Post by Eioin Boughsinger on Jan 19, 2018 9:29:42 GMT -6
"These new helmets should be both functional as protection against weapons as well as be able to function in the ability to identify friend from foe. Also they will be used in all formal parades, official duties and while 'under the cape', meaning on-duty."
All of the Journeymen and Squadmen were listening to Guildmaster Olaf Lunde as he talked of the new uniform changes and how they were going to be organized.
"The Guildmaster's helmet will contain gold dyed horse hair. The Guildsecretary's will be silver. Obviously the rank-and-file of the red, blue, and green teams will have corresponding plumes. But the Squadmen will have five-finger lengths of silver in the front, middle and rear of their plumes. The Journeymen will have gold in place of the silver.
"The Logistics team will have alternating five finger sections of brown and white and the Lightning squad members will have white and black alternating. The training team will have five-finger spans of all of the colors; black, blue, red, green and brown.
"This way, at a glance, each person will be able to identify rank and team immediately. Even at a distance."
There was a murmur of ascent throughout the room as they stared at the new helmets with its highly polished edges and brushed finished main sections. The Guildmaster continued, "I expect EVERYONE to have their helmet fitted for by the end of Goodmonth. Is that clear?"
Again the nods and muttering. "Finally, I'd like to inform the guild…" But Guildmaster Lunde didn't finish. The door to the meeting hall was flung open and a breathless Thief Catcher, bearing the lightning bolt on his left chest burst into the room.
"Your pardon, Guildmaster." The young man bowed at the waist to Olaf. "Journeyman Smith. I need an immediate word, Sir." Both Tam and Squadman Yannis jumped up and moved to the man. Yannis thought something big must have had occurred. Tam hoped it was something important enough to interrupt his step-father.
There was some urgent whispering and then Yannis and the Thief Catcher left. Tam turned back to the others and announced, "It seems some miscreant finding himself trapped by members of the guild has decided he might obtain his freedom if he were to take a young girl as hostage. He has her now, with a knife to her throat, in front of the McMichael's Furrier."
The group of men rumbled loudly each letting the excitement within themselves move to the surface. Guildmaster Lunde raised his hand for quiet and eventually he found it. He asked Tam, "Do you have the situation under control?"
"The call went out and there are Lightning, as well as Reds and Blues keeping him contained. Yannis is on his way and I will go when I have leave."
"Well, I can tell we won't get anything else accomplished here this day, until this matter is settled. All of you be back here tomorrow, just after the high sun bell." There was scuffling as chairs were moved and men began moving towards the door. Olaf said over the slight tumult, "Give me a report after it is settled, Tam."
Instead of replying verbally, Tam raised his hand in a wave acknowledging the Guildmaster.
. . . . . . . . . . .
Tam's horse skidded on metal shoes to a stop on the pavement stones at the back of the crowd. From up on his horse he surveyed the situation. McMichael's Furrier was a fur tanning shop, the opening of which sat underneath the outcropping of the second, living story above. There currently was a crowd of sixty or so people forming a half moon circle in front of the shop. The front door had been closed.
In the front of the crowd, Tam recognized six of his own men. He saw two from Journeyman Latherby's Red Team and one from Journeyman Hurrad's Blue Team. None of the greens were there, but that stood to reason as they liked the night and all of the work which went on during the dark spans.
Then Tam laid eyes on the fellow in question. He seemed quite small and thin. His face was angled oddly which gave him an Elven sort of look. He had no facial hair and his long blonde locks were pulled back into a long ponytail style. He wasn't dirty but neither was he pristine, and no one would've given the fellow two looks had they met him on the road. But now Tam saw the look of determination in his face. Not an expression of desperation as one might have thought should be there, being in the circumstances this fellow found himself in. His right hand held a long, nondescript dagger the tip of which was directly underneath a chin belonging to the young girl he had tucked under his left arm.
The girl had been crying for sometime and her dirty face was streaked with tear marks. Tam saw Yannis, his weapons sheathed and arms raised in a consolatory posture, talking to the man.
He handed the reins to a young boy and said, “Two silvers if you hang on tight.” The boys eyes lit up and Tam leaped down from the saddle. He forced his way through the crowd. At the outskirts of the inner ring, Tam found one of his Lightning Squad members and whispered into his ear. The fellow whispered back to Tam’s ear and Tam replied. The fellow nodded and moved off through the crowd the way Tam had come from.
The Thief Catcher Leader walked out into the open and took a couple of steps towards where this fellow, his hostage and Yannis were standing partially in the shade, at the dividing wall which blocked access to the rear of the building. The fellow was trapped. As he walked forward Tam noticed the woodwork racks displaying the furrier's wares were scattered about where they'd been knocked over, in the preceding fracas. He moved up alongside of Yannis and stood there, his arms folded under his chest.
"What do we have here, Squadman Yannis?"
"Seems this bloke here was trying to take off with some of McMichael's things when our boys confronted him and tried to take 'em into custody."
"That's a lie!" The man's voice was high with strain and Tam noticed he didn't look so determined close up.
"Easy now lad. This isn't a trial. I'm just trying to find out why you've got a blade under that child's face."
"This is my way outta this fuck'n town, that's why. You move on me, she dies."
"Yes, but you'll die too."
"I don't care. But her ma and pa will care!"
Tam could see on this young man's face, and he was deadly serious.
Tam, now being forced to give up getting any further information from Yannis, he stood there taking a few deep, calming breaths. He thought to himself, 'This isn't going to be easy.'
He turned to the young man at the center of the situation. "What's your name lad?"
"My name is none of your god-damn business, pig fucker. You let me go or this blubbering bitch dies."
"Fair enough. But if I may ask, what about your ma and pa?" Tam could see the brief look of puzzlement go over the young man's face. "I mean. If you say that child is going to die, then you also accept that you will die right after that child comes to harm. Well, I just thought your ma and pa might want to know what happened to you." Tam was deliberately using words this fellow used in order to reach out to him and not seem as adversarial.
"My ma and pa ain't any of your damn business, Thief Catcher. So, let it go."
"Your accent sounds a bit odd. You're not from Greyhawk City are you?"
"No I'm not from this forsaken dung pile. Now are you gonna let me go or does she die?" The child started crying again. Tam forced himself to ignore the child and focused solely on the face of this would be murderer. He found the face as being odd... unsettling even, but he didn't have time to dwell on it at the moment.
Tam turned his back on the fellow and slowly, almost deliberately he walked over to one of the tumbled wooden stands Bending over, he lifted it back to its proper upright position. The normally bustling street sounds had gone deathly quiet and all eyes were on him he knew. 'Good. Keep watching me.' Tam thought to himself.
Reaching over he then turned upright a tumbled stool and put it back on its four legs. To everyone's surprise, Tam took a seat out of the sunlight of the mid-highsun.
Slowly, seeming without a care in the world, Tam removed his tight fitting rabbit skin riding gloves. He tucked them into his belt as slowly as he'd removed them.
Sighing deeply, he extended his legs and crossed his arms, as a stones player might make after making a move on a playing game board. The man, previously with his back to the stout wall behind him, had to half turn away from where he'd been facing out more or less at the gathered crowd. Now, in order to keep an eye on Tam, he had to all but turn his back on the crowd. But that was okay. The fellow thought finally there was someone he knew could get him out of Greyhawk and out of this unplanned situation. He was speaking to a man who could order his release. He didn't need to convince the crowd. 'Just this idiot thief catcher,' he thought.
After a moment, when he had the full attention of the fellow Tam said slowly, "No.” He paused for effect as if actually pondering the option. “No, I don't think we're going to allow you to leave."
"Then she dies." The young man’s light voice had dropped to a deeper, deliberate tone as he spoke the words. He forced the dagger tip further into the soft skin between the chin and the neck, but which still hadn’t pierced flesh...yet.
When Tam observed that he didn't push the blade through the crying girls throat, Tam realized he'd won. If this fellow really wanted to kill the child that would've been the moment he'd taken to do so.
Tam said, "You see. Right now, from a legal point-of-view, all you have is a charge of attempted stealing, some damaged property and threatening to kill someone. Honestly, it’s not that big of a deal. Definitely not a death sentence."
He paused a moment to allow his words to sink in. "However, should you actually injure that innocent child… Well, let’s just say that would make things a bit hairier. Can't overlook that… No two ways around it."
"I’ll make it easy for you Thief Catcher. All you have to do is let me go out the gate. Once I'm out the gate, you can have this brat back and no one gets hurt."
"I'm afraid I couldn't allow that to happen either. Right now you're under arrest by the Royal Greyhawk Thief Catchers Guild. We don't allow that kind of thing to go on here in Greyhawk. It’s against the rules, you see. Wouldn’t make us look very good. See if you got away with this, then every wooden coined asswipe from everywhere would descend on Greyhawk. And they’d think if they got caught all they’d need do is to hold a knife to an innocent person’s throat to gain exit."
As he spoke, Tam very slowly stood up, but instead of confronting the young man, he instead began to pace a short way back-and-forth in front of the scene, as if working out the issues. The young man adjusted the weight of the child pinned to his side with this left hand. Tam in his pacing had taken the opportunity to surreptitiously look out into the crowd. He could see his men had arrived and were in their places. He could see several thief catcher bows drawn taught.
He walked back and dropped back onto the stool as if he’d made his decision. In a fake haughty voice he announced as if ruling on case as one of the magistrates, "Well I'm sorry. I just cannot allow such a thing. Bad business."
The crowd went from quiet to deathly silent. As silent this Greyhawk city mid-day as it was in the darkest moments of a cold, dark forest night. It seemed everyone was holding their breath. Everyone except the two and the child.
Tam looked at the fellow and the two locked eyes. Finally, the fellow spoke breaking the growing tension, "I don't wanna hear any of your self-important bullshit Thief Catcher…"
At the word, 'bullshit' Tam suddenly bursted up out of his seat, toppling the stool as he stood to his full height. Wearing an expression of indignation combined with fierce anger, Tam shouted, "BULLSHIT?! You call me and my guild bullshit, Sir?!" He pushed his chest out as his hands, balled into clenched fists, were firmly pressed into his sides at his belt, in a pose of haughty outrage. He took a step towards the fellow, his face now full of rage. The blade point stayed at the child's throat.
"I'll have you know, my good fellow. We are the Thief Catchers Guild!" Tam bit out each word for emphasis. "We hide from no man and we always get our prey. Yes! Always!" Having not achieved the desired result Tam pressed on in growing superciliousness, "I am Journeyman Thief Catcher Tam Smith. Fighter of Goblins! Champion of the Bounder's Holiday! Defender of the Greyhawk citizenry! And I will not listen to me-and-mine be slandered by some foul mouthed punk from out of town!"
Tam took another step and this time it finally had the desired effect he had been hoping he’d achieve on the fellow. The young man moved the blade from under the chin of girl and pointed it at Tam in case the Thief Catcher were to move to attack him.
"You… You…You stay back!"
It was the last words the fellow ever spoke. As the word 'back' escaped his lips, in a blur three razor sharp tips from long bow shafts raced at and struck home on the young man. The force of the three landed missiles actually pinned the fellow to the wooden wall at his side. The child fell from his left arm and the blade from his right hand as his bodies muscles no longer provided support. Tam darted forward and secured the blade. Standing from where he'd bent to pick up the knife, Tam saw the fellow's eyes grow wide as if understanding he was about to die. Then slowly Tam saw the eyes fade to a dull unfocused view death took over the fellow.
As Tam had moved to the blade, Yannis rushed in and scooped up the girl. He bundled her through a side door of the fullier business. From this same door, two of Tam's Lightning Squad members out from where they'd been secreted inside. Tam suddenly could the crowd din begin to gather power. He heard the squeals and cries of joy, no doubt from the mother of the girl. His fellow guild members were slapping him on the back as the sound slowly began to register in his ears.
The Thief Catchers who'd been stationed as a containing force now had spun about and were trying to keep the pressing crowd back. All wanted to get close to the events both fascinated and appalled.
Tam reached up to the lifeless face and looked it over. He turned the slack, lifeless head to see it from all sides. Then a thought struck him. He lowered his hand to the fellow’s chest and contained under the leather jerkin he found two unmistakable mounds of softness. This wasn't any man. This had been a woman, disguised as a man. That bit of the puzzle made the picture whole and accounted for the smoothness of face and slightness of stature. Not a young man, but a woman. A woman willing to kill a child, and a shudder ran through him at the thought.
The three bowmen, all from the Lightning Squad, had finally made it through the crowd and up to where Tam was standing. "Good shots lads." Tam said matter-of-factly. He clasped them all, shaking their hands. The smiles were wide from the praise. "I've got the first round at the Green Dragon tonight."
Tam lowered his voice and said, "Now, let’s get her down. Yes. I said, ‘her’. This fellow's a she. And keep that nugget under your hats. Wrap her in a blanket and take her to the guild. I'll be along right away." The three moved to the body, and began the process of supporting her while they removed their bolts.
Tam turned and made his way into McMichael's Furrier. As he entered he saw Yannis and the two Thief Catchers who'd been inside during the event.
Yannis said, "…and here's my boss. Journeyman Thief Catcher..."
Yannis was interrupted by Master McMichael's bellow, "Smith! The bounder's holiday hero, or I'll be damned! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you a thousand times!"
Tam smiled as he was hugged and slapped on the back by the entire McMichael family.
He looked to the little girl being secured in kisses pressed up against her mother’s ample bosom. He leaned in and asked, “You okay?”
The girl nodded and began to cry again. “It was really scary.”
“I know. Don’t tell anyone, but…” he looked about him conspiratorially, “...I was pretty scared too.” He smiled a playful smile at the girl who’d stopped crying and smiled a wet-eyed smile back at the Thief Catcher. Tam could feel himself getting emotional and he steeled himself against it in this public place.
He spoke to the child words meant not only for her but for her mother as well, in what he hoped was a reassuring way, “But you needn't worry.” He forced a stern expression of a loving, affectionate father and reached out, patting the child's head in a comforting gesture. “That one’ll never harm anyone else in this life.”
. . . . . . . . . .
A short time later back at the Thief Catcher’s Guild...
"That's when I found the mark. It's the same as the other Fem Fatale ones we’ve seen and heard about, but I didn't find anything else on her and the blade she had wasn't poisoned."
Tam had finally gotten away from the girl's family, but not without hearing his and the guild's praises being held in the highest order to anyone and everyone who'd come into the shop upon hearing what had happened to the good tanner.
Tam had examined the body and found nothing else of interest except on the upper bicep of the right arm the mark of the Fem Fatale Assassins Guild from Harby.
In the room were Tam, Yannis, Olaf, Guildsecretary Koers, and Journeymen Hurrad and Latherby. Most of the Squadmen and others who'd been at the meeting had arrived in time to see the 'man' slain by the bows of the guild and had been just as proud about being one of the ones who’d saved the little McMichael girl. Very few knew the 'man' had actually been an assassin on some clandestine mission in Greyhawk.
Olaf asked, "I just wonder what they're up to." He made eye contact with his Guildsecretary, who suggested a questioning answer to the Guild Master's unasked query, "Something to do with the coins?"
"Possibly. But what?" Olaf replied. There was silence then Olaf said. "Koers. See that her body gets to Mayor Gasgal and the guild gets the bounty. I need to see to a few things." Turning he looked to his step-son and announced with a tone of a decision made, "Well done Tam." He turned and spoke loud enough so that even those gathered at the front of the guild hall could hear, "Well done everyone." The Guildsecretary nodded to Olaf and called for assistance from junior guild members to aid in his task, who were waiting outside the guildmaster's office.
Tam left the office and walked towards the other end of the building. He opened the heavy door and entered the main audience room to an explosion of loud cheering. "What's all this?" he asked to no one in particular. Looked about Tam surveying a gathering collection of items stacked higglety pigglety about the room, which was full of citizens and guild members. He saw containers of cooked food, bags of potatoes, bottles of wine and casks of ale, and assorted gifts none of which were there when Tam had come back to the guild hall a short time before.
Looking more closely he saw items ranging from costly quilts to fur pelts to leather belts all apparently having been sent by the wealthier Greyhawk citizens. He also saw small clumps of flowers clearly picked roadside or from small gardens, a bound napkin of a couple of eggs, a clearly hastily made wreath with laced with purple ribbon clearly made by those not so well off, but with just as much appreciation and 'thanks'. Tam's eyes began to well up as he witnessed the unexpected outpouring the actions he and his men had produced. He took a deep breath and steadied himself. He masked the wiping of his eyes as he pulled a couple of the flowers from one such bundle tied with purple ribbon, and after giving them an appreciative sniff, put them on display in his cap.
He looked up and found Yannis' standing next to him, "We need to make sure we get names from all who are bringing these things." Yannis broadly moved his eyes and Tam followed to where his look lead. Near the wide open front doors a table had been set up. There stood two young thief catcher apprentices who were even now graciously accepting a bulging bag of something from a grinning and smiling stout looking fellow loudly praising the guild and it's members. Seated at the table, one of the Guildsecretary understudies was noting the offering in a ledger, quill in hand.
Olaf had entered the room from the hallway which lead deeper into the guild hall. He was looking about to see what was causing the commotion Tam's opening the heavy door into the front of the hall had allowed into his quiet office recesses. His face was transformed from an initial look of deeping concern as he entered, to a more relaxed expression of wonderment. He looked about the throng and met Tam's eyes. Not being able to reach his step-son's ears without bellowing, he raised his eyebrows quizzically. Tam shrugged in reply. Olaf made his way through the appreciative crowd offering and guild members accepting the accolades. He moved to where Tam and Yannis were stopped, towards the front of the guild hall. As he moved to where Tam and Yannis were standing he said, "I'll see you all here tomorrow."
Tam came to the stiff stance of 'attention'. Yannis followed and they both saluted. Olaf returned the salute less rigidly and turned to leave. Tam relaxed and turned back to Yannis, "Yes. I think I need to go too. I've got to buy a few ales this night. I owe a round or three. Anyone interested?" He asked loud enough for another of the guild members, Hurrad, to hear.
Yannis replied, "Mate. I don't think you're gonna have to buy drinks in this town any time soon," and thumped Tam on the back. Tam smiled as he, Hurrad and Yannis walked out of the crowded, boisterous guild hall. The three headed towards the stables and hopefully some quiet, as he was sure he would not be able to get any quiet in the guild hall that evening. He made a mental note to follow up with the Guildsecretary with the ledger and pay a visit personally to each name noted within.
It was at that moment he realized how very 'wrong' everything could've gone... and his hands began to tremble.
All of the Journeymen and Squadmen were listening to Guildmaster Olaf Lunde as he talked of the new uniform changes and how they were going to be organized.
"The Guildmaster's helmet will contain gold dyed horse hair. The Guildsecretary's will be silver. Obviously the rank-and-file of the red, blue, and green teams will have corresponding plumes. But the Squadmen will have five-finger lengths of silver in the front, middle and rear of their plumes. The Journeymen will have gold in place of the silver.
"The Logistics team will have alternating five finger sections of brown and white and the Lightning squad members will have white and black alternating. The training team will have five-finger spans of all of the colors; black, blue, red, green and brown.
"This way, at a glance, each person will be able to identify rank and team immediately. Even at a distance."
There was a murmur of ascent throughout the room as they stared at the new helmets with its highly polished edges and brushed finished main sections. The Guildmaster continued, "I expect EVERYONE to have their helmet fitted for by the end of Goodmonth. Is that clear?"
Again the nods and muttering. "Finally, I'd like to inform the guild…" But Guildmaster Lunde didn't finish. The door to the meeting hall was flung open and a breathless Thief Catcher, bearing the lightning bolt on his left chest burst into the room.
"Your pardon, Guildmaster." The young man bowed at the waist to Olaf. "Journeyman Smith. I need an immediate word, Sir." Both Tam and Squadman Yannis jumped up and moved to the man. Yannis thought something big must have had occurred. Tam hoped it was something important enough to interrupt his step-father.
There was some urgent whispering and then Yannis and the Thief Catcher left. Tam turned back to the others and announced, "It seems some miscreant finding himself trapped by members of the guild has decided he might obtain his freedom if he were to take a young girl as hostage. He has her now, with a knife to her throat, in front of the McMichael's Furrier."
The group of men rumbled loudly each letting the excitement within themselves move to the surface. Guildmaster Lunde raised his hand for quiet and eventually he found it. He asked Tam, "Do you have the situation under control?"
"The call went out and there are Lightning, as well as Reds and Blues keeping him contained. Yannis is on his way and I will go when I have leave."
"Well, I can tell we won't get anything else accomplished here this day, until this matter is settled. All of you be back here tomorrow, just after the high sun bell." There was scuffling as chairs were moved and men began moving towards the door. Olaf said over the slight tumult, "Give me a report after it is settled, Tam."
Instead of replying verbally, Tam raised his hand in a wave acknowledging the Guildmaster.
. . . . . . . . . . .
Tam's horse skidded on metal shoes to a stop on the pavement stones at the back of the crowd. From up on his horse he surveyed the situation. McMichael's Furrier was a fur tanning shop, the opening of which sat underneath the outcropping of the second, living story above. There currently was a crowd of sixty or so people forming a half moon circle in front of the shop. The front door had been closed.
In the front of the crowd, Tam recognized six of his own men. He saw two from Journeyman Latherby's Red Team and one from Journeyman Hurrad's Blue Team. None of the greens were there, but that stood to reason as they liked the night and all of the work which went on during the dark spans.
Then Tam laid eyes on the fellow in question. He seemed quite small and thin. His face was angled oddly which gave him an Elven sort of look. He had no facial hair and his long blonde locks were pulled back into a long ponytail style. He wasn't dirty but neither was he pristine, and no one would've given the fellow two looks had they met him on the road. But now Tam saw the look of determination in his face. Not an expression of desperation as one might have thought should be there, being in the circumstances this fellow found himself in. His right hand held a long, nondescript dagger the tip of which was directly underneath a chin belonging to the young girl he had tucked under his left arm.
The girl had been crying for sometime and her dirty face was streaked with tear marks. Tam saw Yannis, his weapons sheathed and arms raised in a consolatory posture, talking to the man.
He handed the reins to a young boy and said, “Two silvers if you hang on tight.” The boys eyes lit up and Tam leaped down from the saddle. He forced his way through the crowd. At the outskirts of the inner ring, Tam found one of his Lightning Squad members and whispered into his ear. The fellow whispered back to Tam’s ear and Tam replied. The fellow nodded and moved off through the crowd the way Tam had come from.
The Thief Catcher Leader walked out into the open and took a couple of steps towards where this fellow, his hostage and Yannis were standing partially in the shade, at the dividing wall which blocked access to the rear of the building. The fellow was trapped. As he walked forward Tam noticed the woodwork racks displaying the furrier's wares were scattered about where they'd been knocked over, in the preceding fracas. He moved up alongside of Yannis and stood there, his arms folded under his chest.
"What do we have here, Squadman Yannis?"
"Seems this bloke here was trying to take off with some of McMichael's things when our boys confronted him and tried to take 'em into custody."
"That's a lie!" The man's voice was high with strain and Tam noticed he didn't look so determined close up.
"Easy now lad. This isn't a trial. I'm just trying to find out why you've got a blade under that child's face."
"This is my way outta this fuck'n town, that's why. You move on me, she dies."
"Yes, but you'll die too."
"I don't care. But her ma and pa will care!"
Tam could see on this young man's face, and he was deadly serious.
Tam, now being forced to give up getting any further information from Yannis, he stood there taking a few deep, calming breaths. He thought to himself, 'This isn't going to be easy.'
He turned to the young man at the center of the situation. "What's your name lad?"
"My name is none of your god-damn business, pig fucker. You let me go or this blubbering bitch dies."
"Fair enough. But if I may ask, what about your ma and pa?" Tam could see the brief look of puzzlement go over the young man's face. "I mean. If you say that child is going to die, then you also accept that you will die right after that child comes to harm. Well, I just thought your ma and pa might want to know what happened to you." Tam was deliberately using words this fellow used in order to reach out to him and not seem as adversarial.
"My ma and pa ain't any of your damn business, Thief Catcher. So, let it go."
"Your accent sounds a bit odd. You're not from Greyhawk City are you?"
"No I'm not from this forsaken dung pile. Now are you gonna let me go or does she die?" The child started crying again. Tam forced himself to ignore the child and focused solely on the face of this would be murderer. He found the face as being odd... unsettling even, but he didn't have time to dwell on it at the moment.
Tam turned his back on the fellow and slowly, almost deliberately he walked over to one of the tumbled wooden stands Bending over, he lifted it back to its proper upright position. The normally bustling street sounds had gone deathly quiet and all eyes were on him he knew. 'Good. Keep watching me.' Tam thought to himself.
Reaching over he then turned upright a tumbled stool and put it back on its four legs. To everyone's surprise, Tam took a seat out of the sunlight of the mid-highsun.
Slowly, seeming without a care in the world, Tam removed his tight fitting rabbit skin riding gloves. He tucked them into his belt as slowly as he'd removed them.
Sighing deeply, he extended his legs and crossed his arms, as a stones player might make after making a move on a playing game board. The man, previously with his back to the stout wall behind him, had to half turn away from where he'd been facing out more or less at the gathered crowd. Now, in order to keep an eye on Tam, he had to all but turn his back on the crowd. But that was okay. The fellow thought finally there was someone he knew could get him out of Greyhawk and out of this unplanned situation. He was speaking to a man who could order his release. He didn't need to convince the crowd. 'Just this idiot thief catcher,' he thought.
After a moment, when he had the full attention of the fellow Tam said slowly, "No.” He paused for effect as if actually pondering the option. “No, I don't think we're going to allow you to leave."
"Then she dies." The young man’s light voice had dropped to a deeper, deliberate tone as he spoke the words. He forced the dagger tip further into the soft skin between the chin and the neck, but which still hadn’t pierced flesh...yet.
When Tam observed that he didn't push the blade through the crying girls throat, Tam realized he'd won. If this fellow really wanted to kill the child that would've been the moment he'd taken to do so.
Tam said, "You see. Right now, from a legal point-of-view, all you have is a charge of attempted stealing, some damaged property and threatening to kill someone. Honestly, it’s not that big of a deal. Definitely not a death sentence."
He paused a moment to allow his words to sink in. "However, should you actually injure that innocent child… Well, let’s just say that would make things a bit hairier. Can't overlook that… No two ways around it."
"I’ll make it easy for you Thief Catcher. All you have to do is let me go out the gate. Once I'm out the gate, you can have this brat back and no one gets hurt."
"I'm afraid I couldn't allow that to happen either. Right now you're under arrest by the Royal Greyhawk Thief Catchers Guild. We don't allow that kind of thing to go on here in Greyhawk. It’s against the rules, you see. Wouldn’t make us look very good. See if you got away with this, then every wooden coined asswipe from everywhere would descend on Greyhawk. And they’d think if they got caught all they’d need do is to hold a knife to an innocent person’s throat to gain exit."
As he spoke, Tam very slowly stood up, but instead of confronting the young man, he instead began to pace a short way back-and-forth in front of the scene, as if working out the issues. The young man adjusted the weight of the child pinned to his side with this left hand. Tam in his pacing had taken the opportunity to surreptitiously look out into the crowd. He could see his men had arrived and were in their places. He could see several thief catcher bows drawn taught.
He walked back and dropped back onto the stool as if he’d made his decision. In a fake haughty voice he announced as if ruling on case as one of the magistrates, "Well I'm sorry. I just cannot allow such a thing. Bad business."
The crowd went from quiet to deathly silent. As silent this Greyhawk city mid-day as it was in the darkest moments of a cold, dark forest night. It seemed everyone was holding their breath. Everyone except the two and the child.
Tam looked at the fellow and the two locked eyes. Finally, the fellow spoke breaking the growing tension, "I don't wanna hear any of your self-important bullshit Thief Catcher…"
At the word, 'bullshit' Tam suddenly bursted up out of his seat, toppling the stool as he stood to his full height. Wearing an expression of indignation combined with fierce anger, Tam shouted, "BULLSHIT?! You call me and my guild bullshit, Sir?!" He pushed his chest out as his hands, balled into clenched fists, were firmly pressed into his sides at his belt, in a pose of haughty outrage. He took a step towards the fellow, his face now full of rage. The blade point stayed at the child's throat.
"I'll have you know, my good fellow. We are the Thief Catchers Guild!" Tam bit out each word for emphasis. "We hide from no man and we always get our prey. Yes! Always!" Having not achieved the desired result Tam pressed on in growing superciliousness, "I am Journeyman Thief Catcher Tam Smith. Fighter of Goblins! Champion of the Bounder's Holiday! Defender of the Greyhawk citizenry! And I will not listen to me-and-mine be slandered by some foul mouthed punk from out of town!"
Tam took another step and this time it finally had the desired effect he had been hoping he’d achieve on the fellow. The young man moved the blade from under the chin of girl and pointed it at Tam in case the Thief Catcher were to move to attack him.
"You… You…You stay back!"
It was the last words the fellow ever spoke. As the word 'back' escaped his lips, in a blur three razor sharp tips from long bow shafts raced at and struck home on the young man. The force of the three landed missiles actually pinned the fellow to the wooden wall at his side. The child fell from his left arm and the blade from his right hand as his bodies muscles no longer provided support. Tam darted forward and secured the blade. Standing from where he'd bent to pick up the knife, Tam saw the fellow's eyes grow wide as if understanding he was about to die. Then slowly Tam saw the eyes fade to a dull unfocused view death took over the fellow.
As Tam had moved to the blade, Yannis rushed in and scooped up the girl. He bundled her through a side door of the fullier business. From this same door, two of Tam's Lightning Squad members out from where they'd been secreted inside. Tam suddenly could the crowd din begin to gather power. He heard the squeals and cries of joy, no doubt from the mother of the girl. His fellow guild members were slapping him on the back as the sound slowly began to register in his ears.
The Thief Catchers who'd been stationed as a containing force now had spun about and were trying to keep the pressing crowd back. All wanted to get close to the events both fascinated and appalled.
Tam reached up to the lifeless face and looked it over. He turned the slack, lifeless head to see it from all sides. Then a thought struck him. He lowered his hand to the fellow’s chest and contained under the leather jerkin he found two unmistakable mounds of softness. This wasn't any man. This had been a woman, disguised as a man. That bit of the puzzle made the picture whole and accounted for the smoothness of face and slightness of stature. Not a young man, but a woman. A woman willing to kill a child, and a shudder ran through him at the thought.
The three bowmen, all from the Lightning Squad, had finally made it through the crowd and up to where Tam was standing. "Good shots lads." Tam said matter-of-factly. He clasped them all, shaking their hands. The smiles were wide from the praise. "I've got the first round at the Green Dragon tonight."
Tam lowered his voice and said, "Now, let’s get her down. Yes. I said, ‘her’. This fellow's a she. And keep that nugget under your hats. Wrap her in a blanket and take her to the guild. I'll be along right away." The three moved to the body, and began the process of supporting her while they removed their bolts.
Tam turned and made his way into McMichael's Furrier. As he entered he saw Yannis and the two Thief Catchers who'd been inside during the event.
Yannis said, "…and here's my boss. Journeyman Thief Catcher..."
Yannis was interrupted by Master McMichael's bellow, "Smith! The bounder's holiday hero, or I'll be damned! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you a thousand times!"
Tam smiled as he was hugged and slapped on the back by the entire McMichael family.
He looked to the little girl being secured in kisses pressed up against her mother’s ample bosom. He leaned in and asked, “You okay?”
The girl nodded and began to cry again. “It was really scary.”
“I know. Don’t tell anyone, but…” he looked about him conspiratorially, “...I was pretty scared too.” He smiled a playful smile at the girl who’d stopped crying and smiled a wet-eyed smile back at the Thief Catcher. Tam could feel himself getting emotional and he steeled himself against it in this public place.
He spoke to the child words meant not only for her but for her mother as well, in what he hoped was a reassuring way, “But you needn't worry.” He forced a stern expression of a loving, affectionate father and reached out, patting the child's head in a comforting gesture. “That one’ll never harm anyone else in this life.”
. . . . . . . . . .
A short time later back at the Thief Catcher’s Guild...
"That's when I found the mark. It's the same as the other Fem Fatale ones we’ve seen and heard about, but I didn't find anything else on her and the blade she had wasn't poisoned."
Tam had finally gotten away from the girl's family, but not without hearing his and the guild's praises being held in the highest order to anyone and everyone who'd come into the shop upon hearing what had happened to the good tanner.
Tam had examined the body and found nothing else of interest except on the upper bicep of the right arm the mark of the Fem Fatale Assassins Guild from Harby.
In the room were Tam, Yannis, Olaf, Guildsecretary Koers, and Journeymen Hurrad and Latherby. Most of the Squadmen and others who'd been at the meeting had arrived in time to see the 'man' slain by the bows of the guild and had been just as proud about being one of the ones who’d saved the little McMichael girl. Very few knew the 'man' had actually been an assassin on some clandestine mission in Greyhawk.
Olaf asked, "I just wonder what they're up to." He made eye contact with his Guildsecretary, who suggested a questioning answer to the Guild Master's unasked query, "Something to do with the coins?"
"Possibly. But what?" Olaf replied. There was silence then Olaf said. "Koers. See that her body gets to Mayor Gasgal and the guild gets the bounty. I need to see to a few things." Turning he looked to his step-son and announced with a tone of a decision made, "Well done Tam." He turned and spoke loud enough so that even those gathered at the front of the guild hall could hear, "Well done everyone." The Guildsecretary nodded to Olaf and called for assistance from junior guild members to aid in his task, who were waiting outside the guildmaster's office.
Tam left the office and walked towards the other end of the building. He opened the heavy door and entered the main audience room to an explosion of loud cheering. "What's all this?" he asked to no one in particular. Looked about Tam surveying a gathering collection of items stacked higglety pigglety about the room, which was full of citizens and guild members. He saw containers of cooked food, bags of potatoes, bottles of wine and casks of ale, and assorted gifts none of which were there when Tam had come back to the guild hall a short time before.
Looking more closely he saw items ranging from costly quilts to fur pelts to leather belts all apparently having been sent by the wealthier Greyhawk citizens. He also saw small clumps of flowers clearly picked roadside or from small gardens, a bound napkin of a couple of eggs, a clearly hastily made wreath with laced with purple ribbon clearly made by those not so well off, but with just as much appreciation and 'thanks'. Tam's eyes began to well up as he witnessed the unexpected outpouring the actions he and his men had produced. He took a deep breath and steadied himself. He masked the wiping of his eyes as he pulled a couple of the flowers from one such bundle tied with purple ribbon, and after giving them an appreciative sniff, put them on display in his cap.
He looked up and found Yannis' standing next to him, "We need to make sure we get names from all who are bringing these things." Yannis broadly moved his eyes and Tam followed to where his look lead. Near the wide open front doors a table had been set up. There stood two young thief catcher apprentices who were even now graciously accepting a bulging bag of something from a grinning and smiling stout looking fellow loudly praising the guild and it's members. Seated at the table, one of the Guildsecretary understudies was noting the offering in a ledger, quill in hand.
Olaf had entered the room from the hallway which lead deeper into the guild hall. He was looking about to see what was causing the commotion Tam's opening the heavy door into the front of the hall had allowed into his quiet office recesses. His face was transformed from an initial look of deeping concern as he entered, to a more relaxed expression of wonderment. He looked about the throng and met Tam's eyes. Not being able to reach his step-son's ears without bellowing, he raised his eyebrows quizzically. Tam shrugged in reply. Olaf made his way through the appreciative crowd offering and guild members accepting the accolades. He moved to where Tam and Yannis were stopped, towards the front of the guild hall. As he moved to where Tam and Yannis were standing he said, "I'll see you all here tomorrow."
Tam came to the stiff stance of 'attention'. Yannis followed and they both saluted. Olaf returned the salute less rigidly and turned to leave. Tam relaxed and turned back to Yannis, "Yes. I think I need to go too. I've got to buy a few ales this night. I owe a round or three. Anyone interested?" He asked loud enough for another of the guild members, Hurrad, to hear.
Yannis replied, "Mate. I don't think you're gonna have to buy drinks in this town any time soon," and thumped Tam on the back. Tam smiled as he, Hurrad and Yannis walked out of the crowded, boisterous guild hall. The three headed towards the stables and hopefully some quiet, as he was sure he would not be able to get any quiet in the guild hall that evening. He made a mental note to follow up with the Guildsecretary with the ledger and pay a visit personally to each name noted within.
It was at that moment he realized how very 'wrong' everything could've gone... and his hands began to tremble.
