The month of Storing (November) at age 8

Week 1

I knew Harry would take revenge on what Hanso did at some point but this is just silly!

He told the draik man not only how he'd got his black eye, when Hanso punched him, but also how I was Hanso's 'accomplice' and I was 'working to bring the guard down from the inside'. When the draik man called me along to ask about this, I burst out laughing. I mean, me? Hanso's accomplice? Hanso doesn't even seem like the kind of guy to have an accomplice!

Whenever the grown-ups weren't looking, Harry would send a smirk my way. When they'd finished discussing what to do, they came back. They said I 'wasn't the accomplice type' to which Harry pointed out that if I was acting like an accomplice then it would be easier to catch me, and that wasn't the idea. I just rolled my eyes.

Honestly, how he thinks he can make me look like a baddie I may never know. In fact, I don't think I will.

The adults dismissed the idea, telling Harry that I most certainly wasn't Hanso's evil accomplice. They did, however, say they are going to 'keep an eye on me' to make sure I'm not secretly making plans with Hanso.

"I know you aren't," The draik man added after they'd told me the plan. "It's just we have to be on the safe side. Anyway, he's a criminal. He could be highly dangerous."

Hanso doesn't really strike me as the highly dangerous type, but there's not much I can do really. On my patrol next week I'm going to have someone with me at all times. And I'm really hoping Hanso doesn't show, for his sake, and for mine too.

Week 2

I guess this necklace has decided to stop the flow of good luck; we bumped into Hanso on patrol. Actually, Hanso was the least of my worries on patrol.

The draik man made sure I had Violet with me. He said she was a good archer, and she deserved a patrol.

He stayed with us at first but, once again, got called off to deal with a more urgent case the likes of which kids like us could never handle.

Violet wanted to go and look at all the stalls, despite me telling her that on patrol you're supposed to look for criminals, not look for new shoes. However, she pointed out that most of the criminals were likely to be hanging around the stalls waiting to steal something. Anyway, she walked off and I'd been given strict orders to stay with her. So I ended up (much to my dismay) looking at shoes with her at one of the stalls.

I wasn't paying much attention to the shoes, and just nodding my head when Violet asked questions about which shoes went best with her helmet and such. I was actually scanning the crowds, looking for the smallest sign that something was wrong.

I saw a flash of blue, and an old scorchio woman was knocked over, shouting about how a thief had stolen her purse and how someone should stop him.

I grabbed Violet's arm and ran, hearing her drop the shoe back on the stall and run with me.

I kept following the flash of blue until he stopped at a wall. My thoughts were found true- it was Hanso.

"I am going to catch you this time." I warned.

"You seem rather certain about that, Brynneth." He said, smiling.

"I am rather certain about that." I said confidently.

"Yeah," Violet added. "Brynn and me could take down the whole thieves guild with our eyes shut!"

"Really?" Hanso asked, he smiled again. "How about three of the best?"

Violet and I turned our heads to see three burly-looking guys coming towards us. One was a grey zafara, who still managed to look scary somehow. Another, the one in the middle of the three, was a blue gelert with a scar across his face and a black hood. The last one, he was the one who scared me most. He was the same one who had threatened to kill me unless my mother handed over her money all those years ago. And Summer Vines couldn't save me this time.

Violet's one of the few people who know of that day, and I think my face must have paled because she held my hand and squeezed reassuringly.

"One of them is one of the guys who mugged your mum, right?" She asked. I nodded slowly.

"Which one?" She asked. I gestured to the culprit, a yellow lupe with almost red eyes and a scar running down his face.

"I've got it." She whispered. And then she ran for him.

I would've stopped her, but I was frozen on the spot. It's not often I get as scared as I was, but this lupe was my nightmares come to life. In fact, many years since the incident, I'd still have nightmares about him and his partner. I wasn't sure where the partner was, but I was glad he wasn't there.

"Are you going to fight?" Hanso asked, stepping up beside me. "You don't seem like the kind of person who'd just stand back and watch something like this."

I didn't speak. I didn't know what I could say.

"That guy," Hanso gestured to the blue gelert, who was now fighting Violet with the others. "He's the leader of the thieves' guild."

"And that guy," I pointed to the lupe. "I've had dealings with before."

"When?" Hanso asked, shocked. "He's a master thief! How do you know him?"

I looked up to find they'd got Violet pinned up against the floor, and the zafara pulled a dagger out.

"Say goodbye!" He told her.

Something inside me struck. I was behind the zafara quickly and silently before he could do anything I had my sword out and my arm round his neck, the other holding the blunted sword. However, he didn't know it was blunt. And I'd found that the blunt swords made pretty good clubs.

"How about you say yours?" I asked.

The three all turned to look at me, giving Violet the chance she needed to kick the gelert holding her legs away and stand up.

She pulled her own blunted sword out, knowing we were the only people here who knew she couldn't use it.

We backed away, swords pointing at the three, as we tried to think of what to do next.

"Brynneth!" I heard the familiar voice of the draik man behind me. "Violet! Thank goodness you're safe! These are some tough guys, I'm pleasantly surprised at how well you've done! However, this is a job for us. Girls, do you think you can take Hanso?"

At that, Hanso jumped over the wall.

"No," Violet said. "Although I could quite happily take a shower."

That's the first thing she did when we got back.

Now that that lupe is behind bars, I'm very happy. However, I'm a little nervous of what will happen if he escapes, especially after that little episode. But he's not going to escape. I hope.

Week 3

This week has been constant sword practice, not that I'm complaining. I like sword-practice.

I've been sneaking out to Summer's grave when I've got a moment, but that hasn't been all that often this week.

Next week we've got archery practice all week instead. Violet's practically bouncing off the walls, which makes it incredibly hard to get any sleep until she's asleep (which has been taking a while).

Week 4

I'm getting better at archery. I've got a bulls eye on more than one occasion. Violet, unsurprisingly, nearly always gets a bull's eye.

She'll be a force to be reckoned with with that bow and arrow some day. I hope I will be one with my sword too.