Disclaimer: SaL owns Wolfgang and Mouse; Hotshot owns Hotshot and Candy, and, well the rest are owned by Disney. The gift, wild magic and certain other aspects are borrowed from Tamora Pierce. We do not own them; don't sue us. The idea for this story is completely our own so don't go copying it.
Justify the Thrill
Chapter 4
Exempt From Sanity
Spot was anxious; Race was an idiot.
This much was obvious from the goings on in the small dungeon cell. Spot
was pacing back and forth between the two walls, practically making a permanent
track on the dirt floor. A scowl covered his face and his glazed eyes
were focused on whatever was directly in front of him. He mumbled under
his breath to an invisible source. "Where does he come up with these
stupid ideas… what's wrong with him, we were going to get out of here… he's
going to ruin everything… I swear I'll kill him."
"Spot, shut up and sit down.
You're making me dizzy." Mouse was sitting on one of the bunks
against the far wall. A half empty pitcher of water and a glass sat on
the table next to her. She idly created whirlpools that made the pitcher
shake.
Spot put his hand over the top of the
pitcher forcing it to remain still. "No," he insisted, "I
swear I'm going to kill him."
Mouse rolled her eyes, "Just like
last time? Or how about the thousand times before that?"
Spot sat indignantly in the seat next to
her, "I mean it this time."
"Uh huh." She began to
concentrate on the water again until he complained. "Sorry, so
anyway, this is something that we can do right? I'd hate for you to drag
us along for something like this and have it be impossible."
"It'll be easy, easier than what
we've been doing here. Think about it we'll have maps and the nobles to
cover for us. We could do it so much easier if they didn't have to come
but-"
"Well we do, so stop complaining.
You think I'm happy about my father's decision." Jack stood outside
the cell, flocked by his entourage. "I honestly don't think we need
you to do this but I respect my father's wishes."
Spot and Mouse shared a look and Spot
smirked. He stood and walked up to the door. "That's nice
Jack, really it is. Let's just get this over with so we can split.
Promise, when we get back you'll never have to see my face again."
Jack stepped aside and David opened the
door to the cell. He handed Mouse the knives that had lined the sued
strap around her waist, her boots, and the cuffs of her sleeves until her
capture. She looked each over quickly and flipped them into their
rightful spots.
Jack held out a dagger to Spot who took
it and slid it into his boot, "Where's my cane?"
Jack pulled it out of his belt and
looked it over again, "I honestly don't see how this can be used as a
weapon. Sure the wood is strong and the gold tip must be painful, but how
on earth do you fight with it?"
Spot took the cane and slid it into his
belt, "Hopefully you'll never have to see me use it."
They ascended from the dungeon and out
of the palace through a side exit. Spot kept a sharp glance around.
No guards were following the group but he still took it upon himself to watch
out for trouble. Though the knights had dressed down a bit they were
still noticeable when compared to most commoners. If the wrong people saw
them it would mean trouble. The capital was a place many commoners
dreamed of, for it was know for it's organization, security, justice, and
respect. Now they had entered the poorest part of Tralee, filled with
trouble and chaos, with people who world sell out their own brother to ensure
survival. It was a city full of thieves, most lacking any morals whatsoever.
Spot kept them to the alleys as much as
possible, both for the nobles safety as well as his own. He didn't trust
most people and had a reason not to as of late.
The Avignon Tavern was not far from the
palace and looked as normal as any other building in city of Tralee. It
was known to all thieves for being named after a secret city of thieves.
Only the best thieves knew of the city's location as well, and few had the
courage to go there. Anyone else just saw it as a name, and never
suspected that those who lived there were thieves, well, maybe they had their
suspicions. They had heard talk of the underground city of Avignon and
had passed it off as a legend, something the thieves used to strike fear into
the hearts and minds of the county folk. Most just laughed it off
assuming the tavern to be the so-called great city of thieves. Because
the majority of folk had begun to believe in the 'thieves hoax' some of the
lesser thieves had begun to believe in it as well. However this only made
the city stronger, superior, it gave those who knew of it greater power and
freedom like no other.
Most
of Spot and Mouse's friends had grown up around the tavern and had heard the
stories. Spot himself had been there since he was seven and
Mouse and Blink had arrived together when they were about nine. They'd
formed their little band of thieves in their early teens. Some in the
Rouge guild's early years had even been fortunate enough to enter the great
city, Spot included.
Spot
turned to the nobles when they reached the front door. "There
shouldn't really be anyone in there today so we can talk freely. Stay
behind me and Mouse when we go in; I have a bone to pick with them before we
get in to everything else."
He
slammed open the doors and marched in. Several other teens, mostly boys,
were lounging around the numerous tables and stools at the bar talking.
Their heads snapped up at the sudden intrusion.
"Afternoon
fellas," Spot greeted them. His face twisted into a smirk as he
walked down to the head of the table, "Good to see you."
A
tall boy with dark brown hair and soft gray eyes sitting at the bar stood.
He wore dark brown leggings with matching leather boots. A teal poet
shirt with drawstring keyhole was worn beneath a brown leather jerkin fully
lined with leather laces and matching cuffs were tied to his sleeves. Standing
against the bars corner, next to him, was a good-sized throwing spear with a
bronze point and steel handles engraved with an unfamiliar crest.
"Uh,
Spot we were just uh… planning how we were going to get you and Mouse and Race
out of that-"
"Shut
up." Spot snapped.
"He got himself out Pie. Don't worry about it." The only girl in the place spoke from a table by the stairs. She was sitting across the table from a taller boy, a deck or cards between them.
"Thanks
for your concern Hotshot." Spot yelled across the room at her. The two seemed to be old friends.
"Welcome."
She smirked in his direction.
The girl who spoke appeared to be the same age as her companion Mouse, though there was something different about her. Hotshot, as the nobles had discovered she was called, was taller than any of the three captives and dressed in a mixture of boy's and women's clothing. She wore brown leggings much like her leader's, along with a three quarter length, white chemise blouse which she wore un-tucked. The blouse featured a keyhole with drawstring and was slightly ruffled at the sleeves. Over this she sported a forest green jerkin with padded suede shoulder rolls tailored to emphasize the shoulders. Her light brown hair was pulled back with a piece of rawhide and draped over one shoulder. The other was occupied by a sack filled with forest green feathered arrows and matching longbow. The daggers hanging from the black sued belt, at the girl's waist emphasized her ruggedness as her cool eyes dared the nobles to mess with her. Her boots were black thigh high suede leather rolled down to her calves. They held two hidden daggers that tied her look together. The party of nobles also took notice of the full length, twill brown cloak with forest green silk lining complete with a half-circle brass cloak pin draped across her chair.
This
girl, this 'Hotshot' as she was so lovingly referred, stumped them there was no
question that she could hold her own, but even her companion wore a dress even
if it wasn't as girlish as Candy's. Here was a girl who dressed as a boy
but incorporated a bit of feminist. However strange she appeared to them, they
didn't dare question her on it.
Her companion on the other hand was tall, lanky and wore a pair of
pewter framed glasses. His brown hair spilled into his matching eyes as
he leaned over his hand, eying the cards played on the table. He wore dark
gray leggings accented by a light gray poet shirt fastened at the waist by a
black leather belt with pewter buckle, and matching leather boots. The
lace up front and ruffles at the neck and sleeves of the shirt were very
understated, yet added just enough to pass as formal wear when meeting with the
common class. A dark gray floppy hat lay on the table beside him along
with a large silver topped staff finely decorated with rare Celtic markings. His name was Specs.
Spot looked over the ranks and noticed missing faces. "Where
is everyone?"
"Itey and Snitch are out, probably picking pockets or getting some
food," A boy with wavy, dark brown hair that spilled into his deep brown
eyes answered. He was known as Swifty and was clad in black breeches and
a dark brown, muslin, long-sleeved, boat-necked, baggy shirt over this was a
cape in brown velour, trimmed in gold and burgundy, which had the ability to be
worn off shoulder or on. At the moment it was off the shoulder bringing
attention to his Celtic spirit bottle. It was a small blue glass bottle
on a gold cord wrapped in an antiqued gold Celtic knot adorned with the ancient
Celtic Wolf. Like Hotshot, Swifty was armed with a sack filled with
gold-feathered arrows along with coordinating longbow on his shoulder and
crossbow hanging from a leather strap. He too wore black leather boots and
cuffs. "You know them, even after a bust that's what they do. Blink
went out with them. He's probably flirting with the ladies, but what do
you expect."
"What about Race?" Mouse asked.
"Race," Pie Eater arched an eyebrow, "He was captured
with the two of you. Did you hit your head or something?"
"But he escaped."
"He ain't been back here yet," Hotshot shrugged,
"probably come around tonight though."
Specs glanced behind Spot warily, "Who're your friends?"
"Don't call 'em friends." The leader snapped.
"They're more like… business associates." He motioned to the
table at which Hotshot and Specs were seated. "Everyone grab a
seat."
"Why do I suddenly not like the sound of that?" Swifty whined
looking back and forth between Spot and his remaining friends, hoping one of
them had an answer.
Mouse sighed and took a seat at one end of the table. The nobles
had seated themselves on one end nearer the door while the thieves claimed the
other; with Spot sitting somewhere in the middle. Just as he opened his
mouth to speak, the door swung ajar reveling three teens.
In bounced Snitch and Itey, their pockets looking considerably heavy.
No doubt it had been a good day. Blink walked behind them with a grin on
his face. Snitch it seemed was telling Blink about the finer points of
how he'd stolen a well-adorned knife off of a man that morning. He
stopped dead in his tracks at seeing the table. "Uh… hiya
Spot."
Spot sent the three a bored look; "We escaped. Drop the
worried look and take a seat."
The three obeyed, equaling out the two sides. Snitch unbeknownst to himself took a seat across from the prince and proceeded to empty his findings of the day upon the table. Meanwhile the other two did the same as the noble's eyes widened in abhorrence while the remainder of the thieves inspected the loot with keen eyes. There were eight nobles, eight thieves, with Spot caught in the middle.
The latter cleared his throat. "So, Mouse, you wanna take a
swing at explaining all of this?"
"You dug your grave Conlon, now
lie in it." She barely looked at him as she spoke from her end of the
table, suddenly finding the amethyst tipped hilt of her silver shell guard
dagger interesting. Their accomplices looked up form their new treasures
as the three boys began to re-pocket them instantly sensing the tension between
the two ex-captives and the strangers. All eyes were darting intensely at
their leader and skeptically toward the outsiders across the table.
"Okay,"
Spot paused, "First of all, there is no need to get up and run because you're
in no danger of being arrested. In fact, it's more likely that I will
hurt you in the chance that you run, because all of you need to hear this out.
Now, this," he pointed to the boy at his immediate left, "is prince
Jack of Tralee."
He
noticed that everyone except Mouse stiffened. Specs and Pie even started
to stand as if to run, but caught themselves. The other knights also
seemed to have expected an attack. There was a moment that he left
silent, and the tension rose to be so thick that you could cut it with a knife.
"And these other men are his knights and their squires. Now, can you all accept that and get over the fact that they are sitting here with us." They all nodded, and Spot turned to Jack, "And Jackie-boy, these here are the best thieves in all of Tralee." He turned back to his friends,
"Snitch,"
He motioned to the boy on his right dressed in sandstone colored breeches and
matching tunic over a white poet shirt. He wore brown suede boots and a flail
hung from the suede strap at his waist. "grew up in this here town
and works wonders with a flail.
"Next
to him is Itey, our mace expert, who is also from Tralee." The boy
who had recently entered in brown breeches and white poet shirt with
drawstring keyhole, smiled proudly. He too wore suede boots and strap
with a mace hanging from it. However he distinguished himself by wearing
a brown floppy hat over his slightly curly black hair.
Swifty,
Pie Eater, and Hotshot came here from their various homes. Watch out for
that one." He said pointing toward the Hotshot. "Beside her is Specs,
he grew up hear as well as myself and Race. The last two are the only
Cascadian's, Kid Blink and Mouse. They're specialty is with daggers but
there's no one better with a rapier than Mouse and Blink's a master with a
trident."
Blink
was the dirty blonde teen with a suede patch over his right eye, clad in kaki
colored Sailor Pants that had a drawstring waistband and discrete, deep front
pockets. A white three quarter length Ren shirt was worn beneath a dark purple Captain's
Coat made of lush cotton corduroy with delicate gold and black trim. He wore it
with comfort and authority. His black leather boots hid a set of daggers,
much like Mouse's. He also eyed a
trident across the room, which was presumably his, as he watched the
nobles. It was decorated slightly with
several pearls and shells.
"Now
that we know everyone let's get started. Okay, now listen carefully to what
I have to say because I'm only gonna explain this once. It is true that
Race, Mouse and myself were captured during our last raid. We were
interrogated and asked to give up our partners' names in order to have reduced
sentences and we didn't, even when his highness here threatened us with death.
The king had me brought to his chambers this morning. He has a deal to
strike with us. If we accept and carry it out we will be generously compensated
and released to do whatever we wish. That means we can all leave Tralee,
or start over, with a clean slate. If not we'll be arrested. Now,
the king wants to send us on a mission to Odessa…"
Once
he was finished with a rather lengthy explanation Spot let them all sit in an
uneasy silence. He and Jack were the only ones who knew the entire plan
as of yet and it had come as a shock to both the nobles and thieves. He
rose and made his way up to the bar. Blue Warren, barkeeper and owner of
Avignon Tavern, was standing behind the counter; he'd heard the entire thing.
Blue had owned the tavern for only
the past four or so years. He was only in his early twenties and barely
six years Spot's senior. He'd inherited the tavern from his grandfather
and in accepting it also accepted letting Spot and the others live and plot
there. He actually rather enjoyed the excitement it brought, though he
could not partake in the raids himself, they paid him well to let them stay
there. He enjoyed misleading the guards who questioned him.
"You
think they'll bite?" he asked.
Blue
nodded, "You know they'd do anything to help you. It's fucking
sickening how close the ten of you are. Just give them a few."
He placed a tray of water on the counter, "Now bring this over there and
get this to work. Make sure you talk to me if you're all going to
leave."
"Water,"
Spot offered setting the tray on the table several seconds later. Blink
and Mouse all but lunged for a glass. Being nervous or worried made
Cascadian's thirsty, actually a lot of fierce emotions made them thirsty.
The others were all slower to take a glass, especially the nobles.
Spot
wasn't at all worried about the nobles. They had no choice in the matter
of going with Jack. The knights would be ordered to and their squires
would have to follow. His friends on the other hand might not accept.
He knew some of them had certain qualms about nobles and about doing something
for them. He knew also that at least Snitch and Itey had never even been
outside of Tralee in their entire lives.
"Well,"
he prompted.
"I
already told you I'd do it," Mouse said.
"I'll
come too then." Blink added automatically. He was almost a brother
to Mouse, which meant t if one did something there was no doubt the other would
too.
"I'm
in," Hotshot said, grinning, "Sounds like fun." Leave it
to her to think of it that way.
Specs
nodded when Spot looked at him, "I guess."
"It'll
be easy," Pie Eater tried to reassure himself as he nodded. "Yeah,
easy"
Swifty
sighed as he looked at Spot, "Well, if you're going through the woods
you'll need me."
Not
to be left out Snitch and Itey exchanged a glance and Itey spoke for them,
"Us too."
Jack
looked almost put out at not being able to arrest anyone, but managed a solemn
nod. "They'll all have to come to the palace. We'll give them
names and titles, weapons," He glanced at them in mild distaste, "new
clothes."
Though
his words were meant to be scathing Jack looked at the thieves in wonder.
From everything he'd heard about thieves he'd learned that they used other
people and cared for no one but themselves. Spot and his friends were the
exact opposite, closer even than Jack and his friends. Now if only that
Racetrack boy would come back they could move ahead with things.
At
that particular moment the side door to the tavern opened and he marched in humming
a happy tune. "Speak of the devil" Jack muttered.
Race
stopped dead as he caught sight of the table.
"You
are a dead man, Race." Spot spoke as he stood pulling a hidden dagger from
his belt.
"Uh…
Spot! Fancy meeting you here. Hehe…" He managed to squeak out
as he slowly backed away from the advancing Spot.
"You…you
imbecile! You 'tripped' you clumsy little shit! You tripped, you
got us caught, and you, you are the reason we had to agree to this whole
mess!" Spot hissed, rage erupting through him as he threw his dagger
through the air, forcing Race to dive out of its path of destruction.
"And how did you redeem yourself while your friends were suffering as a
result of your idiotic mistakes? While we were rotting away in a prison
cell, while Mouse was dehydrating, because of you! What did you do Race?
You left us; you escaped leaving us to pay for your stupidity! And you had the
nerve to waltz in hear humming like nothing happened!" By this time
Race had fallen to the floor and was crawling backward into the wall.
Spot towered over him, dagger raised high above his head ready to kill.
"Die you traitorous bastard!" He exclaimed driving the dagger
down upon his friend.
"Spot!"
Mouse exclaimed breaking the rest of the room's occupants out of their shock.
Standing from her position between Blink and Mush she willed with all of her
might to use that new mysterious power to stay her leader's weapon. After
seeing that it had worked she swiftly approached Spot and promptly dope slapped
him.
"Ow!"
Spot exclaimed dropping the dagger to rub the back of his head, "What was
that for?"
"You
promised you wouldn't do anything brash."
Race
took this opportunity to stand and move toward the door. "Well
seeing as how I'm not welcome here no more, I'd best be going."
"Not
so fast!" Hotshot warned as Specs, Blink and herself surrounded him
weapons drawn. "Who ever said you weren't welcome here?"
"But…Spot
just…"
"What
that? That was nothing." She shrugged, as though attempts on Race's
life were a daily occurrence.
"Nothing!
He almost killed me!"
"He was just upset a bit, you know Spot." Specs entered the conversation excusing their leader's behavior. "He just over reacted a little is all."
"Think about it for a minute, Race," Swifty interjected, "Has Spot ever gone through with his threats to kill you?"
"Well, no but-"
"Besides," Blink added slinging an arm over his
friend's shoulders, "we wouldn't let you get off that easy. If we
have to go through with this you're coming too. It's only fair, no?
I mean it is your fault after all."
Race looked around the room making eye contact with each of the thieves. His face was contorted in confusion and he regarded them as though they were crazy. "You honestly think Spot killing me is being let off easy?" The thieves merely shot glances between each other before staring at Race ignoring his question.
"So you in?" Spot questioned holding out a hand.
Glancing
at it uneasily Race nodded shaking on it. "Like I have a
choice" he mumbled.
"Glad ta hear it!" Spot smiled, patting him roughly on the back.
A/N: ok, so now that I had to throw my character in there we all know who this is. It's Hotshot and SaL. Well, we aren't any of the best-known authors in the newsies section but we decided this would be our summer project and created a new name. Any mail or whatever can be sent to one of our e-mails as there isn't one posted for Exempt…
Anyway, I know this isn't the longest of chapters and it's almost all descriptions but we figure that we need to get all of our characters out there. The rest of the nobles will probably fit into the next few chapters, and things will start moving quicker after that as well.
Seeing as it is past midnight and I have things to do tomorrow I'm not going to do shout-outs. If you enjoy reading this please review so we know you're reading. And if you hate it, well… review anyway and tell us what we're doing wrong.
Forever,
Exempt From Sanity.
