This is one of those stories where, as they say, the tale grew in the telling. I had the story all thought out, and almost written, and then got a better idea. The result is going to be longer (most likely 5 chapters instead of 3) and much darker than originally planned. There will also be a lot more Renal Bloodscalp, which I like since he's so fun to write.
Hope you enjoy it.
Chapter 2
Renal watched them approach from his vantage point on the roof of a building overlooking a blind alley, the designated meeting place. He was a little disappointed—but not surprised—that she had chosen to bring one of her companions with her; though whether it was due to distrust of him or the understandable caution of a woman alone at night he would soon find out. He recognized the man with her, the big Helmite priest—now a knight as well, he understood—that had traveled with her for some time. Not quite as impressive a specimen as another of her companions, the bald Rashemi, but he would certainly be sufficient to dissuade any but the most determined attackers.
"Typical!" the priest exclaimed as they entered the alley, "He lacks even the courtesy to be here at the time he has stipulated."
Renal dropped noiselessly from the rooftop to the alley in front of them, "You wound me, sir knight," he drawled, "I've always been told that my manners are impeccable…for a thief."
The other man gazed at him with undisguised hostility and addressed Ephraela without acknowledging his presence, "My lady, you are determined to go through with this?"
She gave him a brief nod and patted his arm, "It'll be fine, Anomen, why don't you wait there," indicating the mouth of the alley, "we won't be long."
He gave her an appalled look and a short but intense argument ensued, the knight clearly quite unhappy that he was not to be present for their conversation. Renal leaned against a crate and took the opportunity to study the lady, the first he'd had since that remarkable occasion a few weeks previously. By the gods, she was a beauty! A mass of dark hair, creamy skin and a face that would make any man look twice—or thrice. As for the rest of her, well, he had good reason to know that it was every bit as fine.
The argument was winding down, the lady the clear victor, which surprised Renal not at all. He decided a word or two of assurance might not go amiss, "For what it's worth, on my honor no harm will come to the lady by my hands or on my orders."
The priest snorted derisively, "What would you know of honor, thief?"
Renal chuckled, "There's one way to find out, priest."
"Keep your hands where I can see them," the other man snapped. "I'll be watching you." He marched to the end the alley and took up his post, arms crossed on his chest, glaring fiercely.
Renal turned to Ephraela, "Your friend's not the trusting sort, I gather?"
"He has good reason to be cautious;" she responded evenly, "my…heritage has often made me a target." She met his eyes, "And it did cross my mind that you might be seeking vengeance for the destruction of your guild, but…" she smiled wryly, "I think if you wished me dead you would choose something more subtle than this."
He sketched a bow, "Thank you for that, milady. But that brings me to point of this meeting. Your sweep of the guild house was thorough and bloody, but managed to bypass my usual lair—which, of course, you knew how to find. Seeing how you're leaving Athkatla on the morrow I thought you might indulge my curiosity as to why that was the case."
"Our target was Aran Linvail," Ephraela told him, "and although he made certain that there many bodies between us and him, there was no reason that yours had to be one of them." She looked away, "But I will admit that I was…relieved not to see you among those who died to defend him. I prefer the memory I have of you now to one of you spitted on my blade."
Aran firmly suppressed the surge of excitement that her words caused; there was no reason to jump to conclusions just because the lady was glad he wasn't dead. Best to keep this squarely on a business footing—for now. "I'm pleased to hear that. I have a proposition for you, and if my continued breathing was merely an oversight on your part it would certainly put a pall on any potential relationship."
She gave him a questioning look and he continued, "I know you were acting at behest of those righteous meddlers in the Order when you attacked the guild, but you did me a favor as well. Your raid removed Linvail and all of his potential successors, except…me, as it happens. Control of the guild—or what's left of it—is in my hands now, and I mean to keep it there.
"I have been following your activities since last we met with keen interest, and I must say I am quite impressed. And although I understand that you have other priorities at the moment, if you should return to Athkatla, the door is open if you wish occupation as my partner in leading the guild. A junior partner, of course," he added smoothly.
Ephraela stared at him for a moment before asking incredulously, "You…you want me to help you run the Shadow Thieves?" She blinked in astonishment, clearly taken aback by the offer, "Wouldn't they resent that I was responsible for the deaths of so many other guild members?"
Renal chuckled, "Dear lady, how do you think control of a thieves' guild passes from one leader to the next? I assure you it is never a bloodless affair. You are strong, intelligent, and ruthless, qualities that would make you well-suited for the job, if you wish to take it."
The lady was silent for a long moment, when she looked up to meet his eyes, her face was troubled. "Renal, I think you overestimate my…affinity for the activities of a thieves' guild. When I worked with you before I did what was required, but I was honestly relieved when the Order gave us another option to earn our passage. And the things we saw in the guild house…" she shook her head in dismay, "I will not say I was shocked, little truly shocks me now, but…no. Murder, extortion, torture…they may seem like routine matters for your business; but please understand—I bear you no ill-will when I say I cannot be a part of that."
Renal blew out a long breath, "A fair answer, and an honest one, milady. I cannot ask for more than that." He shrugged, "We're not all made for vice, any more than for virtue.
"Ephraela," he continued after a moment, "although it seems our business is concluded, that need not affect our personal relationship." He met her eyes, realizing to his chagrin that his palms were sweating and his heart racing. Why was he so nervous about inviting a woman to his bed? The answer came immediately, unwelcome and inescapable; because it was not any woman, but this woman, with the memory of their last encounter still seared in his mind.
Should he tell her how often he'd thought of her, how often he'd woken in a sweat of lust after dreaming of her touch? No. That would not do. "This your last night in Athkatla, and my sources tell me you occupy the same room at the Coronet that you did before." He lifted a hand to caress her cheek but then dropped it—the cursed priest would certainly react badly if he touched her. Instead he offered her his most charming smile, and said lightly, "Perhaps…perhaps I could call on you and we could hunt the 'little death' again to see you on your way."
She stilled for a long moment, and then met his eyes with some reluctance, "I am surprised your sources failed to mention that I no longer sleep alone."
Renal chuckled, and prayed that it did not sound as painful as it felt, "Ah. It seems that I failed to inquire on that point. A regrettable—and uncharacteristic—oversight on my part. My apologies." Then, in a flash of insight, his mind went back to the argument he had witnessed between Ephraela and her companion. At the time he had been so absorbed in admiring the lady that he had seen the signs without recognizing them for what they were. But now…a look, a touch…now it couldn't be more obvious.
It took all his willpower not to swear loudly. "The Helmite?" he ground out, his voice pitched low to avoid alerting the object of their discussion.
She flushed, then squared her shoulders and met his eyes, "Yes."
Renal snorted, "I thought he seemed a bit…proprietary."
Ephraela smiled and said mildly, "I think he considers it 'protective', instead."
He shook his head, trying to reconcile this development with the woman who had so boldly invited him to her bed. There was no doubt that the knight's face and physique would be pleasing to most women—Renal had far too much experience with women to discount that as a factor—and of course there was the prestige associated with being both a knight of the Order and the son of one of Athkatla's noble families. But he could not believe that would be a compelling motivation for a woman like Ephraela.
"Isn't all that righteousness…wearying?" he asked, trying to the keep the bitterness out of his voice.
Her eyes flashed, "I think we have more in common than you know. Regardless, please accept that this is what I want."
Renal sighed resignedly, "I will, milady, have no fear on that score." He eyed her shrewdly, "But I can't imagine he'd be pleased to learn that you've lain with a disgusting thief, no matter how long ago."
Ephraela paled, "Is that a threat?"
Renal, who had realized too late how his comment might be taken, said urgently, "No! Ephraela, no! Your lover might not believe it, but I have more honor than to try to blackmail a woman into my bed. However, it does make it all the more surprising that I lived through the raid on the guild, it would have been simple enough to see that I took your secret to the grave."
She stared at him in surprise, "I would never—could never—kill someone just to keep a secret. That would be…despicable."
Renal chuckled despite himself, "Dear lady, you were right; the Shadow Thieves Guild is not the place for you." He held up a hand, "You've been patient thus far, Ephraela, one more question before you go." He nodded toward the head of the alley where Anomen still paced and fumed, "Why bring him to this meeting? It seems an odd choice; one that will raise more questions than it answers."
"Insisting on going alone or that another accompany me would have raised as many questions," she responded, "besides, I…I mean to tell him. About us."
Renal replied without thinking, murmuring,"Oh, I wouldn't recommend that," and then cursed his own stupidity. If the righteous idiot was a big enough fool to cast her aside because of dalliances before they were even lovers…why in the Nine Hells should he stand in the way? But at Ephraela's quizzical look, he sighed and explained, "For most men, understanding that a woman they desire has been with others is one thing, but knowing all the particulars of it is quite another." He shrugged, "Maybe your knight is different, but I wouldn't wager on it."
She looked thoughtful, "Thank you Renal, I will consider what you have said."
"On that note, dear lady," Renal told her, loudly enough to be heard by her guardian at the end of the alley, "I will wish you a good night and safe journey. Perhaps our paths will cross again someday." He took Ephraela's hand and bent to kiss it; as he expected the priest was beside them looking thunderous before he had a chance to release her hand.
"My lady, if this miscreant has finished pawing you, we should depart," Delryn told her; but besides a brief, wrathful glance directed at the thief, all of his attention was on Ephraela. Renal noted with some approval that despite his distrust of the company and discomfort at the situation, his touch on her arm was gentle and the look he gave her solicitous.
Ephraela smiled at him, her eyes bright, "Anomen, Renal has been a perfect gentleman."
The knight was clearly torn; unwilling to openly contradict her despite his personal opinion of the subject. Finally, he murmured, "You are too gracious, as always, Ephraela."
"On that we may agree, Sir Anomen," Renal said heartily, offering his hand for the other man to clasp. "I wish you a good journey as well."
After a moment's hesitation the dictates of courtesy won out and the knight clasped his hand, muttering, "My thanks, sir," before offering his arm to the lady.
As the pair turned to leave Renal called his guards out of the shadows where they had been waiting, and hid a smirk when he saw the other man's chagrin that he had not noticed their presence earlier. "May I offer you an escort back to the Copper Coronet? These streets can be dangerous at night."
Ephraela gave him a censorious glance before responding, well aware of the game he was playing, "No, thank you, Anomen is quite capable of protecting me." The knight clasped Ephraela's hand and cast one last triumphant look back at Renal before they disappeared down the alley.
"Arrogant pup," Renal commented to no one in particular. He shook his head, "He'd damn well better appreciate what he has."
A voice from behind him rasped, "You want the woman, sir? We can arrange it for you."
He turned to face the man who had spoken, a big brute with a ragged scar across his throat, the relic of a fight he had survived, though his voice had not. What was his name…Luskin? Buskin? No…Ruskin. Good with a blade, Renal recalled, but possessing all the wit and subtlety of a sledgehammer.
Renal stepped closer to the man and eyed him narrowly. "That is most assuredly not your concern, Ruskin," he said coldly. "You are here to keep knives from my back, not to offer suggestions. Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir," Ruskin replied, and Renal turned away after one final contemptuous look. Their ranks were thin after Ephraela's raid, but by the gods, the scum he had to work with!
