Benj and Lucia were too excited to pretend to be in love; they at least sat together. The pendulous lantern rocked faster than before. It coruscated, lighting and unlighting nervous faces in rapid succession.
Draiden cleared his throat, "we didn't pray."
"What?" Jafa asked, playing with the handle on his wooden club.
"We didn't pray," Draiden shook his head. "Like we normally do. We were too busy watching those two gawk at each other," he threw a frustrated hand in Lucia's direction, "That we didn't even think to pray first."
"You're right," Priest said, "on both accounts. Those two have been gawking."
"His name is Bird, and you're all surprised when he gawks?" Jafa asked jokingly.
"Well," Draiden said expectantly. "What are you waiting for?"
The carriage came to a stop, the doors flew open, and all focus shifted. Everyone began climbing out of the carriage, and slipping into the shadows.
A large stone barrier towered over head. Jafa made a loop with his rope, and after his third try, he got the loop around one of the massive pillars connecting iron bars. He tied a knot around one of the ropes and then pulled it to the top, tightening the loop to the stone.
"Up you go," Jafa motioned towards Benj.
With some effort, he climbed up the wall and sat on the top, looking around. The house was enormous and completely empty. He gave the signal and said, "It's clear." Then, he removed his ring, tucked it into an inner pocket, and jumped.
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Red eyes stared at red flames as his campfire illuminated his brother's final resting place. A mound of dirt bordered by rocks marked Gallows' unfinished grave. One day, he would come back when he found a proper grave marker, but first, he had to ask Benj a few questions.
He decided he was going to ask Darius for the Truthseer, a relic that supposedly made it possible to see if someone was lying to you. If Benj had been working with his brother, it's possible that Gallows, or rather, Gimble, had been carrying Bird's things when he was attacked. He had also learned through years of experience that people, especially thieves, were dishonest by nature. He needed to be certain.
He brought dry bread with a basque paste, which was a fermented mixture of herbs and oil, but he had no appetite for it. He had seen a lot of death in his life, but he was ill-prepared to lose someone this close to him. He and his brother had fought before; they had even raised swords at each other. Now, everything that seemed to anger him about his brother transformed into a sorrowful light through a morbid prism.
He laid down on his bedroll. He would set off tomorrow and deliver the news. He closed his eyes to the raspy screams of distant vultures and welcomed the sounds as they lulled him to sleep.
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"Gentlemen, I want to thank you for arriving at such short notice at this hour," Captain Castor said, addressing his six men and the seven others in Sergeant Allister's company. "Tonight, there is a chance that you'll have to use your swords. Do not blatantly stab anybody unless they pose a direct threat to you or your fellow man."
Trudy cleared her throat.
"Or woman, thank you, Corporal Logan. In my experience, thieves will give up if and only if they recognize that they have no hope of escaping. The Chancellor's house has one gate and a wall surrounding it. I want to first secure the wall and then, second, secure the doors. There are three. A front door, a back door, and a servant's entrance. Be quiet. The more surprises we have, the better our chances are. Let's move."
The group followed at a fast pace after the captain. Their journey was partially lit by street lanterns. When they walked out of the circular light, it was so dark that the cobblestones could have dropped into an endless void, and they would have walked right into it. Only the feel of their footsteps and the sound of the surrounding footsteps were evidence that the ground was even there.
"What's the story?" Trudy asked, keeping up with Key.
"I'm not sure," Key replied, controlling his breathing at the fast pace they were keeping. "You know as much as I do. Now that I think about it, it might have something to do with the murders and house robberies that have been happening."
"Like the time when you rescued those two women tied up to the bedpost?" Trudy said with a hint of something he couldn't quite put his finger on.
"I think so."
"You know, when you came to my room tonight, you had a look in your eye," she said. "I've been imagining it was the same look those women saw when you ran into their room with your sword raised."
"Uh, I'm sure the only thing the women saw was me standing there stressed and sweaty. I didn't even know what to do with my sword," Key said. "I doubt it was anything like tonight."
Trudy made an undiscernible sound. "Go on."
"That's pretty much it," Key said, not understanding what she wanted to know. "I'll try to look less aggressive or whatever next time I have to wake you up in the middle of the night."
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Trudy squeaked.
"Are you okay?" Key asked. "Did you step on something?"
"I'm okay. Whenever you knock on my door, you can look as aggressive as you want," Trudy told him.
"Hey guys, what's all this about?" came a voice that Key recognized. It was Ansel Jory - an oddly welcome newcomer to his strange conversation with Trudy.
"We're not sure," Trudy said, sounding winded from their quick pace. "I guess we're going to try to catch a thief."
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The door was locked, and Benj motioned for Lucia to open it. After several long minutes, Jafa took her lock picks, nudged her out of the way, and, with two quick motions, opened the door.
Benj entered the large house through the back door. The size of the place swallowed him up in darkness and silence. He regretted not asking about the Soundsight before they left, but it had been such short notice he was doubtful anyone else was more prepared. He would have to rely on his natural senses.
He explored the kitchens and various rooms. There was food still on plates around the table, and the fire in the hearth had died down to simmering coals. He walked upstairs as quietly as he could. As far as he could tell, nobody was home. He ran downstairs and gave the signal.
The five of them entered. Draiden pulled Lucia aside, "We need you to keep watch," he said. Before she had a moment to protest, he said quickly, "Don't worry, I'm sure your boyfriend will find you something nice. We're short one, and usually, Reese watches our asses."
Lucia gave a curt nod and then made her way back up the wall.
Benj found the main office and immediately searched the drawers. There was nothing but books and papers. There were a few nice-looking items, but they weren't the treasure he was looking for. He went to the bookcases and started dumping books on the ground. Not finding much, he ran his hand over the top. There was nothing to find.
He went to a smaller bookcase and searched it. All he found was a few bookends. He tried to reach the top, but it was taller than the other one had been. He had to climb the shelves to look over the top. There was a small, almost imperceptible opening over the bookshelf. It looked like there could be something behind it.
He got down and started pushing in different directions. The bookcase moved. He put his shoulder on the side and began pushing; it didn't budge. He tried the other side. The bookcase slid sideways, opening into a small, hidden closet.
"Found you," he said, looking into the secret room. It was dark. He lit a candle on the desk and brought it into the room. There were swords in sheaths hanging on the walls alongside a black cloak hanging over a green wooden chest. He lifted the cloak to find the chest was locked. He tried lifting the chest, but it was too heavy. It sounded like it could be full of coins. He needed to find the key.
He started searching for something to unlock the chest when Priest came in holding several half-filled bags. Benj told him about the chest and asked him to tell him if he found a key.
"I'll keep my eyes open," Priest said, slipping some of the gold-plated accouterments from the desk and looking for his next target.
Someone whistled in quick succession. "We have company!" Lucia yelled up the stairs. Everyone dropped what they were doing and scrambled to get out of the house.
Benj descended the stairs and met her. The two ran outside towards their section of the wall that had their escape rope. As they approached, they noticed the rope wasn't there anymore. Benj continued anyway, leaned against the wall, and joined his fingers together. He told Lucia to climb up. She stepped on his hands and raised herself up but dropped down again.
"They're waiting for us on the other side," she said frantically, grasping his shirt and pulling him away. A guard cut them off in each direction they ran.
"This way," Benj said, guiding her back to the house. "You're going to have to trust me."
They went inside the house and up the stairs. He led her left and right into the bookcase room at the top of the stairs. "This is a false wall. We can hide in here."
The two squeezed into the little room, and Benj began trying to slide the bookcase shut. It was not designed to be shut from the inside. You had to put your whole body weight into moving it at all.
Benj took one of the swords and handed it to Lucia. "If I don't come back for you, use this to pry the bookshelf open. I'm going to close you in."
"No, we'll go together," she protested.
"I think you forget that I can fly," he said, forcing a smile, and began pushing the bookshelf closed.
"Can you open it?" he asked through the books.
It budged a little. "I think so," she said.
"I'll come back for you," he promised and then ran around the corner, looking for a balcony to jump from.
He found a window and opened it. Looking out, he saw the others. They were running towards a closed gate. They had five guards chasing them; he felt like they had a chance; the guards all wore heavy armor. He had to wait for them to run past him. He began climbing up the window sill. He hoped he would be able to clear the wall. At this distance, he was only halfway certain.
The last of the guards crossed his line of sight as he perched on the window ledge. He heard a noise and started to jump when a hand grabbed the back of his tunic, pulling him inside and causing him to land his back.
"Don't move," a woman's voice commanded as cold steal bit his neck. "Were you going to jump out of this window? You're a crazy one, aren't you?"
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The four thieves--Priest, Draiden, Jafa, and Pots--sprinted toward the back gate. Arriving first, Draiden tested the latch, and it clicked open. He pulled it open just in time for the others to catch up.
Priest stepped through the gate first and was met by a larger guard with his sword drawn. The man swung his sword in a wide arch that cut through the open air of the escape route. Instinctively, Priest pushed the gate shut on the swinging sword, jarring the guard's handle on it. The guard's nose flared with anger, and he thrust forward. Priest dodged but was too late to thwart his attack. He looked down and saw dark red blooming from his chest.
Draiden, enraged by the blow, slid his dagger from its sheath and kicked the gate as hard as he could. The gate smashed into the man, causing him to stumble backward and cover his face. Draiden jumped on the stunned guard, flying through the portal and stabbing the man through his left armpit. He pulled the blade free and looked at his friend.
Two lanterns dimly illuminated a glossy stain forming on Priest's chest
"Come on," Draiden encouraged, hearing the guards catch up from behind, but Priest didn't move.
"You were right," he said, spitting blood on the ground. "We should have prayed." He started falling, and Draiden caught him.
"You'll make it," Draiden said, tears forming in his eyes. "Just stay with me a little longer."
"Offer him six percent for me," Priest choked out with equal parts blood and breath. He convulsed in Draiden's arms and then slipped out of his grasp, crumpling into a pile on the ground. Swords pointed at them from all around.
"You killed Givens!" One guard shouted and swung his sword at Draiden.
Another guard caught the man's sword arm mid-swing, "It's over! Stand down."
Jafa saw his opening and made to run through the gate but was stopped short as three more swords were leveled at him. They were hopelessly surrounded.
"Take them in," a man said, stepping out from the shadows. "I'll want to have a little chat with them tomorrow. Maybe we'll all share a piece of pie together."