CHAPTER 3
Anya was just in the alley and she saw the man who had called her make a few gestures with his hand while mumbling some words. The the guards came into view next to the alley entrance.
"Where did she go?" the front men asked to the one behind him. "I don't know captain, if I remember correctly there is a alley entrance near here but I can't see it."
Anya stared at them with big eyes: "They didn't see her, why didn't they see her? One time they looked right into the alley. Why didn't they see her?" Then the guards moved on and left the street. Anya looked with awe and fear at the man who saved her but couldn't see his face. "Um, excuse me sir but how did you do that?" Although see couldn't see his face she knew he was smiling. "Come on in and I'll explain it.
Ember was bored. She had expected to be saved now by the others. Suddenly see heard the door above the stairs go open, "Runt is that you?" "Yes it" She heard the merchant say. The cell was thrown open and a small bundel was thrown in. She quickly jumped at it. When she saw runt's face she was terrified, quickly she checked his pulse. With a relieve she noticed he was only nocked out.
"Hey Runt, Runt. Wake up."
"Huh, What? Ooooohhhhh, my head."
"Runt what happened?"
"Hummm, well. We where gonna rescue you. Everything went rather well. But then Kriff didn't stop the merchant ambushing me. Either he froze or he had trouble with that cursed sword again. What's going to happen to us now Em?"
"Don't call me that and I think that where gonna be sold as slaves unless the money is returned."
"What but Kriff and Anya went by the guild before returning to the safe house, the money is gone."
Ember froze. "But that means,.. The guild would never pay for a couple of cutpurses."
"I know Ember. So I guess where gonna get sold. Maybe we can escape our new masters."
"I wouldn't count on it. They ussually keep a sharp eye on new slaves."
"Well let's get some sleep, maybe we can escape tomorrow. Good Night Em"
"Don't call me, aaahh forget it. Good night Runt."
Kriff was alone in the safe house. Anya had not returned. Maybe she had been caught. Kriff was getting pretty desperate now. He had seen some of the equipment in the house and had come to the conclusion that the merchant must be a slaver trader. That meant that early tomorrow they where probably where gonna be moved to the hightown. And hightown has well guarded against thieves. Maybe he could,... The door of the safe house blew open and three men in black clothes and cloaks came in. The men in the middle wore the mark of a black captain. Only the Guild Master stands above the black captains. Kriff Black Purse you've been summoned for training in the guild house. You will come with us now.
"But sir. It has to wait. My friend were captured, I have to free them."
"YOU GO AGAINST THE WILL OF THE MASTER?" boomed the voice of the captain.
"No of course not." He whispered. "But my friends are in trouble."
"We know. We've been following your group. And you are the only one left."
"What? The only one but anya?"
"She defected, the two others were caught and will be sold tomorrow, that leaves only you."
"Uhmmm, you're sure we can't save them?"
"No, this is the way new initiates are chosen. From the small cutpurse groupes that wander the streets until only one is left. That one then is offered to become a new initiate."
"Ok, I'll do it. Can I bring some stuff?"
"Only of a magical kind."
Kriff sighed. And thought about it for a short amount of time. Then he decided to take the short sword.
Together with the three guild members he left the safe house that had been home for the 3 years he and his friends had been together. He looked back one last time and then braced himself for his new life.
Anya had listened with rapture to Rune's story about being a bard and the powers and advantages that came with it. Meeting kings and powerful wizards, joining legendary adventurer groups.
"Can you train me?" she asked him.
"Well I wouldn't have saved you if I hadn't thought you had the power and will to become a bard. But it means you will have to betray the thieves guild you are a member of now."
"Why?"
"Because they wont let you go and join the College of Sound. You see your thieves guild doesn't really like us."
"Well the guild doesn't like a lot of people so that isn't so unusual. I will have to tell Kriff, Runt and Ember that I'm leaving."
"That won't be necessary. Ember and Runt are prisoners of the merchant and Kriff was told by the guild that you turned traitor and left for thieves training. There is nobody to go back for."
"Can I sleep about it for a night?"
"Sure, there is a chamber prepared for you on the top floor. There are also some clothes for you. Do you want to take a bad first?"
"YES, uhm, I mean yes please. I'm the only one of the group who liked being clean. I most of the time wasn't because it's harder to identify a filthy child than a clean young girl."
"All right then, I will have a tub filled for you with hot water."
"Thanks you."
"No problem and good night miss."
Anya was just in the alley and she saw the man who had called her make a few gestures with his hand while mumbling some words. The the guards came into view next to the alley entrance.
"Where did she go?" the front men asked to the one behind him. "I don't know captain, if I remember correctly there is a alley entrance near here but I can't see it."
Anya stared at them with big eyes: "They didn't see her, why didn't they see her? One time they looked right into the alley. Why didn't they see her?" Then the guards moved on and left the street. Anya looked with awe and fear at the man who saved her but couldn't see his face. "Um, excuse me sir but how did you do that?" Although see couldn't see his face she knew he was smiling. "Come on in and I'll explain it.
Ember was bored. She had expected to be saved now by the others. Suddenly see heard the door above the stairs go open, "Runt is that you?" "Yes it" She heard the merchant say. The cell was thrown open and a small bundel was thrown in. She quickly jumped at it. When she saw runt's face she was terrified, quickly she checked his pulse. With a relieve she noticed he was only nocked out.
"Hey Runt, Runt. Wake up."
"Huh, What? Ooooohhhhh, my head."
"Runt what happened?"
"Hummm, well. We where gonna rescue you. Everything went rather well. But then Kriff didn't stop the merchant ambushing me. Either he froze or he had trouble with that cursed sword again. What's going to happen to us now Em?"
"Don't call me that and I think that where gonna be sold as slaves unless the money is returned."
"What but Kriff and Anya went by the guild before returning to the safe house, the money is gone."
Ember froze. "But that means,.. The guild would never pay for a couple of cutpurses."
"I know Ember. So I guess where gonna get sold. Maybe we can escape our new masters."
"I wouldn't count on it. They ussually keep a sharp eye on new slaves."
"Well let's get some sleep, maybe we can escape tomorrow. Good Night Em"
"Don't call me, aaahh forget it. Good night Runt."
Kriff was alone in the safe house. Anya had not returned. Maybe she had been caught. Kriff was getting pretty desperate now. He had seen some of the equipment in the house and had come to the conclusion that the merchant must be a slaver trader. That meant that early tomorrow they where probably where gonna be moved to the hightown. And hightown has well guarded against thieves. Maybe he could,... The door of the safe house blew open and three men in black clothes and cloaks came in. The men in the middle wore the mark of a black captain. Only the Guild Master stands above the black captains. Kriff Black Purse you've been summoned for training in the guild house. You will come with us now.
"But sir. It has to wait. My friend were captured, I have to free them."
"YOU GO AGAINST THE WILL OF THE MASTER?" boomed the voice of the captain.
"No of course not." He whispered. "But my friends are in trouble."
"We know. We've been following your group. And you are the only one left."
"What? The only one but anya?"
"She defected, the two others were caught and will be sold tomorrow, that leaves only you."
"Uhmmm, you're sure we can't save them?"
"No, this is the way new initiates are chosen. From the small cutpurse groupes that wander the streets until only one is left. That one then is offered to become a new initiate."
"Ok, I'll do it. Can I bring some stuff?"
"Only of a magical kind."
Kriff sighed. And thought about it for a short amount of time. Then he decided to take the short sword.
Together with the three guild members he left the safe house that had been home for the 3 years he and his friends had been together. He looked back one last time and then braced himself for his new life.
Anya had listened with rapture to Rune's story about being a bard and the powers and advantages that came with it. Meeting kings and powerful wizards, joining legendary adventurer groups.
"Can you train me?" she asked him.
"Well I wouldn't have saved you if I hadn't thought you had the power and will to become a bard. But it means you will have to betray the thieves guild you are a member of now."
"Why?"
"Because they wont let you go and join the College of Sound. You see your thieves guild doesn't really like us."
"Well the guild doesn't like a lot of people so that isn't so unusual. I will have to tell Kriff, Runt and Ember that I'm leaving."
"That won't be necessary. Ember and Runt are prisoners of the merchant and Kriff was told by the guild that you turned traitor and left for thieves training. There is nobody to go back for."
"Can I sleep about it for a night?"
"Sure, there is a chamber prepared for you on the top floor. There are also some clothes for you. Do you want to take a bad first?"
"YES, uhm, I mean yes please. I'm the only one of the group who liked being clean. I most of the time wasn't because it's harder to identify a filthy child than a clean young girl."
"All right then, I will have a tub filled for you with hot water."
"Thanks you."
"No problem and good night miss."