Status: Finished Chapter 4. Starting Chapter 5. Updated 13 May
Catch a Thief
Shaya Brumwiskels
Dividing loot between thieves was a different kind of negotiation. Inside the canvas tent, Shaya Brumwiskels sat on her butt, her calves folded against her thighs. She watched within her near reach, Rork and Ed. An outside fire illuminated the darkness inside the tent. She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. Pressure bulged up from her chest to her head like boiling tea in a steam pot.
Rork counted. “One for you, three for me and three for him.”
She pressed her lips and watched the repetition.
Rork’s longtime thieving partner, Ed, smiled.
“One for you, three for me and three for him.”
The pressure inside her released, “Hey.”
Rork stopped and looked at her. His face crinkled. “What?”
“Why do I always get one? Why?”
“It’s the rules.”
“But I did most of the work.”
“You work with us, you do it our way. Those are the rules.”
“But I put my neck on the line.”
“Shud’up kid.” Ed Said.
Humans always had called her a kid. Why? She reached toward Rork’s side of the loot. A blurry movement interrupted her at the edge of her vision. She turned her head.
Ed pointed a dagger at her neck.
She froze.
“How long have we been work’n together?” Rork Said.
She nipped her lower lip and retreated backward.
Ed pulled the dagger away. “Are you going to behave?”
She bit down hard and tightened her face.
Rork looked at her and rubbed his bald head. “I don’t like that look on your face.”
If she ran off with her fair share the guild would no doubt put a price on her head. Her name would get around and her future opportunities would dry up. She’d have to leave Ettelton and start somewhere else. Would it had been worth it to her? “Alright.”
“Alright, What?”
“Alright. It’s fair.”
“That’s my girl. Do what you’re told, work hard and you will go places. Do something stupid and it’s all over.”
She ignored him, opened her stash pouch and gathered her gold coins.
Rork and Ed preoccupied themselves and resumed the count between the two of them.
The pressure built in her chest again. It hadn’t been fair. But it couldn’t have hurt if she’d just paid herself one pouch of gold before she left. Surely not. It would have been only one. She smiled. She reached behind her leather armor and traded her full loot pouch for pouch full of pebbles and dirt. She scooted toward the tent opening and nudged close to Rork. She cupped a small rock from the ground. “When’s the next job?”
Rork looked up at her and he narrowed his brows. “I’ll let you. Right now, I’m busy“, he returned his attention back to the loot.
She tossed the rock toward Ed. It landed behind him against the tent.
Rork looked at Ed.
“What the hell was that?” Ed turned around.
She traded the pouch of dirt and pebbles for a pouch of gold. She nimbled outside and headed toward town.
~
Something shook her like wet clothes in a wash bucket. She cracked opened her eyes and a bright blur of blue sky filled her vision. The world spun around her and an obscured figure next to her. She struggled forward on her butt. Bottles fell and clanged around her. She rubbed her eyes and removed grit. She looked around and recognized the alley behind the pub, but who had been next to her?
A jolt shot from her heart and hit her mind like the dead coming back to life. Drinks, song and dance raced through her mind. She patted herself down. “Ah nuts. My gold.” She grabbed her thigh. “My dagger.” Could she had been robbed? She focused on the boy, “Danny.”
Danny’s face beamed, the corners of his mouth dimpled and he presented her folded parchment.
She took the parchment, opened and perused it. Rich people always had to take advantage of poor Danny. Why? She lifted her head back at Danny, “I’ll take care of it.”
He leaned into her and hugged. He stood up and pointed behind her.
She stood up and turned. “My Dagger.” She picked it up and tied it down to her thigh. ”Thanks.”
He picked up his back pack and she tied down the straps.
“You best be off.”
The corners of Danny’s mouth dimpled again. He pulled out a clump of papers titled, The Ettelton Gazette, from the side opening on his pack and handed it to her.
She took it. “Be careful out there.”
He waved and meandered on his way.
Rork counted. “One for you, three for me and three for him.”
She pressed her lips and watched the repetition.
Rork’s longtime thieving partner, Ed, smiled.
“One for you, three for me and three for him.”
The pressure inside her released, “Hey.”
Rork stopped and looked at her. His face crinkled. “What?”
“Why do I always get one? Why?”
“It’s the rules.”
“But I did most of the work.”
“You work with us, you do it our way. Those are the rules.”
“But I put my neck on the line.”
“Shud’up kid.” Ed Said.
Humans always had called her a kid. Why? She reached toward Rork’s side of the loot. A blurry movement interrupted her at the edge of her vision. She turned her head.
Ed pointed a dagger at her neck.
She froze.
“How long have we been work’n together?” Rork Said.
She nipped her lower lip and retreated backward.
Ed pulled the dagger away. “Are you going to behave?”
She bit down hard and tightened her face.
Rork looked at her and rubbed his bald head. “I don’t like that look on your face.”
If she ran off with her fair share the guild would no doubt put a price on her head. Her name would get around and her future opportunities would dry up. She’d have to leave Ettelton and start somewhere else. Would it had been worth it to her? “Alright.”
“Alright, What?”
“Alright. It’s fair.”
“That’s my girl. Do what you’re told, work hard and you will go places. Do something stupid and it’s all over.”
She ignored him, opened her stash pouch and gathered her gold coins.
Rork and Ed preoccupied themselves and resumed the count between the two of them.
The pressure built in her chest again. It hadn’t been fair. But it couldn’t have hurt if she’d just paid herself one pouch of gold before she left. Surely not. It would have been only one. She smiled. She reached behind her leather armor and traded her full loot pouch for pouch full of pebbles and dirt. She scooted toward the tent opening and nudged close to Rork. She cupped a small rock from the ground. “When’s the next job?”
Rork looked up at her and he narrowed his brows. “I’ll let you. Right now, I’m busy“, he returned his attention back to the loot.
She tossed the rock toward Ed. It landed behind him against the tent.
Rork looked at Ed.
“What the hell was that?” Ed turned around.
She traded the pouch of dirt and pebbles for a pouch of gold. She nimbled outside and headed toward town.
~
Something shook her like wet clothes in a wash bucket. She cracked opened her eyes and a bright blur of blue sky filled her vision. The world spun around her and an obscured figure next to her. She struggled forward on her butt. Bottles fell and clanged around her. She rubbed her eyes and removed grit. She looked around and recognized the alley behind the pub, but who had been next to her?
A jolt shot from her heart and hit her mind like the dead coming back to life. Drinks, song and dance raced through her mind. She patted herself down. “Ah nuts. My gold.” She grabbed her thigh. “My dagger.” Could she had been robbed? She focused on the boy, “Danny.”
Danny’s face beamed, the corners of his mouth dimpled and he presented her folded parchment.
She took the parchment, opened and perused it. Rich people always had to take advantage of poor Danny. Why? She lifted her head back at Danny, “I’ll take care of it.”
He leaned into her and hugged. He stood up and pointed behind her.
She stood up and turned. “My Dagger.” She picked it up and tied it down to her thigh. ”Thanks.”
He picked up his back pack and she tied down the straps.
“You best be off.”
The corners of Danny’s mouth dimpled again. He pulled out a clump of papers titled, The Ettelton Gazette, from the side opening on his pack and handed it to her.
She took it. “Be careful out there.”
He waved and meandered on his way.