Lohan~

"Come back here, Boy!!" yelled a voice from a tent. A small boy about four feet tall jump out followed by a boot and a died cat. The boy in a mocking way easily stepped out of the way of the flying objects.

"My name is Guy, to you Guygol." He said and he ran off through the street that was full of customers and stalls of merchandise.

A heavy- set, darkly tanned man with a black heavy beard came out of his tent and roared while shaking his fist at the air, "Curse you, boy and all you nips!"

Guy was now on top of a building smiling crooked grin. He had black almond eyes that twinkled with victory and thick black hair that just touched his shoulders; it was tided back with a small piece of rope.

"Good job Guy!" said a soft voice. Guygol looked behind him, it was Rouge, his best friend. Like him she had dark tanned skin and was dressed in clean, however dusted rags. She had pure brown hair but dark brown eyes.

"Would you look at that? Two nips, I guess it's our lucky day." Guygol did not need to look around to see who it was; it was the City Guards. Rouge looked in the direction the voice came from, a neighboring building, and on its roof were the guards.

***

~Guygol

I quickly grabbed Rouge's hand. We both knew the procedure, we both ran and jumped off the short building and landed with ease on the tent of the stalls. "We must split up," I ordered Rouge hastily, trying to keep nervousness out of my voice, it wouldn't help her if she knew I was frightened too. "Go to alleyways or stay in crowds." She dumbly nodded. I started to get off the tent and was ready to land.

"Goygol!" she yelled when she realized I was going without her. "What's going happen if we don't see each other?" I quickly scanned her face, I was in a hurry. She was scared, very scared. I was about give some encouraging words but I was interrupted.

"There they are!" My heart leaped and in place of it was a pit. I looked up. One of the guards with two yellow teeth grinned at me, looking over the ledge. Rouge gasped, jumped, and ran off out of fear.

~Oh no~ I ran and hard. The full sun burned down on me. I dodged people; I grind my teeth I now wished I didn't steal that stupid key.

~Wow, it looks really good now.~ mocked one of voices in my head.

~Shut up!~ I thought.

~Fool! Fool! Fool! ~ chanted another.

Sweat came from every pour. I kept on running, my dry tongue sticking to the top of my mouth. Than a cool breeze blow on my face and woke me up from my trance of fear. I looked around. I had ran to the abandon streets or the ghetto. The Rouges would kill me if they knew I was being followed by the City Guard and ran in the direction of their headquarters.

I looked around concern and bewilderment showing on my face, why didn't the guards chase after me?

Then a thought accord, ~ I hope Rouge's alright ~ My face grimed and I started running. She's alright I told myself. I looked around then entered an alleyway, breathing heavily threw my nose. The pounding of my heart was beating in my ears. I backed up leading my back against the wall.

Then ruff, callused hands gripped my arms. ~Jackal shit~ Sticky breath was felt on my neck.

"Look what we got here." Those big hands turned me around. It was the white man with the two yellow teeth. "The scared little rabbit finally gets caught by the hunt's dog!" He put a strain on 'scared' his teeth, gapes, and breath showing. That made me angry so did his slow accent. I wasn't about to let this 'white' man think me 'scared'.

"Not as scared of you, Dog, as much as your mouth!" I retorted, in common mocking his accent. The man's smile stopped short. He grabbed my hair. But a clear-cut laugh interrupted the curse the man was about to utter in my ear.

"Let go of the boy." Said the same voice in serious tone; there was no laugh in his voice this time. The white man reluctantly let go and quickly boxed my ears. He said some curses under his breath. It was obvious that he didn't like the man that just spoke but was in no the position to say so.

A tall man walked from the shadow of the alleyway. His sharp clear eyes seem to take in information and soak it up like I sponge. Behind those eyes I saw something, the same thing that I saw in The Master Thief eyes, it would not be till later that I would identify it as intelligence.

I sensed him examining every angle of my body- although only my front was facing him. I ignored the throb in my ears. The man was good-looking but had ruggedness to it. He had a broken nose and a smile on his lips, whatever he saw in me he liked it- or was gloating me. He looked strong, very strong I could tell. He was dark-skinned with short curly hair I supposed he was a native. However, his eyes were a bluish-green THAT was not native.

"Well, well, this is the second time nip, is it not?" I looked down at my wrist an X was tattooed upon it. An X that was tattooed upon ones wrist meant you tried to steal but was caught. Each time that happened an X was tattooed on the wrist. If one had XXX the next time the thief would have his left hand cut off... after that death.

~When had he seen that?!~ I tried to pull my short ragged sleeves so it would be covered up, it was in vain. He walked towards me and bend down, our faces facing one another. He touched my ears where the 'white' man boxed me.

"Dank," the white man turned around "tonight you clean the latrine." The white man turned red, anger showing quite clearly like one looking through glass.

"Yes, Captain." Dank snared beneath the grinding of his teeth.

~Woo, tension!~

Then the 'Captain' got up from his bending position looking at something faraway that I could not see. I always did have bad vision. A man came from the alleyway his uniform dusty like all of our clothes.

"Captain!" the man said lowering his eyes as a sigh of respect and putting his right hand on his chest. He was slightly breathing heavy. "Sir, we couldn't find the girl."

~She's OK!~ I felt so relieved! Smart girl, Rouge!

But because Rouge had gotten out of trouble didn't mean I was out of trouble.

***

~Guygol

They threw me into the cell.

"Damn it!" I yelled. I banged my hand on the stone wall. The wall now had a dint. I always was unusually strong for a little boy my size and age but I wasn't thinking about that. I was first angry at myself for being caught, than I was angry at myself for banging my hand so hard against the wall, than I was angry at myself for being angry at myself! I was just in an angry fit!

I was now in a small cramped stone cell. I would be here for two days because this was my second time getting caught. I was in the Sixth Cell jailhouse, or at least that's what I was told it was named.

~Think of some thing positive!~ said the voice that had been with Rouge too long.

~I not Rouge and I am not a positive person~

"Just be thankful you don't live in the north you would have been died already, they hang even children."

"Yeah, thankful to wh-" I stopped short. "Who said that?" My voice sounded a little too high even to me. ~I must have said my thoughts aloud.~

But I didn't.

I squinted, as I had said before I have bad eyesight and it was even worst in the dim darkness. I could make out only a figure. However, some was usual about it. How long had this person been here? I had just arrived. There was a husky crackled cough.

***

"No such thing as respect these days is there?" Said the voice, Guy could see a slight motion in the darkness; the figure was getting up but was lending on something.

"There is only respect for those who can fen for themselves." Guy said knowing this person was here for something.

"Don't talk back to your elders." The man hit Guy on the head with something, "You got caught too." Guy was surprise at the strength behind the 'tap' the man gave him. This couldn't be a old man could it?

"I am just a child, and if you 'elders' so 'wise' how come you got caught?" Guy shout back.

"You bore me with your game young one." He spat respectfully and coolly. The way the man said young was with the meaning of foolishness, stupidity, naivete, unruly, selfness and innocence; everything a child was.

"Now," the man said, clearly both of them knowing he had won "do you want to get out of here or not."

"What?" Guy said unbelieving at what he heard. "Wha- why."

"Don't act stupid boy. Do you want to stay here for two days?" the man asked.

"How" Guy started off slowly, "- how did you know I was going to be here for two days." No man could see the X on his wrist in this darkness.

"Heard it from one of the men that a boy was going to get his second X tattooed when he was going to be released."

He lied.

That made sense to Guy. "Well now oh suspicions one, do you or do you not want to get out of here?" the old man asked.

"How? And what if I get caught again and they recognize me?"

"They? Recognize you? Half of the Guard are half my age and who's ever up," he pointed up, "there knows they forget what they had for lunch even if it's two minutes ago. As how to get out of here, I have my ways and the traditional midday sand storm is on its way."

The man said it with such reassurance Guy couldn't help but be convinced. "Do you have that key?"

"What key?"

"The one you stole, boy. The one- that for it you are in this cell."

"Oh, that one." Guy said slowly, "they took it from me. Why?" Guy asked suspicions.

"Because I have it." The man said grinning.

"You! How?" Guy asked in disbelief.

"I have my ways..." He pushed a block of stone, relieving the outside; sand.