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The Thief's Guild

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by Jake Kerr.

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Episode 92:

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A Plan Revealed.

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Mailer appeared to only have bruised ribs,
although her shoulder was a mess.

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She had trouble lifting even light things above
her shoulder, even two

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weeks later.

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Sitting at the dining table, Mailer lifted a fork
with her arm while Darla had

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her back to her while cutting some greens in the
kitchen.

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It didn't hurt, but she couldn't lift the knife
above her shoulder.

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Knowing that it meant that she was most likely
permanently injured,

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Mailer tossed the knife to the table with a
clatter and covered her eyes with her right

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hand. A moment later, she felt Darla take her hand
and squeeze

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it. "I can be your arm,"

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Darla said, love and concern in her voice, which
only made Mailer's

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tears fall in greater quantities. "My arm can't
even cover my

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tears,"

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Mailer said, sniffing and wiping her eyes, trying
to restore the

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strength she liked to project, even to Darla.

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Sitting down, Darla rubbed Mailer's damaged
shoulder.

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"I have something to show you."

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Mailer looked up at her, but Darla looked serious
and not sympathetic.

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"Hold up your right hand." Mailer hesitantly held
up her hand.

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Without warning, Darla swung a punch at Mailer,
aiming directly for her

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hand. The fist struck Mailer's hand with a slap
and moved it back a few

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inches, but Mailer withstood the punch easily.

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"You stopped an attack. Now I have been rendered
helpless and you are holding a horse with your

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left hand. Pull me to my feet."

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Darla slid out of the chair to the floor.

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"Darla, this is pointless." "Save me."

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Mailer reached down with her right hand and easily
pulled Darla to her feet.

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Darla was bigger than Mailer and had built back
her muscles during their time in the

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cabin.

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In fact, Mailer was slightly shocked.

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They had been naked together, but Mailer had not
realized how strong Darla was.

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She could feel it in her arm as she clenched
Darla's hand pulling her up.

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Still, as solid as Darla was, Mailer lifted her
off the

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floor. "I know what you're doing."

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Darla ignored her, and without letting go of
Mailer's hand, pulled her to

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a standing position. "Follow me," she said,
tugging on

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Mailer's hand. Mailer followed as Darla led her
out the back of the cabin.

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She led Mailer to a single tree that stood in the
clearing.

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It was not part of the magical forest that
surrounded the cabin, and

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Darla had carved a rough target in the side of the
bark.

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She used it as target practice for the kitchen
knives that Mailer had been

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grinding into perfectly weighted throwing knives
for her.

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Letting go of Mailer's hand, Darla marched over to
the tree, pulled out a

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knife, and strode back to Mailer. "Throw it."

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Clenching her jaw, Mailer replied, "I'm not a
master at throwing knives.

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That is your thing. Besides, you know I can't."

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Mailer rubbed her wounded shoulder.

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"By the gods, Mailer, you are not stupid. You are
not weak.

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Why do you look at your problems without the mind
you used as a thief?"

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Darla shoved her hand against Mailer's right arm.

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"Throw it."

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Mailer lifted her arm, attempting to do an
overhand throw, the type that had

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both power and accuracy. She couldn't lift the
knife above her shoulder,

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and turned to Darla.

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Crossing her arms, Darla looked angry as she
emphatically said, "Throw

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it."

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Mailer looked at the tree and half-heartedly
tossed the knife at it from a side

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angle. It missed the tree entirely. Darla marched
over,

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picked up the knife, walked back, and handed it to
Mailer. "Very good.

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Throw it again."

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After starting with what were half-hearted throws
to make Darla happy, Mailer's

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attitude changed when she hit the target and the
knife stuck in the tree.

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With real joy, she leaped up and shouted, "I hit
the damn thing."

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Darla ran over and hugged her. From that point on,
Mailer

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experimented with different angles and grips. The
grip was easy.

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It wasn't much different than the grip she used
when she hurled the knife overhanded,

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but the angle turned out to be interesting.

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She could toss the knife with the most force
directly from the side, but she could throw it

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with the most accuracy from a true underhanded
angle.

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She had no illusions. She was not very good at
tossing knives, but she had

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learned the lesson. She was able to effectively
toss a knife.

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The only angle close to her was overhanded.

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"Keep going."

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After hitting the tree three times in a row,
Mailer turned and looked at

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Darla. "I could kiss you."

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Darla smiled. "Then you should."

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After a long kiss, Mailer handed the knives to
Darla.

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"Your turn."

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With frightening force and deadly accuracy, Darla
hit the center of the

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target three times, the knives touching each other
while embedded in the tree.

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"It's my thing," Darla said with a smirk.

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Several weeks later, Mailer looked at Darla as she
was rolling dough on a

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wooden board covered in flour. They had both
silently been training without

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admitting why.Maela had no sword, but practiced
with an ax

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that was left behind to chop wood.

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Daala would awaken and wander out and watch as
Maela swung the ax

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around, practicing attacks of various angles and
parries with the handle.

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Daala had also spent hours every day building her
strength.

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She was a true warrior, and Maela realized that
after their ordeal in the

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mountain, and Daala's desire to recover with Maela
afterward,

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that Maela had badly underestimated Daala's
willpower and

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abilities.

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It embarrassed her. She had told Daala in the cell
when they met that Daala

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had to have been better than the men to be a
female guard, and it was true, but

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Maela had forgotten or dismissed it.

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Yet it was clear

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Daala was formidable.

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And there she was, day after day, muscles rippling
as she

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lifted heavy logs and tossed them across the lawn.

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In between, she would toss countless knives at the
tree.

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Maela couldn't remember seeing a single knife miss
the tree, and nearly all clicked

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against each other as they embedded in the center.

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The entire time she did it without any words to
Maela of her

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intent. She just trained.

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Maela did the same, but it was clear what her goal
was, to destroy the

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guardian that stood down the lane.

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As to Daala, Maela felt that she was training to
help, or to become

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strong enough to save Maela if things went poorly.

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So,

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she was surprised as she walked over to help Daala
cook, and her partner put the

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rolling pin down and said-

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So I'm confident we can defeat any foe together,
but I fear I know not how to battle an invisible

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opponent.

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The comment surprised Maela and filled her with
emotion.

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Daala wants to escape with me.

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I think I love you,

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Maela said, looking Daala in the eyes.

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Sure, we share a bed and clean the dishes
together.

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We prepare food and take walks together, but it
isn't until I discuss battling an invisible
guardian

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that you love me.

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Daala said the words in a teasing manner and with
a smile.

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They had never said that they loved each other,
but they had recently come to say, "I

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think I love you," whenever one did something kind
to the other.

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I

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didn't say I love you.

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Maela replied with a wicked smile.

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Oh, yes, I guess I have to kill the invisible
guardian to earn that.

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It wouldn't hurt.

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In reply, Daala picked up some flour and tossed it
at Maela.

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Maela instinctively lifted her hand, and as the
flour flew, it left a

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trail through the dusty flour in the shape of
Maela's hand.

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Daala's hand covered her mouth, and she said-

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By the gods.

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What is it? Are you okay?

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Daala lowered her hand, uncovering a huge smile.

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I just realized how you defeat an invisible
creature.

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(dramatic music)