Mai sat next to Broken on the carriage, as they traveled to Devin’s camp. The bandits themselves had hid their horses in the woods, and now the entire group rode together, through the wooded hills.

The bandits’ camp turned out to be a cave. Aruith and the other horses were left outside, tethered to nearby trees, and then Mai and Broken were shown in.

The cave was a lot bigger on the inside than it looked on the out, and there was surprisingly little in the way of dirt or damp. Illuminated by well-spaced lanterns on the walls, the cave looked well lived in.

As the group trudged in, two more bandits, who had been sitting at a table, apparently cavesitting, got up to say hello. “Who are those two?” one of the pair to Devin, in a loud voice. The other one went to help with the loot. Mai slowly backed herself up near a wall, a good few paces from Broken and the thieves.

“We robbed them, but this man, wants to stay the night, Rai,” said Devin, clapping Broken on the back.

“You shouldn’t have let them come here; they’ll know where this place is, now,” said Rai. He was compact, and muscular.

“It doesn’t matter,” said Devin, giving Rai a look.

“Who’s the girl?” asked Rai, in a completely different, and much more hospitable tone.

“If my good friend Broken’s story is to be believed,” said Devin, “she is the only daughter to the late Emperor. And I believe him too. She had a fortune of gold on her in jewelry. He’s just a thief, like us.”

“Are you sure they can be trusted?” said Rai. “I mean, thief or no, he probably just wants the gold back.”

“Don’t worry so much,” said Devin, sitting down on one of the four benches inside the cave. “Broken wants to join us, and he’ll be on his best behavior. And besides, there’s fourteen of us, and only one of him, seeing as the Princess doesn’t count. What could possibly go wrong?”

A few of Devin’s men slid a huge oblong table up in front of him, and pulled all the benches around it. “You got that right,” said Devin. “It’s time to eat. Ryan, get some food.” One of the thieves ran into the depths of the cave, as the others sat down around the table. “Broken,” said Devin. “Get the Princess over here, and then sit down with us.”

Broken came up to Mai, and would have dragged her with him, had she not walked as fast as she could to the table. Broken and Mai sat on the same bench, empty except for them.

“All right, then,” said Devin, sitting at the other end of the table. “I had better introduce the both of you to my group properly. “That’s Arch, Brad, and Rai,” said Devin, naming his men around the table. “And then we have Hest, Ran, Gred, Tom, then me, of course, and Walt, Ire, Farn, Bill, and Ken. Ken, go help Ryan with the food.”

Ken disappeared into the back of the cave, and a few moments later, he and Ryan came out, with plates of some kind of meat.

“Ah, venison,” said Devin. “We eat that a lot these days. Find it right in the forest, too.” The food was passed around, the two servers sat down, and then everyone began to rip into the food with their bare hands. Broken seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then he dove in as well.

A little piece had been placed in front of Mai, but all she could do was stare at it in revulsion. Devin noticed she wasn’t eating.

“What, the food not good enough for you, Princess?” he said, mockingly.

“Those of the noble caste do not eat meat, and nor do they eat anything with their hands,” she said, as firmly as she could manage.

Half the table, with the notable exception of Broken, snorted in laughter. “Well, that’s all you’re going to get, Princess,” said Devin. “Don’t eat it. It’s more funny that way.”

The meal was soon over. While Mai drank a little water, her allotment of meat soon went into the thief Rai’s mouth, after he realized that she really wasn’t going to touch it. Mai’s stomach growled.

Soon drinks were being passed around to all save Mai, and the bandits as a whole began to liven up. As Mai sat there, her arms folded across her chest, several of the men started laughing hysterically at one another, and another group, including Broken and Devin, began to exchange increasingly ludicrous stories with one another, about what they had accomplished.

“Back in the year eleven hundred Tachen,” said Arch, “two years ago, I wrestled with a bull. Not a fake bull mind you, but a real one. And not in one of those things they do in the south, but in a real fight, where I pinned its arms behind its back.”

“You lie,” said Brad, knocking Arch off his bench, who fell without any complaint, and only slowly stumbled back up.

“That’s right,” said Rai, while Devin, who had been sitting near the other end of the table, got up and took Arch’s seat, while Arch walked away dejectedly.

“I’ve got one,” said Devin, but Broken cut him off.

“It’s the year eleven hundred two Tachen?” he asked, and choruses of ‘yes’ met him around the table.

“Why’d you ask such a stupid question?” asked Devin, lazily.

“Because if it’s the year eleven hundred two Tachen, then I’ll be having my one thousand twenty-seventh birthday any time now, if I haven’t had it already.”

“That is a good one,” said Rai, clapping his hands together.

“Do you think the Princess has a story that good?” asked Devin.

Mai suddenly remembered she was there. Her exhaustion, combined with the general chaos of the room, had made her feel just as lightheaded as she was sure most of the others did.

“Probably not,” said Brad, “but we can ask.”

But before Mai could be asked anything, Arch came up behind her, and forced a huge jug into her mouth, before tilting her head back.

Mai coughed and spit, and drink went everywhere, until several moments passed, and a most peculiar sensation overcame her. When Arch withdrew, she got up and shoved the thief. To her surprise, he toppled almost toppled to the ground.

“Look, your lady’s getting feisty, Broken,” said Devin, but when Mai comprehended the words, she didn’t think they were all that mean-spirited.

Mai grabbed another drink off the table, on a whim, and chugged it, and then another. By this point, everything was spinning.

Someone tried to grab her as she fell over, possibly Brad, but she pulled away from him, and collapsed into another’s arms. The other person tried to stand her back up, and Mai laughed as she kissed him. The man kissed her back, and started to walk her to a dark corner of the cave, amidst a chorus of clapping.

Mai laughed again, and got more and more dizzy, even though she thought she was on the ground. She pressed forward, and then she was pushed back, with the words, You’ll be glad, in the morning.

Then she fell into oblivion.

***

Mai woke the next morning before she opened her eyes, and she awoke with a much clearer head than she had the night before. She could scarcely believe what had happened, or at least, what she thought had happened. She kept her eyes tightly shut. What have I done?

Finally gathering the courage to open her eyes, Mai did so. She was lying in a small, side chamber to the cave, completely unlit, though torchlight from the main chamber filtered in. A man was next to her, also on the ground. However, he was as far away from her as the small chamber allowed.

Sensing she was awake, the man rolled over. It was Broken, and he still wore every piece of his black armor.

Mai suddenly realized she was as fully dressed as he was. “What…happened?” she asked.

Broken stood, his head just pressing against the low ceiling of the cave. “Nothing,” he said. “Completely and utterly nothing. I swore to protect you, and I would never break a vow.” He held out a hand to help her stand up.

Mai took it without thinking, and got to her feet. “So you didn’t…” she said. “And I didn’t?”

“Of course not,” said Broken. “Those outside, of course, think that we did, and so it would be best to pretend as such until we leave their company.”

That said, they walked out into the main chamber. It was strange to think she had been so wrong about someone who, less than a day ago, she had hated.

In the main chamber, most of the thieves were slumped over in various places, but Devin and Rai looked more or less alert.

Broken put an arm around Mai shoulders, and quickly walked over to where Devin and Rai were sitting in old chairs and talking, looking very much like he had simply shrugged off the effects of the night before, even more than the thieves had. Mai herself, oddly enough, felt almost normal.

“Hey,” said Devin, getting up and clapping Broken on the back. “How was last night?” He glanced at Mai, who was frowning. “What’s up with her? Remember some things she didn’t like?”

“I believe she did,” said Broken. His face for a moment had an odd sort of grin, but it quickly faded. “Listen, I need to leave today.”

“Why?” asked Rai, sounding suspicious and leaning up in his chair.

“Because, while I am still very interested in working for Devin,” said Broken, “I do have a small bit of business in the south that I need to take care of.”

“They’ll just tell the authorities where this place is,” said Rai. “And we can’t move, not again. I’ve been quiet long enough.”

Devin stared at Rai with his green eyes, then put his cap on. “Remember what I told you yesterday,” he said.

“That’s a bunch of crap, and you know it!” shouted Rai. Instantly, he was up on his feet, and a straight sword was in his hand. He pointed the weapon at Broken, who did nothing but grasp Mai’s shoulder a little tighter.

“We have to kill him,” said Rai. “We can keep the girl if you like, she might be good fun, but we have to kill him!”

“Enough, Rai,” said Devin, and his voice resonated with command. “Sit down, and put the blade away.” His façade of good nature was gone.

“You can’t command me anymore, not after these last few months,” said Rai. “I’ve given so much for you, and in return, you’ve barely kept me and the rest of us alive. You’re not a Thief-Lord any more.”

“I give no more empty promises,” said Devin. “We are starting back, tonight.”

Rai’s face cycled through several emotions: anger, dread, joy. “But what about Broken?” he asked, still not lowering his sword.

“I can deal with him,” said Devin. “Tell the others.”

Rai sheathed his sword, and ran off.

“What was that about, Thief-Lord?” said Broken. Mai was confused. When Devin had first shouted that title, back on the road, she had assumed it was an epithet he made up for himself.

“Nothing,” said Devin, and in that one word, the authority he had shown for Rai melted away. “Let’s go outside. I give you my word, as a Thief-Lord, that you shall not be harmed here, by Rai, or any other.”

Broken nodded, and then he and Devin walked out into the forest. Mai came along as well, as Broken’s right arm was gripped tight around her shoulders.

The forest was wet with morning dew, much like the palace gardens had been. Flowers blossomed in the verdant morning, and it seemed that Mai, Broken, and Devin, standing around the cave mouth, were unwelcome, somehow. They didn’t belong.

“As you may have heard from the previous exchange,” said Devin, “my men and I are leaving today; to get done something I have wanted to do for a long time now. If you go to take care of whatever business you have, and then come back, we will be gone. So the offer is simple. Come with us now, on our great adventure, or depart in peace.”

“The latter is the choice I must take,” said Broken.

“Then I will help send you off,” said Devin. “Come back inside.”

Almost as soon as they re-entered the cave, Devin was surrounded by his men. Arch was the first to speak. “Rai said that--”

“What he told you is true,” said Devin. “The gold we are now in possession of is enough to finance the expedition. We’re going home. Now, help our guests get ready to go wherever it is that they wish to go.”

Wherever the home Devin referred to was, his thieves seemed eager to a man about his decision. They quickly got the carriage ready to go, and then began packing their own supplies.

Broken finally let go of Mai, when Devin called him over. Their conversation took place too far away for Mai to hear, but at the end of it, Devin gave Broken back his sword and his dagger.

An hour or so later, they were off. Mai found herself much as she had a day ago, sitting beside Broken on the driver’s stand of the carriage, as Aruith trotted along, heading out of the hills.

In a day, Mai found much had changed in her opinion of Broken, but she had no idea how to tell him that. “I was wrong about you,” she said at last, after an hour of silence.

“Were you scandalized when I started talking to the bandits?” Broken asked, not talking his eyes off the road before him.

“I…” The truth was, Mai had been so conflicted over the end of everything she knew, and so convinced that Broken was false, that she had barely thought about the people with whom they had spent the night. “They should all be hanged,” she said at last, but couldn’t find much force to back her statement.

“Did you think I knew what I was doing with them?” asked Broken.

“What…no!” said Mai. “I thought you were one of them, and I’m sorry now. I don’t want to talk about it.” A thought crossed her mind. “How did I get drunk so quickly?”

“You never drank before,” said Broken. It wasn’t a question. “You weren’t prepared for it.”

“That doesn’t matter,” said Mai. “That foul liquid will never touch me again. You swore to defend my honor, and so, you can make sure of it. Only men drink.” For a moment, Mai felt like she had stepped too far, like she needed to treat Broken with more respect, but she thought better of it. She was a princess, and he was her servant. The proper order of things was slowly being re-established. “Would you lie to me?” she asked Broken, honestly curious.

“I do not lie,” said Broken. “At all.”

“Then what do you call saying that you are over a millennia old to the bandits, then?”

“Maybe I wasn’t lying.”

Convinced that she had won the argument, Mai settled back into her seat.