Love in Venice...
This is my first Thief Lord story. I had read the book a long time ago and I didn't know we could write fan fictions on books too! I hope my story is good. I really, really hope!
But then I don't find it as good as others…
:) Please read and review. Constructive criticism accepted with open arms but no flames please.
This story is about Scipio and Rosa (my made up character).
Hope you enjoy. Be sure to leave a review!
I don't own 'The Thief Lord' (not the book nor the movie). All I own is Rosa:)
1. It started on a cold night…
It was cold. Mid winter was no joke in Venice. Especially during the nights when it use to grow ten times colder. Though it wasn't snowing, cold droughts swept across the street. The moon cast its beautiful gaze over the sleeping city. Not a soul on the road. Everything was quiet…
Prosper, Hornet, Boniface, Mosca and Riccio made their way straddling through the snow quietly. Bo shivered as another gust of cold wind swept over his partially covered feet. Hornet took Bo in her arms so that she could shield him from the cold. The last thing they wanted is Bo getting sick when they didn't have money for enough food.
Even someone as thick and strong as Mosca shivered in the deathly cold which had struck Venice. The snow which lay thickly on the ground muffled their footsteps. Not a single sound was heard. Silence hung like heavy mist in the air.
A sudden sob broke the silence which hung heavily over the street. Prosper, Bo and Hornet jumped. Another sob came through. Mosca's head turned sideways to the dark alley. The sobs were coming from there.
They looked at each other. They heard a gasp and another sob.
"What is that?" Hornet suddenly whispered, mist forming in front of her mouth. Prosper looked at her.
"Sounds like someone's crying to me," he whispered softly.
"Shall we go and see?" Bo's small voice squeaked. Hornet turned to Riccio and Mosca who looked confused too. Bo jumped in Hornet's arms as another sob issued from the dark alley.
"Let's check it out," Mosca said suddenly. He walked forward, his hands besides him, ready to fight if anything went wrong. They looked around. The alley seemed empty except for a few trash cans which lay half buried in the snow.
Bo suddenly tugged at Hornet's arm and pointed at a dark distant corner. They saw a small lump…shivering and partially covered in snow. Hornet immediately tapped Mosca on his shoulder and pointed to the lump. Mosca nodded and signalled the other three to follow behind him.
They made their way cautiously. The small lump was shivering and sobs and gasps issued from it. Mosca lowered himself and opened his mouth, "Hello?"
The lump suddenly stopped moving. Mosca pulled the rough sack over gently and gasped. The others crowded to see what had happened. All of them looked in amusement. Long, curly black locks fell to the ground.
A young girl looked up at them. Her pale face was weak and fragile. Her eyes were huge and brown and filled with tears. Her cheeks were pale and tear stained.
She looked up at them helplessly. Hornet was the first one to speak.
"Er…hello, I'm sorry but what are you doing outside on such a cold night? You might get sick you know," she said uncertainly. The young girl looked away and then looked back at them. She parted her thin colourless lips and closed them.
It was just as if she was saying something. Bo suddenly jumped out of Hornet's arm and onto the snow covered ground. He walked to the girl and put his hand on hers. She looked at him.
"You're cold," he said to her, "Come with us; Hornet'll give you some hot chocolate. That'll warm you up for sure!!"
Prosper looked at Hornet who shrugged. They couldn't disobey Bo! He'd wake up the whole city if he didn't get his way!! He was worse than Scipio for that matter.
Propser glanced at Mosca and Riccio who seemed to be thinking the same thing.
Mosca gave a grunt. "Come on, let's go!" he held out a hand for the young girl who hesitated.
"Come on!" Hornet said gently. The young girl looked at Hornet who smiled. Her lips twisted into a small smile as she took his hand. As soon as Mosca pulled her to her feet she lost balance and began tripping but Prosper was quick. He held her arm to stop her from falling face down into the snow.
"You're weak," Mosca said, "I'll carry you." Mosca lifted the young girl's frail body on his back. She was really light and hardly had any weight. They made their way through the snow slowly towards the Star- Palace. The crooked sign 'STELLA' was covered with snow and so was the neon sign.
They entered the blissfully warm theatre. Though it wasn't that warm it was warmer than outside.
"I'll make some hot chocolate, lay her on one of my mattresses," Hornet whispered as she disappeared to make hot chocolate. Mosca laid her down on one of Hornet's mattresses.
She looked like she was asleep. Her eyes were closed and a serene look lay on her face. Prosper grabbed a moth eaten blanket and covered her.
Hornet came walking with some hot chocolate. They could see thick steam wafting out of the cracked china cup.
"Here," she said sitting on her knee, gently handing out the cup so that the hot chocolate wouldn't spill. The girl looked at her and then at the cup.
Hornet looked back at her. She looked questioningly at everyone. "Drink it," Prosper whispered.
Hornet pointed at the cup and said, "Hot chocolate." She thought the girl didn't understand English. The girl pointed a shivering finger at the chocolate and then at her questioningly.
Everybody nodded vigorously. She slowly sat up, wincing a bit. With shaking hands she grasped the cup lightly. Slowly and cautiously she held the cup to her lips.
"Take care, it must be hot," Hornet said. She blew on the brown liquid gently. Then she kissed the rim of the cup and poured in some of the liquid in her mouth.
A tingling and warm sensation gushed through her veins. She felt warm and full as she gulped the whole cup in one go.
"Whoa! Relax! You might get a stomach upset if you drink like that!!" Riccio said as she handed back the cup to Hornet. The girl smiled at him.
"Thank-you," she whispered in a hoarse whisper. Hornet smiled. "No problem! What is your name?" she asked gently.
The girl looked at the starry curtain and whispered, "Rosa."
"Hello, Rosa, I'm Bo!" Bo skipped to her and held out his small hand. She smiled and gently shook his hand.
She smiled.
"I'm Prosper, Bo's elder brother," Prosper said as he moved in the front.
"You can call me Hornet!" Hornet said as she got up.
"I'm Mosca," Mosca gave a smile.
"And I'm Riccio!" Riccio said cockily giving a toothless grin.
"I guess you must be tired. You must sleep now. I hope you don't mind this blanket but this is the best we have," Hornet said. Rosa shook her head.
"I'm comfortable," She whispered. Her voice was so hoarse that she could only whisper. The hot chocolate had brought back some of her voice though.
She lay back on the soft moth eaten mattress. It was very comfortable. She could hear footsteps go in different directions.
"If you need anything don't hesitate to wake me up," Hornet said to her. Rosa looked up at the black vast ceiling of the theatre. Her eyes turned to the starry curtain. She loved the stars which shimmered due to the naked light cast by the light bulbs.
The light was suddenly switched off by somebody and the whole vast theatre was plunged into darkness. Rosa shivered as she closed her eyes tight. She felt scared due to this sudden empty vastness but a comforting thought crossed her mind… they were all still there.
Hornet, Bo, Prosper, Riccio and Mosca.
Rosa smiled to herself as she was plunged into a world of sweet dreams.
Scipio entered the theatre silently, as silently as a cat. He walked suavely as he usually did, holding his head high. He gave a sigh of exhaustion and removed his mask.
He looked around for his accomplices in the dark theatre. He saw five lumps at one corner of the theatre.
He smiled to himself and walked forward. Then he stopped.
Five?
Did he count it right?
One, he counted, two, three, four, five?!
As far as he could remember they didn't have any fifth member to his group excluding him. He walked slowly towards the small group which lay huddled in the darkness, deep asleep.
He could make out Prosper and Bo huddled on one mattress. He could also make out Mosca with his radio besides him. There was Riccio under a pile of soft toys and Hornet slept there with books piling besides her bed. Then who was the fifth person?!
Just as he was going to reach the last mattress he heard a movement and before he knew it he felt two arms slowly encircle around his shoulder.
"SCIP!!"
A small voice squealed in delight. Scipio smiled.
"Bo?"
Bo slid off Scipio's shoulders. Scipio looked at Bo who beamed. They heard groans and grunts. The others were waking up.
Just as Riccio was about to reach the light switch Hornet exclaimed in a low voice, "Don't switch the light!! Light the candles. It might wake her up."
Riccio nodded and then he lit the candles.
"Who?" Scipio asked in a demanding tone. Hornet pressed her finger to her lips.
"Shh…she's tired and sick, the poor girl," she whispered. Scipio's eyebrows crinkled in confusion.
"Who?!" he asked.
"Rosa, of course!" Bo answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Rosa who?" Scipio asked, really angry now.
"We found her on the street, cold and shivering. We couldn't leave her there so we brought her," Hornet said.
"I guess you won a lottery, considering the amount of money you have. Do you think you can afford another mouth to feed?!!" Scipio asked, hotly.
Mosca got up.
"Scipio, she was cold and shivering!"
"If you start bring cold and shivering people from the streets then you guys will have to live on the streets cold and shivering!" Scipio's voice rang through the theatre.
Nobody spoke for a moment. Then suddenly they heard a moan. Everybody's eyes turned to the small bundle which lay there.
"What happened to her?" Riccio asked softly. She moaned again.
"Nightmare," Mosca whispered.
All of them crowded around her. She was asleep but she had a troubled expression on her face. Scipio looked at her. He could see her in the candle light. She wasn't pretty, she was pale and thin. The only thing which was beautiful about her was her hair. They shone brightly in the candle light.
They were spread over her body and face. Scipio suddenly found himself staring at her. He looked away and walked to the other corner to the theatre.
"Scipio!!" a low whisper brought him back to the group.
Rosa moaned.
"What?" Scipio asked in an irritated whisper.
"She's saying something!" Prosper said.
All of them lowered.
"No, daddy, I'm sorry. Please! Don't hit!! It hurts, daddy!!"
She moaned. Suddenly a small tear fell out of her closed eye and rolled down her cheek.
"She's having a nightmare!" Prosper whispered.
"What should we do?" Riccio turned to Scipio.
"Wake her up then," Scipio said without thinking.
"We can't. She's too tired," Hornet whispered.
"She's crying, Hornet!!" Bo's frightened whisper made them worry too.
Hornet reached out and shook her gently.
"Rosa? Rosa?"
Rosa slowly opened her eyes. She didn't know what was happening at first. Then she realised four familiar faces staring at her. Her eyes suddenly caught unfamiliar black ones. Scipio stared at her. Her huge brown eyes stared back.
"Rosa?" Hornet whispered. Rosa looked at Hornet.
"Are you ok?" Mosca asked slowly.
"You were having a nightmare," Riccio said.
Rosa's eyes searched the ceiling.
"Rosa?" Bo suddenly whispered. Rosa looked at Bo.
She sat up suddenly. "I'm sorry, did I wake you guys up?" she asked in a small voice.
"No! Well, Scip woke me up!!" Bo said cheerfully.
"Scip?"
Rosa looked at Scipio who looked away at once.
"Scipio, he means," Prosper added. Rosa tried to give Scipio a smile but he looked away arrogantly.
"Hornet, I need to talk to you," Scipio suddenly announced.
"Huh?"
Before she knew it, Hornet was pulled into a corner by Scipio.
"Why did you bring her here?! What if she tells anyone about us?!" he asked impatiently.
"She won't, Scipio!" Hornet whispered hotly.
"Well, I don't trust her," Scipio said.
"Don't! But I do trust her and so do the others," Hornet said looking at the small group at the other end of the theatre.
"Whatever," Scipio muttered in an exasperated voice, "If she blabbers out something then we're all dead, ok?!"
Hornet made an impatient noise. "Scipio, you're such a snob. You don't want to see what she's going through. She was horrid when we first found her. Buried in the snow, do you hear me? Buried in the snow!"
Scipio glanced over to the small group.
"Humph! Do whatever you want but if she gives us away then all of us are dead!" Scipio declared hotly. Hornet turned and walked to the others not giving the slightest glance to Scipio's glares.
Rosa looked up at Hornet and smiled.
"I think we must all sleep now," Hornet announced, "And Bo, you must sleep now. It's not very healthy for you to stay awake!"
Hornet lifted protesting Bo and put him gently on his mattress. "Go to sleep, Bo," she said gently.
"I don't!! All of you aren't going to sleep…"
"All of us are going to sleep now, Bo," Scipio said suddenly. Bo looked at him.
"Really?"
Scipio nodded. "Go to sleep now, Bo," he said. Bo nodded and placed his head on the pillow and closed his eyes.
Scipio looked around. Everybody was settling back to their mattresses. He eyed Rosa who had closed her eyes trying to sleep. With a sigh he turned.
He glanced back on more time to catch a sight of beautiful black hair glinting in the candle light. He walked out of the theatre.
Lame? Good? Do tell me:)
Miki Bidan