01- Jack of Thieves

by Ben Hale

  “Captain Dorner,” Jack said, identifying himself. “I was called in yesterday. Have my men arrived?”

  “Er . . . no sir,” one said automatically. “We didn't know that reinforcements—”

  Jack rounded on them, his voice tightening with anger. “A thief kissed Lord Horanian's daughter. What did you expect? Now get moving, and inform me the moment the rest of my command arrives.”

  “Yes sir,” they said in unison, and hurried away.

  Jack grinned at their backs and then strode down the main street. He kept his gait forceful, as if his errand was important enough he could not be disturbed. The soldiers rushed about him, avoiding his gaze out of habit. As he reached a shop he found a female soldier arguing with the man at the counter.

  “I told you,” she said. “I'm under orders to gather two weeks of supplies.”

  “Get them from your own stores,” the man shot back. “I can't give them to you without a writ of consent from an officer—and a promise of payment.”

  “I'll sign a writ,” Jack said, causing both to turn. “And for the inconvenience I'll double your usual rates.”

  The man's scowl evaporated and a smile took its place. “I'll get what you need.” He opened the door to his shop and stepped inside.

  Beauty turned to Jack. “A captain? Couldn't you find anyone of higher rank?”

  “Actually I couldn't,” Jack said. “And you? A private?”

  “There aren't many women in Griffin's army,” she said. “I had to make do.”

  A pair of footfalls approached, and Jack turned to find two more soldiers making their way toward the storehouse.

  “Corporal,” Jack said. “Go and fetch two horses. Have them saddled and brought to me immediately.” Then he recognized them and grinned. “Gordon? Ursana?”

  They smirked at his appearance and Gordon said, “Nemeth's contact in the castle turned on him and soldiers raided his headquarters an hour ago. We got out and managed to don these personas. Where's Nemeth?”

  “The dark elves took him,” Jack said, and managed a trace of dismay. “Looks like they knew he was the thief all along.”

  Ursana flashed a rare grin. “Good for them.”

  The shopkeeper exited with several bags and set them on the ground. “Double the stores,” Jack called out to him. “And make sure the bill is delivered to Lord Horanian directly. Our mission is known only to him.”

  The man nodded and disappeared. Once he was gone Gordon began to laugh as Ursana shook her head.

  “Do you have to antagonize Lord Horanian?” Ursana asked.

  “Of course. He's a noble.”His simple answer caused her to laugh aloud, the first time he could recall hearing her do so.

  “I have to admit,” she said, “I like it when you incite others to anger.”

  “Why don't you go and get us some horses,” he said with a smile.

  “Is that an order?” Gordon asked slyly.

  “A request,” Jack replied.

  Gordon laughed and he departed to gather steeds. While he was gone, Jack's gaze was drawn to the soldiers milling about inside the buildings. Although it was after midnight, lights shone from every window and shouts of protest were audible. The scene was so chaotic he half expected something to catch fire and screams of the dying to ring out.

  Officers stood in the street, barking orders to the soldiers searching the inns, taverns, shops, and houses. Riders galloped up the slope to deliver reports, and returned moments later. The intensity to the search revealed Lord Horanian's desire to find Jack.

  “Was this what the city was like the last few days?” Jack asked, and gestured to Nightfall Gorge on the plateau above.

  Ursana nodded. “They even searched homes in the canyon. If the people weren't so busy laughing at Lord Horanian's expense they would have rioted.”

  “We should still get off the street,” Beauty said. “They may look at our clothes for the moment, but these personas won't hold up under scrutiny.”

  They slipped into an alley and waited for Gordon to appear. Once he did they strapped their supplies onto the horses' backs. Just as they mounted a voice called out to them. Jack looked up to see another officer appear at the end of the alley. Marked by the gold stripes on his shoulders, the high captain appeared furious.

  “Captain!” he shouted. “Where do you think you are going? Lord Horanian is demanding results and your orders are to search this settlement before proceeding to the neighboring towns.”

  “I was ordered to begin that search immediately,” Jack said, nudging his horse past the man.

  “Captain!” he shouted. “I assure you, you are mistaken . . .” He leaned in, peering at Jack's face, raising a light orb to shine upon the four of them.

  “I'm afraid I have to resign my commission,” Jack called, and dug his heels into the horse’s flanks, sending him streaking away.

  “Thief!” the man roared. “He's here! In the street!”

  As soldiers tumbled into the road Jack aimed his horse for the open road. To his dismay a group of riders ahead wheeled their mounts to block them. He yanked on the reins, angling them into a side street. He reached the courtyard beyond and ducked under a clothesline. The others followed suit, but the first of the soldiers failed to see the rope. He released a strangled cry as he was knocked from the saddle.

  Jack laughed and then jerked the reins again, taking them down an alley and onto a street headed toward the river. As soldiers flooded toward them, Jack descended to the docks.

  “Where are you going?” Ursana demanded.

  “Just don't fall behind!” Jack shouted.

  A pair of crossbowmen appeared ahead of them and raised their weapons. Ursana was faster, and fired two bolts in quick succession. Both exploded into ice that froze the soldier's weapons. As the soldiers cursed and struggled to break the ice, Jack galloped by, showering them in mud from the road.

  “Do you ever miss?” Gordon called to her, eliciting a smile on the girl's face.

  They reached a sharp turn and Jack bent to the side, angling his horse around into the interconnecting street. An instant later he was forced to turn again to avoid a woman hanging clothes on a line.

  “Do your laundry during the day, woman!” Jack shouted.

  Dodging citizens, soldiers, and a random dog, they reached the cross street and Jack turned them toward the water.

  “What's your plan?” Beauty shouted over the sound of galloping hooves.

  “Steal a boat.”

  “That's stupid,” she said. “A boat would be slower than the horses!”

  “I'm counting on it,” Jack said.

  They curved their horses around a corner and raced along the bank of the river. Out of sight of their pursuers, Jack brought his horse close to Beauty and handed her the reins. Then he stabbed a finger toward an upcoming alley and leapt off. He rolled on the earth and came to his feet in a sprint.

  “Don't let them spot you!” he called, and then darted to a nearby ship.

  Dozens of small fishing boats were tied onto stubby piers. Jack untied a boat and shoved it into the current. Then he leapt aboard and yanked on the rope to unfurl the small sail. It caught the breeze and swelled, pulling him deeper into the river.

  He looked back and watched the others disappear from view just as soldiers filled the street. The high captain caught sight of Jack and bellowed an order. In seconds the men were climbing into boats and pushing off, angling their pursuit for the docks. The high captain's expression became triumphant as they drew close, and he urged his men to greater effort on the oars.

  “You are a fool,” he called to Jack as they drew close. “The river is too slow for escape.”

  “And too slow for pursuit,” Jack called.

  The man's smile faltered. Then Jack activated his speedstone and surged toward the prow of his boat. Empowered by magic, he sped across the deck and leapt for the high captain's ship. The man cried out and reached for his sword but Jack was already among them.


  Keeping his momentum, Jack took two steps on the deck and leapt for the next ship in line. Jumping from ship to ship he made it all the way to the shore without getting wet. Then he extinguished the magic and turned back to the bellowing men.

  A smile on his face, he raised his arm and activated his crossbow. Thumbing the frost rune, he fired at the base of the ships until the weapon ran dry. The bolts crashed into the water and exploded into expanding ice that caught the ships into a helpless flotilla. As men struggled to free their oars, Jack called out to the high captain.

  “Give my regards to Stelora!”

  Laughing, he rejoined the others and mounted his horse. By the time a pursuit had been organized, Jack and his companions were miles down the road. Then they slipped off the path and hid in a stand of trees a short distance from the road. From there they watched dozens of soldiers gallop by. Led by the high captain, they angled their way toward a village in the distance.

  “I have to admit,” Gordon said to Jack, “you certainly put on a show.”

  “We'll have to take the mountain paths now,” Beauty said, and threw Jack an annoyed look. “They will be watching the roads. Dump your uniforms and let's keep moving. They might backtrack to find our trail.”

  Once they were geared for the road they took a mountain path that ascended west. For two days they worked their way through the mountains until they reached another throughway that would take them to Terros. Well into the neighboring province, the road was noticeably free of patrols. For the first time they slept in the open and Jack stared at the stars with a smile on his face, hit thoughts on Nemeth.

  Two down. One to go.

  Chapter 25: The Gate

  They spent several days on the road to reach Terros, but news of the events in Nightfall Gorge preceded their arrival. As they wearily trudged into a tavern the patrons were abuzz with talk, and Jack caught snippets from them.

  “. . . took Lord Horanian's crown right off his head.”

  “And flew off the Overlook like a bird.”

  “They're saying he's the cheater of death . . .”

  Jack smirked, not surprised that the truth had been distorted along the way. Beauty had the opposite reaction and threw him a sideways glance, her forehead creasing in irritation.

  “I told you to wear a better persona,” she said. “Now your face will be posted on every wall in Griffin.”

  “For a time, perhaps,” Gordon said. “But the crowd has a fickle mind, and lacks the capacity to fixate on any one topic.”

  “Perhaps our next assignment should be outside of Griffin,” Jack said.

  Beauty caught the hint. “I'll send word to the Guildmaster. Perhaps we can move to the Talinor or elven guildhall.” Her eyes flicked to Gordon and Ursana. “Take a room and I'll get word to you. Jack, with me.”

  “Can't it wait till morning?” Jack asked. “I haven't slept in a bed in weeks.”

  “You have yourself to blame,” she retorted. “And unless you want to wait until posters are placed throughout the city . . .”

  “They always fail to capture my hair,” he protested.

  In spite of his words he was forced to admit she was right. The longer he remained in Griffin the more likely someone would tie him to the theft at Nightfall Gorge. He growled under his breath and turned away from the welcome atmosphere of the inn, following her back into the street.

  The sun had sunk low on the horizon, robbing the air of warmth. Jack felt the first touch of autumn chilling his skin and shivered, wrapping his cloak about him. Perhaps it was his recent conversation with Beauty or the cold, but his thoughts turned to his homeland, the druid forest. It too had felt the bite of winter, a sign of the freeze to come. It brought a smile to his lips.

  “Something amusing?”

  A memory of a lost home, he thought, and then said aloud, “Nothing. Where to?”

  “The Terros guildhall,” she replied. “It's the fastest way to get a message to the Guildmaster.”

  They threaded through the evening crowd, making their way to the Factory District. Smoke belched from chimneys rising above the sprawling factories. Tanneries, fabric mills, and brickworks were built in neat rows throughout the district. Although dirty and reeking of smoke, there was an air of order and discipline about the place, and he recalled that Duke Fillian controlled it.

  Once they had passed through the district gate, Beauty led him to a small factory situated against the district wall. Reaching for the office door, she swung it open to reveal a small office inhabited by a beady-eyed man writing in a notebook. He looked up at their entry, a broad smile spreading on his features.

  “Beauty!” he called. “I hear you had an interesting assignment in Nightfall Gorge.”

  The warmth to the man’s tone caused Jack to raise an eyebrow. “Old friend?”

  Beauty gestured to him with a smile. “Rolan is a gem—but don't cross him. He's lethal with his knives.”

  Jack snorted in disbelief, but the warning glint in her eyes lent credence to her words. “I'll keep my distance,” he said, causing the short man to laugh and point to the door. “Go ahead—and watch out for the machines. They will rip you apart before you can blink.”

  Beauty strode past him and swung the second door open. Jack followed her into a warehouse filled wall to wall with looms. Threads reached up to them like strands of hair, and came out as woven blankets. The clank of machines echoed off the walls and back, turning into a constant hum that forced Jack to raise his voice.

  “Do they actually sell?”

  “Technically this is Rolan's business,” she said. “And I understand that when he took over it began to turn a profit. Why so surprised?”

  “I expected the guildhall to be in the sewers.”

  She laughed and stepped between the machines, squeezing past a pair of women working on a loom. Then he followed her to the rear of the factory, where one of the storage rooms contained bolts of cloth inside stacked crates. She strode between the stacks to where the building abutted the district wall. She reached up and pressed a combination of the stones, and a section of the wall swung inward.

  Jack stepped through the portal to find the guildhall was not below the wall, it was the wall. At twenty feet across, the central chamber was tall and skinny. A staircase sat against the opposite wall and climbed to the upper rooms overlooking the narrow hall. Several thieves were sitting by the crackling fire, or occupied playing cards and dice at a nearby table. Still others ate seared meat outside the kitchens extending off from the main hall. Windows dotted the walls above, their surfaces enchanted to look like the stones of the wall.

  “There are three entrances,” Beauty said. “One from the factory, one from a house in the Sticks, and a third in the sewers.”

  “I expected something . . .”

  “Darker? Dirtier?”

  A derisive snort drew their gaze to the side, where Master Orathan was striding to them. “There's a difference between street rats and guild thieves,” he said.

  “Master Orathan,” Beauty said, and inclined her head. “We completed the assignment in Nightfall Gorge.” She withdrew the pouch from her side and tossed it to him.

  He caught it without taking his lidded gaze from Jack. “You did,” he said, biting the words off, “but you incited the ire of a powerful province lord. It'll be months—even years before we can operate in the vicinity again.”

  Jack shrugged. “What's our next assignment?”

  Orathan's face blackened with anger, oddly making the elf appear more human. “If it was up to me I would have you stripped of your status and ejected from the guild, but apparently the Guildmaster sees promise in you.”

  “Looks like you’ve been overruled.” Jack smirked, causing the elf to scowl.

  “You're to go east, to the elven guildhall,” Orathan said. “Tonight.”

  Jack and Beauty exchanged a surprised look, and Jack asked, “What about Gordon and Ursana?”

  “You're the class three,” he said,
waving his hand in dismissal. “You can take them with you if you want.”

  Uncertainty tightened Jack's gut at the decision. Since his mother's death he'd preferred a solitary life, yet the last few weeks had been surprisingly enjoyable with the two thieves. But he couldn't bring himself to admit it.

  “Leave them,” he said, and then noticed Beauty's upraised eyebrow. “They could use a break,” he added for her benefit.

  Orathan was already striding away. “Then be gone with you,” he called over his shoulder.

  Beauty called out to him. “Since it's just us, perhaps we can use a different method of travel.”

  Orathan came to a halt and slowly rotated back. His expression emanated disgust for Jack, but whatever her words implied they elicited a nod.

  “This way.”

  He turned on his heel and strode to the stairs. Curious, Jack fell into step behind Beauty as they ascended to the uppermost level within the guildhall. There Orathan led them down a hall to a locked door. Withdrawing a key, he unlocked it and motioned them inside.

  A gust of energy wafted across Jack’s body as he passed through the portal, making his eyes water. He'd only witnessed a lightning trap once and it had nearly killed him. Invisible, impossible to detect, and lethal, the trap indicated a secret of immense value within the room. To his surprise it contained only a gilded box on a table. Aside from that the room was bare except for a large mirror at the back wall.

  “What's in the box?” Jack asked.

  “A few baubles,” Orathan said. “In case a lower thief manages to breach the traps on the door. The real treasure is that.” He gestured to the mirror.

  Jack shook his head in confusion. “A mirror?”

  “A Gate,” Beauty corrected. “It's a portal that links to other Gates in Lumineia, four to be exact.”

  “Instant travel?” Jack folded his arms. “Is this some sort of initiation?”

  “You are a fool if you think you know everything,” Orathan said nastily. “The Guildmaster procured these shortly after his ascent to his rank. They allow higher ranked thieves a way to travel throughout the world.”