Hey! Thief! Theif!" the shopkeeper's voice could be heard across the market
as the scrawny bandit moved swiftly toward the cover of the thick wood
ahead of her.
The merchant's words echoed in her mind. 'Thief…thief…thief…'.
Thief? She didn't consider herself a thief. Everyone had ways to gain food and this was her only option at the time. She had no home, no weapon. The only things she owned were the clothes on her back and a small travel bag.
As she fled, she could hear heavy footsteps pursuing behind her. Smirking, she thought to herself. Men? She could outrun a mortal. But what's the fun in that? Smiling, she halted when a masculine voice ordered her to cease her flight.
"An elf?" the guard looked at her in surprise. She returned his stare with eyes deprived of emotion. "Well, this is a sight to see."
Hushed voices were exchanged between the other guards as she stood silently in front of them.
"Show us what you have hidden behind your back, Elf." said the same guard as before. He seemed to be the leader of the pack.
But the thief knew the ignorance of these men all too well. She just cocked her head slightly to the side and looked at the guard as if she did not understand.
"Your back." He pointed behind her. "Show us what is behind your back."
She looked behind her and back at him, puzzled. The man shook his head as he tried to peer over her shoulder but she backed away.
"Does anyone know Elvish here?" the man asked his group. The elf smiled and resisted the temptation to raise her hand.
"Come now, sir. It's just a loaf of bread. Is this creature worth really worth our trouble?" another guard asked. This was followed by several words of agreement as they all turned to their captain.
"If we did that then she will only return once again."
"Then let us chase her out. Scare her away."
Many nodded while others shouted their approval.
"Very well." He turned and faced the elf in front of him. Pulling the sword from his sheath, he pointed his blade toward the elf. His guards followed his actions, doing the same.
But the elf just looked at the blade, confusion written across her face. Secretly slipping the loaf of bread in the bag hanging across her back, she removed her hands from behind her and reached out to touch the weapon.
"Back!" the guard poked his sword toward her, making her retreat. But after a few steps, she stopped. Giving him a surprised look, she turned her attention back to the blade, eyes filled with interest. Again, she cautiously reached out to touch it.
"I said back! Ignorant beast!" he took a careless swing at her, intending only to scare her. He had never had to kill an elf and never planned to. He was quite intrigued by the species.
"Captain. She seems not to have anything. Her hands are empty." One of his men stated.
"Yes but surely this must be the thief. We saw her running from the market."
"Maybe we spooked her by our yelling. If she had stolen something then wouldn't she have kept running when we followed?"
The leader paused. His companion had a point. Looking tentatively at the elf, he slowly placed his sword back in its sheath.
"All right. Be off with you." He waved his hand at the elf.
She gave him a blank look.
"Go on. Shoo." He waved at her again, motioning for her to leave. Several guards began to snicker.
"Go!" he gave her a push. She gave him an offended look before sitting down on the ground in front of him. She glared, refusing to budge.
Now this made his companions laugh even harder. But he just stared back down at her with a skeptic look in his eye. He had done his research on her kind and her actions baffled him. She acted completely out of character compared to the facts and history of her people.
With a sigh he turned and motioned for his group to leave, purposefully lagging behind as they departed.
When she saw the guards start to walk away, the young elf slowly rose to her feet and giggled. Patting her bag, she sang softly as she made her way in the opposite direction, deeper into the wood. Internally smiling with satisfaction at her act.
She was paid no attention to the lingering captain as he too smiled to himself in his own satisfaction. He knew there was something more to her actions. Returning back to the market he shook his head. A clever young creature that elf was.
And he pitied her. It seemed a shame to him for such a fair being to have to live a life so poor. And yet somehow she seemed happy with what she had.
Silently, he said a prayer for the poor maiden and continued on with his work, leaving the memory of his meeting with the elf to linger in the back of his mind.
Little did he know what would become of that creature that same day.
The merchant's words echoed in her mind. 'Thief…thief…thief…'.
Thief? She didn't consider herself a thief. Everyone had ways to gain food and this was her only option at the time. She had no home, no weapon. The only things she owned were the clothes on her back and a small travel bag.
As she fled, she could hear heavy footsteps pursuing behind her. Smirking, she thought to herself. Men? She could outrun a mortal. But what's the fun in that? Smiling, she halted when a masculine voice ordered her to cease her flight.
"An elf?" the guard looked at her in surprise. She returned his stare with eyes deprived of emotion. "Well, this is a sight to see."
Hushed voices were exchanged between the other guards as she stood silently in front of them.
"Show us what you have hidden behind your back, Elf." said the same guard as before. He seemed to be the leader of the pack.
But the thief knew the ignorance of these men all too well. She just cocked her head slightly to the side and looked at the guard as if she did not understand.
"Your back." He pointed behind her. "Show us what is behind your back."
She looked behind her and back at him, puzzled. The man shook his head as he tried to peer over her shoulder but she backed away.
"Does anyone know Elvish here?" the man asked his group. The elf smiled and resisted the temptation to raise her hand.
"Come now, sir. It's just a loaf of bread. Is this creature worth really worth our trouble?" another guard asked. This was followed by several words of agreement as they all turned to their captain.
"If we did that then she will only return once again."
"Then let us chase her out. Scare her away."
Many nodded while others shouted their approval.
"Very well." He turned and faced the elf in front of him. Pulling the sword from his sheath, he pointed his blade toward the elf. His guards followed his actions, doing the same.
But the elf just looked at the blade, confusion written across her face. Secretly slipping the loaf of bread in the bag hanging across her back, she removed her hands from behind her and reached out to touch the weapon.
"Back!" the guard poked his sword toward her, making her retreat. But after a few steps, she stopped. Giving him a surprised look, she turned her attention back to the blade, eyes filled with interest. Again, she cautiously reached out to touch it.
"I said back! Ignorant beast!" he took a careless swing at her, intending only to scare her. He had never had to kill an elf and never planned to. He was quite intrigued by the species.
"Captain. She seems not to have anything. Her hands are empty." One of his men stated.
"Yes but surely this must be the thief. We saw her running from the market."
"Maybe we spooked her by our yelling. If she had stolen something then wouldn't she have kept running when we followed?"
The leader paused. His companion had a point. Looking tentatively at the elf, he slowly placed his sword back in its sheath.
"All right. Be off with you." He waved his hand at the elf.
She gave him a blank look.
"Go on. Shoo." He waved at her again, motioning for her to leave. Several guards began to snicker.
"Go!" he gave her a push. She gave him an offended look before sitting down on the ground in front of him. She glared, refusing to budge.
Now this made his companions laugh even harder. But he just stared back down at her with a skeptic look in his eye. He had done his research on her kind and her actions baffled him. She acted completely out of character compared to the facts and history of her people.
With a sigh he turned and motioned for his group to leave, purposefully lagging behind as they departed.
When she saw the guards start to walk away, the young elf slowly rose to her feet and giggled. Patting her bag, she sang softly as she made her way in the opposite direction, deeper into the wood. Internally smiling with satisfaction at her act.
She was paid no attention to the lingering captain as he too smiled to himself in his own satisfaction. He knew there was something more to her actions. Returning back to the market he shook his head. A clever young creature that elf was.
And he pitied her. It seemed a shame to him for such a fair being to have to live a life so poor. And yet somehow she seemed happy with what she had.
Silently, he said a prayer for the poor maiden and continued on with his work, leaving the memory of his meeting with the elf to linger in the back of his mind.
Little did he know what would become of that creature that same day.