Chapter 9: The Day to Train!
-----An hour after midnight, the trio of thieves descends the ladder on the inside of the old well. They had made it through the town gate without any incident. This being, by slipping quietly through while the guards were looking the other way.
-----The wind had brought the cold night air about them as they stole across the field south of the town. With the cloud cover overhead it was difficult for anyone to spot the thieves, however it was also a problem for Kazel, Seth and Gimplefwick. The darkness of the night had made it hard to see even the old Gorian tower.
-----Now as they climbed down the ladder they had to rely on their own infravision and remembering to count to find the hidden door. Even though the wind was now cut off, it was chilly descending that shaft.
-----Carefully they moved off the rungs into the tunnel that leads beneath the tower. The tunnel, just as dark as the shaft was, proves to be somewhat warmer although the echoes of their footsteps sound nerve-racking.
-----As they push the wall section at the end of the tunnel open, they can see the light from the "main room" of the guild. Stepping closer, they can make out the forms of Picks, Dora May and the young man called Grin sitting at the table. The flickering of the oil lamps make the mostly shadowed room seem to quiver.
-----Seth waits quietly and tries to listen if the group is discussing anything of importance.
-----The thieves hear Picks telling Dora May and Grin to take the next watch in the tower. As they begin to move, the dwarf looks at some parchment spread out on the table in front of him.
-----Kazel waits for a while after Dora May and Grin goes on watch, but then feeling her wound simply tires of it. With the crossbow in one hand and the dead assassin's sword in the other, she announces her presence. "Hello there, Picks!"
-----"What in tarnation?!" the dwarf says as a couple of papers fly off the table at the surprise of Kazel’s voice. He quickly turns in the direction of the returning thieves, his mouth open in protest. Upon seeing them enter with various items, however the dwarf’s mood turns to one of curiosity. He clears away the rest of the table to allow the trio to set out what they bring. "Didja make a heist tonight?" he quickly asks.
-----Seth follows Kazel into the room and takes a chair. He then proceeds to check the scroll and the pouch he took from the merchant. During the proceedings, he glances at Picks, "Well, has someone tried to kill you tonight? Get the lady some bandages and clean water."
-----Gimplefwick looks idly about the room, trying to act as though nothing momentous had occurred that evening. Idly scratching his left buttock he asks Picks, "Hey, where might Wain be hidin out? It might be that we need to talk with him. By the way, why don't you help the lady out with her wound? It’s pretty rude of ye to just sit there like a great sodden heap, while she bleeds all over the place!"
-----Seth and the Dread Pirate draw a scowl from Picks, but he quickly moves to the next room. As he does Gimplefwick takes a look at some of the parchments the dwarf was looking at. When Picks returns, he carries a pail of water and some cloths. Gruffly he answers, "Wain won’t be back tonight. He’s headin’ in town." Looking at the wound on Kazel’s side, he says, "What d’ya run into tonight?"
-----Gimplefwick clears his throat and glances at the Seth and Kazel, "Well, Picks, you see, it's like this. We were innocently minding our own business, singing in the church choir and selling daisies for the poor and unfortunate when this gang of thugs jumped us. They claimed that we were the ones spreading those false coins about. Of course we denied it, since it wasn't true. Well, one thing led to another and there was a bit of an argument between us and them. Sadly, a couple of them seemed to die during our debate. This seemed to make them even more intolerant of us. They were completely unsympathetic to our situation. Anyway, we were going to question one of them about his hostility issues, when he suddenly ran off into the night."
-----Gimplefwick shrugs and looks sadly at Picks, as though confused at all the strife and anger in the world. "Anyway, there are more of them out there and they probably really don't like us now. They call themselves the Fire Knives or something like that. Oh yes, they are also the ones who are spreading the false coins about and they tried to frame us for it. I think they are just misunderstood though. It’s probably a result of their social upbringing." Gimplefwick sighs and shakes his head disconsolately.
-----Seth is still searching through his newfound pouch and studying his scroll. He looks up at Gimplefwick’s description of the nights events and adds, "Mmm something about their mother being rolled by a troll, I suspect." He returns to his study.
-----Kazel nods at Gimplefwick's explanation as she takes the water and bandage from Picks. "They never liked us in the first place anyway, I think. But at least they realize their sins and left this fine loot for us as an apology." She unsheathes the long sword captured from the woman and lays it out on the table, occasionally examining the blade as she starts to clean and bandage her wound.
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