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The Thieves Guild

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by Jake Kerr.

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Episode 33:

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The Deputy Guild Master.

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Maylor's skillful lies to Tim, which made her
mission much easier in her first

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attempt to reach Polo, was now making her mission
much more difficult.

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If he saw her, he would know she wasn't a minor,
and she had no doubt he would drag her to

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prison.

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So she had to avoid all of the places that she had
staked out before in an effort to get

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close to Tim.

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Unfortunately, as he was a senior guard at Harvest
House, that meant that a lot of the

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places where she could get additional information
from senior Harvest Guild people were

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now closed to her. Tim would be there too.

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Harvest House stood in between the outer fields
and the Harvest District, where many of the

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senior guild officials lived.

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There was a thin strip of park beside the large
road that ran along the outer fields,

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and Maylor sat on a bench watching the fields of
golden grain blow in the wind while

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eating an apple and considering her options.

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She knew she really only had one option, and it
was an extremely dangerous

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one, sneaking up into Polo's quarters and talking
to him there.

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She didn't know who the blade of the Merchant
Guild was, but she knew they had

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one. And if that assassin wasn't able to get to
Polo, how did she think she

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could?

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The answer was ultimately one that Maylor couldn't
keep out of her head as she considered her

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options: the tree.

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She'd been half-kidding when she mentioned the
tree as a secret way to get to Polo's

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quarters, but the look on Tim's face had been
clear.

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There was some truth to her passing comment.

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The presence of guards near the tree in an empty
room also seemed to indicate that

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there was a passage there.

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The trouble was that as she ran up and moved
around the tree, she had looked closely for

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a passage, but found nothing. There was more than
enough room for a passage, but there

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were no doors or carved steps. So the question for
Maylor was whether she

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would have time to investigate the tree, find the
passage, and then climb to

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Polo's quarters before the guards grabbed her.

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She didn't want to kill them, as there was no
doubt that once she talked to Polo, she would

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be captured. Being captured after warning Polo of
an assassination attempt

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was one thing. Being captured after killing senior
guild guards was something else

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entirely.

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Reaching back, Maylor threw the core of the apple
with all her strength into the field.

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There was one other option, but Maylor had
resisted it, as she felt it would indicate

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that she was a failure:

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warn Polo's deputy, Esmer, instead of Polo
himself.

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Maylor had no doubt that if she could convince
Esmer, he would pass the message to Polo.

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Putting her pride aside, Maylor decided that
approaching Esmer was the prudent path

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forward. She would worry about the tree only if it
were necessary.

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Unfortunately, Esmer lived in an apartment on the
top floor of Harvest House like

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Polo, and he was careful about coming and going.

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She had been watching the entrance for days, and
he had not left once.

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Wiping her hands on her pants, Maylor made up her
mind.

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She'd stake out Harvest House for another two
days, and if she wasn't able to speak with

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Esmer, she would sneak in and talk to Polo
directly.

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The next morning, it was clear something was up.

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Maylor was sitting under a tree with a mug of tea,
keeping an eye on Harvest House,

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and without any warning, there was suddenly a
large group of guards in the green

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colors of the Harvest Guild standing outside the
entrance to the entry

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courtyard.

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Standing up, she walked over and leaned against a
tree, keeping a close eye

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on things.

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A few guild members exited Harvest House and
talked to one of the guards, who

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motioned down the road to the east in the outer
fields past the Great Wall.

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"Esmer is going to inspect the fields or
something," Maylor thought.

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She put her mug on the ground and walked up the
road and toward Harvest House.

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She knew what Esmer looked like. Everyone did.

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He was older than Polo himself, with pure white
hair and a long beard

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that hadn't been in fashion since before Maylor
was born.

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It was his trademark, however, and Maylor was
thankful for it.

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It made him easy to identify.

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As a deputy, Esmer was perfect for the apolitical
Polo.

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Esmer wouldn't be able to defend Polo with a
sword, as Allard could for Raillen,

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but he was without peer as a bureaucrat, running
the day-to-day operations of the

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largest and most complex guild in Ness.

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He was also practical and known for his common
sense.

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It made Maylor hopeful that he'd understand her
warning.

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And there he was, walking out of Harvest House,
surrounded by three

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guards.

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Maylor was thankful that Tim wasn't one of them.

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A carriage approached, and Maylor realized she had
very little time before Esmer was

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whisked away to his destination.

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She jogged in his direction, hoping that she
didn't look threatening.

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The guards finally noticed her when she was within
shouting distance.

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"Hold," one of them commanded, unsheathing his
sword.

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I have some information that I want to share with
the deputy. It is important!

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The guard ignored her pleas and held up his left
hand.

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"I said hold."

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I simply want to pass some words to him. I'm but a
concerned fellow guild member.

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Maela spoke the last few words loud enough for
Esmer to hear.

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Unfortunately, more guards had joined the first
and there was a half-dozen between

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her and Esmer. "Let the young woman approach,"
Esmer shouted.

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He had a clear, commanding voice. "Thank the
gods," Maela thought.

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The guards opened a path to Esmer, each holding an
unsheathed sword and

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watching her closely. As Maela approached, Esmer
whispered to one of his

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personal guards. The guard held up his hand, but
said nothing when Maela was about 10

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feet from Esmer. "He means business."

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Maela stopped and bowed.

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"Deputy, I have traveled here from the distant
outer fields."

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Esmer listened intently.

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"My uncle has a relative who is an Outlander.

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He was visiting recently, and in the midst of a
drinking game, one of them let slip some alarming
news."

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"Drinking with the Outlanders is alarming news in
and of itself," Esmer

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replied, eliciting laughs from his guards.

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"Alas, this is no laughing matter, Deputy.

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They have said that there's a plan to have an
Outlander assassinate Guildmaster Polo."

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Esmer's smile disappeared. "Come here and keep
your voice down." Maela approached, but was

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cognizant of the men in armor with unsheathed
swords pointing at her.

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"What is your name?"

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"Lavender," Maela replied, showing her palms and
bowing her head.

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"Tell me of this plot your uncle has uncovered,
and keep your voice down."

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Esmer nodded his head vaguely toward the fields.

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"No need to alarm anyone."

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"I have no details, but my uncle has been a local
guild member for decades.

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He is elderly or would have come himself, and he
told me that he believed the story.

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It is that the Outlanders hope to assassinate
Guildmaster Polo for some reason and..."

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Before Maela could continue, Esmer interrupted
her.

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"The threats to our guild master have been
substantiated by the Blade of the Guildmaster,

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but this information is new. I will take this to
the guild master and the other deputies.

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Threats from the Outlanders should be handled by
Ness, not a single guild."

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"Deputy, but won't that be foolish? I had heard of
the recent happenings at the

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guild banquet. Do you think trusting the other
guilds with this information is wise?

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They could use it against us."

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Esmer squinted his eyes. He didn't look angry so
much

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as suspicious. "So, you're from the outer fields
and you know of the happenings in the

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guild banquet?"

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"The guildmaster of the Orchards mentioned it to
my uncle," Maela replied, hoping

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that her excuse made sense. She was digging
herself deep in a hole that

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lies wouldn't be enough to escape from.

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"He did, did he? I believe I shall have a talk
with him about his loose lips then."

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Just as Maela breathed a sigh of relief, Esmer's
face moved from suspicion to

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a coldness that wasn't quite anger, but was close
enough to make Maela wonder if she was

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about to be tossed in the guild prison.

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"Lavender, I appreciate your concern over the
guild master's safety, but your arrogance

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at questioning my judgment is insulting and worthy
of punishment."

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He leaned forward. "How dare you ask me if a
decision of mine is wise?

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I was deputy of this guild before you were even
born." Esmer pointed to the road.

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"Go back to the fields. Work hard. Grow calluses
on your hands.

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Think about the value of your efforts.

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When you understand that, I am sure you will be
horrified at your insolence."

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Esmer nodded at his lead guard. "Now go." And like
that, there were a

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half-dozen men in armor between Maela and the
retreating deputy.

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"It looks like I need to visit the guild master,"
Maela thought as she walked back to her

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mug of tea, which was still where she left it.

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The trouble was that the response from Esmer made
her wonder if Polo would respond the

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same way.

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She would have to be blunt and honest in her
discussion with Polo, telling him exactly how
dealing with the

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Outlanders could hurt him via political
machinations.

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Maela didn't know what would be harder, getting in
to see Polo or making him believe her.

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(instrumental music plays)