CHAPTER ONE

Tristan

Tristan jumped a pile of rags that he suspected was in actuality some poor beggar, and continued to hurdle through the alleys of Haven. He cursed himself for letting his greed come before his common sense, and held the silk pouch tighter in his fist.

The day had started out like any other day. He and Jackson had headed out to scout their area of the city, looking for any easy pickings. It had looked promising. A group of bored young nobles had come into the slums of the city, no doubt looking for adventure. Assuming that that was all they were-young idiots that weren't going to pay attention to the 'common' fold around them-he had snuck up to the group. Jackson had protested fiercely, finally bailing on Tristan when he realized the other boy wouldn't be swayed.

That should have made up Tristan's mind then and there; it was always good to have a partner somewhere. But, he had reasoned to himself, Jackson was a pansy who never took any risks. And never brought in any big hauls. So, Tristan had gone in, filched a beautifully embroidered silk pouch, and almost slipped away.

Sadly, one of those noble bastard's had a head on his shoulders. He cried out for the guards almost as soon as Tristan had snatched the goods. The damn guards, always ready to help the nobles, had been quick to respond. Which led up to Tristan's current situation.

Tristan took a right turn, and then a left, splashing through puddles and gods know what else as he frantically ran from the guards. He was making good progress when a filthy cut-throat jumped out at him. "Oh, son of a.." the boy muttered under his breath. "Get outta my way!" he screamed. The man was either half drunk or half dead, because he didn't move. In fact, he didn't even seem to realize what he was doing. Tristan slammed into him, knocking the other into a wall, and making him very angry. One more obstacle for the guards.

Tristan kicked his speed up a notch, straining his endurance, as he heard shouts from behind him. The guards had reached the other man sooner than he'd thought they would. The boy began desperately throwing crates and rubbish bins behind him, hoping to make it harder on his pursuers.

He was randomly choosing alleyways in an attempt to throw off the guards. From the sounds behind him, it wasn't working. Cursing himself fiercely, he threw himself into a right alleyway...and into broad daylight. "Shit!" he yelled, but the sound was drowned out by the people all around him. People that were blocking his escape.

"Shit, shit, shit!" he hopped up and down, hoping to find an escape route. He need not have bothered; it bumped right into him. He looked down at the young lord that had just walked into him, and, in a surge of inspiration, put his arm through the other boys, took his hat and put it on his own head, effectively covering his ridiculously red hair.

"'Ello, m'lord. Fine day, wouldn't ye' say?" They began walking with the crowd, away from the guards that were about to burst from the alley. Tristan, whose eyes had been constantly flickering from side to side, looking for any enemy, finally looked down at his companion. The young man couldn't be a year younger than Tristan himself. Obviously nobly born, he had chocolatey brown hair, and brilliant blue eyes. His nose was a little big for his face, but served rather to give it character, than to mar it.

"I daresay it is," he replied easily, as if this sort of thing happened every day. "May I ask where we're going?" the boy had a mischievous smile on his face, and his eyes were practically sparkling. Tristan thought that he might actually be alright, for a rich kid.

"Oh, jus' fer a stroll. Maybe to look fer a present fer yer sister," Tristan replied easily. Now that he had caught his breath, he rather thought it a fun idea to engage in some playful banter with the young lord.

The other boy laughed delightedly, "Ah, yes, my sister. I do spoil her rotten, after all." They continued to stroll through the street, stopping here and there to look at a stall.

The cost seemed to be clear, so Tristan thought he'd take advantage of a fine situation. "Actually, we was about to go and get some lunch, too," the young thief glanced sidelong at his companion, to gauge his reaction.

The other boy simply grinned. Tristan definitely thought that he was one of the rare good sorts. "Yes, of course. I am known for my generosity." Tristan laughed loudly. This had turned out to be a damn good morning.

They were almost to a stall selling meat pies when Tristan spotted a group of guards making their way through the crowd. They were grabbing young boys to see their faces, and warning the other nobles to guard their purses. "Let's take a raincheck on that grub, eh? I gotta split," and, without waiting for the lords response, took off down another alley and was gone.

Caleb

Caleb continued threading his way through the crowd. He wasn't really hungry, having just eaten before the young thief had come into his company. Caleb instinctively flinched away from the word thief. Being a noble, and thus a prime target, meant that uneasiness around the common folk was pretty much ingrained. Though in Caleb's case, it was considerably less.

The young noble had always had a ready amount of sympathy for those less fortunate than himself. It was often a cause for ridicule, though Caleb found that he honestly didn't care if his friends thought him soft. Was it so hard to realize that you were more fortunate than others, and that you ought to do something about it? Caleb didn't think so, and so held only scorn and contempt for those who thought to degrade him for his compassion towards commonfolk.

The young lord swiped a hand through his hair, realizing that the scoundrel had run off with his hat. He supposed it would go to better use with the other boy, considering the business he was in. It would definitely be a help with that red hair, which must have proven difficult on more than one occasion.

Caleb kept drifting, thinking about the boy he had just run into. Green eyes, coupled with that flaming red hair, made him a very striking figure, something Caleb wasn't ashamed to admit. He'd always spotted beauty in boys before girls, though he didn't think much of it. He was a boy, after all. Shouldn't he compare himself to others, check out the competition? He grinned, knowing what he was trying to convince himself, and once again not really caring. In the end he was going to be how he wanted to be, and if the world didn't like that, then it was their problem.

Caleb did decide that he wanted something to drink, though, and so seated himself at a stall. He had just finished ordering when someone hailed him from the crowd. "Caleb! Did you hear? Jensen's been robbed!" It was hard for anyone to disguise their glee at any misfortune that befell the pompous young heir, Jensen Pierce. Caleb's friend Lee wasn't even trying.

"No, I hadn't heard," Caleb said enthusiastically, though he suspected he knew who did it.

"Yeah? Well, he and his sycophants went out into the slums, looking for a bit of 'excitement', and some pickpocket nicked his purse. Right under his nose!" Lee, a tall, willowy, blonde hair, blue eyed boy, cried out happily.

"No kidding?" Caleb said, his customary grin returning to his face.

Lee waved his hands expansively. "You see all these guards? They're looking for the one who did it. I sure hope he got away! Anyone that robs Jensen deserves to keep what they got!"

Caleb laughed out loud at his friend's exuberance. "I have a feeling he will. Serves Jensen right, strutting around down there with all that money. Only an idiot would think they could get out untouched."

They both continued grinning and laughing at their peer's misfortune. "I don't even know why he's bothering with the guards," Lee continued, "it's not like he needs that money."

"I think his pride was wounded. He's attempting to salvage what dignity he has left." Caleb paid for his drink as he began walking back home with Lee.

"Well, now I really hope they don't find the rascal. Imagine the state of poor Jensen's dignity if that happened!"

"It would be in shreds!" Caleb exclaimed. They both laughed all the way home.