Maela

[00:00:00] The Thieves Guild

[00:00:02] by Jake Kerr

[00:00:04] Episode 73

[00:00:06] Mela

[00:00:13] Traveel entered

[00:00:16] and Mela sat up straight.

[00:00:23] She'd asked numerous times over the previous few days

[00:00:25] about reuniting with Dala

[00:00:27] but the attendants all said it wasn't up to them.

[00:00:29] She was certain that such a decision

[00:00:31] would be made only by a senior wizard

[00:00:33] so she decided to make a decision

[00:00:35] to make a decision on her own.

[00:00:37] She was convinced that

[00:00:39] she'd be able to reunite with Dala

[00:00:41] only by a senior wizard

[00:00:43] so she pressed for a meeting with Traveel.

[00:00:45] You look positively healthy, Mela.

[00:00:47] Traveel stated

[00:00:49] a broad smile on his face

[00:00:51] and his voice full of warmth as he walked in.

[00:00:53] Mela stood up to meet him.

[00:00:55] Thank you, Traveel.

[00:00:57] Mela bowed to the lead wizard.

[00:00:59] It is why I was hoping to talk to you.

[00:01:01] Would it be possible for me to share lodgings

[00:01:03] with Dala?

[00:01:05] Cut right to the chase

[00:01:07] and don't give him the opportunity

[00:01:09] to twist the conversation to something else.

[00:01:11] No need to bow, Mela.

[00:01:13] Come, let us sit as friends.

[00:01:17] Traveel waved his arm

[00:01:19] and two chairs appeared

[00:01:21] out of thin air near the wall.

[00:01:23] Mela gasped.

[00:01:25] You should not be so impressed.

[00:01:27] It is but a transport spell, those.

[00:01:29] Travel pointed to the chairs.

[00:01:33] From my office I merely moved them here.

[00:01:35] Movement and destruction spells are difficult,

[00:01:37] but don't require high-level mastery.

[00:01:43] Traveel waved Mela again to a chair,

[00:01:45] walking over to the far one

[00:01:47] and sitting down.

[00:01:49] What kind of spell requires high-level mastery?

[00:01:51] Mela said

[00:01:53] not able to hide the oar in her voice

[00:01:55] as she sat.

[00:01:57] Spells that changed the shape

[00:01:59] and nature of things.

[00:02:01] For example, turning an iron lock into sand

[00:02:03] or raw stone into finished brick.

[00:02:05] But there is only one wizard alive

[00:02:07] who can do that today.

[00:02:09] There were more many centuries ago,

[00:02:11] but the move through the mountain

[00:02:13] was as difficult on us

[00:02:15] as it was on you.

[00:02:17] Traveel stared at Mela

[00:02:19] and she knew it meant

[00:02:21] she was sitting with that one wizard

[00:02:23] capable of such magic.

[00:02:25] Mela realized that Traveel

[00:02:27] had distracted her,

[00:02:29] so she repeated her question.

[00:02:31] Can I join Dala?

[00:02:33] Of course, but first

[00:02:35] we will be moving you to your own home

[00:02:37] in the woodlands.

[00:02:39] It is to the northeast and quite beautiful.

[00:02:41] A move to a new location

[00:02:43] did not quite sound like freedom

[00:02:45] with nothing to lose

[00:02:47] Mela pressed for more answers.

[00:02:49] So we are to live there.

[00:02:51] Are we free to roam your beautiful city?

[00:02:53] Traveel was quiet

[00:02:55] and once again,

[00:02:59] stared at Mela

[00:03:01] as if looking for the right words.

[00:03:03] Finally he said

[00:03:05] No.

[00:03:07] You will be restricted there.

[00:03:09] We have a law about the forbidden tunnel.

[00:03:11] No one is to enter the tunnel ever.

[00:03:13] Breaking that law is punishable

[00:03:15] with life in prison.

[00:03:17] But I didn't enter the tunnel.

[00:03:19] Mela exclaimed

[00:03:21] as she realized

[00:03:23] that the wizards were going to keep her

[00:03:25] under house arrest

[00:03:27] for what seemed like the rest of her life.

[00:03:29] Holding up his hands

[00:03:31] Traveel replied

[00:03:33] We understand and that's why we chose

[00:03:35] this generous resolution.

[00:03:37] You entered the tunnel so technically

[00:03:39] you're in violation.

[00:03:41] But you entered it from the other side

[00:03:43] which was unanticipated.

[00:03:45] Mela shook her head

[00:03:47] So Dala and I will live in this woodlands.

[00:03:49] Will we have freedom to roam the woods

[00:03:51] or will we be confined to a home

[00:03:53] with a pleasant view of the trees

[00:03:55] to distract us?

[00:03:57] Bitteness dripped from Mela's voice.

[00:03:59] The latter

[00:04:01] Why don't you banish us from the city

[00:04:03] and send us back into the tunnel?

[00:04:05] Don't be foolish.

[00:04:07] By now you should know that the tunnel

[00:04:09] is closed for a reason.

[00:04:11] We cannot have our brothers and sisters once again

[00:04:13] cause us the grief they did so long ago.

[00:04:15] They have not earned that trust.

[00:04:17] They will never earn that trust.

[00:04:19] Traveel stood

[00:04:21] not looking quite as jovial as when he entered.

[00:04:23] Tonight you will receive new clothing

[00:04:25] tomorrow you will depart in a closed carriage

[00:04:27] for the woodlands.

[00:04:29] Please don't think of returning to your home city

[00:04:31] of Ness.

[00:04:33] It will never happen.

[00:04:35] Traveel walked to the door

[00:04:37] stopped and turned back to Mela

[00:04:39] Goodbye Mela

[00:04:41] soon you will have a new home.

[00:04:43] He took one more step

[00:04:45] and then paused again.

[00:04:47] You should be grateful.

[00:04:49] As the door closed

[00:04:51] Mela knew that the next step

[00:04:53] would happen in their new prison

[00:04:55] far from the mountain and the centre

[00:04:57] of this new city of Ness.

[00:04:59] Unlike their home city of Ness

[00:05:01] the roads in this Ness were of packed dirt

[00:05:05] so the trip in the carriage was smooth

[00:05:07] and pleasant with no jarring cobblestones.

[00:05:09] Mela sat across from Dala

[00:05:11] in a small carriage

[00:05:13] that had little room for them both.

[00:05:15] There were no windows

[00:05:17] and the wooden doors were locked

[00:05:19] from the outside.

[00:05:21] If we had any doubts about whether

[00:05:23] we were prisoners or not

[00:05:25] this dispels them.

[00:05:27] Dala noted as she once again pushed against the door

[00:05:29] This is a mobile prison.

[00:05:31] Mela took note of the doors

[00:05:33] and the space within the carriage.

[00:05:35] She could see three

[00:05:37] vulnerabilities that would enable

[00:05:39] them to escape although two of them

[00:05:41] would require lengthy preparation

[00:05:43] to exploit but Mela

[00:05:45] didn't bother following through

[00:05:47] on any of them.

[00:05:49] She knew that their best hope of a successful escape

[00:05:52] was from their new home.

[00:05:54] There they could assess timing

[00:05:56] and defences and potentially escape

[00:05:59] with a lengthy lead before anyone would know

[00:06:02] they were missing.

[00:06:04] Escaping now would only lead to a quick

[00:06:06] recapture.

[00:06:08] You are quiet.

[00:06:10] I don't like that they are listening to us.

[00:06:12] Mela nodded her head toward a slit

[00:06:14] at the front of the carriage over her shoulder.

[00:06:16] The driver and a guard were just outside.

[00:06:19] Dala nodded.

[00:06:21] The remainder of the journey was marked

[00:06:23] by the sounds outside the carriage

[00:06:25] voices and shouts from the roadside

[00:06:28] the sound of horses wagons

[00:06:30] and carriages going by

[00:06:32] the rustle of the wind

[00:06:34] and the ever present slight rumble

[00:06:36] of the wheels turning as they made

[00:06:38] their way through the city

[00:06:40] toward what they only knew as the woodlands.

[00:06:44] Whoa!

[00:06:46] The carriage prison slowed to a halt.

[00:06:49] Mela looked at Dala who smiled and replied

[00:06:52] Five hours more or less.

[00:06:55] Someday you'll need to teach me how you do that.

[00:06:58] Mela replied shaking her head.

[00:07:01] It's instinct.

[00:07:03] Dala replied pointing to her temple with a finger.

[00:07:07] A click preceded the door being yanked open

[00:07:10] letting in a diffused sunlight

[00:07:12] still bright enough that Mela had to squint

[00:07:15] and shade her eyes.

[00:07:17] Welcome to your new home.

[00:07:19] A hand came into view

[00:07:21] and Mela took it as it helped her out of the carriage.

[00:07:24] Home is an interesting word for prison.

[00:07:27] Dala said as she followed Mela out.

[00:07:30] They were in a small clearing

[00:07:32] at the end of a lane.

[00:07:34] The lane snaked through trees

[00:07:36] and was lost at a turn in the distance.

[00:07:39] Looking around, Mela couldn't quite comprehend

[00:07:42] what she was seeing.

[00:07:44] The trees were everywhere,

[00:07:46] rising high into the sky

[00:07:48] with dark brown bark of various shades

[00:07:51] combined with greens of similar variety.

[00:07:54] Wow!

[00:07:55] The trees were huge,

[00:07:57] rising 50 feet or more into the air

[00:08:00] with lush foliage obscuring the sky.

[00:08:03] The clearing was the only thing that let light in

[00:08:06] but it was dim, filtered by leaves and shadows.

[00:08:10] Mela looked around, noticing a cottage

[00:08:13] about the size of a small house

[00:08:15] you would find in the flats or the lower triangle.

[00:08:18] It was bathed in shadow

[00:08:20] but appeared homey enough.

[00:08:22] Beyond that there was nothing but trees

[00:08:25] and more trees.

[00:08:27] This is your new home.

[00:08:29] A tall man standing near the front of the carriage said

[00:08:32] he had his hand on the hilt of his sword

[00:08:35] and looked like he knew how to use it.

[00:08:38] Despite his appearance, his voice was kind.

[00:08:41] He didn't wear red but clothes

[00:08:43] that were a combination of colours,

[00:08:45] brown, deep green and blue.

[00:08:47] For someone used to the monochromatic guilds of Ness

[00:08:51] it was striking looking and somewhat unsettling.

[00:08:54] I don't see any walls or bars at least.

[00:08:57] Darla replied spinning around as she took everything in.

[00:09:00] You have a god.

[00:09:02] You?

[00:09:03] Mela asked.

[00:09:05] She hadn't seen anything but the house and the carriage

[00:09:08] with its driver and the man with his hand on his sword.

[00:09:12] No.

[00:09:14] I will be leaving with the carriage.

[00:09:16] Your guard will only make himself known if you try to leave.

[00:09:19] And how will he know that we are trying to leave?

[00:09:22] He'll know, the man pointed to the house.

[00:09:25] The cabin has a well behind it with fresh water.

[00:09:28] There are supplies inside.

[00:09:30] You can find a boo with some arrows as well

[00:09:33] so that you may hunt for food.

[00:09:35] The man leaped onto a step

[00:09:37] and pulled himself up onto the carriage.

[00:09:40] Do you have any questions?

[00:09:42] How long are we to stay here?

[00:09:44] Forever.

[00:09:45] Where does the lane lead?

[00:09:47] Mela pointed down where they came from.

[00:09:50] If you follow it, it leads to death.

[00:09:52] What if we escape?

[00:09:54] The man frowned.

[00:09:55] Don't make this a death sentence.

[00:09:57] Enjoy your time in the forest.

[00:09:59] You have.

[00:10:00] The man looked at Dala and then Mela.

[00:10:03] Anything else?

[00:10:05] There was a long pause

[00:10:07] and then Dala looked at the guard.

[00:10:09] Her hands clenched into fists.

[00:10:11] Do you know what kind of people live on rat flesh and blood?

[00:10:15] The man recoiled.

[00:10:17] What kind of question is that?

[00:10:18] No, of course not.

[00:10:19] The kind who persevere?

[00:10:21] The man shook his head

[00:10:23] and patted the driver of the carriage on the shoulder.

[00:10:26] It made a wide circle and headed down the lane.

[00:10:29] The man with the sword

[00:10:31] watching them over his shoulder the whole time.

[00:10:34] When the carriage was out of ear shot,

[00:10:36] Dala muttered under her breath.

[00:10:39] And the kind who escaped?