Donner and Thalia: A Thief in the Night (Episode 2)

Chapter 4

4.

Thalia was in her room, admiring the long black dress hanging down her body, running her fingers up the gold fringes that lined down her neckline to the waist of the skirt. She didn't want to admit it to Donner, but the dress he bought her was more beautiful than any dress she had owned in her life. Her mother was a talented seamstress and had been able to hem it to perfectly fit her slim, girlish figure. She continued to admire it. It fit well, maybe a little too well, she thought as she turned to the side to inspect her profile in her mirror. Her biggest fear was that Donner might get the wrong idea about her going to this party with him. Why did she have to give him that stupid kiss after they got home from the rat cave? No, it was a wild night. She wasn't thinking clearly, and hopefully, he understood that too. Donner probably just invited her because she was there, one can't expect a Knight to go to court alone. Had it been Lenny with him when he got the message, he would have invited him, every great Knight is known to have the employ of a Wizard to support him after all. And he just had one companion in his invitation, had he been allowed to bring more people he surely would have brought Lenny too, maybe even Paul.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, "It doesn't mean anything, it's just a party," she said to herself. When she opened her eyes, she jumped as a voice called out.

"Beautiful dress, Little Fox," a regretfully familiar voice came from behind her. Her eyes shot open, and she could see no one in the mirror, so she turned and saw him. He was wearing an all-black men's stealth suit with a hood that just barely hung over his eyes. She turned back to recheck the mirror, and though he was standing right behind her, he did not appear in the mirror. He was using a shadow clone.

"What do you want Emerson," Thalia said, turning around and trying to stand tall against her Ne'er-do-well thief of an uncle.

Emerson's clone stood up, and bowed his head, putting his hands to his chest, "Oh, you strike my heart, Little Fox, can't a loving Uncle just say hello to his favorite niece," he grinned, "I heard from a little bird you're going to court."

"Have you been eavesdropping on me again?" she said.

"No, I haven't been eavesdropping on you, of course not," He grinned, "I've been eavesdropping on everyone. You know a pigeon doesn't leave a castle without its message already known by the guild. I heard that your little friend, that nice Donner boy, has been making quite a name for himself. Adventuring for just a few weeks and already invited to court, you must be so excited to be escorted by him. You never acted like one to enjoy fancy parties, but I know you'll have just buckets of fun," he smiled.

"What do you want?" Thalia said, scold in her voice. Her teeth and fists clenched.

"The Spymaster has a mission that requires infiltration into Woodsford Castle, and low and behold one of our most talented Neophytes has had a key to the front door thrown right in her lap," he smiled.

"I'm not a thief," Thalia said.

"No, you're not," Emerson sauntered around her room then looked up at her, "You're an artist," Emerson said, smiling with pride at his best student. "Heard about that business with the Rat God you and your friends got into, surely they would have failed without you, you're so talented, why let that talent go to waste?"

"I am not a thief," Thalia repeated.

"You're right, I apologize, dear niece," Emerson put his hand to his heart and gave her a slight bow, "Go to the party, have fun, look great in your new dress. Your mother did such a good job fitting to you," he smiled, "Such a talented seamstress, how's her coin lately? As you've learned from your friend that nice Donner boy's work with the Knight's Order, doing your own work can be quite profitable. And we in the Thieves' Guild don't even have to deal with those pesky taxes that your Knight friend does. What do you think your mother could do with say, a thousand gold?"

Thalia stood stunned. A thousand gold. While never in dire straits, money was always tight in their home. It was always a worry on her mother's mind, and Thalia always wished there was something she could do to help. A thousand gold could ease her concerns for months, maybe longer. No. Thalia thought, she couldn't take work with the Thieves Guild. Emerson had twisted her arm for years to get her to join their ranks. When she was a child, she thought her uncle was just teaching her fun party tricks as he tutored her in the Illusion school of magic. As she got older, she realized he was grooming her to join that ancient order of criminals, spies, those of ill-repute, and assassins.

"Oh, did that pique your interests, Little Fox?"

"I do not agree with anything, but what does this job entail?" Thalia asked.

"A book from the library, that's it, not royal jewels, not a magical bauble, just a simple book. It's an old Elvish tome, it's called The Advance Theories on the Art of Hekpomahtnn. It should be listed under the Tomes section in the elvish wing of the grand library. If you were caught with just a book, you would at most get a slap on the wrist. You could play it off as a curious girl who loves to read," he said.

"And what, pray-tell, is Hekpomahtnn?"

"Don't know, don't care, some elivish word for some such magic or another. I just know getting it to our client is all that matters." Emerson said.

"And who is your client exactly?" Thalia asked.

"Confidential, even to me, I don't know who wants this, but they're paying top dollar for it."

"That's it, a thousand gold for a book? It doesn't sound like any ordinary book, and it doesn't sound like something worth a thousand gold to you," she said.

"The book has value, I can't lie, but only to our client. No one in that castle even knows of that book's existence. It's a simple spell tome that a wealthy client has offered an abundant amount of gold to acquire, nothing more," Emerson said.

"And what are the spells in this Tome?" Thalia asked.

"The Gods if I know, the Guild prefers not to ask questions when a client is putting money on the table," Emerson said. "All you need do is find the book in the castle's library, leave it under a stone on the outside of the castle, we'll mark it with the Guild's insignia, put that book there, and your mother will receive a pigeon carrying a banknote for one thousand gold, no taxes, no questions asked."

Thalia closed her eyes, "I'll think about it, but don't think you can pressure me to do it,"

"Of course, Little Fox, if you agree, we'll know," Emerson said.

Thalia opened hereyes, and he was gone. She took a deep breath and turned her eyes back toherself in the dress. She turned and went to her closet, reaching into the backand pulling out her Stealth Suit, she clutched it in her hands and weighed heroptions.

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