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The Thieves Guild

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by Jake Kerr.

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Episode 104:

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The Ghosts of Dragon Pass.

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Mailer looked at Darla and Darla looked at Mailer.

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Both turned back and looked at the cabin.

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Mailer shrugged her shoulders and walked toward
the front door of the cabin.

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Are you okay? We're not going to hurt you. We're
just strangers that need help.

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Don't come any closer. I have a bow.

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Darla walked up.

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I'm not sure how she'll be able to shoot through a
solid door.

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Shh.

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Mailer replied, and then speaking to the closed
door.

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We won't enter. We just were hoping you could tell
us if we are near the road through the

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mountain.

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After a pause, the voice replied...

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Naught but ghosts come from Dragon Pass.

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People go there to die and the ghosts of the dead
haunt our dreams. Begone ghosts.

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Is the road called Dragon Pass?

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Another pause and the woman replied...

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You came from there, you should know, unless you
are lying.

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We are not ghosts and we did come through the
mountain. Can you please let us in?

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We just want to talk. We can explain everything.

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Mailer was going to add to Darla's comments, but
Darla

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continued.

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Please. You mentioned being banished. Travel did
banish us, but we escaped.

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If that scares you, I understand, but don't fear
us for simply surviving a long trip through Dragon

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Pass.

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You were banished?

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Yes, we were.

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But how did you get past the guardian?

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Darla killed it.

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Mailer answered while smiling at Darla.

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It was invisible, but we covered it with flour and
could see it.

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The woman inside the cabin unlatched the deadbolt,
opened the door, and

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waved them in.

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Thank you.

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Darla said quietly as she passed into the cabin.

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After they both entered, the woman looked around
outside, and then

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closed and latched the door.

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The cabin was not unlike the cabin they left
behind, and the woman waved them

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toward a table with four chairs. As Mailer and
Darla sat down,

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the woman walked over to a counter and grabbed a
pitcher.

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Would you like some water?

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Yes, please.

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I'm Catrina.

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The woman said as she poured water into wooden
cups.

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She wore simple linen clothes with not a single
strand of red.

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I'm Darla, and this is Mailer.

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As the woman placed the cups in front of them,
Darla added...

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Are you banished?

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No.

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My husband is. He is further south along the
mountain in a cabin by himself.

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This is as close as I can get to him without
alerting the guardian.

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Do you...

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communicate?

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Mailer asked tentatively, not wanting to intrude
into the woman's

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personal life. Sliding into her own chair, Catrina
replied...

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No.

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I don't even know if he knows I'm here, but I
won't leave. I can't leave.

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I'm so sorry.

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What happened?

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Mailer was going to remain quiet out of respect
and expected Darla to

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do the same, but Darla's concern was so sincere
that it felt like

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she was supporting a dear friend. Mailer watched
in awe as Darla,

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who had started by joking about the cabin's
defenses, had turned into a

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thoroughly beguiling friend.

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His magic is strong.

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He was a guard of the road to Drak.

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I was very ill one day, so he stayed home to care
for me.

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Catrina shook her head.

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He let his captain know, but his captain didn't
care and threatened him if he didn't

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clear the manure.

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He stayed with me, and the Red Guard came that
night and dragged him away.

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The wizards don't kill their own,

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only torture them.

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Darla reached across the table and grabbed
Catrina's hand.

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Catrina gave Darla a sad smile.

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Are you really from across the mountain?

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We are. There is a road that is blocked on the
other side, but is clear from

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that point onward. We got lost and ended up going
the wrong way.

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That is Dragon Road. It leads from Drak to
Calysto.

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Catrina peered at Darla.

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And you don't know its name?

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Darla shook her head.

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I don't even know what Drak is.

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Do you know nothing?

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Apparently so.

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Drak is a city through the forest. It is a trading
partner of ours and is ruled by a

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family.

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They create liquid cloth and other fine goods that
come from the eastern forest.

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Dragon Road ends there.

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You know Calysto?

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Both Darla and Mailer shook their heads.

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It is on the other side of the Dragon's Teeth. I
know little about it.

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The legends and stories stop when we lost contact
with them when Dragon Pass was closed.

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What is it with all the dragons? They don't even
exist.

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I don't know. The mountains have always been
called the Dragon's Teeth.

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The road is Dragon Road. And the pass through the
mountain is Dragon Pass.

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Maybe a dragon once lived there.

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Catrina took a drink of water and continued to
peer

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at Darla and Mailer as she drank.

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I'm sorry we know so little. It appears that when
the Magic Guild left Ness,

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our Ness, they didn't want to leave any record or
history of it.

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That's because you all tried to eradicate them.

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Catrina said in a matter-of-fact tone.

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What do you mean?

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Mailer replied, shocked.

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"Everyone knows the history. The guilds of your
Ness were jealous of the power of the

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wizards and attempted to kill or enslave all the
magicians.

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The Circle of Three, the three greatest magicians
in the guild, led the

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survivors to the entrance to Dragon Pass and
ushered them through.

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Once they were safely on their way, the Circle
brought down the mountain on the road and...

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well, we're not sure what they did after that.

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All we were taught is that they stayed behind.

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There are stories of huge battles of the Circle
against hundreds, battles that left a

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wasteland behind.

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This is one of the reasons there are legends of
ghosts in Dragon Pass.

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There are other stories that they erased the minds
of the other guilds and destroyed evidence of the

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guilds' existence."

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Katrina nodded.

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"Yes, that would explain why you know so little."

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Dala and Mayla looked at each other. Mayla knew
Dala was thinking what

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she was thinking: the ash fields. Katrina
continued.

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"So,

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why were you banished?"

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"Travel feared us returning to Ness and revealing
the existence of the wizards,"

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Dala replied, looking at Mayla, who nodded.

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"I'm not sure why he didn't just kill us, to be
honest."

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"The wizards had use of you. It is the only
explanation.

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They would eventually return to you and ask you
for information or invade your mind if you

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didn't give it freely."

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"They can do that?"

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"There are rumors."

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No one said anything and Katrina nursed her water,
staring at the two

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of them over its brim as she sipped. As the
silence unfolded,

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Mayla decided to speak up.

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"You have shared much with us. It is only fair
that we share with you."

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Mayla proceeded to give an overview of Ness.

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She discussed the guilds, the isolation of the
city surrounded by mountains

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to the north, south, and east, and the violent
outlanders to the west.

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"Do you have history with the outlanders?"

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Katrina shook her head.

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"All we know of what is west of Ness is Calysto."

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Mayla finished with her and Dala's story.

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She avoided discussing her mission or Dala being
her prison guard.

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She explained that they were simply investigating
the mines and got lost.

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"I find the idea of guilds fascinating,"

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Katrina said as Mayla finished. "Here there is one
guild and

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everyone else is a servant or slave. It seems so
much better where you come

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from. Everyone has a role. Everyone has food and
water.

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It sounds like a wonderful place for everyone."

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Dala and Mayla remained silent.

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Katrina stood up and walked over to the fireplace,
which was large for the cabin

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and burning bright. With her back to Mayla and
Dala as she

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stared into the flames, she spoke.

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"You intend to travel through the mountain back to
your city?"

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"Yes," answered Mayla.

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"It is dangerous."

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"It is long."

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"You need food and water."

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"And torches."

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Katrina turned. She was backlit by the fire and
her face was in

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shadow.

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"And what is your intent when you return?

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Will you tell your guild masters about the sister
city across the mountain?"

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Dala looked at Mayla, who answered.

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"Yes."

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After taking a step forward, Katrina's newly
revealed face in the light

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looked intense and serious as she replied.

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"And there is a knight guild that can lead
conquering armies?"

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Mayla was considering how to answer when Katrina
added.

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"The wizards are evil. They enslave, they kill,
and when they don't

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kill, they torture with isolation, driving people
mad with loneliness."

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She took another step forward.

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"I will lead you through the mountain.

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There are many entrances to Dragon Road and not
all are guarded.

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You will then take me to your guild master and I
will describe their evil, and you will

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return and tear down their tower, burn their
buildings, and vanquish

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them."

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Before Mayla could reply, Dala spoke up.

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"Yes, we will take you to our guild master and you
can share all you know."

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Katrina smiled.

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"I have all that is necessary. Let me get you
dinner and blankets for tonight.

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We will leave tomorrow."

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Conversation over dinner was mostly Dala
describing the mines and

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Mayla describing the various parts of Ness.

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Katrina seemed delighted with even the smallest
details.

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As they settled down to sleep, Mayla watched as
Katrina stood still,

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staring out a small window. She didn't know if
Katrina was dreaming of her

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future, of vengeance, or her husband in the
distance through the trees.

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Possibly all three. It was then that Katrina
walked

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over to her pantry, rooted around, and hefted a
large canvas

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bag over to the wooden table. It landed with a
thud and

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white powder flew into the air, flickering in the
firelight.

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(instrumental music plays)