Dalen the Thief

The camp was small, since it only had to hold one man. The embers of the previous night's campfire smoldered in the pit. A couple rays of sun broke through the boughs above, streaming though the open door of the tent. A groan could be heard from within, and then a muttered oath. A head poked out of from the door of the tent, squinting in the morning light. It wasn't an attractive head. One most people might call average, or run-of-the-mill. It had curly brown hair, brown eyes, and a slightly bent nose that had been broken once before. The head was followed out of the tent by the body. The body was slim and muscled, almost making up for the head.

These features belonged to a young thief named Dalen, from a port city far to the south. He had fled to the north after nearly being caught during one of his jobs, leaving most of his possessions in a far away town. He was on his way to the city of Saline, and hopefully brighter prospects than had been found so far this trip. Dalen began packing his meager belongings, then walked back to the road he had been following for the last week. According to a villager he had spoken with yesterday, he was only a day out from Saline, and would have a warm bed tonight.

He started back down the road, humming a song he had learned while a boy, and slowly his headache from too much wine at the village disappeared. Soon, he was actually in a good mood, and began looking forward to the day. After traveling for a few hours, he saw a wagon coming from the north. The wagon was covered with a dark colored tarp, creating a large area in back. As it came closer, a smiling man waved from the front, and stopped the horses. Dalen smiled back, and walked over to the wagon.

"Morning," said the man, "I notice your headed toward Saline." The man had a wide smile, and bright, white teeth. His hair was beginning to gray on the sides, and a flowing mustache covered his upper lip. He wore simple, but new clothes, buttoned up against the cold.

"Yes, I plan on arriving this afternoon and finding work."

"Well, I have some good natured advice then, there be trouble in the city. Seems the dockworkers guild is all fired up over the shipmasters refusing to pay full berthing fees. The shipmasters have decided to try and keep more money for themselves. The police are out in force, trying to keep the peace, and the prince is on the verge of declaring martial law until the trouble is over."

"Sounds bad, but I'm committed to Saline," said Dalen with a frown.

"Good luck, then. What is the road like from your direction?"

"I have been on it for a week, and haven't had any trouble."

"That's good news. Stay out of trouble in Saline."

"I'll try, good luck to you."

The man clicked to his team, shook the reigns, and the two horses started back down the road, the wagon following behind. Dalen watched after the man, then turned north and continued up the road to Saline.

I agree, he thought, I'll try and stay out of trouble.

Late that afternoon, after rounding a bend in the road, he saw his first sight of Saline through the trees. It was a medium sized city, not the largest he'd been in, but didn't look to bad. Buildings spread across a small valley, and a soft northern wind wove through the streets. As he got closer, the smells and sounds of the city began to tickle his senses, and he felt like he was coming home. It had been awhile since he had been in a city of any size.

As he passed the gates, he noticed that both guards had slightly worried looks on their faces. He remembered the wagoner's words, and decided he should find an inn quickly, to have a safe refuge if things got ugly. As he walked down the city road, he found a squat building with a sign out front of a bed. The building had large windows on the ground floor, with firelight dancing through them. It looked clean, out of the way, and cheap. Deciding this looked promising, he walked into the inn and across to the tavern floor to the innkeeper.

The innkeeper was short, fat, and had a large red face with a big smile. "Afternoon," he called in a loud voice, "the name's Garth, what can I do for you?"

"I would like a room, and then a good meal."

"I've got both for the right price. One gold, per night for the room, and one gold per meal."

Dalen winced, "rather steep, isn't it?"

"Hard times, my friend, hard times. You see, the dockworkers guild and the shipmasters are having this little feud, and us commoners are stuck in the middle. Most of my rooms are empty, and I need to make up for it with the guests that are here. Sorry, maybe times will improve."

Dalen took out his purse, counted out two gold pieces, and gave them to the man, who bit both pieces between his teeth. "First room on the left, here is the key."

After stowing his things in the room, Dalen walked back into the taproom. After coming downstairs, he ate his meal, and walked into the city. The city was quiet, most people staying off the streets during the trouble. After walking up and down the more populated streets, he finally found what he had been looking for. A young man had jostled a merchant, coming away with his hands deep in his pockets. The boy had dark blonde hair, and light blue eyes. He was slight, probably from years of poor food. Dalen followed the boy, and accosted him in the adjoining street.

"What's this?" The boy tried to run, but Dalen's arms held him fast.

"I saw you lift that merchants pockets. I need information, mostly on how to get in contact with your boss."

"Don't know what you mean, I'm innocent, I swear."

"Look boy, don't make me angry. Just pass over the information, and I'll forget I ever saw you."

The boy gave Dalen a scared glance, and looked around to see where to escape. "He is in the western quarter, close to the docks."

"Take me there, then. I'll give you a silver piece."

With a look of surprise, the boy turned in Dalen's hand. "I'll take you, but remember, you promised me that silver piece."

Dalen let the boy go, and he walked a few feet down the road, "well, come along."

The two walked along the streets of Saline for almost ten minutes, and the boy finally stopped in front of a small house near the river. The house had men stationed at different places throughout the street, and Dalen figured they must be guards. Most of them looked pretty rough, with worn clothes but well cared for weapons. "He stays through here, I'll show you."

Dalen followed the thief down some stairs at the back of the house. They soon came to a door. After knocking twice, followed by three knocks, the door opened. A man with a nasty scar down the side of his cheek answered, looking at the boy and his companion. "What's your business here Julian, you know you aren't welcome in the thieves guild anymore. And who is this that you brought right to our door?" The man had a dangerous look on his face, and was feeling the pommel of his sword.

"He's a friend, and I know I'm in trouble, but he offered silver. He needs to talk with the Dayman, about a job."

The doorman frowned, but took his hand from his sword. "All right Julian, I'll let him in our home. But if he causes trouble, it will come down tenfold on you, understand?"

The boy nodded, and beckoned for Dalen to follow. They walked down another flight of stairs, which ended in a large room below the city. Men and women populated it, gathered along the walls in small groups. The men mostly looked rough, like the men standing guard outside. The women, most probably off duty whores, thought Dalen, had a sorted array of clothes, ranging in color and type. One man sat in a large chair at the back of the room, surrounded by chests of gold and jewels, running his hand through the closest. He had a blue robe draped across himself, like a parody of a king. His face was hard, but his body had started to become soft.

"What's this Julian?"

"I'm sorry Dayman sir, but this man said he needed to talk with you. I wouldn't have come out of hiding, but he threatened me, sir."

The Dayman frowned, looking at Dalen. "And why did you threaten one of my men?"

"I just wanted to find your location, I'm looking for work. I didn't mean any harm. Besides, he tried to run, and I had to threaten him to get the location out of him."

"Well, that's forgivable I suppose, since no harm was done. Now, what exactly do you want?"

"Like I said, just looking for some work. I arrived in your city today, and I'm thinking about staying for a while. Too many people were beginning to ask questions in my old home, and I had to leave. How much do I need to pay to join your guild?"

"Well, it is ten gold per year. You'll be allowed into this location whenever needed, as long as no one follows you. Also, you'll be free to perform jobs in the city, as long as you pay a twenty percent fee to the guild."

"All right," said Dalen. He reached into his purse, and pulled out ten gold, handing it to the man. "Now, about some work?"

The Dayman dumped the money into one of the chests, and reached for a piece of paper sitting besides his chair. He looked down the page, and after a few minutes, cleared his throat. "Here is one, none of the locals want it because of the trouble at the dock. Would you be interested?"

Dalen thought for a few minutes, "let me hear exactly what it is, then I'll let you know."

"Well, the guild needs a jewel that is going to be shipped tomorrow, so you will need to pinch it tonight. It is worth fifty gold to you, if you return with the jewel to this house in the morning. It's at the dock workers guild, and you'll need directions, I suppose."

"Now wait a minute," said Dalen. "You're only giving me one day to plan and pull of the theft? Surely you have something else, I would need at least a week to plan breaking into a guild house."

"Sorry, that's all we have. Also, it will be a good test to see if you have the mettle to be a member of our guild."

Dalen frowned, but finally agreed. The Dayman pulled two maps from a pouch at his side, "here is a map of the city, and a second map of the guild house. The jewel's location is marked with a red x. I'll show you where the guild house is on the city map."

So saying, the Dayman got down from his chair, and spread the map out across a table. Dalen walked over and looked at the maps. The man pointed to a house on the map, "we are here. Follow this road, King's Lane, to the river. Then, turn right on River Road, follow that north, and it is the third building up. It has a sign out front with a ship and dock, you can't miss it."

Julian tugged on his shirt, his hand outstretched. "You promised me a silver mister." Dalen pulled a silver from his pouch and handed it to the kid. The boy vanished into the crowd of bodies, his job done.

Dalen took the maps, and made his way to the door, where he turned to look back at the Dayman. "I'll have the jewel for you in the morning." With that, he walked out the door, and headed back toward the inn.

Upon arriving at the inn, he climbed the stairs to his room and began collecting his things into a belt pouch. He took his favorite lock pick, and put it in the bottom of his shoe, then got a roll of heavy rope and tied it around his waist. He deposited different miscellaneous tools of the trade on his person, and decided to wait till dark, to keep the chances of sighting him low. He spent the rest of day memorizing the map, using a technique he had learned in the far south, in a city almost forgotten.

When the sun set in the far west, he walked down the stairs, and back into the common room of the inn. The innkeeper gave him a funny look, shook his head, and went back to rubbing the bar with a rag. Dalen walked to the door, gave the innkeeper a smile, and went into the city.

The shadows of the buildings stretched across the street. Dalen stayed in the shadows, listening intently for the sounds of others in the dark city. Few people braved the shadowy streets during the night, and he was almost completely alone on his walk. He arrived at the river, found the indicated street, and turned to the north. Three buildings down, he saw the sign hanging out front of a two-story building. He stood in the darkness, peering across the street at the building. Guards walked along the top of the dark building, one passing every few minutes. Dalen walked around to look at the back of the building, and saw his opportunity.

The rear of the building only had one guard, and he left for a good ten minutes at a time, around the side of the building. A small balcony window was open on the second floor, and Dalen figured he could climb through it. By climbing up the rear of the building using his rope, he could knock out the guard, and be in before anyone knew.

He unhooked his rope and grappling hook from his belt, and began twirling the metal prongs through the air. As the guard went around the far side of the second story, he flung the hook toward the second floor ledge. With a small clink of metal on stone, he set the hook against the ledge and began climbing. Once at the top, he walked along the ledge, waiting in the shadows for the guard to come back around the side of the building.

The guard came from around the building, and Dalen swung hard with the hilt of his dagger, hitting the man right behind the ear. The man folded to the ground, and didn't move. Dalen listened for any sounds announcing he had given himself away, and when satisfied, walked to the balcony window. Squeezing through, he looked around the room. It was small, with a desk against the wall, and papers piled up on top of it. Thinking it must be an underling's office; he crept over to the door and listened at the hard, oak wood.

There were a few sounds, but they all seemed far off. He tried the handle and found it locked. Grabbing his lock pick, he began working on the lock. After a few seconds, he heard a faint click, and put his pick back. Opening the door, he glanced up and down the hallway, but didn't see anyone. Walking into the hall, he pictured the map in his mind, and began walking toward the door he knew hid the chest with the jewel.

At the door, he listened intently, but heard nothing beyond the wood. Jiggling the handle, he found the door locked. He took his pick out again, and unlocked the door. Slipping in, he closed the door softly behind him, and began looking around the room for the chest. Bags were pilled throughout the room, and he finally located the chest at the back of the room. The chest was older, but well made. It had engravings across the front and top. He walked over, knelt, and began picking the lock.

Opening the chest, he saw a small bag, and picked it up. It was heavy, and as he overturned it, a bright blue jewel fell into his hand. Putting the jewel back in the bag, he pocketed it, and relocked the chest. Going back to the door, he listened, and opened the door, then quickly went back into the hall. As he approached the room he had entered from the balcony, he heard footsteps coming from around the corner further down the hall. He looked around for a hiding space, since he was too far from the door to make a run for it, and quickly walked through an archway a few feet down the hall.

The footsteps came closer as Dalen crouched in the darkness, and after a few seconds, a guard walked past, humming off key to himself. Dalen came out through the arch, and hit the guard on the back of the head, knocking him to the ground. Once again, the guard didn't stir. As fast and quietly as he could, Dalen made it to the room he had come in through, and went out the balcony window. Walking over, he climbed down the rope, then flipped the rope, and caught the hook on its way down. He was walking down the street to the inn within just a few minutes.

The next morning, Dalen woke up with the sun coming right through his window, blinding him. Groaning, he rolled off the bed and grabbed his clothes, pulling them on quickly. He picked up the bag with the jewel, tucked it away, and headed down the stairs.

Garth stood in the middle of the common room, frowning at a picture he had just hung on the wall. The picture had a knight, battling a green dragon before the mouth of a large cave. "What do you think, too much?"

Dalen glanced at the picture, "looks nice."

Garth turned to his bar, and asked if Dalen needed some breakfast.

"Yes, what do you have today?"

"Well, I've made a nice little egg dish, with sausage on the side. What would you like to drink with it?"

"Just some cider, I suppose."

Garth nodded, and walked into the kitchen. Dalen found a chair, and sat down at a table. The innkeeper soon came back, and put the food and drink on the table. "One gold."

Dalen paid, and began eating the meal. After finishing, he stood, and saying goodbye to Garth, he walked into the city. He arrived at the house he had been shown the day before, and the guard motioned him inside the building. After walking down the hall, he went into the back room where the Dayman stayed.

The Dayman sat in the same chair, with open chests around him. Different people hung around the room, chatting in low voices. Dalen walked across the room, took out the bag, and dumped the jewel into the Dayman's outstretched hand.

"Ah, good." The Dayman tucked the jewel into a pocket of his shirt, and pulled out fifty gold from the chests. "Here you go, were you seen?"

"No, in and out without a problem."

"Well, let me welcome you into our exclusive club. I already gave you the fee you need to pay, however, you also need permission for each job you pull."

"That's fairly routine," said Dalen. "No plans right now, I think I'll just go back to my inn, and have a drink."

"Don't forget to get permission before each job. Oh, and if you need a place to stay, the guild has houses throughout the city. Just talk with me, and I'll get you a good room for a reasonable price."

"I'll think about it."

Dalen left the house, and headed back to the inn. Upon arriving, only a few customers were in the common room. Dalen walked up to the bar, and sat down. The innkeeper turned, and gave him a smile. "How can I help you?"

"Just an ale." After getting the ale, Dalen started sipping, and stared at the fire, letting his thoughts roam. He decided that he liked the city, and having a business relationship with the Dayman looked promising. As he drank his ale, he decided. He would stay in the city for a while, at least until it got hot again. With that thought, he turned back to the innkeeper and paid for another night, maybe tomorrow he would take the Dayman up on his offer of a room.