thing, I seem to 've forgotten a lot of other things.”
“Somethin' bad?” Brina shivers.
The petite female shrugs, “Just think of somethin' to call me for now. My memory seems to be slowly comin' back. One day I'll be able to tell you my name.”
“I guess,” Brina grimaces, “I just... I don't know. You saved me. You aren't family... exactly...”
“Family is what you make it.”
The girl frowns, “Huh?”
“Maybe one day you'll understand.” The petite female spots the waitress returning with their bill. After a glance at the paper, she hands over a couple bills. The waitress takes them. While she is gone to the till, Brina and her companion leave the diner.
Once they are out on the street, Brina looks up, “So how do I learn to read?”
“We need to buy a few more things.” The petite female takes the girl's hand and they start walking, “Paper and pencils would be a good start.”
The girl frowns, but seems to withdraw into herself. Just before they reach their destination, she finally brightens and looks up.
“Could I call you Sanah?”
“Sure.”
March-63
“Sanah!” Brina is breathing hard and pouring sweat when she dashes inside and slams the door closed. She bolts it securely before leaning against it, “What's the thieves guild?”
The woman across the room looks up from cleaning the knife in her hand, “What happened?”
“I took that job... the one for Reict...” Brina pants, “Any street kid could've done what he wanted an' the pay seemed good...”
Sanah nods, “I thought you would. But what happened?”
“These people came when he was payin' me,” Brina slumps down to sit against the door, “Said I shouldn't work for him. Said it was thieves guild territory an' I shouldn't be there. Reict laughed at them. Said they're a useless bunch of nobodies.”
“The guild here is a useless bunch,” Sanah sets aside the knife, “They've been a joke for years... claimin' to be professional thieves, but can't feed their own any better than anyone off the street.”
“So why do this now?” Brina, now breathing easier, straightens up, “What can they really do?”
“There may be a new local guildmaster,” Sanah takes a deep breath, “I've been keepin' an eye on them, but they exist so far underground it's hard to get anythin' accurate.”
Brina frowns, “How d'you know so much?”
“Come here,” The woman turns so the girl can see her left shoulder clearly, “This tattoo is somethin' given to those who qualify for thieves guild membership, but choose not to join. They like to track potential trouble.”
Brina's frown deepens, “How long 've you had it?”
“I wish I knew. What I do know is it's a variation on a guild trainer's crest which hasn't been used in a very long time.”
“A variation?”
Sanah shrugs, “I think... any guild trainin' I might've had was secondary to somethin' else. Somethin' more important.”
“There was somethin' else...” Brina takes a deep breath, “When the guild people came after me... Somethin' 'bout the infamous Amy. Is that a person? Do you even know?”
Confusion and uncertainty chase each other across the woman's face, “A person... I think. The name's familiar.” Finally, she shakes her head, “You did get paid?”
Brina nods, “Reict said he'd send word if he has more work for me. I guess he isn't worried 'bout the guild people.”
“I wouldn't worry 'bout them either.” Sanah picks up the knife to finish cleaning it.
The girl nods again. A moment later, she queries, “So what's the next lesson? Now that I can pick pockets an' locks an' fight a bit an' read an' write an' do some math.”
“Safes,” Sanah looks up, “You already have a good eye for value. But learnin' to open safes 'll really increase the jobs you can take.”
“Prob'ly.” Brina nods to herself.
March-65
As they finish eating their usual cold breakfast, Brina looks at her companion and teacher, “The job I'm s'posed to do today... It'd be a lot easier with two people. The pay's enough to split.”
Sanah nods, “Shouldn't be a problem.”
The two of them get themselves ready before leaving. As always, they ensure the door is securely locked. Then they set out walking.
Before they have gotten more than a couple blocks, two large men appear on the sidewalk ahead of them. Sanah's eyes turn colder than usual. Brina swallows hard, but keeps up with her companion.
“You shouldn't be here.” The man who speaks is just slightly taller than his companion.
Sanah stops just short of them, but does not speak. Brina does the same.
“You shouldn't even be alive,” The second man looks contemptuous, “If you're really...”
“You think you know who I am?” The woman shakes her head, “You can't resurrect a dying guild chapter by drivin' others away. If you can't do the work, you won't get the jobs.”
The first man draws a gun and the woman explodes into motion, knocking the weapon away and laying out both men before either has opportunity to react. As quickly as she had attacked, the woman is calm and walking again. Brina shivers as she hurries to keep up.
“You really still don't remember how you know how to do these things?”
The woman takes a deep breath, “I think... I think I was merc trained.”
“Merc trained?” Brina frowns, “Like the professional trained mercenaries they tell stories about? There hasn't been a school in decades... longer.”
Sanah shrugs, “There's still a lot I don't remember.”
“Merc trained and guild trained?” Brina continues to frown, “Who could've gotten both even when the merc schools did exist?”
“Someone who was somethin' more than either.”
At the new, female voice, both turn to see a woman with long black hair, blue eyes, and an intricate piece of jewelry dangling from one ear. She is holding an identical piece in one hand.
Sanah frowns in confusion, “I know you.”
The black haired woman sighs, “Yeah, you do. But I'm guessin' you did a number on yourself this time.”
Brina glances back and forth, looking wary, before addressing the stranger, “Who are you?”
“Most people know me as Lexa Hyrin. I was her trainin' partner... back when we were in trainin'.”
“Lexa...” Sanah reaches for the pendant, “This's mine, isn't it?”
Lexa nods, “I had a feelin' you'd need it back. I'm just not sure why you picked now to piss off the thieves guild.”
“I didn't set out to,” Sanah studies the piece of jewelry before tucking it into a pocket, “We're on our way to a job. Will you be around later?”
“For a day or so,” Lexa nods, “Then I have my own job to get to. I'll find you this evenin'.”
Sanah nods, “Later then.”
When Brina and her instructor return home around sunset, they find Lexa seated on the steps. She stands on hearing them approach. Brina frowns warily.
“How'd you find this place?”
Lexa chuckles, “Wasn't that hard.”
Sanah just nods to herself and goes down to let all three into the building basement. Only once the door is closed and locked does she return her attention to their visitor.
“Why look for me now?”
Lexa studies her carefully, “How much d'you remember?”
The other woman sighs, “It's comin' back in bits an' pieces. I know I didn't deliberately block my memory. It was trauma... not that I remember what.”
Lexa nods to herself, “How 'bout your name... any or all of it?”
“Amy. Or at least that's what most people call me.”
“Well, everyone 'cept your mother an' her best friend,” Lexa chuckles, “Most round here 'd prob'ly remember you as Amy Hyrin.”
Brina frowns, “Remember her as?”
“Long, long story,” Lexa pulls over a
crate to sit on, “Has she told you any of what she has remembered?”
“Mostly just stuff related to what she teaches me,” Brina gets herself a drink from the ice filled cooler chest beside the shelves holding the kitchen things, “She did say she'd tell me her name once she remembered it. You aren't family...”
“Family is what you make it,” Amy sets some food out on the table before pulling up her own seat, “Pretty sure I told you that years ago.”
“Somehow I'm not surprised you'd remember that,” Lexa looks bemused, “Not sure what else you could call it after this long.”
“So you just came to return my pendant?” Amy studies her with a raised eyebrow, “Or is there somethin' else up?”
“Other than you pissin' off the guild? Or at least the local bunch.”
Amy grimaces, “Back when I first rescued Brina here, I tried to take her to the local guild. They turned us both away. Said they could barely feed their own, which hasn't actually changed. But there's a new local leader who thinks they can make themselves better again by runnin' any potential 'rivals' out of town.”
“So...?”
“So I've been teachin' Brina what I can remember an' we've been takin' odd jobs to get by. Not even necessarily work that could be the guild's jurisdiction, but it doesn't seem to matter. The local guild is fallin' apart faster all the time an' they want to blame everythin' an' everyone but themselves.”
“You could just take her out of here.”
Amy shakes her head, “Not that simple. Anyway, think you could help me get my pendant back in?”
“Prob'ly.” Lexa grimaces.
“Pendant?” Brina frowns, looking from one woman to the other.
“The mark of a trained merc,” Lexa explains, “The pendants are given on graduation. And there're very few mercs who'd willingly give theirs