Artemus had taken history classes when he was just an apprentice at the Haven, he wasn't a lore nut as Keeper Vairia had been in their youth, clinging to every word their old history teacher, Keeper Dhonova, a kind, soft spoken woman, would say, but he payed attention, listened, took notes and passed with flying colors.
That being said, Artemus knew the legends and lore of the city and her histories. But he so loved to hear Garrett excitedly recall Keeper Vairia's lecture.
He loved seeing his son so passionate about something, he loved seeing the way Garrett's eyes would light up, the way he would throw his hands around as he spoke, the way he would leave himself breathless just to fit as much information into a single run on sentence.
There was a time Artemus was so sure that Garrett would become a historian in the Haven that he put money on it.
"Keeper Vairia said that the Haven used to commission thieves to do things out in the city, retrieve or forge documents of interest, gather information and the like." Garrett rambled excitedly from the chair by the fire, Erin pressed snugly to his side, listening to her brother attentively while Artemus worked on preparing supper for the three of them, commenting whenever applicable.
"We still do." Artemus chimed as he began to chop onions at the counter.
"But I thought that was what the Enforcer Unit was for?" Erin piped from the chair, leaning over the arm to look at her father with wide, curious eyes.
The question was innocent, the subject was not.
"Now where did you learn about the Keeper Enforcer Unit?" Artemus asked slowly in his, 'I'm not upset, just concerned' parent tone.
"Brenata." Erin replied easily, "She said her brother is going to join them, and that she is too."
Artemus sighed heavily as he dumped the sizable amount of diced onion into the pot he was working with, already preparing himself for the coming years.
"The Keeper Enforcer Unit…" Artemus began slowly, "Is designed to carry out Haven specific tasks, things that the Haven cannot or refuses to trust to others, which is why we still commission thieves."
"Keeper Vairia said that too." Garrett interjected, returning the discussion to a far, far easier topic.
"He also said that the Sneak Thief was the Haven's go to thief because he was so good at it." Garrett rabbled excitedly.
"Apparently, the Sneak Thief was brought into the Haven to listen to a new prophesy, Keeper Vairia couldn't recite it to us because it's classified, but it boiled down to a warning about the destruction of chaos and the disbalance of order that would result."
Artemus hummed encouragingly as he began to peel potatoes. He of course knew these tales well, having grown up alongside Keeper Vairia led to long nights listening to his old friend regurgitate the same lectures over and over.
But Artemus always liked a good story.
"The Haven asked the Sneak Thief to keep his eyes and ears open for any sign of the prophesy's fruition, and at first, the Sneak Thief apparently wasn't all that interested in getting involved, but as Keeper Vairia explained it, the problems that the prophecy foretold began to affect the Sneak Thief, so he had no choice but to intervene on the Haven's behalf." Garrett continued, speaking a mile a minute.
"Apparently, Father Karras was abducting urchins and gutter rats to turn them into mechanical servants for the nobility." Erin 'ooed' quietly at that, a sound of intrigue.
"The Sneak Thief intended to expose the Watch Captain and Father Karras, but before he could, someone assassinated the Watch Captain. From what the Sneak Thief supplied, it was the Watch Captain's Lieutenant, Perennial Mosley who did him in." Garrett explained.
"But get this, the people who convinced or paid Lt. Mosley to turn tail were the remaining Pagans!" Garrett exclaimed.
"Apparently, the Pagans had caught wind of Father Karras' plot to destroy the forests, and they, already weakened by the loss of the Trickster, were desperate to prevent the destruction of their home.
So they decided to try and convince the Sneak Thief to aid them, and for some reason, the Sneak Thief agreed…"
Garrett fell quiet for a contemplative moment.
"Hey Pa…" Garrett called as he leaned over the arm of the couch to look at the Keeper at the stove.
"Would you ever work with someone who hurt you?" The young lad asked.
"Because the Pagans stole the Sneak Thief's eye and tried to kill him… But he saved them in the end…" Garrett murmured.
"Well…" Artemus sighed as he turned to rest his hip against the countertop to look at the boy in the chair.
"I think it would very much depend on what they did to me and if they were punished for it." He confessed.
"If someone stole my eye without consequence, then no, I don't think I would be willing to help them… But if they were chastised appropriately and repented, I would consider helping…" Artemus explained softly.
"The Pagans may have stolen the Sneak Thief's eye, but he was blessed with a new one… And the Pagans were nearly wiped out due to their attempts to overthrow order." Artemus mused.
"To the Sneak Thief, he and the Pagans were even, and during the Metal Ages, they were both struggling against a similar foe. So while the Pagans did hurt the Sneak Thief, they had paid the price for it, and so, the Sneak Thief agreed to help."
Garrett crinkled his nose at the Keeper.
"I don't think I'd be able to do that." He confessed quietly.
Artemus merely chuckled as he turned back to the stove to stir the concoction in the pot.
"That's fine." Artemus hummed reassuringly, "You're still young, so no one can expect you to forgive so easily."
"But the Sneak Thief did…" Garrett muttered quietly as he moved back to sit on the recliner properly.
"Well then I suppose it's a good thing you're not the Sneak Thief." Artemus sighed as he set about pouring three bowls of stew, setting them on the table before taking a seat, inviting his children to join him.
Erin all but skipped over, while Garrett walked, evidently lost in thought. The three of them ate quietly for a while, nothing but the clinking of spoons disturbed their meal until Garrett piped up again.
"The Sneak Thief was kind to the Pagans." He stated quietly as he moved a chunk of beef around in his broth.
"He was." Artemus agreed.
"Do you think… I could ever be that kind?" Garrett asked quietly.
"I think." Artemus began after a moment, "That you could be even kinder."
Garrett merely hummed as he scooped the chunk of beef he had been toying with into his spoon thoughtfully.
"Eat something before you start again." Artemus ordered lightly as he pointed his own spoon in Garrett's direction.
"I won't have you complaining about your stew going cold because you spent all of dinner chattering."
Garrett finished his supper before Artemus could scold him for not chewing.