The next day began what would be the better part of how I was trained. After an early breakfast he led me to a rather secluded area of his grounds with a small building partially hidden by trees. When we went inside, I saw poles and beams everywhere, a couple of ropes hanging from the ceiling, and a circle elevated off of the ground. I was somewhat surprised, somehow none of this struck me as what I would consider a thief's training area.

"This room is going to be your life until I say otherwise. Until you can hop around all these poles and bars, and can outfence my best instructor in that circle, you will spend every waking hour possible here." he said. "Now, come to this mat on the floor. I want to you get comfortable rolling around on it. Here... let your legs relax as you lean back, then roll off your bum towards one shoulder and bring your feet back under you. Good. Again."

We practiced tumbling in this fashion until I was so dizzy I could barely stand. Then he had me doing pull-ups on one of the bars. I was starting to understand what his drift was. I took another look at the bars around the room and started to imagine myself flying around them with full acrobatic ease. I smiled. This was going to be very hard, yes, but fun.

We didn't get to any of the fencing that day. The next day I was so sore I could barely walk, but he showed me some ways to stretch, gave me some herbs and afterwards I felt much better. We started working on the fencing. At first Lord Tahnit himself started training me in swordplay, but later he had his instructor take over.

For several months this was indeed my life. Every other day I would alternate between the gymnastics and the fencing until I could jump around the room with ease, backflip, roll, tumble, jump and climb rope, as well as give his fencing instructor a run for his money, especially since I had become so quick and light on my feet. Eventually he brought in some of the carnival gypsies to help round out my acrobatic training.

Later we started heading back over to the realm of thievery. I would spend hours sneaking around the manor and grounds picking up assorted items that he had hidden. We also went over archery and some straight hand-to-hand fighting. The one weak spot I always have had was pickpocketing. A lot of thieves develop this skill because they start out as homeless children and have to steal to survive. I never did this, and so there was always something of a lack in that area.

For the last phase of my training, Lord Tahnit kicked me out of the estate, and instructed me to fend for myself. This was to develop my street sense and instincts, but was also a bad idea, because it would eventually provide me with a sense of independence, an ability to provide for myself, a glimpse of life outside of his world. It was unavoidable though. He was willing to take his chances with that.

I learned much very quickly on the streets. One of the first things was just how well one has to take care of his feet. It is amazing how much walking someone can do when they actually have no place to be, no place to go to. Another thing that I learned is that the other vagrants are very willing to talk to you and give you advice, but you have to watch your purse very, very carefully around them all the same. Money is after all, money. I almost enjoyed it at first, there was a sense of exhiliration and freedom, but after a week or so and the first few rainfalls I started to get very tired of it and longed to just go home. I had no idea if this was going to be a permanent situation, or if I would eventually wind up back in the manor. During the months of training I was too preoccupied with developing my skills to wonder about Lord Tahnit, but after a while on the streets, that slight hatred of him returned.

I was going into my second week of homelessness, and my money was running short. I had no idea when or how Lord Tahnit would send for me and I needed to get some cash soon. So I headed back over to the tavern where I had met Renik to see if there was anyone around there who could hire me. As I approached I could hear music coming from inside. This attracted my curiousity, so I opened the door and stepped inside.

There was Hadassah. Her and I guess some other gypsies were there, playing away. There was a rather tall man playing with various drums, tambourines, and such, another on what had to be the largest string instrument I'd ever seen, it was almost as tall as he was. Hadassah was playing a strange six-stringed instrument with little metal bars going across the neck of it, she called it a guitar. Then there was a small, young girl who couldn't have been more than 14 with a mop of black, very curly hair that flew around everywhere as she played a much smaller version of the other enormous instrument that she held under chin. Hadassah was singing as well, mostly drinking songs with occasional other, more baudy material here and there.

She caught sight of me as I approached the bar and was all smiles. She looked as if she were ready to quit in mid-tune and come over to talk to me. She continued playing though, and I ordered an ale from the bar, turning around and answering the stared I was attracting each in turn. Eventually everyone went back to their business. As soon as the song was over, Hadassah announced a short break, put down her instrument and ran over to the bar to greet me.

"Hello my dear Mishkal!" she said as she hugged me, "Wow. I almost didn't recongize you! You look so healthy now. Look at you! Tahnit's sure been putting you through the paces, it looks like you got some meat on them bones finally. You look so different. But them eyes, boy. I'd recognize those big brown eyes of yours anywhere. Mmmm! Such gorgeous eyes. How are you doing? What are you doing here?"

I smiled broadly and said "Questions, questions!"

"Hey! That's no fair! But seriously, tell me. Please?"

"Lord Tahnit felt that I needed to develop some instinct, so he kicked me out of the manor. I guess I'm doing alright, but I'm almost out of money, have no place to stay, so I thought I'd try my luck here to get some work."

"Poor baby! He's right though. Trained or no, a bookworm wouldn't do much good as a thief. Well, we'll work on that. I don't know how much luck you'll have here though. See, the fences have to have at least a minor degree of trust in you before they hire you, and that doesn't come easy. I'll see if I can help you out though. In the meantime, that is. Oy, I almost forgot! Barkeep! A drink! Thank you my good man!"

"To life!" she said as she raised her glass, then downed her ale in one swig as if it were water. "Much better. Well, time to get back to work. Stick around. You can stay with me tonight, then at least you'll have a roof over your head. Maybe even a warm bed. Depends on what kind of a mood I'm in later." A broad grin came over her face as she said this. "Talk to you in a bit."

She went back with the other musicians and they began playing again. In the middle of the song someone shouted for them to play some of their gypsy music. They all smiled at one another and segued in mid-song to one of their own. The musical journey that began at that moment defies description. It was as if some wild energy were somehow released, and both the music and musicians were finally allowed to push their limits. The crowd loved this to no end. Hadassah still sang, but most of the songs were in some foreign tongue, presumably their own. One of them that would become my favorites went something like this (please remember that this is my own translation):

One man has his Temple, the other has a classroom
Another has a tavern, one more has its backroom
Each man must have something
Something to believe in,
For one a devil below us
Another a God in heaven

If you sir have nothing, not one end or the other
You walk the streets avoided, sibling without a brother
Beloved as the Trickster
A song without a bard
And the world becomes to you
Nothing but a graveyard

Hadassah and the man with the large instrument would sing these verses in various sections, at first faster and faster, then for the last run through, they slowed the whole thing down, belting it out as much as they could. The crowd loved it to no end.

A few more breaks came and went. As the crowd got more drunk, they would start making grabs at Hadassah which she deftly avoided, though she was probably as drunk as they were. By the last set, which was way into the night, she appeared to have a harder time standing than playing. Eventually the music ended, the barkeep announced closing time, and she packed up her instrument and left it with the rest of the group.

"Okay Mishkal, back to my place!" she announced to me, completely drunk. "Come on. You may have to help me a bit, but I'll show you the way. Weeeeee! What a party!"

We headed out the door. I started walking alongside her, keeping a respectful distance. She protested "Bah! That's no way to help a drunken girl home! C'mere you! That's a boy! What a night! A night of nights! First great music, a great crowd, lots to drink, and now," she said throwing her other arm around my neck and letting her feet drag behind her, "I've got a Mishkal! Whoo, life is good!"

I was endlessly amused and baffled by this. I had no idea what the night was going to entail, but I was starting to get a picture, and I was at least as excited and at the same time apprehensive as before anything that Lord Tahnit put me through.

"Okay," I said, stopping, "let's get your feet back under you."

"Awwwwwwww" she said, pouting her lip," You mean you're not going to carry me? I thought a real gent would do that for me. You're no fun. Making me walk..."

We made various twists and turns, past where a small market operated during the day. Behind it was a rather foreboding and dirty alley. As we were walking down it, a man came out of one of the doors that lined the alley, with a woman behind him, kissing him goodbye. She saw us as the man walked away from the door.

"Hey Hadassah! I thought you said you weren't in business. Rent finally get to you too?" she said, smiling.

"Ha! Leave us alone, Lisa. This kind, wonderful man is just helping me home. The rent is fine, thanks."

"We'll see about that. Hey there boy! When you're done dropping her off, why don't you stop by here? I only cost 10 coins."

"He's not your type. Go to sleep." She then turned to me and said, "Okay, right over here, up those stairs and on the left. Ugh, I hate those stairs when I'm tipsy. Could you carry me, please?", she whined, like a small child.

I smiled and picked her up as we approached the stairwell.

"Oh, such a strong Mishkal too! Hee, hee, hee... Here, lower me a bit so I can get my key in... there we go! Ta da! Home sweet home."

Her place all of one room with a bed in one corner, a stove on the opposite side, a table near it, and what was presumably the toilet with a curtain around it. There were no windows and the light was rather dim, making the place look dirtier than it really was. Along the back side of the wall, she had a clothes line with a few assorted items hanging from it. There was also a wash basin, as well as a small sink peeking out from behind the curtain on one side.

"Quite the place you got here." I said.

"Ah, I use this place because it's easier than going in and out of town all the time. Some of us have places in The City, most keep a camp a few miles outside of it."

"I thought it was mostly forest. Except for some farms."

"Well, yes, but there's a rather large clearing to the southeast, it borders on the river. That's where Tahnit's shipments come in and we deliver them through there. But enough of that." she said, bringing her face close to mine.

She then kissed me. I was almost expecting a simple peck like my mother would give me, but she held her lips to mine. I had no idea what to make of it, but figured it was best just to go along with it. My heart started racing like mad as we stood there kissing away. She then started to pull me towards her bed, still holding her lips to mine.

We then sat down on the bed and she pulled away from me to start fumbling with the strings on her blouse.

"Mishkal, I can't get this undone," she said, pouting, "could you help me?" She then grinned widely.

Well, as you could probably guess, my life up to that point had no involvement with women. I would think about them from time to time, but again, not really. A sense of desire I had never known before was literally boiling in me. As the clothes came off, any sense of control was lost.

I will leave it to your imagination as to what happened next. I was in complete bliss, and when it was over, fell into the most deep, peaceful sleep I had ever known. When I woke up, she was lying next to me, looking very thoughtful, almost worried.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

She looked over at me, smiled, and curled up next to me. "Nothing. Not a thing. Don't you worry. Just some things I have to sort out for myself. Just relax."

Which I promptly did. I knew there was something on her mind, but I decided to take her word for it and leave it up to her to figure out, whatever it was. Later that day, I practiced what I knew of pickpocketing and got lucky. I managed to get a nice purse undetected. I then went to a store and got a small blank book and some writing equipment as well as some food. I then went back to Hadassah's place, but she wasn't there. I decided to make some food, wait for her, and start what would be my first failed attempt at keeping a journal. At the very least it would pass the time. Eventually Hadassah came home, rather late at night. We went back to bed, made love once again, and went back to sleep. After about another week of this, I was walking out on the street one day, when I was approached by another one of the gypsies.

"Lord Tahnit would like to see you. As soon as possible."

"In other words, now, right?"

"Unless there's something else to attend to, yes. Now would be good."

I thought of going back to the place to see if Hadassah was there, so I could tell her, but I decided it would probably be a wasted trip, and I could always talk to her later. I then headed back to the manor. As I approached the grounds, I was intercepted by one of the servants, who prompted me to follow him to a side entrance I had not known about. I was then told that he was in his chambers, so I went up there, paused for a moment, just looking at the door. I almost toyed with the idea of just leaving, to go try my luck as an average thief, sharing that room with Hadassah. Curiosity got the better of me though, and I knocked on the door.