Theo – Part 5

When Theo arrived at the feasting hall later that evening, he was moderately surprised by the number of members in attendance. Like almost everything down here, the feasting hall was held up by mortared stone walls. To the rear of the hall sat a bar, where you would likely find the half-orc Brock. The hall was sparsely furnished, except for the few benches that dotted themselves about the hall in mismatched places; and deep onyx banners that hung from the walls displaying the white spider of the WC.

“Ah, you’re back on your feet already,” said Brock when he saw Theo. Theo shuffled past some members that stood idly-by no doubt awaiting the arrival of Skinner.

“Got some good eaten if you fancy?”

Theo accepted the bowl of stew that was offered to him, this time noticing some of the tattoos that coiled around the half-orc's wrist, they were tribal tattoos; this half-orc belonged to a tribe once, but now pulled pints for this band of criminals instead. Thana had left Theo alone in the infirmary after Skinner left, but now re-appeared as swiftly as she had vanished down in that tunnel. She sat alone and drinking from a wineskin, so Theo decided to take a seat next to her. He felt more anxious now with a member knowing his secret, and not the least bit assured knowing hers.

When he sat next to her and scooped up a spoonful of Brock’s ‘Rat stew’, she took another sip from her wineskin. He noticed the red liquid darken her lips, but it was not wine she drank he knew.

“What are you going to do if Brock starts adding garlic into his recipes” Theo japed. Thana looked around, then stared at him, her ‘wine’ still staining her lips.

“Be sure that he doesn’t, your life might depend on it” she whispered.

Theo gave a weak smile and before he could say anything, the feasting hall door exploded open over his shoulder. Skinner had arrived right on schedule and Theo knocked back the remaining rat stew by tilting the bowl up into his mouth. There was a small round of applause from some of the other members, mainly from the burly recruits that looked forward to the prospect of violence. Skinner was lightly armoured and slender as ever. The blade as his hip was as long and as pointed as he was; his hood was worn low, but there was no mistaking him.

“The queen mother has spoken,” he announced when the feasting hall quietened. Theo had heard much talk about this ‘Mother’, some powerful matron out east that was responsible for destroying an entire town; her and her brood of spiders that was. Theo did not believe such tales but knew the matron was dangerous. He would not have been told to inform on her if she was not. What the matron was doing setting up a guild in Leeside was another question, perhaps it had something to do with this boy they were responsibly for kidnapping.

“the mother rewards those that obey, and share’s her plunder most generously.”

There was a roar of approval from most of the members in the feasting hall and Theo turned to Thana to gauge her reaction, but she was gone. Theo stood and applauded, not wanting to look out of place. Skinner calmed the hall with a gesture and began to discuss the mission at hand to his followers. It looked to Theo that more members had been dragged into the mission, perhaps to further guarantee its success. It appeared a lot was riding on the success of this capture. Instead of the three hired muscle Theo had heard down in that cell, Skinner was grouping a total of nine men; half of which looked like they just recently escaped prison.

“Wood” called Skinner, extending his neck to peer over the group of thugs that surrounded him. Theo stood and made his way over to the group, the nine goons stared at him threateningly, as if out of habit. Goons like these placed all their stock into one thing, and that was raw power. They did not seem happy with the prospect of splitting the reward with a skinny elf.

“Fella’s,” Skinner continued when Theo arrived at the huddle “this is Wood, he's going to help us get into the residence”

“Well he certainly isn’t going to be much use doing anything else,” said one of the goons “just look at how skinny those arms are”

There was a round of laughter except for Skinner who replied, “that’s why I’m relying on you boys to handle the actual kidnapping part”

Skinner slapped a hand on the two goons beside him who gave a thuggish smirk in response.

“Leave the man’s work to the men, little twig,” said another goon, and another wave of snickering spread amongst the group. Before Theo had time to respond Skinner yelled,

“Alright, let’s go get it done” and there was nothing left to be said on the matter. The nine goons followed Skinner as if he were a flame and they the moths. Theo knew the truth of it though, the goons did not see Skinner, not truly, they saw a walking pouch of coin and in that pouch was a means to an end: Alcohol and whores for the most part.

Skinner led the group down one of the many sewer tunnels that branched from the feasting hall, and to Theo’s estimate, they were bearing north-west. The group moved in single file, with Skinner leading at the front, and Theo at the rear. Each of them had torches to guide them and every now and again Skinner halted them for a moment to read one of the many markings on the sewer walls. Theo raised a torchlight to one of the markings inscribed on the wall as he passed but saw only a symbol. Undoubtedly meaning something that only the guide leaders could understand, Theo assumed it was some form of directions to the many parts of the city. Markings that, if found by the town guards, would have little to no meaning. Theo made a mental note of these markings in his mind and continued.

Eventually, they came to a T-junction and Skinner held up his torch to another marking chiselled into the stone wall.

“This is the one we need,” he said gesturing to a nearby ladder. They climbed up and out into the city of Leeside, each one of them funnelled out into an alley keeping a watchful eye as they did. The streets were baren and strangely quiet, Theo could not tell which part of the city they were in but was certain it was not any part he had been in before.

“No light” Skinner ordered, and they all extinguished their torches one by one, like dying stars in the night sky. The eleven of them crept surreptitiously through the city streets. Skinner was surprisingly stealthy Theo noted when he watched Skinner shimmer between shadows in his black armour. Theo kept an eye out as fitting for the rearguard but only came upon passed out drunks and citizens going about their business, none of them saw him as far as Theo was aware. Theo did, however, halt at one point, allowing the troop to create some distance from him when he noticed something high above him, at first he mistook it for a bird perhaps, but as he focused his eyes against the night sky above, he saw a glowing set of red eyes watching him from a rooftop. ‘Was this Thana?’ he wondered or was she not the only one that stalked the night here in Leeside.

“Psst” came the hiss from one of the goons, and Theo caught up. Another ten yards and they arrived. Skinner halted the group and gestured up at a building, warm lantern light spilt out from one of the windows.

“There,” Skinner whispered, raising a thin pale finger.