Page 11 of By the Horns
“Then…a guild master?” I suggest.
“More likely one of the repeaters. Or several of the repeaters. Or even an archivist.”
“An archivist wouldn’t,” Hawk growls. “We’ve discussed this.”
Rooster focuses that pinched look on Hawk. “We are not ruling out possibilities—”
“Not an archivist,” Hawk says again, voice deadly.
“I think Hawk is right.” I decide to speak up before Hawk jumps over the guild leader’s desk to throttle him. “You know how they are. They’d rather study things than sell them. They don’t even like the holders having the artifacts instead of them.”
Rooster purses his lips, but after a moment, nods. “You are both correct. My apologies.”
At my side, Hawk relaxes into his seat again, his wife’s reputation (and that of the other archivists) secure.
“Whoever it is,” Rooster continues, “we feel they are working with some of the repeaters. Two of the repeaters have been murdered lately, their throats cut, and it seems like a warning of some sort.”
“Either that, or they’re of no further use to whoever was utilizing them to get the artifacts out.” Hawk gestures with a spread hand. “Dead people don’t talk, after all.”
They both regard me with somber expressions as if waiting for something. “Sounds frustrating, but I’m still not sure what it has to do with me.”
Hawk continues. “What we’ve told you cannot leave the room. Onlythe three of us know that this is being investigated. We’ve spread the word that the deaths of the two repeaters were related to robbery. Others in the guild know that there have been artifacts disappearing, but we’ve told the head archivist that he’s to tell anyone who asks that it was shoddy bookkeeping and the items were misplaced.”
“…And? How do I play into this?” I’m still not entirely certain what this has to do with me, but the more Hawk tells me of the plan, the more I suspect it’s not going to be something I like. That once again, Taurians are picking up the slack for the rest of the guild. I’m probably going to have to bust some heads on their behalf, get information from whoever I can. Something physical. That’s usually what we Taurians are brought in for.
The two exchange another look. Rooster purses his lips again before speaking. “We’re going to demote you.”
“The muck you are,” I growl, getting to my feet. A demotion is a grave insult. It means being stripped of my status and my ability to make coin on the finds assigned to my name. My sash will be removed, and I’ll be shoved into the repeater ranks until some guild master takes a chance on me…and that won’t be likely considering that they’ll wonderwhyI’ve been demoted.
“Lord Nostrum’s team—or rather, what was left of it after your accident—has been expelled. Their carelessness cost one man his life and ruined several valuable artifacts in the process. You have no team to return to.” Rooster looks down his nose at me. “And it’s common knowledge that you haven’t a pristine record behind you.”
I flinch at his words. Even if it’s just Lord Nostrum, I don’t like that my team has been destroyed. Some of those men were friends. Some were fools, but even fools don’t deserve to lose their lives. To make matters worse, it seems they know my dirty secret. I wasn’t aware anyone knew I’d been taking a little off the top. They’re right. The scars around my eyes itch and feel tight, and I swear I can still feel the sting of the burn from the fireball that blasted me in the face.
“The fact that we’ve expelled the others and have kept you will be a sign in your favor,” Hawk says. “You’re strong and fit and you know what you’re doing. Another master will pick you up, if only to ensure that you carry his team into passing.”
“Another master…but not you?” I eye my friend.
“I’m going to be taking a class of repeaters,” he says. “And I’m going to be watching them closely to see what I can find out. We’re trying to keep this as quiet as possible, so I’d prefer you don’t know who. And we’d like to put you in a nest with another group. Befriend them. Take them out for drinks. Encourage them to confide in you. And tell us what you find out.”
Ugh. I can’t believe what I’m hearing, but when I eye Hawk, his expression is just as serious as Rooster’s. “How am I supposed to make coin while all this is going on? I can’t just not make money for a year while I play with the fledglings.”
“You’ll be compensated.”
“I’d better be.” I don’t work for free. That’s just stupid. “How much?”
“You’ll be paid enough. It’s either that or you leave the guild entirely,” Rooster says, and there’s a thread of steel in his voice. “Lord Nostrum has released his team. You have no employer. You have been stripped of your rank. You can take our offer, or you can leave Vastwarren and take your chances with other employment.”
What other employment does he think I’m going to get? For Taurians, it’s farming, farming, and more farming. And if we’re not cut out to be farmers, we can be…what? Sailors? Work in a mine? So I can scramble for whatever pittance I can eke out for the rest of my life? Or work in the temple back home, spending most of every day in prayer and giving up all my worldly possessions?
To the muck with all that.
Teeth gritted, I glare at Hawk for getting me into this mess. “Just for the record, I hate this idea.”
Rooster sniffs, every bit the haughty guild leader. “Just for the record, I don’t care.”
“Just for the record,” Hawk adds, his tone placating, “you’re the perfect one for this sort of task. You’re good at ingratiating yourself, and the other guild masters will be fighting to get you on their fledgling team. Help us find this murderer—or murderers—and the guild will be extremely grateful. More Taurian guild masters are going to be needed in the future.”
There’s buttering someone up, and then there’s buttering someone up.“We’re going very quickly from ‘about to be kicked out of the guild’ to ‘guild master,’ aren’t we?”
