<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you doing all the way up here?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cTrying to find some quiet,\u201d came the annoyed reply. \u201cWhy follow me up?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI think I\u2019m going to join you in your dislike of women, Kinrou. They\u2019re down in the caves washing clothing. Why they feel the need to chatter incessantly is beyond me. It echoes everywhere!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAh, Jiken. You like bedding them too much to be like me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWell, yes, but they rarely say much while I\u2019m doing so.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t know.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI worry that you\u2019re not interested in that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf you think I\u2019m like Yaren, think again.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Jiken\u2019s shoulders sagged in relief. \u201cGood. I might have had to hurt you if you were.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou have a problem with men who prefer other men?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNot as such, no, but it would have been unforgivable for you to keep that kind of secret from me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m allowed some privacy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNot from me! We\u2019re practically brothers. My mother raised you as her own.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Kinrou rolled his eyes. \u201cShe was afraid that if she didn\u2019t she\u2019d have been killed the way my first \u2018mother\u2019 was.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Jiken shrugged. \u201cShe was a captive trying to escape. Of course they killed her! That\u2019s our way.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not arguing. I\u2019m just saying what I saw.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Jiken was silent for a long while, looking out at the cluster of ragged peaks that made up the Shadaran mountain range. The tallest was capped in snow, even at the height of summer. Even Mt. Dorayen, where they were sitting, boasted a small white cap.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cKinrou, do you ever think about your real mother?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d was the blunt reply. \u201cAs far as I know, that slave woman was my real mother.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m told that she wasn\u2019t.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Kinrou shrugged. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter. She\u2019s dead for all I know. I don\u2019t even know where I come from.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDoesn\u2019t matter; you\u2019re one of us.\u201d Jiken grinned.<\/span><\/p>\n Kinrou grinned in spite of himself. Jiken\u2019s grins were infectious; those around him generally couldn\u2019t help but return them. \u201cAnyway, I came up here for a reason. I heard something you might think interesting.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m all ears.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI heard that one of those Dragon Warriors got killed recently.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHow is that interesting?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThink about it. The entire country is in mourning. The Chief is planning a bunch of raids to take advantage of that. Now me…I have a better plan.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Kinrou raised an eyebrow. \u201cYou have a plan? Haven\u2019t you learned by now that your plans never work?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhen have my plans gone wrong?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou want examples? Fine. When we were six, you thought it would be a great idea to play Kal Sharash fighting the Shadows, but you wanted to use real fire. You nearly burned all my hair off. Then when we were eight, you decided to teach me to swim and we both almost drowned. You stabbed me through the shoulder three months later playing Bandits and Soldiers. At age thirteen, there was that incident with the exploding sheep bladder. At fifteen you were trying to make time with those two girls without the other knowing. It backfired.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOnly because you messed up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSo, it\u2019s my fault the Boss wanted to take me out on a raid?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWell, no, but you could have at least let me know.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou know I couldn\u2019t. To continue, there was that raid we went on for my sixteenth birthday. Do you need me to point out how badly that failed?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOk, ok, I get the point. This plan is foolproof though.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what you always say.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNo, really. I figure while the country is mourning, security will be lax. Why not take this opportunity to put our names up there with the greatest Shadowhawks of all time?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Internally, Kinrou cringed. \u201cWhat are you suggesting?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Jiken looked smug. \u201cBreak into the palace treasury and steal the Dragon Crown.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHave you lost your mind? That\u2019s suicide!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThey say it can\u2019t be done. I say they\u2019re wrong.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI say you\u2019re crazy. It can\u2019t be done! Some of the greatest bandits have tried and were executed for their trouble: Barhen the Swift, Dugen One-Eye, Left handed Tulken, and even old toothless Miken. As I recall, he was your grandfather, right?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Jiken ignored the question. \u201cLook, I\u2019ve been studying-\u201c<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYeah, right,\u201d Kinrou snorted.<\/span><\/p>\n Just listen, alright? I\u2019ve been studying the bandits who tried and I know why they failed: poor timing. Most of the attempts were made during festivals and parties. Security at the palace increases during those times.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt won\u2019t be much less than normal just because one stupid woman got herself killed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNo, but a lot of soldiers died in that fight, too. They\u2019ll be holding funerals and such for days. Law requires the Empress to allow anyone who wants to take part in the rituals the leave to do so. If we leave now, we can take full advantage. We can do this, Kinrou.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf I don\u2019t go, you\u2019ll go by yourself, won\u2019t you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cGot that right.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Kinrou sighed. \u201cFine, fine. I\u2019ll go if only to keep you from doing anything stupid.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cGreat! Let\u2019s get going. It\u2019s a four-day trip to the capital on foot so we\u2019d better get a move on.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe need to pack first, not to mention get permission for this.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI did all that before coming up here. I figured I\u2019d be able to talk you into this one way or another.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re rotten, you know that?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOf course. I\u2019m a Shadowhawk Bandit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The next morning, in the pre-dawn darkness, the two bandits left the mountain hideout. Sleepy sentries waved them on. Both were on foot with their supplies split between them. Despite the stillness of the forest around the Shadaran Mountains, both crept quietly. Large predators who had failed to make a kill during the night could still be on the lookout for a meal. Said predator could mistake a human for one of its normal prey animals.<\/span><\/p>\n Once it was light enough to send the nocturnal predators back to their dens for the day, the two young men relaxed enough to pause near a small pond. They quenched their thirst and took some food out of their packs to eat as they travelled.<\/span><\/p>\n Hard journey bread wasn\u2019t to Kinrou\u2019s taste, but it eased the ache in his stomach. He looked over at Jiken, who gobbled his down with every sign of enjoyment before turning to the pouch of jerky on his belt. Kinrou shook his head.<\/span><\/p>\n He\u2019d grown up on food like that, but had never gotten used to it. A part of him knew there were better things to eat out there, though he\u2019d never seen them. Secretly, his only goal in life was to survive long enough to taste fantastic food. It didn\u2019t matter to him if he died right after eating it. His life would be complete at that point.<\/span><\/p>\n They hiked through the woods until their feet hurt. They came out of the woods on the banks of the Dragon River and stopped, taking off their packs. They sat down on the river\u2019s edge and took their boots off and let their aching feet sit in the cool water.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSo Kinrou, what are you going to do with your share?\u201d Jiken asked.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMy share?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOf the profits. That crown is worth a lot of money. Melt it down or ransom it back to the Empress. Either way, we\u2019ll be wealthy men.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Kinrou shrugged. \u201cI don\u2019t know. I haven\u2019t decided yet, though to be honest I haven\u2019t thought about it. Maybe I\u2019ll go to a place with nice food. Maybe I\u2019ll buy a decent horse.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Jiken shook his head. \u201cYou aren\u2019t thinking big enough. One horse? For the money we\u2019ll get you could have a dozen or more rivalling those owned by the Zalite Emperor! You could have a wardrobe full of clothing made of the finest Shanshiire silk with strings of Jiinalese pearls.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t like pearls,\u201d Kinrou admitted. \u201cI prefer darker Gems.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t know you were a connoisseur.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not. I just see what the high ranking bandits wear.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t base a preference for specific stones on what they wear. Most of that is flash with very little substance. I\u2019m pretty sure that stuff is fake.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI know, but it still looks nice.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re a strange one, Kinrou.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Four days after they\u2019d left Mt. Dorayen, the two exhausted bandits spotted the outskirts of Karath. The poorest people made a meagre living from their small plots. Unable to afford a house within the protecting walls, they spent much of their time praying that the borders would remain peaceful. During the skirmish with the Zalites not too long ago, their prayers had changed, praying that the fighting wouldn\u2019t come anywhere near their homes.<\/span><\/p>\n Within the high stone walls there were still plenty of poor people, but they weren\u2019t as badly off as those outside the walls. As a person moved towards the centre of the city, the wealthier the people living there got until you reached the Imperial palace.<\/span><\/p>\n It was hard for Jiken and Kinrou. They\u2019d never been to a city before. The biggest town they\u2019d ever seen before that was Andalosh. They had to force themselves not to stare or clamp their hands over their ears at the noise. It was at once the most terrifying and wonderful experience. Not to mention the smelliest.<\/span><\/p>\n Kinrou wrinkled his nose in disgust as they entered the city. He couldn\u2019t see the marketplace, but he could smell it. The mingled odours of fish, animal dung, sweat, various cooked foods, and perfumes assaulted his nose.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf this is what they call civilization, I\u2019m glad we are what we are,\u201d Jiken muttered, his voice thick with disgust.<\/span><\/p>\n Kinrou nodded. \u201cWhich way now?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s easy to get there. Each section or Row of the city has four gates leading into the next one. It\u2019s how the city expands, building more Rows on the outside. It helps keep invaders out of the important parts of the city. It also keeps the poor away from the wealthy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI hate rich people. They treat poor people like they have a disease.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPoverty is the disease to them. Associating with people who have it means they\u2019ll catch it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis is why people like us exist, to even things out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Jiken nodded. \u201cThere\u2019s the first gate,\u201d he said, pointing up ahead.<\/span><\/p>\n The gate was a massive iron affair with thick metal bars set into the tall stone wall. A pair of armed and armoured soldiers stood guard\u2014one on either side\u2014while a third soldier scrutinized everyone who passed through the gate.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cJust how do you plan on getting through that?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cEveryone has a right to attend the funerals. All I have to do is tell the soldiers we\u2019re going to one for our cousin and they have to let us through. It will help that redheads are lucky in Telvan. We just do this at each gate we get to until we reach the Great Temple and we\u2019ll be fine.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cTemple Row is three away from the palace.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s why we borrow some Acolyte robes when we get there,\u201d Jiken explained. \u201cNo one questions anyone wearing temple garb.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s because no one in their right mind would impersonate a member of the Chant! I\u2019m not religious as a rule, but that\u2019s sacrilege!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSo is what we plan on doing,\u201d Jiken countered.<\/span><\/p>\n Kinrou paused. \u201cI\u2019m ok with that, but the disguise thing-\u201c<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThen we might as well go home now. There\u2019s no other way to get to the palace.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe couldn\u2019t go in as soldiers?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cTwo of the previous attempts tried that. The soldiers are too well trained. Not as well trained as Zalite soldiers, but they\u2019re close. A bandit couldn\u2019t hope to mimic one of them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHow are priests easier?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Jiken rolled his eyes. \u201cMost of them come from the common people. I\u2019m not suggesting priests anyway. Acolytes are the least disciplined in the hierarchy, and so are easier to mimic. Are you done with the questions?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFor now.\u201d Kinrou followed Jiken to the gate, where the soldiers let them pass without incident. Jiken looked quite puzzled by that and somewhat put off.<\/span><\/p>\n Kinrou suppressed a grin. <\/span>He worked hard on getting us in and it was all for nothing. He looked around. So much white. Just how bad was the slaughter anyway? <\/i><\/span>He poked Jiken.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cY\u2019know, we do kind of stick out here. Everyone I see is wearing white.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t own anything white,\u201d Jiken reminded him. \u201cWe aren\u2019t high ranking enough.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you think we should at least get something? A scarf or a headband, maybe?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhite is nearly as expensive as red. I don\u2019t have that kind of coin.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWho said anything about buying it?\u201d Kinrou asked, putting on his best innocent face. \u201cYou\u2019re forgetting who we are?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHow do you want to do this?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Kinrou looked around. \u201cThat vendor over there. He\u2019s charging more for his stuff than he needs to. You go distract him while I work.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhy do you get the good part?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s my idea and besides, I\u2019m better at this than you are.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Jiken muttered something unflattering under his breath as he walked towards the stall. With his hands behind his back he examined the wares with his eyes. It was an impressive selection. The vendor had small items like handkerchiefs and headbands, medium ones such as scarves and neck ties, and larger items of clothing. He even carried white jewellery and cloaks.<\/span><\/p>\n The vendor watched Jiken. \u201cIs there something I can help you with?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m looking to buy a neck scarf.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe have the latest styles available, though I doubt you\u2019re interested.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s that supposed to mean?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cA man such as yourself wouldn\u2019t know a Dovalian diamond cut from a Jiinalese flower style.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIs that so?\u201d Jiken tapped one scarf with a finger. \u201cThis is a standard Telvanite design made from woven silk. It came from Port Alyen if I\u2019m not mistaken. You have no foreign designs here, as to sell those to funeral goers would be an unimaginable insult to the deceased.\u201d He pointed to another. \u201cThis one is a design currently in fashion in the home town of the Dragon Warrior Chounen. It\u2019s a little ostentatious for my taste. I prefer a simpler style such as this one from Andalosh,\u201d he concluded, tapping a third scarf.<\/span><\/p>\n The vendor stared blankly at him as Jiken continued speaking. \u201cI doubt I\u2019d care to buy any of your wares now. You, sir, are the most insulting individual I\u2019ve met in Karath. I\u2019ll have you know that I\u2019ve been on the road for four days now, ever since I heard that my cousin\u2019s ritual would be today. It is impossible to travel quickly and arrive at your destination looking as though you\u2019d just stepped out of your bedchamber. In the future, I\u2019d keep your assumptions to yourself or risk being more of an ass than you already are.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Several of the people listening to Jiken\u2019s verbal thrashing of the vendor laughed, applauding his audacity. The vendor\u2019s face turned red. \u201cHow dare you insult me?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou insulted me. Turnabout is fair play.\u201d Jiken paused. \u201cI\u2019ll take my business elsewhere.\u201d He turned and walked away, looking as offended as possible. He spotted Kinrou out of the corner of his eye. He nodded and kept walking, pausing to look at the wares of the other vendors.<\/span><\/p>\n Kinrou approached once Jiken was out of sight of the first vendor. They walked in silence until they were able to duck into a gap between two rows of buildings.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHow did it go?\u201d Jiken asked.<\/span><\/p>\n Grinning, Kinrou produced two small scarves and handed one to Jiken. \u201cHave fun?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Jiken tied his scarf around his neck. \u201cYes, I did. See, this is why knowing things about women is a good thing. Listening to their conversations can teach you a few things.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d wondered where your knowledge of fashion came from.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPut your scarf on and let\u2019s go. If we duck through this alley we can get to a part of this Row where we won\u2019t be recognized.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n