If you're a true noble thief, there are three rules: never get caught, never steal from those who are poorer than you, and never steal mementos.

The first time I stole something, I didn't think about that.

Not that I broke any of those rule; they just didn't cross my mind. Why would they, considering Mama never told me about a thief's code of honor? I was only five, and not once did Mama ever consider that I should take the path of a thief.

I did. Unintentionally, mind you.

Meltokio is split up into four districts: the Slums, the Commoner's Quarter, the Middle District, and the Upper District. Since I was a kid from the Slums (which - even at a young age - I knew, if Uncle ever found out, he'd pitch the biggest fit ever known in the history of forever), it was dangerous for me to walk around the Middle District and especially the Upper District because we would be tossed in jail under the assumption that we would do...something. But despite my rust red hair and emerald eyes I never stuck out, and because I was small no one noticed me weave in between legs and around dresses.

It was actually fun to walk around the Upper District (and hey, before you get on Mama's case for letting a five-year-old walk around without supervision, remember: Slum kid; we can handle ourselves). I think I thrived off the thrill of avoiding being caught. But I also liked to people watch; I'd overhear snippets of stories and fill in the blanks. I learned who had what money and how they spent it, who owned what business, who had the best and worst fashion sense, so on and so forth. I also learned who were the nicest people and who were downright assholes.

For the women, it had to be "Lady" Cassandra Miller.

"Lady" in gender only, by the way. Mama was more of a lady than her.

She had the most underhanded way of insulting people, and she insulted everyone. I think the only thing she cared about besides herself was her jewelry. She'd flaunt one around, laughing in a snooty, high pitched voice about how that piece of jewelry (that I was pretty sure she bought with her husband's hard earned money, Martel bless his soul) was the absolute best when - just the day before - she had proclaimed some other piece of jewelry was so lustrous nothing could compete.

So when she accidentally dropped her pure gold necklace with a palm-sized ruby without realizing it, I snatched it and began to calmly stride home.

Looking back, I'm pretty sure one of the women Cassandra was talking to spotted me, but since pretty much everyone hated the pale pink haired woman, she didn't say anything. It wasn't until I was at the last of the stairs that were right in front of the gates to the city that I heard a loud, piercing shriek from somewhere far behind me, and as I stopped and turned like everyone else I smirked triumphantly. A few moments later people went back to their daily lives, and I continued my way to our tent we called home.

"Did you have a good walk?" Mama asked as I entered. We were probably the most fortunate out of the tent Slummers; we had a big enough tarp to cover us completely and we were up against the wall, two mattresses, a few pots and pans, a container to store food, and two or three changes of clothes.

"Yep," I replied. Then I smiled and showed her the gaudy necklace. "And I 'found' this."

Mama stared at it like it was... Well, it was gold, so I guess that analogy doesn't work. "Where did you find that?" she whispered in awe.

"Cassandra Miller dropped it," I explained. "So I took it."

"Is that what that scream was about?" she realized.

"Uh huh."

Most mothers would scold their children and order them to give it back before teaching them about how stealing was wrong. Mama wasn't most mothers.

"Did you get caught?" she questioned.

"Nope."

For a while she stared at the necklace, and finally she looked at me and beamed proudly. "My dear Robyn, there's hope for you," she congratulated.

I was a bit confused, and so Mama revealed a secret to me and finally gave a reason as to why we would occasionally go on continental trips.

Reason we had more stuff than everyone else? When Mama wasn't making decent bread out of stale flour, she was stealing from the rich.

Forget living in the Slums, that is what Uncle Yuan would pitch a fit over.

...

Speaking of Yuan, when I learned about mementos, it was around when I was eight. Thankfully Mama and I happened to be on the road at the time, like we always were (Mama thanked Martel - something she very rarely did - for our marvelous luck). He and Mama were talking - mostly about me since it was apparently Uncle's job to look out for me - and while they talked I noticed something on the ground. It was a gold painted ring, nothing fancy, though on the inside were some strange letters I couldn't read.

Is this elven? I wondered. It would make sense, since Yuan was a half-elf.

I never cared about that fact, which is crazy to think about in Tethe'alla. But to me, Yuan was Yuan, nothing more and nothing less.

Mama, noticing that we were running out of water, went to find a fresh spring to get more. So it was just the two of us; he got himself lost in a book, and in my left hand I was playing with the ring, moving it between my fingers.

"Uncle," I finally piped up. He looked up. It had taken him a few years to get used to me calling him that, since I wasn't his blood niece, not to mention he had a hard time being...affectionate. But I was three when I gave him the title, and good luck trying to convince a three-year-old not to do something, especially when it makes you flustered. "Is this yours?"

He stared at the ring and took it from my hand. "Yes, it is," he replied, surprised. "I hadn't realized I dropped it. Thanks."

"What is it?" I asked.

"A ring," Yuan stated like it was the most obvious thing ever. There was amusement in his light green eyes, and I huffed.

"I meant what type of ring is it?" I corrected.

"That's better." I huffed again. "It's an engagement ring."

"You're getting married?" I gasped, filled with excitement.

But sadly, Yuan shook his head. "It's from...a very long time ago," he revealed. "My fiancée died, and this is all I have left of her."

Suddenly I felt very guilty. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

Yuan chuckled with amusement and sadness. "I know you don't mean to offend, Robyn," he assured. I nodded but still looked at the ground in shame.

We sat in silence for a very long time, with the only noise being the crackling of the fire. "What... What does it say?" I finally inquired quietly.

"I swear to true love," he recited, not even bothering to read the words from the ring. He probably had them burned in his brain.

"She... She must have been nice," I muttered.

"That and more," he whispered. "That and more."

When Yuan left the next morning, I looked at Mama. "Did you know he has a gold engagement ring?" I informed.

She raised an eyebrow. "No, he never told me," she said. "Is he getting married?"

"His fiancée died a long time ago," I explained.

"Then if you're thinking of stealing it, don't," she warned, her brown eyes narrowed and her voice stern. I gulped; Mama was rarely like that, but when she was, she meant business. "Robyn, there are three rules to honorable thieves: never get caught, never steal from those who are poorer than you, and never steal mementos."

"Mementos?" I repeated.

"It's something someone keeps as a reminder of a person or place. You are never to steal anything like that, understand?" I nodded. "Good. Now, since your uncle isn't here, let's hurry to Sybak. We're a day behind, and I don't want to lose anymore." I nodded again, and we packed up and began to move towards the Tethe'alla Bridge.

Never steal mementos. Everything else is fair game.

That mentality is what started this whole crazy train called my life.