Thief
thief
I pushed my way through the crowd of people. We didn’t get a lot of excitement like this. Only rarely were these things displayed in public.
People shoved me as I tried to near the front of the mass of people. Not that I wanted to see it up close, but I figured I owed her that much. To watch her as she promised she’d watch me if we were caught. Though I’m not sure we ever imagined death as the punishment.
~ Θ ~
She started it originally. It was a small game we would play. I never wanted to, but as usual I followed right behind her. Only at the end had my courage failed. My father often looked down at me and was disappointed that his only son had a girl as his role model. But who couldn’t like Airia? Her strength would draw me to her. I hoped that perhaps some would rub off on me, that I could be as smart, as strong, and as defiant as she.
~ Θ ~
The odor around me was only outdone by the noise. I couldn’t hear my own thoughts. To get a crowd this big in one place the second open square was used. The only reason the smaller of the two were used was that the traders had come only four days ago, about the time Airia had begun devising her plan, and they and the market occupied the larger square. So many people ramming against each other caused chaos. The lord’s guards had already had to break up three brawls. People were hanging on the balconies and walls surrounding the square for heavens sake! Though I imagine I would probably be feeling different if the person sentenced wasn’t a close friend of mine, the only friend.
~ Θ ~
The game began one afternoon while we sat just outside the wall with the cherry trees. Under the pressure and persistent words of Airia, I had managed to climb the fence, pick some cherries, and make it back over with a delightful snack and a beating heart. She always liked to take risks. I, of course had never had a hair out of place until she came along, but I longed for her company. She taught me who I was, and who I could be.
With our stomachs full and our minds drifting we began daring attempts to take things. It was only small things at first, a loaf of bread, handfuls of sweets. But Airia never did settle for less than she believed she, or I, could accomplish. Soon we were nicking rings, crystal glasses, and fine cloth. That’s when we made the promise that, if one of us was found out or accused the other would stand by their side.
I made an attempt to stop. But then Airia looked at me with a thrill in her eyes, hair blowing, and a wide smile filling her face, I cracked. She had me forever then. God was she beautiful. But it wasn’t her looks that drew me to her. They could have brought a man across the desert, those green eyes twinkling. A plan always lay behind the innocent sparkle. She could make anything exciting and conduct a lie on the spot. No, I loved her for the way she loved me, ordinary boy, alone, a drunken father and dead mother. She sheltered me. I wanted her approving nod. So I followed, and shut my mouth, for fear of losing her.
~ Θ ~
The exacutor stood silently beside the wooden table. They hadn’t brought her out yet. That was fine with me. I didn’t want to watch, but I had to. In a way I loved her. Not in the way that men spoke of with lust, but of the gentle way she held me when Dairn, my cat, died. The way she and I would lay on the grass and watch the stars that could still be seen, discussing things I never would have thought on my own. My thoughts were interrupted when another brawl broke out. It was soon silenced as a wagon enclosed in bars rolled forward. The crowd parted for it, people forced against their neighbors. I saw a glimpse of her in the cage. Leaning over, dress was dirty and her hair normaly held up in a leather thong hung around her face and stuck to her head with dirt, sweat, and blood. I turned away I went back to my memories.
~ Θ ~
She twirled her dark brown, almost black, hair and bit her bottom lip as she often did when thinking. She spun her legs around so that she faced me. We were sitting atop a small building just on the other side of the river, our meeting spot, and Airia had a brilliant plan, or so she said. She told me a wonderful tale about a thief, she often would make up stories another fact I loved about her, for they were all magnificent, who snuck into his lady’s house and stole a precious ring given to her by the king, a puppy from the finest bred dogs, and dress made of fine gold silk. The thief was successful and was honored greatly by the Dark Horse’s members. The Dark Horse was a group of the best thieves that often came up in her stories. It all sounded good until she decided that she could do it too. I begged her not to, I tried my hardest. I refused to help, thinking she would not go on without me, but two days later chaos swept the city. That night three things had been stolen from our lord and lady’s house. The most precious, a ring.
Airia not quite sure what to do with the property sold the pup and dress, and received much money for them. She was only caught when the man she had trusted with the dress gave her away to the lord’s guards. The ring that she carried on her person was all the proof they needed. I was with her as she was carried off. She shouted to me not to grieve, and that I must remember my promise.
~ Θ ~
I wait now in the square amongst many others, hoping my friend, Airia, will come up with another one of her brilliant schemes or lies to get us out. I don’t know what I’ll do with out her. They brought her up the wooden platform. She had the determined look on her face, yet she was relaxed. I’ve only seen her cry twice in the years I’ve known her, and she had already been done with the tears, I know she won’t give them the pleasure of letting the jewels fall from her eyes.
She was forced over the table and raised her head, scanning the crowd. I knew she was looking from me, hoping that I wouldn’t desert her. I hadn’t, I was here, and she knew it. Seeing me in seventh row she began mouthing something but her head was forced down. The executor prepared while she searched again for me and mouthed the words with such sincerity that I almost ran up so I could be killed with her. The words were, “Thank you for helping me and remembering your promise. I’ll be waiting for you.” Her head was forces down again as the executor raised the axe. One more time, she looked at me and smiled as he raised his blade and sent her head flying into the crowd.
People shoved me as I tried to near the front of the mass of people. Not that I wanted to see it up close, but I figured I owed her that much. To watch her as she promised she’d watch me if we were caught. Though I’m not sure we ever imagined death as the punishment.
~ Θ ~
She started it originally. It was a small game we would play. I never wanted to, but as usual I followed right behind her. Only at the end had my courage failed. My father often looked down at me and was disappointed that his only son had a girl as his role model. But who couldn’t like Airia? Her strength would draw me to her. I hoped that perhaps some would rub off on me, that I could be as smart, as strong, and as defiant as she.
~ Θ ~
The odor around me was only outdone by the noise. I couldn’t hear my own thoughts. To get a crowd this big in one place the second open square was used. The only reason the smaller of the two were used was that the traders had come only four days ago, about the time Airia had begun devising her plan, and they and the market occupied the larger square. So many people ramming against each other caused chaos. The lord’s guards had already had to break up three brawls. People were hanging on the balconies and walls surrounding the square for heavens sake! Though I imagine I would probably be feeling different if the person sentenced wasn’t a close friend of mine, the only friend.
~ Θ ~
The game began one afternoon while we sat just outside the wall with the cherry trees. Under the pressure and persistent words of Airia, I had managed to climb the fence, pick some cherries, and make it back over with a delightful snack and a beating heart. She always liked to take risks. I, of course had never had a hair out of place until she came along, but I longed for her company. She taught me who I was, and who I could be.
With our stomachs full and our minds drifting we began daring attempts to take things. It was only small things at first, a loaf of bread, handfuls of sweets. But Airia never did settle for less than she believed she, or I, could accomplish. Soon we were nicking rings, crystal glasses, and fine cloth. That’s when we made the promise that, if one of us was found out or accused the other would stand by their side.
I made an attempt to stop. But then Airia looked at me with a thrill in her eyes, hair blowing, and a wide smile filling her face, I cracked. She had me forever then. God was she beautiful. But it wasn’t her looks that drew me to her. They could have brought a man across the desert, those green eyes twinkling. A plan always lay behind the innocent sparkle. She could make anything exciting and conduct a lie on the spot. No, I loved her for the way she loved me, ordinary boy, alone, a drunken father and dead mother. She sheltered me. I wanted her approving nod. So I followed, and shut my mouth, for fear of losing her.
~ Θ ~
The exacutor stood silently beside the wooden table. They hadn’t brought her out yet. That was fine with me. I didn’t want to watch, but I had to. In a way I loved her. Not in the way that men spoke of with lust, but of the gentle way she held me when Dairn, my cat, died. The way she and I would lay on the grass and watch the stars that could still be seen, discussing things I never would have thought on my own. My thoughts were interrupted when another brawl broke out. It was soon silenced as a wagon enclosed in bars rolled forward. The crowd parted for it, people forced against their neighbors. I saw a glimpse of her in the cage. Leaning over, dress was dirty and her hair normaly held up in a leather thong hung around her face and stuck to her head with dirt, sweat, and blood. I turned away I went back to my memories.
~ Θ ~
She twirled her dark brown, almost black, hair and bit her bottom lip as she often did when thinking. She spun her legs around so that she faced me. We were sitting atop a small building just on the other side of the river, our meeting spot, and Airia had a brilliant plan, or so she said. She told me a wonderful tale about a thief, she often would make up stories another fact I loved about her, for they were all magnificent, who snuck into his lady’s house and stole a precious ring given to her by the king, a puppy from the finest bred dogs, and dress made of fine gold silk. The thief was successful and was honored greatly by the Dark Horse’s members. The Dark Horse was a group of the best thieves that often came up in her stories. It all sounded good until she decided that she could do it too. I begged her not to, I tried my hardest. I refused to help, thinking she would not go on without me, but two days later chaos swept the city. That night three things had been stolen from our lord and lady’s house. The most precious, a ring.
Airia not quite sure what to do with the property sold the pup and dress, and received much money for them. She was only caught when the man she had trusted with the dress gave her away to the lord’s guards. The ring that she carried on her person was all the proof they needed. I was with her as she was carried off. She shouted to me not to grieve, and that I must remember my promise.
~ Θ ~
I wait now in the square amongst many others, hoping my friend, Airia, will come up with another one of her brilliant schemes or lies to get us out. I don’t know what I’ll do with out her. They brought her up the wooden platform. She had the determined look on her face, yet she was relaxed. I’ve only seen her cry twice in the years I’ve known her, and she had already been done with the tears, I know she won’t give them the pleasure of letting the jewels fall from her eyes.
She was forced over the table and raised her head, scanning the crowd. I knew she was looking from me, hoping that I wouldn’t desert her. I hadn’t, I was here, and she knew it. Seeing me in seventh row she began mouthing something but her head was forced down. The executor prepared while she searched again for me and mouthed the words with such sincerity that I almost ran up so I could be killed with her. The words were, “Thank you for helping me and remembering your promise. I’ll be waiting for you.” Her head was forces down again as the executor raised the axe. One more time, she looked at me and smiled as he raised his blade and sent her head flying into the crowd.