Chapter 10: Lesson in the Marketplace

The talk the next day was wild. They had contained the fire at the Thieves guild. Everyone in the guild house had died from the smoke. The chest full of jewelry and the gold coins had been found. I started the morning off by having to muck the stables out and ended up having to wash almost everything I owned in a trough.

I was wearing the clothing of an Imperial Peacemaker with my crest when Mrs. Hoard stepped out the kitchen door. She hesitated and then cleared her throat. I straightened, “Yes ma’am?”

She smiled, “Could you escort Ginger to the market again? There are rumors of gangs hanging around and I want to make sure she is safe.”

I smiled and nodded, “Of course ma’am.”

Ginger slipped around her with a basket and Mrs. Hoard nodded to her, “do not forget anything Ginger.”

Ginger nodded and grabbed my arm pulling me along with her. She kept looking at me and finally she smiled, “You look nice.”

I smiled as two burly merchants stepped out of our way quickly. “Thank you. You look lovely today.”

She grinned, “Mrs. Hoard said I could have the afternoon off.”

I glanced around and frowned as I saw several older boys from gangs. “What are you going to do?”

Ginger squeezed my arm as she realized something was wrong. “I wanted to...”

It was as if a bell had gone off. We had just entered the marketplace and I saw a couple of dozen older boys pushing off from walls. They were not after me, they went for the merchants. I pushed Ginger sideways into the booth of a merchant and kicked out into an on rushing boy. I grabbed the merchant’s broom and spun. The end with the brushes cracked into the side of another boy’s head.

I hit the stall to knock the broken end off and stepped away from the booth. I started moving down the isle and three boys turned from wrecking another stall. I slammed the broom handle against the side of one boy’s head and side stepped to kick another in the groin. The third boy rushed me as I straightened and brought the handle straight up between his legs.

I moved away as he screamed and fell to join the other two boys. I came up behind two boys trying to climb over the counter of a merchant’s booth. The broom handle came down hard on the back of one’s head and he dropped to the counter. The other boy spun around and leapt at me. I side stepped and brought the handle down in a loud crack on the back of his head as well.

I moved away, glancing back down the isle to see the merchants tying all the boys up. Another group of boys ran into me at the end of the isle. I slammed the end of the handle into the first boy’s stomach and spun to knock a knife out of another’s hand. Shoving the handle straight back behind me made another scream as he grabbed his groin and dropped to the ground.

I side stepped one rushing me and grabbed his arm. I spun, letting his momentum carry him as I released him and he ran face first into a stone wall. I spun the handle around my wrist as a boy closed with a dagger in his hand. He jumped back and the handle shot out to strike him in the forehead.

As he slumped to the ground unconscious another took his place. I brought the handle back and then brought it down on a boy’s head as he bent over holding his stomach and spun, bringing the handle around to slam into the side of another boy’s head. I shifted sideways and swept the handle down and back knocking a boy’s feet out from under him as he started to swing a club at me.