01- Jack of Thieves

by Ben Hale

  He listened to the dying fire until he was certain Ursana had fallen asleep. Then he rolled over and looked down at Forlana. To his surprise she was reading a book by lightstone. She flashed him a grin as if he'd caught her stealing from a lord's strongbox.

  “How long have you been a thief?” he asked quietly.

  “Almost thirty years,” she replied.

  “I have a friend who mentioned a thief named Nemeth. Do you know of him?”

  Her features tightened for an instant and then smoothed out. “He's not in the guild anymore.”

  “Why do you hate him?” he asked shrewdly.

  “Leave it alone, Jack.”

  The warning in her voice caused him to grin, and he switched to a different name. “And Beauty?”

  She began to laugh. “Better men than you have sought her—and been left bloodied.”

  “So I've been warned,” Jack said wryly.

  He wanted to ask about Kuraltus but was reluctant to do so. Instead he asked a question he'd wondered since meeting the Guildmaster.

  “Was the past Guildmaster like our current one?”

  “Not at all,” she said. “In fact he was the opposite. He had the same discipline, but lacked the brutality of our current head.”

  “What happened to him?”

  She blinked, her expression tightening as if she was confused by the question. “He left,” she said, her voice distant.

  “He just walked away?”

  She nodded. “I never saw him again.”

  “Ever?”

  She seemed to shake herself and the sheen of confusion faded. “Get some sleep, Jack. Tomorrow's going to be a long day.”

  She extinguished her lightstone and rolled over, leaving Jack to his puzzlement. He reclined on his bed and put his arm behind his head, staring at the beams on the ceiling. Forlana's reaction was not what he expected, but he didn't get the sense she was attempting to hide the truth. Instead he began to wonder who in the guild knew what had happened.

  Or if anyone did.

  Chapter 10: Secrets of the Evermist

  The next morning Jack woke to find Ursana and Forlana both up. He yawned and climbed from the bed to accept a steaming cup of char from the trainer. The sweet texture of the Amazonian drink helped him waken, and he breathed a sigh of relief. Gordon groaned and sat up.

  “Is that char I smell?”

  Ursana's lips twitched. “It is.”

  He smiled and eased himself from the bed. Then he slid into a seat and took the cup she offered him.

  “Good morning, beautiful,” he crowed at the drink, and took a sip.

  Jack grinned at his sublime expression. “Feel better?”

  “Much,” Gordon said with a smile.

  Forlana joined them at the small table. “Today we're in the swamp, and unless I say otherwise, stay by my side. The Evermist holds more dangers than any region of Lumineia. Whole armies have been swallowed by the bog without a trace of their passage.”

  “So how do we travel safely?” Ursana asked.

  “You learn its secrets,” Forlana said. “The bog may be deadly, but like any beast it can be tamed.”

  At her order they gathered their gear and followed her outside. Then she took them down a nearly invisible path into the swamp. Once they had left the cabin she began to speak.

  “Many beasts lurk in the mist. Among them you will find snakes, rayth cats, and even the occasional reaver. Understanding how to avoid these creatures requires knowledge and discipline.”

  Her eyes flicked to Jack, causing him to sweep his hands outward. “I'm not a fool,” he said in exasperation.

  She grinned and gestured to a tree nearby. “The trees tell you a great deal. Snakes in the mist leave a sheen on the bark, marking their passage. Rayth cats use the wood to sharpen their claws, and reavers always mark their territory. Identify the marks and you identify the predator.”

  She came to a stop by a tree with deep grooves in the wood and ran a finger down one. “This is from a rayth cat. They are bigger than lions but their coloring is dark, allowing them to blend into the canopy above.”

  “Above?” Ursana asked.

  “The cats prefer to stalk the trees and surprise their prey. Then they drag their kills into the swamp to feed.”

  Ursana shuddered at that. “Surely we can't always spot their signs before they spot us.”

  “True,” Forlana said, “But learning to watch out for them is only part of what will keep you safe from the beasts. Another part is your cloak.”

  “The shaden?” Gordon asked. He lifted the edge of his cloak to examine the material.

  “Its carries the musk of dragon, making you smell like one to the beasts. The scent will give even a reaver pause in hunting you. Between knowledge, caution, and your cloak, you can avoid the creatures that stalk the Evermist.”

  “But they are not the only dangers,” Jack said shrewdly.

  “They are not,” Forlana admitted. “And the rest have no repellent.”

  For the rest of the morning she taught them how to notice quicksand, identify safe patches of soil, and avoid the frequent pools of treacherous water. Of greater importance, she taught them how to read the moss and insects to know direction. As the day wore on Jack found himself enjoying the lessons more than he would ever admit.

  When Jack had entered the Evermist as a hopeful, the mist had seeped into his clothing, clinging to his flesh like the slime from a snail. The thief cloak may have been designed to ward off predators, but it was equally as effective at repelling the mist. Dry and moderately comfortable within his shaden, Jack began to see the swamp for what it could be—a refuge.

  Armies and hunters of men eschewed the swamp out of fear. The lurking predators, lack of direction, and other dangers inherent in the swamp formed a barrier that far surpassed a castle's walls. The bog itself was a fortress.

  As night fell they camped in the open, and Jack found himself almost enjoying the oppressive swamp. Instead of mysterious and deadly it seemed warm and welcoming, and he fell asleep with a smile on his face. Shortly after, he woke to find Gordon staring down at him. Jacked blinked his bleary eyes and focused on him.

  “My turn to sleep, Jack,” Gordon murmured.

  Jack rose and plodded to the side of the clearing. By the time he took a seat he heard Gordon's soft snore emanating from his spot by the fire. Suppressing the surge of jealousy, Jack rubbed the lingering sleep from his eyes and settled in to listen.

  The dark swamp was anything but silent. Insects buzzed around him and frogs croaked in the nearby patch of water. A splash marked an alligator shifting in its hunt. Wood creaked and groaned like the very swamp was twitching in its slumber. Then a distant cough drew his gaze. Throaty and subtle, it was the sound of a great cat marking its presence.

  Curious, Jack rose to his feet and leapt into a tree. Then he circled the camp twice, searching for any sign of threats. Once he was satisfied the others would be safe for a time, he slipped through the trees in the direction of the cat.

  Normally he would have preferred to approach a predator from downwind, but the stagnant green mist made that unnecessary. The bright moon filtered enough illumination for Jack's enhanced vision to pierce the gloom. Gliding through the high canopy, he caught glimpses of the stars as he approached the great cat's presence.

  He slowed and focused on his hearing. After several moments he heard a creak of wood bending beneath a great weight. Turning toward it, he crept through the gnarled branches of a towering cypress, scanning the lower branches. Then he came to an abrupt halt.

  He'd nearly passed the cat by, so still was its perch. The pattern of dark brown, green, and stripes of black made it blend into the canopy. At eight feet in length, the cat likely weighed six hundred pounds, yet it advanced along the branch with perfect balance. Its shoulders rose and fell as it crept along the branch, its head low as it watched the intended meal. Then Jack noticed the prey.

  He'd expected a swamp deer or perhaps
a boar. Instead he spotted an alligator resting on the bank of a pond. It was even larger than the rayth cat, its thick scales forming armor across its back and tail. Unperturbed, the cat advanced to a spot directly above the creature.

  Jack held his breath and noticed the swamp seemed to the do the same. The insects grew quiet, stilling as if fearful of the impending battle. The alligator shifted, sensing the danger just as the great cat dropped from the tree and landed on its back.

  The rayth’s shriek lifted the hair on Jack's arms, shattering the stillness in the swamp. Its claws dug into the alligator's back, ripping through the thick hide like it was made of cotton. The alligator snapped and whipped its body, hissing as it sought to dislodge the cat from its back. It rolled, forcing the cat to leap away.

  Before the alligator could recover, it darted back, swiping its claws across the alligator's leg. The beast slumped, its tendon severed. The alligator whipped its head, snapping for the cat's leg, but the rayth darted away.

  The cat circled the injured alligator, searching for an opening. The wounded beast’s hiss was punctuated by a snarl from the rayth, and then the cat pounced. Savage and brutal, the two predators clawed and bit, tearing great furrows in the mud at every turn.

  Jack watched the feral conflict, awed by the power of the rayth cat. He'd witnessed beasts battle before, but never with such unbridled ferocity. As the alligator weakened the cat dug deeper, striking at the alligator from all sides until it finally went still. Then the great cat grasped a leg in its jaws and dragged the beast into the brush. Its shriek of victory reverberated into the swamp, the menacing sound a warning to all that the cat had been triumphant. It also signaled the temporary safety of other beasts, and the swamp returned to normal.

  Jack released his held breath and withdrew, unwilling to reveal his presence to the beast. Retreating back the way he'd come he approached the campfire using the same techniques he'd learned from Forlana earlier that day. With a smile on his face he dropped from a tree into the clearing—and found Gordon and Forlana crouched over Ursana.

  Still and pale, the girl struggled to breathe as Forlana poured a pink liquid down her throat. Jack then noticed a striped snake dead nearby. Abruptly Ursana began to twitch, her whole body shaking. Terrifying and violent, the seizure ravaged her body until she turned on her side and vomited, expelling the poison.

  Guilt assailed him as he realized it was his fault. If he'd been on watch he would have heard the snake slithering into camp. Then Forlana whispered a few words to her and she responded weakly. Forlana sat back with a relieved look and then rose to her feet, her expression morphing to fury.

  “Where were you, Jack?”

  Bound in place by her seething rage, Jack spoke the truth. “I heard a rayth cat and got curious. I wanted to see it for myself.”

  “You risked our lives to satisfy your curiosity?”

  Her voice went up an octave and Jack wondered if she would draw a blade and strike at him.

  “I checked the perimeter and it appeared safe,” he countered, but it sounded weak even in his ears.

  “Anyone can be a thief,” she growled, “but in the guild we work as a team. It's what sets us apart, makes us the legend we are.”

  “You expect me to work on a team with you?” he said, his guilt turning to anger. “I hardly know you, and have no cause to trust any of you.”

  “Then you will never be a guild thief,” she said, her voice so caustic that Jack flinched.

  He looked to Gordon but the anger on his features highlighted Forlana's words. Then he looked to Ursana. The girl stared at him with those bright eyes, and the look of betrayal pierced his soul. Releasing an explosive breath, Jack turned away.

  “I'll see you in the morning,” he growled, and leapt into the trees.

  He raced a short distance and found a crook in a tree to sleep. Wedging himself into it, he glared at the single star visible above him. He fought to hold his anger but could not, and as it melted away guilt rose in its place. He'd come to the Thieves Guild for retribution and he'd nearly gotten someone killed.

  As the night slipped by, Jack realized that he could not continue within the guild as he had on the streets. If he did he would never find his targets. He ground his teeth together at that thought. Since his mother's death, he'd spent years working alone. As if admonishing him, her words came to mind.

  “Friends can protect and teach you,” she'd said when he skipped school for the fifth time in a month.

  “I don't need them,” Jack had replied.

  “Someday you will find that you do,” she'd said, and tousled his hair.

  Jack released a grunt of annoyance as the memory faded. “Welcome to someday, mother.”

  Chapter 11: Stealing a War

  Jack returned at dawn to find they had already broken camp. As they stepped onto the trail Jack dropped into their wake, but they ignored him. The uneasy silence persisted throughout the morning until he could endure it no longer.

  “I shouldn't have left watch,” he growled. “I'm sorry.”

  Forlana glanced back, her lips tight with disapproval. “Was that so hard?”

  “More than you know,” he said fervently.

  Gordon laughed. Forlana came to a stop and rotated to face him. “As a rule, thieves come from a variety of backgrounds, and usually prefer to work alone. We are not an army here, but we require the same level of discipline. Forsake it . . . and the guild forsakes you.”

  Jack accepted the warning by inclining his head, and the motion seemed to dispel the tension. Forlana returned to her instruction on the swamp and by afternoon Jack no longer felt like an exile. He ate his evening meal and even volunteered for first watch.

  After camping in a rare clearing, they worked their way farther east until the mist gradually faded into an oppressive heat. The cypress and oak turned into towering jungle trees with enormous vines reaching to the ground. Monkeys chattered in the treetops, and when they passed a stream the water was clear and filled with brightly colored fish.

  “The Amazonian jungles,” Forlana said, and swept her hands at the area, “is home to dozens of tribes, each with their own rich culture and heritage. Although they occasionally fight each other, they are perpetually at war with the barbarian tribes that live in the mountains to the east.”

  “Why?” Gordon asked.

  “The Amazons live a matriarchal society, with women holding leadership and rank. Their culture holds that women possess greater intellect, cunning, and capacity for leadership than men. The barbarians believe the opposite, and force the women within their tribes into a subservient role. Although many of their women fight in battle, they are viewed as lesser to the men in every regard. The contrasting nature of the two cultures leads to a number of defectors, with women joining the Amazons and men drifting to the mountains. It's a constant source of conflict for both of them.”

  “Sounds like an old married couple,” Jack said wryly.

  Forlana laughed. “There's truth to that, with some historians claiming that both groups once lived and thrived as one.”

  “And our assignment?” Ursana asked.

  “The tribe of Aranya is on the verge of war with Jaguela over a missing child. In truth the child was taken from Aranya by a third tribe, Suya, because they were angry that Aranya didn't join them in a battle with the barbarians this last spring.”

  Jack rubbed his skull. “Politics gives me a headache.”

  “Me as well,” Gordon said.

  “Nevertheless,” Forlana said, “our assignment comes from Jaguela, which wants to forestall the conflict by seeing the child returned to Aranya. Suya lies close to the Evermist, but is one of the most hostile tribes to us, and to men in general. To get in, Gordon and Jack will dress in the customary clothing of Amazon males.”

  Jack frowned at the sudden amusement in her tone. “Which is?”

  She came to a stop and withdrew a pair of shortened pants that ended at the knees. Gordon took his and frowned at the
ir small size.

  “Where's the shirt?”

  “There isn't one,” Forlana said, and a grin spread on her features. “Now get to stripping.”

  Gordon growled in protest and held up the tiny pants. “You expect me to wear this around a group of women? I'll stand out like a thief in church.”

  “Not as much as you think,” Forlana said. “Many of their men don't fight, so they are not as . . . trim as the women. You should fit right in.”

  Gordon flushed and his eyes dropped to the slight bulge at his gut. Then he looked to Jack for support, but Jack had already removed his cloak and shirt. The look of betrayal on Gordon’s face caused Jack to laugh.

  “What?” Jack asked, and motioned to his muscular upper body. “I've got nothing to hide.”

  “It's true,” Forlana said, her eyes glittering with amusement.

  Gordon released an anguished growl and reluctantly removed his cloak and tunic. At the sight of his abundant chest hair Ursana and Forlana burst into laughter.

  “You look like a cave bear,” Ursana said.

  “Does that keep you warm in the winter?” Forlana asked.

  “Your amusement is not appreciated,” Gordon said acidly.“And I think we deserve some privacy.”

  “As you will,” Forlana said, and the two women retreated out of sight.

  “Don't be so prickly, Bear,” Jack said. “They are just trying to get a rise out of you.”

  Gordon cast him a scathing look and slapped the bulge at his waist. “When you reach your fortieth year and get this, then you can judge me.”

  “I don't think I'll ever get that,” Jack retorted.

  Gordon's snort of derision filled the glade and ended their conversation. Jack finished changing into the knee length pants and wrinkled his nose in distaste. They were tight across his thighs and he found he missed the comfort of his shaden. Once the women returned Forlana handed Gordon a vial of paste.

  “Their men are also more tanned.”

  “What about him?” Gordon said, and stabbed a finger at Jack.