allowing anyone approaching it to be easily seen.

"Let me do the talking when we get to the guild." Tallos said and Arwyn nodded in silent reply.

The building had a tall iron fence separating it from the streets with a single gate which led to an open area between the fence and the building. At the gate stood a bored looking, young man. Tallos showed the token to him as he and Arwyn passed by. They crossed the open ground and climbed the wide stairs to the front porch of the building. An older man sat behind a desk full of papers next to the door. As they approached, Tallos showed the token again but the man held up his hand and

said, "What about her?" with an annoyed tone in his voice.

"Don't concern yourself with her. She's supposed to come with me." Tallos replied quickly.

The man began to go through his papers and said, "State name and your business with the guild."

"My name is Tallos and Master Klawn himself told me to report as soon as I got back into town. I'm sure that he'll be interested to learn how you've delayed me." Tallos threatened.

"Master Klawn knows that I'm just doing my job. So don't

try that with me." The man said gruffly. "Tallos," the man muttered to himself as he looked over one of the papers. "Here it is. You're not supposed to be back for at least four days, but I suppose there's no harm in being early." he said looking up from his papers. He motioned to the door. "You can go in."

They went inside and Arwyn found herself in a long hallway

which Tallos quickly went down. It ended at a room with many doors and hallways leading from it. At the far end of the room was a staircase and Arwyn followed Tallos as he went up these, never slowing his pace. At the top of the stairs was another long hallway with a pair of double door at the end and a guard in front of each one. Tallos went directly to them and showed the token. The guards looked at each other and one stepped aside to allow them to pass. Beyond the doors was a lower, more narrow hallway which made several turns before opening into a room had many closed doors along the walls as well as another staircase at the far end. At the bottom of the stairs was a mean looking man seated behind another desk and two guards. At the top of the stairs, in front of a massive wooden door, was another guard. Tallos went to the desk and showed the token.

"Name!" the man barked.

"Tallos. I was told to report here as soon as I got back I'm a little early." he said.

The man looked through several papers before looking up saying, "Your name is here but it doesn't say anything about a woman. Just what are you playing at old man?" the man said narrowing his eyes.

Before Tallos could speak Arwyn threw up her hands and said, "I don't need this! This old man comes to me and says that he's got a job for me that pays well but all I've got so far is a lot of talk and wasted time. I've got better things to do." she said and started to walk away.

Tallos caught her arm and pulled her back. "Just hold on there. Give me a moment to get this straightened out." Then he looked at the man and said, "If I don't deliver her to do job I'm going to be in a lot of trouble. And if I get into trouble then I'll make sure that you're right beside me. Understand?"

The man first looked at Tallos, then at Arwyn and asked, "What kind of job?" still sounding wary.

Arwyn shrugged herself loose from Tallos and walked over to the desk. She leaned on it with one elbow and pulled the front of her tunic down with the other hand to reveal a breast and said, "What kind of job do you think? Now if you and your friends here are nice to me then maybe I can think of a way to thank you when I come back out." She put her tunic back the way it had been and stood up, waiting for an answer.

The man and the guards exchanged glances then the man said, "Go on up. For all the good it will do you."

As they went slowly up the stairs Tallos whispered to Arwyn, "This will never work. Prostitutes don't carry swords and one of these guys is going to realize that any time now."

Arwyn grinned and whispered back, "I left it with my horse back at the warehouse. Didn't you notice?" Tallos looked and for the first time that the sword was missing, as Arwyn continued, "They wouldn't have let us in the front door if I had been wearing it."

The guard at the top of the stairs opened the door for them and closed it behind them. They were in a large room which was dominated by a huge desk in front of them at the far end an equally massive fireplace on one wall. The desk and two comfortable looking chairs in front of it and behind it, seated in a high back, wooden chair was a weasely looking man who greeted them as they entered.

"Hello Tallos. What a pleasant surprise. Please sit down and introduce me to your friend."

Before Tallos could reply, Arwyn strode forward and said,

"Now listen Klawn and listen good! If you ever ..."

"Save your breath." Tallos interrupted "That's not Master Klawn. His name is Snurg and he's Klawn's number one toadie."

Arwyn stopped and looked back at Tallos then at the man behind the desk who said, "Why Tallos, how rude of you. I'm afraid that your disrespect will cost you dearly when Master Klawn returns. In the meantime, since your business is clearly with him, I suggest that you leave and come back in a few days when he returns."

"I haven't got a few days." Arwyn said as she went to the desk. "So I guess that you'll have to do. First things first,

how much does Tallos owe the guild?"

Snurg leaned back in the chair and looking uninterested

asked, "What possible concern could that be of yours?" When Arwyn made no reply he sighed and said, I'd have to look it up. I don't know off hand."

"Then do so." said Arwyn with a cold edge in her voice.

Snurg started to say something then, noticing the look in her eye, quickly moved to comply. He opened a drawer and took out a large ledger which he quickly thumbed through. "Ah, here it is. Now let me see, the balance here is nearly one gold, but of course, we'll have to add the fine for his remarks today, as well as the expenses of his recent journey, that should bring the total to about two golds and seven silvers."

"What!" Tallos exclaimed. "That's ridiculous! It's never been that high before. I'll never pay that off and you know it."

"Tut, tut, my friend. I'm sure that Master Klawn will be able to find you some more work and you'll be able to pay this off in no time." Snurg said smirking.

Arwyn reached into the pouch at her waist and threw three gold pieces onto the desk. "There. Consider his debt paid with interest."

Both Tallos and Snurg gaped at the coins for a moment then Snurg recovered himself and replied, "I'm not allowed to accept payment. You'll have to come back and pay Master Klawn himself."

"That's crap and you know it." Arwyn fumed. "Now take out a writ of payment, sign it, and give it to Tallos or the whole city will know that the Thieve's Guild is refusing to accept payments of debts before the day is out."

Cursing under his breath, Snurg did as Arwyn commanded

and held out the signed writ to Tallos who came to the desk

and quickly snatched it away.

"Thanks Arwyn. I'll never forget this. Now let's get out of here." Tallos said as he moved towards the door.

"Right. Just one more thing." Arwyn said over her shoulder as she followed Tallos. "Tell Klawn that if he ever sends anyone after me again, I'll be back to make sure that it's the last time. "

As Arwyn turned her back on him to catch up with Tallos, Snurg sat up in the chair and, raising a wicked looking dagger to throw, said, "You arrogant bitch! Someone needs to teach you some manners."

Tallos, who had turned around to watch Arwyn, yelled a warning, "Look out!"

As Arwyn whirled around with her dagger in hand, the dagger that Tallos had taken from the man in the gutter was already on its way toward Snurg. It caught him in the throat and punned him to the back of the chair. Snurg's own dagger slipped from his hand as a look of shock crossed his face. He looked at a rope that hung from the ceiling near the desk and, gurgling, strained to reach it.

"Don't let him pull that rope!" Tallos exclaimed. "It sounds an alarm!"

Arwyn raced to stop Snurg, but before she reached him, he realized that the dagger held him fast to the chair, making the rope out of reach and he slumped forward and was still.

When Arwyn reached him, she quickly checked him over then jerked the dagger free, causing him to fall face down on the desk. She wiped the dagger clean on his sleeve and offered it back to Tallos as he reached the desk.

Tallos stood wide eyed as he looked at Snurg's body. "What have I done? We can't go out the door. The guards always check the room whenever anyone leaves."

"There must be another way out of here," Arwyn said as she looked around the room. She looked to Tallos for a suggestion and found him still staring at Snurg. She shook him by the shoulder and said, "Think. Is there another way out that you know of?"

Tallos blinked and tore his gaze away from the body. After a moment, he said, "Part of the wall opens next to the fireplace. I saw someone come out of it once when I was meeting with Master Klawn, but I don't know how to open it."

"It has to be something in the room," Arwyn said as she looked around more intently. "You check the desk and I'll start with the mantle."

Tallos began to move things on the desk, being careful to avoid the growing pool of blood coming from Snurg. As he looked at the blood, he couldn't help thinking of what he had done. He had actually killed someone and that disturbed him. The fact that he had done it out of reflex disturbed him even more. Arwyn's voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"I've found it! Come on. Let's go."

Tallos looked up and saw that Arwyn was already going through the opening in the wall and he quickly followed her. He had barely entered the passage behind the secret door when Arwyn closed the door behind him. The passage was dimly lit by small, glowing orbs set far apart in the walls. The passage appeared to be well traveled and they quickly followed it some distance until it ended at a set of spiral stairs which descended into the shadows. They went down the stairs to another passage which lead to a small room. The room was made of stone and was completely empty with no way out except the way that they had come. Without a word to each other, Arwyn began to search the walls and Tallos did the same with the floor. An unusually smooth stone near the wall caught his eye. He went over to it, stepped on it and felt it give slightly under his foot. A section of the wall swung inward and they could hear the sound of rushing water. As Tallos went towards the opening, a foul odor greeted him. "Ugh!" he said as he took a step backward and brought his hand to his nose.

Arwyn came up beside him and, wrinkling her nose, said, "Oh well. No turning back now," and she quickly went through.

Tallos paused for a moment but was urged forward by the wall starting to close. He hurried through just in time and found himself beside Arwyn on a narrow ledge. The stone wall curved close overhead to form the ceiling and thick, brown water rushed below them and was the source of both the sound and the smell.

Arwyn looked at Tallos and stated what they already knew. "We're in the sewers. Any idea which way to go?" When Tallos' only reply was a shrug, she sighed, "One way's as good as another I suppose. Follow me."

The ledge gradually grew wider as the sound and smell grew less and they soon came to an intersection. The ledge continued on ahead of them and a tunnel opened to their right while a corroded metal bridge could dimly be seen spanning the water to the left.

Arwyn stopped and looked at Tallos. "Any suggestions?" she asked. Tallos shook his head and she replied, "I don't know about you, but I'm tired of this smell. Let's take the tunnel and get as far away from it as we can." Without waiting for a reply, she set off down the tunnel. They had only gone a short distance when Arwyn stopped again and turned to face Tallos. "You've been very quiet since we left the Thieve's Guild. What's wrong?"

It took some time for him to answer and, when he did, his voice was quiet and strained. "I've never killed anyone before."

Arwyn grabbed him by the shoulders and said, "Listen to me. You did what you had to. If you hadn't reacted as fast as you did, I'd be dead and you'd be worse off than that. Try not to let it get to you. I'm glad that you were there for me and that I've got someone to count on if I need to."

Tallos smiled and looked slightly embarrassed. "Thank you. I feel better. Now, let's find our way out of here before we're both worse off."

Arwyn released him and smiled back before starting off again at a quick pace. After some distance, the tunnel abruptly ended. Feeling along the wall, Arwyn soon found some iron rungs. As she started to climb, she called back to Tallos, "You're going to catch me if I fall, right?"

"Why of course," he replied with a chuckle. "But what's going to catch me?"

"If you don't fall, then you won't have to worry about it," Arwyn laughed.

Suddenly, Arwyn encountered a metal grate overhead. With a lot of grunting and pushing, she was finally able to move it out of the way, and emerge inside a large, dark building.

"Looks like a warehouse," Tallos remarked as he climbed out. "Let's find the door and find out where we are." He found the door almost at once and pulled it open. Bright sunshine flowed in causing him to blink as he looked up the street then he stepped out the door, followed by Arwyn. Pointing up the street to a sign showing a tankard with red stains running down the sides of it, he said, "That's the Bloody Ale. We're only a few streets away from where Sprinter is. Come on."

Tallos set a quick pace and before long Arwyn recognized the street that they were on and saw the large, metal door at the end. The door opened before they reached it and Sprinter greeted them as they entered the building.

"Hey, guys, what's wrong? Yous looks worried."

"We had a little trouble at the Thieve's Guild," Tallos explained. "Snurg is dead."

Sprinter's eyes grew wide. "Wow! Yous guys are in real trouble. When the rest a the guild finds out, they're gonna turn the city upside down lookin' for ya."

"You're right," Arwyn said quickly. "That's why we need to hurry. Have you got my horse?"

"Sure we does. She's right over there." As he pointed, the rest of the children moved out of the way to reveal the horse, standing comfortably, near the rear of the building.

"Thanks Sprinter. You've done a great job. Here's the rest of what I owe you," she said, handing him two more coins.

As Sprinter stood smiling, Tallos said, "We'd better find a horse for me. I think that I can handle one and both of us on yours is slowing us down."

"You wouldn't be safe coming with me, especially where I'm going, but I have an idea." Then turning to Sprinter, she asked, "Want to earn another silver?"

"Sure!" he answered eagerly.

Arwyn smiled. "Good. I need some information. There's a ship at the docks with all different colored sails. Do you know the one that I'm talking about?" Sprinter nodded and she continued, "Do you know when it's suppose to leave?"

Sprinter's smile widened. "That's easy. Today. They's just waitin' for the rest a their supplies. They mights be gone a'ready."

Arwyn smiled at him and flipped him another coin, "Thanks. That's all I needed to know." She looked at Tallos and said, "As soon as I get my horse, we'll go to the docks and hopefully get you on your way."

As Arwyn moved away to see to her horse, Sprinter looked at Tallos and, holding out his hand, said, "This is it. Takes care of ya'self Old Tom."

Tallos looked at Sprinter for a time, realizing that this might be the last time that he saw his friend. At last he took Sprinter's hand and shook it warmly. "You take care too. Be careful and remember to stick to small stuff when you're stealing. You don't want Klawn to notice you." Tallos had to quit talking as his emotions threatened to overcome him.

"Don't worry 'bout us. We's be all right," Sprinter tried to smile, but only managed a weak grin.

Suddenly, Tallos said, "When I get back home, I'll come back for all of you. It may take a few seasons, but I'll be here. I promise."

Sprinters face brightened, "Really? That's great! Wes be watching for ya. Just then, several small children came running to Sprinter. One of them spoke in his ear and pointed at the rear of the building. When the child had finished, Sprinter said, "She say that somethin's goin' on over to the guild. Them thieves is all worked up and headin' out into the city."

At that moment, Arwyn came to them on her horse. "They must have found Snurg. Time to go Tallos. Climb up on that crate and get on. We have to get our of here."

Tallos quickly got on the horse, and the children opened the door. Arwyn and Tallos were out the door and down the street in no time. Arwyn headed straight for the docks, scattering people out of her way as she went. She had to slow down at the docks because of all the people and cargo in the way. She quickly scanned the docks and was relieved to see that the ship that she was looking for was still there. She got to it as quickly as possible and stopped in front of the sailor who was guarding the gang[lank. He eyed them suspiciously as they quickly dismounted and came towards him.

"Tell Captain Vogar that Arwyn is here to see him and that it's very important," Arwyn snapped.

The sailor looked them over quickly, then hurried up the gangplank and onto the ship. He soon returned with a large man whose long, red hair and beard were braided. He wore brightly colored clothing and had a gold earring in each ear which made Tallos think that he looked more like a Gypsy than a sailor. He stomped over to them then embraced Arwyn warmly and stepped back to look at her. "Hello, my friend. It's been too long since I've seen you last. What can I do for you?"

"I know that you don't like to take passengers, but I really need you to take my friend to Elnon," she said, pointing to Tallos.

"Elnon, eh? Well, I really hadn't planned on going that far south, but I suppose I could as a favor to you. I'll need a gold and two silvers to cover expenses."

"Done," said Arwyn as she handed him the coins. "There's just one more thing. You should leave as soon as possible."

"So, you've got yourself into trouble again and now you're dragging me into the middle of it as well," he said, giving her a stern look.

"Something like that," she replied sheepishly.

"Oh, what the hell. What's life without a little adventure. Get on board," he told Tallos. Then looked at the sailor on deck and yelled, "Prepare to cast off. We'll finish getting supplies down river." The sailor disappeared to carry out the orders and Vogar turned to Arwyn and said, "You know, if you weren't so pretty, I'd never put up with you."

Before she could reply, Tallos was shaking her hand and saying, "Thanks for everything. I'll never forget you. If you ever need a place to stay, there'll be one for you on Elnon."

Arwyn surprised him by giving him a hug. "Don't be surprised if I show up one day. Now, you better get moving."

He hurried onboard and appeared at the rail. Suddenly, he looked past Arwyn and began to smile and wave.

Arwyn turned and saw Sprinter and the rest of the children at the end of an alley, across the docks from them, waving good-bye. Vogar was about to beard his ship when Arwyn stopped him. "How much room do you have?"

"Quite a bit, I suppose. We're pretty low on cargo right now. Why?"

"Because I've got some more passengers for you," she said as she called the children over.

"Now wait just a damn moment!" Vogar began.

"I know that it's a lot to ask," Arwyn interrupted, "but these kids don't have anyone but Tallos to watch out for them." Vogar continued to look annoyed, but she went on. "I'm willing to pay for them. This is all I have," she said as she handed him her pouch.

Vogar looked inside and raised his eyebrows. "This must really mean alot to you," he said as the children arrived. "Oh, all right. Got on board and hurry up. Here comes the harbor master and he's got two city guards with him. We'd all better get out of here quick," he said looking at Arwyn before he got on his ship, herding the children in front of him.

As Arwyn mounted her horse, the ship began to move away from the dock. She turned to wave at the children and Tallos when he yelled "Catch!" as he threw something to her. She grabbed it out of the air and saw that it was the token from the Thieves' Guild. "If you hurry, it will help you get out of the city," he called. Arwyn waved to him in reply and prepared to ride away just as the harbor master and guards arrived.

"Stop! You have to pay your departure tax!" the harbor master yelled after the ship as he came puffing to the dock. Vogar was at the rail and only smiled and waved as the ship got farther away. The harbor master turned his attention on Arwyn. "Hold on there! What do you have to do with this?" he demanded. Arwyn ignored him and started to leave as he yelled to the guards, "Stop her!"

One guard moved to do just that and Arwyn kicked at him, catching him squarely on the chin and sending him sprawling. The other guard never even got close to her as she rode away. She went down the nearest main street and headed for the small gate that she and Tallos had entered earlier that day. She leaned forward across the neck of her horse as she approached the gate, and noticed that the body was no longer in the gutter. She hoped that no one was in the street beyond as she sped through the gate. She raced through the side streets until she came to the Path of Glory. She had gone only a short way towards the south gate when she was spotted by some shady looking men who began to yell up the street after her and point at her. More, similar men came out of side streets as she went by and chased her toward the gate which was in view a short distance ahead of her. Arwyn reached the gate and showed the token to the confused guard who was standing there as she went through. She continued down the south road, dodging people as she went, until she came to the small dirt road that Tallos had described. She followed it as it wound along the lake's edge and soon the sawmill came into view. The building was in bad shape and she began to get concerned because she could see no sign of Narl. When she drew near, he stepped out from the dark interior and waved her inside. She stopped her horse as she entered and Narl took it over to where his drindox was tied. While he was doing this, Arwyn was watching the road and saw a group of city guards ride quickly past, going south down the road. When Narl came over to her, she carefully explained everything that had happened and finished by saying, "Those guards will probably only go as far as the next town and when they find that I haven't passed through, they'll think that I doubled back on them. They should return to the city before nightfall, then we'll wait until it gets dark and head south."

Narl nodded that he understood and went to one of the sacks and brought out bread and cheese. He offered some to Arwyn who eagerly accepted it. They passed the rest of the day in silence, watching the road. Just before dusk, Arwyn saw the guards return to the city and she and Narl began to get their mounts ready. When full night came at last, they quietly left the sawmill and resumed their journey to Ameron. Arwyn was careful to avoid all the main roads and towns along the way.

In a few days, they were almost to Ameron when Arwyn led them off the path that they had been following and towards a small stand of trees. As they got closer, an old farmhouse could be seen among them and she went straight to it. When they got there, she got Narl's attention and carefully explained, "You can stay here while I go into the city." Narl frowned with concern but Arwyn stopped any protest by saying, "I know that you want to come with me, but it won't be safe for you. The letter told me to come alone. Besides, it's only an hour or so before dawn and you need to rest. I know that I do too, but I want to get this over with. I'll hear what Grimslade has to say, then I'll make my decision. Whatever I decide, I should be back here before it gets dark and then I'll tell you what I'm going to do. All right?" Narl sighed and reluctantly nodded his head in agreement. "Good. You go inside and keep out of sight. There's a main road nearby that I'll take to Ameron. Don't worry, I'll be back soon."

With Narl in a safe place, she set off to the main road. Just as the sun was rising, she caught her first sight of Ameron since she had left. She was eager to return, but she also had a sense of foreboding that sent a chill down her spine. She tried to dismiss it as she passed through the city gate unchallenged. She knew of the inn where Grimslade had said to meet and quickly found it. She went inside and settled in to wait, knowing that he probably already knew that she was there.

The mug Arwyn had ordered had just arrived when Grimslade, the Master Thief, entered the inn. He went directly to Arwyn's table and seated himself without waiting for an invitation. He studied Arwyn briefly as she watched him warily over the rim of her mug. When she finished drinking, he spoke.

"I'll admit, I'm surprised that you honored my request. I never thought that I'd see you back here again."

Arwyn shrugged. "Your letter got me interested. I probably still wouldn't have come back if you hadn't promised that you wouldn't try to do anything to me and given it your personal seal. Frankly, I'm surprised that you'd ask me for help."

"Believe me, it's not by choice," Grimslade replied. "I'm not in the habit of requesting aid from traitors of the guild."

Arwyn's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Is that what this is all about? That was more than three years ago and the Thieves' Guild was well paid."

"That's not really the point," Grimslade replied evenly. "The fact remains that you took what didn't belong to you. If I had known that you would be able to use that sword, I never would have sent you to the Crypt of the Kings to steal it," he said as he gestured at the ornate sword that hung from Arwyn's waist. "The fact that you turned over all the other treasure you took means nothing. The Duke would have paid ten times that amount for the Sword of the Ancients and besides, you made the Thieves' Guild look very bad." Fire burned in Grimslade's eyes as he finished speaking.

Arwyn showed fire of her own as she leaned in close and said, "I figured that would be the way you'd see it. That's why I didn't stick around long after I decided to keep it. If the sword is so important to you, go ahead and take it. It's right here," she said as she gave the scabbard a small pat.

Grimslade leaned back and smiled. All traces of his previous anger disappeared in an instant. "I'm not fool. It took me a while to track you down, but when I did, I learned of the reputation that you had made for yourself as a mercenary in the northern border wars. What is it they call you up there? The She-Wolf?" Arwyn drained her mug but gave no reply. "No matter," Grimslade continued, "I'm sure that you'd like for me to try to take that sword. I'd be dead before I could lay a finger on it. As I said, I'm no fool. I wouldn't even think of trying it. I couldn't even if I wanted to. I gave you a promise with my personal seal, remember? You know that I'm honor bound to keep it. Besides, if I really wanted that sword, I'd have sent some of my people to get it when I found you." Grimslade caught sight of the serving wench and motioned for a refill of Arwyn's mug and one for himself as well.

"You did, twice. Luckily, I found out before they could get close to me. Why do you think they never came back?" Arwyn flashed Grimslade a cruel grin. "So, if this isn't about the sword, why did you send for me?"

`Grimslade leaned in close and dropped his voice low, "We've got a problem here that I think only you can solve." He moved away as the serving wench appeared with their drinks. Grimslade gave her a lecherous smile, then produced a small silver coin and deftly flipped it down her ample cleavage. The serving wench cursed him and stomped off.

"I see that you haven't lost any of your charm," Arwyn observed wryly.

"What can I say? It's a gift," Grimslade said grinning. He took a long drink from his mug then dropped his voice low again and continued, "One of my young thieves has decided to go into business for himself."

"Who?" Arwyn asked with an air of disinterest.

"A little wart named Cylin. You wouldn't know him. He joined the guild shortly after your sudden departure." He paused to see if he could detect any reaction from Arwyn and finding none, he continued, "It appears that this fool broke into the Bard's Guild and stole the Mystic Harp."

Arwyn's eyebrows shot up. "The Mystic Harp? I thought that was something that the Bard's Guild made up to impress people."

"It seems not," Grimslade said as he took another drink. What's worse is that the little bastard has learned how to use it, more or less."

"More or less?" Arwyn looked slightly amused as she wiped the foam from her mouth.

"Yeah, he can make people sick with it, not the runny nose, need to rest kind of sick, mind you. This kind of sick goes straight to your soul. Your nerves are on fire, your head feels like it's going to explode and your guts feel like they're being turned inside out. All you want to do is curl in a ball and hope you die quick, at least that the way the people he's used it on describe it. As soon as he stops making noise on the damn thing they start to feel better, but in the meantime, while they are rolling around on the floor, he walks around and helps himself to whatever he wants and leaves before they can get their feet under themselves again." Grimslade paused to take another drink and to make sure Arwyn was listening. "Since Cylin's a member of the Thieves' Guild, the Baron decided that we were responsible. We were closing in on him when he went and did something really stupid. He used the harp on old Svinert, the wizard."

"Really?" Arwyn was genuinely surprised. "You mean the old goat didn't blast him to pieces?"

"Oh, believe me, he tried," Grimslade chuckled. "As soon as he got control of his stomach back, that was the first thing he did. It seems, though, that this harp is an Eldar relic and magic doesn't work on it or anyone using it. So, now our job is damn near impossible because Svinert is demanding Cylin alive and he's threatening to level the town if he doesn't get him. Problem is, nobody can get close enough to him as long as he's got the harp."

"Seems simple enough," Arwyn mused. "You're the head of the Thieves' Guild, right? Just have someone go and grab it. He can't have it with him all the time."

"Wrong," Grimslade was looking tired of the whole thing. "We already thought of that. He's got it chained to his wrist, and besides, the bards don't think that it would do any good to steal it anyway. They think that since he's used it, he might be able to call it back if we took it. The only thing left to do is destroy it, but an Eldar relic can only be harmed by another Eldar relic."

Arwyn finished her mug and sat back, "I still don't see what any of this has to do with me."

"The only Eldar relic that I know of, other than that blasted harp, is around your waist," Grimslade said, smiling.

Arwyn folded her arms across her chest, "I see. I'm suppose to sneak in, destroy the harp and grab Cylin without him noticing."

"You're the only one that stands a chance, unless you'd like to give me that sword so I can see if I can find someone else," Grimslade shot her a questioning glance.

"Not a chance. Now, let's cut the crap and get down to what's important," Arwyn leaned forward. "What's in it for me?"

"How about," Grimslade looked up at the ceiling, "fifty thousand gold crowns?"

"Yeah, right," Arwyn laughed, "and I suppose you expect me to wait until I've got him before you pay me."

It was Grimslade's turn to laugh. "Not from me. Svinert's the one who put up the money. I wouldn't pay two ten bits for the worm. You can count on Svinert, though. If he says he'll pay, he will."

Arwyn looked straight at Grimslade and said, "I'm pulling your neck off the block. What do I get from you?"

Grimslade looked back at Arwyn and said, "How about a full pardon from the guild? You could come back home. You could even join up again, if you wanted. I'm sure your sister would be glad to have you back. Things have been tough on her since you left, you know. First her mother goes away, then you leave suddenly without telling her. She really needs you."

Lynnyl. Once again, Arwyn thought of her sister. Lynnyl had always been quiet and shy. How had she managed to take care of herself these past few years? Arwyn did want to think about it. She never should have left Lynnyl behind. She should have at least found some way to take Lynnyl with her, but how could she? She was going to be on the run and Lynnyl was hardly suited for life on the road. She'd had no choice. However, Lynnyl had always been there for her. Lynnyl had nursed her when she was sick, showed her how to mend her own clothes, and how to act so she wouldn't scare all the boys away. It was time to come back. Lynnyl deserved that much. "All right, I'll do it."

"Good," Grimslade looked relieved. "This is where you can find Cylin."

The ride back to the abandoned farmhouse outside town, where she had stopped briefly at day, passed in a blur. How was she going to explain this to Narl? He wasn't going to like it, but hopefully she would be able to make him understand.

It was nearly sunset when the farmhouse came into sight. Arwyn quickly scanned the area for any signs of trouble, but everything seemed quiet. She tied her horse to a small bush near the farmhouse and cautiously entered. She saw Narl immediately. He was sitting against the wall, opposite the door, sound asleep. She took a moment to Study him. Even after the amount of time they had spent together, she still found herself amazed by his size. He was probably the largest man she had ever seen, both in size and strength. She went to him, and gently shook his shoulder. Narl grunted and shifted positions slightly, but didn't wake up. It was unusual for him to sleep so deeply. Usually, he was aware of Arwyn's presence before she got close to him. He must have stayed awake most of the day. He seldom allowed himself to be separated from her, but she had insisted on going into town alone. She knew she would have enough to worry about without having to keep an eye on Narl. Large amounts of people and close quarters made him upset, so when they traveled, they avoided towns and cities whenever possible. She had no choice but to go this time, though, so he must have stayed awake as long as he could and worried. She considered letting him sleep, but she knew better. If he woke up and she still wasn't back, he would go looking for her and that would mean disaster. Besides, she felt she might need him. She was tired too. They had traveled all night to reach the farmhouse by sunrise and she had continued on to town. She knew she should get some rest, but she wanted to get this job over as quickly as possible. She shook Narl harder and he reluctantly opened his eyes. She got down so he could look directly at her as she spoke. Narl had a problem of not paying attention to her, especially just as he was waking up.

"Go and get your mount ready. We have a job to do," she said her words slowly to make sure Narl understood.

Narl frowned in disapproval, but nodded, got to his feet, and shambled out the door.

Arwyn watched him go and sighed. He wasn't happy but it couldn't be helped. She began to gather up their meager belongings. After her mother had died, Arwyn promised herself that she wouldn't have feelings for anyone else, except her sister, ever again. She found herself, however, developing an affection for Narl. She had never met anyone so powerful and yet so dependent at the same time. He had been her nearly constant companion since she had found him, over a year ago, tearing an inn apart with his bare hands because he couldn't make the inn keeper understand what he wanted. She had kept him safe from the sheriff and his patrols and had earned his undying loyalty. He counted on her to look out for him and at the same time felt that it was his duty to protect her.

Arwyn finished filling their packs and after making sure there was no trace that they had been there, she went outside. Narl was already mounted and waiting for her. She tossed him his pack and got on her horse. She settled her pack, then checked her sword to make sure it was secure. Narl did the same with his weapon, a huge hammer that he had stolen from a blacksmith's shop. It was a weapon that suited him well. When Arwyn was sure that everything was ready, they set off.

Arwyn explained what was going on as they rode, always making sure Narl was looking at her and that he was paying attention. They were going to an old manor house several leagues on the other side of town, which was where Grimslade had told Arwyn she could find Cylin. He was suppose to be alone. Apparently, so Grimslade said, Cylin couldn't trust anyone and didn't feel he needed anyone as long as he had the harp.

Arwyn explained to Narl that they would go around the town then on to the manor house, by that time it should be well into the night and Cylin should be asleep. She had been told that Cylin kept his quarters in the main hall of the manor and it was Arwyn's plan to sneak up on him, catch him by surprise and destroy the harp before he could react. Narl would come along in case she needed him, which if anything went wrong, and it usually did, she would.

It was deep into the night when they first caught sight of the manor house. They hid their horses in a grove of trees some distance away and traveled the rest of the way on foot.

The manor house was in a partial state of ruin and they picked their way carefully through the debris littering the courtyard. They finally reached the main entrance and crept inside. The layout of the interior was just as Grimslade had described it, and Arwyn quickly found the main hall. It was an enormous room with a high ceiling supported by two rows of massive, square, wooden pillars.

Arwyn saw a small fire burning at the far end of the hall, between the rows of pillars and next to the fire was a form wrapped in a blanket. She motioned Narl to one side of the pillars, where the shadows were deeper, and cautiously crept forward, down the center, toward the sleeping thief.

In a few moments, she had reached the fire in complete silence. She hadn't heard a noise from Narl either, who could be surprisingly quiet for his size. She quietly drew her sword from it's scabbard and continued forward. When she reached the blanket, she carefully put the tip of her sword under the edge of it and quickly flipped it aside. She stared in dismay. The form under the blanket was nothing more than another blanket rolled up to resemble a body. Arwyn couldn't believe it. She had fallen for the oldest trick in the book.

"What's the matter? Did you expect to find me sleeping?" a voice asked from behind her.

Arwyn whirled around just as a young, slightly built, man stepped from behind the nearest pillar. 'Damn!' she silently cursed herself. If she had sent Narl down the other side, he would have come up behind him. It was too late to do anything about it now though. She would just have to make the best of it. She took a step towards him.

"Now, now, sweetie. We can't have that," Cylin said as he strummed the small harp that was chained to his wrist.

The most horrible sound Arwyn had ever heard assaulted her ears and she bent over in pain. Her nerves were on fire, her head was throbbing and her stomach felt like it was trying to come up her throat.

"Actually, I probably would have been asleep if Grimslade hadn't warned me that you were coming," the thief said smugly. Arwyn lifted her head to stare at him and Cylin grinned and continued, "Don't look so surprised. You know Grimslade holds a grudge. You really should be more careful about who you cross." As he spoke, he moved behind her to stand by his bed.

Arwyn found that as the notes from the harp died away, the affects slowly left her. She waited until Cylin had stopped moving then she whirled around and lunged at him.

Cylin jumped back and strummed the harp harder. Unbelievable agony forced Arwyn to drop her sword and go down to her hands and knees.

"You're pretty quick, but not quick enough," Cylin said as he regained his composure. "This will be easier than I thought. All I have to do is get that sword of yours to Grimslade and take care of you. Then he'll use the sword on Svinert and he and I can start a very profitable partnership. Sorry that we couldn't get to know each other better but after all, business is business."

As Cylin was speaking, Arwyn searched the shadows for Narl. She finally spotted him directly across from her. She made sure he was watching and just as Cylin was about to play the harp for a third time, she yelled, "Narl! Get the sword! Use it!"

Cylin paused in confusion. Just then, Narl burst from the shadows and headed for the sword lying on the floor. Cylin stared for a moment in surprise, then said, "Grimslade didn't say anything about you. Oh well, this should take care of you."

Arwyn braced herself as Cylin played the harp. The noise was louder than before, but she was surprised to find that the pain didn't get much worse. Apparently, the harp only affected the person that Cylin was concentrating on. She forced her head up so that she could watch Narl.

Narl never slowed as the notes from the harp flowed over him. He reached the sword, picked it up and turned to face Cylin.

"What the hell?" Cylin exclaimed as he stepped back and strummed the harp even louder.

This time the noise slammed into Arwyn and forced her to curl up into a ball and groan. She forced her eyes open and blinked tears out of them so she could see what was happening.

Narl was still coming at Cylin, who had backed against the wall. As Narl closed in on him, he screamed, "Why don't you go down!? What's wrong with you? Stay away from me!" He shut his eyes and put his arms over his head to try to protect himself and the harp dangled from his wrist.

Narl brought up the sword and quickly swung it at the harp. There was a bright blue flash that caused Arwyn to close her eyes tightly. When she opened them again, she saw that only half of the harp hung at the end of the chain. The other half lay on the floor at Cylin's feet. Narl grabbed the front of Cylin's shirt with his free hand, lifted the thief effortlessly into the air and turned to face Arwyn.

Cylin opened his eyes, saw the ruined harp and looked at Narl. "What have you done!?" he shrieked. "What kind of magic do you have that allowed you to resist the harp?" Cylin waited for an answer but Narl only grinned at him. "Why don't you answer me? I have to know!" Cylin said frantically. Narl just continued to grin.

"He didn't us any magic," Arwyn said weakly. She had managed to get to her feet and was leaning against one of the pillars. "He isn't answering you because he can't." As she spoke, Cylin turned his head to look at her. "Narl never learned to talk," Arwyn continued. "He was born deaf."

Cylin stared at Arwyn until realization set in, then he turned to face Narl. "Deaf? Then you couldn't hear the ......" He left the statement unfinished as Narl's grin broadened.

Arwyn gestured to get Narl's attention. When he was looking at her, she said, "Make him easier to take back with us."

Narl nodded then swiftly brought the pommel of the sword up behind Cylin's ear. The thief went instantly limp and Narl tossed him over his shoulder. Then he went to Arwyn and offered her sword to her.

"Thanks," she said as she took it from him. Then, noticing the concern in his eyes, she said, "Don't worry. I'll be all right." She smiled and pushed herself away from the pillar. "In fact," she said, "I feel fine already. Let's go get our money."

As they started to leave, Arwyn stopped and put her hand on Narl's arm. He turned to face her and she said, "You know, I used to feel sorry for you sometimes, but, after tonight, I don't think that I ever will again." Narl's smile was all the answer she needed.

----END---