As Raef returned to the library, he felt optimistic. He had solved one mystery of Ness’ past. The city was connected to the east via a road—the Dragon Road—that somehow had been lost to history and yet was right there in front of everyone. Of course, it was blocked in the mountain, but it almost certainly also led to the west. Wait, Ralan had traveled along the road to Gaotteland, Raef thought. I can simply ask him.
Ralan had been spending all his time on his balcony, peering off into the distance, doing his best to see what was happening in the Flats and Lower Triangle. The distance was too great, however, so Raef figured Ralan did it to feel like he was in control of the situation, although that was clearly not the case. All he could do was wait for Alard to return and Coode to maintain the order in the Old Quarter and for Dirk to arrange a strong defense.
“If you want something to do, you should help me,” Raef said as he approached his friend, who was indeed on his balcony.
“I don’t do well with books,” Ralan replied, turning to Raef. “But some conversation wouldn’t hurt.” Ralan motioned to a bench. “Tell me how your studies are going. Discover any new secrets?”
“You will be happy to know that I got on a horse to do some research.”
“Pray tell. It must have been important to drag you away from your books.” Ralan smiled.
“Well, I’ve been hoping to have confirmation before filling you in on several important and major discoveries, and I have evidence, so the time is right to finally share what I’ve found.”
“Important and major?” Ralan turned to face Raef, his attention fully on what Raef was about to explain.
“Well, in historical terms. I’m not sure what it means today.” Raef pulled out the map of the world that showed the cities on the other side of the mountains, the Dragon’s Teeth. “I’ve shown this to you before. We had talked about how there must have been a trading pass over the mountain.”
“Yes. Did you find it? You mentioned the Magic Guild blocked it.”
“I did find it, but it wasn’t over the mountain.” Raef tapped the map. “It’s a road through the mountain.”
“Through the mountain? How can that be? We have trouble mining ore; how can there be a road?”
“I thought the same thing, and I don’t know the answer, but there is a road. The trouble is that just inside the entrance to the north of here it has collapsed. That’s what I believe is meant by the Magic Guild blocking the road. They must have fled down the road from Ness and then brought the mountain down, making it impassable.”
Ralan was going to say something, but Raef held up his finger. “I’ve been there. The road is paved with stones, even in the mountain itself. It is wide enough to fit two or three wagons, and it has a curb of some sort. You mentioned the road to the Outlands. Is it similar?”
Ralan paused before answering, staring at Raef. “This is unbelievable, but the answer is yes. I couldn’t understand it, but the road extended for miles from Ness to Gaotteland, and it was paved in stones, even through the plains.” Ralan nodded out into the unknown from his balcony. “I don’t know if it extended beyond there, but it must have.”
“It does. I am sure of it.” Raef leaned forward, sitting on the edge of his chair. “Things are becoming clearer. We know there was some kind of guild civil war, and that it was at that time that the Magic Guild left Ness. We also know that this is what led to the Great Migration north of the river. So right about that time, Ness was a great trading center. There was even a State Guild that managed affairs with other cities.”
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“You didn’t tell me that!” Ralan exclaimed.
“There are lots of guilds that have died out, and I wanted to get more clarity on what has happened. I didn’t think Ness as a trading center would be that central to our history with a mountain behind us, and the only path a treacherous path over it. But now that we know there was a road, it is clear: Ness was a trading center of some importance, but that all ended with the departure of the Magic Guild, the destruction of the road east, and the closure of the gate on this side of the river.”
“So what happened?”
“I don’t know, but I’m sure it has something to do with the creation of our guild. It all happened at the same time, and the only missing piece is our guild history.”
Ralan stood up and started pacing. “Wilhelm noted that Pietro promised to re-open the trade routes with the Outlanders, and I said I would work toward that goal, but how can I do that if the route is blocked? I assumed that he meant trading with Ness so he could have food and goods, but what if he means trading with the cities beyond the mountain?”
“It’s been centuries since that road has been closed. He couldn’t possibly mean that,” Raef replied.
“But what if he did? What if Ness has been in this fortress-like location for centuries, while the rest of the world waited for us to show weakness or for us to finally re-join them? Maybe this has been a process that was borne out of the creation of the Thieves Guild and our role is to finally heal our broken, burning city.”
Raef tapped his chin. “It’s possible. There is nothing I can find about the Thieves Guild, though. There isn’t a chapter or book about the creation of the guild. I’ve looked.” Ralan had stopped pacing and was looking at Raef, as he continued. “You could help me. I found the secret of the road by looking in a small book on clothing. Maybe you can help go through some books and just browse for any mention of our guild. I could then do the deeper research.”
Throwing up his hands and then collapsing in his chair, a visibly frustrated Ralan replied, “I told you. I’m no good with books. I mean, I’m barely good at anything. I ask good questions, and Alard helps me follow up with answers, but I’m no Pietro. By the gods, old Pietro would be better for you than I am. I know he liked books, as his quarters in the Merchant Tower had shelves full of them.”
While Ralan rubbed his temple, Raef just stared at him, his jaw dropped open. “Did you say that Pietro’s room in the Merchant Tower was full of books?”
Ralan looked up. “Yes, a whole wall from floor to ceiling was covered with them.” As Ralan answered a dawning comprehension filled his face.
“It’s them!” Raef replied with absolute certainty. “Those are the books that tell the Guild’s history and who knows what else! Can you imagine their importance if Pietro felt it necessary to keep them close?” Raef stood up. “I must retrieve them. They are the key to everything!”
Holding up his hands, Ralan spoke up. “Wait. Do I have to remind you that half of the Lower Quarter is either burning or overrun by armed guards rounding people up? First of all, how are you going to get there safely? Second of all, how are you going to get to Pietro’s room? May I also remind you that it’s in my brother’s tower? And finally, how are you going to transport dozens of heavy books back to the Thieves Tower without raising suspicion?”
“I’ll find a way. This is too important for me not to.”
The next day Raef was dressed in the deep blue of a Merchant Guild member. A Thief guard was with him, similarly dressed in blue. They were taking a small wagon led by a single horse from Thieves Tower to the Great Bridge. On the wagon was a large chest filled with guilders. It was a significant display of wealth, and Ralan was shocked at the response when he asked if they had money for the mission. Apparently, Pietro had gathered an enormous amount of money over the years.
The chest itself was under a tarp, and the plan was simple. As Ralan said, “Simple plans are the best plans. Remember how we freed you and Alard from the Knight dungeon.” Raef was to cross the Great Bridge with a skilled guard and a story that they had been on a mission to collect the money that had been snuck into the Wretched Quarter by Harvest Guild refugees. They were to take the money to the Merchant Tower, with the tarp hiding the chest, and the guard acting as a deterrent against random curiosity. Of course, for official guards who would lift the top of the chest, the guilders would prove to be all too real.
As the two of them approached the bridge, Raef turned to Tillson, the guard. “Do you think we will be accosted?” The nervousness in his voice was clear.
Tillson shook his head. “I’m less concerned with guild members attacking us than running out of money after the various guards take their handfuls.”
“The guards do that? They would steal from merchants or demand a bribe?”
Laughing, Tillson replied, “They don’t call it stealing. Only thieves steal, don’t you know?”