A Good Deal With a Thief

Sir Keldorn and Anomen stood between Renai and the path to the Shadow Theives' den like a great tin wall of righteousness.

"For the last time," Renai moaned, burying her face in her hands, "it's all about the money. Money, and that's it, I swear. I'm not applying for membership, I'm not turning to the dark side or whatever. I just want the gold."

"With gold lies the pathway to evil," Sir Keldorn intoned, giving Renai such a stern look that she felt compelled to go to her room without her supper. "If you are willing to relax your principles for payment, what else will you find that you are willing to do? No, I'm afraid I cannot allow it."

Renai crossed her arms to keep from pulling out her hair in frustration. "It's the love of gold that's a road to evil, not gold itself. So sayeth the wise Alaundo." She couldn't keep the sarcasm out of her voice. As if being the living embodiment of one of Alaundo's prophecies wasn't bad enough, as a child she had been made to learn her letters by reading his. Both were more than enough to make a girl bitter.

Sir Keldorn shook his grey head. "That is not the point. Less questionable employment can easily be found in the City of Coin for one who searches for it."

"The Temple of Helm does have other work for us, my lady," Anomen piped up. "We have already taken the liberty of speaking with High Watcher Oisig. The temple wants our assistance in commissioning the services of an artist to create a work for the temple."

Renai rolled her eyes, earning frowns both men. Beside her, Jaheira snorted. "Temples, bah," the druid said. "For eliminating a cult and slaying a beholder as large as a noble's ego, your temple's reward even I found lacking."

The muley look that had been absent from Anomen's face lately returned. "Helm's favor is a greater reward than gold," he said.

"Then tell Helm to rescue Imoen! If he will not, then we still are in dire need of coin. Not only must we pay Gaelan Bayle's fee, we must acquire weapons and armor, for we cannot face Irenicus with such trash as this." Jaheira rattled the cheap scimitar in its battered sheathe.

Anomen flushed but had the sense not to reply, Renai noted with amusement. After all, since joining her party, the priest of Helm had acquired new armor, the Flail of the Ages and guantlets of dexterity, as well as a helm of charm protection.

Sir Keldorn fixed his iron glare onto Jaheira. "I am certain the Order will be more than willing to provide whatever help you need in any way."

"I fear the cost of such an arrangement," she replied. "I prefer prices to be told immediately and then paid in gold."

The old paladin reddened. "You are misinformed about the Order's intentions, Lady Jaheira. Quite sorely."

"And you are creating a sore place on my --" The end of Jahiera's sentence was derailed by Renai's hard shove.

"Look," Renai said quickly, "just let me go down there so I can talk to the guy, all right? What's the harm in that?"

"Much." Sir Keldorn tightened his lips and put his hands on the pommel of his greatsword sheathed at his side. "I'm sorry, young woman, but I cannot grant you my permission for this endeavor."

I wasn't asking for it! Renai would have shouted if Jahiera hadn't grabbed her shoulder and yanked her out of her way. Uncertainty played across Sir Keldorn's face as the druid marched upon him.

"You forget, Tormite, that you accompany Renai through her desire, not yours. And she has no need of another moral guardian," Jaheira said.

"It was to her that I was speaking." Sir Keldorn's voice rose. "And if you would calm your temper, you would see that our goals are similar. Renai's well-being, both physical and moral, is paramount for us both."

"Except that you wish for her to follow only your Order's morals. I only wish for her to follow her own heart -- which, of course, beats in rhythm with my own."

Renai sighed. Oh man, we're going to have to have that talk again. She looked toward the bright-orange building that Yoshimo claimed housed the Shadow Thieves, then back at the group. So caught up were they in their argument about her, they had actually forgotten her, she realized. Even Anomen had joined in the fray; Jaheira was pounding on his chest with her finger in time to her cutting insults.

To the Abyss with them, she thought, slowly stepping into the crowd and letting it carry her into the district. Yoshimo and I can be in and out of there by the time they remember what they're here for.

As if on cue, the Kozakuran bounty hunter appeared at her side. Renai slapped him lightly on the shoulder. "Just where have you been, you big coward?"

"Elsewhere. Why, were you in need of me?" His expression was so falsely innocent that Renai couldn't help but laugh. He nodded toward the garish thieves' den. "So. What do you think?"

Renai studied it. "I have to admit, I'm surprised it isn't, um, shadier-looking. The thieves' guildhall in Baldur's Gate wasn't nearly as friendly."

"When you are one of the gears that turn the world, you need not hide. Athkatla is a very good place to be a thief." Yoshimo's chuckle rang hollowly in Renai's ears. Although his tone was light, his brown eyes showed something she had never seen in them before: worry.

When Renai touched his arm, he almost jumped. "What's wrong?"

Yoshimo took Renai's hand and squeezed it. "It is nothing. Only that I have put off this matter too long." He released her. "If I might ask, what did you tell the others of this?"

"I only said you set it up. I mean, you haven't really told me anything more anyway."

"I have not, and I am sorry." The bounty hunter grimaced suddenly, but before Renai could react, his face smoothed. His rueful grin stoked the anxiety in Renai's belly more than it reassured her. "Do not look so frightened, meian, " he said, tweaking her nose between his fingers. "Bloodscalp is not nearly as infamous as I have made him seem."

Renai batted his hand away from her face and turned before he could see the dismay on her face. I was right, he thinks of me as a child. He doesn't want me anymore. I missed my chance ... But she pushed the self-pitying thoughts away and instead stood on her toes to look over the crowd for Jaheira and Sir Keldorn.

Yoshimo followed her gaze, and his grin became a bit more authentic. "They do not look as if they will finish soon." Anomen was now holding Jaheira's arms to keep her away from Sir Keldorn.

"You did say Bloodscalp only wanted me," Renai laughed. "C'mon, let them wonder."

"It is as you say." Yoshimo put his hand on Renai's back to guide her to the guildhall. Worry still danced in his eyes, but when he caught her gaze, the emotion disappeared. He hides what he feels so well, she thought, I wonder if anything I do see is true, or is it only what he wants me to see?

She followed Yoshimo into the dimly lit building, keeping her eyes on his back and her anxieties heightened. Even though none of the thieves within seemed to give her a second glance, Renai still felt the scrutiny of a dozen pairs of eyes as she and Yoshimo went to the back of the room and ascended a shadowy staircase to the rooms above.

They emerged from the stairs into an dark, airy room. Crates and boxes, rolls of fabric and chests of all shapes and sizes lined the walls to the ceiling. And at the heart of an alcove formed by the piles of rich booty lounged a man in dark leathers who could only be Renal Bloodscalp.

"Ah, my dear Yoshi, how good it is to see you," the man called out at their approach. Harsh laughs echoed through the room from throats Renai could not see, making the hair of the back of her neck stand up. "I was just beginning to become concerned."

Yoshimo sketched a small bow. "You need not have worried so, sire. Yoshimo is here as promised. Although it flatters me to know that my peers are so interested in my welfare."

Bloodscalp clucked his tongue. "'Peers'? That implies that we are equals, Yoshi. I promise you, we are not."

"Yoshimo, please, sire. Ah ... " Yoshimo hesitated, and Renai saw tiny beads of perspiration forming above his lip. "Where I am from, to call me by such pet name would imply ... well, let us just say that our relationship is not as familiar as that."

The never-before seen deference in Yoshimo's demeanor made Renai itch with nervousness. She could not keep from squirming when Bloodscalp's malachite eyes fastened on her. "I'll call you anything you wish, since you've finally decided to fulfill your obligations." He cut his gaze back to Yoshimo. "I am surprised. You did not do as well with the last woman I sent you for."

"The circumstances then were ... not optimal, sire."

"I'm sure they were not." Bloodscalp sauntered toward them, a languid fluidity in his walk making him more a predator than a man. "But that is a conversation for another time. I am sure that, by now, you understand why we frown upon independent operators in our territory."

"Implicitly, sire. But I believe that ..."

Bloodscalp cut him off. "Leave us." Around them, Renai saw six men melt from the shadows and skulk toward the door. She watched them pass her, but their faces, as hard and grim as weathered stone, told her nothing. "That includes you as well, Yoshimo," Bloodscalp continued. When Renai's eyes met Yoshimo's, she saw that the worry she had spotted within them before had been replaced by a measure of fear.

Yoshimo stood behind Renai and put his hands on her shoulders, his thumbs caressing the skin where her spine began. "Surely, sire, I may be permitted to remain, if only to ..."

"You have brought us your bounty, hunter," Bloodscalp said evenly. Renai glanced up at Yoshimo; he did not look at her but shook his head slightly. "Be glad that this one is worth more than the one you did not. Leave."

Yoshimo held the Shadow Thief's gaze for a moment before turning to Renai. "I will be outside the door if you need me." As he pulled away, the back of his hand gently traced the indelible silver scar on her jaw. And then he was gone.

"Well, well." Bloodscalp's slightly mocking tone brought Renai's attention back to him. "I must admit, from what I've been told, I was expecting something ... grander."

Renai swallowed her anxiety and met his dark stare with her own. She could not begin to guess Bloodscalp's age, for although wings of white marred his dark red hair at the temples, his body was as lean and spare as a boy's. Lines around his eyes and mouth mapped out a lifetime of stealth and suspicion. He made her think of the hard leather of a riding crop.

"I must admit," she said, finally finding her voice, "so was I. You're not what I imagined the leader of the Shadow Thieves to be."

"Then it's fortunate that I am not the leader of the Shadow Thieves. I only lead this guild. But with a name like Bloodscalp, one does tend to build up a reputation."

I am a Child of Murder; he's just a thief. Between us, who should be the most afraid? Still me, dammit. I didn't earn my name, but I bet he earned his. "You should pay your bards more to stoke that reputation," Renai said defiantly. "I've never actually heard of you."

Bloodscalp laughed. "Ravenscar said you had spirit."

The name of the thieves' guildmaster of Baldur's Gate startled her more than Bloodscalp's laugh. "Really," she replied. "I hadn't realized Ravenscar had been watching me that closely."

It had been through Imoen that Renai had become acquainted with the thieves of Baldur's Gate. Even though Renai hadn't known any thieves' trades, her skill with the bow and willingness to work in the shadows brought her steady contracts, access to some of the guild's secrets and many friendships. The thieves' earthy pragmatism had given Renai's nights a blessed contrast to her days with the Gate's stuffy nobles. They were the only thing Renai actually missed about Baldur's Gate.

"He had many, many good things to report on your character." Bloodscalp's voice brought her mind back to the present. He bowed and took her hand as if to kiss it. "How glad I am to finally meet you, child of light and darkness."

Renai snatched her hand away from his lips. Gods, is there anyone in Faerun who doesn't know by now? "What do you want from me?" she demanded.

"Straight to the point, I appreciate that. I grow so weary of hirelings who do nothing but shuffle their feet. Quite refreshing."

Renai shook her head. "Whatever debt Yoshimo owes you, tell me and I'll pay it. But stop playing with me. I don't like it."

"You would pay it? Do you know what he owes us?"

"Doesn't matter. I'll pay it. I don't let my friends hang."

Some of the patronizing smugness faded from Bloodscalp's expression. "It surprises me whenever anyone lives up to their reputation so exactly. I am hardly ever surprised." He smiled, then turned toward the alcove.

Renai followed him. "Can we get the the point?"

Bloodscalp laughed again as he sat atop the crate. "Ah yes, the details. They're simple enough. I want you to work for me."

He gestured for Renai to sit on the rolled-up rug at his feet, but she ignored it. "That all depends on what you want. If you've spoken to Ravenscar, then you know I'm not a thief."

"That is precisely why I want you." Bloodscalp propped his elbows onto his knees and leaned toward her. "I need someone of certain skills unknown to Athkatla's thieves. And I want someone who would work in the shadows as well as the sun, someone I can trust. Someone like yourself."

Renai arched her eyebrow at him. "What makes you think I'm trustworthy?"

"You are a woman of honor, Ravenscar made that clear. Your own activities in Athkatla have proven as much as well. If I placed you behind me, I would not fear a dagger in my back."

"I don't trust you."

"That's not a requirement and not unexpected. But you may change your mind. You may come to find my honesty a refreshing change to the kinds you'll find in the temples."

Thank the gods I left Sir Keldorn and Anomen behind. They'd have me trussed up and carried out of here before I could answer, Renai thought, biting her lip as she studied him. Bloodscalp's face was as open as a schoolgirl's, as if he had nothing to hide from her. And perhaps he did not. "What's the job?"

A slow, confidant smile spread across Bloodscalp's face. "One of the guilds to the south is run by a rather ambitious fellow named Mae'Var. I believe he seeks to take my place, but I've no proof. I need you to find evidence of his intentions."

"Is that all?"

"Isn't that enough?"

"If you don't mind me saying so," Renai gestured at the walls of the guild, "this is a hive of assassins, isn't it? Why not just whack him if he's getting in your way? That's what you people do, right?"

"'Whack' him. How quaint. Yes, indeed, why not?" Bloodscalp laughed but sobered quickly. "Because without proof, the other guildmasters would become irate, and then there would be a war between the guilds. That, I cannot have. Contrary to opinion, we are not cruel or purposeless. There is a place for thieves in Athkatla as there is a place for the clergy. And it benefits us both to keep the status quo. There is no long-term gain in chaos."

"Point," Renai nodded. "If I helped you, would it settle Yoshimo's obligations?"

"As long as Yoshi remains in your company, his freelance activities will be overlooked. As for your payment --" Bloodscalp hopped off the crate tipped Renai's chin up with his finger to make her look at him. "This is the reason I told Yoshi to bring you to me. Your reward will be this: You will run Mae'Var's guild for me."

Renai jerked her head away from Bloodscalp's touch. "That's insane! Me? I told you, I'm not a thief. How could I run a thieves' guild?"

"One does not need to be a thief to belong to a guild. You know this. Ravenscar would have offered you a membership in Baldur's Gate had you remained through the summer."

"That was different. I was helping a friend then."

"And you still are." A dagger appeared as if from air between his hands. "I know of your arrangement with Gaelan Bayle, and I will tell you this: Without the right allies in Athkatla, your friend will remain lost."

The anxiety that had been eaten away by her anger returned with a vengeance, making her grip the bow in her hands so hard she thought she heard the shaft crack. "You're threatening me."

"I am being honest with you." Bloodscalp balanced the dagger point on the tip of his finger. It hovered there, indenting his skin but not piercing it. "We have a rare chance to help one another, Renai. In these uncertain times, I need someone I can trust to help me keep the balance of power in Athkatla. I cannot do that if I am constantly dealing with dishonest upstarts. You need coin and a base of operations.

He jerked his hand, and the dagger disappeared back into the air. "Athkatla is governed by the very people who took your friend from you," Bloodscalp continued. "You will need allies if you seek to oppose them. I ask you: Why not ally with us? At least the terms I offer are the simplest to understand -- cold, hard coin. After all, Bhaalchild, I want you only for your body; I don't give a damn for your soul."

Renai closed her eyes, but she could still see Bloodscalp's gaze upon her, could still see the balanced blade in her mind. If you think you've made a good deal with a thief, she recalled an old saying, count your fingers, then your toes and then your relatives.

Walking on the side of the angels had destroyed everyone she loved. Maybe it was time to see where a darker alliance would take her.

She opened her eyes. "What do I need to do?"

---

Yoshimo sprang up from his seat at the bottom of the stairs the moment Renai emerged from Bloodscalp's sanctuary. "Is all well with you?" When she did not answer, he took her hand and held it to his chest. "Meian," he said, "I will explain everything, I promise."

Renai freed her hand and managed to give Yoshimo a weak smile. "There's nothing to explain. He just offered me a job, that's all."

Yoshimo looked up the staircase toward Bloodscalp's door. "Nothing dangerous, I hope."

"We're going to infiltrate the guild of a thief named Mae'Var and prove that he's betraying the Shadow Thieves." Renai was so troubled she could not enjoy the startled look that crossed Yoshimo's face.

"That is suicide for certain! What will he pay, if you do not mind me asking?"

"If we succeed, we get Mae'Var's guild."

Yoshimo actually tripped on a loose board in the floor. "'Get his guild'? So desu ne? You are not a thief."

"No, but you are. Bloodscalp says you can help me. He wants someone he can trust to run the place." Renai sighed, trying to digest the enormity of what she had just committed herself to.

"Meian," Yoshimo took her by the shoulders and shook her slightly. "This is not your life, not your way. Why ..."

"Because I have to trust someone, Yoshimo. I'd rather it be someone who at least is being honest about using me." She took his hand and pulled him to the door. "Now come on. I've got to go tell Sir Keldorn we've joined the Shadow Thieves. He's gonna kill me for sure."