While Ralan sat and watched Karch's camp, the Ranger—whose name was Bartholomew—had left to patrol the surrounding area. Ralan knew better than to try and sneak down to camp and release the horses. He had no doubt that Bartholomew kept one eye on Ralan the entire time.

As the sun rose and the shadow from the mountains slowly crawled toward him, Ralan watched Karch and his escort break camp. There were four guards with Karch. They were heavily armored, but didn't seem overly concerned with being attacked. The arrogance of their power within Ness will be their undoing outside of it, Ralan thought.

The group mounted and started down the road. Ralan walked back to his horse, hoping to stay far enough behind that he would be able to possibly overtake them before they reached Gaotteland. Chuckling to himself, Ralan wasn't even sure what he would do if he caught up to Karch. Threaten him while he had an escort of four armed guards? Try to talk him out of a mission from Ralan's older brother? All the options seemed absurd. Still, Ralan had to try. It would be a disaster if Polo were assassinated and Larsen were able to rally the city behind him against the Outlanders.

As he reached his horse, Bartholomew seemed to appear out of nowhere. He walked over and put his hand on the neck of Ralan's horse, patting it. "An hour should give them enough of a lead that you'll have a hard time catching up." Bartholomew smiled.

"So you're not going to let me follow close behind?"

"You seem a little too eager." Bartholomew nodded at some scrub grass. "Sit. Tell me your plan, and I'll let you know if you will end up dead or not."

Shaking his head, Ralan sat down. He had no choice. While he sat, Bartholomew continued to stand next to the horse.

"I guess my plan is to follow them into Gaotteland and try to convince the king or emperor or guildmaster to not help Karch after he leaves."

"As I said, none of them will step foot in Gaotteland. Your mission to stop them will be as simple as observing their death and then reporting back to your guildmaster."

"The Outlanders are that bloodthirsty?"

"No. They are at war with us." Bartholomew frowned. "It is as it always has been. You and the rest of the city dwellers live behind the Wall as we protect you from them. You think they are too far away to attack or that they have no interest in anything but raiding for goods. But make no mistake—they want our fields and our mines."

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Ralan nodded, although this was all new to him. Bartholomew was right—those that lived in Ness considered the Outlanders as a vague threat, not a city at war with Ness. "You said they would not attack me because I'm wearing black. Why do you say that?"

Bartholomew stared at Ralan. "I was hoping you would tell me that. I assumed you were purposefully feigning ignorance. I can tell you that the only two from the City that have entered Gaotteland and come out alive both wore black—Pietro and his traitor deputy Alard."

The last comment stunned Ralan, who, without even considering how his words would be taken, replied, "Why would you call Alard a traitor?"

"He freed a group of Outlanders who had been captured north of the city. It is well-known. He fought his own guild-mates as the Outlanders fled to the west. He was kicked out of the Knight Guild and would have been taken to Executioner's Hollow had Pietro not intervened."

Ralan didn't know what to say. No wonder the Rangers and Saxe hated him. He was a traitor to Ness. Yet Ralan knew that the story had to be missing key information. Why would Pietro save him? And from what Ralan knew of Alard, he seemed one of the most honest people he had ever met. He was hard, but he had a good heart.

"You are quiet." Bartholomew peered at Ralan.

"I'm sorry." Ralan ran his hand through his hair. "I know Alard, and this surprises me. I don't think he is a traitor."

Bartholomew nodded. "Pietro changed him. Everyone knows that. But the dragon cannot change its scales." Ralan didn't know what the phrase meant, but he nodded anyway. "I wouldn't trust him if I were you." Bartholomew sat, and the two of them watched the sun rise over the mighty mountain in the distance.

When the sun cleared the mountains and shone brightly on them, Bartholomew finally spoke. The way he blurted out the words made Ralan think the he'd been wanting to say them for some time: "So are you the new Guildmaster Thief?"

Stunned at Bartholomew's accurate assessment, Ralan replied, "Why would you say that?"

"You don't consider Alard a traitor. So you are not a Knight. If you aren't a Knight, you aren't one of the Knights that guard the South Wall and wear black." So he doesn't have Jesser's knowledge of the truth, Ralan thought. "And if you aren't one of those guards, you are a Thief. Since the Thieves Guild doesn't exist, you are either the new guildmaster or Alard's replacement. As everyone knows that old Pietro has died, I assume you are his replacement."

"Yes. I am the new Guildmaster Thief."

Bartholomew nodded. "Were you going to rob the money-counters?"

Laughing, Ralan replied, "No. I have no need of anything they have." His tone turning serious, he added, "I did not lie. He is on a mission to betray Ness."

Bartholomew moved away from Ralan's horse. "You should go. The road is fast, but they are hours ahead, and they will make it to Gaotteland before you can reach them."

Ralan scrambled to his feet and went to his horse. "Thank you for not killing me." Ralan smiled as he climbed onto his saddle.

"Just follow in Pietro's footsteps, and you will have the gratitude of the Ranger Guild."

"I will do my best," Ralan replied as he spurred his horse forward. He was curious what lay ahead. Would the Outlanders treat him as a friend? What would he learn about Pietro? Was his life in danger? Ralan didn't know, but he would find out soon.

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