A/N We have five more days of school. It is Sunday, 2:08, and boy am I tired. I watched Shrek 2 last night and stayed up until 12:30. I'm whacked out. Just saying.

Also, one of my reviewers asked where is the gang symbol and such. I mentioned that in the second chapter. Quote: The gang lifted their right arms, flashed the blue band, and in unison- "Right!" End quote. See? Just look for these things.

This is the last chapter! I might write about the other mage's lives in Circle of Magic. Who knows, let me think. -

Disclaimer: Read last chapter. Again if you need to.

Roach purlioned a long strip of green cloth from a clothing shop, his hand paining slightly but not as bad as before. He slipped behind the back of the store, where the trash and frayed, shabby and worn out clothes were thrown. Grinning, he tied it to his waist for now.

"Hey, Roach! Over here!" Swift hissed. He had snatched a roll of bright blue linen and was motioning for him to come. Roach sneaked over to where he was and whispered, "Where's everybody else?"

Swift loosed one of his knives and cut a narrow piece off of the cerulean cloth and gave it to Roach. "Market. But the Thief Lord said 'e want's you to be at the new Bag's place. I came here to tell you."

Roach nodded in thanks, and tied the new material over his old azure rag. Swift quickly stashed the linen in the belt of his breeches, as did Roach with his emerald fabric. The threads intertwined with the others, like ivy. That's why Roach had stolen it; it reminded him of green things. He deposited it in his den, covering the moss that he protected.

The gang leader ran down the alley, and disappeared around the corner. Roach followed.

They arrived a few minutes later at a large building, most likely the mayor's quarters. Swift scaled the wall, and dropped into an open window. Roach choose to go behind the back, where it was less conspicious.

In the back, there was a woman, probably the head cook, tossing out scraps of meat mixed with spices from leftovers. Roach waited until the female shut the door, then he crept over to where she had dumped them, and scooped them off the concrete. The spices tasted of an unknown spice and much ginger. The meat was chicken, though unlike any other he had sampled. After eating all the fragments of meat, he checked the musty window, and saw no one in the kitchen. Dinner must have ended early.

He slipped into the kitchen, knives at ready in his hands. Ducking behind the tables, he quickly looked at the utensils in the drawers that were open. Silver, finished off with gold and copper. He scooped the lot in his breeches pockets.

After stealing the utensils, he moved stealthily up the stairs, careful not to step on a warped board that might creak or a shifted rung that might collapse.

At last, he arrived at the mayor's personal quarters. A massive bed, with a huge comforter, was in the middle of the room. A large wardrobe was in the corner, flanked by small chests. Roach swiftly decided to open these first.

Roach twiddled his small, sharp wire with expert skill. Sticking it in the lock, he spun and jerked the thin cable with ease. The chest glowed, obviously magic, then dimmed. Roach whispered as he opened the trunk, "A thief's life! What better?"

A clunking noise sounded from outside. The thief heard voices.

"How was the roast duck, mayor? Did we add enough ginger and the right amount of oregano?" The voice was male.

"Perfect. Tell the cook I send her my compliments for such a wonderful meal." The other voice, the mayor, gave a hearty chuckle. "It was the best of Hajra

Roach froze. They were coming closer! With a fluid movement, he snaked under the prodigious bed.

The two men came into the room. The mayor, Roach guessed, sat on the bed with a clunk. Roach squished himself closer to the ground to avoid being crushed.

"Ah, yes, I will, sir." The other man chortled to himself. "Well, I must admit, Jahra's cooking in unlike any other I have eaten. Better than the king's. Under the king's rule, it reminds me, Hajra was built well, despite it's population of thieves."

The mayor replied, "Yes, that reminds me. You remember that boy, the thief, earlier at Daydreamer's Court?"

"Him? Yes, I do remember slightly." The man sounded thoughtful at this.

"How many more are in the Sotat region? Children that steal and live off of scraps?"

"Quite a few. One could never keep track of them."

"Hm. Highten security, hire more guards to protect the shops from theft. The profit in the area is low, and because of those... gangs." The mayor spat out the word like a curse.

"Yes, mayor. Shall we visit the Water Temple next? They are a foreign temple that heals people when hurt. It is an interesting place."

The mayor slid off the bed, and Roach's breath caught in his throat when the mayor stopped suddenly and asked, "Why is that chest open? I must of opened it and forgot to close the chest." He kicked it shut with a leather shoe.

Roach breathed a sigh of relief. After the pair left, he crawled out from under the bed and got to work.

Roach's breeches jangled with money, jewels and more. It had taken him a few hours to search the house fully for goods. He traversed to the Thief Lord's house, and knocked on the door with a grubby hand. The Thief Lord answered. "Come in."

Roach opened the door, and dumped all of the money, gems, and things he had collected from the mayor's lodging. The Thief Lord sat in his armchair, and shifted through the pile of valuables.

"Hm, gold, silverware, nice gems. Is this all, my little thief?"

Roach responded quickly. "It was what I could get in the short amount of time I had, 'Lord."

The man in the chair chuckled to himself, and replied, "This is all good for now, little thief." He gestured for Roach to hold out his hand, and when he did, deposited coins of silver in it. "Take that, and buy whatever with it." He turned, and Roach bowed and left, inwardly grinning with glee.

Roach and his gang had celebrated with a feast of their own that Dancer, who the gang had decided should buy the meal, had bought with Roach's money. Roach had been reluctant to give the money to his gangmate, but he did after some convincing and a threat by Slug, Roach's least liked gangmate.

The food had been cheese, fruit and pork. Roach indulged, for wasn't it he who had gotten the money?

Swift, after the meal, said, "It's dusk!"

The gang left, but Roach stayed behind for a moment to give his moss water. A small leak in the ceiling had provided so far, because the Lightnings lived under a sewer system, but Roach always made sure it got extra water in case.

Slug was put on guard duty, and Roach sneaked around another clothing shop like the one in the morning. He was about to slip a scarf into his breeches pocket when a muscled arm reached around his neck, like the rest of his gang. Roach dropped the scarf and looked up, a guard's austere face glaring back at him. The guard jerked up Roach's hands, and sure enough, the double tattoo X's were there.

"That's one less thief."

A/N There! The end of the fic! Finally! I never thought this would end... well, actually, I did, but you know what I mean.

I have an idea for another fic. It's what happened in Tris's life, or a few days in it at least, like at cousin Uraelle's place and stuff. Let me think about it -Shadowsong CometShard StarGlaive

P.S You know, I typed this on Sunday, and are posting it on Tuesday. Go figure.