I was, and still am I guess, a very naive individual. When I ran out of the tavern, I think I actually expected him to be right in the middle of the street hopping along a few paces ahead of me. When I saw he wasn't there, I thought better and realized that he must be in the shadows, creeping along unseen. What was strange, was that as soon as I thought that, I knew where he was. I couldn't see him, but I could feel him. I'd had some experiences like that as a child. My friends found it hard to sneak up on me because I would just sense that there was someone coming closer to me, but I hadn't thought about that in years. Now I realized that I could, and most definitely should keep to the shadows myself and follow him by feel as best I could. It was a strange sensation to be following my gut in this manner. It was the first sense of true peace that I had known. I was used to dealing with words and thoughts and teachings. But thoughts didn't matter here. I was also getting something of a thrill, following a professional thief undetected. This, however, was shortlived, as I saw where this thief was going.

I wasn't sure why, but the thief had gone into the walled off section of the city. He had stopped, not too far from the entrance to some sort of tavern, waiting for a couple of Hammers to pass by before he risked moving any farther. What were Hammers doing here? The feeling of dread returned to me. I knew right then that was the exact spot he shouldn't be in. Soon two drunks yelling at each other were being hauled out of the tavern, I guess for rabble rousing. At any rate, they were cursing each other for getting the other kicked out, and the Hammers started approaching to intervene, when one of them punched the other for all he was worth... and knocked him straight into the hiding thief! He couldn't avoid the two hundred pounds of unconscious drunk and keep out of sight. He wound up getting knocked straight into the light in plain view of the two Hammers.

"Well, what have we here?" one of them smirked to the other.

The thief tried to bolt, but a swift, very strong hammer blow to the back knocked him down, then the two of them delivered a few kicks to his stomach and sides to keep him down.

"Thou shalt not escape thy fate! We don't know what thy business is, but we shall find out, rogue. Come, brother. Let us take our catch where he belongs."

They each grabbed an arm and started dragging him down the street, meanwhile interrogating him. Occasionally he would answer them. I wasn't close enough to hear what he said, but they would stop and kick him a bit more, "for speaking such heresy. Thou shalt learn thine error or die trying."

Now, I had absolutely no idea as to what I should have done. The man my master wanted to employ was now caught... with the note! The note was still in his belt! I looked around and noticed that his blackjack had gotten knocked loose and was lying on the ground. I went over and picked it up. I still don't think I honestly believed that I was about to go and tackle a pair of Hammers armed only with a blackjack, but all I knew was that if the Hammers read the contents of that letter, it would mean the end of my master, and I couldn't let that happen. So I moved quickly but discreetly back to follow them. I caught up with them rather easily. Apparently they hadn't knocked enough of the heresy out of him, so the trip was a rather slow one. I followed them for some time, trying to think of when to strike... I couldn't... they'd beat me too... and still get my master! No! My mind was racing out of control, it was all I could do to not panic completely, until... for a brief moment, the thoughts disappeared. I swear it was the rhythm of their footsteps. Somehow I could hear them so perfectly clear hitting against the cobblestone. From there, the sense of clarity grew, my eyesight was so much clearer. No trace of worry was in my mind, only the sensations around me; the sounds, the lights, the shadows, the feel of my clothes, the weight of the blackjack in my hand, my muscles as I crept silently along with them, it seemed as if everything was happening at half speed. Slowly I blinked my eyes and drew a deep breath...

I came out behind one before I could even think about what I was doing, and cracked him good on the back of the head. He fell quickly and the other looked to see what had happened, and got a crack himself, only he didn't fall! He was stunned and seemed like he was shaking it off, so I hit him again, but he didn't go down, but he didn't yell either. So just kept hitting and hitting him as the panic suddenly returned. Why wouldn't this one go down?! He fell to the ground, lifting his hand above his head to block my swinging. Quickly, I grabbed his hammer and swung it upwards towards his head in one motion. He had time for only a short, muffled shout before the sickening crunch of the hammer cracking the side of his skull. His head turned violently sideways with the blow as his body went limp, collapsing on the ground. I could see blood coming out from under his headgear. I... I had killed him! I threw the hammer to the ground and sunk to my knees shaking terribly. Then the thief looked over at me, I guess expecting to see one of his associates. He looked at me, amazed.

"You?"

"What?" I said, a bit louder than I had meant to. The trembling was getting near violent now.

"You just took those bastards down?"

"Yes. The note. I... couldn't.... I couldn't let... let them get it."

"But... wait... we'll talk, but... not here." he said, straining to get up, wincing with pain. "Help... me..."

"Where are we going?" again, I almost shouted.

"Shhhhhh! I'll guide you... please, just... help me walk..."

I collected my nerves as best I could. "Yes... must help him. Calm down... worry later... help him... " I thought to myself. I went over to him and helped him up. At first I almost dropped him back onto the street, but slowly my hands and limbs steadied themselves. Walking close to him, I could faintly detect the smell of blood on his breath... this didn't look good. I helped hold him up as he guided me through the shadows to where he lived. It wasn't too far from the walled section, but by the time we got there I was as ready to collapse as he was. I was never that strong, and I had to practically carry him most of way. Eventually we went in and I laid him in his bed and got him some water and rags for his wounds.

"Ah!" he said, waving his hands, "don't even bother, boy. Just tell me... you took down those Hammers? How?" His voice was going ragged. The hammer blow must have injured his lungs, one could almost hear the blood seeping into them with each breath. Eventually he'd drown.

I threw the rags in the bowl as I pulled up a chair beside his bed. My nerves were going again. I covered my face with my hands, but then the sight of the Hammer with the side of his head caved in came back to me. I jerked my hands away, collected my thoughts... "I knew, the instant I saw you that something wasn't right. At first I wondered if you were the right man, but I trusted you were." I paused, looking for something to drink. I was getting terribly thirsty, my palms were sweating... I didn't see anything. Then I remembered a man who was dying wanted me to explain myself. "Again, I just kept feeling funny, and when you left, the feeling rose to... to... sheer dread. So I followed you. I didn't even think about anything else. Just about the same thing happened with the Hammers. I found your blackjack and before I even knew what I was doing I cracked the one, and then panicked when the other didn't fall."

"He didn't fall!" I thought to myself. The shaking returned as these words kept echoing in my mind. Everything started spinning. I winced, and the image of the dead Hammer returned to me, only I couldn't open my eyes. It felt as if I were drowning and couldn't find my way to the surface. I was suddenly brought back to reality by the thief's coughing.

"Hehehe... and I thought you were just being a squeamish scholar boy. You had that sense did you? Well... I guess the message to your master has changed... I... *hack* *hack* can't... do the job... due to... *hack* a previous engagement... with the Creator. Go. Let me die in peace. Take the jack, and just about anything else worthwhile you find. I won't need it."

"But... you want to die here? What about your... body? I'm sorry... that sounds... rather, umm... grotesque."

"Ha! *hack* Your master's teaching you them big words, huh? Well, I pay my landlord enough. He can haul my dead ass out of here and after that, it don't matter. Just go. Take what you like and leave. I'm sorry, kid."

"About what?"

"You're one of us now. How many bookworms... you think have killed a Hammer? Or anyone else for that matter? Nah, *hack* you're too good at hiding, hell I didn't see you, and too... damn... smart. You're going to... wind up... just like your master."

"What do you mean?" I asked. I had never thought that Lord Tahnit could have anything in common with this rogue.

"Didn't I tell you to take what you like and scram? Do it or I'll... get up... *hack* and bleed on you *hack*" he said, trying to sit up somewhat. Blood drooled out of his mouth as he sat momentarily before collapsing back into the bed, trying to stifle a cry of pain as he landed.

There wasn't a whole lot in the room, as I had looked before. It seems that he was referring to what was on his person. I felt quite self conscious picking stuff off of a dying man, but it was his dying wish, so I did it. I remembered the note then, and grabbed that as well. He was smelling even stronger of blood. I could feel the bile rising in my throat, and my vision was getting dim... I stopped and put my head between my knees, trying to stay conscious.

"Did you get the new lockpicks? There's some I just bought today... *hack*... never got to use them..." His voice was almost incomprehensible there was so much fluid in his lungs and throat. Every hack would send blood flying down onto his broken body.

I didn't want to leave him, but it was the second part of his dying wish, so I obeyed that too. I could hear him starting to choke as I came away from his door. The sound made me nauseous again, so I hurried away. I wanted to find a dark corner somewhere and cry. But I couldn't trust any shadow, no matter how dark, to hide me in my present state, so I gathered what will I had and started to head home. Just as I was getting to the center of town, I heard the yelling of Hammers... they were starting a search party! Tears rose in my eyes, and sheer animal panic came over me. Any street that looked deserted I bolted down, regardless of the lights. My legs were becoming wobbly as I came around and saw Lord Tahnit's manor. Just then it occurred to me that the guards there didn't see me leave, and here I was coming to my own house sneaking in shadows with full thief's gear on my person! So I painfully managed to sneak by them to where I could throw off my hood and do a bit more to hide the items I had inherited. Again, I just wanted to collapse... but then I'd still be found. The entire world for me was thrown into confusion, as I had to sneak around through the same halls I had walked earlier that day with complete security.

Lord Tahnit was pacing his chambers when I returned. Apparently, I was quite late and he was getting worried. He knew something had gone wrong when he saw the shaken, wide-eyed look on my face.

"Oh no... tell me, what happened? Where were you?" he said.

"A drink! I need a drink! Get me brandy and I'll tell you about my evening!" I shouted, the tears starting to come down my face. How it happened that out of all the emotions I had gone through so far that night, anger was not one of them until I saw my revered lord. Even then it struck me as odd, but I didn't want to think about it.

"Okay, okay, calm down. Don't shout. The note, did someone get the note?"

I pulled the note out of my belt, it was spattered with the thief's blood. "Here's your note!" I said as I tossed it to him.

A strange look that seemed to combine a sense of relief, terror and confusion crossed his face as he held and looked at it. He then remembered my request, hurriedly threw it down and said "Brandy, yes. I think we both could use some!" He over to a table near his desk. I collapsed in a chair by the fireplace, near where I had come in. I could hear the sound of him pouring as I stared at the ceiling. Then the ceiling became dark and blurry. I could faintly hear his footsteps. Then the sound of the Hammer's head cracking came back to me as I snapped back from dozing. He was standing over me, galss in hand. I accepted it, and quickly took a sip. I could feel my nerves unwind as the warmth poured into me. He sat across from me, elbows on his knees.

"Now tell me, please, what on earth happened?"