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The Thieves Guild

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by Jake Kerr.

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Episode 108:

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The North Road.

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Sometimes the simplest goals end up having the
greatest complications.

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After talking to Vesper, Allard's simple goal was
to get back to the Old

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Quarter.

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A Ranger walking in Ness was rare, but certainly
not unheard of,

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and a Ranger walking toward the Great Gate was to
be expected.

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Allard was not foolish, however, especially in
violent

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times, and took nothing for granted.

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He stuck to whatever shadows he could as he walked
along the North Road, the road that

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ran along the North Fork and ended very close to
the Great Bridge and the Old

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Quarter.

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The trouble was that the Lower Quarter was still
mostly abandoned, and the people

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patrolling the streets were suspicious of
everyone.

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The few Harvest Guild members who were returning
to their homes looked warily

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at anyone other than other Harvest Guild members.

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The merchant guards remained omnipresent, and
appeared focused on keeping things

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calm. There was no real night presence.

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It was the kind of environment where a massive
Ranger walking alone was nearly

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an invitation for a confrontation,

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and Allard was confronted again and again.

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First, there was a group of Harvest Guild members.

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That wasn't so much a confrontation as a joyful
meeting of a

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colleague. They were heading home to a house that
they weren't sure still

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existed, and yet were jovial when they met Allard.

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They

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apparently worked in the Outer Fields during the
fall harvest, and were grateful the

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Rangers were out protecting them from the
outlanders.

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Then there were a number of merchant guild guard
interactions.

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They stopped Allard, asked his business, and after
a cursory

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conversation, let him go on his way. They appeared
to be more

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interested in making sure the returning Harvest
Guild members

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were calm than dealing with an odd Ranger.

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Things got more difficult when he turned onto
River Road.

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He had walked along the North Fork in the hopes of
avoiding the attention near the Flats,

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but that meant he was approaching the bridge to
the Old Quarter from a

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direction near the Upper Quarter, and Allard

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immediately realized he made a mistake.

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River Road was thick with armed men at that point,
not just merchant

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guards, but knights as well. "Hey, you."

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Allard pulled his hood down and turned toward the
voice.

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It was a merchant guard marching up to him.

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Allard stood tall, but didn't say anything.

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The guard stopped in front of Allard and
continued.

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"State your business."

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Allard disliked the man's tone, but he realized
that any exchange in

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these times could easily escalate, so he answered
simply, "I am a

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Ranger returning to the Plains after visiting my
family."

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"Who is your family?" The guard sounded

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suspicious. "The River family.

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We have worked the Outer Fields for many
generations, protected by Rangers.

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I joined the Rangers Guild as a small token of
appreciation for the guild's protection of my

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family." Allard bowed his head. "I've been
assigned to the western plains."

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"That's far from the Outer Fields." "Indeed, but
who am I to question my

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guild master?" Allard hoped the man would move on,
but he continued to ask

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questions. "What is your name?" "Gwyn, Gwyn
River." "Where is

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your family's house?" "The Flats," Allard said,

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the answer being his default when people would
pry, as the Flats was large

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and crowded and nearly impossible to check on
someone's answer about where they

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lived.

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Stepping forward, the guard replied, "Then why are
you walking along the North Road, then?"

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He glanced toward the Flats. "This is far out of
your way."

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Allard cursed to himself. The guard was right.

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If he was heading from the Flats to the Plains, he
would have gone down the Thruway or

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even along the Circle. He most definitely would
not have walked along the

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North Road.

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It was far out of the way. "I do not get to the
city very

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often, I'm afraid." It was the only explanation
that made sense.

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He was sightseeing. "Rather than walk along the
Circle, I wanted to see the North Fork,

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the Great River, the Great Bridge, and even the
Golden Triangle."

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The guard stared at Allard, and just as he felt
like the guard wouldn't believe him,

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he replied, "These are not times to enjoy the
city.

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Head back to your duties and return when things
are calmer." Allard let

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out a breath as the guard added, "Thank you for
protecting your family and

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all of us."

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The guard tipped his hat and moved on.

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Just as Allard turned onto River Road, a group of
merchants approached.

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They weren't guards, which was perhaps worse, as
they were curious about

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him in a way that he couldn't predict.

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There were three of them, two young men and a
young woman.

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They were laughing as they stepped in front of
Allard.

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A young man held up his hand as if commanding
Allard to stop.

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He had beady eyes and a thin smile that looked
more like a sneer.

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Not wanting to generate attention, Allard stopped.

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"We were going to mock you for being guildless,
but now we see you

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are a Ranger."

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Allard shrugged and went to move on when the woman
blocked his way.

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What are you doing here?

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"That is not your business," Allard growled,
pondering whether to just

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push his way through. Unfortunately, a group of
merchant guards nearby

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looked over to keep an eye on things.

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Allard knew they were keeping an eye on the young
misfits, but that could easily turn

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into attention on him. Intimidation without
violence seemed the best

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approach. Unfortunately, they didn't seem
intimidated.

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"Let me see your face, Ranger,"

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the original speaker said. The comment was rude
and would have been

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easily dismissed, but he said it loudly enough
that a group of Harvest Guild

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members became interested and wandered over.

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To make matters worse, the merchant guards also
now seemed to be more

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interested in the ranger with the hidden face than
the mischievous gang.

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Allard knew that if he showed his face, at least
someone would know who he

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was. With all of the chaos around Raylan and the
violence in the lower quarter,

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he was certain that it would lead to him being
arrested.

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So, he crossed his arms and leaned forward.

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"You are in no position to be so rude to a ranger
here visiting his family."

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To reinforce his point, he pointed to the man's
chest and added, "I'm

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happy to walk around you, but don't make the
mistake of making me go through you."

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To Allard's relief, the young man immediately fell
back, cowered.

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"It is like that with bullies," Allard thought as
he prepared to continue

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his journey. Unfortunately, the merchant guards
were close enough to hear,

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and they marched over.

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"Threatening guild members isn't very polite
behavior from a visitor,"

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the leader of the guard said, walking right up to
Allard.

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Allard turned and looked at him. He was slight,
but had the arrogant look

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of someone with unearned power. "He insulted me
for being a ranger."

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"I heard no such thing,"

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the guard replied, putting his hand on his
sheathed sword.

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Allard shrugged and leaned into his explanation.

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He had no other option. "You didn't hear the
beginning of the conversation,

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but I apologize for any threat I may have made. I
will simply be on my way.

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I am due in the plains soon."

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Taking a step forward, Allard had to stop as the
merchant guard stepped in front of

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him.

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"Show your face."

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The other guards backed up the main guard, and to
make matters worse, the Harvest

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Guild members wandered over. Knowing that if he
showed his face, he would

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immediately be arrested, Allard decided to focus
on the element of

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surprise and flee. The only trouble was that he
was, by now, surrounded by

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people from three different guilds, as a few
knights had wandered over too.

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Considering his options, he figured the Harvest
Guild members would see him as a

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brother guild member and let him through.

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Shoving aside the merchant guard, Allard sprinted
toward the Harvest Guild

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group, hoping that he could run around them or
that they would part and let him

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pass. After that, Allard planned on running
directly into the Lower

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Triangle, which was across the road, and using a
variety of alleys and

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hedges to escape.

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It was a risky plan, but all he had.

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It failed immediately.

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The Harvest Guild members grabbed him as he went
to pass.

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Allard stumbled, and as he regained his balance, a
Harvest Guild member

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yanked his hood back, exposing his face and head.

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"The traitor,"

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shouted one man.

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"Pretending to be the guild he betrayed, with the
outlanders.

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Shame," cried a woman.

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The moment his face was exposed, Allard realized
he had only one option:

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fight his way out. The merchant guard approached
with his sword, looking to

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either kill Allard outright or seriously injure
him.

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Reaching above his head as he spun into a small
clearing near the Harvest Guild members,

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Allard slid out his great broadsword.

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Unarmed guild members fled as the knights rushed
forward.

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The merchant guard had no time to react, and
before he realized who he was

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facing, his sword arm lay on the ground next to
him, detached from his

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body after a vicious swing of Allard's blade.

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Looking around as armed men approached, Allard
pointed his sword at two

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knights. "I am departing in that direction.

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You have two options: move or die."

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The men didn't move, and Allard rushed forward,
his sword in front of him.

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As they lifted their swords and held their ground,
Allard spun slightly

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and slashed the sword on the left aside.

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As the man's body turned, Allard barreled into
him, his great

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size easily knocking the man to the ground.

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From behind, a sword struck his shoulder, which
clanged against his armor.

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The blow knocked Allard's sword arm down, however,
and the other knight

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swung his sword, slashing Allard's thigh.

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Allard went down, his armor protecting him from
serious damage, but

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still allowing the edge to bite home.

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As he hit the ground, the Harvest Guild members
swarmed him, grabbing his sword and

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kicking him in the head and chest and legs.

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Another sword swing struck him in the arm, cutting
through his leather armor.

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His arm wasn't broken, but it was sliced badly
with blood now flowing

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freely. Allard tried to stand, but the blows
continued.

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A kick to the side of his head filled his eyes
with fog.

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Expecting that this would be his end, Allard's
only hope was that Raylan

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would find enough help within the guild to finish
Pietro's mission.

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They had been so close, even with Lassen's
machinations.

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The blows stopped, but Allard couldn't open his
eyes as they were swollen shut.

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"Now comes the killing blow," he thought.

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But as the thought filled his head, an old voice
yelled out from the mist.

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"Hold! He is ours."

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There was a chorus of angry voices, and then a
loud, clear voice spoke again.

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"He is ours."

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Right before he finally lost consciousness, Allard
wondered who was

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claiming him,

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and what it meant.

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(instrumental music plays)