Village of Newport

Zechs stood in his single room in the inn, leaning against the window casement, tapping his foot against the floor. It seemed to him that the sun would never set, that it would never be full dark. The rest of his team sat in the room as well, waiting in their own ways. Alex paced back and forth across the wood floor; Howard sat twirling a dagger between his fingers; Noin leaned against the headboard of the bed, reading a book she'd produced from her pack. Zechs glanced at her, idly wondering what she was reading, but he couldn't see the title.

Zechs looked back out the window at the bustle of the street below. The sun was nearly gone behind the horizon, and yet the streets were still filled with people. In order to sneak to the Barton manor, Zechs and his team needed a relatively empty street, lest they stick to the shadows as closely as possible. He sincerely hoped that Howard had chosen the right night for the job.

The job had one shining light, and that was that the Bartons would not be home. They had left with much of their household to visit the Bloom family for a prospective marriage arrangement - desperate to arrange a new match in light of the King's rejection, no doubt. Zechs might have chuckled at the irony of it all, were he not so anxious.

Once the sun finally set, darkness settled quickly. Zechs was pleased to see that the people on the streets began to shutter themselves up in their homes and cottages. Horses were led to the stables and lights in the shops dimmed and disappeared. Howard stood up from his spot on the chair and tucked his dagger away.

"It's time," he said.

Zechs stepped away from the window and followed the other out of the room, down the steps, and into the street. The world glowed a heavy blue color, as the last rays of the sun dissipated into the night. Howard led the way, keeping in the shadows of the buildings. Silently, the foursome made their way closer to the Barton manor, skirting the worst of the guards, standing at the parapets, watching the activity below.

As they neared the manor, Noin took the lead, following the shadow trail towards a side door. Zechs pressed his back against the stone wall of the manor, keeping both eyes open for signs of danger.

At the side door, Noin paused, along with the rest of the group. She slipped a worn, leather packet from an inner pocket and flipped it open. In the growing darkness, Zechs couldn't see what she was doing, but he could hear the faint clicking of metal against metal. Noin shifted, folded her leather packet up and tucked it away. With confidence, she grasped the handle of the door and pulled it open. It squeaked on its hinges, forcing the group to freeze. When nothing happened, Noin pulled the door open further and slipped inside, followed by Howard, Zechs, and Alex in the rear.

They found themselves in a long, dank hallway, the walls made of stone, with wooden doors at regular intervals. Howard fumbled around in the dark, and Zechs heard a clink of a chain, and then the strike of flint against steel. A fire flared in the darkness as Howard lit a torch he must have pulled from the wall. In the dim light of the torch, Howard pulled a map from his pocket and handed it over to Zechs. He unrolled the map and spread it flat against a wall. Howard tapped his finger on a room not too far from where they'd entered the manor.

"That's where the gold is kept," Howard said.

"Are you sure?" Alex asked. Zechs could feel the other man growing impatient.

"Absolutely," Howard replied. Zechs folded the map back up and handed it over to Howard, who kept it in his hand and took the lead down the hall.

They walked for several minutes in silence; the only sounds Zechs could hear were the flickering of the torch and their boots on the stone floor.

A new sound cut through the silence. Howard stopped in his tracks, and Zechs bumped into him. Noin and Alex both stumbled into Zechs at the abrupt halt.

"Shh," Howard hissed. Voices carried along the air, echoing off the stone walls. Howard quickly thrust the torch to the ground and stomped on the flame with his boot, throwing them into darkness once more.

The conversation Zechs could hear consisted of complaints of the lack of female companionship that existed in the local village. Zechs shook his head in disgust, and he heard Noin scoff. The conversation was crude and very unwelcome to the ears. Standing stock still in the hall, the light from the guards passed by at the end of the hall. To Zech's relief, the guards kept walking and didn't bother to look down the hall.

As soon as the guards' conversation faded in the distance, Howard took up his torch and lit it once again. They continued on their way down the hall, and at the end, took a left turn, in the opposite direction of the guards. Howard increased his pace, and Zechs and the others were forced to keep up. Finally, he stopped at a door. He thrust the map into Noin's hands, and she unfolded it hurriedly. Howard checked the map, and nodded to Noin. She slipped her packet from her shirt once more and set to work on the lock. Zechs watched her with admiration.

"Hurry up, will you?" Alex grunted. Zechs threw him a dark look and nudged him.

"Shh."

The lock clicked. Noin stowed away her tools and stood up straight. She pushed open the door.

Howard raised his torch.

"By God."

Gold coins glinted in the torch light. Several chests lined the edge of the room, some open, spilling with coin. Some were closed, but Zechs was confident that Noin could make quick work of the locks. The foursome crept into the room, marveling at the amount of gold that one family could control.

Howard knelt down and opened his pack. He pulled out several canvas bags and handed them around. Zechs took a few and headed into the piles. He scooped the cool coins into the bag, feeling the weight grow heavier with each handful.

Noin appeared beside him and mimicked his actions. She glanced at him, and in the dim light, Zechs thought he saw her smile. He returned the smile, just in case his eyes weren't deceiving him.

"Hurry up," Alex said from somewhere else in the room. "Who knows when those guards will be back."

Howard grunted an agreement, and the group increased their pace. Soon, several canvas bags sat near the door, waiting to be carried out. Howard stooped to pick up several, motioning for the others to do the same. Zechs hefted a few bags in his hands while Alex and Noin did the same, until they were each loaded down with several pounds of gold coin. Howard jerked his chin towards the door, and the four of them slipped through, leaving the door ajar as they made their way down the hall. Zechs could feel excitement mounting in his stomach, for they were about to make out with a king's ransom in coin.

And as soon as Alex, Noin, and Howard were paid, Zechs could fulfill his promise.

He would bring his share and any extra to a poor village who took him in and kept his secret for so long. After this job, he would finally be able to repay the villagers for their kindness.

- RGS