"Gentlemen the boy…He is a remarkable thief with an almost…" Percy gave a rather sickly sweet smile that was quite obviously filled to the brim with malevolence.
"Almost flawless track record as a pick pocket. And I do believe that you've found our man right?" Percy asked curiously.
The great, Scandinavian descended giant nodded and slammed down a small document onto the small, worm eaten table that stood in the centre of the room, years if not decades of layers of dust flying up into the room like the ash from a volcano.
"Yeah, we have. Finally we'll be able to take back what those bastards stole from us and another Isu relic will be out of the hands of the Templars."
"Templars?" Robert thought to himself, he wasn't familiar with any group known as such, the only ones he were familiar with were the knights Templar that had fought in the holy land hundreds of years ago. But their organisation had been dissolved in 1312? They couldn't still be around could they? The papal states wouldn't stand for it!
But then his eyes shifted on the documents…They showed an intricately detailed drawing of a necklace, with a thin chain, it's mounting appeared to be very well decorated, and lined with strange glyphs that he was unfamiliar with…They looked very mysterious though…Like he needed to know what they meant…
He was shaken from his thoughts quite suddenly when the most shrouded of the group spoke in a stern and cold voice, like he didn't care for this supposed problem.
"Good, then we can sort this whole debacle out and get back to more important objectives, like resolving this damnable conflict within the brotherhood."
Robert could tell that the Lancastrian felt a wave of overwhelming pungent bitterness, most likely towards the Yorkist who stood only a few metres away.
However Robert then felt both the eyes of the Yorkist, the Lancastrian and his uncle all staring at him, he could feel the nervousness rising in his body, but the Yorkist smirked and spoke in a calm tone,
"Good, and I believe that we have just the perfect boy for the job. Boy come over here and take a good long look." The Yorkist spoke grabbing him roughly by the arm and forcing him to lean over the table and look at the image of the necklace again,
"That boy, is something that we need, if you want to join us like your Uncle wants you too, you're going to have to find it.
As for where you're going to find it, it'll be within the market stalls of Tewkesbury, it's being run by a Florentine merchant right now, tall fellow, but rather skinny.
It's been all over Europe, word from the other Brotherhoods have let us know of members who have encountered it at least once despite it's origins here. The Auditores in Florence, the Zurburgs in Cologne and whatnot, but what's important is that it's here now, only several miles away and the night is young. We can provide you with a horse if you wish." The Yorkist briefed, a calm and calculating expression on his face.
Robert nodded, he feel as if he didn't have a choice anyway. So why exactly say no? Besides, this could be his chance to get Anne away from that foul mouthed, perverted swine!
"Excellent." The Yorkist smiled, handing him the sketch of the amulet.
"We will see you in a short while boy, do not let us down."
…...
2am
2nd May 1455
Location: Tewkesbury Markets.
…...
The night sky truly looked beautiful, like a great canvas of ebony black with tiny white flickers of light as the stars shone above, like dying candles flickering in an empty cathedral at midnight.
However now was not the time for stargazing, now was the time for theft. Robert snuck through the now mostly empty market stalls, only a few men remained, tired and desperate for the warmth and comfort of their beds as they miserably heckled the equally exhausted shopkeepers. He pitied the poor fools.
Only wishing to return home was a feeling that Robert knew like any other his age, and he probably would be in the same position and line of thinking as them if he were in the same position, wanting to settle down…Snuggle into the arms of a loved one and drift off to sleep with a tingling sense of warmth and security…
He shot a sad, yet understanding smile at the men whose colourless faces gazed at him with glassy tired eyes, their lips pursed and their expressions grim, they only wished to attend to their business and to return home to their wives.
The light of the still torches was the only thing allowing him to make out where he was and what he was looking at, every object and building he stared at intently a warm shade of orange.
With every step he could hear the soft crunch of his foot under earth and gravel and it made him momentarily doubt his ability to confidently sneak around the space, yet no man seemed to care of what he did, they were too tired the poor buggers.
For the fraction of a second Robert could hear the faintest sound of breathing that wasn't his own, someone else was there. He snapped his head backwards around the place…Yet he saw nothing, nobody…Only shadow and darkness, his senses were just playing tricks on his mind…They had to be.
His breathing slowed as he approached a large market stall…He could see the twinkle of jewellery in the torchlight, glowing like caged stars in the inky black expanse, it was beautiful…
As he grew closer and closer…His vision of the stall growing even more, he could see the twinkle of the gold…Just at an arms reach…What was the merchant thinking? Leaving such a stall open in the middle of the night where anyone could just waltz up and steal what they wish from the stall and leave without a sign.
He snuck his way behind the stall and into the shadows, hiding him from the view of all…Now all he needed to do was to find that amulet and then he could head back to the little chamber and inform them of his success.
He grinned as he searched through the numerous pouches and boxes filled with shining jewellery of the most varied of types and colours, there were glimmering rings embedded with the most precious of materials, jade, ivory, platinum…The whole lot.
Numerous pearl necklaces and sapphire studded necklaces were pulled from the pouches and boxes, yet there was no sign of the necklace…perhaps the merchant had it on his person? Maybe it were somewhere hidden under all of the jewellery? Or perhaps it was not here at all? Maybe he had mistaken this market stall for another and would need to move on…Just where could it be?
However his train of thought was cut off when he heard a loud banging sound, the noise erupting through the seemingly silent night like a great clap of roaring thunder, it's cacophony sending temporary panic shooting through his body, his head rapidly twisting to see the source of the commotion.
When he turned his head to the left side of the stall he saw a shadowy figure on the floor, seemingly they tripped up over a small line of rope holding up one of the stalls, they were impossible to recognise…A great black cloak as dark as the night sky covered their body, a hood pulled over their head, they stumbled to their feet, gaining their bearings and turned to face Robert, their expression impossible to see under the veil.
They wore a muddy brown, light quilted top under the cloak, with a thin leather belt covering their midriff and under were chausses of a darker brown variety, their legs ending in leather boots.
They wore the garb of an ambitious brigand yet there was something off about them…There was something…something dangling from their neck…Upon a closer inspection it was made out to be a necklace of sorts…A gold chain connected to a very intricately detailed mounting covered In foreign looking glyphs and in it's centre…Was a large beautiful white gem, shining in the light of the torches…like a star was mounted in the necklaces centre…
However he then realised what the necklace was, he had found it…Now all he needed to do was to return it to the two assassins…However the figure seemed to notice how he was staring at the necklace and swiftly turned their tale and ran.
"Hey stop!" he yelled taking off after them, the adrenaline pumping in his veins.
The brigand dodged and weaved her way through the market stalls, they were certainly a very agile person as Robert was only barely able to keep track of them as they raced out of the market and into the narrow cobbled streets, the darkness was dangerous as any moment could lead to the end of the chase and the failure of his mission.
The thief couldn't shake him that easily, that was definitely for certain and they seemed to be running themselves into a corner, they were agile but they must have been foolish as to run themselves into an inescapable situation.
The thief turned the corner to a back alley between a small timey in and a small house, a stone wall standing in the path of the thief forcing them to turn around and glare at them angrily, Robert smiled with a friendly demeanour and spoke in a surprisingly friendly voice.
"Heh heh, a nice chase absolutely but now I want to ask…Who exactly are yo-." He was cut off by the brigand jumping up high and landing against the wall, utilising their momentum they leapt once more from the wall and grabbed a loose plank from one of the buildings and using that as a support to once again jump…A single hand grabbing onto a low roof tile.
Robert was astounded by the agility of the figure but he had to swiftly catch up to them, lest he loose his target so he continued his pursuit, repeating what the brigand had done, albeit rather sloppily and almost falling down.
However once he had made it up onto the roof of the house he frantically looked around to see the figure trying to run up the roof the next house over. He groaned to himself, but didn't give up the chase, running down the rooftop and leaping to the next one, almost slipping up in the process, loose tiles sliding from the roofs and shattering on the street below.
The moon was in full view, it's brilliant white glow making it much easier to see now that he was uncovered by the shadows of the houses and buildings, it also made it easier to see who he was chasing, he was catching up to the brigand now, going at a steady but strong pace, the adrenaline coursing through his blood making him go faster than ever.
However a problem swiftly emerged, they were running out of rooftop, he lept onto the final house, the tiles shifting under his weight and sprinting up the top of the roof looked down to see the brigand contemplating a jump, it was certainly a rough looking one…The only option would be landing in a small guardhouse below were a small group of soldiers were enjoying a long nights rest.
He needed to think, but he couldn't let go of his prize…Was it really worth getting caught and possibly arrested? The foolish brigand seemed to think so as when Robert stepped forward they leapt straight from the rooftop, aiming for the window in the roof of the guardhouse…It was a very risky jump but it paid off well enough but with a cost, the sound of the glass shattering echoed across the city and it's brilliant cacophony was swiftly followed by the confused and startled yells of the town guard.
Robert knew he couldn't make that jump, he just couldn't so his eyes gazed around, looking for a way to continue his pursuit, he looked around frantically nothing could fit the bill…Apart from one object, a large bale of hay that stood in the centre of the earthen street, he took a deep breath and jumped…He felt the wind blowing in his face and he felt extreme fear…But he soon felt his face be buried in itchy and scratchy hay, he had actually made it?
But his train of thought was once more interrupted as he erupted from the hay to the sound of a feminine sounding cry and the smashing of glass close by, he jumped out of the hay bale, pulling large handfuls of it off of him while he ran to the side of the building to see what the commotion was about.
He saw the mysterious figure running from a group of armed guards, an arrow sticking out of their shoulder, jet they were still going strong, if not a tad bit slower.
This chase was beginning to take it's toll on them both as while the brigand had a bodkin arrow thoroughly wedged in their shoulder, he himself was beginning to tire…Yet he had strength enough in him to continue…
The brigand seemed slower than normal too, they were visibly suffering from the arrow in their shoulder…However their chase seemed cut off when the reached small bridge overlooking the river Avon…His face erupted in shock and panic as he saw the brigand leap from the bridge…The sound of water splashing being heard in the distance…
He punched the wall of the nearest building too him in frustration…The bastard had gotten away! Now what was he going to do?! Would he have to explain what had happened to the Yorkist giant? He didn't want to know…
He walked over to the bridge, the guards had seemed to lose interest pretty quickly, their armoured forms walking past him with grim, tired and emotionless expressions, however when Robert peered down into the murky water…He saw only the cloak float to the surface…And then the sound of splashing nearby…He looked over and saw a figure crawling out of the water, visibly exhausted, their breathing heavy and slow and small high pitched whimpers of pain could be heard from the figure.
He wasn't going in for another pointless chase so he instead decided to be sneaky and crept up on the figure…He grew closer and closer, their face shrouded by the darkness, however the figure seemed to noticed him and attempted to get to their feet and run, however Robert was faster, he grabbed their foot and sent them tumbling to the floor when they tried to run, yet Robert had greatly miscalculated as he soon felt a blade be pressed to his throat.
And when he looked at the figures face previously shrouded by the shadows now visible in the light of the moon, he saw a woman…