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The Thieves Guild

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by Jake Care.

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Episode 69:

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Prisoners and Plans.

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Mailer stared at the rose, afraid to approach it,
let alone touch it.

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She wondered if she was drugged with a powder from
the Outlands that made you see things,

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or if her dehydration had caused her to see what
clearly could not have

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occurred: a rose appearing out of thin air, and
then floating to her

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table. Yet, there it was. She finally reached out
and picked

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it up. It was a rose, freshly cut and as solid as
the rose

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that Polo had left with her. Taking a deep breath,

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Mailer considered this new reality.

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There was a city on the other side of the mountain
from Ness.

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It, too, was called Ness.

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There was a road that once connected the two, but
it was blocked.

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Finally, there was a guild of wizards that ran
this other Ness, and they

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were true wizards, able to do magic. Placing the
rose back on the

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table, Mailer pondered her next steps.

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Her immediate goal was to check on Darla and make
sure she was okay.

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At this point, they were a team, and after having
only each other for so long,

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perhaps even more than that,

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Mailer could not comprehend any move without her.

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After that, she wasn't sure what to do. She wanted
to explore the city.

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She wanted to walk through the massive forest.

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She wanted to visit the other cities, and she
wanted to learn as much as she

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could about the wizards and their magic.

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But she also needed to return to Ness and report
back to Raylan and

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Allard. She was the blade of the guild master,
after all.

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Of course, all those options assumed that Mailer
and Darla were free to do

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whatever they wanted. Yet, from Travil's words, it
seemed likely that the two

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of them would be prisoners for some time.

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Worse, the name Forbidden Tunnel made it clear
that heading in the direction

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toward Ness, her Ness, was not allowed.

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"I need to talk to Darla," was Mailer's final
thought on the matter.

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She couldn't make any decisions until then.

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With nothing to do, she walked to the window and
looked out once again,

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only this time she assessed things as a blade on a
mission.

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She was high up, but the tower was ornate and
there were plenty of handholds

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and footholds. "I can escape easily," she thought.

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But could Darla? The next day, the healer, Linn,
entered with food and

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more water. Mailer didn't wait, and walked over to
take the pitcher from the healer.

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"Thank you,"

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she said before pouring a glass and gulping down
the water.

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Linn smiled. "Cora will be here shortly to take
you to see your friend.

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She is doing well."

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She looked Mailer up and down.

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"You look better too, but you should eat.

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The mountain was not kind to you."

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She placed the food, which was comprised of meats,
bread, and vegetables on the

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table.

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"Why is it called the Forbidden Tunnel?"

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Mailer asked with a nonchalant tone.

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Linn shook her head.

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"It is not for me to answer questions.

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You should ask Cora or Travil."

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The nurse left without saying anything else.

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"The mountain was not kind to you." Mailer looked
at her

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arms, which were thin and weak. "No, it was not."

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"And how long were we inside it?" Mailer had no
idea.

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Mailer had examined herself and assessed her
strength in the previous hours.

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She was thin still, but she was getting stronger
as she ate and drank.

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Healing did not mean healed, however, and Mailer
was no longer confident of her

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previous assessment of being able to easily climb
down the outside of the

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tower. She simply wasn't strong enough.

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She had just finished the final piece of bread
when there was a knock, a click,

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and the door opened to a tall woman in the same
red as Travil.

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She was statuesque and carried herself with an
almost liquid

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smoothness. Her red robe, or was it a gown, barely

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moved as she walked. No, she didn't walk. She
flowed.

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Her dark skin was a similar shade as Allard's, and
her long black hair was in

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natural plaits. Her sharp cheekbones and bright
smile completed

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what Mailer considered one of the most beautiful
women she had ever seen in

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her life.

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"I'm Cora, and I'm here to take you to your
friend, Darla."

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"Are you a wizard?"

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Mailer replied breathlessly. She considered
herself nearly

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impossible to fluster, but the elegance of the
woman seemed almost

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godlike.

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The woman's laugh was a gentle ringing of bells in
a spring breeze.

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"Yes, I am.

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Everyone who wears red is a wizard.

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It is one of the few traditions that has remained
from our days on the other side of the mountain."

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Mailer sat up, her mind clear as she focused on
the tidbit of

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information she was just given.

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"You were once a guild in Ness,"

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she quickly added. "The other Ness."

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"Indeed. Many centuries ago, we were driven out of
the city.

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Or abandoned it.

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It depends on who is doing the telling."

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Cora leaned forward a bit.

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"How do they describe it over there?"

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Maela had no idea how to answer. She didn't think
anyone in

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Ness had even known that there was a magic guild.

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"They don't," was her simple reply.

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Cora nodded.

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"The successors did well, then."

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Standing up straight, Cora brought her hands
together.

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"But enough questions, let's take you to your
friend."

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Maela considered herself nimble, but she was a
bumbling child next to

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Cora, who appeared to float as they descended two
flights of stairs.

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The staircase itself was simple stone with very
few decorations.

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It was modest in comparison to the towers in Ness.

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Thinking of Ness, her Ness, made her curious about
this new

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Ness.

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"How do things work if there aren't guilds?

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Who tills the land and crafts the clothing?"

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"People do, they just don't need to be part of a
guild.

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If someone wants to become a blacksmith, they
train or apprentice with a master.

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It is a matter of opportunity and dedication."

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"But that sounds like chaos. How is order
maintained?"

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"There is order."

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They reached a landing, but didn't stop, and
continued down the stairs.

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"It's just not based on the archaic form of
guilds."

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Cora didn't explain further, but Maela remembered
both the awe in the

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voice of her nurse when discussing Travelle and
his subsequent display of

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magic.

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No matter what Cora said, Maela knew the truth,
the wizards ran

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the city, and Travelle was their leader.

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He may not have been a guild master, but he was
the leader.

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"This is the kind of city that Larsen wants to
create," Maela

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thought as Cora turned and entered a hallway.

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They were still high in the tower, but two levels
below where Maela was kept.

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The hallway was longer than Maela had expected.

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"How big is this tower?" They stopped in front of
a door halfway

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down the hallway. After pulling out a key from
somewhere in her flowing dress,

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Cora unlocked the door.

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"I'll leave you two alone."

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She pushed the door open and stood aside. Maela
ran in.

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Darla was barely recognizable. The sad and hard
warrior that Maela had met

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in her prison in the mines had turned into a
beautiful woman with a simple

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and elegant white tunic. She was thin, but that
added a

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vulnerability that made her seem more feminine.

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Maela was about to compliment her when Darla
tugged on the tunic and said-

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"Can you believe what they've put me in?

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I'm surprised you recognized me."

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And then with a big smile, Darla leapt to her feet
and ran to

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Maela.

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The two hugged for a long time, and as they pulled
apart, Darla leaned

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forward and kissed Maela on the lips.

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It was soft and warm, and Darla smelled nice.

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Maela pushed her lips forward, but then, feeling
confused over the fact that she

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liked the feeling, she lowered her head and
whispered-

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"I

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was worried about you."

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"Me?"

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"Look how thin you are. I knew you were giving me
more and not splitting the food evenly."

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Taking Maela's hand, Darla tugged her toward the
bed.

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"Come sit down. We need to talk."

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The light joy in Darla's voice was replaced with a
sudden seriousness.

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Her arms were thinner than Darla's, but Darla was
larger than Maela, so

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it was difficult to assess if that was just from
their nearly fatal trip through the

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mountain or not. Whatever the reason, Maela had to
admit that

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Darla looked healthy.

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She had given her more food while they made their
way along the underground road, but

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she didn't remember it being that much.

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The thought made her once again consider how long
they had been underground.

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She had thought it days, but her body had wasted
away considerably,

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and if she had given Darla a bit more food every
day, it would have a much bigger

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impact over a longer time.

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"How long were we on that road?"

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It was so difficult to measure time.

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"A few weeks."

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"It seemed shorter, didn't it?"

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Maela nodded. She had estimated the time was a
week at most,

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with their weakness due mostly to lack of water.

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"I was keeping track of our sleeping and eating
cycles.

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It wasn't entirely accurate, but after living in
the mines my whole life, I have a good sense for
it."

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Darla patted Maela on the leg. "It's close
though."

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"I thought it was less than a week," Maela
admitted.

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Her respect for Darla, which started as a
sympathetic connection over the

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often brutal reality of being a woman in a man's
guild position, had

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increased as she watched Darla handle her knife
and keep them alive on the

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road through the mountain. Hearing and watching
Darla speak filled Maela with

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even more admiration for her Harvest Guild friend.

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She was as tough as the finest iron swords.

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Darla shrugged. "What does it matter?

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We made it."

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Without waiting for a reply, she added.

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"Where are they keeping you? Do you know where our
clothes are?

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I feel like a nursemaid in this."

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She once again tugged at her tunic. "I think you
look pretty."

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"Really?"

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For the first time since Maela arrived, Darla's
look returned to the tentative

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guard Maela had first met in her prison cell.

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She caught Maela looking at her and lowered her
head.

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"Yes, but I like you better in armor.

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You seem more comfortable and natural in it."

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"Thank you."

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Darla beamed, looking up again. "So where are they
holding you?"

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"Oh, yes, you asked me that. I'm two floors up.

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This is a very tall tower."

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Darla's face clouded and she stood.

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"I had thought of that.

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She started to pace, aiming whispered comments
toward Maela.

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I'm not sure how we can escape. The walls have
plenty of hand and foot holds, but I'm not as

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agile as you are, and I doubt we could fight our
way out without weapons, even with the wizards
unarmed.

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So, you know they are wizards?

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Well, the one named Travel explained that to me,
but it is just a name.

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Maybe they are entertainers, and this is a city of
leisure. I have heard of such things in the
Outlands.

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No, they are wizards.

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Dala stopped pacing and looked at Maela.

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As in able to do magic?

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You are still weak and can't think straight.

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Dala said it so matter-of-factly that it took a
moment before Maela

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realized that Dala had said she was weak.

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I watched Travel create a rose out of the
emptiness of air and then float it over to my

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bedside table. The magic is real.

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Maela spoke the last comment in the tone of a
challenge.

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Dala calling her weak had hurt.

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Yes. You are an agile thief, so you would know if
it were the sleight of hand of a street magician.

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It was a statement and not a question, and Maela
realized Dala had

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recognized she had hurt Maela's feelings with her
earlier dismissiveness.

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Dala walked over, her voice once again a whisper.

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So, what do we do? How can we fight magic?

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She waved her hand in the air.

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I don't even have my dagger.

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Perhaps we should just wait. I don't see a reason
to fight them.

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They will let us go, and then we can do what we
want.

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Dala was shaking her head before Maela had even

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finished speaking.

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No, they will not let us go.

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You forget that I am a guard. I see how they
manage our food and drink, how they handle the
door.

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Have you noticed that they always scan the room
before they enter?

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No?

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Well, that's how you treat a cell and a prisoner.
Have you asked to leave?

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Maela shook her head. She hadn't thought of
asking, as Travel had explicitly

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said they were prisoners.

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Well, Travel told me we weren't free to leave, but
that it was because we were strangers.

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It made sense to me.

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Even as she said the words, Maela wanted to kick
herself.

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"When did being told you were a prisoner ever seem
reasonable for the

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prisoner?"

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Ah, he didn't say that to me. He must have sensed
I wouldn't react well to such words.

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Dala stood up again. She was a ball of nervous
energy,

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barely able to maintain her whisper.

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So, we are prisoners. That means we need to find a
way to escape.

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Maela held up her hands.

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00:14:49,239 --> 00:14:51,059
Isn't that moving a bit too fast?

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Escaping and assessing unknown situations was
something she excelled at.

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We should see if we can find out more of their
intentions, try to get more information about the
city,

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and see about any other ways to get back to Ness
than the path we took.

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Dala nodded.

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That makes sense.

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I'm just nervous.

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She paced a bit more.

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You are better at this than I am. I just want to
run.

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This whole place feels so alien and puts me on
edge.

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Pausing and turning to Maela, she continued.

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Don't you feel it?

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The truth was that Maela didn't, and that worried
her a bit.

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She was aware of the risks and the unknown power
of the wizards, but she

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assumed that if they wanted her and Dala dead,
they would have been dead

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already.

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Beyond that, she felt more excitement at
investigating this new world than

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getting back to Ness.

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The entire conversation made her feel guilty.

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She had a duty to the guild in Ness to return, and
she had a duty to stand

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by her friend.

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Running off to investigate a forest was a child's
fantasy.

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I sense distrust from the wizards, but not ill
will.

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Maela stood up and walked over to Dala, who
reached out and clasped Maela's

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hand.

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I agree we need to escape, but there are too many
unknowns to do it effectively or safely.

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We will be separated soon. Let's both ask
questions in the guise of innocent curiosity,

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and then when we are next together, we'll be able
to plan better.

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Yes, that is wise.

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Dala threw her arms around Maela.

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We'll make it out. The two of us survived the
mountain. We can escape a city.

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Maela nodded, but her experience told her that a
city was as dangerous a

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place as a mountain.

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We just need to be careful. If they want us to
consider ourselves as guests, we will need to act

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like guests.

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Letting go of their hug, Dala looked at Maela.

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Do you think they would move us into the same
room? That would make everything easier.

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The thought stunned Maela.

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She'd not considered being with Dala.

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Although they had experienced so much together
already, there was nothing to bring two

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people closer together than complete and total
trust and faith to help

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each other survive.

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00:17:14,259 --> 00:17:14,799
They may.

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Maela stammered as she considered what else to
say.

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Conflicting thoughts rattled around in her head.

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She had never favored anyone in her pursuit of her
personal goals.

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Relationships were for the weak, so she considered
them in the same way as she

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considered the flow of the great river,

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something that just happened to go in that
direction, even if she never entered the

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water.

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00:17:41,079 --> 00:17:46,019
The very presence of the question of being
together with Dala confused

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00:17:46,119 --> 00:17:50,739
Maela, as if she entered the great river and
realized that some of the currents

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00:17:50,819 --> 00:17:54,159
below the surface flowed in the opposite
direction.

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00:17:54,799 --> 00:17:59,739
So she saw no reason not to be with Dala, but the
entire concept was

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so alien that she needed time to figure it out.

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00:18:03,299 --> 00:18:04,459
I will ask.

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Maela finally added, to which Dala replied she
would as well.

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00:18:10,559 --> 00:18:15,479
They had more time to themselves, so the two
decided to compare as many notes

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about their trip through the mountain as they
could.

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If they could make sense of the very existence of
the road, perhaps they could

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find the secret to using it to return.

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00:18:27,099 --> 00:18:31,719
But as the two talked, Maela's thoughts drifted
back to light kisses, tight

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embraces, and the desperate trust she and Dala
shared.

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00:18:36,259 --> 00:18:41,179
What did it mean, and how would it affect the very
dangerous path that was ahead

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00:18:41,179 --> 00:18:41,619
of them?

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Maela wasn't sure, but as Dala reached out and
held her hand as they

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00:18:46,899 --> 00:18:51,199
talked, she realized Dala's presence made
everything seem better.

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She didn't know what would happen,

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but it was a start.

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(dramatic music)