The Thieves Guild
by Jake Kerr.
Episode 24:
The Old Quarter.
The entrance to the Old Quarter was sad and depressing.
As Raylan walked off the bridge, he stepped into a world of decaying buildings,
huts made from what looked like old furniture repurposed into tied-together
walls and roofs, and streets full of brush and dirt and grime.
"This really is the wretched Quarter," Raylan thought.
The thought that a large number of people lived in these conditions broke his heart.
At least he couldn't see anyone sleeping on the crumbling cobblestone or in the door
frames of collapsed houses.
A laugh caught Raylan's attention, and as he looked off to the left, he saw a group of
Harvest Guild workers laughing as they walked along the main road that connected with the
great bridge.
That led Raylan to look around, and what he saw shocked him.
While the buildings were falling apart, the people seemed normal, even
happy. None of them were walking to any of the buildings that were on the verge of
collapse.
They all seemed to be heading toward the center of the Old Quarter, down the main road.
Not what you thought you'd find?
Said a voice to Raylan's left.
It was the dirty man who had helped him after he was pulled from the
horse.
No, I can't say it is.
Raylan stared ahead as he slowly followed the groups of people walking down the road.
Where is everyone heading?
To their homes, of course.
He waved an arm from left to right.
This is all just for show.
The whites never come further than the end of the bridge.
Raylan stopped. "Wait. So this isn't the Old Quarter?"
Aye, it is, but the Old Quarter is large and contains many secrets.
The man winked at Raylan.
They resumed walking.
"I'm Raylan."
Raylan held out his hand.
"Thank you for helping me."
I know who you are, Guildmaster. Was an honor to help you. I'm Trendle.
He grasped Raylan's hand in a firm handshake.
But the real credit goes to the Captain.
'Twas her idea to have everyone rush the bridge when you arrived.
"Captain."
Aye, Maela, she's the captain of the Flats.
She oversees operations there.
Nodding his head, Raylan asked,
"So all those people who rushed the bridge, that wasn't a normal crowd at the end of the day?"
No, sir. Maela put the word out and we organized everyone to mill about and wait for
the horses. Unfortunately, there was only one horse, but it was the important one.
Once we saw you, we all walked to the bridge."
Trendle nodded. "It was a good plan."
"Yes, it was. Genius, even."
Raylan looked around.
"So all these people agreed to help the thieves?"
Ah, no sir. All these people are thieves.
Raylan looked around at the people in the Harvest Guild green.
He thought back to the hundreds of people that helped him cross the bridge.
"All of them?"
Aye, all of us here crossed the bridge.
Raylan stopped again, which elicited a smile from Trendle.
"Everyone in the Old Quarter is in the Thieves Guild?"
Trendle nodded, and a stunned Raylan continued walking. He looked around.
The Old Quarter was huge, probably as big as the Flats, the Warehouse District, and
the Lower Triangle combined.
He could barely see the wall to the west in the distance.
In the distance to his left, behind fallen buildings, lay the Ash Fields.
If everyone in the Old Quarter was a thief, he worried about the job he had in front
of him.
It was huge, and it was wretched. His guild was truly
desperate.
At that moment, Raylan and Trendle turned a corner, and the crumbling houses and
buildings ended, replaced by a large square, which was bright and
clean and opened up in front of them. There was a tavern and a number of shops, and
families were walking around with carts full of food and goods.
As Raylan stood and stared, the people around him started to pull off their Harvest Guild greens,
replacing them with tunics, robes, and shirts of the black of the Thieves
Guild. Trendle smiled.
"Welcome to your new home, Guildmaster."
(instrumental music plays)