A/N Next chapter!!
To My Reviewers -
sword of revealing light ~ Thanks for your review!! I'm glad you like my story!!
MickJaggerasFrankandAlex ~ Thanks for reviewing tell me what you think of my next chapter!! ^_^
kingleby ~ Cheers for reviewing every chapter, I'm really glad you like it!!
EnglishMystic ~ Thanks I'll update as often as I can!! ^_^
Chapter Twelve
Jack led the group around the outskirts of town. He led them through the packed streets, guiding them amongst the collection of market sellers. They walked down the cobbled alley way in single file, pushing their way through the busy shopping crowds. The stalls, each manned, by a small weedy stall owner, and a rather large guard, to stop thieves, were covered with items ranging from bread and fish, to jewelled necklaces and stone statues.
The group got accosted several times by the over enthusiastic stall holders, trying to sell their merchandise, whilst the large guards watched with beady eyes. The street they walked down, was extremely narrow. There were two rows of houses, a mix of mud, thatch and old brick. And bordering each row were the thousands of stalls, and their buyers crowding the street.
Jack managed to pilfer various items from the stalls as he walked past, his hands moved so quickly, that only Will, standing directly behind him, caught sight of their swift movements. As Will watched, Jack's hand flew from his side, grabbing what appeared to be a shell necklace from the nearest stall. Will turned nervously to the stall holder to see if he had noticed. But at that moment in time the stall holder was counting out the money he had just made from a rather successful sale, to a rather gullible old beggar woman.
Will took the whole street in, in a single glance. It was not the old style houses, simple and so basic they only included the absolute essentials, or the wooden stalls containing the for sale items, that interested him. It was the people. His attention was almost instantly grabbed by a stall further on. One selling jewellery, similar to the pieces Jack kept stealing.
The man standing behind the stall, was medium in height, and thin in build. His cruel eyes rested close together on his grubby un-kept face, his mouth smirked as he watched the people crowded around his stall. To his left stood the guard. The seven foot guard had an even nastier smirk, doubled by the fact that in his plate sized hands he was fingering a large, rusty blade.
As the group were walking past, making little progress through the market, a grubby girl of about fifteen approached the stall. Will watched as her tanned hand slipped out from under her ragged shawl. Like Jack had before her, she reached for a necklace. Will stepped forward to stop her, he could see instantly what was going to happen, and it did.
The guard's dinner plate left hand closed in around her slender wrist. It gripped her hard, making her wince with the pain.
"Thief!" The stall holder shouted. "Thief!"
"Thief! Thief! Thief!" The call rang out among the crowd. "Thief!"
The girl tried to wriggle free from the iron grasp, but it was hopeless.
"Do you know what we do to thieves?" The stall holder demanded.
The girl didn't reply, instead she continued to struggle harder. The man laughed at her feeble attempts to gain freedom.
"Thieves lose their thieving little organs!" The stall holder continued, the cruelty in his voice was magnified. His hand reached forward and he stroked her scared face. She recoiled in horror.
"Off wit' her hands." One woman croaked. "She'll ne'er steal again!"
Will and the others had come to a halt, the crowd had stopped moving, eager to see what was to become of the thief, there was no way through. The guard pulled her to the side, he lay her hand on the smooth wood. Holding it down with one hand, he raised the rusty blade with the other. The crowd had fallen silent, they were each watching with mindless anticipation at the girl's fate, not one lifting a finger to help her.
But Will couldn't stand it. The girl was young, hungry and clearly on her own. How could they allow such a punishment, when her only crime was hunger?
He pushed his way through the crowd, Jack following behind him.
Will headed towards the stall holder, as Jack grabbed the girl and pulled her out of the guard's grasp as the blade fell. The crowd were not in the least disappointed, it had turned into quite an episode, it was the first time a thief had been saved from the knife.
Gibbs heard one woman mutter. "Oh deary me, Gertrude will be so disappointed that she missed this."
The guard turned round to face Jack.
"You better have a good reason."
"Oh I do." Said Jack, reaching for his sword.
Will put his hand on Jack's shoulder. "Let's do this my way." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a collection of coins. He handed the stall holder twice as much as what the necklace was worth.
"You know this girl?" The man demanded as he greedily accepted the money.
Will nodded. "She has just lost her mother poor soul, it has unhinged her."
The stall holder nodded to the guard. "We shall let her go this time, but remember next time, no lenience shall be shown."
Will and Jack pushed their way through the gobsmacked crowd, leading the girl in front of them. Once they had left the busy street they pulled her into a corner.
"Thanks for that, but I could 'ave 'andled it." She said, with a grin. The fear she had displayed in the market place vanished instantly from her cheeky face, she made to walk off but Jack pushed her roughly back into the corner.
"I don't think so. What's your name girl?"
"What's it to you?" She demanded, refusing to look at Jack.
"We've just saved you, you might like to show a little bit more gratitude." Jack said, struggling with the last word, slightly.
"Like I said, I could have 'andled it."
"What's your name?" Will asked.
She shrugged. "I don't really know, but lately I've bin using Ella."
"Well Ella, in future you might wish to pay for your purchases, rather then stealing." Will said.
She grinned. "Only fools pay for things."
Jack nodded in agreement.
"Where do you live?"
"Wherever I can find." She said, trying to fight free from Jack's grip. "Do you want to know what went wrong?" He asked.
"You what?"
"Why you were caught?"
She shrugged.
"You're too sure of yourself girl, even professionals get caught when their not on their guard."
"I don't know what your talking about."
Jack grinned. "Course not." He reached forward and unbuttoned the top of her blouse, ripping it open. There, hanging around her bronzed neck were over sixty assorted necklaces, of all descriptions.
At last she wriggled free of his grasp and pushed her way through. As she ran off down the street, Jack called after her.
"Remember Ella, even professionals get caught." As the two turned to face Gibbs and Cotton, who had only just managed to force themselves from the crowd.
"What's happened? Who were that girl?" Gibbs asked.
Jack grinned. "Well, let's just say Will's done his good deed for the day."
Gibbs shook his head, not even pretending to understand. "Are we at Jo's place yet?"
"Nearly, five minute walk."
To My Reviewers -
sword of revealing light ~ Thanks for your review!! I'm glad you like my story!!
MickJaggerasFrankandAlex ~ Thanks for reviewing tell me what you think of my next chapter!! ^_^
kingleby ~ Cheers for reviewing every chapter, I'm really glad you like it!!
EnglishMystic ~ Thanks I'll update as often as I can!! ^_^
Chapter Twelve
Jack led the group around the outskirts of town. He led them through the packed streets, guiding them amongst the collection of market sellers. They walked down the cobbled alley way in single file, pushing their way through the busy shopping crowds. The stalls, each manned, by a small weedy stall owner, and a rather large guard, to stop thieves, were covered with items ranging from bread and fish, to jewelled necklaces and stone statues.
The group got accosted several times by the over enthusiastic stall holders, trying to sell their merchandise, whilst the large guards watched with beady eyes. The street they walked down, was extremely narrow. There were two rows of houses, a mix of mud, thatch and old brick. And bordering each row were the thousands of stalls, and their buyers crowding the street.
Jack managed to pilfer various items from the stalls as he walked past, his hands moved so quickly, that only Will, standing directly behind him, caught sight of their swift movements. As Will watched, Jack's hand flew from his side, grabbing what appeared to be a shell necklace from the nearest stall. Will turned nervously to the stall holder to see if he had noticed. But at that moment in time the stall holder was counting out the money he had just made from a rather successful sale, to a rather gullible old beggar woman.
Will took the whole street in, in a single glance. It was not the old style houses, simple and so basic they only included the absolute essentials, or the wooden stalls containing the for sale items, that interested him. It was the people. His attention was almost instantly grabbed by a stall further on. One selling jewellery, similar to the pieces Jack kept stealing.
The man standing behind the stall, was medium in height, and thin in build. His cruel eyes rested close together on his grubby un-kept face, his mouth smirked as he watched the people crowded around his stall. To his left stood the guard. The seven foot guard had an even nastier smirk, doubled by the fact that in his plate sized hands he was fingering a large, rusty blade.
As the group were walking past, making little progress through the market, a grubby girl of about fifteen approached the stall. Will watched as her tanned hand slipped out from under her ragged shawl. Like Jack had before her, she reached for a necklace. Will stepped forward to stop her, he could see instantly what was going to happen, and it did.
The guard's dinner plate left hand closed in around her slender wrist. It gripped her hard, making her wince with the pain.
"Thief!" The stall holder shouted. "Thief!"
"Thief! Thief! Thief!" The call rang out among the crowd. "Thief!"
The girl tried to wriggle free from the iron grasp, but it was hopeless.
"Do you know what we do to thieves?" The stall holder demanded.
The girl didn't reply, instead she continued to struggle harder. The man laughed at her feeble attempts to gain freedom.
"Thieves lose their thieving little organs!" The stall holder continued, the cruelty in his voice was magnified. His hand reached forward and he stroked her scared face. She recoiled in horror.
"Off wit' her hands." One woman croaked. "She'll ne'er steal again!"
Will and the others had come to a halt, the crowd had stopped moving, eager to see what was to become of the thief, there was no way through. The guard pulled her to the side, he lay her hand on the smooth wood. Holding it down with one hand, he raised the rusty blade with the other. The crowd had fallen silent, they were each watching with mindless anticipation at the girl's fate, not one lifting a finger to help her.
But Will couldn't stand it. The girl was young, hungry and clearly on her own. How could they allow such a punishment, when her only crime was hunger?
He pushed his way through the crowd, Jack following behind him.
Will headed towards the stall holder, as Jack grabbed the girl and pulled her out of the guard's grasp as the blade fell. The crowd were not in the least disappointed, it had turned into quite an episode, it was the first time a thief had been saved from the knife.
Gibbs heard one woman mutter. "Oh deary me, Gertrude will be so disappointed that she missed this."
The guard turned round to face Jack.
"You better have a good reason."
"Oh I do." Said Jack, reaching for his sword.
Will put his hand on Jack's shoulder. "Let's do this my way." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a collection of coins. He handed the stall holder twice as much as what the necklace was worth.
"You know this girl?" The man demanded as he greedily accepted the money.
Will nodded. "She has just lost her mother poor soul, it has unhinged her."
The stall holder nodded to the guard. "We shall let her go this time, but remember next time, no lenience shall be shown."
Will and Jack pushed their way through the gobsmacked crowd, leading the girl in front of them. Once they had left the busy street they pulled her into a corner.
"Thanks for that, but I could 'ave 'andled it." She said, with a grin. The fear she had displayed in the market place vanished instantly from her cheeky face, she made to walk off but Jack pushed her roughly back into the corner.
"I don't think so. What's your name girl?"
"What's it to you?" She demanded, refusing to look at Jack.
"We've just saved you, you might like to show a little bit more gratitude." Jack said, struggling with the last word, slightly.
"Like I said, I could have 'andled it."
"What's your name?" Will asked.
She shrugged. "I don't really know, but lately I've bin using Ella."
"Well Ella, in future you might wish to pay for your purchases, rather then stealing." Will said.
She grinned. "Only fools pay for things."
Jack nodded in agreement.
"Where do you live?"
"Wherever I can find." She said, trying to fight free from Jack's grip. "Do you want to know what went wrong?" He asked.
"You what?"
"Why you were caught?"
She shrugged.
"You're too sure of yourself girl, even professionals get caught when their not on their guard."
"I don't know what your talking about."
Jack grinned. "Course not." He reached forward and unbuttoned the top of her blouse, ripping it open. There, hanging around her bronzed neck were over sixty assorted necklaces, of all descriptions.
At last she wriggled free of his grasp and pushed her way through. As she ran off down the street, Jack called after her.
"Remember Ella, even professionals get caught." As the two turned to face Gibbs and Cotton, who had only just managed to force themselves from the crowd.
"What's happened? Who were that girl?" Gibbs asked.
Jack grinned. "Well, let's just say Will's done his good deed for the day."
Gibbs shook his head, not even pretending to understand. "Are we at Jo's place yet?"
"Nearly, five minute walk."