The Guild, The Bad and the Ugly

“Welcome to the Strongblood Guild for Young Adventurers,” Juliet Canzona said with a big, friendly smile.  “Your application to enter has been accepted and your tuition fully paid. Here, you will receive training from the best adventurers Sapphira has to offer, including the guild’s founder herself, the famous Karyn Strongblood.”

Ladra swallowed hard, not for the first time wondering why she had come there.  She had been enjoying life, keeping a low profile and staying out of trouble, but that had all ended when the Imperial Courier had knocked on her front door.  The elven woman, dressed in fine silver chainmail and clad in a flowing green cape, had handed Ladra a royal missive directing her to travel to the city of Virago, and join the guild.  As now confirmed by Juliet, all her training had been paid for and all she had to do was show up and learn.  For most, this would have been a dream come true.  For Ladra, she was wondering what she had ever done to deserve this.

“You will be sharing a bunk with two other trainees,” Juliet continued as she led Ladra down the corridor of the guild building, which still had a fresh smell due only being open a few weeks.  It already boasted thirty members, from many backgrounds and disciplines, and had been officially open by Queen Lisbeth herself.  “Lessons will be general at first, giving you the basics, and will then be divided into specialties.  Your main teachers will be Professor Bearclaw for combat, Malice Blackheart for magic theory, and I myself will be covering Lore.”

“Sounds wonderful,” Ladra moaned, feeling like she distinctly didn’t belong there.  Not yet two decades old, Ladra had somehow managed to acquire a face that was permanently downcast, mostly due to her near-legendary bad luck.  She was thin and flexible of build, with collar-length black hair and dark brown eyes, and was dressed in a supple leather jerkin over a simple grey tunic and hide pants.  She was distinct contrast to the stunning Juliet, whose long blonde hair and shapely figure had no doubt served her well when she was a much sort after minstrel.  Despite her fame and prestigious talents, Juliet had chosen to marry Rune Ironcliff, the dwarven captain of Virago’s Citywatch, and now served as the main administrator for the guild.

“Do worry, you’ll be fine,” Juliet assured her.  “Anyway, before you can begin, we need to get you introduced to the owner.  Karyn insists on meeting everyone who joins the guild, to personally welcome them on their journey to becoming true adventurers.”

“Oh dear,” Ladra said.

Juliet led her to the head office of the guild, where its owner awaited.  Sitting behind a large oak desk, currently pursuing some scrolls, Karyn Strongblood still cut an intimidating figure.  She was a tall and muscularly build woman, with a handsome face, dark red hair cut in a short style, and bright eyes the colour of sapphires.  She was dressed in a dark sleeveless leather vest with an upturned fur collar, matching hide pants and metal bracers featuring a design of some sort of winged serpent.  Behind her was an intricately designed golden breastplate and greaves resting on a wooden dummy, and open on her desk was three thick tomes, one on the history of the barbarian queen Valeria, another a treatise on dragons and the last, ironically, being about the Elven Empire.

“Hello Karyn,” Juliet said.  “Here is our last recruit.  Please be gentle with her, I think she is rather intimidated to meet you.  Anyway, this is-”

“Ladra!” Karyn growled as she caught sight of the new student.  Ladra instinctively jumped behind Juliet for protection as the muscular woman stood up, no doubt still angry over the last time they had meet.  “I thought I told you to never return to Virago!” Karyn said, pressing her clenched fists against the desk as she stood.

“You two know each other?” Juliet asked, bemused.

“This little twit broke into my home a couple of months ago,” Karyn said, glaring at Ladra.  “She whacked me with a chair and tied me up.  And worse, Kai thought it would be funny to take her under her wing.  Thank the Goddess I put a stop to that.  But now she dares to try and join my guild…!”

“Ah,” Juliet said.  “That probably explains this.”

She handed a scroll to Karyn, and Ladra noticed it bore the same seal as the one carried by the Imperial Courier that had visited her.  Karyn unfurled the scroll and began to read, and as she did so Ladra saw her expression shift from one of anger to wistfulness, then to mild annoyance.  When Karyn got the end of the missive, she glared directly at Ladra.

“Fine,” she said.  “You can stay.”

“Yay?” Ladra said, not sure if she should be glad or not.  Juliet gave her a reassuring pat on her shoulder.

“Okay, if you are going to be joining my guild, you better get to class,” Karyn said, carefully rolling up the scroll and tucking it into her belt.  “Follow me, and try not to hit anyone with chairs.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Ladra said solemnly.  Karyn then led the way, with Juliet at her side.  The pair of them chatted as they walked, mostly leaving Ladra to follow silently behind them.  It was mostly boring administration stuff, but from the sounds of it Karyn was spending most of her waking life working on making the guild a success.  And as they talked, Ladra noticed the subject of a particular someone was conspicuously absent from the conversation.  “So,” Ladra finally worked up the courage to ask.  “Where’s Kaimela?”

“Gone,” Karyn replied tersely.

“Where?” Ladra asked, surprised.  

“Home,” Karyn said in a tone that made it clear any further questioning was out of bounds.  Sealing her lips, Ladra lowered her head and followed the rest of the way in silence.  

Eventually they came to the main class room where the other students were assembled.  They were a strange lot, made up of warriors, rangers and rogues of all races and sizes.  They were all sitting patiently in seats for the class to begin, and at the front of the room was a practice dummy, a rack of wooden training weapons, and two wooden blocks spaced about three feet apart.  All the students lit up when Karyn walked in, their admiration for her obvious on their collective faces.  Karyn gestured to an empty seat for Ladra to sit in, and so she dutifully sat down and waited for her first lesson to start.  

“Welcome to your first day of training,” Karyn said, standing before them with her hands clasped behind her back.  “My fellow trainers and I will help you realise your potential, and shape you into the future heroines of Sapphira.  Trust me, it is not an easy life.  But it is rewarding in every way.   So I hope you are ready for the trials we have planned for you, because you are going to earn your place in history.  Any questions?”

An armoured elven girl sitting next Ladra raised her hand excitedly.  

“Yes, Nadyra?” Karyn asked.

“Is it true you punched a dragon?” the elven girl asked with a huge grin.

“It is true,” Karyn replied to much oohing and aahing from the students.  “Anyway, I should get going and let Professor Bearclaw begin your lessons for the day.  Stay sharp and stay focused, as I look forward to watching you all progress.”

With that, Karyn saluted the students and left with Juliet.

“This is so awesome!” the elven girl, Nadyra, said, practically vibrating with excitement.  Despite her heavy armour, she was lithely built and wore her sandy coloured hair in a short bob.  She leaned towards Ladra and whispered.  “She actually punched a dragon!  How cool is that?”

“Super,” Ladra said with a forced smile, wishing she could match Nadyra’s enthusiasm.  But before they could talk more, the door the classroom swung open and their instructor walked in.  Professor Rheka Bearclaw was a hulking figure, even for an orc, rivalling Karyn herself in sheer musculature.  She was dressed in furs and leather, and her long dark dreadlocks were tied back behind her head.  Underneath her right arm she carried what appeared to be a door, which she set upon the two wooden blocks at the front of the class.  Lastly, she set a red apple on the table, positioning just so before addressing the class.

“So,” Professor Bearclaw said, “who wants to fight?”

Once again Nadyra’s arm shot up, and before Ladra knew it the slender elf was launching herself at the orc professor with a manic grin on her face.  Ladra shook her head, once again wondering what she had gotten herself into.

* * *

After exiting the class, Karyn had been summoned to the residence of the Countess of Virago on business.  Leaving the guild in Juliet’s capable hands, Karyn had headed off immediately, glad to have something else to do.  Ever since the defeat of the dragon Adalinda, Karyn had been keeping herself going non-stop, throwing herself into opening her guild and making sure it was running smoothly.  But with the first class now underway, she was running the risk of gaining free time, and she hoped this summons would save her from that.

“The Countess is in her bedroom,” said the maid who greeted Karyn when she arrived.  Karyn thanked her and made her way through the mansion towards the main bedroom.  As she got there, Karyn heard a loud curse.  Frowning, Karyn opened the bedroom door and walked in.

Countess Lillian Lightstrom was sitting in front of her mirror, her normally calm and beautiful face red with frustration.  She held in her hand a silver straight razor, her scalp was lathered up, and Karyn could see a small red patch on her head where she had nicked herself with the blade.

“You know one of your maids could do that for you,” Karyn said softly, causing the countess to jump.

“Oh, Karyn,” Lillian said, doing her best to smile.  “I’m glad you could come.  Sorry you have to see me like this.”

“No need to apologize, but allow me,” Karyn said, taking the razor from her friend.  She took up position directly behind the countess, then carefully began to shave her head.  

Up until recently, Lillian had not only been Countess of Virago but also a well-respected sorceress, and as such had sported an immaculate bald head.  But her part in defeating Adalinda had left her completely drained of her magical abilities, and one of the side effects of this was that her hair had started growing again.  She had continued to shave her head in the hope that her powers would return, but despite so far there was no sign of such eventuality.

“It’s embarrassing,” Lillian lamented.  “I want to prove that I am self-sufficient and can take care of myself, even without my magic, but it seems I cannot even cut my own hair.  I must seem pathetic.”

“You are not pathetic,” Karyn assured her.  “You should stop by the guild, practice your old fencing skills.  I remember how good you were with a sword back when we were sailing the Dagger Coast.”

“I will consider that,” Lillian replied with a sad smile.  “But that was not why I brought you here.  Merchants have been attacked while travelling through the Rogue Woods.  Nothing too serious, but it seems that a new bandit gang may have setup there.  If it is not too much trouble, I’d like you to investigate and deal with them.  Perhaps you can take a few of your students, give them some practical experience.”

“It would be an honour,” Karyn said as she finished up shaving Lillian’s scalp.  “I’ll set out first thing tomorrow.  Anything else I can help you with?”

“No, thank you,” Lillian said.  “You are a good friend, Karyn.  I hope you are well.  I mean, I’ve been so wrapped up with my own problems, I have ignored your lose.  You must miss Kaimela greatly.  Or should I say Kailandrea?  I still cannot believe who she turned out to be.”

“It was a shock,” Karyn said.  “But I’m fine.  The guild keeps me busy and I know me and Kai will be reunited on day.  Until then, I am your humble servant.”

“Well, I should not keep you any longer,” Lillian said.  “Thank you for accepting this mission, and thank you for the hair cut.”

“My pleasure,” Karyn smiled, then headed off to plan her trip into the Rogue Woods.

* * *

“Are you alright?” Ladra asked Nadyra tentatively.

“I’m great!” Nadyra replied, giggling like a small child.

They, along with the rest of the students, had headed over to the Walking Wounded Tavern after classes had finished, and the young elf was sporting a black eye and a dopey grin from her scrap with Professor Bearclaw.  It had been an odd sight, seeing the lithe elf wrestling with the massive orc, but her tenacity and fearlessness had made instantly made her Rheka’s favourite student.  Ladra was convinced Nadyra was quite mad, though Nadyra had preferred the term “beserker.”  To make matters worse, Nadyra was also Ladra’s roommate, along with the dwarven woman sitting at the table with them.

Shadi Coldstone leaned back in her chair, possessing a swagger entirely too large for her compact dwarven frame.  An aspiring rogue, Shadi sported short shock of light brown hair and a dark complexion, and was dressed casually in a grey tunic, dark pants and a leather jacket with a fur collar.  And while she seemed nowhere near as insane as the punch-drunk Nadyra, she still had her own peculiar quirks that made Ladra wonder what rooming with her would be like.  Firstly, she seemed overly impulsive and rash in personality, and secondly, she had decided to become an adventurer for one reason only: “For the ladies!”

“Just think of all the girls we are going to get,” Shadi said enthusiastically, putting her hands behind her head and grinning widely.  “Not that I had trouble beforehand, but a little fame and, even better, a little infamy we will have our pick of all the finest lasses in the land!”

“I don’t think I want to get girls,” Nadyra said, looking a little confused.  Ladra suspected the elven warrior was unsure what she would need to do once she had gotten one of these girls.  “Besides, Professor Bearclaw wants us to avoid distractions and concentrate on our brawling.  And you should listen to the professor, as she is awesome.”

“I am more of a lover than a fighter,” Shadi replied.  “Nadyra may want to follow in the rather large footsteps of Rheka, but I’d rather be the next Crimson Fox.  Running through the night, stealing jewels and stealing hearts.  All in the name of goodness and righteousness, of course.  What about you, Ladra?  You prefer romance or roughhousing?”

“Both? Neither?” Ladra said, shrugging.  “I haven’t given it much thought.  I use to be a thief, but that didn’t work out so well.  It’s not that I lacked ability, more that I just had really rotten luck.  I guess I’m hoping the guild will help me get it together.  I don’t think it will though.  Miss Strongblood hates me.”

“Nonsense!” sounded another voice, and all three turned to see Abigail Stormweather limping towards them, carrying a tray with the girls’ drinks.  A former smuggler and pirate, Abigail had lost her ship and her crew in a clash with the same forces that had recently tried to overthrow Queen Lisbeth.  The encounter had left the ebony beauty with severe burn scars over most of her body, her once long black hair mostly burned off, and her left leg had now been replaced with an oak prosthetic.  She had purchased the Walking Wounded while she had been recovering from her injuries, noting the irony of the tavern’s name and her own hesitancy to return to sea, and now traded stories with the students of the guild to keep them entertained.  “Karyn hates very few people, and those she does she has good reasons.  I doubt there is anything you could do to earn that level of distain from her.”

“What if I had previously tried to rob her house, hit her with a chair and tied her up?” Ladra asked.  “Theoretically speaking, of course.”

“Yeah, that would annoy her,” Abigail laughed, dishing out the drinks.  “So that was you!  Kaimela once told me about that little incident.  I would worry about it.  Karyn was more irritated with Kaimela after that night, and that only lasted until bedtime the next night.  Karyn doesn’t hold grudges, especially if you are truly trying to turn your life around.  She’s good like that.”

“Where is Kaimela?” Ladra inquired.  “When I asked about her to Miss Strongblood, she didn’t look to happy.  Did they break up?”

“In a manner of speaking,” Abigail said, pulling up a seat at the table.  “She had to return home to her family, for reasons.  Karyn misses her, but she’s not the type of person to talk about her emotions.  So I think it would be best if you don’t mention Kaimela to her.  At least, until she’s stopped hating you.”

“Who do I hate?” a voice came from behind them.  All turned and saw Karyn walk in.  The big woman walked straight up to their table.  “Hey, Abigail.  Sorry, I have to steal your customers.  These girls have an early morning tomorrow. We’re going on a field trip.”

“Yay!” Nadyra cheered, clapping with excitement.

“No problems,” Abigail said, giving the student’s a wink.  “Good luck to all of you.”

“Well, this should be fun,” Shadi said, elbowing Ladra.  “At least our lovely elven companion seems excited.”

“Hooray for us,” Ladra said, feeling more worried than thrilled.  Quickly downing their drinks, the three of them returned to the guild for a good night’s sleep before their adventure started the next day.

* * *

They set out just before dawn, riding out on horses down the main road that led to the Rogue Woods.  The vast forest was notorious for the various bandit gangs that called the woods home, but in recent times the usual criminal activities had died down thanks to the efforts of Queen Lisbeth’s royal guards that would patrol the main roads.  But died down did not mean it had disappeared completely, and this new gang seemed to be determined to re-establish the Rogue Wood’s reputation as a hive of scum and villainy.  

“Now I’m sure these bandits will be no problem,” Karyn explained to the others as they rode towards where the bandits had last struck, “but you will need to follow my lead and do exactly as I say.  I chose you because Rheka and Juliet think you have the potential to be the best out of our current crop, but that does not mean you are ready yet.  Do well here and you will be on your way to truly proving yourself in my eyes.”

Ladra was certain that last sentence was aimed directly at her, but chose to keep her mouth shut.  

After reaching the location of the bandits’ last raid, they then headed deeper into the forest on foot, leading the horses by their reigns and following the easy trail the criminals had left behind.  They tracked them for about an hour, but the trail began to peter off.  Coming up to a small clearing, Karyn decided the make to set up there.

“Shadi, Nadyra,” she said, “wait here and make camp.  Ladra and I will scout ahead and see if we can find these brigands.  If we do, we’ll do reconnaissance and then come back and plan out how we wish to take them down.  If you hear anyone approaching, hide and keep out of sight.  I don’t want you getting into trouble without my direct supervision.”

“Got it, boss,” Shadi said, saluting casually.  

“I mean it,” Karyn warned, the pointed a finger at Ladra.  “Follow me, and keep quiet.”

The pair headed off as Shadi and Nadyra began to unpack, creeping through the undergrowth as quietly as they could.  Despite her former profession as a thief, this was still a challenge for Ladra, as moving silently through a town or a house was a completely different from doing the same in a natural environment.  It also surprised her how quietly Karyn could move; Ladra had not really expected someone so big to move so gracefully, but Karyn was incredible light on her feet.  After a while, they could find no trace of the bandits, and the silence was getting Ladra, so she went against her better judgement.

“Sorry about hitting you with a chair,” she whispered.

“It is fine,” Karyn replied tersely.  “Water under the bridge.  Now keep quiet.”

“And I am sorry for asking about Kaimela,” Ladra continued.  “I didn’t know you had broken up.  You seemed to be a rather good couple.”

“That’s none of your business,” Karyn growled.  

“Sorry!” Ladra replied, cringing.  “I didn’t mean to bring up a sore subject.  It’s just that you seem to be really bottling it up and maybe talking about it would help.”

“Look,” Karyn said, spinning on Ladra and sticking a finger in her face.  “Kai and I haven’t broken up, we’ve just had to separate while she deals with some family business.  And my missing her is nothing compared what has happened to others.  Did you miss the dragon attack on Labrys?  Lillian lost her magic, Abigail lost her leg, and a lot of people, including Cassandra Withakay, lost their lives.  I think me having to separate from my lover ranks pretty low on that list, don’t you think?”

“Sorry!” Ladra said again.  “It’s just you seem to be running yourself ragged, running the guild, doing missions like this.  It’s like you’re doing you best not to deal with it.  Do you think you’re helping your friends being like this?  Perhaps if you sat down and talked about it, let it out, you wouldn’t be so tightly wound.”

“Shut up!” Karyn said.  “Just because Kai paid for you to be here does not give you the right to stick your nose in my business! I knew this was a mistake bringing you along, and if you say one more word I am going to gag you, tie you to a tree and leave your there.  So be quiet so I can concentrate on finding these bandits!”

Ladra nodded meekly.  Still fuming, Karyn spun on her heel and walked forward … right into a trap.  A loop of rope suddenly pulled tight around her ankles, releasing a counterweight that sent her flying up into the air.  When Karyn stopped swinging, a look of pure, unadulterated hatred appeared on her upturned face.

“I probably shouldn’t have distracted you,” Ladra said apologetically.

“Just cut me down and we will never speak of this again,” Karyn said quietly, her voice low and dangerous.  But before Ladra could act, a noise from the trees around them caught Karyn’s attention.  “Hide!” she hissed, and Ladra quickly dived into a small brush, just before a group of five bandits emerged from the woods.

“Well, well, well,” their leader said, grinning evilly.  She was a short, muscular woman – though nowhere near as built as Karyn - with closely cropped hair and a pug-ugly face.  She was dressed in piecemeal armour and carried a dangerous looking cudgel at her hip.  “Looks like we’ve caught ourselves the famous Karyn Strongblood!  I feel so honoured.”

“Why don’t you cut me down and I’ll show you just how honoured you are,” Karyn replied, but her threat was slightly lessened by the fact that she was suspended upside down from her ankles.

“Don’t worry, I’m no idiot,” the woman said.  “Name’s Granna Hyllach, and you are my prisoner.  I bet that baldy that runs Virago would pay a pretty big ransom for your return.  Girls, tie her up.”

Karyn fought them off as best she could, but suspended as she was she had a distinct disadvantage.  Before long, her hands had been securely roped behind her back, with several loops wound around her massive biceps to pin her upper arms to her sides.  They were even smart enough to bind her knees and ankles before cutting her down, negating any chance for her to fight back.  Finally, a wooden bit was fastened between her teeth with a twine, forcing her lips into a permanent sneer.  

“Let’s get her back to camp,” Granna said, taking hold of Karyn’s chin.  “We are going to get rich off of this one!”

Once they had hauled her off, Ladra slowly crept from her hiding place.  This was bad.  Very bad.  She had to somehow figure out a way to rescue Karyn, before these bandits did anything to her.  Listening out until she was sure they were gone, Ladra then quickly sprinted back to the clearing where Shadi and Nadyra awaited.  

“What’s up?” Shadi asked as Ladra struggled to catch her breath.  “Where’s the boss lady?”

“Bandit’s got her,” Ladra managed to get out between breaths.  “I may have distracted her, and she walked into a trap.  We need to rescue her!”

“Sure, but how?” Shadi asked.  

“Full frontal assault,” Nadyra said, nodding enthusiastically.  “They would never expect that!”

“Of course they wouldn’t,” Shadi sighed, shaking her head, “because it would be suicide.  We need to use our brains.  How many bandits were there?”

“I only saw five,” Ladra said.  “But they might have more at camp.”

“Well, let’s find this camp and do a head count,” Shadi said.  “We can then strategize a bit more and figure out a way to break Karyn out.”

“Okay, sounds good,” Ladra said.  “Follow me.”

Ladra led them back to where Karyn had been captured.  From there, they followed the bandits’ trail until the finally came in sight of their camp.  It was made up of a series of tents around a large campfire, and while they could only see five of the bandits, the number of tents indicated they had double that number.  

“Damn,” Nadyra said as she spied upon the camp.  “I was hoping they had huts.”

Shadi and Ladra turned and looked at her in disbelief.  “You were hoping they had a door you could use, weren’t you?” Shadi said, and the elven berserker shrugged.  “I think you’ve been spending too much time with Professor Bearclaw.  Anyway, we need to find out where the others are.”

“Most likely patrolling,” Ladra said.  “I wonder where they have Karyn?”

“Hey! Who are you?” a voice said behind them, and saw that Ladra had been right about the other bandits’ being out patrolling.  Luckily, it was just one woman, and the three of them piled onto her before she could sound the alarm.  Shadi stuffed her mouth with a wading of cloth as Nadyra pinned the woman’s hands behind her back and allowed Ladra to tie her up.  

“That was close,” Shadi said, finishing up the bandit’s bondage by typing a bandana around her mouth to keep the rag in place.  “We need to make sure none of the others stumble upon us.”

“Wait,” Ladra said, inspecting their captive as an idea formed in her head.  “We need to find the others.”

“How so?” Shadi replied.

“Well, we need to find one my size,” Ladra clarified.  “I can dress in their armour to infiltrate the camp.  I’d recommend Shadi do it, but they seem to be all humans.  It also won’t hurt to cut down their numbers while we can.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Shadi said with a wink.  “Let’s go!”

* * *

It took almost an hour, but the trio managed to bushwhack all the bandits out on patrol without raising the alarm.  It helped that the outlaws were not expecting any trouble, so were easy enough to get the drop on.  In this stage of the mission, Nadyra proved herself to be extremely useful, as her combat experience and love of fighting allowed them overpower the unsuspecting bandits, and soon they were all bound and gagged.  None had been exactly Ladra’s size, but by picking and choosing gear, she was able to make herself a decent enough approximation of their look.  

“Okay, give me a few minutes to get into the camp,” Ladra said, tying a bandana around her face as a disguise.  “Shadi, I am relying on you to come up with a distraction to get as many of them away from the camp as possible while I find and free Karyn.  Try and lead them somewhere where Nadyra can do her thing, and if we are lucky, we can bring them down.”

“Don’t worry,” Shadi said with a sly wink, “I already have a plan ready.  Right out of the classic Crimson Fox playbook, too.”

“Wonderful?” Ladra said, worried.  Still, she had to trust the dwarven rogue knew what she was doing.  Nodding to her companions, Ladra headed out towards the bandit camp.  She circled around the clearing, keeping out of sight as best she could, waiting for the right time to emerge from the trees and mingle with the other bandits.  She was lucky that several other women in the camp wore bandanas over their faces, so she wouldn’t look too out of place.  

Taking a deep breath, Ladra walked into the clearing, keeping her head down and trying not to look too conspicuous.  The bandits were laughing and drinking, celebrating their victory over the great Karyn Strongblood, and Granna was boisterously leading them in song.  Ladra moved about the camp, joining in the singing while also glancing into each tent she passed in hopes of seeing their prisoner.  She was soon rewarded when she spotted Karyn’s bound form in one of the larger tents.  She was sitting in a cross-legged position in the centre of the tent, still bit-gagged and with her hands tied behind her back, but now she had rope around bound abound her bent knees to keep her sitting that way.  She also looked very, very angry.

“Just need to wait for Shadi,” Ladra whispered to herself.  She did not need to wait for long, and slapped the palm of her hand over her face when she saw the dwarf’s idea of a distraction.

“Hello, girls!” Shadi shouted with a grin, jumping out of the trees.  To Ladra’s horror, but oddly enough not to her surprise, Shadi was completely and utterly naked.  She blew a kiss at them and then ran off back into the woods.  The bandits were too stunned to act for a moment, but Granna soon broke them from their trance.

“Get after her!” she ordered, and soon her bandits were giving chase.  

“Well, it worked,” Ladra whispered with a shrug, then slipped into the tent that held Karyn.  The bound woman glared at her, growling softly behind the bit strapped in her mouth.  Ladra held a finger up and pulled down her bandana.  “It’s me!  I’m here to rescue you.  We need to hurry, as I don’t know how long Shadi and Nadyra can keep the bandits distracted.”  Taking out a small knife, Ladra began to saw away at the ropes that bound Karyn’s hands.  But before she could saw them all the way through, the flap to the tent flew open and Granna walked in.

“What is going on here?” she demanded, drawing her cudgel.  

“Ah, surrender?” Ladra suggested, jumping to her feet and holding out her tiny blade towards Granna.  The bandit leader snorted in contempt and swatted the knife away with her cudgel, sending it flying from Ladra’s hand.  The young thief swallowed, then ducked as Granna swung the cudgel at her.  The bigger woman chased Ladra around the tent, trying to strike her down, while at the same time Karyn struggled with her partially severed bonds.  

“I am going to squash you!” Granna bellowed, and swung the cudgel with all her might.  

Ladra shrieked and stumbled back out of the way, tripping on her feet and falling into the side of the tent.  The canvas could not hold her weight, and the whole tent fell down upon them all.  Finding the edge, Ladra managed to scramble outside and quickly got to her feet.  It wasn’t long until Granna had done the same, and the stalked towards her with a murderous look in her eyes.

“Any last words, bug?” she sneered.

Ladra nodded.  “Yes,” she said.  “You shouldn’t mess with a woman who punches dragons.”

Granna frowned, but a tapping on her shoulder revealed the truth to her.  Karyn pulled the bit from her lips and glared at the bandit leader, then punched her square in the jaw.  Granna dropped to the dirt and tried to scramble away, but a naked dwarf and an armoured elven woman cut off her escape.  Ladra allowed herself a grin.

“Surrender?” she asked again.  This time, Granna conceded, and submitted to be bound and gagged by Shadi and Nadyra.

“Good work, all of you,” Karyn said.  “But what of the other bandits?”

“Hogtied and gagged,” Nadyra replied proudly.  “Seems that they were not prepared to face an elven berserker and her roguish companion.  Also, I hit them with logs as I could not find a door.”

“I think you have been spending too much time with Rheka,” Karyn sighed, shaking her head.  “And Shadi, please put some clothes on.  Otherwise, let’s round up these bandits and get home.”

* * *

Later that night, after the bandits had been dragged back to Virago and thrown into the city’s dungeons, Karyn found herself sitting in her office reading about the Elven Empire.  It was a dense tome, and dryly written, but Karyn struggled through it all the same.  Still, she was kind of relieved when there was a knock at her office door.

“Come in,” she said.

Ladra hesitantly walked inside, then took a seat in front of Karyn’s desk.  “You wanted to see me?” she asked nervously.

“I wanted to thank you for today, and to say sorry,” Karyn said with a sigh.  “You were right.  If I was on my game, those bandits would never have gotten me so easily.  I’ve been running myself ragged, keeping myself busy.  Doing everything I could not to think about Kai.  And in a way, by doing that all I am doing is thinking about her.”

“It’s fine,” Ladra said.  “I didn’t really give you any reason to listen to me.  I just seem to blunder about, causing chaos, no matter what my intentions.”

“Reminds me of someone else,” Karyn said with a sad smile.  “You should get some sleep.  You have lessons in the morning.”

“Okay,” Ladra replied, and went to leave.  Then she hesitated.  “Sorry, but back in the forest, you said Kaimela had paid for my tuition.  What did you mean by that?  All I know is that an elven knight showed up at my home and told me I was to join the guild.”

“Here,” Karyn said, talking out the scroll Juliet had given her earlier.

“Dearest Karyn,” Ladra read.  “Please take this young rogue into your guild and train her to become a great heroine.  I know she did not leave a good impression on you the first time you met, but she seems to have a good heart and I was planning on making her my apprentice anyway.  I know I cannot be there with you, but I also know you need a plucky rogue watching your back.  So take her in, like you did me.  That is an order.  Love, Princess Kailandrea Aran of the Everwood.”

Ladra frowned.  “Who is this Kailandrea…” she began to ask, then realised.  “Oh.  Really?”

“Really,” Karyn said.  “Hard to believe, I know.  But I think I now can see what she saw in you.  You did good today, Ladra.  Just don’t think this means you’re getting an easy ride.  And never, ever hit me with a chair again.”

“I won’t!” Ladra said, smiling for what had to be the first time since Karyn had met her.  “I better be off then.  Thank you for giving me this chance.”

“Goodnight,” Karyn said, waving as the young thief departed.  She smiled to herself and closed the book on her desk.  “I love you so much, Kai,” Karyn whispered, allowing the emotion to swell within her.  And then, for the first time since Kaimela had left her, Karyn allowed herself to cry.