A New Blade

Sabien placed the two bulging leather satchels onto the small dining table with a thud and sat in the vacant chair, pulling one satchel to him as Kel'dos took the other, un-fastening it and tipping the contents onto the table between Chey and himself. This was the usual next morning, post-raid sort out, usually at Sab's place due to it being closer to the city gates and quicker for them to get to after a robbery.

"Not a bad haul" said Sab as he reached for his coffee, leaning back in his chair to take a sip as Chey picked the pieces of jewelry from the pile of valuables.

"Very nice and well made, I thought you didn't expect much from there?" she commented as she picked up a golden broach inlaid with sparking orange gems and studied it with a critical eye.

"Aye, not much to look from the outside but a feckin' treasure trove inside" replied Sab as he picked out the pieces of jewelry from the pile in front of him and placed them in a small pile next to Chey.

"Had we known before, we could have taken Chey and maybe the kid so we could have carried more. We need to do more reconnaisance before we start, problem is, just the three of us who are capable right now, the Rats are not up to it yet" replied Kel.

"Glad you mentioned the kid" said Sab, taking a swig from his coffee. "Arli wants to rejoin the gang".

Kel'dos looked at Sabien, hoping his friend was joking.

"Stay a Thorn of course" Sabien continued "Just do jobs with us on a more regular basis, be a proper gang member so he gets a regular cut".

"Like fe-" started Kel'dos

"Sounds a good idea, if you think he can handle it then he gets my vote" interjected Chey

"Aye, been on a couple of jobs with the Kid out in Panda-land, he keeps his cool and most importantly, does as he is told, don't need to tell him twice." replied Sab looking at Kel'dos whose jaw was clamped shut in annoyance. "Not expecting you to take my word for it, which is why I want you both to run a job with him on your own, maybe even get him to take some Rats on a small job. After that, we can decide if he is worth getting a permanent place in the gang... and his proper cut."

"Good idea Sab, don't you think so Kel?" smiled Chey, placing her hand on his.

"Yeah...I guess..." he replied with a small smile at Chey before standing up. "Need another coffee I think" he said picking up his half full cup and heading to the small kitchen.

As he poured a fresh coffee into his mug, Sab followed him into the kitchen and placed his empty mug beside it.

"Know you're not keen mate" he said, the small of his back leaning on the counter as his friend refilled his mug. "But you said yourself we need more, and he knows the ropes. Kid isn't as stupid as he makes out.... give it a go, I'll set you up a job with him this week?".

"Fine." replied Kel sharply.

"And Kel...if this job gets screwed up then I'm blaming no one but you. Forget your differences and give the Kid a feckin' chance to prove himself, he'll be good for the gang."

Kel'dos looked at Sabien, it was his best mate speaking but the words were one of the gang leader, it was a statement and not a request.

Kel'dos nodded slightly. "Alright, but he's got to prove himself the same as any other gang member, I don't expect him to be acting like he was before, just as a Rat, no charity".

"Aye" added Sab as he picked up his coffee and headed back to the main room. "No charity....kid earns his place like any other, if we don't all agree then he doesn't get in".

(( Whereas the "Seconded" story happened a couple of months ago, this is more like now ))

The clean-cut dark-haired elf strolled casually into Stormglenn, his dark-blue silk shirt open at the neck and worn over expensively cut black trousers, dark wrap-around sunglasses obscuring his eyes and a finely crafted leather pack over his shoulder.

"Evenin' son" said the elderly man, looking up from his kneeled position by the borders of his small garden, pulling-out weeds that dared to poke through the stoney soil.  "Don't think she is back from the city" he added, recognising the high elf 'townie' that had been seen around his neighbour's house before.

The elf gave a small tilt of his head in acknowledgment and the slightest wave of his hand, his casual stride not breaking as he continued to the door of the house, rapping his knuckles on the door and then pausing a moment before taking a key from his pocket, unlocking the door and closing it quietly behind him.

"Robi?" called out Arli to the empty house as he pulled off his sunglasses and put them on the side-table, dropping his heavy pack to the floor as he walked through to the kitchen.  No plates on the dryer and a cursory check of the cupboards showed no fresh food.  A sense of disappointment washed over him at her absence, tinged with relief that he wouldn't have to explain where he was going and why he wasn't in Thorn colours.  Picking up his pack, he headed up to the main bedroom, closed the curtains and started to unpack.  A neat pile of fine, dark-grey supple leather armour was folded next to a set of heavier and more protective armour, of which he placed a folded Thorn tabard on the top.  Two silk-wrapped bundles were placed next to them, the first containing two finely enchanted crystal shivs.  Arli paused momentarily before placing them next to the armour and Thorn tabard.  the second bundle contained two smaller shivs, less likely to be seen but just as deadly in the right hands.  Kicking off his boots Arli fell onto the bed, closed his eyes and tried to catch a couple of hours sleep.

It was much later that night that a dark shadow slipped from an upstairs window, silently crossing the tiled roof and clambered down  the drainpipe.  Clad in dark-grey leather to blend better with the night shadows, his face and head covered by a soft leather hood from the depths of which alert green eyes looked around before the almost shadow became invisible in the dark night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Arli waited nervously at the ruins on the edge of the Thalassian Pass and looked in the direction of Tranquillien for what must have been the hundredth time since he had arrived.  He knew he was early, and on reflection realised it had been a stupid mistake to arrive so early, the waiting around had just made him more and more nervous of the evening ahead.  Arli took a deep breath to calm himself and sat on the wall staring unfocused at the broken tiled flooring, he was being stupid.  He was Thorn Master, led many an attack on the smaller Alliance towns yet here he was, chewing his lip and hopping foot to foot like some rat on his first job.  He'd been on robberies with Sab and Kel before, Chey too... but..... always with Sab there to keep Kel's annoyance at him in check.  Tonight, it would be just him and Kel and not only was there no one to pull up Kel, he had to try and impress him too. 

He needed a place in the gang.  

Since he'd been disowned by the Dawnrunners his income had practically ceased, Vile Thorn didn't pay and most of the time he couldn't bring himself to stoop so low as to steal from the Alliance he killed or maimed.  It was only through the charity of Lord Abulos Sunwing that he even had a roof over his head and regular meals.  The income from the few jobs he had run with Sab and Kel had reminded him of the life he used to lead, getting drunk and spending stupid money on new armour and blades.  Feck..he needed a place in the gang.

A click of fingers in his face brought him suddenly from his thoughts. 

"Wake up, kid, better not fall asleep on the job tonight, l know it's past your bedtime"

"F'ck you" replied Arli, dropping down from the wall and stretching his shoulders.  "Thought you'd fell asleep in your cocoa"

Kel'dos slapped him on the back of the head and headed towards Plaguelands, Arli quickly falling in step beside him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

They had shown caution approaching the target property, the downstairs lights were dimmed meaning that the inhabitants were most likely asleep, which was to be expected at 3am in the morning.  The security on the property was of quality, despite the property being semi-rural.  However, the owner had neglected to close an upstairs window and it was minimal effort for Arli to clamber up and drop into the darkened, but empty, room.  Quickly and silently making his way downstairs, he opened the back door and let his accomplice into the property.  Now relying completely on hand signals, Kel signaled "good job" and Arli smiled under his hood and nodded his acknowledgment.

A fast search of the house showed it was empty, which put the two on edge as it could mean that the owner, or owners, were due back at any time.  If lucky, they were away and a neighbour had been lighting the lamps to deter those such as themselves from making a visit.  Kel'dos allocated the downstairs for Arli to search with the more complex search of the bedrooms upstairs for himself.  The two split up, methodically searching each room and checking every cupboard and drawer as well as looking out for anything which might indicate a hidden stash.  The slam of the front door stopped Kel'dos in his tracks, quickly sprinting downstairs on hearing a scuffle and Arli's voice.

"Feckin' move and I'll slit your throat ear to ear" Arli hissed in heavily accented common at the homeowner, shocked and dazed to find himself pinned to the floor with a sharp blade pressed against his throat in his own home.  Arli looked up as Kel'dos appeared at the door, "No witnesses?" he said in thalassian, tugging the man's head back by his hair,  a trickle of blood from the blade, running down his neck.

Kel'dos paused at the doorway, this was a side of Arli he never saw and he found it suddenly unnerving. He quickly signalled "stop" then signalled to Arli to knock him unconscious.  Arli looked at the man then back at Kel'dos with a small shake of his head. 

"P..please..don't.." stuttered the frightened homeowner, letting out a small gasp as the blade pressed into his neck.

Kel'dos angrily strode over, Arli quickly withdrew the blade and hit the man heavily against the side of his head with the hilt before springing up to face Kel'dos, pausing a few seconds before he sheathed his blades.  Kel'dos signaled Arli to tie up the unconscious man, turning on his heel to finish the search of the house as quickly as possibly.  When Kel'dos came back downstairs, Arli was in the Study, drawers and papers were scattered across the floor and Arli was standing at a heavy cabinet and loading a few pouches into his bag.  "Done" he signaled to Kel'dos who signaled him to follow and the two made straight for the back door and slipped unseen into the still night.

With some distance between them and the property, Kel'dos stopped and signalled his wind rider to land; "We're done tonight, be at mine and Chey's for 10am" he said as he climbed on.

"Sure" replied Arli.  With nothing more said, Kel'dos turned and rode off into the night.  With a grin, Arli whistled for his Wind Rider and headed back to Gilneas.  Leaving his Wind Rider a mile or so from Stormglen, Arli jogged back to Robi's house, the heavy leather pack held against his side to reduce the noise.  The sky was lightening and without pause, he clambered up onto the roof and into the open window.  Stripping off, he collapsed exhausted into Robi's bed and drifted asleep with the scent of her surrounding him.

"Very smart" laughed Chey as she opened the door to Arli in his "visiting Robi" gear.  Arli pulled down his sunglasses a little and winked with a grin before taking them off and strolling into the main room.  Kel'dos and Sabien were sitting at the dining table leaning close and talking in low voices.

"Morning" said Arli as he strolled across,  taking the heavy leather satchel from the holdall across his back and placing it heavily on the table. "Sorry I'm late".

Sabien stood up and beckoned Arli to follow him into the kitchen.

"Oh.." said Arli with a glance at Kel'dos as he followed him.  "Feckin' Kel'dos" thought Arli "...snitching to the boss..."

Sabien closed the door and looked at Arli.

"Look..real sorry I'm late, overslept and stuff but I brought the bag from last night, got loads." said Arli. "...Kel seemed ok when we left last night?"  he added although he knew Kel wasn't happy with him  - but he rarely was so had just shrugged it off as "one of Kel's moods".

Sabien nodded slowly "Aye, not a bad haul" he replied then stood silently.  He needed to see if the kid knew what he'd done wrong.  If he didn't, well he was way off from becoming one of the gang.

"Kel's pissed at me isn't he?"

Sabien nodded slightly.

"It's over that guy coming back isn't it?" Arli paused but Sabien remained non committal. "No witness is all I thought...not like he was sin'dorei or anything?"

"We don't kill unless we have to, kid"

"But he was human, like it matters?"

"It matters."  snapped Sabien. Fel, he could smack the kid one for letting him down in front on Kel, he'd put himself out to let the kid have a chance to join and he'd screwed up.  He saw Arli step back as he realised he'd clenched his fists. Sab closed his eyes a moment and tried to let it go, reminding himself that Arli moved in different circles now, the kid just reacted as a Thorn, not as Blade.  "It's ok, I'm not gonna hit you"

"..m'sorry" mumbled Arli.  "kinda just acted as I usually do, forgot it was a Blades job and..and Kel outranks me here."

"Aye"

"I need this, Sab, I need to be in the gang" said Arli. "...won't happen again"

"Better not" said Sab gruffly, satisfied that the kid knew what he'd done wrong.  He opened the kitchen door and walked back to the table, followed by a quiet Arli who took the remaining empty chair.

"Sorted" said Sabien.  "Now to sort this lot" he added with a grin as he tipped the two bags into the middle of the table.

Arli sat and watched as the three sorted through the pile of valuables, not quite sure if he should help but also not at all sure how they sorted the stolen goods after a raid.  He'd not been around for this part before and had only received a cut once the items had been fenced.  He relaxed, looks like he'd passed the job with Kel, certainly in Sab's eyes and really that was all that mattered as far as he was concerned.

"Gonna set you a job up with Chey next, kid" said Sabien as he counted out the gold from one of the pouches.
 
"I get a date with Chey, great!" laughed Arli

Kel turned quickly to Arli; "You'd better look after her kid, if anything happens to her.."

"F'ck you Kel" snapped Arli "Chey knows the score, she can look after herself".

Arli stood up quickly as Kel pushed back his chair.  No way was he going to let Kel think he could walk over him, not in front of Sab.

"Sit" said Sabien without looking up as the two glared at each other. "I said sit, you stupid feckers else I'll smack both your heads together" 

"Sure, boss" said Arli, pulling up his chair and sitting down, followed a few seconds later by Kel'dos.

Sab glanced up at Kel'dos as he returned to sorting out the pile of silver and jade ornaments in front of him.  He didn't like pulling him up in front of Chey or the kid, but Kel needed to get over whatever was still eating him about the kid and Chey and act like a Blade.  He'd perhaps talk to Chey first, see what she thought then get Kel over for a few drinks and cards and sort it out once and for all.