Disclaimer: I don't own any of Tamora Pierce's stuff.

A/N: This story is a slight mix between Street Magic and Kel's series, I think somewhere around Kel's series anyway. Not sure on that yet. This starts in Chammar (the city in street magic) is a Bazhir city far to the south nestled in big dry mountains.

Sari smiled, but to everyone who saw her only saw a twinkle in her emerald eyes, her scarf covered her mouth as she dodged threw the market. The market was packed with rich people, a thieves dream. The day was going well for her so far, considering she'd only been out an hour in the afternoon and had a healthy sum "collected".

Sari had bigger fish to fry that day then just pick pocketing; she was on layout. One of the giant stone mansions had gotten a hefty income as word had passed around and Sari was to figure out the best way to take it off their hands.

It was going to be the biggest heist the so far that the foxes were going to try and pull off. They hadn't been able to find a legal reason to get inside so whoever was going in needed to be almost invisible; Sari was the ideal person for the job. Her trait was speed. She was as fast as lightning and was dangerous with her daggers. Sari smiled again, she practically bristled with daggers, most of them were hidden, some of them not.

Quickly slipping into a corner Sari checked to see if any one was following her, on the upper and lower roads, the gate lords wanted the foxes hunted out and it was getting dangerous to go as a lone fox on the streets. Even though Sari had taken off her orange scarf that was the fox trademark she had been sternly lectured that she was a target anyway, she didn't buy that. She was second in command but she was only in charge of the girls', they wouldn't bother to recognize her without her scarf tied round her arm.

Sari had been one of the first foxes, thinking of the night she had joined she couldn't help but shiver. The circumstances couldn't have been worse. She owed the fox big. Thinking that Sari smiled again, he hated being called the fox saying Ryne worked fine as a name. Ryne was best classified as a "Trouble maker". He was about as cunning as a fox but in Sari's opinion he had the heart of rabbit, soft and fuzzy. Musing though Sari was glad he had a soft heart, for all he tried to hide it, otherwise she wouldn't be around.

Sari was dragged out of her musings as her instincts started to go abuzz. Mentally saying "bad" a few times in her head, as was her habit when things got sticky, she slipped threw the crowd and around a corner. As fast as she could she slipped up the ladder to crouch behind the little ledge scanning the crowd for whoever might be watching. Sari's brow wrinkled, as she frowned, no one in sight. Looking up Sari scanned the rooftops, nothing. Much more cautious now Sari continued on to her destination on the upper road, maybe she was more of a target after all.

After five years being on the streets she'd come to listen to her instincts. Her arms were prickling. Her mind started repeating bad faster. Sari started to pick up speed lengthening her stride a touch. Whoever was following her would have to do the same and someone running would be much easier to spot. Nothing, she saw nothing. Getting un-easier by the moment Sari started running with her full stride. This wasn't right there wasn't a doubt in her mind now something was wrong.

Freezing in her tracks Sari saw some black and white tuck behind a window. A gate lord was watching her from the window? They couldn't follow her that way, so why watch? Her arms had goose bumps, too much was wrong here. Sari scaled down another ladder into a crowd, she always did better in crowds, the more people to hinder the enemy the better. Three gate lords appeared around a corner ahead of her. She was in trouble. Sari whirled around and as fast as she could manage, ran. A constant stream of "bads" was flying threw her mind.

If Gate Lords were watching her from windows they had to know her whole route, so running back the way she came would only make her run into more. Mentally crossing her fingers Sari ran back the way she had come praying that the Gate Lords were spread out enough that she could get by. One Gate Lord came out of a doorway a moment to late, he learned, as Sari skimmed by. It was getting late and the crowd was disappearing as evening started to come on.

Bad bad bad bad... Sari picked up her speed to the sprint that she could only sustain for so long, praying even harder that her luck might hold. Five Gate Lords were making a semi-circle across the street. Oh... was she in trouble now. Almost all the shops were closed and not a ladder to the upper road was in sight. Gate Lords had to be close behind. Sari slowed to a stop a good way ahead sending up one last prayer that she would make it threw all limbs still attached.

Ryne was staring at the sun as it slowly started to sink. If things were going well Sari would be at the stone mansion and taking a look at the walls for the best entry. If they weren't, Ryne grit his teeth. He didn't like this one bit. Sari had sat threw his warnings and lectures good-naturedly but Ryne could have sworn he saw his words go in one ear and out the other. He couldn't blame her any. Why did he think there was something wrong anyway?

He couldn't put off the scouting trip, one of the other gangs were sure to sack the mansion soon. The giant stone place was sitting there like a ripe peach just waiting to be picked; it had hardly any protection spells at all. Ryne really didn't like it. The sun was starting to go below the hill when Ryne decided to take a "run" and make sure Sari was all right. That'd give him something to do besides brood about how it wasn't right.

Out on the streets Ryne was starting to feel sheepish. He was being stupid and he knew it. If any of the other gangs were around they'd attack him in a flash, to nab another gang's tesku would be crippling. He knew if nothing was wrong Sari was going to kill him personally saying she could take care of herself. Even if there was something wrong she'd say she could manage just fine. Sari could take care of herself pretty well but her trade of speed had a lot of risk in it. She was fast but Ryne was afraid one day someone would be faster than she was.

Sari had almost made it past the block of Gate Lords by merely appealing to their greed. She'd sacrificed her collection for that day and almost gotten away clean. If that one Gate Lord hadn't done what he should've she would have made it without her road burn and twisted wrist. He'd aimed to grab her shoulder but missed and ended up grabbing her wrist. Sari had to twist her wrist as she dropped, only to roll, get up and run on. Her wrist stung like fire and she hoped fervently that it was only sprained.

Ryne was certain something was up now. He'd bumped into four Gate Lords along the way when they should have been back at their den. When he spied a larger group of Gate Lords down the street Ryne dropped back into a side alley hoping fervently that Sari was okay and he wouldn't get pinned in looking for her. She was too careless sometimes. Ryne stood just out of the Gate Lords view wondering what he was going to do, if they'd already caught Sari they were going to make him pay a threw the nose price or... he didn't want to think of that. The group of Gate Lords were spreading out to block the road.

Sari had only made it down the road past the Gate Lords when another one grabbed her from behind and pulled her into an alley. She was in big trouble if the Gate Lord that had nabbed her got his pals down the street to come give him a hand. A split second after the Gate Lord had grabbed her, he found himself with a smashed foot and a pinky finger being bent the wrong way

Sari was completely relived then agitated when she'd heard Ryne tell her to stop it threw clenched teeth. He shouldn't be out on the streets with the Gate Lords everywhere. Ryne spun Sari around so she was facing him and said

"I told you to be careful! You big dummy you need to listen to me"

Sari simply stared for a moment and calmly said, "I wasn't being careful but I'm no dummy. We are all going to be in trouble if you disappear." Sari pried his fingers off her shoulders with her good left hand "and I've told you; I can take care of my self".

It was Ryne's turn to stare for a moment, before he broke out into a grin. She'd used the exact phrase he knew she would.

Sari after telling Ryne to "wipe that off" started climbing up a ladder to the higher road. Doing as he was told Ryne got serious and followed Sari up the ladder, not noticing how she didn't used her right hand. Getting back to the den was going to be hard, a challenge.

Sari couldn't remember the last time the fox had worn a grin like that. A smile creeped up the side of her face, despite her throbbing hand, He looked completely like a child troublemaker pulling off a big prank and delighting in every moment of it. Sari yanked her mind out of the clouds it was drifting into and put it back on the street. Racing across rooftops at the speed she was going you needed to have your mind on where your feet go or you could have an un-pleasant drop.

An ominous rumble sounded from the over shadowing cliffs.

A/N: Like it, love it, hate it? Click the box and tell me! Is it worth continuing or should I drown it? My first fic so lemme know how I did.