Disclaimer: OK, I don't own these people, so don't sue me, because really am very broke

He was quite good now. He could steal things right from underneath people's noses. Uneni had always been slight of hand, the one who could make things disappear, then find them in the most unlikely places, and though they new he'd put them there, they never knew how.

This one, he thought, this one was quite a catch. Might even get him a proper meal. He had come a long way from the bewildered fifteen year-old who was left in the street and had nearly died. That had been two months ago. How he had survived the first week, he had no idea. He examined the piece of jewellery in his hand. Sliver, with Amethyst in the centre. Similar to the one his mother had given him for his ninth birthday, before that girl, Magpie, had stolen it. She was only reason he'd stayed. Uneni wanted that earring back. The shape, round, engraved with a spiral, was to signify his joining of the Third Ship Kisobu. She had been so proud of him, his mother.

Uneni had looked for Magpie, constantly, but had not yet seen her. He'd almost given up, until he heard of the Thief Lord. If she was that good, she had to be working for him. He had gathered all the information he could, and he thought he knew what her gang might be, and were its territory was. It would be only a matter of time till they met.

Magpie was, once again, waiting outside the Thief Lord's den, waiting to be summoned. It was, however, in the opposite circumstances. She'd managed to break into one of the richest bag-houses in the Sotat. No alarms had gone off, no guards had come running. No one else had ever been able to do that before. All who had tried to break into to this bag-house had been caught, and half of them hadn't come back. The loot was huge. She'd needed three bags to carry it.

'Magpie' came the voice of the Thief Lord's personal servant, Liana. A head with long black hair came through the curtain. 'You can go in now.'

'Thanks Liana.' Magpie pushed aside the spun gold curtain, and immediately a blast of cool air met her face.

'Magpie.' The voice cam from a pile of cushions, made of the best silk available. On them, lolled a young man of about twenty-two, with the dark hair and eyes so common in Hajra. 'You did well.'

'Thank you, Lord.' Magpie kept her eyes lowered. She had learned that the hard way when she first saw him. She had dared to looked him strait in the eye, and her arm had been broken by his bodyguards.

'You deserve a reward. You may pick one item from the winnings of your last…expedition.'

Magpie gasped. He never allowed people to chose things from their hoard. They just got what was left over, if they were lucky.

'It's over there. In the corner.'

She walked calmly over to the pile. She knew exactly what she wanted. Skiming the pile with her gaze, her eye was caught by the glint of an earring. She had seen it the night before, and had noiced it was exactly the same as the one in her ear now, that she had got off some boy who's life she'd saved about two months ago. A fair exchange, she figured. Magpie extracted the earring from the pile. 'May I take this?' she enquired.

'That little thing? I thought you had a better eye for price than that, Magpie, but you can take it. You may go.

I wont run, she thought to herself, I'm just going to walk right out of here and then I can do what I want.

'Oh, and Magpie?'

Damn!

'Congratulations on your loot'

~*~

Uneni had found were Magpie's gang was held up. Right now, he was hanging around the marketplace, hoping that he would be able to nick some food, while watching the gang's hideout. A flash of black caught his eye. It was the girl! And he didn't think she'd spotted him.

~*~

Magpie tried to catch her breath. That boy, whose earring she'd nicked had been hanging around for a few days now. Her gang, the Markers, had picked him out the day before yesterday, but couldn't see any mark of which gang he belonged to, like all gangs had. The Markers wore a blue rag around their left legs, for instance. But this boy, he had no symbol. And that confused her gang, because everybody was in a gang, or they wouldn't survive. She knew that he'd only come here a few months ago, so he wouldn't be in a gang yet. But her gang didn't. So she'd been sent to watch him.

Magpie had been watching him for the last three days now. But this was the first time he'd seen her. And hopefully, the last.

Uneni crept up to where he'd seen Magpie go. There she was, leaning against the wall, and trying to catch her breath.

'Magpie.'

'Who's there? I'm arm- it's you.'

'You stole my mother's earring.'

Magpie could feel the boy's eyes glaring at her, boring into her head. 'I needed it! Anyway, it was a fair exchange.'

'What are you on about? You gave me nothing in return.'

'How about your bodily safety?'

'Huh?'

'Your life. I saved it remember?' This boy was really starting to annoy her.

'Oh right.'

'Oh damn. Look, my gang leader's coming, and it might be in your best interests if you ran, so go' Magpie could see her leader getting closer. If he saw the boy she was supposed to stay out of sight of, and not on any account talk to, talking to her in an alley, then she didn't even want to think about what he'd to them. 'Go, believe me, this guy'll kill you if he sees you. Go!' Thankfully, the boy left.

'Magpie, that boy, have you been following him? Are you absolutely sure there's no sign of what gang he's in on him?'

'Yes sir, I'm sure. I don't think he belongs to a gang. He looks new, sir'

'Fine. Stop watching for him then.'

'Thankyou sir.' When he'd left, she went to where she'd seen the boy hide. 'I thought I told you to go, not hide.'

He grinned. 'You did. But I wanted to know why you've been following me for the last few days.' He looked at her questioningly.

Magpie swore. 'You saw me? You weren't supposed to.'

'I know I wasn't. I've been watching you for five days now.' His eyes reflected the light from the street, making them look like they were glowing.

She swore again. 'Why?'

'My earring? That you stole? I want it back. And don't say you haven't got it. I can see it in your ear.'

Magpie tensed. 'This is a different one. I found another one just like it when I bagged this house. The Thief Lord let me have it, but he took the other one, about two and a half months ago.' He wasn't know that the other earring was in her pocket, was he?

Uneni felt hope and determination to find his mother's earring crumble away. 'I don't believe you.' He ground out, trying to keep the disappointment from his voice. 'That was my Mother's earring. She gave it to me when I became part of the crew. It's all I have left.'

Magpie sighed. Why she was doing this, she didn't know. Then again, the sympathy card always worked on her after her brother had died. Big disadvantage, that. 'Fine! Here! Take it, and leave. Don't come back.' She reached into her pocket and brought out the other earring, letting it drop in to his outstretched hand. She didn't stop to see the look of gratitude on his face, nor did she hear his whispered thanks.

~*~

That's it for now. Please please please, will people send me ideas of what should happen next. Thanks to all two of my reviewers (two reviews!!! Wow!!! I'm really quite proud of myself, and you can really tell I'm new, can't you?), I love you both – well maybe slime frog not so much, but then she's my sister, what can you expect?

To Leara, Daja was washed ashore on an island of the shore of Sotat, whereas Uneni landed on Hajra – according to me, anyway. :)