Kashvi hung upside down from the line, gripping the knotted rope with her thighs. The street below was filled with crowds in a state of near riot. A naked woman giggled as she tossed handfuls of flowers at a group of drunken youths purusing her with good hearted cheers. The streets were hung with blazing paper lanterns in bright colors that obscured Kashvi's position by ruining the night vision of those below. The Festival of Light was a three day revel that marked the beginning of a new year. By custom no writs of theft were to be issued by the Nightmaster during the festival, which meant if she were to be discovered the Guild would take a dim view of her exploit. A thief who stole without a writ was liable to be whipped or worse, but although the Festival prohibited working, it didn't excuse one from Guild dues.

"Gishra's teeth," Kashvi muttered as she wiggled the thin metal probe between the window panes. She was glad she had bound her hair back into a tight bun, though the weight of it pulled down on her scalp already flushed from pooling blood. The pick contacted something inside and Kashvi worked it around, slowly lifting the latch till she felt it click free. Carefully, she eased open the  window and twisted herself in, feeling the rush of blood to her feet as she touched down. She pulled the window closed behind her and then traced one of the tattoos on her forearm. The dark interior of the building was suddenly lit with sourcless light. The magical light was in her mind rather than a physical luminance, a charm of dark vision that would last for twenty turns of the glass. The office of Galdor the Gemseller was a far cry from the oppulent show room down below, but it also lacked the elaborate wards which protected the glittering jewelery. Kashvi took out a black silk bag and began to loot the place, slipping handfuls of uncut gems into the pouch. With any luck these would cover her dues for the next two months. Maybe Galt would do well enough that they would both be off the hook for a few weeks.

A sudden creak made Kashvi freeze. Someone was moving about out in the hallway. Lantern light spilled from beneath the doorway as someone passed outside. The light faded as the night watchman passed by, too lazy to check a room he knew was safe. Breathing a sigh of relief she quickly finished her looting and tied the sack to her belt. Time to go. She slipped back out the window and climbed her line, jumping to the next roof, she pulled a slate from the ceiling and tossed it through the window with a crash before vanishing over the rooftops.

______________________

Kashvi playful pushed away one of the cavorting youths as she made her way through the cowd. Her black working clothes had been turned inside out to reveal the burgandy and gold street clothes she had stiched inside. Her braids had been unbound and allowed to hang down, looking for all the world like a prosperous young merchants daughter, or perhpas a minor palace functionary. She turned onto Feather Alley, heading for tavern which concealed the entry to the Seven Raven's guild house. It was still a few hours shy of dawn, but she wanted to get something to eat and find a warm bed before the sun came up. Suddenly, she became aware of an unusual number of people in the alley. They weren't dressed in the bright colors of the Festival, instead they wore gray over leather and chain. They looked like heavies, the muscle of the thieves guilds, but they weren't Seven Raven's muscle. Something was wrong. Her eyes cut to the daw of the Daybreak tavern. The Doormen were gone, replaced by gray clad thugs. Fear knotted in her gut. Something was very wrong. She turned to find a gray cloak standing behind her with an evil look in his eye and a compact crossbow leveled at her chest.

"Goodbye Raven," he chuckled and began to squeezed the trigger. The brick wall beside the man exploded outwards in a shower of dust and debris. Joe Shipwreck smashed his way through the wall, arcane sigils glowing. Kashvi knocked aside the bow and slapped the trigger mechanism, sending the bolt thudding into the guts of another of the gray clad attackers. Chaos reigned all around.

"Up Ravens!" Joe Shipwreck bellowed in a voice that rattled the window pains. Screams and howls filled the alley as the gray clad attackers surged into the guild house. Kashvi heard the sound of a lantern smashing and the whumph of exploding oil. One of the whores at the end of the alley leaped to her feet.

"Up Ravens!" she shouted a moment before several swords struck her down. Kashvi pulled the bag of gems from her belt and smashed it into the face of one of the heavies, then whipped her short blade from its sheath and gutted another.

"Scarper!" Joe Shipwreck shouted and drove a fist into the wall, arcane tattoos flashing bright as his great fist smashed the stone to powder. He dived through, followed by Kashvi who deflected two swords, one with her blade and the other with her sack of gems. They were in the back of the wineshop on Geth street, the clientelle already scattering as an enraged and bloody Joe Shipwreck bolted full speed through the shop. Kashvi rushed after him, lifting her hands to blast bright light into the eyes of her pursuers. A moment later they were out on the street and fleeing into the crowd.