by Jake Kerr
But as the two talked, Maela's thoughts drifted back to light kisses, tight embraces, and the desperate trust she and Darla shared. What did it mean? And how would it affect the very dangerous path that was ahead of them?
Maela wasn't sure, but as Darla reached out and held her hand as they talked, she realized Darla's presence made everything seem better. She didn't know what would happen, but it was a start.
11
A Walk Through the City
The traffic on the Great Bridge was much greater than Vesper had expected, with groups of Harvest Guild members stumbling toward the Wretched Quarter with the glazed eyes of the desperate. Knight Guild guards didn't appear until he was over half way across. The Thieves had done such a great job creating the illusion that the other side of the river was a lawless, dangerous wasteland that the Knights themselves didn't even bother with it.
The downside to that illusion was that anyone approaching Ness from the Wretched Quarter was treated as potential trouble. Such was what was happening to Vesper, as he was stopped by no less than three guards and harassed about his reason for crossing the bridge. With the masses of people moving in the other direction, Vesper guessed that it was easy to pick him out as a target.
It didn't help that he had nothing more than a dirty yellow tunic and breaches with holes. Vesper never did see Alard or Ralan again after his meeting, and his parting gift from the guild consisted of nothing more than the ratty clothing he was now wearing.
"You there. What's your business?"
Again, Vesper sighed. "I repair the sewer pipes," he replied to the large man in white and wearing chainmail that approached him. It was a story he adapted from his prison interrogation with Alard and Ralan. "I am currently working on the cess pool under the West Bath House in the Flats." Vesper picked the location at random, but it seemed like a good choice.
"Ah. I wondered if the fires would cause more problems than just destroying peoples homes. Carry on."
The guard turned away, but Vesper raised his voice. "Fires?"
Turning back, the guard nodded his head. "Aye. You'll find out soon enough. There are fires in the Flats. I don't know the details, but a lot of people are losing their homes." He waved his arms. "All these Harvest guildmembers are seeking shelter in the Wretched Quarter. It's sad."
"Thank you, sir." Fires in the Flats? The knight moved on, and Vesper continued across the bridge, only keeping a closer eye on the people moving in the opposite direction. It suddenly struck him that the glazed eyes weren't from being poor--they were from being displaced and dumped in the Wretched Quarter.
How will the Thieves deal with this? he wondered. They would take care of the people, certainly, but it would almost certainly reveal their presence to Ness-at-large. As he approached the end of the bridge, the scale of the Harvest Guild members flowing onto and across the bridge suddenly hit him. The fires must have been catastrophic. These are hundreds of people.
It wasn't until he reached the end of the bridge and the long narrow park that ran along the Great River that Vesper discovered that something else was happening. The flickering of fires were visible far to the northwest and in the Flats, and the smell of smoke was ever-present. People were everywhere, all marked by the green of the Harvest Guild. It was shocking but unsurprising based on what the guard had told him.
Yet as Vesper walked to the up along the Great River and retreated to the edge of the park near the river, he saw something else: Knight Protector wagons pulling up and letting out people who appeared to be prisoners, but were actually Harvest Guild members. They were grabbed and shoved toward the bridge, where all they could do was follow the stream of people across.
A few people fought back, but they were quickly subdued and either dragged to the bridge or dragged back to the wagons and presumably taken off to prison. Groups of people would emerge from streets, with armed Merchant Guild and Knight Guild guards pushing them onward with drawn weapons.
Despite the smell of smoke and fires visible in the distance, Vesper knew immediately that this was much bigger than just the flow of refugees. This isn't bringing people to safety, this is clearing people from their homes. He didn't understand what was happening, but it was clear that it was well-organized.
Vesper had no doubt that Orion would know what was going on, and he had a lot to reveal to him, but getting to him would not be easy. The streets were absolute chaos. Not only that, he had no money to procure a wagon.
Glancing back to the river, Vesper could see nothing but Knight Protectors on sleek boats aimed at shutting down river traffic. There would be no river passage either. Sighing, he set forth on foot, heading east and up the North Fork, which was the road that ran along the river tributary of the same name. He would avoid the Flats and the bulk of the Lower Triangle, but it would be a long walk.
Expecting to be stopped based on his dirty appearance, Vesper was shocked to see the entire road empty of Knight Protectors or guards of any guild. In the distance he could hear the clanging of alarm klaxons, the clash of steel, and the occasional scream, and as day turned to night, he could see the glow of a burning city hover over what in ancient times they called the Lower Quarter--that part of Ness that gently sloped down to the plains and the Great Wall. It was matched by the Old Quarter and Ash Quarter across the river and the Upper Quarter on the other side of the North Fork.
The Lower Quarter was comprised mostly of the Flats and the Lower Triangle, and it burned a dull orange in the twilight.
Vesper continued past the tall Merchant Guild Tower, but after experiencing the Thieves Tower it seemed impotent and second rate. The thought of the Thieves Tower made Vesper stop and turn to look in the distance. He should have been able to see it from anywhere in the city, but it was lost into the background of the mountain, hidden from everyone in plain sight. Not being able to see the tower felt like a blow, and Vesper tried to understand why it was so.
Why did the Tower have such a pull on him? Before he could think much deeper, however, a gauntleted hand grabbed his arm and whirled him around. "What are you doing here? There's a curfew." It was a Merchant Guild guard, wearing a sneer on his face.
"I- I'm to clean Guildmaster Orion's private toilet," Vesper stammered, trying to sounds as inoffensive as he could.
The guard looked him up and down. "You are clearly late for your duties. There is a curfew, and I should take you to a cell." The guard paused but then smirked. "But cleaning up after Orion's shit is probably worse than anything I can do to you." He kicked Vesper in the back of his legs. "Now get going before you get into real trouble."
"Thank you, sir!" Vesper replied as he picked up his pace and walked down Merchant Avenue.
As he closed the distance to his own guild tower and Orion, Vesper thought over the past few days. The Thieves were well-organized and defended. They had a force of their own knights and guards, and they clearly had spies and members in every guild. Their mission was to do good for those overlooked by the guild politics and economics of Ness. On the other side was Larsen and Orion, who were presumably starting a civil war with the largest guild in the city, the one that controlled the food supply. They were burning down their own city to make that happen. It seemed absurd.
"Vesper, sir!" The guard at the gate to the Craft Tower bowed his head. "You look like you could use some... help. May I get you anything?"
Vesper saluted the man with a wave of his hand, projecting a strength he no longer had. His mission to the Wretched Quarter and the march back had been difficult. "No. I've come a long way, however. Please notify the kitchen to have some food and wine sent to my quarters. I will need to see Guildmaster Orion immediately, but must eat first."
"Of course."
As Vesper made his way to his quarters, he considered his loyalties. Ralan thought he was working for the Thieves Guild. Orion thought he was working for the Craft Guild. I'm working only for myself, Vesper thought. But with the state of the city, he didn't know exactly what that meant.
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br /> 12
A Slap
The Lower Quarter was a mess, but Karch wasn't concerned about that. He had to hand it to Pattis and Larsen--they had burned the will out of the Harvest Guild in the Flats and the Lower Triangle the night before. Clearing out the Harvest Guild members was turning out to be surprisingly easy, as Pattis had noted.
It was everywhere else that was a problem. Karch had done everything he could, but he was still nervous. He had just returned from Traders Bridge. It was heavily defended by the Guild's best troops, but he was dismayed that no one had taken his command to prepare to destroy the bridge seriously. It was stone, and destroying it would be difficult, so he had hoped that they would have procured some Craft Guild masons to dismantle some key stones, but nothing was done.
The North Fork was well defended with Knight Guild ships, so that was good, but Saxe had practically laughed at Karch when he recommended reinforcing the defenses of the Knight Watch. The Knight Watch was a fortified tower at the end of the Great Wall to the east, overlooking the Outer and Inner Fields and Harvest House. Karch's fear was the the Harvest Guild troops would overpower the White Guard and rush along the top of the Great Wall and then descend into the Lower Quarter from the north, with deadly archers stationed on the Wall.
"It is insulting, Karch. Insulting!" Saxe had declared from his stone throne. He and Polo were the only guildmasters who sat on thrones and not behind desks, and Karch found it crass.
"I am merely making a recommendation, Guildmaster. The Harvest Guild has the advantage of numbers. Their assault could continue until the Knight Watch runs out of arrows."
"That is madness, Karch. Why would the guild be willing to lose so many to take the Wall?" Saxe waved a jewel encrusted goblet, spilling some wine. Because they have lost so many in the Lower Quarter already, Karch thought. Saxe was on the verge of drunkenness, a weakness of his that Karch found intolerable, as it made Saxe even more unpredictable.
"Be that as it may, sir. If they choose to assault the Watch, would it not be wise to be prepared?"
"Are you telling me I'm not prepared?!" Saxe yelled out, tossing his goblet to the ground, which landed with a thud as it hit a thick carpet, adding yet another wine stain.
As Saxe's face turned red, Karch held up his hands. "Not at all, Guildmaster. I am merely outlining that Polo may be desperate and irrational."
"Polo is cowering like a rabbit in Harvest House, Karch." Saxe shook his head, his demeanor changing to one lecturing a child. "I understand your fear, but it is unfounded. My knights are capable of withstanding an assault from a bunch of farmers."
And with that, the meeting was over and Karch's concerns over the Knight Watch increased. The arrogance of Saxe and Larsen will be their undoing, Karch thought as he returned to Merchant Tower. Traders Bridge and the Knight Watch were well-defended, but they were not defended well enough to withstand a desperate enemy, and Karch was positive that Polo was both desperate and angry.
As he walked through the giant gates of the tower, Keres, the annoying nephew of Orion, rushed over. He was a runt of a boy, with an ever-present sneer of privilege and arrogance. Karch could not believe that Larsen named the boy Apprentice Guildmaster, even if the title meant nothing and it helped with Orion.
"Karch! I've been looking for you all day." The boy stopped in front of Karch, his fists resting on his hips like he was going to throw a temper tantrum.
"I was busy," Karch said cooly. He hated the boy more than Ralan, if that were possible.
"Well, you're not busy now, and I need you to pick up my new garments from the warehouse."
Karch stared at Keres. "I'm not your servant. Pick them up yourself or find someone else to do it." He took a step to the side to continue past Keres when the boy moved in front of him.
"How would you like to end up in the dungeon, Karch?" Keres nodded his head in the direction of the guild dungeon. "You may have forgotten, I'm the Apprentice Guildmaster. You report to me. So are you going to get my garments or am I going to call the guard to haul you away for impertinence?"
"I report to Guildmaster Larsen, Keres. I recommend you talk less and listen more if you know what is good for you." Karch used every bit of his self-control not to berate the boy like the child he was. He once again stepped to the right and started toward the steps up the tower.
Keres grabbed Karch's arm to stop him. Spinning around, Karch grabbed Keres' arm with his left hand, twisting it. With his right hand he slapped Keres hard across the face, staggering him and leaving a red mark. "You do not touch me, boy." Karch let go of Keres' arm and shoved him away. "Listen. I will only say this once: You are here as a favor to your uncle. That favor will only go so far. So play your games of power with others, but I don't have time for them."
As Karch walked away, Keres shouted toward him, "You'll be sorry for that, Karch! No one touches me. No one!" Karch resisted the urge to go back and slap the boy again.
A messenger had just left, delivering to Karch an update from the Lower Triangle. The Green Belt was ash, and the Harvest Guild members were as demoralized there as they were in the Flats. The clearing of the Harvest Guild continued to go well. An earlier messenger had provided even better news, but it was the nature of that good news that worried Karch.
That message noted that there was no movement from the Harvest Guild near Traders Bridge or the Knight Watch. In fact, as far as anyone could tell, the Harvest Guild was doing nothing as their guild members were being swept into the Wretched Quarter. Karch knew that Polo was planning something, and the fact that Karch still had no idea what that was worried him.
A third messenger arrived. "Larsen demands your presence," was the entirety of the message.
I wonder if Larsen has received word on movement of the Harvest Guild outside the Wall. It was the only option that Karch would not have any view into. If it was happening, then Polo would have chosen the riskiest option with the highest likelihood of failure. As he made his way to Larsen's office, Karch considered if Polo was that foolish.
He entered to a view he was long accustomed to: Larsen at his desk looking angry.
As Karch approached slowly, he could tell that Larsen's temper had spilled over into irrational, as Larsen stood up the moment he saw Karch enter. He stood there with his hands on his desk, confrontational and ready to lash out. I wonder if the Harvest Guild has made their move.
From behind his desk, Larsen growled, "Are you trying to ruin all my plans, or are you just that incompetent, Karch?"
He is going to blame me for the Harvest Guild marching outside the Wall, Karch thought as he stopped in front of Larsen. "Sir, I have been your faithful assistant for years. I have made my mistakes, but I believe I have been a valuable asset--"
"Your plan with Ralan--a disaster. Your mission to the Outlanders--a failure that cost me some of my best men. And now--this!" Larsen waved his hand in some vague direction. Karch still didn't know what specific item Larsen was talking about, and he was smart enough not to remind Larsen that the Outlander mission was Larsen's idea. So he stood quietly. Not seeing a response, Larsen took a breath and in a calm voice added, "Karch, who is my most important ally?"
Karch hated when Larsen asked questions, as the correct answer depended on Larsen's mood. The question he had just asked could have been answered as Saxe, for his help in managing the clearing of the Harvest Guild, or it could have been Orion, for just staying out of the way when he could have caused great difficulty. Or it could have been some random person who caught Larsen's eye by helping in some specific way, such as Pattis.
"Saxe, sir. Clearing the Harvest Guild would have been impossible without his cooperation," Karch finally replied, knowing he had to pick someone.
"Saxe," Larsen practically spat. "He isn't an ally. He is an utterly predictable puppet. All he cares about is his own comfort." Larsen shook his head. "No wonder you made such an idiotic mistake, threatening our most important ally.
The pieces fell into place, and Karch su
ddenly realized why Larsen was angry. "Orion."
"Yes. Orion!" Larsen roared, his temper boiling over. "The same guildmaster you offended by slapping his nephew." Larsen's voice rose even higher. "His vote and his support is critical. He doesn't care about anything but the security and success of Ness and his simple-minded sense-of-duty. And Karch, do you know a key element of that duty? His family!" Larsen screamed the last word while slamming his fist onto his desk.
"I understand, sir."
"Do you, Karch? Do you? If you understood that Orion sees me as the future of Ness' security and that his nephew was his way of connecting his own family to my success then why would you strike him?" Larsen sat down while he shook his head. "Idiocy."
Karch couldn't quite believe what he was hearing. To keep Orion happy, Larsen was going to let Orion's nephew run roughshod over the guild? Based on the arrogance of the brat, Karch could see Larsen losing the support of his own guild in his effort in trying to appease Orion.
"I understand the boy's importance, but is it wise to let him terrorize the guild members?" Karch knew better than to contradict Larsen when he was in one of his rages, but Karch's own patience was running thin--from Larsen's disaster of a plan to the reaction to Karch's own concerns from Saxe, Pattis, and others and now to Keres' impertinence.
"Is that what you call it when someone requests you run an errand for them, being terrorized?" The sarcasm dripped from Larsen's voice. "Why, you must think I terrorize you all the time." Karch knew better than to respond. "I don't know what has happened to you Karch. You were my most loyal and accomplished deputy. But you continue to make mistake after mistake. If I weren't so patient and understanding I would probably have thrown you in the dungeon already for planning against me."
