Author's note: I'd like to thank Shavaineth for being a beta reader for my story. Her comments were great and help a great deal to make this story work.
The Mirror Game
The mirror was framed by peeling pink paint and gaudy flowers that spiraled down the handle. It was the type used by merchants' daughters, when they were at the age where they only cared about pretty dolls and ribbons, and had not yet noticed boys. When the two orphans salvaged it from garbage behind the cobbler's shop, it had large crack slashed across the surface, but they didn't care. They'd never owned something new in their life and cared more about getting their next meal than about dolls and toy trains and tea parties.
But right now it was Wednesday, and the bakery always threw out their stale loaves on Wednesday. With full bellies, their minds sought other things to do, and so they found the mirror and decided to play the Mirror Game.
At the moment, two identical sallow skinned faces were reflected in the mirror. Brown hair hung in messy tufts, framing the dirt smudged cheeks of the two boys' faces. Both pairs of large brown eyes peered intently at the mirror seeking some difference between them. One pair of eyes belonged to a boy named Rand, who thought he was six years old, but wasn't really certain. The other set of eyes belonged to one known only as V. V had decided to be at least seven and had told Rand so. V always made a point of being at least one year older than everyone else.
Neither of them could remember a time that didn't include the other. V had been there when Rand had stolen two apples from Habra, the fruit vendor, because neither of them had eaten in a week. Rand had been there to help V out of the sewers when V was pushed in by the baker's son. V had pretended to be Rand's older brother so the city guard wouldn't take him to the orphanage. Every kid who lived on the street knew about the orphanage and everyone knew if they took you there you didn't come back.
All the other kids who lived on the streets knew not to mess with them, because where there was one, there was always the other. They were strong, as long as they were together, and they knew it.
"Tha's creepy, V! I hates it when ya look like me."
"Well, whos else do ye want me to looks like?"
"Do ol' man Smyth that runs the magic shop!"
On the left side of the mirror, the face shifted until piercing blue eyes peered out of a wrinkled old face. A white beard, peppered with black streaks, flowed down the chin and the mouth was all but lost under a bushy mustache.
"No, no, he's gots less hair than that," Rand said, tugging on V's beard. "It's all wiry and thin and stuff."
The beard in the mirror shifted until it was sparse and scratchy.
"Better?"
"Now do Mrs. Ebinor, the tailor's wife!"
V's face shifted.
"The blacksmith's son!"
The face shifted again.
"Hey, do the ol' gnome to lives near North Gate. The one whos always yellin' when we sleep in 'is shed."
The face shifted again and again and again. Sometimes small corrections needed to be made to the thickness of an eyebrow or the placement of a wrinkle, but for the most part V had a knack for mirroring another's face. As the game wore on, noon became night and young bellies began to growl with renewed hunger.
Despite being able to look like anyone, V saw no reason not look like a changeling. So when the game finished, V's face settled back to its normal grey hue. Blue eyes turned into white, blank orbs. The hooked nose shrank until only a hint of a bump was left. Lips thinned until they were just outlines for the mouth. Dirty white hair fell around the face, partially obscuring a tattoo of a "V" on the left cheek.
V had had the tattoo for as long as could be remembered. For as long as V had known Rand. Perhaps even when V had still had parents, although V couldn't remember that far back. Cord, another street kid who usually hung around the Temple District, had told V that it was a common for changelings to tattoo the first letter of their children's name on their cheek, so they could always tell which one was theirs. V didn't know if it was true or not (V didn't know any other changelings to ask), but V liked to think that it was. The Name Game was a popular game for Rand and V. So they often sat around trying to list all the names they knew that started with V. But in the end, V was still V.
"Com'on, V. I'm tired of the Mirror Game. Let's go over to the Dancin' Bear Inn and see if we's can get any scraps for dinner tonight."
"Dancin' Bear's in Stone Fist territory. They's are lots older and bigger than us. I can't even make me that big yet. Ya sure we should be goin' there?" The last run in with the Stone Fists had left Rand with a black eye and V with a broken hand just because they'd nicked some food near Shady's, where the gang slept. Ever since then, V wanted nothing to do with them.
"We'll be fine, I promise ya! The Dancin' Bear isn't even close to Shady's; they won't even knows we there. Besides, I heard Saal say earlier that a big party is goin' ons at the Bear tonight. Which means lotsa leftovers."
V's stomach growled. V knew that, Parties always threw out good scraps and usually meant full bellies for everyone. If they got there now, they might beat any other kids to the good stuff. Besides, everything always turned out okay when Rand was there.
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"You kids get outta here! If I catch ya out back again, you'll be minus a couple digits once I'm through with ya!"
Even from a block away, V could still hear the cook's yelling, but the cook wouldn't follow now. V slowed from a run to a walk, wheezing from exertion. Unfortunately, V was also still hungry. Rand and V had only managed a few bites before being discovered and they had split. Only, they had split in different directions, so now V didn't have Rand, was still hungry, and in the middle of Stone Fist territory.
The best thing to do, in V's mind, was to hole up somewhere for while and find Rand in the morning. The Stone Fist would've heard all that shoutin' and would probably turn up to check it out. They'd find V in no time if V didn't hide now.
V remembered a Safe Spot that wasn't far from here. Rand and V had discovered a couple of weeks ago. Hopefully Rand would remember it too and find V there. The Safe Spot was down a dark alley. Because of how the building were, about half way down the alley there was a nook between two buildings, which is where V curled up for the night. Slowly, V fell asleep, safe with the knowledge that no one could see the nook from the street.
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Rough hands and pain jarred V awake. V drew in a breath to scream, and then a hand was around V's throat, and suddenly there wasn't any air to breathe. V opened bleary eyes to see four dark silhouettes framed by blinding sunlight. Gasping for air like a fish, dark spots began to cloud V's vision.
Then the hand was gone, leaving V to gulp down mouthfuls of air. However, the silhouettes didn't allow much of a reprieve before a boot connected with ribs and the air in V's lungs exploded outwards in a violent exhale.
The silhouettes laughed. Slowly, V tried to crawl out of reach, even though the only place away from the attackers was back against the wall. Each breath was shallow and painful, through a bruised throat and cracked ribs.
"That oughtta teach ya to steal from us, freak!" jeered a silhouette.
"Wasn't... me..." V croaked out, still trying to gulp air in a way that didn't turn V's right side into solid agony.
V's fear spiked when a hand wrapped in a dirty grey rag was clamped over V's mouth and nose. Because of this, V's scream was muffled when two fingers were stepped on and broken. Distantly, V realized that the grey handwrap marked the attackers as member of the Stone Fist.
"So whaddya think? Should we believe you or the freak?" It took V a minute to realize they were talking to someone else.
"I's already told ya," said a familiar voice. "It wasn't me, twas the changeling lookin' like me. After the cook chased us away from the Dancin' Bear, V wanted to go snoopin' 'round Shady's and I's knows you stay there, so I said no and V said yes and I's say well do it on ya own, and I's left." The last of it came out very quickly and high pitched, as if saying something while in a lot of pain and trying to say it all at once to get it done faster.
And now that V was looking, V could see Rand standing behind the four silhouettes, carefully holding one arm that looked like it was bent the wrong angle. Another of the Stone Fist was next to him, gripping the back of his neck in a way that made Rand hunch his shoulders and scrunch up his face in pain. Not once did Rand look at V.
"Why'd you say that? I didn't do anything after we left the Bear! I's been no where near Shady's!" V yelled, confused and hurt that Rand would say such things.
"Ya don't really think we believe you, do ya?" the silhouette said to V. "Pleas of innocence won't work, kid. We don't care. We're just here to take our payment outta ya. Ever heard the expression: Ya owe a pound of flesh? Well, now ya gonna know what it really means."
Behind them, the Stone Fist holding Rand released him, and he bolted towards the street. Never once did Rand look back.
Tears carved tracks through the dirt on V's face, and something deep inside twisted painfully and broke. V didn't blame Rand for running away–he couldn't have done anything to help–but V couldn't understand why Rand would blame it on V. He could have named any other kid except V, and they would both be okay. But he hadn't done that, and broke one of the first rule of the street: You don't rat on your friends. No matter what.
V let out another muffled scream as another finger was broken. V knew that this was going to be bad. So, in a last ditch effort, V literally tried to shrink away from the attackers grip, becoming small enough to dash through an opening between two of the attackers.
V got three steps before a hand snaked out and slammed V back against the wall.
One of them leaned forward and V could make out a dark, sadistic grin.
"Just like a changeling to set up a friend"–and this word was sneer cruelly–"to take the fall. Lookin' like your friend so we thinks it's him who did it. But lying won't save ya now. We checked; the kid has an alibi. So, you see, everything points to what everyone already knows..." and he leaned closer to whisper, "...you can't trust a changeling."
Everything after that was a blur of kicking feet, punching fist, and breaking bones. There was nothing V could do to stop it. There were five of them and they were all bigger and stronger than V. Yet V was determined not to give in and cry again. Not to give them the satisfaction. And throughout it all, the fiery knowledge of Rand's betrayal burned through the agony of the beating. And finally, not even that was enough and V faded into unconsciousness.
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When V awoke again, it was dark.
The attackers were gone, but a new person had taken their place. He was middle aged and had rather ordinary features, the type that were easily forgotten once you stopped looking at him. His hair was a color that could be taken for either blond or brunette, depending on the lighting. Even his clothes looked like they could've been made by any of the tailors in the Market District. Any other time, V wouldn't have given him a second glance, except that now he was leaning over V with an unreadable expression on his face.
"They really did a number on you, didn't they?" Said the man.
V tried to sit up, but the movement pushed away the numbness and it felt like shards of broken glass were trying to push their way from the inside out. V couldn't move the left arm at all.
"Hey, hey, don't try to get up, you'll just make it worse." The man snapped his fingers and a halfling came forward. "I've brought someone to help."
The halfling lightly laid his hands on V's shoulder and a blessed coolness spread out from where he touched. Afterwards, nothing seemed to hurt as much and V could move the left arm again.
"Thank you, Kell. You can go now." Both V and the man watched the halfling leave. "Okay, try and sit up." His arm wrapped around V's shoulder to help.
Once V was leaning against the alley wall, V croaked, "Who are ya?"
The man smiled. "I'm known as the Thief Lord."
V's eyes widened in surprise. In some of the shadier inns, there were always rumors about the Thief Lord and his guild. The question was, which rumors were true and which were false? "I've heard of ya," V said with narrowed eyes. "Whaddya want?"
"I've come to recruit you to my guild."
"But no one trusts a changeling," V spat out. V eyed him warily, wondering what his true intentions were.
"True, there is that saying. But there is a loop hole in that logic. Let's think about this for a second. If you don't look like a changeling, and no one knows you're a changeling, then they don't know that they aren't supposed to trust you. Get my drift?"
"I guess..." V said cautiously, "but how do I do that?"
"Here's a bit of free advice, kid. Don't go around looking like a changeling. Pick someone you want to look like, and pick a name to go with that person and then pretend to be that person. In fact, don't just stop with being one person. Be lots of different people with different names that do different things. The more people, the better. That way, if someone realizes one person is a changeling, then you can always become someone else."
"Like this?" And V shifted from being a changeling into something else.
"A girl, huh? And what's this girl's name?"
V thought for a minute. It had to start with a "V", that was a given. And it had to be something that would sound dangerous. Something that would make people think twice before messing with V.
"Viper."
The man smiled. "Nice to meet you, Viper–"
"Hey, wait a minute," Viper interrupted, having just realized something. "You already know I'm a changeling. So it doesn't work."
The man laughed. "Yes, I know you're a changeling and you know you're a changeling, but no one else knows that! Besides, I'm one of those rare people that don't care if you're a changeling or an orc. What matters is what you do. After all, Rand's a human and he's the one who betrayed you, not the other way around."
Viper's eyes narrowed. "How'd ya know about that?"
"Kid, I know everything that happens in this city. And I've had my eye on you for awhile. You're a little young, but you're a quick learner and I think you have lots of potential. You'd be a great thief, with the right kind of training. So what do you say? Join my guild?"
"What's in it for me?"
"I was wondering when you were going to ask me that. As you just saw, healing is just one of the many benefits I offer. But if you join me, you'll also get decent meals, a warm place to sleep and most of all, my protection. I don't let anyone mess with me and mine. If you'd been part of the guild, what happened today would've never taken place. There's a lot to be said for safety in numbers." His face grew serious. "But most importantly, my people are loyal. I don't tolerate any form of backstabbing or betrayal within the ranks."
The offer was tempting.
"You promise?" Viper asked, eyes burning with the memory of Rand's betrayal. Never again, Viper decided. I know this guy is using me for something, but I'm going to use him too. And I'll never trust someone that easily again. It'll only hurt me, like Rand did.
The Thief Lord smiled. "I swear it."
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The man known as the Thief Lord watched as his newest pawn was led away by another of the guild.
Not a bad days work, he thought to himself. It's so easy, it's almost no fun. I maneuvered that poor kid into checkmate and I hardly did a thing.
"We's did what ya said," came a voice from behind him. "Got our money?"
The Thief Lord turned to see the leader of the Stone Fist standing behind him. A rather pathetic gang, in the Thief Lord's opinion, but they were at least useful pawns.
"And the other one–Rand?–his body's been taken care of?"
"Yeah, just like ya said to. And whatever spell ya cast earlier worked perfectly on him. He said everything he was supposed to, just like you said he would."
A pouch of coins exchanged hands. Then for a moment, they both just stood there looking at each other.
"Why are you still standing here?" the Thief Lord asked, and the expression on his face was such that the leader of the Stone Fist turned and ran the other way, coin purse clutched tightly in grubby fingers.
The Thief Lord turned and strolled the other way, blending into the crowds of the Merchant District, keen eyes searching for his next mark. Or his next pawn.