"Eloni!" Linea whispered, darkness cloaking the world around her. "Eloni, where are you?"

Suddenly, a dark mass she'd taken for a hill moved and uncurled, revealing the shape of a massive dragon. He stood, towering above her, his silver scales muted in the night. I am here, young one.

She sighed with relief. Good. For a moment, I was afraid you'd left.

You would have known.

She sighed and sat against Eloni's left foreleg. I'm sorry you have to hide.

It is no matter. Do what you must, and then we may leave.

She smiled. To the Hadarac Desert.

He nuzzled her cheek. To the Hadarac Desert.

. . .

The next day, Linea exited the city to find the stronghold Carver had mentioned while he posted discrete fliers advertising a need for a thief. It wasn't hard to find; a massive, black stone building on the outskirts of the capital. She watched in the shade of a nearby clump of trees and bushes, unseen by the guards. They weren't as alert as guards should be, but that was expected. It was nearly noon, so they had been posted for at least six hours already. She wouldn't want to be in their place.

So is this how it is done? Eloni asked. You sit and watch and the blade steals itself?

No, friend. She answered. I'm studying their movements, so I am not surprised by them should it come to combat.

But they are not fighting.

Not now, no. But a person moves the same as they fight. Whichever hand they use to scratch their nose, that is their fighting hand. How they turn when hearing a noise determines their reflexes. It is all in the detail.

You have done this before.

I was once a scout.

"Well, well... What do we have here?"

Linea whirled around, knocking an arrow on her bow as she did so. She came arrow tip to face with a human man, standing calmly before her. He had dark hair that hung in his face, dark, fathomless eyes, and black clothes. He was smirking at her like a fox who's just caught his dinner. "Who are you?"

"Soon to be your captor." he said, as though amused. "But... I seem to recall you from somewhere..." His eyes narrowed as he thought, then his face cleared. "Ah, right. The simpleton who stopped me in the streets yesterday. Not so simple after all, are we?"

"Try to take me, I dare you." she said lowly, her bow unwavering.

"How quaint." he smirked. "If I so wish, my guards will come to my aid and I'll never even have to touch you."

"Then call them. I'm not afraid." she said.

He looked at her. "I can see you truly aren't. Are you really the simpleton you pretended to be?"

"Perhaps." she said as they began to circle one another. "Or maybe I have tricks up my sleeve you don't know about."

"If so, I'd be very surprised not to see my guards get past them."

She smiled to herself. "You'd be surprised by a great many things, Rider."

He cocked his head at her. "Is that so? And what of you?"

"Sire, I appreciate your affinity for wordplay, truly, I do. But if you are so intent on calling your guards, why haven't you?" she asked.

"Because of only this; perhaps you are telling the truth in that you are more powerful than you may seem. I do not wish death upon my guards." he said.

"I'm sure you'll find you have some to spare." she shot back.

"And what then? The ensuing battle would be pointless." he said easily. "Besides, you are an interesting creature. Perhaps not interesting enough that I will spare you should you trespass again, but enough that I'll spare you this once."

"Or is it I that is sparing you?" she questioned, making him laugh.

"You have a brave heart, elf, but I am afraid that will not save you from my wrath. Pray we do not meet again."

She watched as he vanished into the shadows, and never once let her bow waver from its target.

That did not seem very practiced.

I'm normally not caught.

. . .

Later that day, as she was pouring over a few old maps when there was a knock at her door. "Enter." she called.

Carver pushed his way into the room, then took a look around. "Doesn't take you long to unpack, does it?"

"It's just papers." she said, glancing at the spread around her room. "Did you find a good thief?"

"Well, that's what I'm here about." he answered, looking down at her. "We're now holding auditions."

"Auditions? No, I told you to just find a thief, it isn't that hard."

"There were a lot of offers."

She sighed. "They're all down there, aren't they?"

"I thought it best if we did this quickly before patrons start missing purses."

"Right, then." She stood and replaced the belt onto her hips. "Let's go hire us a thief."