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The Heart of a Dagger


Chapter Two
(Riches beget pain.)
Get up you lazy fool! I heard from a familiar voice. No sense lying about all night!
I opened my eyes to see a familiar face.
Hard to not recognize the crooked nose and over fluffed eyebrows usually used as a mark of nobility in the southern most boarders of Kanta. Deep black hair with signs of grey lined the face of this old man. Everything else was covered by his trademark purple cloak & facemask.
This was my mentor and master. Lord Erik Able. Although a noble from the south he went down the path of the common thief many years ago.
So boy did they get you good this time? He asked.
Yeah I think they cracked a rib too. I replied.
And that’s why you’re not supposed to be seen. He scolded.
Yeah and I guess bragging about it to the prime minister’s handmaidens wasn’t the best idea either. I replied.
Well did you get it? His brow furled.
Of course! I pulled out a tightly bound paper bearing the prime minister’s ring seal. It contains a letter from the prime minister to Edward Crole. I could see the disdain in my master’s face when I brought up his old partners name.
So It’s true then. Edward did become the new middle man for the eastern slavers. My master mumbled.
I tried to stand up, The pain was flaring. You know for clergy men they sure are tough. I winced at the pain.
Well you were bragging about stealing the holy Joan idol from its resting place. He snapped at me.
Well it got the guards away from the prime minister’s office didn’t it? I retorted.
So it did, my master praised. But let us leave. I have a carriage outside town waiting for its passengers.
And with that we took our leave of the empty street, nothing but moonlight guiding us down the streets to the outside of this lowly town. With proof of the prime minister selling the townspeople’s daughters into slavery under pretense of “Sending them to another nunnery where god needs them most.” We will be able to strip him of his title and see him punished for his actions.
As we entered the carriage the first thing that I noticed was the strong smell of liquor, and the musk of sex. And what have you been doing while I worked? I shot at my master.
Simply leading the everyday illusion of being noble, Keeping anyone from suspecting you of being a thief! And not just another manservant. He waved his hand at me reminding me of what would happen if he was found out.
The king would reprimand him for treason. And while he was in fact the one selling information to the enemy he always “Forgot” to include certain details that allowed our kingdom to win every battle in the last eight years.
To every noble friend my master has I am a simple manservant in his home. Cleaning and cooking mainly, which has enabled me to learn a wide variety of poisons and cures in the last 10 years.
At times my master will have me drug the food to make the guest easier to bargain with. And yes, poison the wine with a sleeping venom. So he would not have to deal with them at all.
As we rode away from the town I stared at the coin I had kept hidden in a pocket of my blue satin tunic.
Noticing the torn breast cloth I realized I would have to replace the entire shirt. I palmed the coin as I pulled my hood down allowing my white/gray hair to poof out. I wasn’t a bad looking man, With my hair sticking out like I had just gotten out of bed. My grey eyes adorned my pale skin. Though I felt like gutter trash at the moment.
My buckles were broke on my boots, and the leather shoulder straps I wore were scuffed by the cobblestone I was tossed onto.
I would also need new gloves for these were cut through in the palms. I was quite the mess.
I fingered the coin I held in my hand as I thought back on that day 10 years ago.
Back in Ruttin Hollow.
We were young and foolish then. Laughing about our friend nearly drowning.
We asked him why he got stuck in the first place and he looked at us with embarrassment.
I saw something. He said, and he opened his hand. In it sat a somewhat large coin with a face we could not recognize. But we did recognize the metal. The coin was made of solid gold!
In Ruttin Hollow only noble travelers carried coins of gold. The town itself only dealt in coppers, so we knew immediately we had made it rich.
I want you to have it. Dwuin said with kind eyes. I wouldn’t even be able to spend it if you didn’t jump in after me.
I looked at him and then at Waine, who said. Yeah I wasn’t crazy enough to do it, so you should be the one who takes it.
Just remember I pulled the rope so at least buy me some good shoes or something! And with that we all cracked up.
Wow! Sierra stated as she circled me looking at the coin. That must be worth at least 20 coppers huh?
Guess again! Waine Retorted. A silver coin is worth 50 coppers and a gold coin is worth 50 silvers! And that is just a normal gold coin! This one is different, it has a different face on it than the king of Kanta! No telling how much this one is actually worth! It could be worth more than 50 gold coins! We would all be set for our entire lives!
Yeah, I cut him off. Or it could be worthless.
No, he said. The gold it’s made of would be worth something at least. And with that we turned and looked to the sky.
The sun had begun to set. If nothing else we could probably be able to move away from this village. Go somewhere worth being like the city of Kanta. Waine whispered. Then we could be knighted.
Yeah right! Dwuin retorted. You are the only one who would be knighted. Me and Shard can’t even touch you in swordplay!
Yeah but you both have great qualities that I don’t have Waine said. You are far sneakier than either of us and can slip away from anything. And I heard there are knights that do that kind of stuff too in Kanta.
And Shard is the bravest person I know. He’d lay his life on the line for anyone he knows and wouldn’t think twice.
And what about me? Sierra pouted.
Girls can’t be knights! Waine insulted.
Uh-huh Sierra retorted. There’s no reason why not!
Maybe your right, Waine said. We’ll force them to let you become a knight how does that sound?
Yay, Sierra Squealed.
But for now we need to get home its getting dark and our parents will worry.
And with that we turned and went home.