Opening the bag Willoughby had packed for him felt like opening a birthday present as a little kid. A present full of contraband designed for committing illegal acts. But still, a present.

  Raith smiled and undid the buckles.

  The bulk of the main pack was taken up by a neatly coiled rope with a grappling hook. He removed it and placed it on the floor of his bedroom, looking up guiltily at the door to make sure no one was coming in. Not that’d there were any secrets about his [Thief] class, at this point. Raith pushed away the sad thought, determined not to let it ruin his excitement.

  Beneath the rope, he found three square wooden boxes about twice the size of his hand. Raith laughed out loud as he opened the first one. The inside of the lid was labeled ‘Pepper Powder’ with a dozen pouches that were very familiar.

  The other two wooden box each contained a dozen round balls that looked like clay. They were all more or less identical, except that one set was a much lighter shade of gray. The inside of the lid with the darker gray balls was labeled ‘Smoke Bombs’, while the lighter ones were labeled ‘Flash Pellets’. Unlike the pepper powder, he had no idea how either of these worked or how much smoke they might create.

  I need to ask Willoughby about [Quests] anyway. I’ll find out how to use these while I’m there.

  He also found a bag of caltrops, a glass cutter, and a mirror on an expandable stick inside the main pouch. These were placed on the floor next to the other gear.

  Tucked into an outside pocket, he found a set of lockpicks that were fancier than he knew a lockpick could be, tipped with strange shaped bits of metal he had no idea how to use. Another pocket revealed a small kit of tools for disarming traps that he was also completely ignorant of. Retreating into his library to check his books on the topics, he got a general idea of their function but quickly grew bored and returned to exploring the gear.

  The last pouch held three lesser healing potions and an envelope which opened to reveal a plain silver ring and a note.

  ‘A small gift from me to you. The ring will vibrate when it gets near a trap. Welcome to the Guild, Journeyman Raith. -Your Friend, Wil’

  Raith smiled, touched by the unexpected and valuable gift. He would have to thank Willoughby when he stopped by the guildhall.

  Looking around at the collection of gear, he winced at the volume of items. He didn’t have room for all of this stuff, along with a bedroll, change of clothes, rations, and the rest. A low end Bag of Holding was still way out of his price range. The rope with grappling hook and mirror stick would have to stay. Hopefully he could fit the rest, but it wasn’t a sure thing. The lockpicks and potions would fit in his bandoleer pockets, along with a few of the bombs. He’d figure out the rest later.

  Time to secure a boat and find a couple [Quests].

  He decided to start with the Thieves Guild, the furthest away from home, and work his way back to finish packing and say good bye to his family. He took to the rooftops, and couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching him. It was probably just paranoia from knowing about the Order’s suspicions.

  Probably.

  [Squirrel Running] through the Butcher’s District, he saw smoke ahead. It soon became obvious there was a building fire ahead, so he made his way back down to the street. A small crowd was standing much farther back than the fire would require, and he could see that a [Water Mage] and [Fire Mage] were working in concert to burn the single building to the ground and ensure nothing else was affected.

  Raith caught an older man who was shaking his head and walking away from the crowd.

  “Hey. What’s going on here?”

  The man looked up at him with a look of fear tinged sadness.

  “Young boy had the Grins. Whole family had to be cleansed. Third one this week.”

  “Weaver’s tits, that’s awful. Are they sure it was just the one person?”

  The man nodded and hurried off with one last glance behind him. Raith shivered and decided to give the building a wide berth on his way by. A Grins outbreak in the city would be an absolute nightmare. Yet another reason to be glad to get out of here, although it made him worry for his family. He gave one last glance to the burning house.

  The upstairs of the Drunken Crow seemed to be winding down after the lunch rush, and Woeful was wiping down the counter.

  “Do you have a bed behind that bar?” Raith asked.

  “Work keeps my mind from dwelling on the past.” The stubs of his wings fluttered slightly at the statement.

  “Sorry.”

  “It is I who should apologize. Humans bond through teasing, and I have made our interaction inappropriately serious. What brings you in today, Journeyman? As a guild member, you needn’t make a purchase to ask questions.”

  Thank the Weavers. I have too much to do to start drinking.

  “Who do I ask about Guild [Quests]? I’m heading to Old Valen and would like to maximize the value of my journey.”

  “Unless you are sought out specifically by a higher-ranking guild member, [Quests] are primarily issued through me. We currently have five open [Quests] within the criteria you’ve laid out. Do you wish to view them?”

  Raith nodded, happy to hear this wasn’t a wasted trip. Woeful fished around under the counter and produced five small scrolls, which he set on to the bar.

  Two of the [Quests] involved stealing items for immediate return to Beckhaven. From the looks of one, it had already been stolen back and forth twice between two warring nobles. He absolutely didn’t want to get in the middle of that sort of nonsense.

  Another was delivering a secure message to a Guild Leader in Old Valen, which was odd but simple. He set that aside to ask about it.

  Hidden in the wildlands across the river from the city, a guild safehouse was taken over by some sort of demonic creature that needed to be cleared out.

  That sounds perfect.

  Finally, a barge going south the day after tomorrow took on a valuable package and could use some extra security. It was stopping at a smaller town a few days north of Old Valen, but it would save a lot of money while the [Quest] helped the team to level up.

  Score! I’m so glad I came here first.

  “I’ll take the barge security and the safehouse clearing. And maybe this message delivery. Why don’t they just send a courier or use a scrying mirror or something? Surely a guild leader doesn’t need to wait for someone to fill a [Quest] like this.”

  The bartender jerked his head around a couple of times before responding. Raith had been around corvids at the monastery enough to read his uncertainty in the movements.

  “You are a new member, but the guild dynamics in most cities are not like this one. Beckhaven is perhaps the wealthiest city on the continent. It is safe and clean here. Stable. We have a strong Guildmaster and there is no need for the constant spilling of blood to enjoy the spoils of our craft.”

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  Woeful jerked his head around to peer with the other eye.

  “The [Quest] you ask about involves guild politics that I do not recommend you become involved in this early in your career.”

  Raith held up a hand and leaned back.

  “Say no more, friend. I’ll just take these two. Thank you for the frank advice.”

  “You are welcome. The safehouse [Quest] is open, so if someone else completes it before you arrive the trip may be in vain.”

  “It’s not too far out of the way.”

  He pulled out a smoke bomb and flash pellet and set them on the counter. Woeful tilted his head and looked back at Raith.

  “Can you tell me how these work and what to expect when I use them?”

  “They are simply hurled against a hard surface. The smoke will fill an area about as large as this bar, although it will be less effective outdoors and disperse quickly in high winds. The flash pellets create a bright light that will momentarily blind your opponents. They work best in darkness, but will even work under the sun if someone is close enough and looking right at it. I advise you not to watch when it goes off to avoid blinding yourself.”

  Those will be extremely useful in a fight.

  “Where can I buy these if I want more?”

  “Any of our guildhalls will have them. Usually around ten gold for a box of twelve.”

  That’s way more expensive than I would have thought. Wil really did me a solid when he packed that bag.

  “Is it hard to learn how to make them?”

  “That I do not know.”

  A problem for another day. Maybe if he could find a book with the recipes he could save some money keeping stocked up on these things. He collected his two clay bombs off the counter and tucked them away.

  “Thanks, Woeful. Is Wil around?”

  “He is not here today.”

  Well shit, that is disappointing.

  “Alright, well please tell him I said thank you for everything. I’ll stop by and see you guys next time I’m back in town.”

  “Wind’s blessing on your travels, Journeyman.”

  Vandamir’s shop was next on the list. The old gnome was shelving a new batch of books on the display shelves, with Crinkle running around underfoot ‘helping’.

  “Anything good?” Raith asked as the chime marked his entrance.

  A thoughtful smile played over the bookkeeper’s craggy face as he considered the question.

  “Mostly things that have passed through here before. You may not have read this volume on the history of the merdragon banking empire.”

  The gnome selected a rather large book from his pile and held it out. Raith held up a hand and shook his head.

  “No thanks. Doesn’t sound like my cup of tea.”

  Vandamir shrugged and carefully placed the book on the shelf between two tomes that had no obvious relationship to the content. Before he died, Raith vowed to decipher the man’s cataloging system.

  “Then tell me, Mr. Quirric. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?”

  “I will be leaving for Old Valen soon as part on an adventuring team.”

  The bookkeeper paused, arm outstretched in the midst of placing another tome. A long moment of stillness ended in a deep sigh. He resumed shelving the book and turned to face Raith. Crinkle scrambled up the gnome’s loose clothing and stood on his shoulder, leaning in close as though sensing something was wrong with its master.

  “I see.” Vandimir cleared his throat and bustled over to the tea pot. “Do you have time to sit for a moment and share a cup of tea?”

  Raith smiled as he took a seat in his favorite chair.

  “I’d like that very much, sir.”

  Hours passed in companionable reminiscence that ranged from joyful recollections of their favorite tales, to the rarest tomes, and occasionally to sadness. In the quiet comfort of this shop, his second home, it occurred to Raith that there was much he would miss in this city. Looking at Vandamir’s wry smile as he teased about another embarrassing episode of Raith’s youth, he felt the first pangs of what he will soon lose with the leaving.

  “I’m sorry I haven’t said this more often, sir, but I’m very grateful for all you’ve done for me.”

  The old gnome took a puff on his pipe.

  “It was never any trouble. You’re a good lad, even though you’ve decided to run off and become an adventurer. I hope you will still allow me to be your sponsor into the Guild Of Letters.”

  “It would be an honor, sir.”

  “Then it’s settled. I can’t very well send you on guild [Quest] unless you’re a member, can I?”

  Raith leaned forward.

  “A [Quest]?”

  “Nothing fancy. There is actually very little of that sort of thing in our guild. We’re more of a cooperative, really. But if you’re headed south I’ve a delivery for another guild member. Wait here a moment.”

  Vandamir went back into the workshop and returned with a pair of scrolls.

  “These need to be returned to Dester at the Book Nook in Old Valen. Been meaning to get a courier for months and never quite get around to it. If you were headed north, I’d have a dozen more deliveries for you.” He handed Raith the scrolls. “Be careful with those. They cost a fortune. Actually, now that I’m thinking about it, hold on.”

  He bustled back to the workshop and came out with a metal scroll case big enough to fit both scrolls.

  “Here. This is enchanted to be water and fireproof. Don’t leave it with that penny pinching Dester. If he wants one, he can buy his own. You keep it and use it for guild duties.”

  Raith thanked Vandimir and said his goodbyes, surprised by a hug on the way out the door. He found himself brushing away a tear as he walked home, deciding not to hurry with what would be the last time he would travel this familiar route for a long, long while.

  If saying goodbye to Vandimir was emotional, then the last evening with his family was downright histrionic.

  “All my babies are leaving at the same time,” his mother sobbed at dinner. “Raith and Nyhm are going off to the Weavers only know where little Derry is leaving for the military academy next month, and Leah will be getting her own apartment any day now.”

  Derry winced at being called ‘little’, but knew better than to argue with her in this state. She put a hand on Raith’s arm.

  “You two need to visit your grandfather before heading to Old Valen. It’s only a few days out of your way.”

  It was more like a week, and he didn’t want to drag his entire team to the monastery just to say hi. But much like Derry, he knew better than to say that out loud right now.

  “Speaking of Raith and Nyhm,” his dad said, valiantly trying to change the subject. “If everyone is done eating, we have some going away presents for you two.”

  This reminder that they were leaving did not help their mother’s emotional state. She broke down even further. Their dad ran upstairs and came back down with a cloth sack. The first thing he pulled out was a finely crafted pouch bandoleer that Raith recognized instantly.

  It was the very one he had tried to model his own after.

  “Uncle Merin’s Bandoleer of Many Pouches.”

  Raith took it reverently from his father. Each of the seven small pouches contained an extradimensional space that would hold many times their normal volume. A satchel hung at the bottom, with a much larger capacity than the smaller ones. It was an extraordinarily valuable item that would make his adventuring career so much easier.

  Now I won’t have to leave any of that gear behind.

  “He wanted you to have it,” his dad said, then turned to Nyhm. “And he left this ring for you.”

  Nyhm looked too shocked to respond, just staring at the offered item,

  “Go on, take it. It’s a Ring of Surround Sight. Merin said that thing saved his hide on more occasions than he could count, and he left it for you, Nyhm.”

  The elfling hesitantly took the jewelry, then held it out to Raith.

  “You should have it.”

  Raith held up a hand and leaned away.

  “No way. Uncle Merin wanted you to have that. It’s yours.”

  Nyhm put it on, and the magical item adjusted to his finger. He wavered in his seat and blinked his eyes rapidly as he adjusted to the new sensations.

  “That is really weird. I can see behind me.”

  Their mother patted Nyhm’s arm.

  “Use it to stay safe, sweetheart.”

  His father pulled out a coil of reddish brown rope a little thinner than his pinky finger and handed it to Raith.

  “You’re not likely to find any rope darts lying around in a dungeon, so your mother and I got you this. You’ll need to use your old dart until you can commission a replacement, but the rope should serve you for a long time.”

  Raith examined the rope, finding it shockingly light for its length.

  “What is this made of?”

  “It’s a blend of specialty fabrics,” his mother said. “Ashen sheep wool makes it fireproof, ironbark for strength, cloudsilk for lightness, and the new verdant keraga lets it self repair when damaged.”

  This must have cost a fortune.

  Raith met his dad’s eyes, knowing what it meant for him to give a gift in support of this weapon. His dad gave a nod, and Raith jumped up and gave both his parents a hug.

  “Thank you guys, this is awesome.”

  “You’re welcome, honey,” his mom said. “Last but not least, we got you a Blur Belt, Nyhm.”

  Their dad pulled this last item out of the sack and handed it to the elfling. Beautiful scrolling of decorated the dark brown leather.

  “It helps protect from missile attacks by making you appear blurry from a distance so they have a much greater chance to miss.”

  “You guys can’t afford this,” Nyhm said, pushing the belt back.

  “Normally you’d be right, but Merin helped with this, too. We’re his only living family and he’d saved up quite a bit of gold. It’s ok, take it.”

  “I made you something, too,” Leah said abruptly. She looked down and blushed, but pulled out two bracelets and handed one to each of them.

  “I call them the Adventurer’s Friend. They’re enchanted to keep you dry in the rain, a little cooler when it’s hot and a little warmer when it’s cold. It won’t stop you from freezing in a winter storm, but they’ll keep you comfortable most of the time. They also have a bug repellent enchantment to keep the ticks and mosquitoes away.”

  “You’re amazing, sis.”

  “Agreed. I am very grateful, Leah.”

  “Don’t mention it,” she said, waving them away.

  Raith looked over to see Derry looking chagrined.

  “Hey, you ok little brother?”

  Derry met his eyes with a pained look.

  “I didn’t get you guys anything.”

  “You didn’t have to. We’re just glad you’re here.”

  “That’s exactly right,” Nyhm agreed, and looked around the table at his family. “I’m glad all of you are here.”

  And that’s when their mom starting sobbing again.