Some years after Garrett and Erin had fled the Haven there was an… Accident...
Artemus had long since come to understand his children's need for freedom. He was no longer bitter over their departure, though he worried (constantly Garrett would say) the average amount for any doting parent, he wouldn't be the one to cage his children in a gilded prison…
No, he'd watch them soar, and he'd be there to catch them should they fall, just as any loving father would…
Despite his children's insistence that they were fine, that they were careful, that he didn't need to worry… He did… And he was right to.
The whispers of revolution which had first crawled and squirmed through the city gutters like maggots within a bloated corpse, had been steadily growing over the years, evolving wings to break free of the festering decay, sparking courage and bravery in the lowest of the common folk.
And as demands for change, for equality began to rise in the streets, taking flight in the form of countless voices, the Baron, sheltered high above the city in his grand estate, turned his ears away.
Garrett came to Artemus one day, unprompted.
It had been three years since the two had let the Haven at this point, and yes, the two visited Artemus often, but each visit would be preluded by a letter.
The thieves never just dropped in unless…
Artemus suddenly found himself very worried upon finding Garrett, only Garrett, seated at his kitchen table.
The only time one of the thieves had ever dropped by for a visit without warning was when Erin had failed to cross an alley.
Something had gone awry, to say the least, and the younger thief had suffered a broken leg and a shattered wrist as a result, Garrett had been able to get his sister to safety, but he was no doctor.
At Erin's insistence, Garrett left her to seek out their Keeper on his own.
Artemus of course sent his aid, damning the fact that Garrett had approached him in the middle of a meeting with Keeper Sovel, a rather nosey Scribe who immediately sought out Orland to inform him of what he had seen.
Regardless of the peril he faced with his name under scrutiny within the Haven, Artemus worked endlessly to repair his daughter's broken bones, staying with the two thieves in their newest hideout until Erin was good as new.
Luckily, Artemus was welcomed back into the Haven some weeks later, partly due to popular demand, and partly due to a compromise between Orland and the two thieves, on the thieves' behalves for their Keeper.
Artemus didn't particularly enjoy the fact that his children more or less willingly struck a deal with the First Keeper to keep him out of trouble, but he was grateful.
The compromise, Artemus would come to learn, basically enabled the two thieves free reign of the city so long as the Haven could utilize their services in times of strife, granted they were willing to pay.
Artemus found it odd that Orland would agree to such a trivial bargain, the Enforcement Unit was more than apt at dealing with such tasks. Something was afoot, Artemus wasn't sure what exactly… And he didn't like it…
Still, the deal allowed Artemus to see his children more often than before, whenever the Haven had a mission for the two thieves, it was always he who went to negotiate their terms.
Their most recent task was a long term endeavor. The thieves were tasked with collecting information regarding the rising rumors of the most recent revolution and they, Artemus, Garrett and Erin, would meet once a week to discuss the thieves' findings over tea.
The revolution, according to the thieves, was not yet collected enough to even begin thinking about taking to the streets. The ideas and motivations were there, but the city had yet recovered from the previous revolution to dye the streets red…
Artemus and his thieves had last seen one another Saturday evening, hardly three days ago, so to see Garrett anxiously sat at his table, alone, without Erin…
Meant that this visit pertained to something either incredibly important...
Or very, very bad.