*I give credit to KyleighBug7 for help with ideas for this chapter. Thank you, my friend.

Larceny

Noir and Blanc stood in the corner of a small bar as they discussed their plan and peered around for eavesdroppers. The two had already slipped the bartender a few silver coins and found out where the stockades for criminals to be sold on the market were. The two now had to find a way to break in and break back out with Marron, all without being caught.

It seemed near impossible. There were guards, naturally. It was a low-security prison with underpaid guards who were overworked and lazy. But no doubt the trained soldiers could easily take down two nekos who had no idea what they were doing. There was also the problem of time: word was that the next slave market auction would be occurring in two days' time. The two free nekos were under a major time crunch, and the very idea made Noir feel sick and guilty.

"I think the best we can do is watch the patterns for the next day," Blanc said quietly. "Figure out the shift changes for the guards, the patrol routes, you know. Find the weaknesses in their defenses."

Noir fingered the makeshift green kerchief around her neck nervously. "But if we can't find any weaknesses, we'll have wasted an entire half of our time," she said worriedly. "And we'll be no closer to freeing Marron."

"Do you have any better ideas?" Blanc challenged.

Noir pursed her lips. "I was thinking… maybe we could get captured ourselves. Then the three of us could put our heads together in the stockades, and the only problem would be breaking out, and we eliminate the problem of breaking in."

Blanc shook his head. "Too risky. We could end up put in an area clean on the other side of the prison from Marron, or we could be put in a different stockade entirely, or we could—"

"Okay, Blanc, I get the picture," Noir interrupted him, glancing nervously around the pub for anyone listening in. No one appeared to be, but there was no telling for sure. Noir was sick of getting caught in her law-breaking. Good thing Prince Loki wasn't here. He would probably distract her from the task at hand somehow.

Loki was in his chambers in the palace, searching through a pile of spellbooks. There was a small pile that had already been discarded, one in his hands, and another pile to still be read.

"I know it's in here somewhere," He muttered irritably as he tossed his current book and snatched up another hastily.

There was a knock on the door, and he looked up from the book. "Enter," he called, forcing his agitated countenance to disappear.

The door opened, and the queen, his mother, entered. "Hello, Loki," she smiled.

Loki forced a smile, though itching to get back to his spellbook perusal. It was important. "Hello."

"Thor told me you went off and disappeared from the Trade District again today," Frigga said as she strode over and took a seat on her son's bed, where he was sprawled amongst the books. "What happened?"

Loki shrugged noncommittally. "Nothing," he said evasively. "I'm allowed to wander in my own city, aren't I?"

"Awfully defensive, Loki," his mother smiled a little. "Does it have anything to do with these books? You haven't read books on simpler spellcasting in some time," Frigga observed, picking up a book from the discarded pile.

"I'm trying to remember how to do a certain charm," Loki explained reluctantly, knowing his mother was likely able to give him the information he wanted more quickly than he could find it himself.

His mother raised her eyebrows delicately. "Oh? And what charm would that be?"

"I'm trying to recall… the Tracing Spell. The one that leads you to a particular object."

Frigga frowned. "Whyever would you need it?"

"Whyever must you insist on knowing whyever I need it?" Loki asked, perhaps a little too snappishly.

Frigga gave her son a sharp look.

Loki hesitated. "I'm sorry. I'm just… agitated. I really need the spell."

Frigga nodded slowly, still giving her son a curious look. He rarely lost his temper with her. While Loki often lost his temper at his older brother, and occasionally at the Allfather, Loki and Frigga shared a special mother-son bond. "Well, I can remind you how to cast it. What is the object you wish to trace? You know you need a twin of the object, or a piece of it."

Loki held up a green handkerchief. "I'm looking for two more of these. Together, probably, with the same person."

Frigga looked even more curious. "Yes, of course, this should be sufficient…" She wanted to ask her son why in the nine realms he would need two lost handkerchiefs, but she dared not ask her tense son. She took the green fabric and spread it on the bed. She traced her fingers along the edges and explained to Loki, "You must concentrate on the objects, and nothing else. Do not think of where you think they might be, do not think of how the objects may have been changed. Simply think of the object in it's true form, and the object's twin, or the piece of the object, should lead you to the desired one."

Loki nodded determinedly. "Shall I try?"

Frigga nodded. "If you wish, then yes."

Loki slid himself closer to the square of cloth and touched it, calling on his magic as he thought carefully of the two handkerchiefs he wished to find. Two of them, identical in size and shape. He pictured them clearly in his mind.

"Well done," his mother murmured proudly. Loki opened his eyes, and he saw that the handkerchief in front of him now was glowing faintly. He smiled to himself.

"Now it should be able to lead you to the others," Frigga smiled.

Her son nodded. "Thank you, mother." He lifted the green cloth, and he could feel the faintest tug, as if it was yearning to be reunited with the objects it was drawing him to. He glanced at the queen. "I'm going to be gone for a little while. I don't know when I'll be back, but I'm sure nothing dangerous will occur. Don't worry about me if I'm not back soon."

Frigga shook her head. "I'm your mother. I always worry." She leaned in and kissed her son on the forehead. "Good luck on whatever quest you have planned for yourself."

Loki nodded. "Thank you." He flicked his hand, and the books in disarray on his bed neatly flew to a bookshelf by the wall.

Now, it was time for Loki to find the little neko thief.

"This is impossible," Noir moaned as she looked from an alley at the stockades. "It's… it's insanity."

Blanc looked out past her. "It can't be impossible. We just have to find out how to get past it."

"Find out how to get past reinforced steel doors, thick stone walls, topped with barbed wire, and heavy locks that would be easy to pick if only they weren't guarded by four men?" Noir asked disbelievingly.

"We'll find a way," Blanc said, obviously trying to not only convince Noir, but also himself.

"Blanc, there's no way," Noir said miserably. "This is like Gris all over again, only with Marron."

"Hush, this isn't like Gris," Blanc whispered.

Noir pinched her lips and tried not to cry.

Both nekos recalled the gray neko: Noir's younger brother. He had been captured and executed two years earlier.

"This won't end like that," Blanc whispered. "Marron's not going to be hung… just sold. We can save her from that, though. We'll get her out of the prison."

"If she's not bought, she's going to be executed. And we have to save her," Noir whispered. "We have to. What if she did get bought? Then we'd have even less chance of rescuing her… Then we'd have to break into a plantation and spring her from there… and if she's not bought…" Noir suppressed a shudder.

Loki felt a sinking feeling in his stomach as the small green faintly-glowing handkerchief tugged him gently on his way. He was heading toward the stockades, where slaves or future slaves were held. It meant that his little neko thief was there. And that meant she was probably the one who had been arrested. Loki sighed heavily as the glow in the handkerchief grew slightly stronger when the huge metal walls came into view.

His jaw tightened. He slipped the green fabric into his pocket and approached the guards at the front of the doors. "Guard," he said curtly, looking at the four men.

They immediately straightened and saluted their prince.

"May we help you, sir?" one asked respectfully.

"I'm… would I be allowed to see some of the merchandise before the auction?" he asked, secretly clenching his fist at the thought of the little free-spirited neko being bought and sold like some object.

The guards looked at each other uncertainly. "I… don't believe that is permitted," one said uncomfortably. "But you can come to the auction tomorrow, Your Majesty," a guard swallowed, obviously a little nervous about being punished.

Loki gritted his teeth. "Fine." He turned and began walking away, irritated. He pulled the handkerchief out of his pocket, prepared to see the faint glow growing fainter, and for the handkerchief to tug him back towards the prison. He frowned as the glow grew even brighter as he walked away, and it began tugging him off to his left. He paused, staring at the square cloth. Was his spell going awry? Or was his little neko thief somewhere off to the left?

Loki glanced around, seeing several low buildings packed closely together. That was where the handkerchief was drawing him. Loki hesitated before turning slowly and walking towards the nearest alleyway.

Noir and Blanc were discussing possibilities of how to get into the stockades. They were forced to rule out scaling the wall by hand; the walls were smooth and straight up and down. They had considered the possibility of using a grappling hook, but another glance at the barbed wire atop the walls made them reconsider.

"What are we going to-?" Noir started to ask despairingly, but both nekos froze as the sound of approaching footsteps made their cat ears twitch and swivel towards the sound.

Their eyes widened, and they made a dash for the low wall at the back of the alley. Blanc started to leap over.

"Blanc, go!" Noir demanded desperately, looking backwards as the footsteps drew closer. Blanc made it over and hissed for her to come on. Noir started to nimbly climb over the wall, but as she started to drop over the other side, something grabbed her cloak. Noir gasped in surprise and slipped out of her cloak, landing heavily next to Blanc.

"Neko!" a voice hissed from the other side of the wall.

Noir paused and glanced at Blanc. "That was—"

"Doesn't matter, Noir!" Blanc whispered, then grabbed her arm and started to drag her away.

But both paused as a figure suddenly appeared in front of them, making them stumble backwards in surprise.

Loki couldn't help but smile in relief, even as the little black neko fell backwards, landing on the cobblestones unceremoniously next to a boy wearing a white cloak. "There you are," he sighed.

Both the people on the ground gaped at him.

Loki pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket and looked at it briefly. The glow was stronger, and it tugged forward. He smiled faintly.

Noir stared up at the prince, in utter disbelief. "What—what are you-?" She was cut off as the prince tossed her black cloak. She caught it in midair with ease, still staring.

"I was just making sure you hadn't gotten arrested," he shrugged. He strode forward and held out his hand to help her up.

But her companion in white stood quickly and hauled her to her feet before she could take the prince's hand. "We've got to go," Blanc whispered in Noir's ear, giving the prince a mistrustful look.

Noir threw a glare to Blanc and an unsure look to Loki. "But… what… hang on, Blanc." She tugged her arm out of her friend's grasp and gave Loki a questioning look. "Your Highness, what are you doing here?"

Loki suddenly felt a little lost. What had been his plan? See if the little neko had been arrested… and if she was? And if she wasn't? He hadn't really thought of that part of the plan. He had just been frantic at the thought of his neko thief behind bars, on sale for slavery. He sighed, glancing between the mistrustful boy in white and his little friend. "I heard some guards talking about a neko girl who had been arrested… and I thought it might be you."

Noir frowned in confusion. "Ah… no, I've not been arrested…"

"Yet," Blanc cut in. "Now, if you don't mind, Your Highness, we've got a job to do," he bowed mockingly, his bow different than Noir's. While Noir's mocking bows were cocky, jaunty, and joking, Blanc's were more disdainful.

Loki glared at him. "Yes, about that. Why were you hanging around by the stockades?" he asked, an almost-threatening edge to his voice. He didn't like the way the boy in white had his hand tightly gripping the neko girl's upper arm, attempting to lead her away.

Both nekos froze at the question.

"Blast," Blanc muttered. "Nothing, Majesty. Please just let us be on our way. We weren't doing anything wrong."

"Why do I find that hard to believe?" Loki asked coldly.

Noir frowned, put off by the prince's expression of suspicion and dislike. He never looked at her like that. "Highness…"

Loki glanced at the girl, and his eyes softened automatically. "What are you doing now, Bandit?" he asked quietly. He had a sense that they were doing something far worse than swiping a few gold coins and rolls of bread.

Noir and Blanc exchanged looks, uneasy.

"I don't trust him," Blanc whispered, the words inaudible to the prince, but clearly heard by the neko girl. Noir frowned at the declaration.

"I do," she breathed back.

Loki narrowed his eyes slightly. It looked like they were barely moving their lips. He couldn't hear what they said, but they were obviously whispering to each other.

Noir gave Blanc a look, and he sighed and released her arm. "Your Majesty, you won't get us in trouble, will you?"

Loki raised an eyebrow. He considered. Would he ever dream of getting the little neko thief in trouble? He deliberated for only a moment, looking into her bright eyes. No. He didn't like the idea of her being in trouble. "No, I won't get you in trouble," he said slowly. "Now what's going on, little thief?"

Noir couldn't help but smile faintly. His calling her "little thief" and "bandit" had almost become a term of endearment. "Alright… you said you heard of a neko girl getting arrested?"

He nodded.

Blanc shot his friend a look of disapproval, obviously not liking the idea of telling the prince about their predicament. Noir shot him a look back before continuing. "That was… our friend," she said vaguely, gesturing to Blanc. "She was arrested, and we kind of… need to… spring her from prison before she's sold or executed," Noir murmured, her faint smile fading quickly.

Loki studied her face. He nodded. "I see."

Noir and Blanc exchanged looks.

"So… can we go now?" Blanc asked gruffly, still giving Loki the evil eye.

Loki sneered at the boy. "I don't know… can you?"

Noir raised her eyebrows. She had never seen this side of the prince… granted, she had only spoken to him on two previous occasions, but he had been quite different during those two encounters. He seemed to have a deep dislike for Blanc for some unexplained reason.

Blanc curled his lip at the prince and spat, "Yes, I think we can." He dipped into another disdainful bow and grabbed Noir's arm, starting to pull her away.

Noir was bewildered. She threw Blanc a confused look and turned back as she was practically dragged away. Her eyes met Loki's, and she gave him an apologetic look.

Loki felt his stomach lurch at the way the boy yanked the little thief along, and felt his chest tighten as she threw an apologetic look over her shoulder at him. "Have you a plan?" he called after them, a sudden determination to help the little thief overtaking him.

Both stopped dead and exchanged incredulous looks.

"N—no, we don't," Noir said uncertainly.

Loki took a few steps closer to them. "Do you need help?"

"Not from a spoiled brat prince, Your Majes—"

"We would love help," Noir cut Blanc off, stomping hard on his boots and giving him an angry yank on his white tail.

Loki glowered at the boy. "And I don't need to offer my help to a couple of vagabonds. I'd accept the help graciously." He returned his gaze to the black neko, and realized that there was a hurt expression on her face. Blast. He had accidentally insulted her, meaning to only aim it at the boy in white… but he had just called the little neko girl a vagabond. His heart sank at the pained flicker in her gray eyes. But he couldn't take it back now without appearing weak to the boy. "Now… how can I help you with your incarcerated friend?"

Her eyes brightened again. "You really want to help us with this?"

Loki sighed and nodded determinedly.

Noir brightened. "You're going to help us with law-breaking? With springing a neko accused of larceny from jail?"

Loki almost smiled. "Suppose I am, little thief."

Noir grinned.

Blanc smirked. "A prince of Asgard is going to help two neko thieves spring another neko thief from jail. I'm sure the king would deeply disapprove."

"He would disapprove of your attitude towards a prince of Asgard," Loki quipped.

Blanc scoffed. "I'm sure… still, a prince of Asgard, breaking the law. Who's the vagabond now?"

Note from LoquaciousQuibbler: Okay, this story is taking longer than I expected to write, and this was the shortest chapter yet… Hmm. Apologies for that. I just don't want too much happening in one chapter, so this one ended up being a little shorter… Didn't want the actual jailbreak in this chapter. So we ended up having a little bit of realization that Loki is still prejudice against nekos and thieves… just not Noir. Which is really kind of irksome. Ah, well. ;)

So, yes, props to KyleighBug7 for help with a little planning this chapter. I'd be happy to get suggestions or comments on this chapter. I didn't get even one review for the last one…

Please favorite, follow, or leave a review, or PM me.