Tales from Septins Mind

Part VI, old home new home

When Fron and Spider reached the healers house they were met by a happy Piers who told them that with a month or two of rest the boy would be right as rain once again.

So that night Fron and Spider agreed to do a bit of a trial period. The boy could not return to the thief lord’s haunt. It would be more than doubly likely he would be killed as he learned there. So they had Fron had decided to trust, well not really trust, but to have a little faith in Spider and give him the boy to look after and train.

Spider gave Piers some coins and asked him to keep the boy until he could walk, run, hide and generally move around well enough with his arm. Piers nodded and told Spider that he would. Spider turned to leave and Piers called out after him.

“But how will I contact you to tell you that the boy is well enough again?”

Spider smiled.

“You don’t need to contact me. I will be checking every week, although you may not see me.”With that Spider walked out into the darkness that is the streets of Altdorf at night.

Piers never saw him again, although he was usually watching the boy progress as the weeks went by.

Nicolayuth tried to run away from Piers and resume his thieving several times and finally after a month and a half he succeeded.

Nicolayuth had been eating his supper when he saw his chance. Piers had left the shuttering on a window open. Nicolayuth quickly glanced around to see what Piers was doing. He was nowhere in sight. Grinning madly the boy ran upstairs and bundled together what he would take. One change of clothes, all his money and a few pastries.

Once he had gathered all this he ran back downstairs and saw that the shutter was still open. With a whoop Nicolayuth gathered himself and scrambled up the wall to reach the high window, reaching it quickly he deposited his bundle out the window and wriggled through after it, landing with a thump outside.

He quickly jumped to his feet and grabbing his bundle he ran for the nearest sewer entrance.

He munched on a pastry as he ran, having only one misgiving about leaving Piers house, the food which he wouldn’t be able to eat anymore because when one tried to steal it one was usually to caught up in the food to notice the watch. So thieves rarely tried to grab nice food.

Nicolayuth neared the sewer’s when a shape dropped from a wall in front of him. The shape stepped in front of him and called out.

“Going somewhere are you boy?”

Nicolayuth thought the voice was familiar. He stopped and looked at the shape warily.

“Who are you…”

The shape leaped forward and pinned him quickly. This particular shape knew how quick the boy was with the groin kicks so it took no chances.

“Well boy, I am the person who is going to train you not to be taken so easily as what I just did. Now, why aren’t you at Piers house?”

“I ran away.” The boy replied flatly.

The shape, Spider, grinned.

“So you didn’t like it there and so you ran away?” The boy said nothing. “Thought so.” stated Spider.

With that Spider grunted and hefted the boy over his shoulder. By Spiders standards his arm was now well enough so he could start to learn.

Nicolayuth blinked as he was hefted up like a sack of grain. Then he started to hit and kick Spider. After a while Spider dropped him to the ground and without a word he tied the boy up with some string. When Nicolayuth made to cry out Spider gagged him.

When the boy was fully tied up like a beast to the slaughter Spider leaned down and said to him in a cold voice.

“Behave yourself. the reason I didn’t have any apprentices before you is because I despise children. You can’t think quick enough. I have made an exception for you because you were able to surprise me the first time I met you. Don’t make me make you regret my decision.”

Such was the coldness of Spider’s voice Nicolayuth shivered involuntarily. Spider laughed coldly and hefted the boy his shoulder once more and walked towards his dwelling.

Spiders dwelling was a old abandoned attic on top of a tall building. All around the attic there is nothing but dust except in a few rare places where Spider walks. For the most part he climbed around his attic, for all around the attic were box’s, crates and rubbish heaps. When Spider wanted to get from one end of the room to another he climbed up walls, leaped onto the crates and piles of rubbish and jumped across to the other crates.

All this Nicolayuth couldn’t see because it was pitch black when Spider dumped him down onto a pile of rags to use as a bed.

With out a word Spider undid his bonds and walked off. Nicolayuth got the idea that any escape attempt would be dealt with harshly after his treatment getting here.

With a small cry, the part of him that was a boy of twelve years of age overpowered him and he whimpered in fear, wondering what was going to happen to him next. With a low sob he pulled the rags close to him and tried to go to sleep.