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00:00:01
The Thieves Guild,
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by Jake Kerr.
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Episode 3:
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Caught.
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These were the moments that brought joy to Raylan.
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Surrounded by both friends and strangers from various guilds, he loved
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to weave tales about his derring-do at fighting the officious Knight Guild
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or the greedy Merchant Guild or the dull Harvest Guild.
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In the city state of Ness, guilds ran everything, their distinct colors a mark of
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pride worn by every guild member.
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Not being in a guild required one to wear brown.
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And while it was commonly a sign of immaturity and a source of disparaging comments,
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for Raylan, it was a sign of his independence and freed him to mock all guilds
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without the underlying tension of guild rivalry.
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He leaned forward, spilling his ale a bit, as he prepared to describe the
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helpless look on the knight's face as he turned after the tomato hit him
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square in the back.
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Of course, Raylan wasn't stupid. He had to use the right story for the
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right crowd.
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He glanced one more time around the large table at the back of The Four Triangles, a
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workingman's inn where he would find a sympathetic audience.
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Most of the boys were apprentices to his brother's guild, all wearing the merchants' deep
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blue robes. There were a few Harvest apprentices wearing their greens, but there was
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nary a white tunic or piece of armor in the room.
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Raylan smiled and continued. "Uh, it was beautiful.
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The tomato was just a bit too ripe, and it landed with a huge splat right in the middle of the
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guard's back."
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He slammed the flat of his hand on the table (table slams) .
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There were laughs and clapping. He had played the crowd perfectly.
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All apprentices chafed at the oversight of the knights and their white robes and armor.
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He glanced at Rafe, who looked glum.
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He had offered his friend the starring role, but as Raylan expected,
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Rafe was horrified at the thought of his participation becoming public.
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Raylan gave him what he hoped was a conspiratorial wink and turned back to
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his audience. "The best part is that he was staring right at me and couldn't see me in
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the shadows of the wall,
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so I just winked at him and walked away."
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There was more laughter and more complementary nods at his cleverness.
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One boy that Raylan didn't know slapped him on the back.
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Raylan was in the midst of a large gulp of ale when the front door opened and everyone
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went silent. He turned to look at who arrived, and his stomach fell.
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It was his brother's deputy, Karch. He stood in his deep blue
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robe, his golden hair slicked back and tied behind his head.
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He always pulled it too tight, and it made his face look taut, narrowing his eyes to
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slits and his mouth to a thin, cruel line.
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The merchant apprentices disappeared as Karch walked toward Raylan, a look
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of disgust on his face and his arms behind his back.
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Everyone else sank into their seats or slowly moved to other tables.
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Rafe was nowhere to be seen. A few brave apprentices smiled
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expectantly at Raylan. He had nothing to lose, so he decided to
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show off.
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The worst case scenario was that he'd get a dressing down from his brother and
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Karch would give him a whipping. "I didn't know you frequented these kinds of places,
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Karch." The deputy looked around and frowned.
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"You are correct, Raylan. But when one is collecting garbage, you need to walk
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among the filth."
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He turned back to Raylan and smiled. "Which reminds me, you are to come with me."
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"I don't need to do any such thing, Karch."
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Raylan grabbed his brown shirt. "As you can see, I'm guildless and you have
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no authority over me."
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Karch smiled again and Raylan started to get nervous.
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He was fully expecting a slap for his insolence, but that was usually preceded
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by an angry tongue lashing. A smile didn't mean anything good.
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"Ah, yes, the 15-year-old wearing the brown of the guildless."
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Karch looked around the room. "I don't see anyone else in here without a guild.
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How long do you intend on such irresponsibility, Raylan?
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Do you know how many favors your brother has requested on your behalf only to have you spit in his
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face at each guild?"
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Raylan shrugged. "I never asked him for anything." Karch leaned
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forward. "Well, the days of asking for nothing and receiving much are at an end.
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I'm afraid you have gone too far this time."
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Raylan leaned back while he tried to think of what he had done.
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He couldn't think of anything that would offend his brother.
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Karch must have been bluffing. "I have no idea what you are talking about.
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Now, leave me alone and tell my brother that he should worry about guild matters and not me."
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Standing up straight, Karch brought his hand forward from behind his back and tossed a white
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pile of cloth on the table. It was a knight's robe with a reddish-brown stain on
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it. "I'm afraid a guild matter is why I am here." Karch turned
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toward the door and raised his voice.
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"Guards, it is time." Three guards in white entered the inn.
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The one in front was missing his robe.
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Karch looked back at Raylan and smiled.
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"I believe you know Sir Henry." Karch tapped the robe.
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"You met yesterday."
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The guard had a scowl on his face. Raylan recognized the eyes, but he couldn't
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quite believe that the guard could recognize him.
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"I don't know what you are talking about, Karch.
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I never met that man in my life." "Your stories have become tiresome, Raylan."
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Karch moved out of the way. "Take him to the carriage, and if he is bruised from the
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journey, I certainly won't find fault."
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Raylan pushed his chair back and scrambled toward the back of the room.
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He hadn't gone two feet, however, before a thick hand grabbed him by the collar.
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He tried to wriggle free, but the hand shoved his head into a pillar.
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Raylan staggered backward from the blow only to have the hand turn him toward the table behind
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him. He felt his head impact the table.
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And everything went dark.