Free Villains by Necessity by Eve Forward Page A

blur, he jumped back too late and a heavy oak staff whapped him smartly upside the head. He dropped like a stone. Arcie laughed and raised his mug of stout to Kaylana, who was already storming out the door, to riffles of applause from giggling barmaids. The door slammed as Sam raised his head woozily. Arcie grinned down at him.
    "Och, I think that means nay, laddie," said the thief.
    Dawn was pinking the sky outside his window when Arcie awoke. He bounded out of bed and with brisk efficiency washed, combed his hair, shaved, got dressed, checked all his equipment, counted his wealth, and padded out into the hall. He knew Sam would still be asleep, after getting so soused last night. He'd best wake him up, Down a few doors to Sam's room-the only one with a locked door. With a happy smile he extracted a thin piece of stiff copper wire and clicked the lock open. A spurt of oil at the hinges, and he inched open the door and peered into the room.
    Sparse but tidy, with Sam's clothes folded over a chair; a torn black tunic, black silk shirt, black leggings, black socks, tattered black cloak lined in mottled dark gray and black, and scuffed black boots. Sam himself was a pile of tousled blond hair on the pillow of the rumpled bed. The faint sounds of peaceful breathing drifted through the room. Just then, a draft blew the locks of blond hair, stirring them slightly.
    The bed exploded. The covers went across the room, the pillow flew out and knocked over a jug on the washstand, and in the midst of it all Sam leaped to an alert crouch, hazel eyes staring about wildly, and brandishing a sharp dagger he'd had under his pillow. His eyes found
    Arcie, and he sank back onto the bed with a whimper as his hangover caught up with him. Arcie bounded cheerfully over to make sure he didn't go back to sleep.
    "Rise and shine, blondie! Interesting, I mean, I ken yer ways about assassin uniforms, but black underwears, Sam?"
    Sam was indeed wearing black cotton shorts. "Shut up, Arcie. If you must know, it's so we don't show a white bunnytail if we are so unfortunate to rip our seams on a mission. Now go away and let me die in peace."
    "Sorry, laddie. The Druid said we were to meet her at dawn, recall ye?"
    Sam replied with a few choice and not terribly kind words about Kaylana, finishing with, "I'll be dammed if I'll follow some treewalking wench on any crazy hallucination of hers anymore. I'm going to go back and track down Mizzamir and then ... then ..."
    "Then what, Sam?" There was no answer. "If ye think of summat, let me know, and I'll join ye. We're men without a place, without a life, without a cause. Kaylana's the only one as is offered us any hope for restoration of our old ways, and revenge on them what took them from us.
    Whether anything else she says about the world being in danger is pooka piss, it's given us something to do, someplace to go. Ye were bored stiff hanging around that abandoned Guild in Bistort. Now, ye're at the least doing something. Tis an adventure, as heroes used to go on all the time ... Though for us, it's either go on and keep hoping, or go back, and either whitewash or die. And as for the being damned ... we both are already. So quit feeling sorry for yerself and get on yer feets and out."
    A muffled groan escaped as Sam tried to scrape some of the fluff off his tongue, then a sigh.
    "Arcie, one of these days I'm going to throttle you.
    Luckily for you, I'm already on an assignment. All right.
    I'll meet you downstairs."
    Arcie padded out, shaking his head.
    It was well after dawn when the three mismatched persons assembled at the eastern wall of the city. Kaylana was waiting with barely disguised impatience, reminding Arcie of a wren, as the two rogues walked up. Kaylana greeted Arcie coolly and did not even look at Sam.
    "We must not delay any longer," she said. "The Gypsies even now prepare to move on. We must speak with them before they go." She turned and strode briskly down the dirt road toward the Gypsy