Earlier the same night, Ben took out a piece of parchment from his bag. The thief squinted his eyes as he held it out in the scarce moonlight. He had 'found' some writing utensils for Cleo, while doing some scouting for the job the past two days. She had drawn for him the layout of the house, going by her souvenirs. The lass had even inscribed the names of the rooms she had recalled, though he wondered why. Either she forgot he couldn't read or the the girl was mocking him. The lady has a damn good memory, Ben thought, at least for the bits she recalls. She had visited the place more than six years ago and the map was detailed enough. The bitch was laughing at him, he concluded. The whole thing was not helping much anyway, so he shifted his gaze to consider his objective.
It was a damn big house, two stories high covered by a red tiled roof. Walls made of bricks and covered in white lime stood proud, the signs of rich folks' houses. Wooden shutters were adorning the windows and a high stone enclave protected the courtyard. It made the whole lot seem even fancier, if the size wasn't enough. Heck, there was even a shed for horses, one bigger than Maes shack. The owner must shit gold for a job, Ben commented. He probably did, for here lived more than a mere noble.
Lord Chaffaud was known for his views against the Parkhat, and was the city council's most influential member. Cleo had told Ben so, after considering information Mae had procured. The thief had been surprised to learn the whore had contacts in the high society. He knew she had had a better life before leaving Gravelroy years back, but it still amazed him. Ben had asked why she wouldn't go to them for help then, but he knew the answer already. 'I ain't begging for friggin' help from these assholes. I can take care of myself, thank you.'
Damn pride. Some folks would die before they got rid of it. He thought about Cleo, another hard case, that one was. In Ben's experience, proud people didn't last long, the idiots didn't know when to stand down and run. Running was usually the first choice to consider when facing trouble. Back in the Wilds, Mae's pride was the reason he had to fight, she wanted to provide for herself. 'Go in the deep forest alone if you want. Have fun humping rabbits, I'm staying here.' She had told him, as if he had a choice. He had decided to stay with the army then. Women were all kinds of headaches, he concluded.
Ben was growing impatient. He took out his gourd and brought it to his lips, only to find it empty of wine -Damn-. He had spent two days watching the damn place from the roofs. Then there had been two nights with Cleo, so he was lacking sleep. Ben has been observing the comings and goings of Chaffaud's servants, and racking his brains for a way in. They were a long way from getting the Parkhat's attention, and Mae's sickness was not waiting for them to succeed. There was also the matter of Cleo being alone for the first time since they met, and he worried about it.
Ben tried comparing the plan he held and the view in front of him for the tenth time. The cracked girl had shown him what room she believed to be holding the prize. There was a problem though: the target was upstairs. The map fitted, but it did so in two different ways. 'Symmetric', Cleo had called the problem. Ben could scale the building and go in through a window, only it meant one chance in two to be entering the wrong room. Passing the enclave while avoiding the sentinels would be tricky enough. Reaching the habitation before ascending unseen would be a feat. But having to climb back down and then up again afterward was plain mad. He growled in frustration.
He could enter from the ground level, but that did not change the problem once upstairs. One of the two possible rooms would have people sleeping inside, even. Picking the door lock would be near impossible. He had asked both women for help. Mae was on her own job, busy finding a way to meet with the underworld king. 'What could I possibly know about robberies? As a burglar, you should be the expert on such matters, really' Cleo had said, with one of her sneers. Ben sighed. Everyone was calling him a thief nowadays, they soon forgot he had only been at it for a few months.
Sure, he liked sneaking around in the dark, but outside, not in goddamn houses. It was a whole different business, inside. You couldn't see people coming from far enough and there were no easy hiding spots. Any asshole waking up could walk in on you in an instant, catching you with your pants down. He clicked his tongue in frustration and turned his eyes to his surroundings. Scarce people walked the streets at this hour, only a couple of lights moving along two corners away. Those were the regular pair of citywatch idiots doing their rounds with torches. Looking at the bastards wouldn't help his mood however. The only thing he liked less than city guards was... a flapping noise close by stopped him in his thoughts. He didn't need to glance in its direction to know what kind of damn bird it was.
Now that was it! First Cleo's writings, then the citywatch and now frigging pigeons were teasing him. The whole goddamn city was taking a piss at him! Ben climbed down to the ground, grumbling the whole time. Since the girls let the planning to him, they damn better not complain if he did it his way. To the heck with civilization, he thought, back to the Wilds way.
****
Ben was walking silently through the night, threading on a hard stone street. He was following a pair of lights a couple dozen paces away. He needed a uniform, plus punching an asshole in the face would soothe him. 'I though you hunters were supposed to be patient.' He recalled Mae telling him many times. He was patient dammit, just not for very long. He stopped short and hid near a corner when the expected moment came. There was a small bridge over a canal and one of his prey paused to fumble with his breeches. The second one did not want to stare obviously, so he turned the other way. Not towards Ben, he noted as he left hiding and drew closer, luck was on his side now.
A kick in the watchman's bottom did the trick. Ben was rewarded by a short cry of surprise, followed by a splashing sound. That felt good. There was no time to enjoy the victory though, for the noise had alerted the other prick, and his shock would soon wear off. In a few quick strides, Ben was on the guy and his fist connected nicely. It felt even better, he observed with a grin, as his target hit the ground. Out in one strike, this lad was. The thief checked his first victim but found no immediate danger, the fellow was still down there. Folks in armor sank well, even in these waters.
"Ah! That'll teach ya, puttin' honest folks in prison! Citywatch bastards." Ben exclaimed in satisfaction, as the man was desperately struggling towards the shore.
Ben dragged the unconscious one to a dark alley, before stripping him off and disguising himself. Things were moving along faster when you gave up being subtle. He finished adjusting the leather armor and put the round helmet on. Ben abandoned the man with only his loincloth on, and left the shadows. Back to his crime's location, he picked up a lance as well as both torches. Satisfied, he was now heading towards the noble's domain once more. Ben extinguished the flames since he was not going to need them yet.
The young man made good time, for he was not needing furtivity anymore. Folks in uniforms were never asked questions when they walked around in Gravelroy. It didn't work so well with soldiers in the Wilds, he recalled, you had to work harder to pass as one of them. The lack of supply routes, countless battles, and the forest itself made short work of armor, let alone clothing. Armor over there consisted of whatever you found. Most folks wore rags and attached pieces of leather or bronze on them. Everyone was dressed about the same and it made for confusing situations, especially the battles. It had changed four years ago though, Ben recalled, with the new holy empire. Now these guys had proper armor, some even made of steel. All the white cloth and shiny bits were stupid though, you could see them coming from miles away.
After watching Lord Chaffaud's place for a dozen minutes or so, he decided it was time to scale the outer wall. He set down his weapon against it before climbing swiftly. Ben paused at the top to watch for guards and then satisfied, he grabbed the spear and let himself drop on the other side. A quick, silent run and he was hugging the house's wall. He moved a few paces in order to put the home between him and the gate's sentinels. The other ones were not doing any rounds at the moment, sharing a drink near the horses or manning the front door. -Perfect-
Ben needed to act fast now, for the next part was sure to draw attention. -Time to smoke the fox out of his den.-. He opened the window's shutter to have a look inside for flammable materials. Finding some amidst the darkness didn't prove difficult, there were curtains and drapes aplenty. Ben began to set both torches alight using his flint. He smashed the glass with the butt of his spear before setting the blinds on fire and throwing one torch in. The arsonist then went around the house, launched the other one towards the stables, and came back to his corner.
He did not wait long, for cries of alarm soon relented in the night. Ben took a peek into the main courtyard. The animals' shed had a straw roof, allowing the flames to spread nice and fast. Most of the guards were running around like headless chickens now. None had noticed the second fire in the house yet, though the shouting must have roused everyone inside. The servants should be sleeping on the first floor while the nobles did so upstairs, according to Cleo. Ben went back to the window he had broken and jumped in.
Inside, the blaze was growing and fumes thickening. The thief walked, confident in his disguise, and headed towards the stairs while shouting: 'Fire!'. A few confused faces poked out from various entrances around him but Ben ignored them and went upstairs. The letters were supposed to be precious, so their owner should see to them before fleeing. That would make Ben's job a lot simpler. He reached the second floor and was greeted by a bunch of people. There was a fat scared woman in a blue silk dress, holding closely two sleepy kids. Next to them stood a lean and authoritarian looking fellow, wearing a gold-embroidered silk robe. He went straight for Ben.
"What in god's name is going on? I demand an explanation! Who are you by the way, and what are you doing in my house?" He yelled. Damn rich folks and their long phrases, Ben had no time for that.
"City Watch, m'lord. Here to evacuate your family. On the count of the fire." He responded, trying hard to sound less of a bumpkin. Lord Chaffaud glared at him, suspicious.
"And why is the Nightwatch here, even before my household's retainers?" The councilman went on, grabbing Ben's arm.
"Maybe busy at the other fire, the one in the stables." He shrugged. "Now can I get them little ones outside or do you have other questions?" Ben asked, meeting the man's stare. Beside them, the children were growing restless and the mother was beginning to panic.
"I am not sure I want to entrust my family's safety to a shady character such as yourself. When did the watch start hiring cutthroats with scarred faces?" He questioned, still doubtful. Damn, the bastard would let the whole house burn down before he stopped his interrogation.
"The scars come with the job, same as the armor." Ben said harshly. "Now excuse me, duty calls."He disengaged himself of the noble's grip. He then went for the children and grabbed both, throwing them on his shoulders like sacks of grain. "Please follow me, m'lady." He told the mother as he went for the stairs decisively. Some smoke was coming up from the first floor now, it must have convinced them since no one tried to stop Ben anymore.
He rushed outside, stopping by a bewildered guard. The lad should have noticed the trouble inside and had come to check. Before he could open his mouth, Ben shoved the two kids into the guy's arms, and turned to lady Chaffaud.
"This good man will escort you away from danger, m'lady. Now I must go back and search for others." She nodded in thanks as she left in haste, and Ben headed inside once more.
The hall was dark with smoke, making his eyes water. He took the stairs in a flight, and discovered the narrow hallway empty. Ben recalled wich door the family had come out from and deduced where the study would be. He rushed towards the corridor's end. He heard loud, searching noises, someone was moving stuff around frantically. Ben rushed into the room. He had never seen so many books, he marvelled once inside, every wall had shelves covered with the things. A crashing sound snapped him out of his wonder. The Lord was throwing heavy looking boxes out the window. He noticed the intrusion and stopped in his task, their eyes locked for a moment. The thief didn't hesitate.
"M'lord, please get out, the fire is growing fast!" Ben shouted in a commanding tone. But he could see the man was about to protest once more. "Your sons are safe, you are the last one, m'lord." He informed him.
"I will escape shortly, I have to rescue one last coffer, the rest I can carry." Chaffaud waved off the concerns.
Ben, wanting to speed up things, rushed for the box and lifted it up. He went to the aperture and let it fall down outside, on a pile of similar ones. Ben hoped the missives were not in those, for it would be hard to get to them. The one he had lifted was pretty heavy, it should be gold or silver then. The fancy man frowned.
"Can we go now?" Ben asked impatiently. "M'lord." He corrected, seeing the man's glare.
"One last thing and we are set." The councilman said, pulling out a key he had on a string around his neck. He turned to a drawer in his desk, and bent down to open it. Ben peeked inside, unnoticed from over the guy's shoulder. The young thief praised his luck. He'd be damned if those didn't look like scrolls. He took a step forward and elbowed his lordship in the temple.
Ben stuffed all the letters he could grab into his bag. The drawer now empty, his attention went back to his victim while he hid the pouch under his armor and shirt. Ben was lacking the time and he did not bear much affection towards rich folks, but burning alive was a nasty way to go. As annoying as he had been, the man in silk sure did not deserve this. Plus it could save Ben quite a bit of trouble once outside. Having reached a decision, he knelt down and lifted the lord over his shoulder.
Outside was a mayhem of flames, smokes, and shouts. As Ben traversed it, he realized someone must have gotten his shit together. The guards had given up on the horse shelter and turned their efforts to the house. A chain of buckets had been organized, he noted as his eyes cleared from the smokes. Folks were running here with them, and back to a small well at the end of the courtyard. Ignoring all the commotion, he headed for the rest of the rich folks.
Cries of relief welcomed his arrival. The family was overjoyed and some newly arrived people cheered. Praises and promises of reward were thrown around as he set the unconscious man down at the gate. The big lady and the children ran to him. Weird folks, Ben mused, you robbed them and burned their house, in the end they thanked you for it. He held back a smirk. Now that the general attention was to the councilman, all he had to do was to walk away discreetly.
****
Having completed his job faster -and better- than expected, Ben was now heading for the loonie bin. The thief had a good half of the night left in front of him and he wanted to check on Cleo. He would hand his bounty to her as well, and Mae probably needed some rest anyway. She had been going around the slums for two days, in preparation for her own part of the plan. 'Gone to find myself a son.' she had said, whatever it meant. A sick woman shouldn't be running around like this, he had objected. The whore had retorted that she was the only one who could do it.
It was a sort of routine now, Ben thought, as he was climbing the wall using the steps he had carved a week ago.The young man was disappointed to find himself alone when he reached the top. Ben shrugged, she must be tired of the roof, he should check inside. The bell tower's stairs proved to be empty, and so did the attic. Was Cleo in her room? Now that would be straight cracked, she had spent four damn years in there. She sure couldn't be reading her weird doodling at night. But Ben crossed the corridor, ignored the crazies and threw her door open anyway.
It was unlocked and no one was inside. The damn girl had gone downstairs to sniff around even if Ben had told her not to. It was dangerous since they were not sure if the ground floor was empty. But of course she had gone anyway, the lady had a head like a ton of rocks. Ben was growing anxious as he went down the last steps and entered the chapel. There was not single a soul around, and he began to inspect the hall closer. the thief stopped short as he something caught his attention. The door to the cellar was open. Ben sighed, the lass had been snooping inside, looking for things to understand as she liked to.
Ben sneakily advanced closer to the entry. He was going to give her a good scare, to teach her not to worry him like that. The man grinned in anticipation as he risked a peek. He couldn't see anyone inside and a quick swipe of the room revealed nothing. Ben was beginning to panic. He went over to the altar to take a look behind it, without success. He then walked down the alley, checking between each and every bench, and paused. There was something on the ground.
A lot of shit was scattered on the stone. Small and opened wood boxes, their contents lying around, a scroll and even more stuff. He frowned. Some of the items in front of him he recognized, since Ben had once gone through the cellar himself. The other doors all revealed to be locked up. She could have left and closed up behind her, but that didn't make any kind of sense. The thief's hand went to his bag and he recalled its contents. The lass had wanted those letters, she really had. Staying here and thinking about it wouldn't help though.
He gathered everything that had been dropped on the floor before putting it all back in place. He also fastened the door behind him, as leaving it opened would sure make trouble for Cleo when she returned. If she returned, he corrected himself. Where the hell was she? There was still one place he had overlooked, he realized. He shuddered at the prospect.
Ben took the stairs in a flight and emerged on the crazies floor. He had crossed it in a hurry before, only looking at Cleo's room. He ignored the screaming and went on to explore the corridor. He paused, startled. A cell was open, its door ajar. Ben drew closer and saw its occupant was crouching on the floor, his back to the entrance and moaning. He entered the chamber to verify that it wasn't the girl. Ben didn't know how to feel when he realized the cracked was a man, judging from his size. Ben felt a touch on his shoulder and reacted instantly.
Damn, he had almost skewered a loon, Ben scolded himself. It could have been Cleo, you idiot. He hated when folks sneaked up on him though, they were not supposed to. It must have something to do with all the damn noise, he reassured himself, he had not lost his edge. The knife standing an inch from the lunatic's neck didn't seem to faze him. He was staring blankly in front of him. Ben sheathed his blade before going out, Cleo was a more pressing concern.
The thief was staring at the hallway, startled, all the damn doors were opened. What the hell had happened here? Loons wandered everywhere now, talk about a mess. After a first one had gone out of his cell the rest must have followed, like sheep. He shouldered his way past two gray-robbed figures who were yelling gibberish at each other. He had to find Cleo, quick, and get her out of this shit. There she was! He saw the familiar tangle of black hair in a cell, she was standing still before another inmate. The inside was a lot worse than the lady's room, it only had a wooden bench and a piss bucket.
Ben drew closer slowly, wondering what it was all about. Mad folks had been set loose and Cleo was the main suspect. She was not moving, staring intensely at another girl and shaking. The second lass was returning the look with open mouth and empty eyes. Maybe that was how crazies talked to each other, Ben mused, not knowing what to do. Cleo didn't seem to notice him as he joined them in the cell.
After a while, the silent exchange annoyed him. he slowly, gently put his hand on Cleo's shoulder to attract her attention. The lady scrambled away in a scarce and stopped against the wall as if cornered. She looked terrified and lost. Ben was confused while the other lass didn't react. Damn, she was back to full cracked.
"Wow girl, calm down." He held out his hands in a gesture of peace.
"The monster... where is he? Is he returning?" She blurted frantically.
" 'Tis Jus' me. Ben." He said in a gentle tone.
"Who... Oh. The scoundrel." She seemed to calm down a little.
"Right, the thief, ya remember me. Good." Ben let out a sigh. "Dont got no time to ask what the heck is going on. Gotta get out now, loons everywhere." He took a step closer.
"NO!" She shouted. Ben stopped short, and questioned her sanity once more. She seemed to be frightened of him and he couldn't guess why.
"A'right, ya got out alone. I jus' stand out and watch."Ben said as he took some steps back outside.
Cleo stared at him for a while, showing no sign of trust. Then, deeming it safe, she advanced slowly to the corridor, without letting Ben out of her sight.
"Not that way." He objected when she headed for her room. "Out. We're leavin', 'tis a damn mess here." He explained pointing at all the loons walking aimlessly in the hallway.
"No. I must... the first of the month... I must know." She ranted.
Ben frowned. She was not talking in her usual, fancy way. Plus she was not making any goddamn sense. He growled in frustration, the damn girl still had stuff to do here? What could be so interesting to do around these parts, he couldn't figure it out. Now he had to herd all the crazies back in their cells or Cleo would be in trouble. How was he to know wich one went where? They all looked the same in he dark, dirty and disheveled in their gray robes.
"Right. Leave good ol' Ben to clean up yer shit. Took care of the one downstairs by the way, if yer interested." He complained. She nodded absent-mindedly and walked to her door.
"I want to kill him... I have to. You do such things, do you?" She asked, pausing in front of her room. Ben frowned, not understanding. "Could you... teach me?" She pleaded.
"Aye, aye. Now get some sleep. Might cure all the crazy ya got inside." He said. He was not going to put a weapon in a nutjob's hands. It was a stupid idea, even he could tell. But at the moment he needed Cleo to rest.
The lady nodded, seeming satisfied with his answer, before going in. The thief closed and locked behind her. He turned to all the gray figures walking aimlessly around him. Ben had some work to do, he was a loon shepherd now. He sighed.