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(dramatic music plays) The Thieves Guild,

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by Jake Care.

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Episode 121:

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Courage Rewarded.

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Such was Esmer's power and respect that not a
single guard challenged

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him as he escorted Rogers to the second floor of
Harvest House.

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There had been rumors that Esmer was to be the
guild master when the previous guild master

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died, but Esmer preferred his friend Polo to lead
the guild and

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quietly placed him in the position.

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Or such were the rumors.

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Esmer was quiet as they marched in and up the
staircase of the house.

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He nodded to salutes and smiled at greetings, but
for the entire short walk,

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he simply led Rogers forward. When they reached
the second floor, Esmer

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paused, turning to Rogers. "You have not been in
Harvest House before?"

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Only outside, sir.

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Esmer nodded. "Few are allowed on the second
floor.

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Even fewer are allowed in the guild master's
quarters. That's where I will be taking you.

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You are aware of the danger to Guild Master Polo?"

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Yes, sir. He is in danger of assassination.

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"Indeed, I trust Velo and I honor your courage in
defending your guild mates, but the danger to our

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guild master is great. For that reason, you will
enter that room." Esmer

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pointed to a tree that was also a door to the
left.

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The whole house was indeed a living thing.

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The floor was soft grass, and tree limbs and
flowers were everywhere.

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"You will be searched. It will not be pleasant,
but it is necessary." Esmer raised a

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hand and nearly instantly a guard was next to him.

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"You should consider it an honor.

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Search this young guild member for weapons." The
guard nodded his head and walked toward the

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tree door. Rogers followed. "Be respectful."

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The search was uncomfortable, but not abusive.

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As Rogers pulled his shirt over his head, he could
understand how Polo had avoided

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assassination. He had seen alcove after alcove on
the second and first

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floors that all had guards, and no one would
possibly be able to

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sneak a weapon into a meeting with the guild
master, assuming you could even

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procure a meeting. The guard returned him to
Esmer, who stood still with his

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hands clasped behind his back.

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The guard shook his head. "Very good.

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I had no concern, but one can't be careless or too
trusting.

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Follow me, Guild mate Rogers." Esmer started
toward the staircase to the third floor,

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which was guarded by no less than eight
heavily-armed guards, all of whom kept their

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hands at the ready. They ignored Esmer, but stared
intensely at Rogers as

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he took every step. Rogers wondered if he would be
stabbed if he stumbled on the

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staircase.

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The staircase curved and ended at a landing with a
wall made of tree bark.

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"Could that be a single massive tree?" Rogers
thought.

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It seemed impossible. A heavily-armored guard
stood in front of the wall,

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motionless. "Wait here." Esmer walked to the door
and ran his

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hand over the bark. Was it attuned to him?

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Was he pressing hidden buttons? Was it a code?

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Rogers had no idea, but the wood seemed to swirl,
as if a knot in the

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wood was unwinding. An opening appeared and Esmer
passed through it,

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and it immediately closed in a reverse swirl,
ending back into

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bark.

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Rogers didn't have long to wait. The opening
appeared and Esmer

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walked out. "Follow me." Rogers followed.

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The entryway was full of colorful flowers in full
bloom and lush, green

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plants that filled every corner. The walls were
bark and the

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floor was soft, green grass. It was much smaller
than Rogers

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expected, with a large bed at the far side of the
room, and across from it, a

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large circular stairway leading up to presumably
another floor.

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There was a massive window that looked out upon
the great wall.

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Standing in front of the bed with his arms behind
his back was Polo.

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He wore a flowing, green robe. Rogers was close
enough that he could see the

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lines on Polo's face. Polo had always been a
beloved guild master,

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considered naive and harmless by many.

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Oddly, at that moment, Rogers was struck by a
single thought: Why

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had Velo let this meeting happen? He knew that
Polo was in danger of

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assassination. He knew that Rogers was a thief,
and he knew that Cinto

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would find out.

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For some reason that Rogers couldn't fathom, it
seemed in hindsight like

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having Rogers meet Polo was his intent from the
start.

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Polo moved his hands out in a gesture of welcome,
and Rogers could see his and

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Velo's letter in his right hand. The hero of the
flats.

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Welcome, my loyal guild member.

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Polo gestured to his left. "Let us sit and talk."
Looking

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over to where Polo gestured, Rogers watched in
amazement as three chairs

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and a table grew out of the floor. Flowers and
plants retreated backward,

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making more room. Rogers was stunned, and would
have probably rudely just

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stared if Esmer hadn't patted him on the back and
given him a gentle push.

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Polo sat first, and before Rogers sat down, he
bowed.

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"It is an honor, my guild master."

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"The honor is mine, young man. Your courage was
inspiring.

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It is a story that will spread far and wide." Polo
leaned forward.

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"You are dusty and tired."

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"I'm sorry for my appearance, guild master."

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"It is not that. Our guild toils in the dust.

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It is who we are. I'm simply concerned for your
weariness."He looked at

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Esmer. "Could you retrieve us a pitcher and some
glasses, my friend?"

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He called Esmer his friend. PoLo's connection to
Esmer reminded

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Rogers of how the remarkable young Raylan acted
with Allard.

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As Esmer stood and walked off, PoLo's features
turned serious.

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"Tell me everything."

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Rogers wasn't sure if PoLo was testing him or not,
but the truth was

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easily told, so he told the story with very few
gaps.

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He mentioned names and extolled simple folk who
made heroic stands that

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ended with their life. At some point, Esmer had
returned, but the

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story was so engrossing for both teller and
receiver, that neither noticed.

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As he outlined the role the knights played, both
Esmer and PoLo shook their

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heads. PoLo looked visibly angry. "Everyone knows
that

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Sax is a drunken dolt. I was a fool, and did not
appreciate

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until the Founder's Day banquet that he would be
so easily duped by

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Larsen. I should have spent more time with him."

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PoLo threw up his hands. "But it seems that may
not have mattered.

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He's not just a dolt, he's a traitor to Ness, who
clearly had aspirations far

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beyond what his simple mind was capable of." PoLo
went silent, and

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Rogers was unsure if he was expected to talk, but
he was not foolish, and

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knew that the wisest path was to simply wait for
PoLo to invite him to

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speak.

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PoLo looked lost in thought until he suddenly
reached out, took a glass that

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was full of clear water, and took a long drink.

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He put the drink down and cleared his throat.

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"What do you know of the Thieves Guild?" Rogers'
breath caught

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and he tensed. There was only one reason that PoLo
would ask Rogers

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about the Thieves Guild, and that was him knowing
Rogers was a thief.

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Did Velo share that with Esmer when Rogers wasn't
paying attention?

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But PoLo hadn't hauled him off or had his guards
kill him.

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Something different was at play here.

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Without any insight into how to handle the
situation, Rogers decided to

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continue to play his role.

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"Thieves exist, of course, but they aren't part of
a guild.

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Guildmaster Pietro was just acting a part, and the
new guildmaster is but a boy."

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"That is what everyone thinks. What if I told you
that they were a

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real guild, and have established an entire city of
their own across the Great

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River?"

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"That sounds impossible, sir. The Wretched Quarter
is nothing but collapsed buildings and

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broken streets. Everyone knows the Ash Fields
can't grow food."

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"That was my understanding as well, but one of my
most respected guild

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members made the journey from the Old Quarter to
tell me the truth.

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He knows the Lower Triangle well, as his family
clears the streets.

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He used to work in the outer fields.

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His word is impeccable."

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PoLo leaned forward. "And do you know what he told
me?"

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"No, sir."

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"He described that the Thieves Guild claimed to
help the poorest of the other

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guilds, that the Thieves Guild is not really a
guild, but a collection of

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those from other guilds that have united together
to survive.

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Raylan spoke to him and let him travel to me to
deliver this message.

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He did not trust Raylan, but he felt it his duty
to deliver the message."

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PoLo peered at Rogers. "What do you think of
that?"

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Rogers paused to think of a response.

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PoLo could be testing him, but the more PoLo
talked, the less Rogers felt

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that likely.

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He decided to continue to play his part.

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"I find it rather unbelievable, sir.

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Why would members of the Harvest Guild require the
assistance of outsiders?

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Why would they live in the Wretched Quarter when
they could simply live in the Flats?

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It makes no sense to me."

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"It is as we all thought.

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But let me ask you this. If I were to climb those
steps to the top of my tower

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and look out toward the Lower Quarter and the
Flats, and if I were there

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and looking out toward the pit during your battle
with the Merchant Guild guards, what would

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I have seen?"

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"It is too far, sir.

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You would not have been able to see anything."

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"Exactly."

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PoLo pushed out his chair and rose. Rogers
scrambled to do that same

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thing, but Esmer put his hand on Rogers' arm and
shook his head no.

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Presumably this was a habit of PoLo's.

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He started to pace, his arms behind his back.

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"Civil war has come, Rogers. I know that you know
the Rangers

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have joined with us. Orion has proven to be a
brilliant politician and not the

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simpleminded man many have assumed.

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He has fooled many others, but he has not fooled
me.

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We will take the Night's Watch, we will take the
wall, and then we will imprison

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or kill Sax, Orion and his nephew." He paused in

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his pacing, and looked at Rogers. "When we have
united Ness, we

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will need to have someone to rally our lowliest
guild members from the Thieves

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Guild to our side. We cannot war with those that
feel they are not heard.

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We need to embrace them. I'm not sure how that
will go, but I will need someone that

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our guild members trust to be there to welcome
them,

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someone with courage and who has faced death on
their behalf, someone

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who can tell the thieves that they do not need to
exist because there is no

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need for them."

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PoLo walked over and put his arm on Rogers'
shoulder.

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"That man is you, Rogers. I'm making you the
captain of the Lower Quarter.

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You will help those there as we wage war. You will
protect them.

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You will welcome back those in the Wretched
Quarter, and you will lead the Harvest

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Guild members in the Lower Quarter to a new day, a
day without traitors like

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Larsen or Orion, and a day without thieves."

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PoLo squeezed Rogers' shoulder.

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"It would be an honor, sir."

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(instrumental music plays)