Prologue
The young thief looked up from the base of the castle walls. Beside her stood her older brother, his dark blue eyes focused on the battlements above them. His night wizened eyes easily picked out the guards patrolling along, his mind calculating what to do.
After a few moments, the older thief started to scale the wall, his gauntlet-covered hands easily gouging small finger holds into the stones. The younger thief followed him, her nimble fingers finding all of the holes her brother had left for her.
The two made their way silently up the wall, their matching purple cloaks making no sounds as a light breeze shifted them simultaneously.
At the top, the older thief peeked his head so he could get a clear view, and seeing no one, climbed up and landed softly, his red-and-black striped boots making no noise. The younger followed his example, her dark-purple dyed hair swishing in protest against the two pigtails in which is was kept.
The older quickly swung himself over the lawn below and jumped, using his cloak as a makeshift parachute. The younger followed suit, her medium blue eyes scanning the ground below for obstacles.
The duo landed quietly, and headed for the walls leading to the castle's high windows. As with the outside wall, the elder led with the younger following, and they both slipped silently into one of the windows.
The younger then took the lead, her slim figure slinking around corners like a snake over stone. In her mind she silently counted turns, doors, and steps as she and her older brother silently made their way deeper into the citadel. After several close calls to being caught, the young girl held her open palm up in a stopping gesture, and she put one of her slightly pointed ears to an unmarked door.
She heard nothing, and opening the large door her eyes confirmed that no one was in the dimly lit room. As the younger thief started to step forward, her brother stopped her, and took off his red and black jacket. The older then tossed it into the room and watched it fall to the floor. Nothing happened, so he nodded his little sister on.
The younger thief set her mouth in a hard line, spread her arms for balance, narrowed her eyes, and dashed into the room, her steps as light as air.
On the opposite side of the room was a three-foot-tall stone pedestal with a ring of five different colored stones on it. The young thief jumped and landed neatly in the center of the jewels as she slung an empty bag off of her shoulder. Bending over at the waist, she started gently putting the stones into her bag: Blue, yellow, clear, green, and red. As she scooped up the last one, she leaped off the pedestal and slung the now-weighted bag over her shoulder in midair and dashed out of the room, gracefully grabbing her brother's jacket on the way out.
"Hey, Reala," the younger thief called as she darted past him, "I think it high time we left. What say you?"
Reala turned and ran after his younger sister, saying as he caught up, "NiGHTS, I think that's probably one of the smartest things I've ever heard you say."