usual Xander didn’t notice a thing. “What did you think of the guild master?”
“He has a flair for the dramatic, but I don’t see that he needed to tell us that in person. All we know is our people got killed.”
“Isn’t that enough?” Kraven asked.
Xander shrugged. He had no strong feelings for most of his guild mates. “I guess it’ll have to be. Just between us Kraven, does he know anymore?”
“I don’t think so. If you have any thoughts I’m all ears.”
Xander laughed. “My thought is that you’d best require regular baths, or this place will stink.”
Kraven’s grim mask cracked into a smile. “Get some rest you two. You’ve got a job tonight.”
Xander nodded and Kraven went off to deal with other business. When he’d gone Kaylin asked, “Do you think it’ll be just us?”
“I hope so. We’ll attract less attention that way.”
----
X ander and Kaylin slipped like shadows through the dark city. They’d passed the day napping and lounging around their room. Since the two of them already shared a room they’d avoided a third roommate. Kraven had stopped by their room late in the afternoon to give them the assignment, a simple burglary to convince a merchant new to the city to pay his protection money.
“That’s it.” Kaylin pointed to a three story home across the street from the alley in which they hid.
Xander ran across the street and crouched under a window on the right side of the building. Everything looked clear, so he waved Kaylin over. “What do you want to do?”
“Kraven said to grab the most obvious valuables. I’ll go in, rummage around, and grab the best stuff on the first floor.”
“I’ll keep watch here. Be careful.”
Kaylin kissed his uncovered cheek. “I’m always careful.”
Kaylin took a small pry bar out of her satchel and in short order had the window open. Xander helped her inside then took up position in the shadows nearby. A few minutes later Kaylin returned, her satchel stuffed to bulging.
“That didn’t take long.” Xander helped her down from the window ledge.
“Are you kidding? I could have filled a wheelbarrow in the first five rooms. This guy must be loaded.”
“If he doesn’t pay his protection money you might get a chance to do that. Let’s go, we’re too exposed here.”
They retraced their steps to one of the guild’s hidden tunnels, this one behind a meat market. The stench of offal gagged him, but it kept the curious away from. Xander held the trap door open for Kaylin then followed her down.
They made their way down the tunnel by the light of Kaylin’s glowstone. He hoped everyone else’s jobs went as smooth as theirs. At the end of the tunnel a pair of nervous guards pointed crossbows at them. “What’s the password?”
“Rats in the dark,” Xander said.
Their fingers tightened on the crossbow triggers. “What?”
“Rats in the dark,” Kaylin said.
The guards lowered their weapons and motioned them through. Xander shook his head. He’d never seen the guards so jumpy.
When they got upstairs the night boss was pacing behind the counter in the entry hall. He stopped to take the satchel from Kaylin. “Any trouble?”
“No,” Xander said. “The most dangerous part was getting past our guards. You better calm them down before they shoot one of our people by mistake. We don’t want to do the killer’s job for him.”
“I’ll send Kraven down to talk to them.”
“Has anyone else gotten back yet?” Kaylin asked.
The night boss shook his head. “You two are the first.”
They left the night boss to his pacing and returned to their room. Despite the rest he’d gotten earlier Xander was tired. When they reached the door he said, “I’m beat.”
Kaylin looked away, her mind somewhere else. “I’m going to stay up for a while, see who comes in.”
Xander nodded and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
----
W hen Xander woke he found no sign of Kaylin. He dressed and headed toward the
“He has a flair for the dramatic, but I don’t see that he needed to tell us that in person. All we know is our people got killed.”
“Isn’t that enough?” Kraven asked.
Xander shrugged. He had no strong feelings for most of his guild mates. “I guess it’ll have to be. Just between us Kraven, does he know anymore?”
“I don’t think so. If you have any thoughts I’m all ears.”
Xander laughed. “My thought is that you’d best require regular baths, or this place will stink.”
Kraven’s grim mask cracked into a smile. “Get some rest you two. You’ve got a job tonight.”
Xander nodded and Kraven went off to deal with other business. When he’d gone Kaylin asked, “Do you think it’ll be just us?”
“I hope so. We’ll attract less attention that way.”
----
X ander and Kaylin slipped like shadows through the dark city. They’d passed the day napping and lounging around their room. Since the two of them already shared a room they’d avoided a third roommate. Kraven had stopped by their room late in the afternoon to give them the assignment, a simple burglary to convince a merchant new to the city to pay his protection money.
“That’s it.” Kaylin pointed to a three story home across the street from the alley in which they hid.
Xander ran across the street and crouched under a window on the right side of the building. Everything looked clear, so he waved Kaylin over. “What do you want to do?”
“Kraven said to grab the most obvious valuables. I’ll go in, rummage around, and grab the best stuff on the first floor.”
“I’ll keep watch here. Be careful.”
Kaylin kissed his uncovered cheek. “I’m always careful.”
Kaylin took a small pry bar out of her satchel and in short order had the window open. Xander helped her inside then took up position in the shadows nearby. A few minutes later Kaylin returned, her satchel stuffed to bulging.
“That didn’t take long.” Xander helped her down from the window ledge.
“Are you kidding? I could have filled a wheelbarrow in the first five rooms. This guy must be loaded.”
“If he doesn’t pay his protection money you might get a chance to do that. Let’s go, we’re too exposed here.”
They retraced their steps to one of the guild’s hidden tunnels, this one behind a meat market. The stench of offal gagged him, but it kept the curious away from. Xander held the trap door open for Kaylin then followed her down.
They made their way down the tunnel by the light of Kaylin’s glowstone. He hoped everyone else’s jobs went as smooth as theirs. At the end of the tunnel a pair of nervous guards pointed crossbows at them. “What’s the password?”
“Rats in the dark,” Xander said.
Their fingers tightened on the crossbow triggers. “What?”
“Rats in the dark,” Kaylin said.
The guards lowered their weapons and motioned them through. Xander shook his head. He’d never seen the guards so jumpy.
When they got upstairs the night boss was pacing behind the counter in the entry hall. He stopped to take the satchel from Kaylin. “Any trouble?”
“No,” Xander said. “The most dangerous part was getting past our guards. You better calm them down before they shoot one of our people by mistake. We don’t want to do the killer’s job for him.”
“I’ll send Kraven down to talk to them.”
“Has anyone else gotten back yet?” Kaylin asked.
The night boss shook his head. “You two are the first.”
They left the night boss to his pacing and returned to their room. Despite the rest he’d gotten earlier Xander was tired. When they reached the door he said, “I’m beat.”
Kaylin looked away, her mind somewhere else. “I’m going to stay up for a while, see who comes in.”
Xander nodded and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
----
W hen Xander woke he found no sign of Kaylin. He dressed and headed toward the
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