(suspenseful music) The Thieves' Guild
by Jake Kerr.
Episode 55:
Blood on the Bridge.
As much as Raylan hated Karch, he didn't want to see anyone die, so he
pushed his horse to the edge of its speed and endurance.
He wasn't sure how he could stop Karch, but if he could just warn him, it would be
something.
As he sped down the road, Raylan again marveled at how smooth and well-maintained it
was.
It was paved with large, flat stones, and was wide enough for two wagons to pass each other
without having to enter the dirt. He couldn't imagine the labor it took to
create it, as it extended from Ness presumably all the way to
Gautland. The plains went from scrubby grass to the greener grass that
was typical near the river, and to his right and left, Raylan could see small
forests or copses of trees. Raylan continued to squint into the
distance to find evidence of Karch and his guards, but there was no dust from the
stone road,
and as flat as the terrain was, he could see nothing.
After a few hours, what looked like a stone outcropping in the distance
slowly turned into a building, and the building finally revealed itself
as a huge castle.
It stood in the midst of the plains, with a small forest of trees to the north.
The road led straight to it. Raylan despaired that he'd be able to catch Karch
before he faced the dangerous Outlanders.
Patting his horse on its neck, Raylan soothed the poor beast.
"Just a little longer."
He was perhaps 30 minutes away when movement caught his eye.
It was far, so he couldn't see details, but it had to be Karch.
"I've caught him," Raylan thought.
The movement was between Raylan and the castle, but Raylan was catching up fast.
Remembering the words of the rangers, Raylan kept glancing all around, looking for a
force that might ambush Karch or Raylan himself. The plains looked clear.
His one concern was the forested area, which provided enough cover that guards
or knights could easily have been hiding there, waiting for Karch to get closer.
Raylan was minutes from intercepting Karch when the deputy guildmaster reached a
bridge that crossed a wide barrier of water around the castle.
Raylan watched as Karch waited at the end of the bridge as he sent his men
forward. They did not unsheathe their weapons, but moved forward slowly.
Raylan had hoped that the fact that they had not taken an offensive position would save them,
but to his horror, he watched as every single guard slumped back in his saddle
and then slid off his horse to the bridge.
Karch did not move, and just as it looked like he was going to turn and flee, his
horse collapsed underneath him. "Arrows," Raylan thought.
Who needs an ambush when you have bowmen manning the castle ramparts?
Raylan spurred his horse forward, but could only watch as heavily armored knights marched
out of the castle. A few stopped and dragged the bodies of Karch's escort toward
the castle while another group grabbed the horses.
Two guards unsheathed their swords and walked toward Karch and his horse,
which lay on the ground dead.
It was at that point that Raylan was close enough that he thought he might be able to save Karch.
All he had to do was grab Karch, help him onto his own horse, and the two of them could
flee. Of course, the bowmen could easily cut him and Karch down,
but two things made him think that he could succeed: he was wearing black,
and the Outlanders clearly wanted Karch alive.
Karch was scrambling to his feet and backing up when Raylan reached him.
The guards looked up at Raylan, and in his one glance at their faces, Raylan
could see utter shock, as if they had seen a ghost.
"Karch, take my hand!"
The shock on the Outlander guards' faces was repeated on Karch's face, but he was
not a fool and grabbed Raylan's hand.
He pulled himself onto Raylan's horse just as the guards realized what was happening.
They rushed forward and barely missed getting ahold of Raylan as he spurred his horse
back down the road. Into Raylan's ear, Karch said, his voice firm and
seemingly unfazed from his brush with death, "I have no idea why you are here,
Raylan, but I appreciate you sacrificing yourself so that I could get away."
Before Raylan could act, Karch grabbed him by his cloak and yanked him to the
left. Raylan reached for something to hold onto, but it was too late.
He fell sideways off the galloping horse.
He landed hard on the stone road with the rolling of his momentum, slamming his
head against the stone again and again.
Raylan stopped rolling with his body facing away from the Outlander castle.
In the distance, the blue cloak of Karch fluttered behind him as he galloped away to
safety. Rolling to his knees, Raylan felt a headache storming in
while the rest of his body ached. Thankfully, he didn't seem to be badly
injured. He looked back toward the castle to have his view blocked by two women.
The women grabbed him and spun him around.
"I'm the guildmaster, thief," Raylan said, hoping it would save him.
"We know who you are," one of the guards said as she tied Raylan's
hands behind his back. With a shove, they marched Raylan toward the
castle. "Well, I'm following in Pietro's footsteps in entering
Gautland," he thought.With a grim smile, Raylan couldn't help but
add, "Although I don't think he ever entered as a prisoner." The guards kept
Raylan under close supervision as they escorted him deeper into Gautland.
They refused to say a single word as he asked questions, so Raylan focused on examining
his new surroundings. There was something different and disturbing about it.
As he passed buildings and the various people who glanced at him, he couldn't quite put a
finger on it. It turned out that Gautland wasn't a castle at all.
It was a city, a city that looked like a smaller version of Ness.
There was no river and everything seemed a bit older and less vibrant than even in the
flats. But the wall surrounded the whole city, and within its embrace
were buildings that would have been familiar to anyone in Ness, taverns, clothing
shops and cobblestone roads.
It suddenly hit Raylan that Gautland looked a lot like the Old Quarter.
Even the people would have looked at home in Ness, families, men, women, children,
they all walked around with the same kind of rhythm that you would find in the Lower
Triangle.
A young man around Raylan's age ran up to the guards escorting him.
The Crown would like to see the Guildmaster immediately.
I expected as much.
The guard to Raylan's right said...
Tell him we will be there shortly.
The messenger nodded and ran off.
Five minutes later, they approached a large stone building that was three stories
high. Unlike Ness, Gautland had no towers and the building was
bigger and taller than everything other than the wall that surrounded the city, which was even
higher than Ness' wall.
Broad stone steps led up to double doors that were open.
The architecture was utilitarian and plain.
The guards walked him up, receiving nothing but nods as they passed sentries and
guards. They were stopped on the second floor by a middle-aged man in what would be
considered formal wear in Ness, tightly woven pants and shirt.
He had pale skin and straight blond hair that would have been considered unfashionably
long in Ness. "Unbind his hands," the man said.
He spoke with the authority of someone who was used to having his commands
followed. The guards quickly untied his hands.
Raylan stretched his arms and rubbed his wrists.
He had a slight headache from his fall off the horse and he was sore all over, but he didn't feel
bad considering the circumstances.
The man in the formal clothing held out his hand.
It has been over a year since we've been blessed with the presence of the
Guildmaster thief.
Raylan took his hand and shook it.
"My name is Raylan."
Bowling his head, Raylan added...
"And you are?"
"Well met, Guildmaster. I apologize for not introducing
myself. I am Joseph, Lord Wilhelm's second."
Turning to the guards, Joseph barked...
"What are you two still doing here? You are dismissed."
The two turned and left as Joseph returned his attention to Raylan.
"Come, the Crown wishes to meet with you."
Joseph placed his hand on Raylan's shoulder and led him up the steps.
As they walked, Joseph chattered non-stop.
"So,
old Pietro has died?"
"Yes, about a week ago."
"Only a week ago, and you visit us so soon.
We are honored."
Before Raylan could say more, Joseph asked about the other guilds, taking care
not to touch upon politics, but to ask only for basic news.
He appeared to know all the guildmasters of Ness by name and had a grounding on how the city
was run. The more he talked, the more shocked Raylan was.
How could the Outlanders know so much about what was happening in Ness?
Did they have a spy? And why didn't the guildmasters in Ness know more about the
Outlanders? Joseph moved on to describe the building they were in, which he
called the The Seat, and its importance as the seat of the crown that ruled the
plains. Presumably, the Outlanders ruled all of the lands from Ness to the
sea far to the west. Clearly assuming Raylan knew all the details of the
geography, Joseph would correct himself and say things like...
"Of course, we don't technically rule over the desert, but that land has never
been claimed and our stake has never been questioned."
Raylan just nodded and took note of one more detail that he didn't understand.
There was a desert and a sea. There was a large tapestry along a long hallway and
Raylan stopped to look at it.
"That looks like Ness."
He took a few steps closer.
"Yes, that is the Great River and that is the Thieves' Tower.
But there is no wall and there are no buildings north of the river."
Nodding, Joseph replied...
"Yes, that is Ness before the wall was built and the city shut down trade.
We were close friends then."
Raylan was going to ask about what Joseph meant, but the second added...
"But you can enjoy our art later. We are expected by the
Crown."
Raylan nodded and followed Joseph as he continued down the hall.
The hall opened not to a huge throne room or a guildmaster-type office, but
rather to a small receiving room with a throne on a dais and chairs facing
it. It looked like the place where the leaders of the city would meet and discuss issues
before the Crown. Sitting on the throne was an old man.
He wasn't as ancient as Pietro, but his white hair and wrinkles made it clear he had quite
a few years behind him. Like Joseph, he had pale skin with piercing
blue eyes and a thin mouth, which was open in an attempt at a smile.
He didn't appear cruel, so much as humorless.
"Lord Wilhelm, I present you the new Guildmaster thief."
Joseph backed to the side as Wilhelm remained seated. Raylan stood still.
"So, young man,
Pietro has finally left this world."... his smile disappeared.
"It is a sad day." Vilhelm didn't look sad.
"Yes. I was named the guild master thief a few days ago."
Raylan felt nervous. He was not prepared to meet with the leader of the Outlanders.
What if he said something wrong? How much should he reveal?
It appeared that the Outlanders knew a great deal, but what if that was only true on the
surface? He decided to answer as succinctly as possible.
"Days."
Vilhelm shook his head. "Mere days and you come visit us here at Gutland.
I am honored."
Raylan had always been taught to fear and hate the Outlanders, but facing Vilhelm
presented him with a different kind of fear, the fear of being the victim of cunning that was
honed over decades of conflict.
In the face of so much that he didn't know, Raylan stuck to the truth.
"I'm afraid I did not come here for a visit, Lord Vilhelm.
I was in pursuit of one of our citizens."
Raylan considered explaining more, but decided to provide the bare minimum of
information. "Ah, the deputy guild master of the merchants.
I believe he got my message."
Vilhelm laughed.
"You didn't kill him?"
"Of course not. I am not foolish."
Vilhelm leaned forward, and for the first time, Raylan got the sense that
Vilhelm was going to speak from the heart. "Let me give you some advice.
The unknown is much more powerful than violence."
Vilhelm sat up straight again. "Pietro was masterful at that."
"What can you tell me of my predecessor?
I confess that I do not know his business with your impressive city."
Laughing, Vilhelm replied, "Calling our modest outpost impressive?
You speak like him, do you know that?"
Vilhelm scratched his chin. "So our business, well, here is the
sum total of our business. He would occasionally visit and tell me that for
reasons he cared not to explain, he would like our raids to cease for a time."
"And you complied with his request?"
"I did."
"Do you mind telling me why?"
Raylan was unsure of how far to push Vilhelm.
Part of him was certain that Vilhelm was toying with Raylan by treating him as an equal,
although he didn't see him as such, and part of him felt that Vilhelm was gauging Raylan
as Pietro's replacement.
As a result, Raylan was unsure how to handle his own curiosity
and Vilhelm's current pleasant demeanor.
Vilhelm stared at Raylan with such intensity that Raylan looked down at his feet.
"You are young." Raylan looked up and nodded.
"Then let me give you some help as you navigate your innocence.
It will lead to the answer of your question, so ask me this question:
Lord Vilhelm, why do you raid my fair city of Ness? Go ahead.
Ask me."
"Lord Vilhelm, why do you raid my fair city of Ness?"
Raylan felt embarrassed being led like a child, but he didn't want to upset
Vilhelm. "Because to the west is desert, and to the north, east, and south, the plains
are barren.
The field near the river are fertile, yet as unreliable as the rains.
In short, guild master, we raid Ness because if we did not, we would starve."
Raylan was stunned. He knew with absolute certainty that
Vilhelm was not twisting the truth. The rangers had said something about the
Outlanders raiding their stores and wanting Ness' fields, but Raylan didn't
realize that it was as fundamental as a matter of life or death.
Almost in a whisper, Raylan replied-
"But why don't you trade with Ness? We have large fields and a surplus.
The silo district is huge and never empty."
"And now we have come full circle. Ness has not traded with her neighbors in
centuries. You asked me why I helped Pietro.
It is because he said he would open the trade routes again, and I believed him.
So when he asked for my help, I granted it."
Vilhelm stood up and walked down the steps of his dais.
He stopped directly in front of Raylan.
"What is your name again, young guild master?"
"Raylan." Raylan did his best to speak with authority.
"Guild master Raylan, it appears Pietro did not pass along his plans for opening
trade with Gutland."
Vilhelm leaned forward, his nose nearly touching Raylan's.
"Do you think he lied to me?"
"Never!" Raylan could not read Vilhelm's face.
He didn't know if Vilhelm actually believed Pietro had lied, but the question was
undoubtedly a challenge. Standing tall, Raylan continued-
"In fact, I will promise you on the seal of my guild that I will continue Pietro's efforts to open
trade with our neighbors."
Vilhelm stepped back. "I'm not sure you quite understand the scope of your promise, but
I believe your sincerity in making it."
Vilhelm turned and spoke as he climbed his dais.
"Return when you learn more of your challenge.
I trusted Pietro, and I believe he has set the pieces in place, even if you don't know
what those pieces are."
Vilhelm sat down on his throne. "But you have not earned my trust.
So when you return next, I would like to hear details of your plans."
"That is a fair request," Raylan replied.
"You are young, but there is a wisdom about you.
I will provide you with a horse and supplies.
Keep the steed as a symbol of my goodwill."
Vilhelm waved a hand. "You may go."
Raylan stood still, which caused Vilhelm to raise an eyebrow.
"I have a request."
"You do? I offer you a horse and my goodwill, and you have a request?
This I must hear." Vilhelm didn't sound offended, but he definitely
didn't sound happy either.
"I request that you cease raiding Ness for as long as you can."
Vilhelm's brows furrowed and he clenched a fist.
Before he could say anything, however, Raylan held up his palm and continued.
"I ask because it will provide me with the same kind of authority that Pietro had.
The rangers had a high degree of trust in him due to the peace his visits inevitably brought.
I can only imagine that there are other benefits within Ness among the knights, and perhaps the Harvest
Guild."
Raylan bowed his head. "It is but a request." Nodding his head, Wilhelm
replied, "You are a worthy heir to Pietro, young Raylan.
I will grant your request.
Tell all of Ness that you brought peace, and when you do, you will bring me trade."
Not wanting to push it any further, Raylan bowed and left.
Joseph escorted him to the front gate, and it was on the way there when it suddenly
hit Raylan why he found Gautlan so odd.
There were only pale faces with light brown or blond hair.
Dark skin, light skin, red hair, blond hair, Ness was a broad mix of every
possible look you could imagine. He took the variety for granted, so it surprised him
as he looked from face-to-face and saw nothing but a single look.
"How strange," Raylan thought. "It is as if they took a subset of Ness and
created a city for them here on the planes." His horse was waiting for him
and it was magnificent. Nearly 18 hands high and a dappled brown
and white, it held its head and tail high, as if it knew it was better than most
horses. Raylan mounted and saluted Joseph.
"Until I return, travel safe, Guildmaster." With a kick, the horse took
off at a gallop through the gates and across the bridge.
Raylan could still see pools of blood on the wooden planks.
(instrumental music plays)