Hanso's Journal

by Reese S. Quill

The thief needs a story too, right? So how did Hanso become the oh-so-charming one that saved Neopia? This when he's 7 to 18, when TFR starts. Written with the permission of amethyst3232.

31. July at Age 9

The Month of Swimming (July) Age 9

Week 1

They came faster than I expected. Usually, a ship from Krawk Island would take at least a week to get here. I sent the letter a few days ago. So it was a shock to see the Black Pawkeet tiered to the Brightvale docks when I checked on it. I've been checking it daily multiple times, even when I doubted their speed. If they managed to get to the Guild before I could talk to them, the whole plan was ruined and I would be in a heap of trouble. I looked at the ship and my heart sank. It seemed as if they'd been here for hours.

But I heard yelling. Crossing the plank tentatively- I never did get over that whole river incident- I found what appeared to be the whole crew on board. An Usul with messy hair and roguish face was shouting, "Doesn't one of you pack of Koi know where the Thieves' Guild is?"

"Well," a Wocky said carefully, "We know it's hidden."

"OF COURSE WE KNOW THAT IT'S HIDDEN! THAT'S WHY WE CAN'T FIND IT!"

"Easy, Captain Garin," a Skeith said. So the Usul was Jacques's best friend. He'd told us a lot about him…when he was mad, people usually referred to him with the title. Reminding him that he was important in keeping the crew from going berserk managed to help calm him down a little.

"Okay, okay, that might have been a little uncalled for," he said.

"Might have?" Somebody muttered.

"But the point is, Jacques is in trouble. We have to find him." He paused for awhile to think. "I think the best option we have is to search for a thief- any thief that could bring us to the hideout."

"How are we going to tell that a person's a thief?" Someone asked.

Garin shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted. "Maybe we should ask our little stowaway at the back." Instantly, all eyes turned on me. I cursed in my head. Like Jacques said, I've underestimated Master Thieves again; how could have I gone not undetected in a whole ship of them? "It's all right, kid. We're not going to hurt you- and judging by the jacket, badges, dagger, and the at least half-stealthy movement you put on earlier, you're a thief."

"Yeah," I said.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. "Could you show us where the Thieves' Guild is?" Gain asked. "It's been awhile since we've visited the main headquarters. We're usually at the branch in Krawk Island." I hesitated. "Please," Garin begged. "It's urgent. My best friend, Jacques –do you know him?- is in danger, and we've come here as fast as we could, but-"

"Yeah…" I interrupted. "He's not in danger."

"What?" He looked at me blankly. "But he sent me a message." He took out a familiar piece of paper. After hours of agonizing what to put on it, I only wrote one word: HELP!

"I sent that," I confessed. "It was actually me that needed help. I have to get transportation from somewhere, and all the ships here are so serious about grain and stuff that they inspect every single inch of the boats. You were my only choice."

"So let me get this straight. You stole the code from Jacques," Garin butt in, frowning. "You call us from the middle of an adventure, right when we're nearing a treasure cave, and sent us hurtling here with the minimum of food and water thinking that one of our friends is in trouble just so you can get somewhere?"

"Pretty much," I admitted sheepishly.

His mouth dropped open. "That's-"

"Look, I know it's bad and I'll try to pay you back, but-"

"Exactly what I would've done when I was a kid!" He finished. I stared at him. "All right, I think I can guess who you are now. Hanso, huh? Kanrik's apprentice and one of Jacques's most annoying and brilliant students."

"Um, yes," I said.

He laughed and shook his head. "Pleasure to meet you, Hanso. Don't you dare do anything like that again."

"Of course," I said. "So…can I come?"

"Depends on where you want to go," Garin said. "I'm so not going back to Mystery Island. And Faerieland? Forget it."

"Just to Krawk Island," I said.

"That's fine, then," he replied. "Does everyone agree?" A chorus of "ayes" answered. I heard someone say, "Well, he lead us quite a dance, but you got to admit that kid has spunk."

"Good," Garin said. He turned to me. "Meet us back here in about an hour."

"An hour?" I cried. "But… but…"

"When did you think we were leaving?" He questioned. A part of me that had given up hope wanted to say, I never expected you to show up at all. But I kept my mouth shut. He nodded, and then said emphatically, "One hour, kid. You got that? One hour. We have to restock some supplies, and of course we'll pick up some food for you, but you have to be here within one hour. If you don't, then we really have to go without you. We were actually in the middle of something."

"Sorry," I mumbled, but he patted me on the back.

"That's okay. One more thing—do your folks know you're here?"

My face flushed with shame, and I stared at the ground guiltily. This would kill them. "No."

"How about Jacques?" He queried.

I shook my head. "Not him, either."

"Good," he said. "I don't want anyone to think that I got hoodwinked by a nine-year-old. Just for the record, this stays between us, okay?" I nodded, and he started barking out orders to nearby pirates.

Quickly, I rushed home and gathered clothes in a backpack. I didn't need much for traveling- just a few outfits and another pair of socks, and I was all set. Before I went out, I glanced at my parents' bedroom door. This really would kill them, I thought. Especially Mom, who freaked out because of a shard of glass, who was way to overprotective, who stayed in the window everyday and breathed a sigh of relief whenever I walked inside. Who also ran away when she was little, and never came back…

I went to dock, having fifteen minutes to spare. Or so I thought. "Well, well, well," said a voice. "Going somewhere?" I whirled around to see Kayley. She still had her disapproving glare on. I wasn't sure whether it was her normal one or whether she disapproved of this whole thing.

I sighed. "Kayley…it isn't what it looks like…"

She raised her eyebrows. "So you're not going to sail to Krawk Island to find Hannah?"

I spluttered. "How'd you figure that out?"

"Please. It's no secret that Kanrik had a soft spot for Masila, and therefore more vulnerable than others. But he has a soft spot for Hannah, who might be able to counteract her effects. You're basically putting your whole life at risk of a possibility. You don't even know if Hannah is there—she and Kanrik haven't made contact for years!"

I looked down. Hearing Kayley put it that way made it seem more real and stupid. But I wasn't going to give up that easily. "I'm still going."

She snorted. "If I want to, I can stop you. I know your time limit. You might just be smart enough to defeat me, but I can hold you off for a long time. Enough time for them to sail away, and all your precious work would go to waste."

My face fell. She was right. "Darn."

"If I wanted to," she repeated. "But I don't." I gaped at her. "You're obviously the best chance the Guild has to survive. Kanrik is our leader, and he's powerless against Masila. If you fail and not find Hannah, then we'll all surely die."

"But no pressure," I said sarcastically.

"Right." We stand there awkwardly for a few moments. "So, yeah, you can go. I won't tell."

"Thanks," I said. Then suddenly I'm overcome with dread and worry. I don't usually think like this, but I wondered if I was good enough. Really good enough. I was choosing this responsibility; there was no one giving it, and probably no one would blame me if I back away. But there was nobody else to take my place. Or was there? I looked at Kayley. She was brilliant with throwing daggers and figuring things out. She was the top of our class. "You should go."

"What?" She was taken aback. "Now you get cold feet?"

"You're so much better at this stuff than I am," I said. "You're right, this is a big deal. The whole Guild is at stake! What if I'm too…well, incompetent?"

She stared at me for a long time, conflicting emotions going over her face. I could see that she wanted to do it. I realized that this was the opportunity that she was waiting for; the one where she could show everybody that she was better than me. And I was gladly giving it to her. Then she shook her head, like her mind was made up. She swallowed. "No."

"No?" I said in disbelief.

"Hanso, you're underestimating yourself," she said in a low voice. "You weren't completely incorrect when you guessed that I was hiding something. I'm not telling it to you now, though, but perhaps someday. Anyway, not many people could sense that. You have amazing fighting capacity, natural thieving skill…"

"You're giving me a big head right now," I said, grinning.

"Well, you need confidence," she snapped. "What's more, I hate to admit it but you're more resourceful than me. I make plans. I can figure things out, too. Yet when something goes wrong, when I've misjudged something or someone, I don't think well. That doesn't mean I'm wrong about the guards," she added quickly. "But…well, if you weren't with us that night when we rescued Kanrik, we'd all probably be still in jail."

"No you wouldn't," I said. "I'd have gotten around rescuing you at some point."

She rolled her eyes and continued like I haven't interrupted. "Besides," she said. "Do you really think that I'd leave this job to someone incompetent?"

I didn't answer; I just smiled. She wouldn't.

"Five minutes left," a crew member shouted from a distance. "All hands on deck!"

I was about to leave when Kayley grabbed my arm. Had she decided to switch places after all? No, she didn't. It was more like she was making a last minute decision. Before I could ask her what she was doing, she took something from her neck and gave it to me. It was a necklace, or at least something that resembled it. It was just a thin cord with a pebble attached to it. "You're giving me a…rock?"

"No," she said. "It's an obsidian stone tinted with magic."

"A magic rock, then," I said.

She sighed with exasperation. "Not just a rock. Look, I have a matching pair." She held it up. "At night, hold it to the moonlight and we can communicate through the reflection. I'll call only when it's urgent. Besides, it's safer than neomail since it can't get intercepted, and it's a lot faster too."

"Wow," I said, looking at the rock with new respect. Though it looked expensive and definitely beyond a thief's means, I suspected that this wasn't stolen. If it was, she'd have given one to me without a second thought. Instead she had to debate with herself whether or not to hand it to me. This was something precious to her. I think that's what boosted my confidence the most; she really thought I could do it.

"One more minute!" A voice rang out. Kayley pushed me towards the harbor, urging me to get on. I raced to the Black Pawkeet, jumping onboard just before they took away the plank. I made it. Kayley was on the docks. She waved hesitantly at me, and I waved back until she was just a speck.

Then I sighed and sat down, finally allowing my problems to overwhelm me. Being a thief should cover me for a little while. Maybe the Guild will think that I got captured and wait a few weeks before they panic. I hope so. This was going to kill me, too. Briefly, I wondered how Brynn would react if she knew what I was doing. Probably call me an idiot.

I smiled.

Week 2

We've been on sea for a week, and it was driving me crazy. And sick. For the first few days, I actually turned green, so Garin forced me downstairs. Then when I got better and managed to stay on the deck, he started using me as a cabin boy. "Can't ride without you having to pay your share," he said cheerfully. As a response, I grabbed the bucket of water and threw it on the floor, so he nearly went overboard. But he just laughed. "In the early days when we were just beginning, I got promoted first," he told me. "Me and Jacques got into a fight, and I used my new authority to make Jacques swab the decks for an hour. He did the exact same thing—except, I really did go overboard. He had to jump out of the boat and rescue me. Then he got promoted."

My teacher did a lot of interesting things, it looked like. Garin and the rest of the crew told me stories about him and the fun they used to have. But they wanted a fair exchange: I had to tell them stories, too. So I started, right at the first day. At first Garin looked worried when he seemed all strict and teacher-ish at first, but then he relaxed when I told him that Jacques was never the most responsible adult. There were loads of times we could've been killed. He grinned and told me to go on. I reached to the part of the Jetsam nearly drowning me, and he whistled. "Good. So he hasn't gone all landlubber on me." But when I reached to the part with Masila...he got mad. "Abandoned him? Abandoned him? We came to blows before I allowed him to leave the ship!"

"He knows," I said quickly. "He didn't believe her. But…why did he leave, anyway? Looks like he really liked it here."

"Stupid prophecy," Garin muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing," he said quickly.

Once and a while the ship would pull over to raid a smaller one; they even pillaged weddings. I tried to tell Garin that we really should go, but it was awesome watching him jump out, grab some booty, and come back in a blink of an eye. Then to watch the people he robbed come shrieking after him until they nearly drowned in the ocean. He just smiled and waved.

Then one day we went down. I mean, really went down. It was like we were sinking, but Garin was acting like this was normal. "Don't worry," he said, seeing my worried expression. "It's just a friend who wants to talk, and I can't do that from the height we were in." Soon, we were just above the water.

At first nothing happened. Then there came a ripple in the surface, and a pretty Sea Aisha appeared. She had long, white hair and an optimistic look on her face. "Garin."

"Isca." Garin smiled. "I have your message. Why do you need to talk to me? We're kind of in a hurry."

"Well, it isn't me that needs to talk personally, it's…" She took a deep breath. "You have the boy with you, right? A stowaway?"

Garin frowned. "Hanso? Yeah, sure." He gestured to me. "Why?"

Isca flinched. "So my predictions were true. And so were Caylis's."

"Of course they were true," said a voice. It was deeper and older, maybe a bit more scornful, but it was sweet nevertheless. It sounded like Masila, without the persuasive quality. "My predictions always are. That's why I was banished, wasn't it? No matter how bad they were, nobody could stop them. So they blamed me. And they still haven't stopped." Another Sea Aisha appeared, Caylis I guess. "Hello, Garin."

"Caylis," Garin said, a bit of anger in his voice. "When are you going to call him back?"

"I never sent him away," she said coolly, but there was a hint of sorrow in her voice too. "I never wanted him to go, either. It was his choice."

"He had no choice! You remember how noble he always was." I frowned. What was Garin talking about?

"I am not here to speak of this," Caylis said harshly. "I'm here to talk to Hanso. You know who I am, correct?" She said, looking at me.

"Yeah," I said slowly. "You're Caylis, the girl Jacques had a crush on?" For a moment her cool demeanor slipped, and she turned a very bright shade of red. Garin, Isca, and the rest of the crew guffawed.

"No!" She snapped. "Well, yes, I'm Caylis, but…" She glared daggers at me. "I will ignore the last part of your sentence. I just came to give you this piece of information: Where there's moss, there's water. Where there's water, there's a way. Got that?"

"Um…I guess?"

"Alright," she said, and dived back underwater. Isca waved to the crew again before she followed her.

"What was that about?" I asked.

Garin wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Caylis's always giving useless information. If I were you, kid, I'd just forget about it." But I can't forget about it. I have a feeling it's going to be important later.

That puzzle took a step back, however, later that night. I've been checking the obsidian everyday. I know it's selfish, but I was hoping that there really was a message, just so I could see a familiar face from home. But when I actually got one, I was shocked. It burned my hand, and I nearly dropped it in the ocean. Holding it to the moonlight like Kayley instructed, I saw her face, still scowling disapprovingly at me. "Are you there yet?"

"What? No." I said. "We're still in the middle of the ocean. We had a few delays, but…"

"Well, you better get the captain to start rowing!" She snapped. "We have a big problem. Today, there was a Thieves' Riot. And it was because of you."

I spluttered stupidly for a few minutes. "WHAT?"

"Like you probably thought, Jacques said that you were probably captured again. He let it slide for a week. But today we had are mentors again, and when you weren't here…Kanrik freaked out. There's no other way to say it." She shook her head. "He exploded. Jacques tried to calm him down with the jail excuse, but Kanrik said that though he might have allowed kids to spend a few days there before, he can't allow it now. Masila's back. And if she had you, you would be a pretty good hostage."

"Me?" I said with disbelief. "What would I be worth to the Guild?"

"One of the youngest people who got inside the arena when he was seven. The person who had Illusen's staff. The youngest and most useful spy on the guards ever. The leader of Kanrik's escape—"

"Hey, that wasn't me," I protested.

"It was you," she said firmly. "The one who nearly died in the fire. The one who nearly drowned. You've become quite an epitome of thieving, Hanso. Plus, you're Kanrik's apprentice. Though most of the Guild probably wouldn't care what happens to you, Kanrik definitely would. If Masila had captured you, you would have been a pretty good bargaining tool."

"But I'm not captured," I said.

She rolled her eyes. "He doesn't know that. Anyway, he organized this whole thief convention to try and break you out of jail if you were there. That might have wiped out half of the Guild, and would kill a lot of guards. Not that I'm complaining with the last statement, though."

"So what stopped him?" I asked fearfully. "Assuming that something did stop him. Right?"

"Mm," she said.

I breathed a sigh of relief. "So who did? Wait. You didn't tell him the truth so he'd stop it, right?"

"No," she answered. "It was your little guard friend. It was her patrol day, and she tried to get to him—"

"Wait a minute. Brynn? She could get hurt there!"

"Oh, no need to waste your energy worrying," she said crossly. "The twins and Razor held most of the thieves who wanted to cream her back. It was very entertaining."

"And you didn't help?" I demanded.

She glared at me. Even in the stone it looked scary. "I've done my part by keeping my mouth shut. I'm not going to risk my life and position by trying to keep Miss-Goody-Two-Shoes safe, helpless as she is."

"She's not helpless!"

"Please." Kayley snorted. "She would've died today if the class wasn't on her side. Anyway, she had no idea what Kanrik was planning. Since she's about the only guard you'd allow to capture you, not to mention it was obvious she'd know that you were in the castle, he concluded that you weren't in prison. The whole thing stopped then and there, and she saved us a lot of blood whether she knew it or not. But now Kanrik, your parents, and about everyone in the Guild are going nuts trying to find you. You better get out of there fast."

"But-"

"I'll stall as long as I can," she promised. "But you gotta get here soon." With that, her image blurred and she was gone. I've spent most of my time already, and we weren't even there yet.

"Don't worry, kid," Garin said, making me jump. I didn't know that he was there. "I heard the whole thing. We'll get there as soon as possible, and I'll even not tell anyone about the necklace thing."

"Uh…thanks?" I said.

Week 3

She wasn't there. Well, not really. I guess I should start again.

So we went into this pub called the "Golden Dubloon," because that's where Hannah had supposedly worked. It stank of drink and sweat, and the owner kept yelling at everybody to calm down and drink their beer in peace. Garin smiled. "One of my favorite places in Neopia." Easy for him to say; as soon as he stepped on the docks, a crowd of fans started following him.

"But where's Hannah?" I asked in dismay. I saw a couple of barmaids going around and collecting glasses, but none of them had long, brown hair and purple eyes that Hannah had.

The music that was playing stopped when I said her name. The owner, a red, angry-looking Ruki, rolled his eyes. "Why're you looking for her?"

"Um, I need her to do something for me, I guess," I said. That was a mistake. A bunch of would-be adventurers scrambled up and begged me to give them a chance. I recoiled, kind of scared. Garin helpfully picked me up by the scruff of my collar— I was out of reach and humiliated.

"This is a job specifically for her," he said.

"Well, she's not here," the Ruki replied firmly. "And she's never coming back. I fired her a few weeks ago."

I would've started panicking when I was stopped by a laugh. Garin shook his head, grinning. "She'll come back. You know better than I do that this place is her home."

"An unwelcome home," the owner snapped.

"But a home nevertheless. And as we always say, home is where the heart is." He grabbed a pouch of neopoints from his pocket. "Here," he said, throwing it to the owner. "This should pay for food and boarding for this young one. I have to go."

"What?" I yelped.

"Don't worry," he assured me. "I know Hannah. She'll be back here in a week, tops. I wouldn't let anything happen to Jacques's student—he'd fry me for sure. And you've grown on me anyway." He smiled. "Neomail me any time you need help. Just make sure there's something in it for us next time, okay?"

Week 4

The door burst open, and the formerly empty bar was suddenly crowded. I craned my neck to see what was going on. From the very middle of the hub, a confident-looking Usul stood there. She had long brown hair and purple eyes, all right, but that wasn't what identified her. It was that mischievous smile on her face, one that definitely screamed adventure. She gave it to the red Ruki owner. "Did you miss me?"

"Hannah," he said, breathing hard. "I said that you were never to come back here—"

"Oh, shut your yapping," she said, rolling her eyes. "This is my home, and there's nothing you can do about it. Besides, you know I'm the only one who could bring some business to this shabby joint." She had a sharp voice, and what she said wasn't pretty; but it was obviously true. She was good.

"No," he said weakly. "Captain Garin came here just last week. Called it one of his favorite places, he did."

She rolled her eyes. "So now you depend on a pirate for publicity? How lovely. And for that notorious crook to be saying that he loves this place? I've known Garin to be sleeping in caves or even through storms. Even this place is Faerieland compared to what he's used to."

"And you?" He snarled. "What's keeping you here?"

She laughed. "Sentimental reasons," she said, patting an old, creaky armchair in the corner. "You remember that my grandpa use to own it. And he was the one who told me adventure stories, who gave me my first treasure map. You remind me of him, old coot. He frowned, wondering whether that it was a compliment or not. "Now, who wants to here about my latest adventure?"

I listened to her for hours. She was a good storyteller, actually, but like Marie said she was an exaggerator. Plus, she danced on tables. The adventure was awesome anyway. I don't think I'll ever get tired of listening to her. In fact, I didn't notice time flying by, and by the time she finished the roaring fire that warmed the room earlier now shrunk into a few faint embers.

I went up to her when everybody had already went to their room. Well, actually, she went up to me. She had a small grin on her face. "What are you doing here this late, sweetheart?"

"I, uh…"

"You a fan?" She said, smiling. "I can give you my autograph if you want. I'd give you another story too, if it wasn't so late."

"No thanks," I said slowly. "I'm here for something else."

She arched an eyebrow. "People do conduct some work here, I should know. But for a nine-year-old, that's kind of unusual, don't ya think?" I nodded reluctantly, but before I opened my mouth she continued, "I think I can guess who you are. Kanrik's apprentice, huh?"

My eyes widened. "How'd you know? Did Kanrik write anything?"

"He hasn't made contact with me for years," she said, a slight bitterness in her voice. "But it was fairly obvious from how you were acting. You're here for business, and the only business I know that's done this late this young could only be done by a thief. You're talented, by the way you crouched in the shadows like he did. And polite, also, waiting for my story to finish. Kanrik's trained you well. And now I guess you'll be asking for my help."

I bit my lip. "Yeah."

"Sorry, kid, but I'm out," she said, standing out.

"What?" I said, gob-smacked. "But you're Hannah the Brave! You'd never turn down an adventure."

"This is thief business," she said. "I try not to get mixed up on it. Every time I do, it's always worse for me. Even with Garin. Last time I did, I was cursed."

"Kanrik's your friend."

"He betrayed me."

"He's sorry."

"He doesn't act like it, ignoring me for such a long time. He could've been dead for all I knew. Or cared." There was a slight slip in her voice at the last sentence. She was lying. Was I as obvious as that?

"He saved you in the end," I said carefully.

She sighed. "Is that supposed to make me feel better? I hated being weak. Just get some other adventurer. There are tons around here waiting to get a chance."

"But I bet none of them are truth-speakers," I said.

"So you know about that, huh? It's easy. Just tell the truth and that's that."

"You know it isn't as easy as that. Truth-speakers tell the truth no matter what, plus their resistant to persuasiveness," I said, blocking her path to the hall. She scowled. "Judging by the way people talk about you, you're the best one."

At that, her frown softened slightly. "Well, I am pretty good. But I'm not the only one, you know. And it seems like you need more of my truth talent instead of my adventure."

"But you're the only one who could really affect Kanrik."

"Oh, the guy can handle himself," she said. "He's a leader too, and it'll take someone really strong to subdue him. Sorry, sweetheart, but I'm not convinced." She pushed me aside and entered her room quickly, slamming the door behind her.

"Wait!" I said, knocking against the wood. I was ignored, and sooner or later I knew that the owner would come and take me away. "It is someone powerful. Masila!"

The door instantly burst open, and I toppled inside. It was one of a normal room, with a small table, fireplace, and bed. Hannah's eyes were wide and shocked. "But…she's dead."

"She's not," I promised, trying to emphasize the two words.

Hannah sat on the bed and groaned. She buried her face in her hands. "This cannot be happening."

"You're the only one who could snap him out of it," I said.

She looked at me through her fingers and sighed. "I guess we do have another story for tonight. Tell me everything," she ordered, and I began with the day in the shop. She listened attentively to every single detail, asking thoughtful questions. But mostly she stayed quiet until I was done. "So you're out here without permission?"

"Yeah," I said.

"Typical thief," she muttered.

"So you'll help?"

She looked at me sadly. "I want to, kid. I really do. But I'm not sure if I can risk it."

"He's changed!" I said. "He doesn't betray people anymore. Really. And you know, it is kind of your fault that Masila's after him."

"My fault?" She gasped.

"Yeah," I said. "I think she did the whole thing because she's jealous of you, not that she wants to destroy the Thieves' Guild. It's common knowledge back home that he likes you, and you know Masila can't stand being second-best."

"Charmer," she said, rolling her eyes.

"So is that a yes?" I said.

"Maybe. I have to get some time to think about this. After all, I've already just finished my new adventure. But I'll give it a spin." She studied me. "You say he's changed, kid? We'll see. We'll see."

Long again! Yay! :) So I've done my entry of the week early...hopefully I'll get another one out soon.