A/N: Just a short introductory chapter; it was gonna be longer, but the second part kinda got away from me, so it became quite lengthy. I've been tossing the ideas around for this fic for quite while, but I didn't actually think I was gonna do it; here I am now though xP Hopefully it hasn't been done already; it probably has though. I'm sorry if it has:{/
Ugh, multichapter fics always give me such anxiety DDDx I hope this fic turns out okay. I apologize if it doesn't.
Side note, I'm sorry for any inaccuracies; it's not solidly set in the medieval times, but it is loosely following it. I'm doing my best, but Google can only be so helpful.
DISCLAIMER: Don't own it. Never did own it.
Beca spread a tattered map out carefully in the dirt, securing it with a few rocks on the corners before grabbing a nearby twig on the ground. The rest of the girls crouched down to circle around the paper quietly, the setting sun's rays illuminating the map's contents with a gentle orange glow. The bandits were stationed atop a hill overlooking the town of Barden, but more importantly, they had a perfect overview of the Barden King's castle, standing tall and proud at the far end of town.
"Okay Bellas. Everyone knows which route we're taking, right?" Beca asked in confirmation, raising an inquiring brow.
"We're approaching the castle through the forest, then entering through the side window by the back corner in the security's blind spot," one of the other girls, Jessica, recited, earning sounds of agreement from some of the other girls.
The brunette leader nodded in approval. "Yes, exactly. The whole castle is heavily guarded, but that one back corner, as long as we approach it from the forest at a certain angle and stay behind the rocks, the guards shouldn't be able to see us," Beca clarified to the group, pointing out their route on the map with the small branch. Once she was sure the girls understood, she glanced off into the distance, shielding her eyes with her hand as she gauged the sun's positioning. "It's about seven o'clock now. The guards switch off at seven forty five for the night shift, and since the prince from Baton Rouge is down to visit, all the occupants of the castle should remain in the grand hall after dinner to socialize and entertain. Once we get in, we'll have about two minutes to get into the king's chamber, get our loot, and get out before the night shift guards assume their stations. Any questions?"
"Umm, yeah no, what are we after again?" a bigger girl, better known as Fat Amy, asked, putting her hand up with her question.
"The Mortix Elixir," Beca stated, her face focused and serious as she made eye contact with each of the girls in her group. "Word on the street is that the prince brought a shipment of it with him. A single drop of it can heal that mysterious deadly illness that's been sweeping Barden, and if we get our hands on it we can help the poor who wouldn't be able to afford it at the king's greedy price. Plus, while we're in there we can grab some of the royal jewels too. We can sell those to the thieve's guild from the next town over; my friend Lilly is one of the leaders, so I've got some pretty good connections to them. Do you know how many people we could feed with that kind of loot?"
"Wait, why are we going for the king's chamber instead of his keep?" a darker skinned woman - Cynthia Rose - voiced, her confusion evident. "The treasury room sounds like a better place to look."
"If I know anything from my time in this world, it's that royals don't actually keep any of their really valuable stuff in the treasury," Beca said. "On the case that their castle is attacked, the treasury is the first place anyone is going to go. Most of the objects in the there are most likely to be decoys and cheap stuff. Royals like to keep their most valuable possessions in the area that's most heavily guarded, and since the king's chambers are the most heavily guarded..."
"That's where he keeps his valuables," Cynthia Rose finished, grinning at Beca's logic. "Very smart."
"So we go for the Elixir and the royal jewels then," another woman, Denise, spoke in confirmation.
"Yup," Beca spoke with a nod, holding up four fingers. "And remember the four 'gets' of thievery, girls: Get in, get the loot, get out, don't get caught. Is that it?"
"Yeah, how come we're doing such an ambitious mission without Stacie?" a taller girl, Ashley, asked tentatively, offering a weak smile. "I mean, no offense, you're a good leader, but Stacie... I mean, she's our normal leader. And I know you two are sisters, but it feels odd not having her here. Where is she?"
Beca stared at Ashley for a moment before her eyes drifted to take in the confused and curious looks of the other bandits. After a few moments, Beca lowered her gaze, pulling her bandit hood up to shadow her face.
"Let's get moving, we don't have much time," she spoke tersely, rolling up the map and cramming it in her bag. The other girls sensed the tensing change in the atmosphere, and they all stood without a word, exchanging silent questioning gazes amongst each other. Beca paused and let out a sigh after a moment as she turned to gaze at the setting sun, a distant look in her eye. "Look, I'll tell you guys later, okay?" she spoke again, softer this time. "I promise I will, but not right now, okay? Right now we... we need to go. Judging by the sun's position it's about seven thirty. We're burning daylight."
The girls seemed to understand that the subject should not be pushed, and though they were still curious about the whereabouts of their original leader, they spoke no more of it.
"Lead the way, cap," Fat Amy asserted, gesturing forward with her hand. With the Bellas all casting her encouraging grins, silently and readily awaiting her leadership, Beca couldn't help but love the rag-tag group of bandits even more, and she offered a light smile and a nod to the girls before turning her determined steel blue gaze back to the castle in the distance.
"To Beale Castle."