Chapter 12

Raulf Angersa had been on the road for months. The traveling show had disbanded and he had decided he didn’t like desert coastal towns, so he packed up and started walking west. He knew an old friend of his had gone west, but he didn’t know which route she might have taken so he little hope of ever coming across her in his travels. Winter had caught up with him before he reached Terin’s Crossing, but he kept on. At one point he thought he had gone too far north when he ran across a town that had been burned to the ground and every male, young and old alike had been hung, then left to rot. He learned a day later from other locals that the men had gone insane and had been capturing and eating travelers. This was the only solution to that problem, the total destruction of the population. The woman and children had also been executed, but they had been given decent burials as they had been victims to the men’s insanity as well.

He finally made it to the Crossing a few weeks before midwinter and a snowstorm that finally closed the roads. He didn’t want to be a performer anymore. His skills did overlap many that thieves could and would use. He began small and quickly found better pickings in the richer part of town north of the center. He knew he was running on borrowed time here and would have to flee west as soon as the roads cleared enough for him to escape. The thieves would want him tracked down and dealt with for operating in their city without permission. After several rooftop chases where he was able to escape capture, the guild called on the one person they knew could catch him. He listened and when he heard that the Claw had been contacted, he smiled. He knew her skills and abilities as he had been one of her early acrobatics trainers in the traveling show. She wouldn’t be able to keep up on the roofs though, she had not been trained in that skill set by him. He found out quickly as the chase began, he couldn’t have been more wrong.

Aco had been checking the Caravan yard every few days for the last month. The yardmaster had introduced her to one of the caravan owners and he was willing to allow her and Robin to travel with them as far as Tres. Aco knew that it would take longer to have a new mask set made than the run would be staying.

Robin spent the winter months going from one tavern to another, playing and listening to others. She learned dozens of new songs and stories she could work into songs. Her skill as a musician improved slightly, her storytelling improved greatly because of this. Aco was informed early on that they could train with the city guard at the central castle. The guards would watch as Aco turned herself into knots as she prepared to fight. Her skills with the short sword improved and one guard proved to be her equal in hand to hand and small hand weapons. By the time the caravan was ready to go, both women had been able to improve their skills in close, armed, and unarmed combat. It also led to Aco spending a fair number of nights with him to improve another set of skills she was lacking in.

When First Thaw began, wagons and carts with hundreds of animals started to set up in the yards around the city. The spring caravan this year would have three separate company’s traveling together this year. The winter had been a light one and many shops had been able to overproduce products with the warmer weather not requiring as much fuel to provide heat. Not to say they didn’t have snow and cold weather all winter. The Mid-Winter festival had been one long party this year. The one major snowstorm a few weeks earlier had already melted off allowing for easier travel and production in the various shops and factories. The weather continued to be warmer and dryer than normal for the time of year. This was both good and bad though. The lack of snowpack melt off would mean that the water supply’s in the upland lakes would not be as high as normal this year. They hoped the spring rains would make up for some of the lacked snow.

The winter had been easy enough for the women, but a few minor incidents did happen to keep things interesting. Aco was contacted by the thieves to assist in a minor matter when a few freelance break-in artists began making the rounds in the richer part of town. She had accepted the jobs just to break some of the boredom she was feeling. It would also give her a chance to practice a few skills she had been working on. She had started running the rooftops, jumping from roof to roof, climbing walls, and swinging across openings she would not have considered trying before. The night she had gone after one of the men proved to be a long night and the most fun she had, had in a long time, at least until she caught him. He was really good and was able to stay ahead of her as they raced across the second ring of the city. She had one near fall and that slowed her down just a little. She had mistimed a jump and almost went down a few stories in a hurry. She threw out her arms and legs, her hands catching the edges of the roof on each side of the alley and her feet on the walls in a full split. She was glad she was in her performance suit or anybody below would have gotten a good show between her legs. She swung her body around and was able to pull herself up on the roof she needed to be on. She glanced back down and shivered, ‘That would have hurt,’ she thought. It took a few seconds of searching before she spotted a shadow on the next building over. She took off, being a bit more mindful of her foot placement when she wanted to jump to the next building.

She had put on the rage mask for this chase. She had removed the makeup before she had gone out and went after him as hard as she could, only slowing a little after the near fall. She finally caught up to him when a roof shingle slipped out from under him as he charged up to the peak on the building he was on. It was five stories up so a fall could and most likely would have proven to be fatal. She landed next to him and grabbed him as he slid down the steep rooftop. Her knife driving into the roof tiles was the only thing that kept him from pulling her down with him. She was able to stop him and pulled him back from the edge. When he saw the mask, he just fell back, gasping for breath, and started to laugh.

“I should have known it was you Claw,” he said once he had his breath back enough to speak. Then he surprised her, “How have you been, Aco?” he asked.

Aco looked at him then realized she knew this man. He had been an early trainer of hers in the show along with her parents. “Raulf?” she asked.

“Yep. Glad to see you have continued to learn,” Raulf said. “Working for the guild now?”

“Just a Contractor when they need help. I have to take you in you know,” Aco replied.

“I know. I’m glad it happens to be you rather than a regular. I can’t bribe you though, them I could.” He worked his way to his feet and moved to a drain pipe. “Come on kiddo, you need to turn me in so you get paid.”

“They will punish you you know, and I can tell you it will cost you a hand at the very least.”

Now he smiled and at, “Only if they can hold me Aco.” He became serious now. “Aco, the show broke up about a month after you left. Your family stayed in the South Coast city. Some of us have been moving west ever since. This mild winter allowed me to continue moving most of the time. That is how I caught up with you.” Aco remained silent, “Aco, whats with your mask, I haven’t seen you change it once.”

Now Aco answered, “Other than the dragon mask, this is the only one left. The rest were destroyed in a busted operation that nearly killed me.” She ducked her head and removed the mask, “This was my reward for preventing much evil that night.” She looked up and he saw her face. Her real face for the first time since she had been burned as a child.

His jaw hung open, his eyes wide in shock at the woman he saw before him. “Aco,” he whispered, “They rewarded you by repairing your face?”

“Yes.”

“Aco,” he said, “I need to return east to tell your mother this. They have to learn that you have been restored and are now the woman you were meant to be.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t allow you to leave Raulf. You have caused some very powerful people to be brave enough to ask that you be dealt with, permanently,” the last word was in a low whisper. She pulled out a cord from her tunic where it was kept to keep it from falling out and looped it around his neck before he could run. He started to pull away when she kicked him hard between the legs, dropping him to the roof, groaning in agony. She ran the rope down his back, between his legs and pulled his wrist together in front, and tied them tight. If he struggled and pulled his arms up, he would choke himself. She knew his skills so she put each hand in a small pouch, then tied them together so he couldn’t reach the knots on his wrist. “Friend of old or not Raluf, I have to take you in. Be glad it is the Guild that has you and not the Crown. The Crown Prince had been hard death on the criminal activity of late. As I said, at most you will lose a hand.”

She took him to the back corner of the building they were on and whistled quietly. A minute later, another woman appeared with more ropes. “What have you got Claw?

“I have the freebooter that has been causing so many problems recently. I need to take him in to get paid,” said Aco.

“Aco, I can’t believe you are going to hand me over to them,” Raulf said now that he could speak again.

Aco smacked Raulf across the mouth, “One more word from you and I will cut out your tongue.” Raulf went pale, he couldn’t believe Aco would do this to him. Then it sank in as she turned again to face him, the mask was back in place. He wasn’t dealing with Aco, this was the Hunter, the Claw. The Claw didn’t give a damn who he was, he was a payday to her. He remained silent as the two women trussed him up and lowered him to the alley below. The unknown woman came down with him and waited for the rope to be dropped. The Claw joined them a minute later, dropping down from a ledge a few stories up. She judged the landing as perfectly, Aco had been getting training of a higher order than any she could have gotten with her parents or any of the performers in the show.

Neither woman spoke as they waited for someone to come and take Raulf off their hands. Both tensed when a man entered the alley, then relaxed when they recognized him. “Your freebooter, cash now,” Aco said in a voice that carried no emotion. He handed her a pouch that she glanced in, closed up and secured it inside her tunic, nodded at them, and leaped up, catching a small ledge to vanish onto the roofs above.

Robin saw he smiled and he grabbed Raulf by the roped wrist and led him away. She turned and walked back to the Shovel to grab a hot shower and some food. Aco going out like she did, meant no dinner tonight. Jessa or Betty would have something set aside for them though. She entered the Inn and saw Aco sitting at her regular table in the backmost corner, well away from all of the doors. Aco wasn’t wearing her mask, so she knew Aco was troubled.

She joined her friend and Betty brought over a bowl of meat stew and fresh bread with melted butter on it. “Ok Aco, give.”

“That was Raulf,” said Aco.

“Ok, you know his name, what has that to do with anything.”

Aco looked at Robin, her eyes sad and a tear could be seen ready to break free. “Robin, he was part of the Traveling show. He was a friend and one of my early teachers.

“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that.” She took a bite of the bread, chewed and swallowed then went on. “He was breaking the laws Aco. Both city and guild, he had to be brought in.”

“And I did it in cold blood Robin, I just handed a family friend over to be fucking killed. He won’t last the night, that was the deal Mansure gave the guild.” Aco wiped the tears away, “I am upset as hell that I had to do it. The Claw, she saw him as a target to be brought in, nothing more.”

“That’s the way it should be Aco. Feelings should never be allowed to get in the way of business.”

Aco frowned at Robin, “Would you say the same thing if it was you I had to bring in? Would you feel the same way about it then, just a job to be done?” she said quietly.

“Why? Has somebody decided I need to be captured and taken in for a trial?” she asked, giving Aco a sly wink.

“Not yet, but several men with feathered caps arrived from Tres yesterday. They pushed and managed to get through the snows in the passes. They sent word to the Castle they were here on guild business and would not be stopped by any little piss-ant kid as the leader of the group told the city guard.” Aco reached over and took Robin’s hands in her own. “They sent word they want to hire me to capture a rogue player that has been causing problems in the hinterlands.”

“Ok, that could be bad news then,” said Robin, she continued to eat her dinner without looking up. “If they are after me, then I will not run, I know for a fact I wouldn’t stand a chance against you.”

Then, as if fate was playing a bad joke on them, the street doors opened and four men entered. Three had blue caps, one a red cap. All four had black feathers. The blues went to cover the doors, the red walked to the counter and spoke to Jessa. Jessa gestured to Aco to join her. Aco pulled her mask on and left the table. Robin was sitting stock still, her face now grey with sudden terror.

Aco went over and spoke to the man then laughed, She said something Robin didn’t hear, then the Red hat said, “Come,” to his fellows. They all took off at a run out of the Inn. Aco nodded to Jessa and slid a coin of some sort to her. She returned to the table and sat. Now she was in a better mood and began eating.

Robin watched her, growing more upset every second. Seeing this, Aco said, “Eat up Robin. I sent them to their prey.”

“They weren’t after me then?” she asked in a shaky voice.

“Nope.”

“Who then?”

“Remember that idiot that was chasing you?”

Robin nodded, “It would seem he caused quite a bit of trouble along the way. I sent them to the Flop. That is where the other two stashed him for the season.”

“So, I’m not the target then? You are certain of that?”

“Like I said before, how would you feel if I was sent after you. Now you really know, don’t you,” said Aco. She took off the mask and stared into Robin’s eyes. Robin shivered as a wave of cold fear ran down her spine. The eyes held no emotion, just a dead stare that meant you were nothing to her if she so thought it.

Robin was shaking, her nerves a wreck from sudden fear. She whispered, “Aco, if somebody ever sends you to bring me in, just love me one last time, then kill me. That would be the most merciful way for me, and you.” She tried to spoon up some of her now cold stew but was shaking too hard to bring it to her mouth.

Aco had heard what she said and she felt as if a knife had been driven into her heart. She knew now she could never take in her Songbird. She picked up the spoon Robin had dropped and spooned some of the food up and held it to Robin’s mouth. “Eat my love. If I should ever be tasked to hurt you, I will not do so. Even the Claw has her limits.” ‘At least I hope she does,’ Aco thought. She ate her bread and spooned more for Robin. “Raulf was a special case, he had broken the laws of the city as well as working without a writ. He was going to die, one way or another.”

She glanced up when the doors opened again, and a lone figure in black entered. Aco sighed, ‘Now what,’ she thought. The black-robed figure joined them without asking permission to sit. “Good capture tonight Aco.”

“Thanks, Bruce. Now tell me, why are you here. I told you that was the only case I would take.” She continued to eat her dinner, ignoring him.

You didn’t mention that you know him Aco, why?” Bruce asked quietly.

“I don’t have to answer that Bruce, you know damned well why I handed him over to the guild and not the city.” Robin was eating on her own now. The night just continued to get stranger and stranger from her point of view.

“I know Claw, but that was cold, even for you,” said Bruce.

Now Aco looked up to stare directly into the man’s eyes. He always hated it when she did that. “He broke the laws of the city and the rules and of the guild. That is why I handed him over to your men. Feel free to leave now if you don’t have anything important to talk about.”

Aco glared at the Nightmaster to the Guild of Thieves. He looked at her and shivered. She had never been angry in his presence before and he felt a stab of fear. This woman, despite her young age, was the single most deadly person he had ever come across. Her parents had trained her in the arts of hand to hand combat. Add to that her agility and flexibility and you had a combination that was hard to stop. He made up his mind. The guild would avoid calling on her from now on. She had outlived her usefulness to them and could not be relied upon to be loyal to them. He nodded and stood to leave when she spoke again.

“If you’re thinking of some way to betray me and kill me, well don’t. They will fail and I will come and kill every member of the Thieves I can find. Just leave me and mine be, and all will be well. Fuck with me and Terin’s Crossing will no longer have a thieves guild to worry about.” This last was said in a low, flat, dead sounding voice.

“Clear,” he said and walked to the doors, “Be aware Aco, this ends all contracts in all cities. That includes the protection of the guild.” He left and the other patrons looked at her and several just shook their heads in disbelief. Two men in dirty clothes smirked, thinking they could get away with something against her now.

They stood and approached their table, “So now we can mess with you and...” That was as far as he got when a wire cord went around his throat. His friend was being held the same way. The figures behind them both whispered together, “The Thieves may have forsaken the Claw, but we of the Brotherhood have not.” They released the two men and were gone before the two could spin around to face their tormentors. They both returned to the table they had been at and didn’t say another word the remainder of the evening.

Aco went to her room and gathered her supplies to go and shower. Robin joined her and they cleaned up, washing away a few days of accumulated dirt. Only one other person came in while they washed. A young man of maybe fifteen, black hair, thin but well-muscled. On seeing two naked women, the inevitable happened and he turned beet red in embarrassment. Robin smiled at him and thanked him for the compliment which just flustered him even more. Aco finished washing and dried off and left. Robin decided to stay and torment the boy a bit longer.

Later when Robin made it to their room, Aco looked and asked if she had had fun.

“Well, he needs some more practice and time to learn better control, but the stamina of the young sometimes makes up for it all. He put four loads in me. Turned out I was his first in every hole.”

“Well come to bed, I want some sleep sometime tonight,” said Aco.

Robin faked a pout before she closed the cover on the glow-stone lamp. “What, don’t you want to clean me out?”

“No. Now get in bed, or you can sleep in the common room tonight.” Aco was not sounding happy.

“My, aren’t we feeling cranky tonight,” said Robin.

“Yes, now go to sleep Robin.”

Robin heard and felt Aco flip over away from her. Aco was always a bit cranky when her monthly time was coming on. “Ok, ok, don’t go crazy on me. Sleep it is.” She relaxed, feeling everything the boy had done and, smiled. She had needed a good screwing and that boy filled the bill perfectly.

A few days later, a man not known in the city was found floating in the bay with both hands cut off. Word quietly went around the city that all freelance thieves would suffer the same fate.

As First Thaw rolled around, Aco finished making arrangements with one of the caravans to travel with them. She and Robin would assist with the cooking while on the road. As the time to leave approached, Betty joined them in bed for a few nights to say goodbye. “I will miss both of you, so be careful and have a safe trip.” The day they were to leave was a bright and sunny morning. It was warm and dry, as no rain had fallen in several days so they would make good progress on the clear roads.

The first day or two out were shakedown days so everybody could get set properly in the mood and get settled in place. Aco had to put a knife in one driver’s hand when he wouldn’t take no for an answer to his advances. He went to complain to the Master driver but was told to get back to his cart and leave the cooks alone. They had too much work to do to be bothered by the likes of him. He went back, grumbling, but he left the women in the cook wagons alone. He had noted, that they didn’t just have knives, but heavy cooking pans and pots as well. Those when wielded by an angry woman, were more deadly than a sword in the hand of a master. Aco had spent part of the winter helping in the kitchen at the Shovel so she had learned to cook and clean. Robin was reluctant at first but soon joined her in the efforts to be useful.

Robin did find another use after a few days. She would play and sing in the evenings and call songs during the day that the nearest wagons would call back. It helped speed the journey and folks were in a better mood when she entertained them.

Two weeks after the caravans had rolled out, a boy in his early teens wondered into Terin’s Crossing. He had hoped to catch ther first caravan of the season and head to Fairham’s Cove. He decided to wait until the mid-spring run would begin and go with them. He could earn good money, after all, he made some of the best Glow Stones around.

When the Driver announced they should reach the Tres Marshaling yards in less than a week, Aco was elated. “I can finally have a few faces made Robin. I’m not going to get the full set this time. Just a few basic stages emotions for performing.”

“Does that mean you are getting comfortable with your real face now?” asked Robin. She already knew the answer, but wanted to hear it from Aco directly. She was certain because she had seen Aco looking at herself in a mirror that was being shipped and talking to her reflection. She didn’t listen in and didn’t want to know what was answering her.

“I really am. I love the feel of the sun, wind, and rain on my face Robin, it feels so natural now,” replied Aco. She reached up and touched her nose. “It is wonderful to have a real nose again, and lips, real, feeling lips.” She grinned at Robin, “Lips that love the feel of a lover’s kiss,” she finished with a silly grin.