Chapter Nine
Content to awake in the same place as I had fallen asleep, I started the next day out happily. As I explored the town with a happy disposition Wexler and Cantrol wearily trudged along behind. This also helped me maintain my perkiness because it assured me that if I wanted to do something that they might frown upon, I wouldn't have to worry about reparations.
But I didn't bother trying at all that day. I don't really know why, I just wasn't in the mood. Perhaps all the wonder of the world around me just overwhelmed my conscious mind. There was so much around me that I wanted to explore. I didn't take more than a five minute stop all day even though the town was truly a bit on the small side. But just because it was smaller didn't mean that it contained a smaller amount of attractions. There were three or four separate street performers who apparently came out daily to display their talents. Along the road that cut through town there were craftsmen and artists selling their wares. Each one appeared to be familiar with every person who walked into town and eagerly offered help should the traveler need it.
By evening, when I returned to the inn to find Wexler and Cantrol bickering again, I had decided that I had happened to come during a festival day. However, the following day was similar, which I concluded meant that the festival must last for near to a week. That next day I used to become more intimate with my new surroundings. Perhaps a better explanation for it was that I became more mischievous.
I made myself a mental list of goals that I wanted to accomplish. I finished my first goal by a little after midday. That was to steal various articles, which I returned later, with the exception of an apple that I had taken around noon, and see if I could get caught. I was curious to see if it would be harder to take things since there were less people. It wasn't. Since the atmosphere was so light in the town, the people were careless and didn't notice. After finding this out I felt an impulse to try to get caught. So, I inserted that goal in before the second one and went to work on it.
I lessened my cautiousness bit by bit until the point that I wanted to smack my head against a wall until it bled. These people were so unobservant that in the end I found a spot where I could stand right in front of a local sheriff and right in clear view of the bread seller that I was going to take from and made a big swooping action with my arm. I grabbed the bread with both arms extended and then began to take big, pronounced steps away. It took the sheriff, even though he was looking straight at me and was standing not two feet away, a good minute to realize what was happening. I was about ready to turn, walk over to him, and nail him over the head with the bread when he finally called out. I turned around, trying to act like I was surprised and upset that I had been caught, even though I was so happy that it had finally happen, but instead of yelling or scolding me, he simply reminded me that I had forgot to pay for the loaf.
Half content and half on the verge of breaking out in tears, I continued my list. By the time that the sun started to set I had found about six different ways to get to the rooftops of town that were easily accessible. I was about to get down off of the roof when a sparkle caught my eye. I looked up and that was the first time that I saw the magnificent beauty of the Socear Mountain Range. I was paralyzed at the sight of it. Without knowing it, I settled back onto the roof and leaned back, supporting myself with my arms. As with all the other times that I would see them, an intangible whisper came to me. It was warm, and comforting… and victorious.
The mountains were so huge, seemingly insurmountable. They stretched on from north to south, far out of my sight. What did that mean? What kind of being could have forged such a mighty chain? Nothing less than a god, obviously. And it seemed that only a being of such stature could pass through them. Event though they were rather far away, I knew they had to be treacherous...
Before I knew it, the sun was behind the mountains and I carefully climbed down from the roof. Instead of heading back to the inn by way of the direct route, I tried to accomplish number four on my list, which was to see if I could remember how to get from place to place if I got lost. So, I started walking off in the opposite direction of the inn. I took several random turns at random intervals and about ten minutes later judged that I had done a well enough job of getting myself lost.
Unfortunately, I did such a good job of getting myself lost that I was, in fact, lost. I tried to determine where in town I was so that I could find my way back, but I didn't recognize any of my surroundings. I didn't panic though. I had lived on the streets for practically my whole life and knew how to get around towns well. I knew that eventually I would either hit the end of town or find a road that I remembered. Jein was the only town that I had ever traveled that didn't follow those guidelines, and even then it was only the west side.
Eventually I wandered on to a street that I knew that I had never been to before because it was the only block that had shutters on the windows of the first floor of every house. I cautiously stepped down the street, hoping that it would lead me to a familiar one. As I crept along I made sure that my sheath was secure to my belt and the dagger was in its correct place. Subconsciously I hunched my shoulders over into a position that may have meant that I was cold. But I wasn't. My instincts simply knew that I had less a chance of looking vulnerable if I seemed to want to exclude myself from the world.
As I neared the end of the street my nose caught the sent of a familiar smell. It was not necessarily a smell that I enjoyed, but it gave me a small amount of comfort. I followed it and saw that the building on my right had light flittering through its shutters. I walked to the door and listened. A pair of people were talking inside, loud enough that I didn't need to try to hear them. There were a couple of interjections during the conversation so I knew that there were a few more men inside. From what they were saying it sounded like they were part of a gang or the likes, not the tavern that I had been expecting.
Suddenly I heard one of the two men who were having the conversation curse and yell. I heard a scraping noise and jumped away from the door. I barely made it out of the way before the door exploded outwards and a strong appearing man landed on top of it.
"You weak-hearted little pup!" a voice bellowed from inside. "When I tell you to do something, do it!"
The man got up and limped down the way I had come, nearly avoiding getting struck by a chair as he left the light that came through the door. Curiosity took a hold of me and I peeked through the broken doorway. A man even larger than Mr. Bungle stepped through as I was moving to looking. He was large enough, and ugly enough, that I wondered if he even was a man. He stepped out looking the way that the man had limped off and didn't notice me at first. However, when he turned to pick up the chair he did.
I stood stock still, hoping that I was just imagining that he saw me. He stood equally still. There was a call from inside and he quickly grabbed me with one meaty hand and the chair with the other. I let out a cry of pain as he squeezed my arm and dragged me inside.
"Boss, she uz standin' outside. What you wan' me do?"
The man he was addressing was sitting on a barrel at the back of the room, directly opposite the door with his back to the wall. He was slightly shorter than most adults, though not by enough to make a difference. He was also thin and lean in figure. Before the monster-of-a-man spoke, the "boss" was looking at his hands with an indifference, or perhaps boredom, that I felt was uncalled for given the fact that he had just had a man thrown out the door. He looked up in surprise, however, when he heard what the big man had said. Honestly, I actually suspected that there was a little bit of fear in his gaze. But after a moment he relaxed. He leaned back in his chair and let it slowly drift backwards and rest against the wall. As he did so he scratched his neck and decided to look towards the north side of the room. Apparently he was at a point in boredom that it might prove fun to try and spot something that he hadn't already seen for the hundredth time.
"It doesn't really matter what I want you to do, Norg," he said smoothly. "I could tell you to keep holding onto her arm, or you could just do that on your own. Either way that action will result with your gushing blood on my floor."
Norg gawked at his boss. I was near the point of showing my astonishment, but I held onto my composure.
"What you mean? I ain't done nuttin' to ya, boss?" Norg was trembling now which struck a strong fear into my heart.
What could someone so skinny and... and weak looking do? Is he some kind of wizard?
"I'm not saying that, oh unobservant one," he sighed in annoyance. He turned back to me and I felt like he was searching my mind. "I just decided to inform you that that little girl is ready to use her dagger on you. At that range it would most likely be impossible to dodge the attack. And I'm sure that she has an idea of quite a few, easily reachable places that might make it quite painful for you."
Norg took a good minute to digest this information. Meanwhile, I kept my gaze locked on the Boss'. I thought that by this time I should be able to hide my dagger from anyone.
He must have eyes like Midas has ears, I thought to myself, still a bit afraid of the man.
Immediately after thinking it I saw a smile begin to play at the boss' lips. I began to panic a little. Had I said that out loud? I couldn't have. It had merely been a thought. But then, how would he know what I was thinking. Was I visibly shaken by the fact that he had noticed? That had to be it. He must have seen me do something incredibly discrete. But then… who, or what, was he that he could have noticed it and have interpreted it for what it was.
At this point Norg leapt backwards from me. I heard someone, who I assumed to be Norg, unsheathe a weapon.
"Put it away Norg," the boss sighed in his normal, bored tone. I didn't hear Norg move. "Norg," he reasserted. Still no movement. The boss moved his eyes to peer past me. They now seemed severely annoyed by the insubordination.
"But-" Norg started to wimper, pleading to be understood.
"It's not here, Norg!" The Boss yelled.
Norg fumbled with his weapon and quickly put it away. The Boss exhaled the rest of his anger.
Despite the fact that Norg had been neutralized I kept my dagger at ready. I didn't like this new opponent one bit. I let my eyes take in the room, but did not turn my head away from him. There was another man in the far right corner, he was watching, but wasn't giving the situation much attention. I thought I heard someone other than Norg cause the floor to creak behind me.
There was a fireplace at the far left end of the room. Inside ashes were piled up against the walls of the hearth. It appeared that the mantel needed a few hour's worth of cleaning in order to look somewhat normal. Sitting on top of it was a big sword, bigger than any sword I had encountered before. I decided that was Norg's, though couldn't understand why it was so neglected. Its sheath was covered in as much dust as the mantel and was tarnished from smoke. Next to the fire place, a fire poker stood at attention. It was bent in several spots and I questioned whether or not it actually served the purpose that it was made for.
Other than the fire place, there wasn't much else in the place. A few crates stood here and there. I thought that I had seen a counter somewhere along the front wall when I had been pulled in. Pretty much the place was almost as dusty and old looking as the old house that Goombuckle and I had lived in.
"You seem to be a very observant person, Miss." He let a smile peek through. "Tell me, what's your name?"
I didn't answer him at first. I stared hard into his eyes as I decided what to tell him. I could tell him my alias, or if I wanted to, I could tell him my real name. It had been long enough since I had used that name; I doubted anyone would remember it. I may have been able to go by any of my other names, but I'd be running a risk with those.
"Any name will do, Miss," the Boss said quietly.
I stopped thinking. I stopped breathing. I didn't stop starring. My whole body started to tingle, that's how afraid I was. After watching him smirk for an eternity, I tightened my grip on my dagger and tensed my arm in anticipation.
"How about this," he seemed intrigued now. He stopped lounging and leaned forward on his chair. There was a ravenous, excited gleam in his eyes. But it was very controlled hunger. It wasn't animalistic. It was the stare of a genius predator. In a way, it was both gloating at me and studying me with the deepest scrutiny.
I slowly hunkered down, ready to leap out of the way of any attack. Or to leap forward to attack.
"I'll tell you some of my aliases," he finished. He waited for a response but I didn't give him any. "I've been know as Delinquent, Thief, and Scoundrel. Others have called me Adventurer, Vagabond, and Man of the Wind. More recently I've been described as Mastermind, Heart Searcher, and Leader. Currently, most people call me Guild Master."
We regarded each other in silence. I knew he was awaiting a response. I also knew that he knew that I was waiting for an attack.
"Well, will you tell me?"
Absolute silence filled the room.
The Man leapt out of his seat with a speed that I expected but also seemed impossible to me. In reflex I leapt forward as well. There was a clash and everything stopped.
My dagger was nuzzling his chest, having pierced through his shirt but had stopped before puncturing the skin. It was not by will, though, that it had not gone further. It was stuck, the cross guard being held at bay by the "Guild Master's" own dagger. But that wasn't his only weapon. A scimitar was pressed up under my chin.
I stared him in the face. His eyes almost shot forth light with all the excitement that was held behind them.
"Very good," he purred. "Very, very impressive. Now, impress me even more and tell me what you can't see."
I sent all the hatred in me at him through my eyes. I kept all my senses locked on him because I knew what he meant and didn't need my senses to answer to the question.
"There are two crossbows or bows aimed at me right now. Norg has his weapon ready to be stuck in me. Even if I could avoid every attack and disarm you of both weapons you probably have one or two more daggers or some other kind of small weapon hidden on you."
The Man's face shattered into a big smile and his voice broke into laughter.