Bone Diggers - Chapter Eleven

Loading... Chapter Eleven

Daniel's daily archery lessons dissolved into messing around and trying out trick shots. "I can put a candle out with an arrow," he claimed.

"What?" Amilia squinted suspiciously. "No, you can't."

"Yes, I can. My dexterity is high enough." If being part of the thieves' guild had unlocked any special talents, this would be one of the more ridiculous and fun ones among them.

Amilia set her jaw. "Prove it."

"I don't carry a candle on me."

"Uh huh, just what I thought," Amilia said. While Daniel was claiming lofty things, she was still working on merely hitting the target with any sort of consistency. "Better go get a candle to prove it, hot shot."

"Your lack of trust wounds me," Daniel laughed. "I am a man of my word. You stay here, practice more, and I'll be right back." The market wasn't far. It only took a few minutes to run and get one. Frankly, he was just glad the store was automated, because buying a single candle made him feel awfully silly.

When Daniel returned, he made a show of it. Presenting the candle with flare that would make future game show hosts jealous. Amilia laughed, and took a seat on bushels of hay that separated them and the rest of range.

Daniel crouched down to set the candle in front of a target. Once nested enough to stand up on its own, he lit the wick. When he walked back over, Amilia's lips were pursed with a mixture of amusement and disbelief.

"I don't think I even saw a bow in your home. If you are so good, why don't you use one all the time?" Amilia asked.

"I'm used to fighting in close quarters with Lance. I don't feel comfortable covering from a distance. Now stop trying to distract me. I'm aiming to impress." Daniel readied his shot, breathing out as he let it fly. The arrow whizzed over the candle a few inches, making the flame flicker, but nothing more.

"What was it that you were saying?" Amilia grinned, a laugh threatening to bubble up.

Daniel's face twitched at the still-lit candle and he gave Amilia a second to figure out if that smirk was going to turn into something more.

"I was saying," he started, looking at her the whole time he pulled back the string once more, and without stealing a glance he fired off another arrow. He wouldn't have known if he had been successful or not this time if Amilia's jaw hadn't had dropped open. Now, Daniel was the one smirking. "Dexterity is key."

Footsteps of someone else towards them caught his attention, and he looked up to find Lance coming. "Ah, speak of the devil," Daniel said.

"I've been looking all over for you," Lance said. His brow was pulled tight, but he tried to greet Amilia with a small nod and smile. "Is this where you've been hiding all day?"

"Suppose so?" Daniel glanced up towards the sun to gauge what time it was. They had been out for much of the afternoon, but he hadn't even noticed until now. "What is it?"

"You missed the guild meeting."

"Oh." Daniel puffed his cheeks out thinking for a second how he managed that before exhaling. "Oops."

Lance shook his head like he didn't understand the word. "Gael wants to see you."

"Duty calls," Daniel sighed.

Amilia had been looking from one to the other, curious if something more was going to break out, but when Daniel looked over, she smiled. "Until we meet again?" she asked.

"Soon, I hope," Daniel said.

She pushed herself up to her feet, and bowed her head respectfully. "Thank you for the lesson, and...everything else."

"My pleasure," Daniel said.

Lance crossed his arms low on his chest, tilting his head as he waited for them to finish up. The bored expression remained until Daniel patted him on the shoulder.

"Let's go," Daniel said.

"It was nice seeing you again, Miss Le'Russo," Lance said, before the two of them turned to leave. Amilia gave him a quick nod of agreement.

The thieves' faction was located just out of town. They met in a building that was a stronghold in its own right. A grand entrance surrounded by tall stone gave off a timeless feeling. There were a handful of men walking around the halls that left Daniel alone beyond nodding as they passed. He walked through the lobby and up a wide set of stairs.

Their leader, Gael, had set up a small office on the second floor. The man briefly looked up from his chair, and then almost instantly back down to his papers. "You were absent today."

"Apologies."

Gael looked up, trying to study the expression on the other player's face. "Little Miss Le'Russo has proved herself useful recently." Daniel's face paled at the mention of her name, but left his question unasked. "I'm surprised you still think there are secrets for those who hide in shadows. I was briefed all about the possible conflict of interest during your escort mission. You should bring her in. It's something we could further use to our favor."

"She isn't one of our own," Daniel protested.

"You will do what I order you to," Gael said sternly, as if Daniel had crossed an invisible line. "I know what is best for the thieves, and how the pieces will come into play. Her family ties may be of use."

Daniel's jaw tightened. He wanted to leave Amilia out of it, for her sake as well as his. Sharing was only welcomed when not forced. "As you wish," he said, the guild's man as always.

"This isn't the first meeting you've missed recently. There have been other missions skipped, and now there is a rumor you are getting distracted," Gael said. "Is this true?"

"Of course not," Daniel said, and forced the end of the conversation as he headed back down the stairs. No names were listed, but he knew who started the rumor. Only one person knew him well enough to have guessed such a thing.

And that person was currently standing by the doorway waiting like a guard. Daniel completely ignored him and stormed by without even a glance.

"Daniel," Lance said, trying to get his friend's attention, but Daniel kept walking. Lance moved faster to catch up, grabbing Daniel's arm to force a reaction. "I'm sorry. Don't be upset. They asked, and so I told them what I thought."

Daniel glanced around the courtyard, wondering if he wanted to have this conversation here or now. "Next time, you talk to me first," Daniel warned. They weren't wrong, he promised time to the guild and despite distractions would be a man of his word.

"I was trying to keep you safe," Lance countered.

The clarification didn't help. Daniel felt like he had been sold out, like his convictions were being doubted. Maybe they were right. It couldn't hurt to learn more about the person he was spending time with.

On his way home, he decided to cut a path to Amilia's. He wasn't sure what he hoped to accomplish since he couldn't walk in to demand answers, but hopefully he could lead her to explaining herself, and the deeper reasons behind her need to be taught their ways.

He rounded the corner to her small home, but before his hand lifted to knock, he could hear an unfamiliar voice rise with a demand. "You will not do this, Amilia. This family has lost enough to those thieves."

Daniel took a moment to consider drifting away, and letting whatever situation he had stumbled upon continue without his ears so close, but the mention of his faction made him far more curious than polite. He noticed from the small window into her kitchen that she had returned in a hurry; today's gear was scattered on the counter. The white curtains kept his view limited, but also hidden among the shadows.

"This is what we need!" Amilia's strong and convincing voice continued, "If I can keep us a step ahead by knowing things from the inside, we can rank among the nobles. We can reclaim what's ours."

Daniel vaguely recalled she mentioned her uncle being among the company of royals, weaseling his way into their good favor with gold plated stories. Yet, when she spoke of it, she seemed ashamed. 'Abandoned what her father once stood for,' she cited before. Daniel clenched his jaw as he leaned in to listen more closely.

He could see the person he was assuming was Amilia's uncle move about, chest puffed out with anger he presumed. "You don't know the first thing about being a thief. Neither did your father, and that's why—"

"I can learn," Amilia interrupted, "It will take time, but I will succeed. Don't try to bring up my father's shortfalls to me."

Amilia's parents had always been a sore topic when Daniel asked. She had mentioned her father was killed by criminals when she was young, and her mother had passed away from what she explained as a broken heart. But this? This all was new.

"This is what you want?" her uncle said with an even tone, standing tall over the girl who was like his daughter. Amilia nodded.

"No. I simply can't let you do this," he said.

"You don't have to. But I still will," she said, and crossed her arms.

"I don't want you to be a part of this. To risk your life for this," he said, with a fatherly tone. It was a clear change in how he set his shoulders. "You aren't doing it."

She was silent for a moment, noticing the difference, but didn't back down. "Please, Dimitri."

"Amilia, I said no," he said, raising his voice this time.

She lifted her chin. "And I said I will."

Dimitri's posture puffed up again, and Daniel figured this must be something that scared her when she was younger.

"I'm going to do this!" she repeated, her voice raising more than ever before. "Even if I have to die for this just like Father did."

The words seemed to cut. Dimitri's expression fell from wide-eyed and angry to solemn. His hand reached up to cup her cheek and she pulled away, not wanting sympathy. His hand fell with a sigh. "Amilia, you're like my daughter. I don't want to get you in this trouble. It's not your place."

"My father started it," Amilia continued, finding a comfortable steel in her voice. "I want to end it."

Her uncle straightened up. "Fine," he said willing to at least talk about the subject, "But I need to tell the others of this. They are angry with what happened the other day." Daniel couldn't stand another second. His feet lifted off her front doorstep as they carried him away in a rage. He had been blind to everything by thinking she was innocent. It likely would have been wise to finish listening, but his heart couldn't stand anymore. He hadn't gotten far before he noticed a man that looked all too familiar, walking in the direction of Amilia's home. One of the men from the ambush, he was sure of it. That's why they had backed off.

The thought of going back to the guild now sat like rocks in his stomach. He didn't want to tell them of Amilia's connection simply to be told again that she could be of use to them. If anything, they'd want to use this even more. An in with another faction could open up more for them.

There had been one person, however, that saw the danger that Amilia could be right away. He hadn't listened at the time, but Lance would still hear him out now. Daniel found a horse and booked it over to his place across town.

Stopping by wasn't unusual, but there must have been something in his expression that tipped Lance off early. He set down a water jug along a window sill where non-native flowers grew. "What is it?" Worry lines creased his forehead as Daniel neared.

"You were right," he announced.

"Well, I'm glad to hear it," Lance said. "About what, though?"

"Amilia." Daniel licked his lips worried that this story would warrant a judgment, even though nothing else had caused Lance to waver in his support before. "You know those mercenaries we fought in the street? I'm pretty sure one of them actually lives near her."

"Well, that doesn't prove—"

"They are bards," Daniel added. "With estranged family history involving the thieves' guild. She has something to prove and I no longer know to whom."

Lance looked to the flowers he had half watered, before sighing and picking up the water jug again. "Come inside. We shall talk about this."

Daniel nodded, and the two headed into Lance's home. The brief silence felt like holding his breath. He fell onto the lounge in a moment of tired exasperation he let few see and leaned his head against the back. "What do I do?"

This was no easy question, and Lance took a moment and thought it over. "Test her loyalty."

"What?" The comment surprised Daniel enough that he sat up to get a better look at Lance.

"Bard or not, the guild will want to use her as a spy. Training her seems to have fallen to you, and to join, we were all tested to see if we could follow the tenets. By that same logic, the duty of testing her fidelity is also yours."

Without thought, since all of it was dedicated to considering Lance's suggestion, Daniel picked at the dirt that had wiggled under his nails. "That's a good idea." Daniel managed a small nod. "I could do that."

"Glad I could help." Lance smiled, and Daniel looked up, finding himself mirroring the grin despite his mood.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" The question almost sounded like he was doubting Lance, but it was more than that. He was doubting Amilia, doubting his choices in the matter. Maybe he shouldn't have been so curious about the girl in the first place.

Lance stood and moved towards the kitchen, but paused as he walked behind the lounge to place a reassuring hand on Daniel's shoulder, who turned his head to look at him. "Well, whatever happens, you know where my loyalties lie."

He did know. Lance was with him, no matter what choice he made, correct or otherwise. "Merci beaucoup."