Stepping Wild (Dungeon Runner 04)

The invitation Cynta handed him was on dark paper so thick Tibs didn't think he could bend it without causing it to crack.

It read:

The Ladies Jenifer and Iliose Kimcolial

Cordially invite you to an evening in the honor

Of the Lady Rabiria Hollomeir and her man

newly arrived to our city

The date and time of said evening were under that. The golden letters had so much metal in them, Tibs expected the ink was actual gold.

"That's tonight," he told her, dismayed.

"Which is why I ran to intercept you before you reached the university." She was dressed well enough, those passing by had only glanced at the servant daring to address the noble.

Tibs had left for the noble's home to change before any of the usual visitors showed up. And for her to be here so quickly meant this delivery had happened not long after that.

"Charlie and Uzoma?" This wasn't the place for them to workout what this meant, even if he wanted to demand how it could have happened.

"They're waiting at a tavern not far from here."

* * * * *

"I don't see what the problem is," Charlie said once Tibs and Cynta told them about the invitation. They'd taken one of the small backroom, and Tibs had etched Air to keep their words from spreading beyond the walls as soon as he'd entered. "You get to prance in front of more nobles."

"Not more," she corrected. "Instead of."

"Still don't see the problem."

"I don't know the layout of that house," Tibs said, then focuses on Cynta. "You said the Fyrbrend were who was doing this."

"And it's how it was looking," she replied. "After Lord Fyrbrend let his plan slip, when the lady visited yesterday, she expressed how eager she was to host you."

"Wait." Charlie interrupted Tibs's comment on that. "Why do you need to know their house for a party?"

Uzoma glowered silently.

"Because I don't know where the safes are, and Fleet Finger's costume is at the Fyrbrend's house."

"Do you have another one?" She asked, while Charlie looked more confused.

"Yes, but there's no way I can hide it there in time."

"What are the chances you can convince the Fyrbrend to still have their party?" Uzoma asked.

"Why wouldn't they have it?" the fighter asked, sounding desperate. "Can one of you tell me what the abyss is the problem here?"

Tibs nodded to Cynta. He knew enough about nobles to understand the problem, but nowhere near enough to explain it.

She tapped the invitation. "This is a play for influence by the Kimcolian. As a middling noble house, they have no business doing this. Before the gathering where Lord Fyrbrend let it slip, servants would have carried the news to every other house, establishing who would host us. Because of how important they are, they marked us as important. By stealing us away from the Fyrbrend, the Kimcolian are trying to say they are more important."

"Then we don't go," Charlie said. "They aren't the target."

She took a new card from a pocket. The paper was cream, the letters the dark of good quality ink. The two looked very similar to the paper and ink the announcement of their arrival had been on.

"They've made it impossible to refuse."

The Lady Hollomeir and her man

are touched by the honor accorded to them

by the Ladies and are eager to officially meet

the people of this fine city

"That was with the invitation."

Charlie turned the paper over, still confused. "Why did you accept if—"

"I didn't."

He frowned and passed the card to Uzoma, who looked displeased. "Isn't that the papers we got?"

She sighed. "They probably had one of their guard take a few pages from the office, along with a pot of ink. It's typical noble politicking. I should have realized one of them would pull something like this. Now, no matter what we do. We can't come out of this clean."

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"We're going to rob them," Charlie said. "So…do we care?"

"No," Tibs said. "We, the thieves, don't. But we, the nobles, along with every other one in the city, will. And that changes everything."

"With including my agreement with the invitation, they are making it look like we discussed it ahead of time. That means that I never said anything to the Lord or Lady Fyrbrend when they made it clear they wanted to host us. This means we planned on humiliating them this way. No matter what I tell them. We will not be welcomed there anymore."

"But you didn't write it," Charlie said. "Right?"

"It doesn't matter. As far as this city cares, I've either betrayed one the highest noble family, or I was stupid enough to let myself maneuvered into looking like I had."

The fighter threw his hands in the air. "I don't get it."

Tibs chuckled. "Don't bother trying."

"Looking at it on a positive side," Uzoma said, the hopeful tone forced. "The Kimcolian family isn't as strict with their guards. Distracting whoever is guarding the room with the safe in it will be easier."

"Jenifer has expressed an interest in me," Cynta added. "So I should be able to give her the think a tour is a good idea. I can guide that toward the safe." She looked at Tibs. "If I know where it is."

"Do they have a lot of money?" Charlie asked, and Tibs smiled at the fighter's narrow mindedness.

"They're nobles. Even the most minor of them has more money than you'll ever know what to do with. And I will find out where the safe is, but getting you good layout isn't happening in this short of a time."

"Then we adapt," Charlie said.

"Which you are doing kind of quickly," Uzoma pointed out.

"What am I going to do? Cry because the plan isn't going as I wanted? No plan of mine's ever gone how I wanted."

"You make plans?" the archer asked, surprised.

The fighter grinned. "Not anymore."

"There's the problem of me becoming Fleet Fingers," Tibs said. "Without the costume hidden in the house, I'll have to wear it under Hern's getup, and getting out of that isn't easy."

"Just cut it off," Uzoma said. "You aren't going to need it after that, right?"

"I can only do that if I can get away from everyone for long enough. Properly made noble clothing doesn't just slice off." All he'd need was long enough to use an etching, but they didn't know that, and even that wouldn't be as fast as he'd like. "And," he added as he realized something else. "I'm going to have to wear city folk clothing under that."

"Herns can make alterations to the noble clothing," Cynta said. "Making them pull apart is a quick change trick in the theater, where actors have to play more than one role. I'll send word and he'll already be working on that by the time you return from looking over the Kimcolial's house. Then it'll be easy for you to get out of those when it's time."

"Not too easily, I hope." He headed out to make the best plan of a house, using only sensing the elements that made it.

* * * * *

Tibs entered the theater and asked after Sistro with the first person he saw.

He entered the office without announcing himself and the man behind the desk was up, looking ready to complain with the sword he was pulling out of the scabbard, leaning against it. He paused, his expression turning pleased.

"Sorry," Tibs said. "I'm in a hurry, and I need your help."

"Of course, with the assistance you have provided us, Thibaud, I am happy to help." He motioned to the chair, but Tibs only rested his hand on its back. "How can I do that?"

As succinctly as he could, Tibs explained what he'd need from the theater, and the man's expression turned grim.

* * * * *

"There are two safes," he said, laying the rough sketches he'd done. "The largest one is on the ground floor, in the kitchen." He tapped the wall. "In the back wall of the pantry. It's going to have to be the one you go for, because it's the largest, so it'll have most of their money. Fleet Fingers will distract from that by going after the one there." He tapped the bedroom on the third floor.

Uzoma looked over the sketches. "How do you know it's where they are?"

"Checking through the windows. And in this case—" he tapped the pantry "—because the wall between it and the eating room is too wide. It's hiding something, and a safe is the only thing it can be."

"Okay," Charlie said, trying to appear like he was studying the layout. "I can see how Cynta will get in there, since it's a discreet place for her and that lady to get intimate, but how are we opening the safe? Thibaud is the only one of us who can open locks, and he's going to be busy being Fleet Fingers."

Tibs looked at Uzoma, who shook his head. "If I have time, I can open some locks. But I don't know this one, and nobles will have something too complicated for me to manage under this pressure."

Cynta smiled. "That won't be a problem. Getting people to do what I need them to is what I excel at. She will open it for us, and think it was her idea."

"If the group of you are done with your machinations," Herns said impatiently, from the other side of the room. "I need Thibaud, so I can make sure no one notices what he's wearing underneath."

Tibs sighed, not looking to standing still for the rest of the day.

* * * * *

"Presenting," The majordomo announced, loudly enough Tibs had to keep from wincing, "the Lady Hollomeir and her man."

Everyone in the large room turned to face them, then parted to let the Ladies Kimcolial step forward.

Tibs used his worry over the early evacuation of the house to distract him from the feeling of certainty the nobles could tell alterations had been made to his clothing.

"My dears," Jenifer greeted them. "We are honored you decided to join us."

"How could we refuse you?" Cynta replied, and the two gave each other mock kisses on the cheeks. When they parted, the looks weren't pleased. Cynta had told him she'd have to act angry at the manipulation and then let Jenifer convince her it was for her benefit. The other woman looked utterly amused.

The discomfort he felt as Iliose smiled at him was caused more by the heat accumulating under all the layers than by the cunning in her eyes. She was clearly pleased that they had out maneuvered everyone.

"My Lady. My Lord," she greeted them, oblivious or uncaring about the anger in Cynta's eyes. "Let us introduce you to Brokentia's gentle nobility."

Tibs nearly rolled his eyes at that comment.

Then, he and Cynta were paraded before the attending noble.

More of them were present than he'd expected. Even some of the high noble families were represented, based on the crests he recognized on some of the clothing; fabric version, sewn into the vest. Possibly the only way to identify which family they were with, since they weren't the head of the households.

This would be their attempt at appeasing the Fyrbrend, he thought, while positioning themselves to be in the Kimcolial's good grace if this ploy worked in their favor.

Soon enough, He and Cynta were separated. The nobles with more academic interest demanded his attention, while the business oriented ones were taking hers.

Throughout the talks of bard's songs and opinions on their veracities—these nobles seemed to think that Tibs's interest in dungeons meant songs about them—he glanced to Uzoma, leaning against the wall by the door with other of the nobles' guards. The Kimcolial's less strict attitude stretched to letting them watch from the walls. He would give Tibs the signal to excuse himself once Cynta and Jenifer had left.

The larger numbers meant the room was packed tight and made it difficult to keep from being jostled by the others, along with juggling giving the impression he cared what the nobles thought, and keeping an eye on Cynta and Uzoma. It almost felt like they were crowding him on purpose.

And then, after yet another one bumping into him, came the sound of seams ripping, and Tibs sensed the fabric falling off his shoulders.