Member-only story
Fantasy/Town/Adventure
The Guild Master’s Smile
A Tale of Shadows and Betrayal in the City of Thieves
I slipped through the market crowd with my hand pressed tightly against my belt. I had been robbed earlier that morning; the thieves had been children who had been trained by the best. I should know, as once upon a time I had been one of them.
The air smelled of roasted meat and frothing ale, mingled with hot iron that had been smelted in the blacksmith’s forge. Merchants shouted at me to buy their wares. I looked at the silks from the east, spices from the south, and the northern charms which promised good luck, but I knew they would never deliver on that promise.
I kept my hood low, for I had debts in this city, and too many people were looking for me. Although years ago, I had burnt my last bridge, and the only forgiveness would come at the end of a sword.
By dusk, I found myself in the tavern. I watched as heavy-set barmaids brought mead to their customers in large pitchers. One of them, a red-haired woman with eyes as sharp as daggers, leaned close and whispered that the guild master was looking for me.
I had let my guard down, and now I had brought the attention of the guild upon myself. I knew that the guild never helped anyone. I had gotten…
