The Thieves Guild
by Jake Kerr.
Episode 10:
The Founders Day Banquet.
Raylan and Allard arrived at Merchant Tower 45 minutes after they left the
parade float. They were both in their dress robes, walking briskly to the door to the
banquet hall when Raylan stopped suddenly. He looked up at Allard.
How do I look?
Like a guild master.
Raylan smiled.
And how do I smell?
There was a pause, and then Allard replied-
Better than you did earlier.
Good enough.
Allard entered first. A knight moved to block their access to the banquet hall.
Allard stopped and swiped his robe behind his scabbard, revealing his mammoth
broadsword.
You can either move aside for the guild master thief, or we will step over your body.
In either case, we will enter the banquet hall and the guild master will join the meeting.
The knight slowly moved to the side, and Allard ignored him as he strode
forward and threw open the double doors.
Allard straightened his robe, and Raylan followed him into the room.
As Raylan followed behind Allard, he was met by a long, narrow
room with servants resetting the tables and carrying out bins full of broken
glass, food, and towels stained with wine and other drink.
The guild masters milled about as their place settings were restored.
Raylan was going to ask where they should sit, but Allard strode straight to a dais at the
end of the hall with a table upon it. The guild masters knight, Harvest,
Craft, and Merchant were milling about talking, their deputies close by.
Allard stopped at the base of the steps leading up to the dais.
The guild master thief requires a place setting.
Sax glared at him, but didn't move. The other guild masters seemed amused.
Larson walked over, his face turning red.
What are you doing here?
He whispered through clenched teeth as he looked down at them from the top of the stairs.
I'm here for the banquet. I'm a guild master, am I not?
Raylan decided to keep a serious tone.
He knew he belonged, and mocking his brother wouldn't achieve anything.
He wanted to make a statement, and his presence, not his words, would be that
statement.
The Thieves Guild isn't even a guild, Raylan. You know that.
Have you forgotten the parade?
Larson was trying to keep his voice down, but Raylan could tell he was losing his temper.
You disrespect Guild Master Pietro.
Larson's jaw dropped at the deep voice of Allard, interrupting their conversation.
Just because he chose not to attend the banquet does not mean that he wouldn't have been welcome, or that his
peers would not have recognized him.
Allard glanced back at the guild masters milling about.
Raylan marveled at how Allard was able to evoke the beloved Pietro to establish
respect for the guild, and Raylan himself.
Sax, the portly guild master knight, walked over.
You're a fine one to discuss disrespect, you coward.
He pointed at Allard with a finger extended from a wine goblet, which
spilled as he waived his hand while he talked.
But you live with that shame all year long as you scurry around in your black.
He turned to Larson.
Let the pathetic boy and his lackey enjoy the banquet, Larson.
He took a drink from his goblet.
It's one day in the year.
We'll go back to abusing them tomorrow.
(laughs)
He laughed and turned back to the other guild masters.
Larson walked down the stairs and stood next to Raylan.
He stopped so close that their toes nearly touched.
He leaned forward and whispered through gritted teeth.
I know it was your friend, Rafe, in here earlier. Look around.
You can see the damage he did.
Are you happy? You've had your fun. Now, leave me be for another year.
Raylan shook his head.
I'm not leaving.
What more damage could you possibly do? Just leave.
Larson spat out the words, venom dripping from his voice.
This is the guild master feast as part of Founders Day.
Raylan said the words loudly as he smoothed the folds of his black robe.
I'm a guild master.
People looked their way, and the other members of the council stared at
them.
Raylan said nothing else as Larson's face turned redder and redder.
He opened and closed his mouth as if about to say something, but nothing came out.
Finally, he shook his head and announced-
Of course, we're not used to having the guild master thief attend this event, but that does not mean we
cannot find room for him.
He looked around, pointed at the other end of the room, and then
added-
I believe there is room at the end of the table near the guild master pig's herd.
With that, Larson spun on his heels and returned to the council table.
Raylan made his way past guild masters draped in yellow, blue, and
green. They all looked up at him, their faces revealing a mixture of curiosity,
bemusement, and condemnation.
At the end of the table, a place was being set for him between a stout man with a
misshapen nose and thick brown hair, and a thin woman with wiry
brown hair.
They both wore the green robe of the Harvest Guild.
The man's was edged with a brown, black, and yellow pattern that Raylan assumed
indicated the pigs herders. The woman's robe was lined in an elaborate
pattern of yellow and blue. She refused to look at Raylan and kept her back to him.
Raylan sat down and Allard stood guard behind him, his hand resting on the pommel
of his sword. While Raylan took a long drink of water, the man leaned toward
him.
I'm Percy, sir guild master.
He had a big smile on his face, which revealed several missing teeth.
Nice to meet you, Percy, but you can call me Raylan.
He shook the man's hand with a firm grip.
No need for this sir business between guild masters, don't you think?
Ah, I'm not a guild master, sir.
The herdsmen haven't had a guild since we joined the farmers all those years ago.
He grabbed his robe at its edge.
This is all just for show. The real guild master is up on the stage there.
He nodded toward Polo, the Guild Master Harvest.
After Saxe and Larson, Raylan was surprised by such humility.
Don't be so humble, Percy. You still lead your fellow herdsmen, providing food and skins
for the city.
Aye, sir, but my voice is about as important as my pigs' when it comes to making
decisions.
He laughed and took a long drink from a glass of ale.
Raylan looked around. The feast appeared to have settled down.
All the thrown food and broken tableware had been removed, and servers were bringing
around greens and soup. On the dais, Saxe and Larson were laughing while
Orion looked quiet and pensive. Polo, the Guild Master Harvest,
looked depressed.
You should be on the dais.
It was Percy, who spat bits of greens out of his mouth as he spoke and ate at the same time.
That's where the true guild masters belong.
I'm just the guild master thief, Percy. We're not exactly a guild.
Raylan stabbed some greens the moment the bowl was placed in front of him.
He was famished.
Not true, sir. Not true at all. Look around.
Percy used his fork to point to the various guild masters in the room.
How many of these folks have deputies standing behind them?
It was true.
The four guild masters on the dais each had a deputy standing at attention
behind them.
The only other person with a deputy was Raylan, with Allard standing
behind him.
Percy continued.
Besides, you've seen the thieving statue in Founders Park.
Only the founding guilds have statues in Founders Park.
Raylan lowered his fork. Was this true?
Were the thieves one of the founding guilds?
He had never studied history and found the idea absurd. He turned to Allard.
Is this true?
Yes, the Thieves Guild is actually the third-oldest guild in Ness,
although why that is so is lost to history.
Still, I don't recommend you marching up and demanding to sit between your brother and Guild Master
Saxe if that's what you were thinking.
With a laugh, Raylan picked up his fork again.
No, I think not. Besides, this is better company.
Raylan raised his cup of ale to Percy, who returned the toast.
There was a loud thud from the other end of the room, and Raylan looked up to see Karch
standing before the table on the dais.
He stomped his boot onto the dais again
(footstomp) and the room quieted down.
He moved off to the side when there was silence, and Larson stood up.
Fellow guild masters, as the host of this year's Founders Day banquet, I welcome
you.
He looked around the room.
I see some new faces,
which is bittersweet,
as it means that while we have new friends, we have also lost some old friends.
So let us raise a toast to those that we have lost.
Larson glanced at his palm, and then continued.
Guild Master Marchand, Guild Master Sagan, and of course, Guild Master Pietro,
you will be missed.
"You will be missed," the room rang out as glasses were raised and then
drained. Larson put his glass down on the table behind him, and then
continued.
But life must go on as it has during our city's long and wonderful history.
So welcome, new guild masters.
Today you will bear witness to our debate and decisions on important guild business, a
tradition that goes back to the founders.
Larson looked around the room, and then continued.
The council will vote on four items this evening, but the most important will be the first.
Larson turned back to the table.
Guild Master Saxe will present the first item for vote. Guild Master...
Saxe stood up and bowed toward Larson, who moved back behind the table and sat down.
Saxe cleared his throat.
In the past, as Ness has grown and become more unified, we have seen fit to
consolidate guilds. This has been a tremendous boon to all of us.
The city runs better, and our leadership is more efficient.
Saxe looked somewhat nervous, and Raylan wondered where he was leading with his
preamble.
Guild consolidation has a long history at Ness, and has always been well-received.
Your council hopes this will again be the case, as our first vote is to unite the Harvest and
Merchant Guilds.
Raylan's jaw dropped. Such a decision would pretty much destroy the guild
system.
Now his brother would be the undeniable leader of Ness.
The Craft Guild's voice would be powerless, and the Knights Guild, what about them?
Why was Saxe going along with this?
There was a loud murmur across the room, punctuated by some raised voices.
No one shouted however.
Raylan couldn't believe it. "Are they all going to go along with this?"
He turned to Percy.
"What do you think, Percy?"
Bah, we've been through this before.
Does it matter if he's leading us?
Percy pointed his fork toward Polo.
Or him?
He then pointed it at Larson.
Saxe stomped his foot.
(footstomp)
It is time to vote.
Raylan turned back to Allard.
"This can't be good, can it, Allard?"
His deputy shook his head.
No, and I cannot believe that Saxe would betray his own guild like this.
Council,
Saxe raised his voice.
the matter of uniting guilds is a serious one, and our founders made it clear that we cannot
do so if more than one of us objects. So in the matter of uniting the Harvest and Trade
Guilds, how do you vote, yea or nay?
"Yea," Larson replied. "Craft?" "Yea," answered
Orion, although there wasn't much enthusiasm in his voice.
"Guild Master Harvest, how do you vote?" "Nay."
Polo sounded utterly defeated. "And I vote for the Knight Guild with a
yea." Larson had a big smile on his face, as did Karch behind him.
"It is settled then, with only one objection.
The Harvest Guild and Merchant Guilds are hereby-"
It is not settled.
The booming voice of Allard echoed through the hall.
Everyone turned to face him, including Raylan.
The guild master thief has not voted.
Raylan stared at Allard. Saxe had a sneer on his face as he
replied. "That is amusing, Deputy,
and with how this evening has begun, it certainly is not surprising, but I'm afraid the Thieves Guild does
not have a vote in these proceedings."
That is not true.
A firm voice from the dais broke through the buzz in the room.
Saxe turned to face Polo, who suddenly seemed more animated than he had the
entire evening. "What do you mean by this, Polo?
You have lost. Don't make this difficult."
The old guild master replied with a laugh.
It would do well for you to learn your guild history, Saxe.
The Thieves Guild has always been a guild on the council.
Just because Pietro had no interest in guild matters doesn't change that fact.
Polo took a bite of a piece of bread as Saxe just stared at him.
It is true, you know.
Guild Master Orion added. "Shut up, Orion," Larson stated as he fell back
into his chair. He looked across the room at Raylan.
Raylan pushed back his chair and stood up.
He walked along the side of the hall toward the dais, every eye on him.
As Raylan walked onto the stage with Allard close behind, Saxe looked like he was
about to explode, while his brother had never looked angrier, his suppressed
rage given no outlet. Larson stared hard at Raylan as if
he could will him to vote yea. Raylan turned and faced the room.
The thieves vote nay.
Larson lowered his head while Saxe growled and grabbed at Raylan.
Allard pulled Raylan away with one hand and shoved Saxe back toward the
table with the other.
Dinner is over, sir.
Allard said as he dragged Raylan toward the front of the room.
There were shouts from the podium, and as Raylan looked back he could see Polo's deputy
struggling with Saxe's deputy. The entire hall was in an uproar.
A tankard of ale glanced against Raylan's shoulder when they were almost to the end
of the hall. The clattering of the tankard on the floor appeared to ignite the rest of the
room, and Raylan again found himself the target of food and projectiles.
Shouts of anger followed him. A few men in the yellow of the Craft Guild blocked the
door.
Don't be foolish.
Allard growled, unsheathing his sword.
The men fell back, but Raylan couldn't ignore the hatred on their faces.
They were well beyond the hall when Raylan glanced back. No one was following them.
Why was everyone so mad at me, Allard?
Raylan couldn't understand how the lesser guild masters couldn't see that their
own guild masters were selling them out to his brother.
Their guild master voted yea, and you voted nay.
That's enough for most of them.
Raylan nodded.
Even when he was doing the right thing, he was making enemies.
So what do you think Larson will do next?
Allard stopped, turned, and leaned toward Raylan.
He will either give up or assassinate you.
His voice was low and intense.
Which do you think?
Allard didn't move.
I think I should relocate to the thieves tower.
Allard nodded.
A wise choice.
He turned to lead Raylan on, but stopped and turned again.
He reached his hands up and lowered his hood.
His newly uncovered eyes flickered in the torchlight as he stood straight.
May I ask you a question, sir?
Raylan looked up and nodded.
Why did you attend the dinner tonight?
Raylan tried to gauge Allard's motivations for asking the question, but he could tell
nothing from his face and Allard's voice was, as always, even and
businesslike. He decided to just be honest.
Because even if Larson felt that he could treat me with disrespect, he should not
treat the guild that way.
I thought a lot of Guild Master Pietro as I sat in that cage today.
As the stones struck me and the piss splashed on my head, I realized that I've
never seen a nobler man in my life. He took the abuse and smiled.
He took the ridicule in the streets and cracked jokes.
He didn't deserve that, and the guild deserves more respect than it receives.
Raylan laughed.
(laughs) I guess they learned that today.
Allard didn't say anything for some time, but just stared at Raylan.
Finally, he replaced his hood and bowed his head.
You are an honorable young man, Guild Master Raylan.
Raylan smiled.
Well, as much honor as there is among thieves.
(dramatic music)