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The Thieves Guild

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by Jake Kerr

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(dramatic music plays) . Episode 122:

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A Reluctant Guildmaster.

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"I'm

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not cut out for this."

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Rafe said the words more to himself than to Felos,
whose towering

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presence stood before him.

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Rafe was sitting in Raylan's office, and he was
doing Guildmaster things with

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Allard missing and Raylan still away at the
Outlanders.

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Or was Raylan missing?

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No one seemed to know.

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"You are the apprentice Guildmaster, and without a
Guildmaster and

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assistant Guildmaster, that makes you the person
in charge."

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Felos' steady voice mirrored his countenance.

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"Please sit. You're making me uncomfortable
standing there at attention while I complain about
being an

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acting Guildmaster.

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If you're going to listen to me complain about my
life, you can at least do so in a less stiff
manner."

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"Is that an order?"

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"By the gods, Felos, please just sit."

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Felos sat down, but looked uncomfortable doing so.

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As Raylan's, and now presumably Rafe's, bodyguard,
his job was to be

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alert at all times.

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"It's just that I'm not sure what to do."

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Miyo, the Captain of the Plains, traveled to the
tower to personally outline

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his concerns.

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His sources in the Ranger Guild had informed him
that Raylan had met with a ranger

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captain named Jesser, who gave him an escort.

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After that, there was no information.

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Rafe couldn't figure out what was happening.

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Raylan had been gone too long for just delivering
a message, and with the help of the

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rangers, it seemed like his mission should even
have been shorter.

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In their previous conversations, Raylan had
mentioned that the Outlanders were

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simply looking to survive, and that he trusted
their leader, Wilhelm.

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Miyo seemed concerned however, and that made Rafe
even more nervous.

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Did Raylan die on the trip out or back?

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Rafe didn't even know how dangerous the Outlands
were.

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Could there be monsters, perhaps even a dragon?

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Was Raylan imprisoned by the Outlanders?

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Rafe felt powerless with the lack of information.

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"What are your options?"

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Felos' steady voice broke Rafe out of his reverie.

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"I don't know."

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Rafe dropped his head to the desktop.

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"Why don't you start with what you would do to
help a friend?"

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The comment was a morning ray of light from the
rising sun, turning a

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gloomy landscape into one bursting with awakening
life.

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What would he do to help a friend?

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He raised his head to a new day.

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"I would go out and search for my friend."

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Felos was going to say something, but Rafe held up
his hand.

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"But I can't do that, as I'm the acting
Guildmaster.

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So I would gather others to go look for him.
Perhaps a number of small groups.

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One to follow his path, one to wander south of the
Great Road, and one to search north of the Great
Road."

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"And if the one following his path reaches
Gautland without finding him?"

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"Then he is still there, and I will have to
organize a diplomatic mission.

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One that hopefully has enough force to be taken
seriously, but not so much to be seen as a
threat."

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Felos nodded.

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"I will relay this to Miyo to organize."

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Rafe blinked. Did he just create a follow-up plan
to find Raylan?

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And was it a good one? Before Rafe could ponder
what was happening, Felos

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broke in.

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"Allard is missing."

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Rafe considered what he knew.

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When Allard hadn't returned, he sent word out to
the captains.

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Kalos had replied with a message that Allard had
sent Vesper on a mission to

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Harvest House. It seemed too risky to Rafe.

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He still didn't trust Vesper, but Allard was
confident in his loyalty,

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and Rafe trusted Allard more than his own
instincts.

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The meeting was in the warehouse district, and as
far as Kalos knew, Allard

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was on his way back to the Guild Tower.

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"He is out there. I don't want to disturb him if
he is on a mission of his own, but it would be
good

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to make sure he is okay."

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Felos nodded, a subtle encouragement to go on.

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"But it would be good for us to confirm he is
okay.

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Who is the captain of the lower quarter?"

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"Rogers now oversees the entire lower quarter,
after Mailer was named Blade by

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Guildmaster Raylan."

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"I don't remember seeing a report from him."

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Rafe looked through a pile of messages on his
desk.

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Some diligently printed, some hastily scribbled,
all from the various

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captains.

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"He is missing as well."

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"By the gods, Felos."

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Rafe felt overwhelmed. He now had three key
leaders in the guild

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missing. What would he do for a friend?

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Rafe sat up straight and looked Felos in the eye.

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"The captains are overwhelmed. We need information
from the thieves on the streets, in the alleys,
and

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hidden in buildings."

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Felos nodded.

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"We need to focus on the lower quarter.

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Send out a group of thieves to investigate where
Rogers and Allard were last seen.

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I don't care how many, send however many can get
the job done."

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"It shall be done, sir."

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"You don't have to call me sir. You know I'm just
the guild librarian."

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"You're not acting like one."

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Felos smiled and stood up.

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"Your orders are good ones. We must find out what
is happening.

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A vacuum of guild leadership is dangerous."

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Felos walked toward the door, stopped, and turned.

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"Thankfully, we don't have one in the tower."

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Before Rafe could reply, Felos exited the room and
silently

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closed the door.

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Despite the commands and Felos' surprising
compliment, Rafe still felt

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powerless.It was true that the captains had
everything in order.

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The refugees in the old quarter were doing well,
the lower quarter appeared

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stable, and Dirk didn't see any dire threats, and
felt

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guild defenses were strong. So why did everything
feel like it was on the

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edge of falling apart?

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Ugh, I'm not cut out for this.

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Rafe organized the various messages on Raylan's
desk into a neat

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pile. He had barely finished when there was a firm
knock on the door.

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"Enter."

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Filos entered with a man Rafe didn't recognize.

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He was old, with a face darkened by a life in the
sun.

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He wore the green of the Harvest Guild, and strode
in with the confidence of

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someone on a mission. Rafe stood up as Filos waved
the man

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toward Rafe and the desk. The man spoke as he
approached, while

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Filos stood close by with his hand on the pommel
of his sword.

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"I am told you are the acting guildmaster."

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He bowed.

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As the man stood at attention, Filos nodded to
Rafe, taking up a

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position behind him.

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"I am."

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Rafe waved at the seat.

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"But no bows are necessary. I am not the true
guildmaster."

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The man sat and leaned forward.

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"I am Simpson, and I bear a message from
Guildmaster Polo."

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The man could have said any number of things, but
none of them would have stunned Rafe

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more than what he had just said.

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"Guildmaster Polo has a message for the
guildmaster thief?"

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The man nodded and reached into a dusty vest.

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Filos tensed, but the man pulled out a parchment.

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"I am to read it in your presence." "We honor your
guild and Guildmaster Polo.

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By all means, read his message. I'm looking
forward to it."

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Rafe tried to maintain a certain level of
formality, but his own sense of

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wonder and enthusiasm couldn't help but sneak
through.

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As Simpson read, Rafe couldn't help but hear
Polo's voice

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behind the words.

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"Guildmaster Raylan, we live in troubling times.

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This letter is intended as a step to make those
times less troubled.

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My loyal guild member, Simpson, who stands before
you, made me aware of your guild

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and your efforts to serve those of other guilds
that suffer through neglect or

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inattention.

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I was unaware of this, which is a fault solely my
own, and which is now

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corrected.

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Still, I cannot condone the methods of the Thieves
Guild, as

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honorable as those intentions may have been.

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This letter is to inform you that things are
changing.

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Ness is facing a horrible time, but we will
prevail.

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And when we do, the Thieves Guild will no longer
be needed, nor will it be

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tolerated to exist.

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However, until that time arrives, I will honor
your goals,

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if not your methods.

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As such, I will not take any action against your
guild.

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You are to continue with your current care for
those displaced from the lower quarter.

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You are solely to assist them and do no more.

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Ness is facing a civil war, you can help most by
not being involved and helping

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those that are innocent victims.

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How you manage this time will have a great bearing
on how we manage the Thieves Guild

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afterward.

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To that end, I've imprisoned Assistant Guildmaster
Alard.

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I was inclined to have him executed for crimes
against Ness, but I believe that his life

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will be an appropriate insurance that you comply
with my demands.

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I will release him when the Thieves Guild ceases
to exist.

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How long that will take, I cannot say.

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I am sure that you have a captain in the lower
quarter.

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As a show of good faith, you will have your
captain report to my new

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captain of the lower quarter for guidance.

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Having them work together when the guild members
return from the old quarter will be

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beneficial to all of us. His name

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is Rogers. You were a mischievous child, Raylan.

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I tolerated that out of respect for your family.

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I'm glad I did, as it appears that you have
brought a wisdom to the guild that I didn't think

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existed within you. Simpson has testified to that.

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Do not fall back on your former ways.

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Be wise.

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It is signed by Polo."

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Simpson handed the parchment to Rafe.

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Rafe looked it over and admired Polo's elegant
script.

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It wouldn't have looked out of place in a book in
the guild library.

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"How am I to respond to this letter?" "You are
not.

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Polo believes your actions will be all the
response he needs.

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I am to return to the old quarter and spread this
message to the guild members there."

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Rafe thought that over. Would sharing this message
be good or bad for the

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thieves? Did he even have a choice? If Polo was
correct, and the entire

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goal of the Thieves Guild, "We take so we can
give," was no longer

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necessary, then the guild's existence was

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unnecessary.

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And that thought led to a new one:

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They weren't really the Thieves Guild anyway.

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They were the disguised magic guild.

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How, Rafe had no idea, but he knew it was true.

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Perhaps this is what was needed for the guild to
embrace its true

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nature.

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Rafe made his decision. It may not have been what
Raylan or

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Alard would want, but Rafe knew in his soul that
this was the guild's

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future.

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"Thank you, Simpson."

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Rafe stood up, which led to Simpson scrambling to
his feet out of respect.

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"Your mission is clear. Work with our guild to
help yours as you stay within the safety of the
old

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quarter.

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We welcome this collaboration with our guild
brothers and sisters." "And Rogers?"

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That was the one part of the message Rafe was
still marveling over.

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Polo said this Lower Quarter captain was new.

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Could Polo's Rogers be the same Rogers of the
Thieves' Guild?

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After all, Rogers was missing. Could he have
somehow infiltrated the

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Harvest Guild enough to be named a captain?

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I will have my captains seek out Rogers.

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Rafe turned to the guard who towered over the old
Simpson.

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Feel free to escort Simpson to the Old Quarter.

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Yes, sir.

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As the two departed, Rafe thought over how things
had changed dramatically

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within minutes. He no longer had to worry about
anyone attacking the Thieves'

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Guild.

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They simply had to navigate the Harvest Guild at
war with the merchants and knights.

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Everyone knew that the Ranger Guild was closer to
the Harvest Guild than their own knight

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brothers, so Rafe was certain that the Rangers
would join with the Harvest Guild.

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That would also create more safety for the
thieves.

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Assuming the thief Rogers was the same person as
the Harvest Guild Rogers,

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that left only two problems: Relan was missing,
and Allard was

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imprisoned.

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He had already sent out commands to find Relan,
which left

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Allard.

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Rafe respected Guildmaster Polo, but holding a
guild member hostage,

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especially Allard, was not acceptable.

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Besides, Rafe could see Polo releasing Allard,
only to have him

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killed by his former guild, the knights, who hated
him.

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Rafe decided that with everything else seemingly
under control, he would

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focus on one thing: breaking out Allard.

231
00:13:49,631 --> 00:14:28,652
(dramatic music)