Hotshots: Part Four

      One peddler of scarves called, "What's the matter, pretty miss?"

      Paselle only scowled at him. Mortman said lightly, "Don't mind my niece, sir. She's sulking because she didn't get to go see the minstrels perform."

      The peddler laughed. Paselle went red-faced with fury. Kanrik played along. "Come on, sis. They weren't that good anyway."

      They walked on. Paselle hissed, "I will kill you both."

      Kanrik said, a big, fake grin on his face, "But you look so demure and ladylike in that dress!"

      "Kill you."

      Mortman said, "No one's killing anyone. We've all got better things to do. Come on. I think that fellow's house is by the Wheel of Knowledge." They passed the Draik who manned the wheel – he waved cheerily, and thankfully didn't bother them too much.

      The street they were on was of the sort that Mortman rarely trod – the cobblestones were set neatly and the houses were large, some verging on manors. They were far back from the road, and they had trees and gardens all around them, unlike the main streets of Brightvale City where the houses were set as close as teeth. Kanrik said, "Good cover – look at all the plants."

      Mortman said, "But they're suspicious of strangers in places like this. They assume anyone they don't know is a thief." Which, in this case, they were. He said, "We're not here on business – that would be too easy to disprove. We were in the main market and someone told us we ought to visit and see the sights here."

      Kanrik grinned broadly. "And Paselle wanted to see all the fashions."

      Paselle's ears quivered with rage, but before she could threaten Kanrik with injury or death any more Mortman cut her off. "I know you don't like setting yourself up as a silly child. But have you ever noticed that no one thinks of silly girls as threats? Someone underestimating you may save your life one day. Take Sparkle from my crew. The name's a jest – she's every bit as fierce and hot-tempered as you could wish, and she's deadly with a staff or a sling. But if a sheriff or a Defender shows up she becomes the prissiest, most empty-headed, most harmless lass you've ever seen, and she's never had to look at the inside of a cell."

      Paselle muttered, "Fighting's easier." But she didn't say it with quite as much heat as she could have, and so Mortman could hope some part of his message had gotten through to her.

      The scroll was an important part of their mission – at least to Galem, which meant it had to be to them as well. But Mortman had decided since he'd met these two last night that he had another goal – making sure two basically good-hearted young folk had the tools to stay alive without becoming like the bad ones that made up Galem's inner circle.

      Roane's house was obvious – there was a tall obelisk in the middle of the front lawn, somewhat incongruous in the setting and showing the sort of madness that only scholars were possessed of.

      Then they heard a cry down the street. "Thief! Thief! Stop, thief!" Some of their fellow passers-by sped up to see what was happening – whatever the scene was had been hidden from view by tree branches and a curve in the road.

      Kanrik asked, "Is this the time where we get out of here?"

      Paselle asked scornfully, "Why would it be? We haven't stolen anything in Brightvale."

      Mortman looked around, trying to see if the commotion would bring any guards down on them.

      And that was when he saw the movement by Roane's wall. He held up a hand to shush the two young hotshots as he peered closer.

      There was a camouflage Scorchio pumping his wings furiously as he boosted a desert Aisha woman up to an upper window. Mortman said, "There's our competition. I'll bet you anything that whatever the ruckus is down the street is a distraction."

      Kanrik said, "Let's get 'em – can't let them get the drop on us."

      Mortman nodded – if Galem found out they watched other thieves go in ahead of them, they would be in serious trouble. And even if there was a ruckus, they could pass themselves off as concerned citizens who'd been helping. It was hilarious when it worked. He muttered, "No word of Thieves' Guild around these folks, mind you. Don't want to give them anything to dish on us."

      Paselle and Kanrik drew their blades. Mortman didn't. He was good in a scramble without any weapons, and it would be easier to play "innocent bystander" later. That was the plan – the guard was liable to come up this way, and he wanted to be able to pretend that he and the kids were just an innocent family who'd come to the aid of an upstanding citizen.

      Kanrik said, "Get the Aisha – look at that Scorchio. I bet he's dumb muscle. And if he isn't, Mortman, sit on his head. Paselle and I will see what we can get out of Mistress Jasha."

      That was right. Tobey had mentioned a Dagger Clan Aisha named Jasha. The lad had a sharp memory. "Keep it friendly, kids. When the Guard comes back we want to look like helpful bystanders. Now go!"

      Mortman went first, as the big, loud distraction. He went straight for the camouflage Scorchio, just as Kanrik had suggested, grabbing him by the feet before he could readjust. He was thrown off, and that left Jasha hanging from the window she'd been attempting to climb into. Mortman wrestled the Scorchio to the ground, where his wings wouldn't be as much help to him – not that they'd help him a great deal. There were taller men than Mortman, but Mortman was broad-shouldered and muscular, and the Scorchio had struggled to lift a slender Aisha woman off the ground.

      Dagger Clan should have stuck to stealing fruit in Sakhmet. They'd let stealing Queen Nabile's wedding ring from the Sakhmet go to their heads, and one of these days Galem was going to decide they'd gotten too big for their boots. Even as he did his best to pin the Scorchio's arms behind his back, Mortman decided that he wasn't going to mention the affiliation of their opponents to the Master Thief. No one deserved that.

      Mortman got the Scorchio pinned, and shouted, "Thief! Thief! Thief!" The Aisha had drawn a sword, but Kanrik and Paselle were both clearly talented fighters, and they were managing to keep her occupied without actually having to hurt her. Mortman said, "Surrender. The guard is coming. You won't get too much time if you've been smart – it's not like you actually got anything." He'd told the kiddos not to say anything about Thieves' Guild, but that was because he knew exactly how to use it. "And if the Guard and the Dagger Clan don't hear anything about us, Galem Darkhand won't hear anything about you."

      The Scorchio abruptly stopped resisting. Jasha stood still. "Galem Darkhand? The Guild is involved in this?"

      Kanrik and Paselle stood silently, Fyora bless them. Mortman said, "You're better off getting out of this business. Trust me, I would be if the boss hadn't made it very clear we needed to follow orders."

      Jasha shuddered. "I should think. Don't know why you do what you do, you madman, but I'd rather deal with Chiazilla than Galem Darkhand."

      "Hands up for the Guard!"

      Mortman put his own hands up and stepped away from the Scorchio – Paselle and Kanrik quickly concealed their knives and followed suit. The guardsmen charged through the garden as Mortman said, "I was passing by with my niece and nephew and caught those two trying to break into this house!"

      "What's going on?"

      An old Ruki man scuttled his way out the front door. He said, "I'm hard at work on the King's business, and I do not appreciate the disruption!"

      The captain of the Guard, a Xweetok, said, "I apologize, Master Roane. This Kougra says that he and his kin caught two burglars attempting to break into your house."

      Roane's antennae stood straight up in indignation. "Breaking in?"

      The captain said, "Thanks for your help..."

      Mortman supplied, "Malcolm. My nephew Sander, and my niece Bella." Oh, being called Bella was going to drive Paselle crazy.

      Roane repeated, with additional emphasis, "I am working on the King's business, and people are attempting to break in? I am a loyal servant of the kingdom, and I demand an increase of the guard on this street!"

      Oh, lovely. The captain said, swishing his tail, "I will see what can be done, Master Roane. Arrest these two. Malcolm, Bella, Sander, thank you very much for your help this day. Brightvale depends upon upstanding citizens such as you."

      Heh. That was a good one. Mortman's crew members were going to laugh their heads off when he told them that. He asked, "Do you need us for anything else, sir?"

      The captain shook his head. "No – go about your day!"

      They did, and Mortman waited until they were safely away before he asked, "So what do you two upstanding citizens want to do next?"

      Kanrik and Paselle just dissolved into laughter. Then Kanrik asked, "Why'd you bring up the Guild? You told us not to!"

      Mortman said, "I waited until we had them outclassed. If we'd told them right away, they'd have fought even harder to get away. First we got them, and then we could use it as a way to keep them quiet instead of just giving them information to chew on once they made their getaway."

      Paselle said, "We managed to get rid of some of the competition without even having to work all that hard!"

      Kanrik reminded her, "Except for the bit where Roane was demanding extra patrols."

      Paselle's ears wilted slightly. "Except for that. But, still. That distraction gambit got them Queen Nabile's wedding ring in Sakhmet – it might have worked, if we hadn't stopped them."

      Mortman said, "Exactly. We did what we needed to do. And the Dagger Clan didn't manage to get to the scroll before we even got a chance to try, which would not have been fun to explain to Galem."

      Paselle shuddered. Kanrik said, "There's still the other one around. Mackaray the Usul. Do we try to take him out?"

      Mortman shook his head. "We keep our ears to the ground and plan our own theft. And we hope that the rest of it is as easy as this evening was."

To be continued...