The Thieves Guild
by Jake Kerr
(dramatic music plays) . Episode 40:
Outside the City.
Raylan galloped straight through the Old Quarter towards the gate to the southwest of the city.
The buildings and streets were mostly a blur as he swept by, but he could still make out
majestic architecture, solid old masonry, and well-kempt
streets. Despite the common title of being the Wretched Quarter, this side of the
Great River wasn't wretched so much as old.
Raylan had to admit that the Old Quarter was shabby, but there was a
solidity about it that he found noble.
It made him think of the lessons he had been taught by his tutor in his parents'
mansion in the Upper Triangle.
He had said that the residents of the city moved across the river because the fields had
died and the mines had run out of iron and coal.
Without its lifeblood, the original city had decayed to its current state of
wretchedness.
Those that left behind were criminals or those that refused to work hard enough to
establish a homestead in the new part of the city.
As a result, they lived in squalor with murder and burglary a common occurrence.
At least, that's what Raylan had been taught.
Some of the pieces made sense to him. If the old city ran out of food, there was no
choice but to leave. But did it really run out of food?
Clearly some people stayed behind. Also, it was an open secret that the hard
workers that did the dirtiest and most menial of jobs lived in the
Wretched Quarter. There was no way they were lazy.
So what was going on? Raylan was starting to think it had more to do with
inequality and greed. One of the missing pieces that Raylan now
understood was that the Thieves Guild ran the Old Quarter.
They fed and took care of the residents by stealing food and clothing from the other
guilds. That made him think that the Ash Fields were probably truly ash,
and that the mines on this side of the river were also empty.
It was also clear that no one in Ness realized this.
All of the complex pieces that made the Old Quarter run in secrecy,
pieces that Guildmaster Pietro had built over his long life, were now in Raylan's
hands. He had ridden through the Founder's Day parade thinking that he was being
punished, but the reality was that he was now in charge of the lives of
many people. It was overwhelming.
Raylan caught the looks of many faces as he rushed by, his black outfit generating
smiles and not disdain, fear, or hatred.
What happened to the Old Quarter and its residents?
How did they come to rely on the black of the thieves and not the white of the knights?
Raylan committed himself to finding out when he returned from his current mission, which
was to stop Karch from negotiating an assassination with the Outlanders.
Allard had given him the most basic of guidance.
There was a smaller gate that led to the plains at the end of the main thoroughfare
that went from the Great Bridge and through Founder's Square.
Raylan was to go through the gate and then head to the northwest until he hit the main road to the
Outlands.
At that point, he would track down Karch and shadow him to see what he could
find out about his mission, and if possible, stop him.
How he was to do that was unknown, which suited Raylan fine.
At one point, Allard handed Raylan a small ring with a single onyx stone in
it. It fit his pinky finger perfectly.
"I was hoping to do this at an official ceremony, but you have made that
impossible."
Allard sounded annoyed. "This is the official seal of the Thieves Guild.
It identifies you as the guild master. It will help you with the Outlanders.
They are suspicious of everyone from Ness, but Guildmaster Pietro and I have earned their trust
through the years." "Thank you, Allard."
Raylan looked at it as he slipped it on his finger. "This is a seal.
There is nothing but a smooth black stone. How can this be a seal?" Allard smiled.
"Our seal is much like the guild itself: inscrutable and seemingly with no
productive use."
Raylan held up his hand. "I will wear it with pride." "There is one
other thing." "Yes?" "The Ranger Guild and I have had our differences.
They see the Thieves Guild as your brother does, a joke for the populous to enjoy.
However, the guild master, Quinto, hates me from my days as a knight." "So avoid the
Rangers?" "I would recommend that, yes." "What did you
do?" He remembered Saxes and others' comments describing Allard
as a coward or a traitor. "That is a tale for another day."
And with that exchange, Raylan had all the information for his mission that he was
to get.
Raylan approached the gate and smiled.
He had spent his whole life causing harmless mischief.
He loved the outraged looks of the officious jerks he had taken down a peg or
two.
Here he was doing the same thing, only the mischief had much greater consequence
and he was actually helping people.
Raylan paused as he approached the gate.
A massive tower made of what looked like raw stone from the mountain itself
rose high into the air on his left. It was far larger than the merchant tower.
"That is my new home," Raylan thought.
He had expected the tower to be in a state of decay.
Pietro hadn't lived there, and as far as Raylan knew, it had been empty for decades.
Yet it was as clean and solid as if it were well-cared-for.Far above him,
Raylan could see a balcony.
He looked forward to standing on it and surveying the city someday, but for now,
he had a mission.
The gate was not far from the tower.
It was small but solid, about 12 feet high and similarly wide.
It was dwarfed by its sister gate on the other side of the river near the Knight Tower.
Yet this smaller counterpart was still strong and thick, a combination of iron and
wood.
Two men in armor approached from an alcove in the wall near the gate.
They looked like the Whiteguard members who manned the wall.
They wore armor and bore heavy weapons, but they were wearing black, not white.
Hail, what's your name and business?
One of the guards asked.
I am Raylan, the guildmaster thief. I am on a mission to the Outlands.
Raylan held up his hand, palm facing himself so that the two could see the guild
seal. The two stepped aside, one to the left and the other to the right,
and bowed.
It is an honor to meet the new guildmaster.
The one on the left said.
Bowing his head, Raylan replied.
The honor is mine. You serve the guild well. What are your names?
Bell, said the one on the left.
Karrich, said the one on the right.
Raylan nodded to them. He started ahead but paused as he passed the two guards.
How far is the main road to the Outlands?
It is far. We avoid the wall where the Whiteguard patrols, so this path
goes far to the west before turning north to join the main.
Much of it is through rocky paths, and the crossing over the river is often too deep for passage.
Take care with your horse's footing.
Raylan looked up.
The Knight Guild doesn't patrol the wall in this direction?
Karrich replied.
They don't cross the river. The old wall is considered haunted.
Are you saying the Knight Guild leaves the city unprotected?
With a chuckle, Bell motioned over his shoulder toward the city.
They believe it unnecessary. The river would be a natural obstruction, and the great bridge
is well-defended.
Plus, the Ranger Guild is active in the plains.
They would give the Knights time to prepare a defense.
Karrich added.
What is the likelihood of me running into the Ranger Guild?
Pretty high, but they leave us alone. They don't seem to care much about what happens inside the city.
Raylan nodded.
Thank you for your help.
Be well.
And with a kick, Raylan and his horse lunged forward and through the gate.
For the first time in his life, Raylan was outside the city
(dramatic music)
.