True to her word Kate ordered us to collect as much gold and valuables as we could so we can bet on Knightly. Considering how difficult that can be in a huge city where all our wanted posters are, we only went out in small groups. Kate advised that the quickest way, of course, was to pickpocket. When Knightly protested, Kate calmed his worries by stating that we'll only pickpocket the complete and utter jackasses that have too much money and slaves of their own. After hearing that, Knightly helped draw us up each a map of where these people reside in the city.
"Grab as much as you can but be careful. Once these rich folk notice that their money and their neighbors money are disappearing, it'll make our job that much harder." Kate marked on the maps where each of us would go. "Beda and Alex, you guys stay behind and help Knightly repair the sled. You guys are in charge of getting him whatever he needs since I kind of broke the sled to begin with."
She tossed Beda a small sack which sounded like coins as he caught it in his hands.
She gestured to Worm, Donner and Stella "That leaves you three on pickpocket duty."
"Donner's arm is still hurt, why wouldn't I help?" I asked.
Donner tossed me the necklace that I did have tied around my neck, that Kate had asked Stella to make for me.
"How did you..."
"Being injured just means people don't suspect me as much."
I tied the necklace back around my neck.
"Can I sit this run out?" Stella set her map on the table. "I have a surprise I want to work on, for Knightly."
Kate looked at her very confused and uncertain.
"I promise that whatever these two idiots bring back I'll double it on the next run."
Still with uncertainty Kate however did give in.
"What will I do though?" Pretty much thought I could sit around all day. Staying out of the hot sun and all the sand but unfortunately I've been dragged outside with Kate and Stella.
Dragging my feet along I asked Stella why she was tagging along with Kate and I.
"Thought you had to work on a surprise for Knightly?"
"I am but I need supplies for it."
"What exactly are you making for him anyway?" Kate asked as she walked ahead of us, leading the way.
"Wouldn't be much of a surprise if I told you as well!"
Kate sighed and I think mumbled underneath her breath. She stopped suddenly in front of a small building "Here we are"
Looking at it, the building looked more run down then anything. Also there didn't seem to be any people down the road we took anyway "And here is where?"
She ignored me. Stella and I followed her into the building. To my surprise it actually looked a lot nicer on the inside. Nicer is a loose term as the entire place was filled with weapons. Even barrels were filled with spears coming out of them.
"Kate..." Stella pulled out one of the spears. "Did you bring us here to kill us?"
"Already would have done that the moment you tried to put me in a dress."
"To be fair it was your favorite color!"
Kate waved her off and tapped on a bell on the counter. A man wearing what appeared to be an ironing mask appeared from behind a curtain from another room.
"Can I help you?"
Kate removed the cloth revealing her face before I could stop her. The man removed his mask as well. He looked about middle aged and clearly needed a bath from whatever work he seemed to be doing.
"Well I'll be...I'd never thought I'd see the great Kate Oliver in my shop."
I removed the cloth from my face as well "Do you know him, Kate?"
"Not exactly but my father did. In one of my fathers journals he wrote about how he came across a young traveling blacksmith. That blacksmith apparently was headed to Maganti. I figured since you can't leave the city he had to possibly still be here."
"Shot in the dark though. There has to be a dozen blacksmiths in this city." Stella exclaimed.
"My father wrote that he was proud of his work and I don't think a very proud blacksmith would sell his goods to an ass who calls himself a pharaoh. Besides my father wrote down his name and well I asked Knightly if there was a blacksmith by that name in the city."
"I feel like you took a guess and now you're making yourself feel better that you were right about it"
Pain shot up me as Kate stomped on my foot. The man laughed and set down the mask and his gloves on the counter.
"I am right though? Are you Thomas Hutchens?"
He grinned "Yup, didn't know I made such an impression on your father though. Found him traveling just outside of Maganti, the poor guy looked half insane from being dehydrated."
Kate crossed her arms "He never knew what to bring with him when he traveled."
"Didn't even bring a weapon with him. I remember making him a sword just so I felt better about sending the guy off on whatever he was doing."
"Your dad sounds like one weird guy." I said.
Kate smiled "He was a bit of an oddball but this is his sword you made. I had to modify it to be more suited to me."
She pulled it out of the sheath and handed it to Thomas.
He admired it "He still kept it after all this time. Not every day a blacksmith gets to make a sword for a marine general such as Stryker." He handed the sword back to Kate.
"Stryker?" Stella placed the spear back in the barrel after poking me in the back a few times.
Kate answered "That was my fathers name. I'm actually surprised you didn't know that Stel."
She shrugged "You know my father, he didn't really share too much information with me. When it comes to famous people I know about as much Matt does."
"It is true, I didn't even know who you were Kate."
"Not knowing who the Oliver's were would surprise a lot of people." Thomas reached behind the counter and pulled out a photograph.
"I believe this was taken when that prison was finally finished." Thomas handed the photo to Kate. Stella and I peered over her shoulder. There were tons of people in the photo.
"The Oliver's were popular, not only because they were marine generals but because they were the best." Thomas explained and Kate pointed to two people up front. They were leaning down with the woman having her arms around two children and the man had his arm around her waving to the camera.
"Best at what though?" Stella asked.
"Pretty much everything, Stryker there was the best swordsman in the world. He never lost a battle. Jasmine there was the best firearms woman around, give her a gun and she could shoot anything. On top of that every one around loved them and admired them."
Kate smiled "Where did you get this photo by the way?"
His face changed from admiration to wanting to looking away from Kate. I think that's when Kate realized it.
"When they died this photo was released to all the news outlets wasn't it?"
He nodded "It was the most recent photo they had of them. I know a guy who was printing out the newspapers, he let me have that photo."
I saw her hand shake for a moment and she went to hand the photo back to him. Thomas shook his head, "I think you should keep that photo. Holds much more merit to you than me."
"Thank you" Kate took one last look at it then placed it within her pocket.
"What brings you to my shop anyway? It can't possibly be to just chat?"
Kate nodded "My friend here doesn't have a weapon. My father praised your work so I figure we'll definitely find something here."
Confused I asked "We're here to buy a weapon for me?"
"Yeah, if you decide to stay with us I don't want a crew member defenseless. If you decide to leave us well..." She glanced at Thomas "Wouldn't feel right leaving you defenseless wherever you plan on going."
He winked and walked over to the wall with swords hanging from it. He took a sword off the wall and tossed it to me.
"Are you swordsman?"
I went to take the sword out of the sheath but I lost my grip on it and both sword and sheath clattered to the ground.
Stella tried to hold back a laugh "Guess that's a no."
"What about you?" Thomas this time was asking Stella. She pulled out one of her knives and threw it passed his face and stabbed right into the picture hanging on the wall behind him.
"Knife thrower" Thomas pulled out the knife and Stella gave him a smug look "Just as strange as your father in picking friends, Kate. Perhaps your other friend here is more of a range attack as well."
"Could be, he was very good with a gun when I met him."
I sighed "I told you that was just luck, I hate guns."
"There are more ranged weapons besides guns. Some fella traded this in a long time ago." Thomas opened up a trunk and pulled out a bow and a single arrow. "It needs some cleaning but it should be all set to go. Give it a shot."
I took the bow and the arrow from him. He instructed me briefly on how to adjust the arrow in my fingers and line it with the bow string.
"Aim for the same picture your girly friend with the knives did."
Stella rolled her eyes and played with a knife in her hands as Kate leaned next to her waiting for me.
I took a deep breath, aimed and fired. I wasn't expecting to hit it at all. But it did. Thomas pulled out the arrow, "I'll be damned, he hit the exact same spot the girly friend did."
"One more time" he handed me back the arrow. "See if it's not beginners luck"
I loosened up my shoulders and adjusted the arrow again. Aimed. Fired. The arrow hit the exact same spot again.
Thomas clapped "Think we have a winner."
"You have more arrows?" Kate asked.
"In the back, I'll charge for the bow but the arrows and the quiver to carry the arrows in will be for free. Call it a gift for your dads service."
"Deal, that is if you want the bow?" Kate glanced at me.
I pulled on the bow string and looked back at Kate "I'll take it"