The Thief's Guild
by Jake Kerr.
Episode 92:
A Plan Revealed.
Mailer appeared to only have bruised ribs, although her shoulder was a mess.
She had trouble lifting even light things above her shoulder, even two
weeks later.
Sitting at the dining table, Mailer lifted a fork with her arm while Darla had
her back to her while cutting some greens in the kitchen.
It didn't hurt, but she couldn't lift the knife above her shoulder.
Knowing that it meant that she was most likely permanently injured,
Mailer tossed the knife to the table with a clatter and covered her eyes with her right
hand. A moment later, she felt Darla take her hand and squeeze
it. "I can be your arm,"
Darla said, love and concern in her voice, which only made Mailer's
tears fall in greater quantities. "My arm can't even cover my
tears,"
Mailer said, sniffing and wiping her eyes, trying to restore the
strength she liked to project, even to Darla.
Sitting down, Darla rubbed Mailer's damaged shoulder.
"I have something to show you."
Mailer looked up at her, but Darla looked serious and not sympathetic.
"Hold up your right hand." Mailer hesitantly held up her hand.
Without warning, Darla swung a punch at Mailer, aiming directly for her
hand. The fist struck Mailer's hand with a slap and moved it back a few
inches, but Mailer withstood the punch easily.
"You stopped an attack. Now I have been rendered helpless and you are holding a horse with your
left hand. Pull me to my feet."
Darla slid out of the chair to the floor.
"Darla, this is pointless." "Save me."
Mailer reached down with her right hand and easily pulled Darla to her feet.
Darla was bigger than Mailer and had built back her muscles during their time in the
cabin.
In fact, Mailer was slightly shocked.
They had been naked together, but Mailer had not realized how strong Darla was.
She could feel it in her arm as she clenched Darla's hand pulling her up.
Still, as solid as Darla was, Mailer lifted her off the
floor. "I know what you're doing."
Darla ignored her, and without letting go of Mailer's hand, pulled her to
a standing position. "Follow me," she said, tugging on
Mailer's hand. Mailer followed as Darla led her out the back of the cabin.
She led Mailer to a single tree that stood in the clearing.
It was not part of the magical forest that surrounded the cabin, and
Darla had carved a rough target in the side of the bark.
She used it as target practice for the kitchen knives that Mailer had been
grinding into perfectly weighted throwing knives for her.
Letting go of Mailer's hand, Darla marched over to the tree, pulled out a
knife, and strode back to Mailer. "Throw it."
Clenching her jaw, Mailer replied, "I'm not a master at throwing knives.
That is your thing. Besides, you know I can't."
Mailer rubbed her wounded shoulder.
"By the gods, Mailer, you are not stupid. You are not weak.
Why do you look at your problems without the mind you used as a thief?"
Darla shoved her hand against Mailer's right arm.
"Throw it."
Mailer lifted her arm, attempting to do an overhand throw, the type that had
both power and accuracy. She couldn't lift the knife above her shoulder,
and turned to Darla.
Crossing her arms, Darla looked angry as she emphatically said, "Throw
it."
Mailer looked at the tree and half-heartedly tossed the knife at it from a side
angle. It missed the tree entirely. Darla marched over,
picked up the knife, walked back, and handed it to Mailer. "Very good.
Throw it again."
After starting with what were half-hearted throws to make Darla happy, Mailer's
attitude changed when she hit the target and the knife stuck in the tree.
With real joy, she leaped up and shouted, "I hit the damn thing."
Darla ran over and hugged her. From that point on, Mailer
experimented with different angles and grips. The grip was easy.
It wasn't much different than the grip she used when she hurled the knife overhanded,
but the angle turned out to be interesting.
She could toss the knife with the most force directly from the side, but she could throw it
with the most accuracy from a true underhanded angle.
She had no illusions. She was not very good at tossing knives, but she had
learned the lesson. She was able to effectively toss a knife.
The only angle close to her was overhanded.
"Keep going."
After hitting the tree three times in a row, Mailer turned and looked at
Darla. "I could kiss you."
Darla smiled. "Then you should."
After a long kiss, Mailer handed the knives to Darla.
"Your turn."
With frightening force and deadly accuracy, Darla hit the center of the
target three times, the knives touching each other while embedded in the tree.
"It's my thing," Darla said with a smirk.
Several weeks later, Mailer looked at Darla as she was rolling dough on a
wooden board covered in flour. They had both silently been training without
admitting why.Maela had no sword, but practiced with an ax
that was left behind to chop wood.
Daala would awaken and wander out and watch as Maela swung the ax
around, practicing attacks of various angles and parries with the handle.
Daala had also spent hours every day building her strength.
She was a true warrior, and Maela realized that after their ordeal in the
mountain, and Daala's desire to recover with Maela afterward,
that Maela had badly underestimated Daala's willpower and
abilities.
It embarrassed her. She had told Daala in the cell when they met that Daala
had to have been better than the men to be a female guard, and it was true, but
Maela had forgotten or dismissed it.
Yet it was clear
Daala was formidable.
And there she was, day after day, muscles rippling as she
lifted heavy logs and tossed them across the lawn.
In between, she would toss countless knives at the tree.
Maela couldn't remember seeing a single knife miss the tree, and nearly all clicked
against each other as they embedded in the center.
The entire time she did it without any words to Maela of her
intent. She just trained.
Maela did the same, but it was clear what her goal was, to destroy the
guardian that stood down the lane.
As to Daala, Maela felt that she was training to help, or to become
strong enough to save Maela if things went poorly.
So,
she was surprised as she walked over to help Daala cook, and her partner put the
rolling pin down and said-
So I'm confident we can defeat any foe together, but I fear I know not how to battle an invisible
opponent.
The comment surprised Maela and filled her with emotion.
Daala wants to escape with me.
I think I love you,
Maela said, looking Daala in the eyes.
Sure, we share a bed and clean the dishes together.
We prepare food and take walks together, but it isn't until I discuss battling an invisible guardian
that you love me.
Daala said the words in a teasing manner and with a smile.
They had never said that they loved each other, but they had recently come to say, "I
think I love you," whenever one did something kind to the other.
I
didn't say I love you.
Maela replied with a wicked smile.
Oh, yes, I guess I have to kill the invisible guardian to earn that.
It wouldn't hurt.
In reply, Daala picked up some flour and tossed it at Maela.
Maela instinctively lifted her hand, and as the flour flew, it left a
trail through the dusty flour in the shape of Maela's hand.
Daala's hand covered her mouth, and she said-
By the gods.
What is it? Are you okay?
Daala lowered her hand, uncovering a huge smile.
I just realized how you defeat an invisible creature.
(dramatic music)