"That is correct, m'lady."

"And you are the Dark Rogue."

"That I am."

Melydia looked to the pair of them, sitting on her bed, asking her to help conspire against her employer. By stealing a mirror.

"And you expect me to believe this?" she asked.

"You have seen my tabard, m'lady. That is proof of who I am," Sir Madoc said. They'd had to go out to the stable to fetch it.

"From what I have heard of the Dark Rogue's talents, if he wanted to come by one of Dunstan's tabards, he would not have much trouble doing it."

"But then why would I admit to who I am?" Thom reasoned. "I could have told you that I was another High Guardsman and found another tabard. Or I could have gone alone."

"To allow me to believe your story more easily. You must admit, even two Guardsmen coming to do this is not to be believed."

Thom grabbed Madoc's hand. "Do you recognize this ring?"

She peered at it, still turned upside-down on Madoc's finger. "No. It's not one of Tybalt's, is it?"

"It's a dog trainer's ring," Sir Madoc said. "I'm using it to keep Th-- the Dark Rogue, here, from escaping."

Melydia just raised an eyebrow. "If this is the best you two can do, you can just leave now."

Madoc stood up. "Meliddy m'ladia - m'lady Melydia, I beseech you, I wish only that justice be done. We have reason to believe that Tybalt has pirated a number of art objects, and that they are here. If I can get one of them to my superiors, they will have the evidence they need to apprehend him. On behalf of your country, please aid us."

"Out now or I call for the guards."

Sir Madoc began his next speech with his hands out in front of him just as Melydia stepped past him to open the door. His hand brushed against her breasts, completely innocently.

She just pushed by and turned back to face him with her hand on the knob. She had opened her mouth to speak when she saw Madoc's horrified face. He was staring wide-eyed and open-mouthed at her, jaw bobbing up and down soundlessly. His hands were still out. Madoc noticed them and quickly hid them behind his back.

"I am so terribly sorry, m'lady!" By now he was blushing so much, he fairly glowed. "Please forgive me! I didn't intend to--" Anything further he had to say was blocked in his throat.

Melydia was dumbfounded. She watched the knight's display, not believing what she saw. "By the gods, you just might be what you say you are. I've never seen anyone get so worked up over a little thing like that. Think nothing of it, Sir Madoc." Madoc grinned boyishly, but kept his eyes downcast.

`He's going to be useless for the next five minutes,' Thom thought.

"I can vouch for the fact that Tybalt didn't come by that mirror, or any of a number of other things by the most honorable of methods, but how is it that you are gathering your evidence in such a clandestine way?"

"That's my influence," Thom said. "Madoc, Sir Madoc, that is, captured me as I told you. Since his mission here is rather urgent, I am obliged to come along. The mirror will not only be evidence against Tybalt, but an ingredient in the cure for a plague."

"In Cairncross!" Melydia exclaimed. "My sister and my mother live near there! And my new nephew Wynn."

"That's the one."

"So `Hadrian' here didn't beat you... or did he?" Madoc turned around with another horrified expression, nearly identical to the first one.

"No, no, I got these bruises while saving his life."

"Saving his life?" Melydia looked from Thom, who nodded, to Madoc, who by now looked merely apologetic. "Hmm." There's something odd about these two, she thought, but I still believe them. "What do you need of me?"

They passed through the kitchen from Melydia's room, and into the dining room.

Thom put down the bucket next to the andirons by the hearth. With his left hand he slowly reached under the mirror and found the peg for the springlock. He pushed down on it as hard as he could and nodded to Madoc.

As quietly as possible, the knight took down the mirror and laid it on the bare table. He picked up the bucket and hung it from the hook that had supported the mirror.

Madoc, knowing what was about to happen next, looked to Thom for reassurance. Thom signalled him to get on with it.

Madoc let the bucket drop and Thom pulled his hand away, but not before his fingers were smashed between wood and stone.

The knight had offered to push the peg, but Thom had argued that he, Madoc, wouldn't be able to find the peg without tripping the alarm. "Besides, it'll be my bad hand, not that it'll matter after tonight," he added bitterly.

Thom paced the floor, silently cursing and shaking his hand futilely, but the alarm was not sounding.

While he was sucking his fingers, Thom quickly looked toward the door to the kitchen. Madoc was about to ask what it was when he heard a soft clang from the kitchen. There was a guard in there.

Madoc's face fell. They had discussed the possibility that a guard might stop into the kitchens for something to eat. Madoc dreaded the course of action he would have to take, but secretly Thom was excited. The thrill of pursuit! He kept his excitement to himself, though, so Madoc wouldn't get upset.

They had gone without their boots just in case this should happen. Quietly they pulled out two of the chairs from the table and tucked the large mirror underneath the table, resting on the seats of the chairs. They replaced the first two chairs so nothing would look amiss.

Madoc lay down on the floor on the far side of the table from the doors. When he saw that Madoc was ready, Thom crept over to the main door, with its trap. He listened at the door.

Madoc's heart was beating in his throat. His breathing was labored. He was hoping that Thom would just come back, collect him, and they would just give up for the night. He'd be forced to go hunting with Tybalt on the morrow, but it would be a small price.

Thom heard a second guard approach from the hinged side of the main door. Just what he was waiting for.

He kicked the door open as hard as he could.

The door swung open toward the guard and the pin flew out of its bracket.

Thom sprinted down the side of the long table.

The door crashed into the guard, blocking his view of the hallway. The pin dragged the key out of its slot at high speed.

Thom rounded the corner of the table.

The key tinked against the inside of the wall and fell. The spring sproinged. A loud bell began to sound. The guard behind the main door came to the conclusion that something was afoot. He assumed a thief had just dashed through the door, and gave chase.

Thom threw himself to the floor next to Madoc.

The guard in the kitchen came in. He saw the bucket on the wall where the mirror ought to have been, and sprinted through the still-swinging main door.

Thom and Madoc stood up, pulled out the chairs and retrieved the mirror. They walked into the kitchen with it and down the stairs.

The nice thing about the corridor through the servants' quarters was that it was supposed to be so unobtrusive that it was out of everyone's way in getting from point to point in the house.

The alarm was still ringing loudly, but only one maid looked out into the hallway. She screamed and ducked back inside her room.

The men climbed two flights of stairs without incident. Madoc rested the heavy mirror on his foot while Thom picked the lock to the bedroom they had explored before. Thom finished and they piled inside, closing the door behind them.

Madoc tied the rope securely around the mirror, leaving plenty of slack. Meanwhile, Thom prized up the boards in the garderobe.

Madoc wished that damned bell would shut up. He hefted the mirror and carried it to the closet. It was easily a foot too wide to go in. Madoc was ready to scream.

Thom grabbed the mirror away and rolled his eyes. He wedged it into the hole on the diagonal. With the extra thickness of rope the sides, the mirror only just fit down through the space. Thom had to push a little on the mirror, when it suddenly gave and fell through. Thom almost fell in after it when the mirror finally got free. Fortunately Madoc had had the presence of mind to hold onto the slack of the rope. He was braced and kept the mirror from falling all the way through to the ground. Thank Braggia it hadn't smashed on the wall.

Leaning over the hole, Thom could see the cart that Melydia had set up for them. He could also see their boots and Madoc's clothes waiting for them. Melydia waved. It seemed the rain had stopped again.

Thom tapped Madoc's arm and pointed. The knight nodded. He let the mirror swing from side to side. To do this without risking a crash, he had to lean over the hole, and the smell was all but unbearable. Slowly the mirror descended until Melydia could catch it, even if it was too heavy for her to lift. Madoc quickly let out the rest of the rope so that the mirror touched down safely on the cart. He dropped the rope and left it to Melydia to gather it up.

Madoc grinned idiotically. They'd done it! They'd actually done it. Now they just had to get out. The garderobe was out, for obvious reasons.

The knight and the thief started toward the stairs, but Thom heard someone climbing them. He grabbed Madoc by the tunic and pulled him down the hall. Fortunately, Tybalt had dashed out of his own room and carelessly left the door unlocked. Thom dragged Madoc in there. He cast about for a good hiding place.

When the guards searched the floor, they discovered the bedroom door unlocked and the garderobe torn up. Melydia had already left for the stables as instructed.

They checked the other doors, and found only Tybalt's room open. They searched it thoroughly.

Thom and Madoc hung from the stonework just outside the window. (Tybalt's room could have a window since it was on the opposite side of the manse from the middens.) Madoc's foot slipped once. He regained his footing and made sure he never lost it again. His heart was racing, his mind was reeling, his feet were freezing from being pressed against cold stone, his fingers were beginning to ache. He was also more aware of every sight, every sound, every sensation in his body. Even through the shuttered window he could hear the guards search. He could feel the cool summer wind play among the folds in his tunic. He could see the pits and craters on the Chaser moon through the receding clouds. He could hear the lockpicks tumble from Thom's pocket and then hit the ground below. Madoc gulped.

Thom looked down, but didn't appear upset. He was probably thinking that he wouldn't be needing them anyway. It was just as well that he'd lost them. That part of his life was over if Madoc had anything to do with it. Even so, he couldn't help but feel sorry for Thom.

They heard the door to Tybalt's room close. Thom opened the shutters with one hand. Madoc entered first, since he was losing his grip. Madoc listened at the door while Thom climbed in. Nothing stirred. Thom smirked and turned the handle. The door did not open. The guards had locked it when they left. Madoc thought he would go mad. He began to search the room, looking for the key.

Now Thom looked pained about having lost his picks out the window. It wouldn't be long before the guards discovered Melydia in the stable. They had to hurry. Thom tapped Madoc on the shoulder and signalled him to stop looking.

This was it. The one thing that Thom had left that would give him a chance of being free even after King Dunstan locked him up, and now he had to sacrifice it. He began to take off his breeches.

Madoc watched as Thom undressed. He couldn't believe it. Voicelessly, Madoc mouthed, "NOW!?!" If he had used his voice, he could have roused the dead. As it was Madoc's face just turned purple.

Thom just scowled at him and undid his smallclothes. He reached behind himself and pushed a little.

Madoc was speechless. This was even weirder than wanting to have sex at a time like this.

Thom extracted the slender metal tube he kept for emergencies from his rectum. He had been in situations before where he was forced with the choice of killing a person or be captured. He chose capture every time. Even in jail, with his picks confiscated, he still had an ace up his sleeve, as it were. It meant taking extra care with hygiene, but it was worth it.

Now this would be taken from him too. When he went to the gaol, there would be no escape. But what else could he do?

He took the casing off his spare pick and put his pants back on. He unlocked the door and put the pick in his pocket. "Let's go," he whispered. Madoc followed wordlessly.

After that, there were no further problems. Thom and Madoc mounted Fleetfire and Melydia drove the cart away in the night.

Once they were well and clear of the manse, Madoc whooped at the top of his lungs. The adrenalin was still flowing, and relief from the fear and frustration washed over him. This was the high that Thom must have lived for. Madoc wanted to sing, or to dance, or to fly.

He urged Fleetfire into a gallop. Thom started to fall off, so he grabbed Madoc about the stomach and hung on. The thief pulled his body in close to Madoc. The knight could feel Thom's hardened manhood rubbing against his lower back and ass as the horse jostled them.

Thom leaned forward and said in Madoc's ear, "Now you know. You must have wondered why I kept on doing what I did. This is why. Remember this feeling, Sir Madoc. Neither you nor I will ever feel like this again."

Madoc wished that Melydia wasn't with them. He wanted to enjoy this feeling completely with Thom.

Instead he had to content himself with riding. Fleetfire was charging ahead, his hooves pounding the well-packed earth of the road. Every jolt sent vibrations through Madoc's body. Wind rushed past the knight's face and lightly ruffled his hair. As he leaned over the neck of the animal, he heard his breathing, steady and strong. Thom held on tight from behind and Madoc could feel the heat from him across his back. Madoc could not remember when he felt more free.

Thom reached up to Madoc's ear again to ask, "Are we not going to wait for Melydia?"

Madoc slowed the horse to a stop and turned him around to move at a slow trot back up the road to meet with the maid, the cart and the mirror.

"Sorry, Thom," he said, "I got carried away."

"I understand. I'm glad you can enjoy tonight."

When they finally caught up to her, Madoc apologized to Melydia, and they were off again.

They hid out until morning. Thom hardly spoke until they reached Cairncross.

When the three of them delivered the mirror that day, Eleazar was not as thrilled as he should have been.

"How could you be so foolish? This is far too large!" The wizard was furious. "Well, there's an easy way to fix that!" He picked up a hammer.

Madoc grabbed the old man's arm. The greybeard looked at the knight, fire flashing in his eyes. "I cannot allow you to do that. This mirror is not your property. It was stolen by a local merchant and must be returned to its rightful owner. You are only being allowed to borrow it by special dispensation."

To Thom it appeared that Eleazar was about to say something about that, but he backed down. "Fine, then. Leave me to figure out how to deal with this." Eleazar turned his back on them to consult his library.

Madoc looked at his companions, and they left the shack.

Outside, Melydia took her place in the driver's seat of the cart.

"I've been meaning to ask," Thom said, "how you learned to drive a cart so well."

"I used to do it all the time on the family farm. It was eight years before my little brother was old enough to do it. I'm quite surprised I still remember how."

"The cart!" Madoc suddenly cried. "Tybalt will miss it! And it does have to be returned. Tybalt will suspect something when Melydia returns."

"It's alright, goodknight. Tybalt will hardly notice that I'm gone, and he'll miss the cart less. Such details are beneath him," she said wryly. "All you need to worry about is the stablemaster. And he happens to be my betrothed. I'll explain it all to him. He'll understand." Of that, Thom had little doubt. Melydia was very capable.

"Where will you be when Tybalt goes to trial?"

"You'll find me at my family's farm. I'll not be staying under Tybalt's roof another day. Just ask anyone in Cairncross where the Coopersmith farmstead is. I'll be off now. Good luck with your quest."

"Thank you, m'lady, for your help," Sir Madoc said.

"Wait one moment," Thom said. He climbed up on the seat next to Melydia. "I have something for you," he said, his voice low. From his pocket he produced a gold ruby bracelet he'd picked up from Tybalt's room while Madoc had been trying to open the door. Thom identified it as one of the other pieces that Tybalt obtained in his raid. "Take this to a barber in Karelia named Rowan. He'll get you a good price for it. For little Wynn, of course." He winked.

"Thank you, Thom. That is your real name, isn't it?"

"Yes, but how...?"

"Your friend, the knight, let it slip while you were trying to convince me of who you are. I think there is something more going on between you two. You really are the Dark Rogue as well, aren't you?" Thom nodded. "I don't understand what you two feel for each other, but I hope it works for you two. You have a good heart."

"Thank you. I will probably never see you again, so... I wish you happiness. Goodbye." He stepped down from the cart.

Melydia waved as she coaxed the horses back toward home.

"What was that about?" Madoc asked.

"Oh, just something we were discussing while you were dining with Tybalt." Madoc looked skeptical. "Where shall we go now?"

Madoc just shook his head. "I thought we might look for the horsephlox next. We'll find them in the mountains."

They mounted and rode off.

While they rode, Madoc said, "You weren't going to tell me about the extra lockpick you had concealed, were you?"

"No, I wasn't," Thom mumbled.

"That's why you've never been caught and stayed locked up, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"I'll have to confiscate it when I turn you in."

"Yes, Sir Madoc, I know," Thom said, irritated.

Madoc wanted to say that he didn't want to have to do it, but that wouldn't have been true. The Dark Rogue was a thief, and he did not want him to go free. The problem was that the Dark Rogue was also Thom. He wished there was some way to separate them.

"I'm sorry," he said in a whisper that was carried away on the wind. And now he cried, silently.