by Logan Jacobs
It was a weakness I hoped to expose one day.
“You didn’t have to take that job. I gave you--”
“A choice?” I cut Fallor off before he lied to my face. “Just like I have a choice to take that cleaning bill to Rindell?”
“Fine, fine, I’ll have a novice do it,” he huffed and reached for his pipe. “I wanted to talk to you about something else anyway.”
“Another elf?” I smirked slightly. I got a whiff of what the chase of an elf looked and felt like, and I already wanted more.
“No.” He narrowed his eyes, dipped a match into his pipe, and puffed a few times to ignite it. “I was made aware of a potential breach in the guild code.”
“Oh yeah, how so?” I asked and leaned the back of my boot against his office wall.
“You ever meet any of the thieves down the street?” Fallor leaned back in his chair again and took another puff from his pipe.
“No, can’t say that I have,” I said as I wiped the cloud of smoke from my face. “I’ve heard of them though.”
“Who have you heard of?” Fallor asked.
“I know they have a pretty redhead girl named Penny,” I said after I thought about it a moment. “She is supposed to be a pixie halfie. I’ve also heard of Randar. We are supposed to avoid him. Right?”
“Yeah,” Fallor sighed. “He’s very dangerous. Or at least he was.”
“Was?” I asked as I raised my eyebrows.
“Anyone else you’ve heard about in their group?” he continued.
“Well, their leader, Hagan,” I said. “He’s supposed to be a fat and mean fucker no one likes.”
“That’s true,” Fallor snickered, “so it probably isn’t a surprise to anyone he was found dead.”
“Ahhh, so fucking sad,” I said with a fake pouty voice.
“Here is where it gets strange though,” Fallor continued. “They found his body among most of his men, including Randar, in some rich halflings office. That wasn’t a paid hit.”
“That would’ve come through us first, right?” I asked as my heart quickened inside my chest. I felt another challenge was about to be proposed for me to solve.
“Especially if a district guild leader in any capacity was involved.” Fallor nodded his head as he agreed with his own comment. “That was a murder, no, a massacre, done right under our nose, Ava. And it had to be some serious muscle. The rumors about Randar were true, he was a deadly mother fucker, and Hagan was no slouch either.”
“So, whoever did them in was a capable fighter, or group of fighters,” I said.
“Yes,” Fallor said.
“Were there any survivors left from the guild?” I asked as I swept aside a strand of my blonde hair that had fallen in my eyes.
“Yes,” he answered. “I’ll get to that in a bit.”
“Before you do,” I said, “why do we care what happens to the Thief Guild? Their in-fighting doesn’t impose upon our murder laws.”
“Let me finish. There is much more to it.” Fallor’s raspy voice dragged as he stood up from his chair and began to saunter around his desk toward me.
“Go on.” I motioned for him to spit it out.
“A day or so ago, another halfling’s body was found near the Falrion Forest,” he said as he sat on the edge of his desk in front of me. “He was not a member of any guild. If anything, he was a lawful member of the halfling community who owned and operated a successful catering business.”
“Ahh, so now we have a murder and an obvious code breacher,” I said as I leaned forward.
“Yes, and I believe this was made by the same person or persons, most likely.” Fallor nodded and tapped the edge of his smoldering pipe against the desk.
“What makes you think the same people committed both murders?” I asked.
“You asked me before if any of the guild members survived,” the old halfling assassin scratched at his scar again, “we’ve spotted at least two who are still alive. Maybe, three.”
“Who?” I was ready to start taking mental notes since the next two names Fallor mentioned were my next targets.
“Two halflings, one who goes by the name of Selius, and the other is named Dar,” Fallor replied and took another long puff from his pipe before setting it down on the desk. “And there might be another human man and that pixie-girl you mention--”
“Penny,” I reminded him.
“Yes, her,” Fallor continued. “I think the four of them are involved. Especially Dar.”
“Hmph,” I hummed as I thought of the pieces so far. “Why do you think Dar is our main target?”
“Because he is also the cousin of the halfling who was just found brutally killed in his home by the forest.” Fallor cleared his throat. “The elf guards found his tongue cut out and placed in his hand.”
“A message? Was Hagan found like that, too?”
Fallor shook his head. “No, but that could’ve just been the murderers first step in breaking away from Hagan and the guild.”
“Freedom from the guild,” I muttered, but I didn’t think Fallor heard me, so I continued. “You said you think a human is involved?”
“I do.” He tapped his chin as another thought brewed. “In fact, he may be our main suspect.”
“Okay?” I nudged the air for him to continue.
“Hagan had a district-wide hit out on him, remember?” he asked and looked at me as if I were dull.
“No, I don’t remember,” I said and narrowed my eyes at him. “I’ve been busy hunting an elf for the last two months, and then you put me on the dwarf the second I got back.”
“Either way, with Hagan dead, the contract died with him,” Fallor said.
“So, this human had a motive to murder Hagan,” I confirmed to myself.
“I think our two top targets are the halfling, Dar, and the human man,” Fallor said as he opened a drawer in his desk. “Shit, what was his name?”
“Any clue as to where they could be?” I asked as Fallor pushed documents and contracts all around.
“Got it.” He lifted the expired contract for the human like a trophy for me to see. “If I were you, I’d watch the guild for a day or so and see what you can find.”
I swiped the contract out of Fallor’s hand and started to read it.
“Wade,” I murmured as I flipped through the documents.
I looked at the drawing of the human as Fallor started to write up a new contract. Turned out Wade was an orphan just like me, and handsome, but a simple kind of handsome. I didn’t have any doubts he would soon be at the end of my dagger like anyone else who was unfortunate enough to cross my path.
“Okay,” Fallor began as he put the finishing touches on the contract, “we can’t kill them just yet, we need confirmation that either this Wade, Dar, Selius, Penny, or whoever else, was involved in the killing of the fellow by the forest.”
“Adi,” I said as I picked up the new contract and rolled my eyes over the names.
“Once you’ve gathered evidence,” the guild leader said, and his eyes that were usually big and bright turned small and intense, “bring it to me first. Then we can give you the go ahead to punish them.”
“Got it.” I nodded.
“No one breaks our code, Ava,” Fallor said as he sat back down in his chair and lazily pointed a finger at me, “that’s the first thing Adrian taught you. They should have paid us for a sanctioned murder, and as soon as you determine their guilt, they will pay with their lives.”
“I know,” I replied as I pulled my hood over my head, tucked the documents in my satchel, and turned to leave Fallor’s office.
He yelled something else at me, but I’d already started to plan in my head and didn’t care what else he had to say.
The new challenge fascinated me.
Part of me didn’t blame the human and halfling. If they only wanted freedom from the guild, I could understand them killing their masters for it. But still, these types of political dealings in the halfling district must be r
un through the Assassin’s Guild, or one risked finding themselves dead with a coin over their mouth.
Before I could act on anything, and kill this Wade fellow, I needed to see the evidence for myself.
I agreed with Fallor on one thing. I needed to shadow the Thief’s Guild within the district to start. I needed to see who came and went throughout the day.
The reconnaissance was the part of the job I hated most, but it was the most necessary if I wanted to win, and many an assassin had failed because he or she skimped on the information gathering part of the assignment.
And I never failed.
The Thief’s Guild was only a few doors down from ours, so as soon as I exited the Assassin’s Guild, I blended within the foot traffic of Guilder Street once more.
Two dwarfs argued to my left and tugged at each other’s beards before they began to fight. Then they rolled in the middle of the road, and I stepped around a halfling delivery cart that barely avoided them. I glided past the chaos and continued down the street until I was right out front of the Thieves’ Guild hall.
The greenery near the crumbling front steps was overgrown, and the front windows were cracked. By the looks of it, no one seemed to be living there, and as I studied the dust by the entryway, I realized no one had been here in at least a few weeks.
When trying to acquire a target’s location, there were only two main methods. One involved watching the places I knew they once visited. The other involved talking to people, asking questions, and determining new places the target might be located. Watching the seemingly abandoned guildhall might be a fruitless endeavor, but walking around the city asking about Wade, Dar, Penny, and Selius might alert them I was coming.
And that would not be helpful, so it wasn’t worth considering yet.
I needed to find a spot close enough to keep an eye on the guild hall and also remain unnoticed. That didn’t mean I needed to hide behind some bushes, but somewhere I could stay and wait while also blending in.
“Perfect,” I muttered as I spotted a coffee shop on the corner I’d been to a few times.
I counted the steps it took to get from the guild’s door to the coffee shop’s entrance, and once I reached the front door, I breathed in the sweet aroma that made my mouth water. I stepped up to the long polished wooden counter and tapped the bell for service. The lunch break had just about ended, and I also knew the elven towers searched for any stragglers who seemed suspicious for them to question out of boredom.
I needed to be careful.
“Osman, right?” I asked when I saw the blue-skinned djinn come out from the back of the shop. He had two iron gauntlets around his wrists that he set in front of me with a loud clunk.
I hated the elves for what they’d done to his kind.
“Sure is, how can I help you, miss?” he asked and rubbed his hands together.
“Coffee please,” I said as I laid some copper on the counter.
“Right away.” Osman began the brewing process but looked at me out of the corner of his eye as he did. “You have a job to get to, miss?”
“I do, just a late break,” I lied, and refused to get into specifics unless it was an absolute must.
And that was never.
“You from the Thief Guild?” Osman asked as he stretched the copper pot above his head and began to pour the black liquid into a tiny cup.
I was a little caught off guard by his direct question.
“Why do you ask?” I took a seat on a stool near the counter where I could still see the guild.
“You look like them,” he smiled brightly and nodded toward the guild house, “but you don’t want to steal from me, miss.”
“I’m not a thief,” I laughed at the thought and wrapped my hand around the cup of coffee Osman placed in front of me. I took a sip, and steam drifted into my face while I kept my eyes on my target building.
No movement.
“Wouldn’t matter if you were, but I believe in friendly warnings,” the djinn said as he wiped down the counter.
“Since you think I look like a thief, does that mean they’re regulars of yours?” I asked as I took another sip of coffee. It was extremely good, and I savored the flavor.
“Yes, actually,” Osman’s eyes brightened, “a human like you used to come here every day.”
“Mmm,” I hummed mid-sip and watched as the djinn’s expression changed. I wanted to ask what this human’s name was, of course, but these games were best played conservatively.
“I’ve heard some rumors as of late,” he waved a hand towel at the seats in front of him and frowned, “something tragic had happened. I think I believe it too since I haven’t seen him in a while.”
“Sounds like this man was your friend,” I prompted.
“Yeah, he was,” the genie sighed.
“But he was a thief?” I asked as I raised an eyebrow. “Most don’t like their kind.”
“Ahhh, no,” Osman sighed again. “He was a good guy. Sure, he was in the guild, but what rights do humans have in this world? Maybe a bit more than my kind, but that’s not much. He helped people all over town. He was a good man.”
“And you haven’t seen him in … sorry, did you say how long?” I asked, but as soon as the words left my mouth I realized I might have been a bit too aggressive.
“Few weeks.” Osman shrugged.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said with a slight nod. “I hope he turns up okay.”
“Me too.” The djinn smiled and nodded back before he returned to clean his equipment. “A halfling from the guild still comes in, though, maybe I can ask about my friend when I see him again.”
“I think you should.” I smiled and secretly hoped that halfling would’ve walked in right then.
That human had to be Wade, and if he hadn’t been back in a while, I doubted I’d find him in this district. But Dar, the halfling, still could be. Either way, I needed to find the halfling and follow him.
His giant feet would lead me to some answers.
I sat at the coffee shop for a few more minutes before I finally saw some movement from the front door of the Thief’s Guild.
How very, very fortunate.
“Seems as if I have to get back to work,” I sighed as I set my cup down on the counter. It wasn’t an act since the coffee was very good, and I almost wanted to finish the cup.
“Well, come back some day.” Osman waved.
“Sure,” I answered, and then I ducked out the doorway and was on the street once more.
I turned toward the guild where a thin halfling jogged down the front steps. His hair was disheveled, and he had a skittish look in his eyes as he glanced behind his shoulder.
He already seemed to know he was being hunted.
I clicked my tongue and silently followed.
Chapter 4
“All ten of these are ready to go?” Dar asked as he walked along the stable’s wall and tapped the full whiskey barrels with his hand.
“Yup,” I said as I looked over our list, and with a check from my pencil, we were done.
“So, what did you want to discuss with us?” Dar asked as he continued to inspect the whiskey barrels.
“Are you serious?” I tossed the pad of paper aside. “It’s what I talked about the entire way home from the Capital District.”
“The painting?” the halfling wondered. “I was in shock we actually survived, so I kind of spaced out on the way home.”
I was a little shocked, too.
Our catering job had been stressful, but the elves at the party paid us no mind while we served them. We left that evening with only a single slap across Marver’s face, more coin in our pocket, and the knowledge about the painting.
We would have to plan our heist to take the piece of artwork soon, but Hebal was at the front of my mind at the moment.
“We have to deal with the dwarf first,” I reminded Dar.
“Fuck,” the halfling tapped his head with his palm, “that’s right.”
&nbs
p; “Yeah, I want all of us to be thinking of ways to keep our location secret from him,” I said as I walked over to the barrels next to Dar, “and the best method on how we’re even going to transport these ten barrels to him every week.”
“I hope we don’t have to work with him long,” Dar sighed, “he’s just waiting for a chance to backstab us.”
“I’ll get a better idea of where his head’s at when I meet with him later today,” I said. I didn’t trust that dwarven asshole one bit either, but I hoped he’d be at least a little more understanding since I stabbed him in the arm the last time we saw each other. He should know by now not to fuck with me again.
“I just can’t foresee a mob boss being submissive for too long.” Dar grimaced at his thought.
“I know.” I nodded and remembered the theatre massacre that had killed his nephew.
I knew he needed me now for my whiskey, just like I needed him to distribute the booze, but I also knew he’d try and avenge his nephew at some point. That could’ve been the next day or a year later, but what better way for him to give me a big dwarf-sized middle finger than to take my business over before he put me in the ground.
I had to make sure that didn’t happen.
“Hebal is going to be a problem,” Penny’s voice drifted from above us, and Dar and I both looked up to see the redhead hop down gracefully from the rim of the elephant tub she’d perched herself on, “but we’ll have a bigger problem if we don’t produce any more whiskey, so we need to get some more grain for our next batch.”
“We will, but legally this time,” I said as I scratched at my arm. “Stealing the grain isn’t a long term plan, since we’ll eventually get caught, so we need to figure out how to buy it.”
“That’ll be easier since we’ve got some coin now,” Dar chuckled to himself. “I like easier.”
“What, easier women?” I teased, and we both laughed.
“Seriously?” Penny rolled her eyes.
Then the stable door squeaked open, and Cimarra squeezed through in full make-up and costume for her show later.