Chapter Seven
"I just realized" I said, as it were about half an hour after our little encounter.
"What?" Zahra and Roy asked.
"We-" I paused.
"What?" they asked again.
"We left the platinum back at the ranch." Even the thought put an anguished face on them.
"We can't go back now; surely the place will be swarming with police." Zahra spoke up alone this time.
"I can. They wouldn't even notice me." Roy seemed to be showing off a little.
"And even if they did, who could catch you?" I said, knowing how hard it was.
"Is he really that fast?"
"Yes."
We rode back in silence until we neared the ranch known as Dusty Trails. By this time, it was getting rather dark.
Hidden behind a tree, we looked around for any sign of the little bag.
"There it is!" Zahra said, pointing at a random point in the distance.
"How can you tell?" I asked
"Can't you see it?"
"No."
"It's on that fence. See that path behind the house? It's still stuck."
"They missed it?" I laughed at the inconsistence of the police.
"It seems so." Roy spoke up "I'll go get it, then." He added.
"Good luck." Zahra said as if she knew he couldn't.
"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked
"Well, do you see that man on top of the chimney?"
"Yes. What's your point?"
"He's a seeker. They have very sharp eyes."
"And your point is?" I rejoined the conversation
"He'll spot him in a second, and have all their best men after him."
"He can get away."
"But we can't."
"Just go get it, Roy."
"Alright." He dashed in from behind tree to behind tree, moving at lightning fast speeds I could barely see.
"How do you know so much about them?"
"Well, you know…"
"No, I don't know." I paused "Is there something you're not telling us?"
"Well…"
"What?"
"I'm not exactly a slave."
"What are you, then?
"More of an assistant, really."
"Whom do you assist?"
"Master Lupin" She said cautiously
"And what do you assist him with?"
"Well, you know he used to be a master thief, right?"
"Yes."
"The only reason he's not anymore is because…"
"Why?"
"He never gets caught."
"So what place do you have in this?"
"I'm why he never gets caught."
"How do you accomplish this?"
"Well, I go with him, point every trap and alarm out to him, he steals it and we go home. That's pretty much how it works."
"Why did you not tell us?"
"Would you really let a thief with you?"
"I guess not"
"I'm back!" Roy whispered as he returned.
"Did you get it?" I asked
"Of course I did. But we've got to leave before the seeker notices."
"Ok."
We mounted and rode off into the night.
"We still haven't gotten proper clothes for me." Zahra said as we rode toward the small amount of light coming from a nearby town.
"Who said anything about proper?" Roy said only half joking.
"Well, I assumed it would be"
"Do you wish it that way?"
"I'm not sure."
"Well, make up your mind."
"I will."
As we rode into the town, all the lights off in the stores, you could see the happiness melt from Zahra's face.
"They're all closed." She said sadly.
"Well of course." Roy said obviously without looking at her first.
"Don't worry, we'll get you something tomorrow. It's not as if getting it tonight would do any good anyway." I said sympathetically.
"I guess you're right." She sighed
"Either of you guys see somewhere to stay?" I asked
"It seems just houses and shops." Roy said vacantly
"I guess we'll have to sleep out in the woods." I suggested
"Seems so." Roy still had a tone to his voice as though he weren't paying any attention.
"How will you handle this, Zahra?" I asked
"Fine, I guess."
"Good."
We rode through, tied our horses to trees, and set up camp. As we were cooking dinner Zahra rather abruptly spoke up.
"I'm not a slave." She said, directing it more at Roy than at me.
"What are you?" Roy asked calmly
"A thief" She said not knowing what to expect.
"What kind?"
She explained her past works to him as I sat silently staring into the fire.
"That explains a lot."
"It does?"
"Yes it does. First you're a miner, then a slave, then a kind of a seeker." She giggled at his sarcasm.
"I guess I'm just multi-talented."
"I guess so. Anyway, I'm tired. I'm going to sleep."
"Goodnight." She said, blowing him a kiss.
"Night" He laid down on the ground and pulled his wool cover over himself.
"I guess it's just you and me" I said, not breaking my view of the fire.
"Not for long"
"Why do you say that?"
"I'm as tired as he was"
"So go to sleep?"
"I will. But I have something I'd like to talk to you about first." I got understandably suspicious when she said this.
"What's that?"
"Well, how many people have you killed?"
"Not too many"
"How many of these did you kill with you as the aggressor?"
"None"
"So they were all in self defense?"
"Yes. What does this have to do with anything?"
"I…" She hesitated "I killed them."
"Killed who?"
"The two ninjas at the inn" That shocked me rather well
"Why?" Was all I could think of to say.
"They knew who I was"
"That gives you no right to kill them."
"I couldn't have them find me."
"Then it was in self defense."
"How?"
"You saved yourself."
"If only it were that easy to believe." She stood up and walked over to her makeshift bed.
"Goodnight." I said as I went to mine
"Sweet dreams." I heard as I laid down.