Thief
A/N: Quick one shot I came up with whilst thinking about Yogscast Rythian's Thief videos. Enjoy, R and R is all I ask. :) -K
He was crouched in the shadows, hidden on the rooftops. Guards circled below him, and they were shouting to each other. He waited. At the exact right moment, he dropped silently to the ground, dropping into an alleyway. He crouched poised with his dagger, ready to kill. An unlucky guard walked past, and he grabbed him, hand over his mouth, and pulled him into the shadows, where he slit his throat with one clean movement.
He dodged from alley to alley, until all the guards were gone, He was careful to hide the bodies. He climbed to the rooftops, The Thief's Highway, and ran.
His target was a manor at the edge of town, where a rich lady lived. She had a safe that contain a necklace of rubies. That was his prize. Boy, would he get a good price for that. And then he could steal it again, and sell it again, in time. Perfect.
As he reached the driveway, he saw two guards stood either side of the door.
"Don't like using front doors anyway," He whispered to himself, and started climbing the gutter to an open window on the third floor. He checked no one was inside before swinging in, and quietly closing the window behind him.
He pulled out his bow, and loaded a water arrow. He aimed at the candle chandelier, and fired. Hit. All was quiet. All was dark. He started ghosting down the hallway, down the stairs, past the kitchen. He paused to listen in.
"Minty, whatever will I do? They all ask my hand in marriage, and I can't turn them down for my reputation. But I love none, and I can't marry all of them,"
A woman's voice. Sounded posh. Possibly the lady of the manor. He ran through in his head.
"Mi lady, I'm not sure there's much you can do. How about taking them one at a time to one side, and politely declining, explaining your situation. I'm sorry miss, I'm not very good with affairs of the heart,"
Another woman. The woman named Minty addressed earlier? Probably a maid.
He crept on, and he found the safe. He clicked his fingers, and pulled out his lock picks. He sat there for a while, until he heard the soft click of the lock. He smiled under his mask. He silently opened the door, and took the necklace. He slipped it in his bag, and shut the safe again.
He began the trek back through the house.
But on outside the door of the kitchen, he heard the voices again.
"Mi lady, you best be careful. Apparently that master criminal, what was his name? He was sent on a mission for your ruby necklace," Minty, he identified from earlier.
"Right, thank you Minty," She said, and he heard footsteps. He backed under a table, hidden in shadows. She walked right past him, and stumbled.
Oh god. He thought. Carelessly, in his haste, he had left part of his cloak untucked.
She kneeled down, to look at the cloth and saw him.
She gasped.
"Y-You-You're," She stuttered. He nodded, with his eyes closed. She took a deep breath. "Come with me," She said, standing.
He looked curious, but she didn't seem angry, so obliged and crawled out, sneaking alongside her.
"You don't have to sneak when you're stood next to me," She said. He nodded, and straightened himself. "You are the 'master thief', correct?"
"Yes," He said. A guard saw them, and pointed his spear at him. He held up his hands.
"Now, now, Xephos. He's with me," She said.
"He's dressed like a thief," Xephos said bitterly.
"He's friend from abroad. He dresses so because he's poor and where he comes from it's sandy, so he covers himself well," She made up an excuse for him. Xephos nodded, and relaxed.
"My apologies," Xephos said to him.
He nodded. "Accepted,"
The two then walked past into a library, and the lady shut the door and locked it.
"You're here for my ruby necklace, yes?"
"Indeed. And I got it," He said, pulling out the necklace, and offering it back to her.
"Why are you giving it back?"
"I was discovered. I deserve whatever fate awaits me, and I return what bounty I would have gained. My own personal code," He explained.
She smiled, and took it. "Thank you. Do you have a name?"
He nodded. "Of course I do. But before I tell you, may I ask what way you will have me executed?"
"Executed? No, no, no. Never,"
He looked confused. "So, you're just going to jail me?"
"No jail, no,"
"Then what?"
"This library is locked, and the curtains closed. I want you to reveal yourself. I want to know who you are," She explained.
He nodded, "Fair enough. I suppose I'll start with this then," He said, taking down his hood.
His skin was tanned, his eyes were dark purple, and they glowed faintly. His hair was short and spiked, and was dark brown. It had a singular blonde streak to the left. He looked stern, yet calm and collected about everything, even though he'd just been discovered thieving. He wore a black cotton mask over the bottom half of his face.
"Wow," She breathed. "So this is what you look like," She said.
He nodded. "Surprised?"
"Yes, I thought you'd be more.."
"More what?"
"More scarred and torn, to put it bluntly," She said.
He shrugged. "I suppose. But stereotypes are never true,"
"That's true," She smiled. "So, your name?"
"Rythian Enderborn," He stated, gave a small bow. "May I ask yours?"
"Lady Proasheck. But call me Zoey," She said, giving a small curtsy. "It's pleasure,"
"The pleasure's all mine," He said.
"Oh, please, sit," She said, gesturing to an armchair.
He walked over to it, and stroked the material. "Red velvet. Quality," He observed.
"How do you tell?" She asked, sitting in a chair opposite.
"In my line of work you learn a lot of things. Like the fact that black wolves don't naturally occur," He said, sitting down.
"Interesting. Rythian, if given the option, would you change profession?"
"Depends what too. Being in the business as long as I have, it kind of feels natural," He said.
Zoey nodded, and sat back. "How do you go about doing it?" She asked.
"Doing what?"
"Thieving. Explain how you do it,"
"Well, it depends what kind of job it is. If it's an IGL, In Get Leave, I usually find an access point, never front doors, boy are they overrated, get what I'm looking for and get out without being seen. If it's a meet-up, it's a matter of getting there quietly, quickly safely. Most of the time it's not that simple though," He explained.
"I can see that," She laughed. "So how do you not get seen?"
"Stealth," He said simply.
"Well, how do you stealth?"
"Dark coloured clothing, cover as much skin as possible, nothing shiny, stay low, and stay in darkness. Make not a sound," He explained.
"How do you stay so quiet? I've seen you running on the rooftops, ghosted against the moon sometimes, but you're so graceful I just stop and stare," She said.
"You think so? Well, I just don't wear shoes, and I'm careful where I tread,"
"I think so! Being a lady isn't the life for me. I would much rather be like you,"
"I bet you wouldn't. You loose contacts, friends, make enemies very quickly. Everybody comes to hate your guts,"
"And? You've survived,"
"So I have,"
"I want to join you. I want to be a Thief," She said.
Rythian sat back in his chair and thought about it.
"Fine. But I'll need to find a way to get you some appropriate attire. I think I know a guy,"
"Great. Meet me under the old oak tree at the bottom of the garden on... Thursday?"
"Thursday it is," He confirmed, walking over to the window, pulling up his hood, and climbing out so he was stood on the ledge.
"Good luck," She whispered.
He jumped. He began his journey across the town, his destination a tailor that he was old friends with. He leapt from building to building, and when he saw Zoey in the window in the distance, he leaped so he was a shadow on the moon. He smiled to himself.
I wonder how this will go He wondered.
He arrived at the tailor's shop, and went down to the side passage. He knocked on the door twice.
"Who is it?" He heard a familiar voice.
"Enderborn," He stated. He heard locks being unlocked, and the door opened to reveal a young boy. He was thin, fairly tanned and was wearing blue trousers with a loose green t shirt. He had a headband to keep his scruffy blonde hair out of his eyes.
"Hello Rythian. What can I do for you?" The boy asked.
"Hello Martyn. I need you to make me an outfit similar to mine, but dark red, and for a woman," He explained.
Martyn looked surprised. "Have we finally found a special someone?" He teased.
"No. A new apprentice," He explained.
"Rythian, are you sure this is a good idea? You know what happened with Kim, and now she works for Lalna.." He said.
"I'm sure. Anyway, can you make the outfit?"
"Of course. When do you need it for?"
"Thursday. I'll collect Thursday morning, okay?"
"Okay. I'll have it ready by then," He promised.
Rythian nodded, and walked back out. He started on his way back to his abandoned clock tower, where he lived.
{Thursday morning}
Rythian awoke. He stood up, and brushed himself down. He adjusted his mask and went to the window. He jumped out, and began on the Thief's Highway down to Martyn.
When he arrived, Martyn opened the door and presented the outfit,
"Perfect. How much do I owe you?" He asked.
"Not a penny. A favour to an old friend," Martyn said.
"Thank you Martyn. I'll make this up to you somehow, someday," He replied, taking the outfit and carefully rolling it up to fit in his bag.
He began on his way back to his clock tower, and took out a few things. A spare hook shot, a bow and various arrows, a dagger. All she would need. He slipped the tools in his bag, and waited.
About mid-afternoon, a messenger bird came. It was a dove, something from the rich district. He took the note from it's leg.
Dearest Master Thief,
I address by your title and not by your true name in the case this delivery gets intercepted.
I write to you to inform you that tonight seems to far away. If you come quick, you may be able to catch me in my garden. Please come, and make haste.
-ZP
Rythian smiled, pocketed the letter and made haste, as the letter said. He soon arrived at the gardens, and he crawled over the back wall, and lowered himself behind the oak tree. He saw Zoey, and signalled her over. He pulled into the shadows.
"You're definite about this?" He whispered. She nodded. "Then let's go," He said, and held his hands out to boost her over the wall.
She climbed over into the alley behind, and he followed.
"I can't walk through the street. I'll have to try and take you down the Thief's Highway," He explained, climbing onto a large box and offering his hand. She carefully climbed, and together they made it to the clock tower for 9:00. He unhooked his pouch that had her stuff in from hid belt. He had many pouches.
"Take these. You'll need them," He said. "Keep the pouch too,"
She nodded, and took the pouch. She disappeared into a side room, and Rythian went down the set of stairs and sat down. He waited.
After about 15 minutes, Zoey came down the stairs.
"Ta da!" She exclaimed. Rythian stood and looked her over. "You look perfect,"
"Thank you, your friend did an amazing job on the tailoring..."
"No, I mean you look perfect,"
She blushed. "Thank you, Rythian. Has anyone ever told you you're handsome?"
"No one's ever seen my face but you,"
"Well, you're handsome," She said, stepping towards him and pushing down his hood.
This time, Rythian blushed.
Zoey stood on her tip toes, and with one shape tug pulled down his mask, and kissed him.
"Thank you," She whispered against his lips.
"Thank you," He replied.