By the time they reached the Knight Tower, Raef could at least get his arm above his head without wincing. All told, he felt in pretty good shape. Despite being knocked unconscious, kicked in the leg, and being dragged down stairs, he didn't have any cuts and nothing felt broken.

The two knights didn't speak to Raef again, which was fine by him. They answered questions with monosyllabic answers and told everyone who questioned them that it was "Guildmaster Saxe's orders." No one objected after they said those words.

Raef had never been in the Knight Tower, and it was not what he expected. As the stronghold that guarded the massive front gates of the city and acted as the base of the wall that protected it, he had expected rough-hewn rock and solidly-built stone, perhaps chipped from the glancing blows of swords and spears. But what he saw was not unlike a spare version of the Merchant Tower. The floor and walls were marble, and the tower itself was spacious. It wasn't nearly as tall as the Merchant Tower, but it was broader.

As they led him down stairs that were similar to those in the Merchant Tower, Raef found the lack of decoration disconcerting. There were no rugs or tapestries. It was cold, bare marble, and that was somehow worse than if it was rough stone with arrow slits and wooden doors with unknown dangers lurking behind them.

The two stopped at an iron door with a large knight standing in front of it. "The Guildmaster wants this one tucked away in the catacombs," Sam said, nodding his head toward Raef.

The tall knight nodded and replied, "First cell on the left." He then reached into his robe, pulled out a single key, turned, and unlocked the door. He pushed it open and then backed away.

Jace and Sam led Raef through the door. There was a short landing and then steps leading straight down ahead. This part of the tower was of rough-hewn stone, and the lighting was dim. There were fewer torches spaced further apart. When they reached the bottom of the steps, Raef faced a long hallway with a dirt floor and walls of stone that were placed for efficacy and not decoration. As far as he could see ahead there were cells on each side.

The first one on the left was open. Sam pushed him forward, and Raef stumbled in. The knight then shut the door and turned a key that must have been left in the lock. He tossed it in the air and then caught it. He smiled and waved, "Congratulations browncloak. You no longer exist." Jace laughed, and the two turned and walked back up the steps, their shuffling footsteps the only sound Raef could hear.

Raef was amazed at how loud even soft sounds were in the catacombs. The drip of water, the rub of his boot against the dirt as he adjusted his position, the sputter of torches—each sound became louder and louder as each minute passed. What he didn't hear was breathing, voices, or even the rustle of clothing.

A guard came down to change the torches, and his quiet shuffling sounded almost painfully loud. Eventually, Raef fell asleep on the stone floor, his hand acting as his pillow.

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A sharp clang woke him up. There was the sound of voices in the distance and then a large group of knights walked past his cell, dragging a tall man in chainmail. It was hard to get a good look in the dim light, but he appeared to be one of their own. After the silence, the harsh noise made Raef cover his ears.

A voice echoed down the hall. "No, not that one. The hole." There were some murmurs followed by a door opening, a thud, and the door closing. The knights strode past his cell without looking at him.

Raef wasn't sure how long he had slept, but he assumed he had rested for hours. While awake, he spent the time examining his cell, which was littered with rat droppings, rotting straw, and bones of small animals.

It wasn't long before he heard the click of a key and the clang and screech of the door opening. The footsteps of what sounded like an army descended the stairs, but it was only Guildmaster Saxe and his deputy, John. They stopped outside his cell and looked at him.

Raef sat on the floor, not moving. Saxe walked up to the cell and banged on the iron bars with his gloved fist. "Come here!" Raef remembered the threats made by Sam and stood up and walked over to face Saxe. He stood tall and stared into his eyes.

Expecting a beating, Raef decided to play his only card. "You have no authority over me. I am a member of the Thieves Guild and demand transfer to them. My guildmaster will assign my punishment."

Saxe's face froze in what appeared to be shock. He then shook his head and smiled. "My my my, a prisoner that provides me with answers before I even ask a question. What a pleasant surprise." His smile disappeared. "But before you provide me with more answers, let me squash this silly hope of yours." He waved his hand toward the long hallway. "My knights arrest thieves. I punish thieves." He leaned forward, the sour smell of wine accompanying his words. "I execute thieves."

Raef held his ground and said nothing. The Guildmaster Knight continued. "You will now tell me of Ralan's plans. Last night was not an accident." He crossed his arms and stared at him. Raef had no idea what Saxe was talking about, but he had no plans on replying even if he did. "Don't be foolish. I know you are a friend of Ralan's. You know his plans, and I want to hear them. Is he just following orders from Alard? Do they plan to bring chaos to the city?" He waved a fist. "Speak!"

The gauntleted fist reminded Raef of Ralan's head hitting the table as he took the punishment for Raef's crime. He thought of them playing sticks and rocks in the Harvest Fields when they were children. So much had changed, but Ralan was still, first and foremost, his friend. He held his tongue.

With a frown, Saxe moved aside and waved his Deputy forward. "Unlock the cell." Raef had expected the comment, and it filled him with dread. The beating was about to commence.

After unlocking the door, the Deputy stepped aside and Saxe wrenched the door open. He strode forward and leaned down, his face inches from Raef's. "Not quite so impudent now, are you?" His breath made Raef's eyes burn. Without warning, he grabbed Raef's arms in his hands and yelled in his face, "What are Ralan's plans? Is this Alard's doing?" He shook Raef, but Raef remained silent. "Tell me!"

He shoved Raef, who flew backward, falling to the ground. As Raef regained his balance and looked up, the Deputy was locking the door. Saxe was behind him, outside the cell. He turned to face Raef, his face red but calm. "I have other problems to deal with right now, but I will return. Until then the rats will perhaps loosen your tongue. And if not, well, there are other ways to teach obedience." He turned, his robe flowing out behind him, and walked up the steps.

The last thing Raef heard was the scraping of the key in the iron door at the top of the stairs, and then there was nothing but silence.

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