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.

39. March at Age 10

So yeah…I'm back. :D Sorry it's so late. Anyways, Happy New Year! Cross your fingers that it isn't the end of the world.

The Month of Running (March) Age 10

Week 1

I'm writing this in my bedroom at around midnight. I don't have any time to do it during the day, because it's risky getting seen with it. Nort, who has no doubt been spying on me, claimed that I have a notebook in which I put all my devious plans and stuff. If someone sees this and asks to look it over…well, it isn't a notebook of plans, but some of the stuff written here could so get me kicked out.

Not that I'm not in the brink of getting kicked out anyway.

Maybe I should've seen it coming. I mean, seriously, what gave me the assurance that Brynn was really my friend? Sure she didn't seem as determined to throw me in jail as Violet, and maybe she is the nicest guard (heck, nicest person) I've met, but that doesn't mean that she actually likes me. All week, Kayley has been glaring at me, though I'm thankful she didn't do anything else. It would've killed me if she said something like, "I told you so."

Briefly, I wondered about the fact. For someone who hates guards, she didn't to be as crazy as everybody else. She even seemed…calm. What would she have acted when we were seven? Probably rub it all over my face and gloat. But I guess it's safe to say that she's changed a little bit. What really bothered me, though, was when I asked her about it earlier in class. Well, sort of. It kinda went like this.

I was sitting slumped in a chair with no doubt a miserable look on my face. Juliet had tried to cheer me up earlier. I think it would've worked (she is pretty funny) but whenever I start cracking up I thought of how Brynn betrayed me and the smile just slides of my face. Juliet then offered me candy. I refused.

I saw the Wocky twin go over to Kayley and nudge her. Kayley glared, but Juliet stayed firm and pointed at me. I wondered what they were talking about. Juliet then whispered something to her, which made Kayley stiffen rigidly. Kayley then shook her head, sighed, stood up, and walked over to me. "Hey," she said, pulling up a chair. "Why the long face?"

I buried my head in my hands. "Are you mocking me?"

"No! Well…ugh…to be honest, I'm here just to escape Flynn," she mumbled.

I stared. "What?"

"Juliet's threatened to sic 'im on me if I don't cheer you up." She sighed exasperatedly. "Despite last month's little incident, she's actually quite attached to him. Why and how, I cannot say." I smiled slightly, thinking she was joking, but she just stared straight ahead. What's weird, now that I think of it, is that she never ever really smiles. Julius once swore that she did a long time ago, when he helped her decide to keep Lilia as his little kid, but I always thought he was kidding or something. "I hate it when you're miserable," she said unexpectedly.

I snorted. "Isn't what you're always trying to make me?"

"Why would you say that?" she asked.

"Well, 'cause you're always trying to screw up my plans. And where the guards are concerned, you're unreasonable."

"Believe it or not, I do have a reason on loathing them," she snapped.

"Like what?" I said skeptically. "You never seem to offer any opinions. It's always secrets with you."

"Some things are best-" she began.

"Left unsaid," I finished. "I get it. But still, even now, I don't really know a thing about you."

She arced an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Where you were live, why you're always so nervous, you know, stuff like that," I said. "I keep thinking about what makes you tick."

"And you need to know that…why?"

"Why shouldn't I know it? We've been friends-er, acquaintances," I quickly amended when she began glowering at me, "for years. Don't I at least deserve to know some things about you?"

"What if I say no?"

"Well, then-"

"Oh, forget it. This conversation is getting us nowhere," she said angrily. "Fine. I was born on Terror Mountain, but I moved here when I was like two or something. As for being paranoid, well, that just keeps us alive most of the time. If I hadn't been paying attention, Kanrik would've gotten killed last month. Of course, it's probably it was probably unnecessary, since someone-" She stopped herself.

"Since someone got a guard to arrest him? Yeah, I know," I said, slinking back.

"No!" she exclaimed, with an edge on her voice. "Because you would've saved him anyway."

"What?" I blurted out. "I wouldn't have been able to-"

"You're underestimating yourself again," she said. "Ironic, since at the beginning you thought you were always going to be the best."

"Yeah, well, I was wrong. No one but me would've idiotically told a guard where the Guild Leader was just because she asked nicely. I am so stupid."

"True," she agreed. "But you'll figure your way out of this one. You always do."

"Not without other people helping me," I reminded her. Then I grinned and conceded, "Still, I am pretty awesome…"

"Oh, good, you're cheered up," she said, annoyed. "Once you start clowning around, you're okay."

"Yeah," I said, and then I thought of Brynn again. I cringed.

"Uh-oh," Kayley said. "Here comes that frown again." She studied me. "She didn't do it, you know."

"What?"

"Bry-your guard friend," she said quickly. "She didn't betray you."

I gaped at her. "She arrested the Guild Leader! Everyone hates me because I showed her where he was!"

"All the same, she wouldn't have," Kayley said stubbornly.

"How would you know?"

"She just wouldn't, okay? Jeez, things must be really messed up if I'm the one encouraging you to believe in your friend." She shook her head. "I'll prove it next week." She began to walk away.

"Hey, wait! You haven't finished telling me about yourself yet!"

She stared. "Am I really that fascinating?"

"You're so secretive all the time! Who wouldn't want to know about you?"

"Whereas you on the other hand just keep blabbering about yourself. Fine, what do you want to know?"

I thought for a moment. "Your family?" I shouldn't have said that. She quickly retreated back to her cold, calculating demeanor. Just when I thought when we were finally getting somewhere.

"Not open for discussion," she snapped, a few wisps of her hair covering her steely grey eyes. Her fists were clenched.

"Aw, come on-"

"Shut up! Just because your family is just perfect doesn't mean-" She stopped herself again. "Whatever. I just don't want to talk about my family or myself in general. Why I even gave you that amount of information earlier…" She rolled her eyes and stormed off. I groaned inwardly—it was back to stage one.

But the stuff that she did tell me was pretty fascinating. I mean, she used to live in Terror Mountain?

There's something else, too. When I went home, I saw a few people, probably thieves, looking at the house. Mom and Dad could definitely beat them all in a fight, but something tells me that that isn't what they're planning. Wait a minute. If they aren't planning a robbery or murder, that means they're going to kidnap—

---

Well, that was traumatizing. It's around three a.m. now. Two hours earlier, while I was writing, I heard a noise coming from under my bed. I guess by now I should know that there's no boogie man, and if there is my parents would beat the crap out of him, but I was still seriously freaked out. I only had time to shove the journal under my pillow when this Hissi snakes up to me. "Hansel, right?" he said in a deep voice.

I quailed, but even then I was irritated with the name thing to stay quiet. "Hanso," I corrected, glaring at him. "I'm warning you, my parents are just at the end of the corridor and they'll come right here if I scream. I'm not so bad with the dagger myself."

The Hissi laughed. "You have spunk, kid, I'll admit that. Your parents already know."

"Whaa-?"

"They're not allowed to accompany you to our little meeting place…so not as too counsel you what to do, you see?"

"Little meeting place?" I studied him. "Who are you? Where are we going?"

He snickered. "For the place, well, you'll see soon for yourself. And don't you know it's bad luck for thieves tell you what they're called? Well, since you're a child…I'll say that my name is Master Serpent. I'm Kanrik's new second-in-command." The last piece of information startled me. I looked at him again.

He was green, with calculating dark eyes and a wise expression. Even though it was really creepy of him to come to my bedroom and stuff, I think I like him. He was a lot better than Vlade or Zida, that was for sure. But there was something…odd about him. His face seemed so wrinkly and haggard, even for a Hissi. "How old are you?" I asked him.

His grim face broke into a small smile. "Now that's a really rude question. Let's just say a Hissi sheds his skin two times a year. I've shed my skin one hundred and fifty times." As I was busy calculating, he continued, "We really do have to go. Come on, you can ride on my back. We have a long way ahead of us."

Riding a Hissi is not fun. They slither around on the ground, so even if you're going on a perfectly straight road, they go left and right, left and right. I was almost sick. I got even more scared when I realized how far from Brightvale we've been—it had already been an hour, and we even had to stop twice because we had to climb a few steep hills. Jacques taught us basic navigation, so judging from the star and the direction we were going, we were heading straight for-

"The Haunted Woods?" I shrieked. "That's where we're going?"

"Not too far in," the Hissi assured me. Pretty soon, we came upon what looked like a few old ruins. We went in a little deeper, until we were stopped by some Skeith that came out of nowhere.

"Ah!" I freaked out when he came at us, landing on my bottom.

"Heh. Don't worry, kid. I have orders not to hurt you. Yet," he added hopefully. He examined me. "So this is the famous Hanso, huh? We're your ID?"

"My ID?"

"Oh, since you don't have ID then maybe I can hurt you a tiny bit-"

"Yab," Serpent snapped. "I dragged him out of bed. My ID should be good enough for both of us." He flashed a pendant at the Skeith, and I realized it was the one all the Thieves' Guild members had—a tiny piece of the Heart of the Mountain encircled with a golden Cobrall. He quickly slithered into the entrance, with me on his back. "Fools. Think they could do a better job than Kanrik."

"Now I officially like you," I announced. Any person who says 'fools' is awesome. "I just finished calculating. You're…what, seventy-five years old?"

"Yes," he replied. "I've been around even since Galem Darkhand's grandfather's days." He shuddered.

"What was he like? Galem, I mean," I said. I was really curious. Who was this guy that Kanrik killed? I saw through Marie's looking glass that he was a jerk when he was a kid, but I didn't know who he was as an adult.

"A complete jerk," he answered. So nothing had changed. "But a powerful and cunning one, too," he amended. "His downfall was that he didn't know who he could trust. He was right when he kept an eye on Kanrik, but he was a complete idiot if he thought that he won Masila over. Some wounds run too deep to be healed."

"Masila? You knew her?"

"Of course I did," he said indignantly. "One of the cleverest girls I know. Rather shocking when she betrayed Kanrik, of all people. She was his best friend. Besides that, she played a big part by getting many of the Thieves' Guild to support Kanrik overthrowing Galem. Without her, he never would've won." He sighed. "Rather a pity we're fighting her. She was the one who convinced me to be loyal to Kanrik, despite me supporting the 'old blood,' as you say."

"Wow," I said, slightly shocked. Then, I said after a bit, "Just wondering, Master Serpent, but aren't you a little old to be second-in-command?" I was afraid that he'd take it the wrong way, but he just nodded like it was a good question.

"We've been having too much treachery in the Guild," he said simply. "Vlade was a very good example. He betrayed Kanrik without a second thought, and would stupidly kill just for the thrill of it. Kanrik needs a second-in-command he can trust completely, and I managed to fit the bill. I'd been advising his ever since he first took his position. But you're right, I'm getting to old. The second-in-command place usually goes to someone young, since he inherits the Guild when Kanrik's gone…so to be honest, I'm kind of just a place-holder."

"A place-holder?" I asked.

"You know. Someone to fill in until somebody with more potential comes along. Then I can retire in peace," he said contentedly. He winked at me. "I think I know who the next person's going to be." And I think I know what I want to be when I grow up. "Kid, you might want to look around now."

I did—and gasped. It was ten times larger than the Thieves' Guild, with a maze of halls and a fire pit burning at the center. Thieves (all adults) were bustling to and fro, talking in whispers like some giant hub. Despite the many people, though, it seemed like the place had been abandoned a long time ago. Cobwebs lined some corners, and once and awhile I had a coughing fit because of the dust. "What is this place?"

"An abandoned headquarters," Serpent answered. "Before we came to Brightvale, we went all over Neopia to see where we could settle down. Mystery Island, Kiko Lake, Maraqua…those were our failed attempts. This was our last stop before permanently staying; a few people got a little too, well, freaked out to stay here, but we keep this place for council meetings."

"What are council meetings?" I said curiously. If there's one cool thing about hanging around old people, it's that you get to learn loads of stuff.

"It's when we decide what's going to happen. Ever since Kanrik overthrew Galem, we decided we didn't want to be dictated again." He smirked. "Rather ironic, because it was Masila and Kanrik who first threw the council meetings. They called us once in a secret location in Terror Mountain, away from the Guild, and told us our plans to overthrow Galem. We supported them, and that gave them the rallying force. Now, it's more like we discuss stuff that the Guild Leader might not deem appropriate."

"But isn't that mutiny?" I asked.

He laughed. "Oh, Kanrik knows about it. He leaves them be since they actually agree with his decision in the end, and it gives them an illusion of freedom. Your mom and dad are his main spies."

"Whoa," I marveled. "Hey, wait a minute. Kanrik's missing. You don't have to hide!"

"We're not hiding from him. We're hiding from our, ah, illustrious Guild Mistress." I smirked. Okay, I get that. Though Hannah is undoubtedly the best explorer ever, she's awful at managing a Guild. Dad's always arguing with her about something or another while Mom desperately tries to clean up her messes. It's chaos. Even Mortak wants Kanrik back—which could actually be the whole point of her little tirade.

We soon entered a tunnel and took a few turns to what seemed like a huge courtroom. I gulped. "Um, why is everyone staring at me?"

"Because you're about to be tried," he said. I got off his back slowly. "Don't worry about it. Your parents will get you out of this—they're the most resourceful couple I know, excepting Masila and Kanrik. Marie would be here too, if not for her being in as precarious situation as you are."

"Why? What did she do?"

He snorted. "You kidding? Her son just led guards into the Thieves' Guild hideout. Even she has trouble explaining what happened. Of course she's going to be held in captivity until something clears her name. But for now, let's focus on cleaning up yours." He whispered, "Good luck, kid. You're going to need it, with Mortak as the judge."

Wait. Mortak's the judge? As in, the guy I demoted when I was eight year old? The guy who undoubtedly wants revenge, and whose son tried to make my life living torture? Yep, if I'm surviving this I'm so going to need luck. Or, I reflected, Kayley with a dagger next to me.

Mortak sat on a high desk, looking important. He gestured me to sit on what looked like an ordinary school table, which was a lot lower than his. It made me feel really silly, like a little kid being judged on eating peanut butter straight from the jar. He eyed me greedily, no doubt wanting to inflict the most painful punishment he could give. "So," he started.

"We meet again," I finished, grinning. I always wanted to say that. Apparently, he did too. He scowled at me.

"You're in no position to talk, young man," he said sternly. "Our source-" Meaning Nort- "tells us that you've conspired with a guard girl named Brynn and showed her the location of the guild master's quarters. Is this true?" I shrank in my chair.

"Yeah," I admitted. "But-"

"You see! He admits it!" Mortak roared. "I vote that he gets kicked out of the Guild immediately and permanently! All in favor?"

Almost all hands shot up, but Dad interrupted, "Now wait just a second!" Everyone turned to him. "Guys, there's probably a plausible explanation for why he acted like this. I mean, he could've been under a spell! Amazing enough that she even found the place-"

"We already reasoned that she arrived with somebody with thieves' blood," Mortak said. "Namely, Sam. We should've taken care of him a long time ago, what with being both a thief and guard's son as well as becoming a guard himself and knowing where the Guild hideout is. I'm surprised we haven't been found out sooner."

"The guard girl's also the one who captured Kanrik before!" another voice rang out.

"And remember," somebody said, "Lizzie herself is friends with Marie!"

"What's that got to do with anything?" Mom snapped, standing up as well. She looked murderous. "This whole thing's ridiculous. She was already in the Guild, and would've no doubt found Kanrik's office anyway even if he didn't help her. Hanso and her have been friendly all year, with Kanrik's permission. We already know that its Hanso's mission to try and get on her good side when she grows up, with the belief that she'll hold an important position someday. There's no way possible that the guard girl could've found out, so she obviously didn't mean any harm. Sam is Marie's son. Even if he is a guard now, he wouldn't let any harm come to the Guild!"

"And why's that?" Mortak asked.

"He wouldn't betray his own mother, or family for that matter. No child would-" She glared at him. "Hanso didn't do anything wrong. This is about something else, isn't it? About me." Immediately, the hall filled with mutterings. But I didn't get it. What did she mean?

"People," Dad said exasperatedly. "We settled this years ago! This should not be an issue right now!"

"What if we changed our mind?" someone called.

"And besides," said Mortak gleefully, "Hanso could've been easily be corrupted because-"

"He doesn't even know!" Mom yelled. Instantly, the hall silenced. Mom looked at them, with a triumphant smile on her lips. "I kept this information from him because I knew you would hold it against him! I can tell you right now he doesn't know a jot of it. Ask your son," she added. "He's been using the knowledge as torture. This is the only reason why I didn't put a stop to it."

Mortak slowly turned to Nort. "Is this true?" he said weakly. "He really doesn't know?"

Nort bit his lip. "Sorry, Dad. Yeah, he doesn't know." Mortak groaned.

"Case closed," Dad said. "He's not guilty. Can we go back to bed now?" There were mutinous mutterings all around, and I had a feeling that this wouldn't be completely over until Kanrik gets back. If he gets back. But I guess everybody was tired, so they agreed and everyone began filing out the door. Master Serpent gave me a nod as he passed. At least Kanrik's finally choosing some competent members for his council.

Dad and Mom said a few things to this Xweetok with long, black hair. Two other women who looked like her stood by. I guessed they were sisters, the youngest still a teenager around seventeen, give or take a few years. She gave me a nice smile, but I noticed her fingering her knife nervously. "I think your son's waiting for you," she said to Mom.

Dad grinned at me tiredly. "Some night, huh? And to think you're still supposed to go to school."

"Yeah," I agreed as we walked back. It would take us a long time to get home, but I didn't mind at that point. "What happened there, anyway? What is it that I don't know?"

"Sweetheart," said Mom, "Not knowing that is the only thing keeping you alive right now."

"But-"

"Hanso," Dad hissed. "You really can't keep track of the date, can you?" Oh, yeah, the first of March, AKA, Mom's birthday and my parents' anniversary. You know, I always suspected they got married on that day to save Dad from forgetting Mom's birthday. Normally I don't have to get them anything—but for that one day, I have to do whatever they want (especially Mom). And apparently, what they wanted was for me to be quiet and never ask about whatever they were talking about again.

"Maybe someday you'll find out," Mom conceded, seeing me grumbling. "But now the knowledge is too much trouble. And besides, some things-"

"Are better left unsaid," I finished.

Week 2

Kayley might've been mad at me, but she didn't forget her promise. We had a field trip again (Jacques had to meet up with other thieves), and I was planning to do a wide berth around the castle, or maybe just go home. I so didn't want to talk to Brynn again. It would be humiliating enough. Kayley, however, was having none of it. She grabbed my wrist when she saw that I was trying to leave. "Marketplace, Hanso. The number of times you've seen your guard friend there, I would've thought you'd already known where it was."

"What? But I'm not going to the marketplace!" I protested, struggling against her grip. "I never want to talk to Brynn again!"

She looked at me, her eyebrows raised. "Wow, you must be really mad at her. You aren't lying."

"Of course I am! I mean, of course not! I mean…." I began to get really confused. "Why do you care, anyway? You wanted me to hate Brynn since day one."

"Pfft, if you were doing this when we were seven I would be singing praises," she said scornfully. "But Kanrik says it's allowed, and if you're not going to talk to her anymore, it should be because of the right reasons: like, she's a guard. But it shouldn't be something that she didn't do. Even I think that's not fair."

"Life isn't fair."

"Don't I know it?" she wondered out loud. "Just get out there!"

"I don't want to."

"You have to."

"Make me." I probably shouldn't have said that. Kayley's eyes turned to slits, and she pushed me in the middle of the square. I glowered at her and then looked at the stall she pushed me to. The shopkeeper was eying me warily. I've never stolen from her before, but I'm guessing she heard the warnings of 'beware a blue Ixi kid.' But I just stared at the ground with my fists clenched, refusing to move. She'd have to call Brynn herself if she wanted me to talk to her.

"Hanso, are you okay?" Speak of the devil. Brynn examined me with concerned eyes. As if she didn't know the answer to that. I took one glance at her, gritted my teeth, and started moving the other direction. "Wait!" she called after me. Her tone had more fear and hurt in it. "Hanso, what's the matter?"

Whoa, she really has some nerve asking that. But…I don't know why; I guess I just pitied her. But I stopped walking. I didn't turn around, though. She circled to my front, trying to catch my eye with her piercing, electric-blue ones. I'm not falling for that again. I kept staring downwards.

"Hanso, what is the matter with you today?" she said desperately, though slightly annoyed. What's the matter? WHAT'S THE MATTER? I thought she was mocking me. I wanted to just smack her, but she sounded so worried. For a moment, I considered maybe she wasn't kidding. Nah. She was baiting me again—and I was really, really angry about it.

"You arrested Kanrik!" I yelled at her. She looked at me, her eyes widening with surprise. That alone should've stopped me talking, should've made me turn around and never speak another word to her, but everything just came tumbling out. "Do you know how bad that makes me look?" I snarled, thinking of my parents. Seriously, didn't she? This wasn't some sort of politics, or maybe a well-controlled guard fight. It was the Thieves' Guild: The guild of the most desperate. "They all think I betrayed Kanrik to the Guard and without Kanrik there…" I trailed off, turning my back at her again. "I'm hanging by an incredibly thin thread, Brynneth."

Her head bows, her shoulders slumped. She bit her lip nervously. Oh, sure, now the guild sets in. Didn't she know what the consequences were? I began to walk away again. "It's not what it looks like!" she said urgently when she saw I was leaving. "Masila's coming!" Yeah, of course I'm going to believe her again. She didn't seem to be lying, though. I stopped turning away. As soon as she knew I was listening, she continued, "Putting Kanrik back in prison was the only place we could be sure he'd be safe!"

Well, that's true. Master thief cells are as hard to break in as to break out; I should know. And yeah…other than the Thieves' Guild, prison is the safest place in Brightvale. Still, I wanted to play it safe. I said skeptically, "Out of interest, why would a load of guards sneak into the Thieves' Guild and rescue their leader?"

"Kanrik has a history with Sam." Oh, that explained it. Thinking that I didn't know Sam, she continued, "He's one of the older kids, look out for me." Slowly, I nodded. Yeah. I could see where they were going with this. She said hurriedly, as if I would change my mind any second, "They have some sort of history. I don't know exactly what, but they have one." She seemed desperate for me to believe her. Huh. Maybe she does care.

I looked at her in the eye. I had to make sure. "So, Kanrik's okay?"

"Yes, he's okay," she confirmed, giving me a small, reassuring smile. I relaxed. It was like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. I grinned back at her.

She seemed relieved, though still a little nervous. To ease the tension, I said exaggeratedly, "Now, maybe I should…"

"No stealing!" her purple friend snapped, appearing from out of nowhere. She glared at me, and I backed away with my arms up.

"I was going to say go home!" I said cheekily, totally cheered up. I began leaving again, though a lot happier. "Bye Brynn and…Viol…Violet! I got it!"

"Good for you," Violet said sarcastically.

"Bye!" Brynn said, waving at me.

As soon as I was out of their sight, Kayley appeared. Her arms were crossed. "I guess it went well?" she said, probably looking at my ecstatic face. She frowned in the direction of the guards, maybe regretting her decision. But she did it anyway, and that's what matters.

"You're the best!" I said happily. "Thank you!"

She blinked, as if she was surprised someone was talking to her nicely. Maybe this was the only time someone talked to her nicely, besides Juliet. I made a mental note to be a bit kinder to her from now on. "You're welcome."

Week 3

I didn't tell my parents about Kanrik being okay, or Hannah for that matter. They would ask me where I got the info from, and something tells me they won't be pleased I tried talking to Brynn again. So I went to the only person I could trust with the secret no matter what: Timmy.

"Wait! Iswn't the Gwuild Weader in jwail again?" he said, terribly confused. "So how is he okway?"

"He just is, Timmy. He's safer from Masila."

"Mwasila?"

"She's an green Acara, kinda pretty, I guess, and usually wears a cloak." Before I could explain she was evil, he said,

"You mwean the nwice wady?"

A chill ran up my spine. Did Masila talk to Timmy? Then why wasn't he cut into little tiny pieces already. Slowly, I said, "Timmy, she isn't nice. She's evil, and wants to kill Kanrik."

He frowned. "Okway. Maybwe they're nwot the swame pwerson. The wady talked funny at first, but I dwidn't like her spweaking that way and tworld her so. She wooked weally impwessed, and talked nwormally. She said she wanted to knwow where the Thieves' Guild is." Oh, crap. It was her. "I dwidn't tell her, though, because Mommy said to kweep it a secwet. She swaid she understwood, and gave me cwandy."

I blinked. That didn't sound like Masila. Unless the candy was poisoned? But no, Timmy seemed just fine. I shook my head, deciding not to worry about it. "Anyway," I sighed. "I just wish I could find some way to talk to Kanrik."

Then Timmy said something unexpected. "Why dwon't we use the hole we fwound two wears ago? When he was in jwail the fwirst time?" I couldn't believe he remembered that but I didn't. Wasn't he like two then? He definitely had a good memory.

"Hey, yeah! That' a great idea!" I grinned. "Wait to go, little sucker."

"I am nwot a sucker."

"Sure you aren't," I said playfully. "But we still have a leader to talk to, right? Come on." I grabbed him, and together we quickly went to jail. Soon, we located the small crevice we went to years ago. I studied it. Either it's gotten smaller, or I've gotten bigger. I put my hand in experimentally, feeling the sides. "I don't think I'm going to fit," I admitted. "You're going to have to take a message for me."

"Mwessage?" he said, his eyes wide.

"Don't worry. You've been in there before, remember?"

"With wou," he protested, scooting back.

"Aw, come on," I urged. "You want to rescue Kanrik and make your babysitter proud, don't you?"

He bit his lip, but crouch forward. In my head, I hated myself for pushing him to this. But hey, he was going to have to put up with jail a lot more often if he was going to be a thief. "What shwould I say?"

"Say something like, Are you okay? Do you need help? Stuff like that."

He was in there a long time. I started to get worried and began pacing around. What was taking him? I guess my big brother instinct was acting up again, because I was thinking about some pretty wild schemes of finding a bulldozer or battle axe somewhere and chopping the wall down. "Hanswo?" Timmy said, finally peeking outside.

"There you are." I breathed a sigh of relief. "Was he there?"

"Yeah," Timmy confirmed. "He swaid nwot to worry, Bwynn, Swam, and the others are twaking gwood cware of him. He swaid that he's pwetty swure now that having a gwuard fwiend is a gwood idea, and he's gwoing to let you do it once he gwets out of there. He said nwot to bweak him out, he'll escwape once the dangwer has pwassed and Masila is captwured."

I smiled, absolutely certain now that Brynn was being truthful. "Thanks, tiny Tim."

"Hanswo?" he said.

"Yeah?"

"He alswo swaid he's sowwy for doubting you."

Week 4

The next day, I went to visit Kanrik again, going to ask somehow if he was sure I couldn't get him anything. I mean, he'll probably want decent food. The stuff they serve in jail sometimes look like it's going to eat me! So I guess you could see why I was pretty shocked to see him casually walking out of prison. A large shriek pervaded from the door, but he just went outside and began strolling away. "Kanrik!" I called.

"Oh. Hanso," he said, giving me a small smile.

"Aren't you supposed to be hiding from Masila?" I asked. Another shriek echoed from the prison's windows.

"That is Masila," he replied. "She's probably thinking along the lines of, If I go down, you're coming with me. Typical." He shrugged, slightly sad. "I guess I should really accept that she's changed. It was foolish of me to try and appeal to her better nature. At any rate, I better get back to the Guild. I'm guessing it was hard for you this past month?"

I bit my lip, thinking of all the snide remarks and stares that I've been getting, plus how I hated Brynn in the first two weeks. "Yeah," I admitted.

"Probably as hard as it was all year?" I nodded again. "Well, you won't have to worry about that anymore. I've never going to doubt you again."

"Wise choice," I commented.

"Indeed."

"And you're getting nicer people, I guess. Master Serpent is an awesome second-in-command."

He nodded. "He was good—the only reason that I didn't pick him before was that he was too old, and that people might argue I'm only picking the ones that support me. Well, they can't argue with that anymore, and Master Serpent assures me he's still as fit as he was ten years ago." He smirked. "When he was about sixty five."

"You know," I said casually, "he said he was just a place holder. Until someone else more competent comes along."

"Did he?" Kanrik said in an amused tone. "I suppose he's right."

We reached the Guild entrance. "Um, Master Kanrik? Could I ask you one more thing?"

He shrugged. "At this point I'd tell you anything, Hanso. What is it?"

"What happened to my parents a long time ago?"

"Except that," he amended.

"Why not?" I asked. "I mean, everyone knows but me! Nort said that my mom did something awful-"

"She did not," Kanrik said indignantly. "It was-" He froze and shook his head. "It's nothing, Hanso. Maybe you'll learn about it some other day. In the meantime…you're definitely going to have to get some kind of award. Rescuing me for the fourth time, withstanding bullying, traveling the high seas by yourself…yep, you need something."

"You don't have to. But if you insist," I continued, grinning. "That's what you and Hannah were fighting about last month, right?"

He nodded. "What did happen to Hannah, anyway?"

"She became the self-appointed leader of the Thieves' Guild."

Kanrik paled. "Wait, what?" I repeated what I said. "Crap," he cursed. He ran in the Guild without another word, probably frantic to stop Hannah from causing anymore damage. I grinned. It was nice to have him back.

It's a bit shorter than I hoped for, and it's mostly falling action. Then again, the last chapter was the real climax in this storyline for Hanso's Journal, and I couldn't have really snuck Hanso in the getting-Masila-captured part in Brynn's Diary. Again, I'm sorry I haven't updated for a looong time, but one of my New Years' resolutions is to update this more frequently. :) I already have the next storyline settled, anyway…