They departed the little tailor shop shortly after and headed down the main street. A few of the people seemed to take notice of Téa’s hair, but they just as easily forgot it and went about their business. Namian and Harloe followed her as she weaved through the crowd, stopping occasionally at a stand to buy some food. When they finally neared the end of the village, Harloe stopped.

“I will see you two this far,” he told them, “then I shall send a message to your parents to tell them your coming.” He hugged her one last time.

“You still know where they are?” Téa asked.

“Yes, I was staying with them for a while until I came here.”

“Very well, then,” she turned to Namian, “Let’s go.”

They headed down the long road into what seemed an endless plain of grass, the sun shone brightly high above them in a cloudless blue sky. Both the town and Harloe slowly shrank until they were out of sight, and Namian and Téa began their journey. For about an hour there was nothing but silence, though neither of them seemed to care as they were both deep in thought. And it was then when Namian realized that he had no idea where they were going, so he asked her.

“There are some caves in the Keli mountains in the country of Westova, “ she told him, naming a country that bordered Kyrria, “it’s about a two week walk from here.”

“I thought your family lived in a tribe.”

“Who told you that?”

“Who do you think?”

“Oh,” she said, “well, when I left they decided to leave too so I would have a place to come home to.”

“I see.” They walked again in silence. Namian sighed, if their conversations were going to always be this way, then it was going to a long trip.  He could understand her annoyance with him but she struck him as the talkative type, even when sometimes she was too talkative for her own good.

“You’re still a nuisance,” she said suddenly, and Namian choked down a laugh.

“Yes, but a useful nuisance, eh?”

Now she laughed and smiled, and her face brightened up more. Namian decided he liked her better this way, though the reverse was just as entertaining. He now chuckled himself and realized it was the first time since they had met that they both laughed.

“Tell me,” she asked him, “what’s your family like?”

“Well,” Namian said, it couldn’t be to hard to think up something, “We’re all farmers.”

“Really? Of what?”

“Uhh….potatoes,” Namian mentally kicked himself. What kind of a farmer grew only potatoes?

Téa seemed amused, “Potatoes, you say?”

“Well, yes and no.”

“Pray tell, what else do you grow besides these potatoes?” Her face remained pleasant though now the sarcasm had returned, and she looked him over with a skeptical eye.

“Wheat and vegetables, but potatoes mostly,” Namian wished a carriage or something would come by and run him over.

“Well, well, Hayden the potato farmer. Interesting title. By your clothes, I’d assumed you were nobility. Silly me.”

“We’re kind of successful,” said Namian, he decided to change the subject, “what do your parents do now?”

“Same as your family, they’re farmers. How successful is the potato business?” There was no throwing her off. He knew she was on to him, but what could he say?

I’m really a prince and I’m only following you because I want to make sure you’re not a murderer, he thought.

“Well?”

“You’re not believing a word I’m saying, are you?”

“You’re smarter than you look, but keep going, you’re on a roll.”

“Okay, fine. My parents are shopkeepers. Are you happy?”

“Very.”

 Namian sighed with relief, she seemed satisfied with that answer.

“So what do you sell, Master Hayden? Potatoes?”

Or not.

“We sell shoes.”

“Oh?” She nodded pensively as she turned her eyes back to the road. There seemed to be nothing around for miles but grass. The hot sun beat down upon the tops of their heads. Namian took off his cape and Téa did the same, then stating that they would stop to rest under a solitary tree by the road. It was small but provided a little shade for the both of them to sit under, and they were glad to escape the heat. Téa wadded up her cape and placed it between her and the tree as she leaned against it. Namian opened the sack of food and pulled out two apples and some dried meats. And they both ate in silence under the awning of the little tree.

He looked over to her. Her mood had brightened up considerably since the incident in the tavern, though she still remained slightly cynical. The roots of her hair were darker than the rest and he guessed that her natural hair color was dark brown.  He wondered what the tribe was like, the culture must have been fascinating. They seemed an interesting people to live with, why would she leave? Then again, Namian was brought up in a world where people fawned over him and never let him do anything on his own, a world he hated. At this point, he would have settled for his imaginary shopkeeper life.

~*~*~

Shopkeeper my foot, thought Téa, he’s no more a shoemaker than I am a royal. He shouldn’t have to lie just to make me feel comfortable.  The last thought caught her by surprise. Was he just trying to make her feel comfortable? She shook it away. No, most likely lying about his rank so she wouldn’t nag him about his wealth. Most of the nobles were like that, and she remembered  plenty of encounters with the aristocrats who loved to go “slumming”. She hated that more than anything. They would offer to give her food or money and then turn their backs to her and praise themselves on how many good deeds they had done that day, making her feel a nobody with an empty head and an empty money pouch.

But Hayden didn’t seem to want to rub it in. In fact, it seemed more like he didn’t want to talk about it at all. After all, she was the one who had brought it up. And he really did seem to genuinely want to help her. But she couldn’t trust anyone, only Harloe could help her. Her sister was to precious to kill just because she had a big mouth.

Oh Hannah, her chest tightened but she breathed deeply, I’m sorry I got you into this mess. I’m sorry I ever told you I was leaving the tribe. I’m sorry…

Suddenly she turned her head to look straight into Hayden’s blue eyes, but then they both quickly looked the opposite direction. He had been watching her? Secretly she hoped her emotions had not shown through just then.

“What?” she asked.

“Nothing,” he said, talking a bite out of his apple, “nothing.”

A modest type, how wonderful, she thought. She looked back over to him. He wasn’t a bad looking chap, perhaps a bit to curious for his own good but as her sister would say he was “quite a fine looking boy if I do say so myself”.

She felt like slapping herself.

Don’t get frivolous!

The sun’s position told her it was around five o’clock, in about two hours it would be dark, so they needed to get going.

“Shall we go or must we wait until you eaten through our entire sack?” She asked Hayden when she saw that he had finished off three apples.

“What?” He looked down, “oh. Sorry about that. There’s plenty more in the bag.”

He stood up and brushed the dirt from his clothes while she put whatever wasn’t eaten back into the food sack. The air was not so warm now so they could walk comfortably. But Téa knew that by nightfall it would be freezing if they didn’t find some shelter. 

~*~*~

Hidden under the cover of the Archer mountains in Ayortha, a man in a black cape rode in on his horse up one of the vast hills. He had been traveling since midnight, and his horse was exhausted. But he pushed it on, knowing it was not much further before they both reached their destination. The sun was nearly gone now, only leaving its soft orange-red light on the dimming sky. The rider weaved through trees, seeming to search for one in particular.

Then, stopping his horse and tying it to a nearby tree branch, the rider approached a great red wood nearby. Laying his hand upon its trunk, he moved it around in a circle three times and knocked twice.

The horse reared back in fright as a loud rumbling sound came from what seemed moving mechanisms behind the bark. Then a section of the tree pulled away to reveal a door that lead inside. Quarrelling voices could be heard as the man made his way up the stairs inside of the tree, leading to a small room in which three men stood. Two of them argued intensely.

“Poppycock!” shouted one man, considerably the youngest of the four, “if we had used my idea, the envelope would be ours by now and we could’ve continued with our plans!”

“Pardon me but the last time I checked raiding villages looking for one girl raises a little suspicion!” the other shouted back, he then smiled to himself, “I believe my plan of leaving a dead man in her room turned out quite well, wouldn’t you say so, Sir Russell?”

Sir Russell, the only one who had been silent during the tedious debate, sat at a small wooden table and kept his eyes on what he was writing.  Now he spoke,

“What do I say?”

“Yes, was it not a brilliant idea?”

“No, it wasn’t.”

Startled, the man stared at Russell, “What?”

This time Russell stood, towering over the other two men, “It was not in the least bit brilliant, Bruno. Now if the castle guards get to her before we do, they will get a hold of the envelope and our plan shall fall to pieces!” Russell calmly walked over to the other side of the room and picked up his crossbow.

Seeing this, Bruno instinctively started to back away, “N-now Russell, w-we’ve been partners through this entire charade. You can’t just kill me as if I don’t matter!”

Russell’s face remained blank, “Yes I can, and I believe you’re out of a job.” His finger squeezed the trigger, sending an arrow sailing through the air and sending Bruno to his knees, dead. The younger man watched aghast as Bruno fell over. He then stared back at Russell, who had now returned to his seat, working as if nothing had happened.

Russell looked up at him, “Victor, take that heap of rubbish outside and throw him in the river.” Victor obeyed, dragging the lifeless Bruno past the dark stranger who stood in the doorway. Russell saw him for the first time and nodded to him.

“Evening master huntsman. A pleasant trip I hope?”

The Huntsman nodded.

“Good, I suppose you’ll be wanting your orders now.”

~*~*~

“You’re sure we can’t do better than this?” Namian stared down into the dark cave and then looked at Téa.

 Téa raised her eyebrows, “Oh, I’m sorry, King Jerrold’s castle wasn’t available this evening.” She rolled her eyes and walked inside, Namian ignoring the irony and following. The cave smelled of bat guano and other foul things he couldn’t name, but at least it wasn’t intoxicating. The floor seemed clean enough, and Téa spread out her cape on the cave base. Namian followed suit.

Taking off his boot and freeing it of rocks, Namian asked, “What’s the name of your tribe?”

“The Tribe of Emen.”

Suddenly Namian had a flashback of a man his mother knew, “Do you know of a man named Will?”

Surprised, she looked up, “You know Will?”

He back down at his work, “Uh, no. I met a man named Will who said he was from a tribe. I didn’t know which one though.”

She seemed disappointed, “oh. Will’s married to my cousin Kara, I haven’t seen them in a long time.”  She lay down on the rock hard bed and closed her eyes, but then opened them again and looked at Namian.

“Do you mind sleeping a little farther back in the cave?”

He gave her a look, “Do I mind?”

She gave an exasperated sigh, “I hardly know you Master Hayden, it would be the least you could do.”

“Very well,” said Namian, picking up his cape/bed and moving it farther down. Instantly it seemed to raise a few degrees in heat, and the smell hadn’t gotten better either, “I hope your happy, milady.”

“Very, thanks.”

But Namian wasn’t in the least bit tired, “I think I’ll go for a walk.”

“A walk?”

“I’m not very tired yet.”

She sat up, “There are ogres in the woods, if they found you you would be…”she stopped herself and smirked, “go ahead. Have a good time.” She lay back down again.

Namian strode out into the crisp cold air. The stars and moon shone their silvery glow onto the landscape, providing just enough light to see. He started to walk along the outside of the cave but then heard ogres howling far in the distance, reminding him of Téa’s concern, or rather, her hope for him to become an appetizer.  I think not, you won’t get rid of me that easily, he thought to himself as he headed back towards the cave. Taking a piece of wood from off the ground, he sat at the opening and carved it with his knife, recalling the events of the day. Then he stopped suddenly, remembering the envelope in Téa’s pouch.

The peculiar Kyrrian weather had brought a light rainstorm over the grassy valley, and the moon had nearly finished its trek across the night sky. Outside of the cave the rainfall spattered lightly onto the ground while inside the only noise that could be heard was Téa’s soft breathing. She lay on her side, peacefully asleep, while Namian sat only a few feet away. His eyes were fixed on her waist purse that hung from her belt, and a corner of the envelope peeked out.

In his mind he debated endlessly, wanting desperately to know what was in the envelope but knowing that he would never again gain her trust if he looked.

The story of the dead man was not enough to convince him, not with all that he had seen in the tavern. He may have seemed a cheeky fellow but he wasn’t stupid. And if she was just going to have him tag along as the idiot with the extra protection then she was sorely mistaken.

Namian made up his mind and leaned forward slowly, hoping she wouldn’t wake up. She lay on her left side so he didn’t have to lean over far to reach her, but then she sighed lightly and turned over. He froze, watching her eyes. They were still closed, and her rhythmic breathing continued. Now Namian had to get up and slowly walk over to the other side of her. He sat on his haunches. The waist purse was tied closed by a small leather strip, which he undid and lifted open the flap. He reached for the envelope.

Suddenly Téa grabbed his wrist and put her dagger to his throat. He could feel the blade scraping his skin.

“Looking for something Master Hayden?” She asked, her dark brown eyes bore into his. He was speechless, though the blade at his throat might have had something to do with it. She kept it there and stared at him, anger flashed in her eyes. He found his voice.

“You weren’t asleep?”

“I was, I’m just a light sleeper, but I hardly think that’s the issue here.”

She lowered her knife and sat up, Namian leaned against the cave wall.

“What’s in the envelope?”

She stood up, “Oh, now you ask? It’s a little late for that, don’t you think?”

He stood as well, staring her down, “Don’t think that I’m just going to follow you around like some faithful dog with that pack of lies you fed me in Sheree, if you want my help than give me the truth!”

“Who said it was a lie?”

“I do.”

“Then what do you expect me to do?”

“Tell me the truth or I’m leaving!”

“Fine! Leave, see if I care!” She turned and headed for the opening of the cave, but not before turning back, “I told Harloe I can take care of myself, and that’s what I intend to do. I don’t need some rich noble brat offering me charity and then trying to steal from me!” She stormed out into the rain, leaving Namian behind in the cave.

~*~*~

The rain was cold and hard against her bare skin, but it seemed to late to turn back now. She headed for the woods and realized she had left her cape and dagger back in the cave, but she didn’t care, she just wanted to get away from him.

“I knew it! I knew he was up to no good, why couldn’t I listen to myself!” She thought aloud as she passed into the woods. The trees offered a little protection from the cold rain but not much. She leaned against one and breathed deeply, trying think of what to do. She couldn’t go back to retrieve her things, her pride forbid it. And she knew Hayden would come looking for her, so she walked deeper into the woods.

What am I going to do? She thought to herself. The rain pelted her face, but it felt refreshing.

The she heard the dreaded sound from the one creature that she had forgotten inhabited these woods.

“IFFn ToOS SinG.”

Oh, no.

~*~*~

Namian put on his cape and walked out after her, but she was nowhere in sight.

Smooth Namian, you dolt! He thought to himself. He looked down at the ground and saw that her footprints headed into the woods, where the ogres were sure to find her. He ran to the cave to grab his bow and arrows.

~*~*~

Three ogres surrounded Téa, all smiling greedily at their miraculous find. On their faces were patches of greasy black hair and their teeth were stained with blood. She was certain that she had never seen such an ugly sight. She longed for some beeswax in her ears as she slowly backed away, but her back unfortunately found a tree trunk. She grabbed a stick from the ground to defend herself, they just laughed.

“You back away from us?” One of the ogres oozed in Kyrrian, “but we are your friends! We can give you all that you desire and more, all you need to do is come with us.”

Téa fought hard to keep her mind clear, but the ogres spell was too strong and she was won over. She dropped the stick and stared stupidly at the ogres, wondering why ogres had been labeled as such horrible creatures when they really seemed so gentle and kind. She didn’t even wince when one of the ogres lashed at her arm, making trails of blood trickle down her skin. They all began to laugh and she stupidly wondered why.

~*~*~

  To his shame, Namian also found himself slightly amused at Téa’s predicament. He stood behind a tree a few yards away and watched, trying to keep his breathing silent. The ogres spoke in their filthy language, and for once he was glad his mother had urged him to study it when he was young.

“I get its limbs,” one of the ogres said, smiling greedily. The ogre who had cut her arm shoved him, both looked as though ready for a fight.

“You ate all of the limbs last time! It’s my turn, TOntss, tell him it’s my turn!”

TOntss growled, “No, I get the limbs. You both can have the head and the middle.” Seeing as how he was much bigger than the other two, they angrily agreed. Téa’s face was blank and she seemed to stare out into nothing. TOntss grabbed her arm.

“Don’t play with your food, let’s just eat it!” One of the ogres said impatiently. But TOntss didn’t seem satisfied.

“No,” he said, “It’s more fun this way.”

The two smaller ogres growled impatiently, but watched as TOntss struck Téa smartly across the face with the back of his filthy hand, breaking the spell. Namian found a tree with low branches and began to climb it.

~*~*~

The left side of Téa’s face burned as she came to her senses. She also became very aware of the pain in her right arm from the deep cuts, as well as the pain in her left from the ogre’s grip.

“Let go of me!” She yelled, even though she knew it was pointless. The ogre just smirked and gripped her tighter.

“I am TOntss,” he said, then pointed to the other two ogres, “that’s GiPP and StanT.”

She looked it to its ugly face, “And you’re telling me this because…?”

TOntss seemed amused by her sarcasm, “We find that most meals would be better off knowing who ate them.”

“First of all,” she replied calmly, “I am no meal.” She kicked him in his large but soft hairy stomach, causing TOntss to roar in pain and rage and slam her against the tree; nearly knocking her unconscious. He bared his fangs and headed straight for her neck. She braced herself.

But the ogre cried out as an arrow pierced his shoulder, and he released his grip on her arm to cradle his wound and attempt to pull the arrow out. She backed away and looked for the source of the arrows, spotting Hayden up in a nearby tree. He swiftly pulled out another arrow and shot it at TOntss’ heart, not failing to miss. The hideous creature hit the earth face forward with a loud thud.

The other two ogres roared at the surprise attack. But GiPP, the one who had cut Téa’s arm, whimpered suddenly and ran off into the woods once he saw Hayden aiming at him. But he did not let GiPP get away that easily without planting an arrow in his thigh, causing the spineless ogre to cry out as he ran. StanT did not prove to be so cowardly, as he ran straight for the tree in which Hayden was sitting.

“We are your friends…..” StanT began in his sugary speech, but Téa threw a rock straight at his head and he stumbled to the ground, Hayden delivering the deathblow. Then all was quiet in the forest once again.

Téa looked up at Hayden who hopped out of the tree.

“I suppose you expect me to thank you?”

He ignored the question, “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” she replied, but her arm was stinging and she cringed from the pain. Hayden tore off a section of his cape and proceeded to wrap it around the wound, standing at what Téa definitely considered to be a little too close for comfort. But Hayden didn’t seem to care. She decided to swallow her pride for once.

“Thank you…for saving my life.”

He didn’t look up from his task, “Your welcome.”

He finished bandaging her arm and then walked over to retrieve his arrows, but she knew what he really wanted to hear.

“I’m sorry about what I said, alright?”

He straightened up with a half smile, “There, was that so hard?”

“As a matter of fact, yes.”

He seemed to hesitate at first, then replied, “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry too.”

“For…” she smirked and coaxed him to say more by waving her hand in little circles.

He gave a frustrated sigh, “For sticking my nose into what’s none of my business,” he walked over to her, “but you can at least tell me the truth, it’s all I ask.”

She thought hard about what to say. Even if he did save her life she didn’t completely trust him, not yet. She decided to stick with what she had.

“Hayden, the story about the dead man in my room was true,” she looked at him sincerely, “I need you to believe me.”

He looked straight back, “Alright, I will. What’s in the envelope?”

“A letter from my parents,” she lied, actually feeling true guilt for the first time. She started back towards the cave, and Hayden followed. Then a thought came to her mind that she was actually curious about, she stopped and turned to face him.

“Where in the world did you learn to shoot like that?”

He seemed to be looking for an answer and then shrugged, “Around.”

“Around? That’s the best answer you can give me?”

He started for the cave again, walking past her, “What do you expect me to say?”

She was about to retort, but then stopped herself. Deciding that the less she knew about Hayden, the better. She followed.

~*~*~

“The lady was last seen in the woods near Frell,” Sir Russell pointed to the map on the table, the Huntsman nodded and watched to where Russell pointed his finger.

“My spy network has not reported to me yet, but she is thought to be heading east from the town of Sheree. Once my spies have discovered her exact whereabouts, I’ll let you know and then your assignment will be to head her off and recover the stolen documents,” Russell looked at the Huntsman, “Once you have retrieved the envelope, you may do away with the girl as you see fit, but she is not to be left alive. Understood?” The Huntsman nodded and headed for the tree’s exit, but not before Russell stopped him, “there may be a young man accompanying her, see to it he is taken care of as well.” Russell couldn’t help but smile at this, it was like killing two birds with one stone.

The Huntsman left and Russell turned to leave himself. He spoke to Victor, who had been standing in the corner when he returned from his ‘taking out the garbage’, “I must return to King Jerrold, I leave it to you to hold down the fort.”

“Yes sir.”

“I shall return within a few days, if my spies report, ask if there is a young man with blonde hair escorting the lady.”

Victor looked confused, “Why?”

Russell pulled on his riding gloves, “Because my dear boy, out of the goodness of my heart I shall do Prince Charmont a favor.” With that, he left the tree fortress with poor confused Victor standing inside.

~*~*~

“Where to captain?” asked Namian.

“To Bast, my dear sir. To Bast,” replied Téa. They had been on the empty road for well over two hours now, and Namian was glad their ‘battle of wits’ had shrunken into nothing more than light hearted humor. The rain still sprinkled down and the road had become muddy and slippery. If any carriages were to attempt to use this road they would be stuck for several days. When I am King, Namian thought, all roads will be made of stone, this is ridiculous!

A few travelers had passed by (or rather, slipped and slid by) and none of those who had actually gotten a good look at his face seemed to recognize his rank, for that he was grateful.

Of course Namian had been outside the castle walls thousands of times in his life, but he was no where near as famous as his mother and father were, and their subjects knew their faces much better than his own. His mother mainly since she was once a peasant herself.  Namian had visited the Menagerie often and accompanied his father on trips of royal business, but none of the people were allowed to stand very close since his mother’s kidnapping. A stupid rule, he knew, but it was for that very reason so few of the people could actually recognize him. For that he was grateful, though he would remedy it once he returned home.

Home. He missed his family and wondered if they would be taking any measures to find them.

Of course they would! He thought. It was just a question of how and when, and how he could avoid them.

His deep chain of thought was interrupted by Téa waving her hand in front of his face.

“Anybody home?” She looked at him and raised her eyebrow.

“The lights may be on but I’m afraid I’m back in Frell,” he joked, making her chuckle. She tilted back her head and closed her eyes while she walked, spreading out her arms to receive the raindrops. He couldn’t help but smile.

“You certainly blow hot and cold don’t you?”

She laughed and opened her eyes to look at him, “Excuse me?”

“About four hours ago you had a knife to my throat and now here we are talking like two old friends.”

She smiled and tilted her head back, closing her eyes again, “Father used to say that too. He would say that when I was in good spirits I was in good spirits, but I always had a temper to match my hair.” She laughed to herself.

“Do you miss them?”

She hesitated for a moment, then said, “Most people wouldn’t think it since I haven’t spoken to them in a year, but yes, I miss them,” she looked down, softening her voice a little, “I miss them very much.”

“What are they like?”

She looked at him and grinned, “Rather chatty today, aren’t we?”

“Humor me.”

“Very well,” she looked back on the road and continued, “I remember mother as being a rather shy woman, she rarely spoke her opinion about anything, but she always knew our troubles and found ways to make us feel better. Father, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. Always heavily in debate with the other men in the tribe and, other than Emen, he was one of the few who made the last decisions on everything. Hannah and I used to argue about the simplest of things just to get him mad.”

“Hannah’s your sister, right?”

She looked back at him, “Yes,” her eyes then focused back on the road, obviously not wanting to talk about it, so Namian left it alone. He set his eyes on the road himself and they walked together side by side.

“My mother fits the description of your father in some ways,” he told her, “She has her own opinion and won’t be bullied into anything.”

“Sounds like a woman I would get along with,” Téa replied. The town of Bast could now be seen in the distance. Namian could see a few black carriages along with some orange ones wheeling along the city streets. This he never understood because when he asked his father why some of the carriages were orange the thirty-seven year old prince would just laugh and say, “It has to do with your mother.”

“What about your father?” Téa inquired, obviously unaffected by Namian’s thoughts.

“He’s the same way, I suppose,” said Namian, “Though he laughs very easily.”

“No one ever said this was a bad thing.”

“Of course, mother and I would even have competitions to see who could make him laugh the hardest. But he can be serious when he needs to be.” Namian was referring to his father’s natural grace under fire, even though he knew Téa wouldn’t understand. She nodded and walked along.

The town of Bast was as bustling and noisy as Sheree had been, save the orange carriages.

~*~*~

The all to familiar town of Bast brought back a flood of memories for Téa. It was, after all, her favorite place of business. And poor Hayden hadn’t a clue, because she had deliberately forgotten to tell him what her “business” was. And she knew that her past would soon be revealed.

Téa was a thief. And not a bad one, considering her short one-year career. She remembered it as though it had happened yesterday.

When she had come to Bast after leaving the tribe she had come an unruly, angry young lady and took to thieving after meeting a few comrades in the dark alleys of the town. It hadn’t been long before she had realized that she was exceptionally good at it.

In the space of several months, she had gone from a scrawny, impoverished little waif to a successful, prosperous felon. Although she had made it a point never to steal from people of modest means, she did not pretend that her activities were without consequence. And many times she had been thrown into prison. Still, the thrill and satisfaction, not to mention monetary recompense that she had earned from her adventures was all the rationale she had needed to continue her budding career in thievery. And she had become one of  the most successful thieves in the town, if not the country. But now she had to find a way to tell Hayden, since the place they were going would no doubt tell him for her.

She led him over to the side of the busy street and stopped, turning to him, “Hayden, I need to tell you something.”

He looked at her quizzically, “What is it?”

“You wanted the truth, yes?”

His inquiring look quickly turned to one of interest, “Are you finally going to give it to me?”

She nodded and took his hand, leading him to a dark, out of the way alley. There men and women of questioning appearances played card games like three card Monty and other gambling games. She stopped and turned to him.

“Welcome to the House of Chance, place your bets please,” she added sarcastically, composing her tough standing in front of all the thieves, she leaned in close so that only Hayden could hear, “I was involved in something that people of your stature frown upon immensely, but we need these people’s help if we want to make it to Westova.” She hoped Hayden would trust her and leave it at that, but he proved not to be that easy.

“You’re a thief?”

“We prefer the term ‘profitably challenged’.”

“Why did you not tell me this before?”

“You didn’t ask.” She held her finger to her lips to silence him and brought him to the end of the alleyway, where some of the older thieves were smoking their pipes. They nodded their approval of her but scowled at Hayden in his noble clothes, which she would have to fix later. She ignored the men and walked up to a large wooden door in the stone wall. Knocking three times, a small sliding hole in the middle of the door opened and two beady eyes glared menacingly at her.

“State your business,” the man barked.

“I wish to see D’arvan,” she told him.

“D’arvan doesn’t waist time with little strays like yourself,” he looked at Hayden, “or noble brats! If you need a favor you can take it up with Fat Earl.” He proceeded to close the little hole, but she pulled it back with her right hand. Now she was mad.

“You’re new, aren’t you? Do I look like I’m here for a tea party? I know very well that Fat Earl no longer does favors for anyone seeing as how he’s dead! And I happen to be a member of this guild, now let me give you the bloody password you overgrown walrus or I’ll tell D’arvan and he will deal with you, his way.”

That shut the guard up, he glared at her, “Alright, you little wench. We’ll see if you know the password.” He stuck his arm out of the hole and held up three fingers, “If this is five, then what is this?” He held up four fingers.

“Three,” she replied, “Now open the door!”

The guards eyes glared at her for some time, and she glared right back. Finally they could hear the door being unbolted from the inside. She turned to Hayden.

“Do you have money on you?”

“Yes.”

“Put it in your boot right now.”

“Why?”

She rolled her eyes, “You’re about to enter a room full of thieves, why do you think?” Hayden complied and took off his boot , throwing in twenty gold KJ’s, and then pulling it on again. The door had opened now and Téa stepped inside, passing by the monster of a guard, who glowered at both of them, but she pretended not to take notice. The door had opened into a hallway that led to another large wooden door. Hayden caught up with her before she reached it, forced to walk behind her because of the narrowness of the hallway, and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Téa, what are we doing here?”

Her care-free sarcasm had returned, “Take it easy, my good sir, I know what I’m doing.”

“Apparently.”

She knocked three times on the wooden door and waited patiently. This time the little hole in the door opened up with a female voice, and a bored one at that.

“State yer business.”

“I’m here to see D’arvan, Sheila.”

The pair of painted eyes got a good look at her and then squinted with excitement, “Téa! Ye’re back!,” she looked at Hayden, “and who is yer fine-looking gentleman friend?” Hayden just nodded his head in greeting.

Téa introduced them, giving her old friend a don’t-even-think-about-it look. Sheila opened the large wooden door and smiled innocently, returning a who-me? look. Her blonde curls fell down to her shoulders, and they bobbed up and down as she walked. Téa followed her into the room, Hayden warily following behind. The room had been done up more lavishly than when she had last been there. Cushions to sit on were everywhere, and red tapestries hung from the ceiling. And all was complete with music and mirth. Over fifty people occupied the large room, eating and drinking and laughing. Apparently D’arvan had made quite a large haul recently to have all of these luxuries, even though she knew most of it had been stolen. Sheila led them both faithfully to the center of the room where D’arvan sat.

D’arvan was a robust man of his early thirties, with good looks and an intelligent mind. He sat on the most lavished chair of all with a lady admirer on either side of him, and it didn’t take much for Téa to figure out where they came from. She smiled at her friend, the ladies man.

D’arvan looked up and saw her, grinning. He stood and walked over to them.

“Arleta, my darling, I’ve missed you so,” he took her hand and kissed it. Téa knew all to well  that she had never been his “darling”, and D’arvan knew this too. But this was his nature, charming. The perfect personality for a thief.

D’arvan glanced over her shoulder at Hayden. Then he looked back at her, “I had known you to steal things as big as horses, Arleta. But now you have come to stealing nobility? I’m quite impressed.” His playful smile was on his face, and she didn’t know whether to hug him or to slap him. She introduced D’arvan of Bast to Master Hayden of Frell, and the two shook hands.

She didn’t waste time beating around the bush, “D’arvan, I came for help.”

He seemed to dismiss it as a whimsy, “Help? Why would a talented girl such as yourself need help, Arleta? Would you care for some wine?” He held a glass in front of her.

But she pushed the glass away, “I’m serious, D’arvan. And the name is Téa, if you don’t mind.”

He nudged Hayden in the shoulder, “Quite a find isn’t she, just make sure to call her by her little nickname. How I could get away with calling her Arleta for so long is beyond me.” Hayden shrugged and looked at her, silently pleading with her to hurry it up so they could leave.

She loved D’arvan as a friend, but he could make her so furious at times, “Are you going to help me or not?”

D’arvan stood closer to her, a few inches taller than herself. Their faces were close and she was getting slightly nervous as to what he was thinking.

He spoke softly and seriously, “Two days, four jobs.”

Inside she was relieved….until his words reached her.

“Oh no, we are not playing this again! I don’t have time for this!”

D’arvan backed away a few feet and shrugged, “Two days and four jobs or you don’t get my help.”

She closed the distance between them again, “One day, two jobs. That’s my final offer.”

He grinned and spoke normally, “Excellent! We’ll start in an hour.” Then he returned to his seat.

~*~*~

Namian, who had been silent and very confused, touched Téa’s arm, “What’s going on?”

She put a finger to her lips to silence him as she looked over to the center, where D’arvan had silenced the music and called the attention of the entire room.

“Friends,” he called, and all eyes were on him, “Our lady Téa has returned to us!” His hand gestured over to where they stood and the entire room erupted in applause. D’arvan continued.

“And in honor of her return, she has accepted my offer to perform a Run.”

Now the entire room was cheering. Namian touched her arm again, “A Run?”

“It’s a type of  thief association,” she informed him, “For the amusement of the guild. I will be given two jobs and twelve hours in which to do them.”

D’arvan spoke again, this time directly at her, “Your first job, will be to rob the Emerald Inn. It is said that in the owner’s room there is a chest containing a gold necklace. Retrieve it without being caught and I shall give you your second task.” Téa nodded, and the room went about its doings as before, but now the conversation was an excited talk about her “Run”. This time Namian didn’t bother to lightly tap her on the shoulder, but grabbed her arm so she was facing him. Disliking it, she yanked away.

“Why are you doing this?”

She looked at him with determination, “I have to or we’ll never get him to help us. Don’t ask me to explain what goes on in D’arvan’s childish mind because in all honesty I have no clue.”

“What happens if you can’t get the jobs done in time?”

She paused then looked at him, “I’ll have my ear cut off or you will, something like that.” She said it so calmly that Namian was startled.

“What!?!”

She put her hand on his shoulder, “Don’t worry Hayden, I’ve never lost a Run before.”

“How many have you done?”

“Uhh….one other time. But that’s not important,” She headed towards the back of the room where Namian noticed there was another hallway. He followed her. And Téa opened and closed doors in the hallway, looking for an unoccupied bedroom. She finally found one and walked inside, beckoning Namian to follow. The thieves eyed his rich clothes as he passed them, and he silently wished that he was still back in Frell.

“Are you out of your mind?” Hayden asked once he had closed the door behind them. The little room consisted of only a bed, a dressing screen, and a trunk full of clothes, which Téa was now busy rummaging through. She looked at him,

“I’m taking a risk Hayden, haven’t you ever taken a risk in your life?”

“I met you didn’t I?”

She huffed and returned to what she was doing. Hayden threw his arms in the air and began pacing about the room,

“But this is ridiculous! What kind of people would cut someone’s ear off for leisure?”

She didn’t look up from her rummaging this time, “Think about where you are and say that again.”

Finally finding a dress her size, she stood up and held it out at arm’s length. It was a simple dark blue day gown with only a rip at the bottom, not very noticeable. If she was going to look like a commoner, she ought to look the part. But she couldn’t do anything about her red hair, sadly. Trying not to think about whom the gown’s previous owner had been, she laid the dress on the bed and turned back to the trunk to find something for Hayden. Pulling out a dark green tunic and pants, she threw them at him.

“If you’re going to travel with me, you’ll need to wear something that draws a little less attention,” she walked behind the dressing screen to put on her new dress, ignoring Hayden when he made a comment about her dark red hair. When she came out he was already in his new attire. Then she beckoned for him to follow as she walked out the door and back into the main room, where everyone was drinking and laughing as before. D’arvan spotted the two of them in the back and held his hands in the air to call the attention of the room once again. He should be an actor, Téa thought to herself.

“My fellow workers,” D’arvan called out dramatically, “We have but fifteen minutes before the lady Téa begins her first Run. I suggest that all of you hurry to find a good spot before it begins.” Most of the bandits had already stood up and headed for the door before their leader could finish his sentence. It wasn’t long before both Téa and Hayden were the only ones left in the room.

She turned to him, “You had better go to and find a good spot to watch from, I’ll be out in a few minutes.” Hayden nodded and headed out the door, though she could tell he was not happy about all of this. She took deep breaths.

Okay, here we go…

~*~*~

Namian walked out onto the busy street and found that most of the bandits had already found a position to watch from. Many of them stood on the street or by the door of the inn, pretending to look like common peasants. Some had gone into buildings that were across the road and had somehow managed to get on top of the roof. Others, like D’arvan, had ventured into the inn and sat at a table. He decided he would follow suit and walked through the inn doors, finding himself an empty table. As he watched the door for Téa, he could hear D’arvan behind him saying, “This should be good.”

~*~*~

Téa paced back and forth in the empty room, trying to figure out some sort of plan of action. It had been at least a month since she had actually stolen anything and she hoped that she hadn’t lost her edge. Well……that and the thought of dismemberment didn’t settle well in her stomach either. The town’s clock had begun to strike its nine chimes and she wished that she could have done this in the evening, but never the less she could see the morning sun’s rays pushing their way through the cracks in the roof.

The first task was meant to be the easier of the two, how hard could it possibly be?

~*~*~

Finally Namian saw Téa walk through the door of the inn. She had brushed her hair out so it fell down to her waist and wore a fake smile on her face for the innkeeper, who was a bald man in his late forties. He nodded a greeting to her as she walked over, apparently not the cheery type as the innkeeper in Sheree had been. In fact, Namian wondered if this innkeeper had any personality at all.

She smiled warmly, “I’d like a room please.”

His expression remained blank, “Very good, Milady. Follow me,” he wiped his forearms with his dirty apron as he climbed the stairs towards the rooms, looking at her hair from a side-glance. The accommodations surrounded an open balcony so the doors of the rooms could be seen by the people in the tavern below, making it even more difficult for Téa to make the steal in full view of everyone. Namian could hear the innkeeper mumbling about the price of staying the night and when breakfast would be served in the morning. Téa seemed to be growing impatient.

“Say,” he heard her say smoothly, “I’ve always wanted to have my very own inn. Is it terribly hard to run one?”

The innkeeper just stared at her, obviously not used to being interrupted in such a manner. He continued as if she had never spoken and proceeded to tell her where her chamber pot could be found and at what time he closed the inn. She just nodded and smiled, but Namian could see her frowning through her smile. He heard her interrupt again.

“I’ve always wondered, which room does the innkeeper live in?”

He just stared at her.

She pointed to a random room, “Is that where you live?”

Still he stared.

“Uh…because if something were to happen in the middle of the night, I wouldn’t know where to find you.”

After what seemed like an hour of more staring, he made a gesture towards the door at the far right of the balcony, “I live there.”

Relief swept over her face as she thanked him, taking her key and entering her room. The innkeeper just shook his head and trudged back down the steps. Out of the corner of his eye Namian could see D’arvan struggling not to laugh. Then he switched his gaze back to her bedroom door, which did not open.

They waited for over half an hour, and the bandits were getting restless. One had fallen asleep in his chair and the innkeeper had forced him to leave. Her door had not opened, and D’arvan had even sent some of his men outside to make sure she had not escaped. She hadn’t, so what on earth was she waiting for?

Finally, the door opened a crack and Namian could see her deep brown eyes peering out. The innkeeper was cleaning his tavern counter, his back to the rooms. Ever so slowly the door began to open, and Téa stepped out. The regular customers hadn’t noticed her reappearance, but every outlaw’s eye watched her every move. She closed the door quietly behind her and tip toed her way towards the innkeeper’s room, keeping her eyes fixed on him. His back was still facing her. She was ten feet away from his room…seven…five…three feet…

C

  R

    E

      E

         A

             A

                 A

                     K

                         !

Téa froze, so did Namian’s breath. The board she had stepped on had made a noise so loud that it could be heard throughout the entire inn. Most of the customers were beginning to look up at the source of the noise and she leapt behind a post to hide herself, but her boots and bottom half of her dress could clearly be seen. The innkeeper’s head started to turn to investigate the noise.

“Bartender!” Namian called out in an oddly loud voice. The innkeeper (including D’arvan and the rest of the bandits) looked his way.

“Uh…Ale please.”

“Yes sir,” the innkeeper nodded and turned back to the bar to fulfill his order, and Namian nodded at Téa to continue. She mouthed a thank you and slowly opened the innkeeper’s door and slipped inside.

“Nice save, Master Hayden,” he turned to see Sheila wink at him, but he ignored her and looked back at the now closed bedroom door. Hurry Téa!

~*~*~

Téa stood with her back against the door, breathing heavily from fright. The room had no windows and came complete with a bed, fireplace, dresser, and the very chest containing the necklace she needed to steal. The incident outside on the balcony wasn’t enough to scare her, not in the least. She had been in tighter spots. It was what sat before her now that scared her. A black furry monster that measured up to half of her height.

The black mutt bared its fangs, saliva dripping onto the floor. Growling angrily it glared at her with blood lust in its eyes. Oh, I hate dogs!

“N-nice dog,” she stuttered, not sure what to do, “good dog.” It growled even louder now.

She took a step towards the dark wooden chest, but the monster snapped at her leg and she immediately drew back. At least it hadn’t barked yet. She searched her mind for any idea. The dog was unexpected, and she searched every inch of the room with her eyes to find some sort of weapon to knock the beast out.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

The brute inched its way closer, teeth bared and ready to pounce. The ten minutes that passed seemed like ten years.

Then she remembered something her cousin Kara had taught her many years ago. They had been tending to the new litter of puppies that their tribe’s dog had just delivered. One of the puppies had been more spirited than the others, and had been constantly biting her. Kara had calmly explained,

“The only way to make a dog behave is to hit it gently, but firmly, on the nose. Watch,” she placed the hyper puppy in her lap, and faced it towards her. Then with the flat of her palm she tapped it firmly its little nose. The little pup had stumbled back in surprise, but then resumed its lively playing, without the biting.

Téa looked back at the dog that stood before her now. Would the same thing work on it? She feared that if she did it would snap her hand off, but she knew she had no choice in the matter. Holding out the flat of her palm towards the black dog’s nose, she closed her eyes and thrust it forward.

It worked! The dog’s jaws instantly closed and it looked at her with a revered expression on its face. She decided that the owner must have used the same technique to calm him down.

She pointed to the floor and spoke firmly, “Sit!”

It sat, and Téa patted its large furry head as she looked at the name on its collar. In black capital letters it read KILLER.

How original, she thought to herself. She looked into its big black eyes, “You’re not so mean, are you? Will you behave?” The dog just blinked and she laughed, scratching it behind the ears. A sheep in wolf’s clothing, she thought.

She stood up and looked over to the conspicuous chest next to the owner’s bed, and for the first time she noticed that it was unlocked. Deciding he wasn’t very smart, she lifted its lid. Inside the chest was filled with gold KJ’s, all of the owner’s earnings. And right on top sat the gold necklace.

It wasn’t as fancy as some of the other necklaces she had seen on the nobles, the ones covered completely in emeralds and diamonds and any other jewel you could possibly imagine. This one was simply a gold chain from which a golden locket hung. She opened it to reveal a small lock of red hair sitting inside. Looking up at the dresser, she saw a small painting of a lady with the same red hair; apparently the owner of what was in the locket.

The painting on the dresser and the innkeeper’s solemn blank expression was enough to convince her that the lady was his dead wife. There was no other explanation, and here she was stealing his only keepsake of hers. Téa could feel the remorse rising up in her throat and she hadn’t stolen anything yet, so she forced it back down. If she returned to D’arvan without the necklace it meant that either she or Hayden would pay the penalty, and she knew D’arvan well enough to know that he was serious when it came to that.

Then she remembered there were no windows in the room, and no pockets in her dress. How was she going to get this thing back to the lair without being noticed?

~*~*~

Namian’s ale sat untouched in front of him, he had never cared much for the stuff. The rays from the sun shone through the inn’s windows and the town’s clock had begun to strike ten. He and the others waited patiently (if not impatiently) while watching the innkeeper’s bedroom door.

“What’s she doin’ in there? Cleaning?” He heard Sheila mutter. D’arvan himself moved in his seat and breathed deeply in boredom. If Téa took any longer Namian didn’t know what the bandits would do.

Then the knob of the door slowly turned, and it cracked open slightly. The innkeeper’s back was again turned towards her, and they all watched as her dark red head poked out, followed by the rest of her body. She closed the door quietly behind her and then walked casually back down the stairs. The innkeeper turned at the sound of her footsteps and nodded to her.

“A problem with the room my lady?”

She shook her head, but she did not smile this time, “No problem at all. But I think I shall travel today, so I will not need a room.” She dropped the key into his hand, but not before he spoke,

“Quite a lovely necklace you have there.”

Namian cringed inwardly. Téa looked down at the locket that hung around her neck, “Thank you.”

His expression softened, “My late wife had a necklace like this one.”

“You don’t say?”

“Yes,” he stared at it for a few seconds, then his expressionless face returned, “safe journey to you.” Then he turned his back to clean the bar.

~*~*~

The thieves all cheered as they surrounded Téa, who stood in the center of the room. She noticed Hayden standing in the back, hands behind his back and feet spread apart, his look anything but pleased. D’arvan continued to clap even as the rest of the room stopped.

“Bravo! Bravo! Arleta, my darling, you did splendidly! Though not with your usual constructive speediness.”

She hid her emotions and smiled a half smile, “Well, I had a slight difficulty getting to my target.”

“A job well done anyway. By the way, might I see the necklace?”

She unhooked the necklace from her neck and handed it to him. Some of the bandits applauded at her cleverness to wear it around her neck and she had to force herself to look at the ground to keep from rolling her eyes. D’arvan examined the necklace, opening it and closing it, then biting the chain with his teeth. He turned to the rest of the room and announced,

“A pathetic waste of gold, but it is gold none the less. The lady has completed her first task.” The entire area applauded enthusiastically and she glanced over to the back of the room where Hayden stood. He wasn’t clapping. In fact, he wasn’t even looking at her. She looked back at the necklace,

“Might I keep it?”

D’arvan eyed her, “Whatever for, my dear?”

She cringed. She hated being called that, but she put on a smile, “As a sort of souvenir to remember this when I leave.”

He smirked, “Very well.” Taking the clasps of the necklace, he hung it back around her neck. She thanked him.

“Are you ready for your second task?”

She nodded.

“Very good,” D’arvan seemed delighted, he announced to the room, “Your second task is this: According to a friend of mine in the town of Anency, this evening at precisely eight o’clock the Duke and Duchess of Anency will arrive in our little town. You must stop their carriage before they reach the town and steal all you can from them.”

Téa crossed her arms as she listened. Stealing from the high and mighty nobles, it wasn’t foreign to her. But since she didn’t kill the people she robbed like the other bandits did, stealing from two people (three, if you included the driver) in only one hour would be increasingly difficult. In fact, it was nearly impossible. She accepted the task, but also felt inclined to ask,

“Might I have some help? Robbing two people by myself in one hour will not prove to be easy.”

D’arvan nodded as if he understood her predicament, which she knew he didn’t. Then he smiled a toothy grin,

“Of course! You may have two people come along, and they will take orders from you,” He turned slowly and look over the room, pointing to Sheila, “Sheila shall assist you and…” his gaze shifted over the multitude, his eyes finally resting on a young man who stood in the back, “Master Hayden shall join you as well.”

Téa watched Hayden’s head shoot up. That had certainly gotten his attention. He spoke aloud for the first time.

“I think I’ll sit this one out, if you don’t mind.”

D’arvan cocked his head to one side, “Oh, I’m afraid I do mind. And I would consider it a personal insult if you didn’t join in on our little game.” His hand slowly motioned for his sword, which hung at his side, and the crowd parted to make sure that Hayden could see.

~*~*~

That was enough to convince him, though Namian moved his leg slightly to make sure that his dagger was still concealed in the boot. What had Téa gotten him into?

She lay her hand on D’arvan’s shoulder, “There will be no need for that. Master Hayden will gladly assist me, and the job will be more thorough with his help. Won’t it, Master Hayden?”

Namian did nothing, only kept his eyes on her. D’arvan released his grip on his sword and folded his arms across his chest, his mischievous grin once again on his face. Heading for the room they had been in before the first task, Namian brushed past her and didn’t bother to look back. The door was open and the room was unoccupied, so he entered.

I can’t steal from a noble; I’m the bloody prince of Kyrria! He thought to himself as he closed the door behind him. It didn’t surprise him that he was angry with her; she dragged him into this after all. True, he found most nobility to be stuck up and dull, but a prince stealing from his own people? He couldn’t do that. He wouldn’t do that!

The door creaked as it opened and he turned to see Téa closing it behind her. Her face remained serious and determined.

He looked at her, “How can you ask this of me?”

She folded her arms, “You have no choice, Hayden. And I am not the one who’s making you do it. If you don’t participate than either you or I will be hurt or worse. You have to take these people seriously. When they say they’ll cut your ear off, they mean it.”

“What do we need from these people that you’re willing to risk your neck and mine to get it?

“If we prove ourselves to D’arvan, he’ll give us horses and supplies. Plus, he knows the routes and back passages through Kyrria better than the people who built them. He’ll be able to tell us the quickest passage to my family’s home.”

Despite his frustration and anger, Namian sat on the bed and took a deep breath to calm himself. He knew that by the end of this journey they would either end up the best of friends or he would end up killing her. He shook his head.

“I am disgracing my family, for me that is a greater crime than stealing.”

Téa walked over and sat down next to him, patting his arm, “Disgrace by definition is something you do of free will, in which this is not the case. Your family would be proud of your unwillingness, and that is quite an honor to bestow upon them.”

He looked at her, “How can you do that?”

“Do what?”

He smirked, “Be so kind, I thought that was forbidden of a thief.”

She sat up straight, “Well, I am an exceptional thief.”

Suddenly the door opened and Sheila entered, giving them both a look.

“Pardon me, didn’t mean to interrupt.”

Realizing how close they were sitting next to each other, Namian rose immediately and gave Sheila a formal bow, as he had been taught in the royal courts. Sheila giggled.

“That’s the sort of thing you do for a lady, and I ain’t no lady,” she laughed again, winking. But he turned to Téa who still sat on the bed.

“I suppose we had better develop a plan, eh captain?”

“I suppose so,” she stood and turned to Sheila, “What are our strengths?”

Sheila scratched her chin to make it look as though she was really thinking, “Well, I’m best with the blade. I can gut the passengers.”

Namian shuddered.

Téa shook her head, “No Sheila, the passengers will remain alive.”

Sheila frowned in disappointment, then hope spread across her face, “The driver then?”

“No.”

“Alive? That’ll make the job twice as hard than before!”

“Then I suppose we’ll have to avoid messing up won’t we?” She stopped and seemed to be searching her mind for any ideas, finally coming to one, “Sheila, your skill with the sword will come in handy only if our lord and lady Duke try to escape, just make sure they stay in their seats. And you Hayden,” she looked over to him, “you will help Sheila with the Duke and Duchess until I call upon you to help me take the loot back to the lair. Is all of this clear?”

“Not as fun as guttin’ people,” Sheila shrugged, “but it’ll do for some entertainment.”

Téa looked over to Namian, “Everything clear?”

He replied rather hesitantly, “Crystal.”

That seemed to satisfy her, “Good. We shall rest until the time comes, when it does, you must remember to take all your orders from me.”

Taking orders from anyone other than his mother and father was new, but Namian nodded. Sheila put her hands on her hips.

The trio spent the residual nine hours planning and resting before the job. Téa slept on the bed in the little room, while Hayden slept on the floor. For a while she had felt a little bad since the floor was hard and dirty, but he didn’t seem to complain as he slept soundly for the remaining four hours. Males were so typical.

Closing the door as quietly as she could so as not to wake him, Téa entered the noisy main room. Spotting Sheila in the back cleaning off two swords, she walked over.

“Everything in order?” She inquired.

“Yep,” Sheila replied, wiping each blade with a damp cloth, “Will we be needin’ anything else?”

“A walking stick would be nice.”

Sheila eyed her, “What? Why?”

“It’ll come in handy, believe me.”

Sheila rolled her eyes, “Whatever you say, boss.”

Then she switched topics, asking the question that had obviously been on everybody’s mind, “So where’d you find him?”

“Who?”

“You know ‘who’ I mean. Master Hayden. What would a fine looking lad like that want with a waif like you?”

Téa poured herself a drink from a nearby table, “Gee, thanks.”

“Let’s face it Téa, nobility wouldn’t be caught dead within ten feet of people like us. Master Hayden ill in his head or somethin’?”

Despite her best efforts, Téa laughed out loud, startling Sheila, “Actually, he found me.”

Sheila leaned forward, intrigued, “And?”

“He followed me, what was I suppose to do?”

The petite blonde gave an exasperated sigh and threw her arms in the air, “What am I going to do with you?” Téa smiled at her friend, had Sheila known why they were both traveling, she most likely would have booted them both out the door.

“Are you almost ready Arleta?” A sophisticated voice said by her right ear. Téa turned to see D’arvan standing behind them, arms folded across his chest.

“Yes,” she said, wanting desperately to hit him for using her first name. She wasn’t surprised. As soon as the tasks were over she would be glad to get far away from him. Regardless of how many months she had lived with the bandits, she still didn’t trust him and probably never would. Her friend’s boyish charms may have fooled countless others, but they were entirely wasted on herself. She had learned quickly that when D’arvan wanted something, he would get it no matter what. And that made him a dangerous man.

“May I be of assistance in any way?”

She shook her head, but remembered to ask, “Once the task is finished, will you give me the aid I need?”

He cocked his head to one side, “Now why would you ask something like that? Don’t you trust me Arleta?”

She spoke before she could stop herself, “Not in the least, and the name is Téa.”

A frown took over his normal grin, “And why not, Arleta?”

            He had added an extra emphasis on the name, and her famous temper had returned, “Because I don’t, D’arvan. You fail to realize that I know you for what you really are, not like these blind idiots with nothing better to do than drink and eat all day.”

His frown quickly changed to a scowl, he stepped closer, “And what am I?”

Regardless of her better judgment, she spoke her mind, “A good for nothing rogue with no real friends just mindless idiots who obey your every whim for their own benefit.” Sheila grabbed her arm and she shut her mouth, knowing she had gone to far to insult his character.

D’arvan took a deep breath, but their was no missing the anger in his eyes, “I can see you haven’t changed.”

“No,” she replied calmly, “I have changed. You just can’t bring yourself to accept the fact that you no longer have control over one of your best recruits.”

Sheila stared at her in horror, so Téa spoke calmly, “Look, all I want is an answer.”

He waved his hand in the air, “Yes, yes. Whatever you want,” then he pushed past her in ferocity to rejoin the throng of people. Téa looked at Sheila, who was open mouthed in horror.

“Well, he pushed me.”

Sheila’s eyes were wide, and she spoke through clenched teeth, “Are you insane?” Sheila looked as though she were about to blow, “You upset that volcano and you can kiss your life goodbye.”

“Perhaps,” Téa sipped her drink, then set the empty cup on the table. She probably had gone insane. For all the months she had known D’arvan, not one bandit had ever talked to him like that.

Ever.

~*~*~

Namian woke up in the room and realized he was alone. What time was it?

Standing up, he brushed the dirt from his clothes and yawned. The room was almost completely black except for the soft glow from a lone candle that sat on a table next to the bed. He turned around and opened the door, immediately hit with the bright lights and loud atmosphere.  Do these people ever sleep? He thought to himself as he walked out into the light. Some drunk men were in the middle of a brawl in the center of the room, and everyone was watching. He was fairly certain he had never felt any more sordid in his life.

Sheila waved from the back and he made his way over to the both of them. He noticed several people staring but he ignored them, often having to push his way through them. He reached the two women and nodded a greeting to the thin blonde, who giggled yet again. On Téa’s face was a look of unease, and he turned his head to the direction of her line of sight; his eyes landing on D’arvan.

“What’s the matter?” He asked, looking back at her.

His words seemed to break her train of thought and she looked at him, a tad startled, “Hmm?”

“Everything alright?”

She paused, the replied, “Everything’s fine.”

Behind him he could hear Sheila give a little “hmph!”, but didn’t bother to ask about it. Inwardly he sighed. He had given up on trying to understand these people. Instead he just stood there and waited for his orders, prepared to take them regardless of his inexperience. But Téa said nothing, only stood and listened.

“Whatcha listenin’ for?” There was no mistaking Sheila’s impatient tone, but Téa put her finger to her lips.

“Shhh, bell chimes.”

Sure enough, the clock had begun to strike the half hour. Only thirty more minutes before the Duke and Duchess would arrive in Bast. D’arvan had noticed it too, as he rose from his seat and raised his hands in the air to quiet the room. He spoke radically as before, but Namian couldn’t miss the lack of excitement in his stance. Téa, he thought, What did you say now?

“The final run shall begin in thirty minutes,” D’arvan’s sophisticated voice was indeed a little flat. Namian glanced at Téa, giving her a look. She saw it and mouthed the words, “Not now.”

“Please take your positions but take care not to be seen,” D’arvan continued. The people filed out, talking excitedly. D’arvan waltzed over calmly to the three. He didn’t look at Téa but instead spoke to Namian,

“Good luck, Master Hayden. I hope working with Lady Téa won’t prove to be too maddening.” He threw her a disdainful look and left the room. Namian stared at Téa.

“What did you say to him?”

She threw on a cape and it billowed out behind her as she headed for the lair’s exit, “It doesn’t matter now. Sheila, find me a walking stick.” She opened the door and slammed it behind her, leaving Namian and Sheila behind in the room.

Sheila sighed and tied the belt that held her sword around her waist, murmuring, “If I find that walking stick I’m gonna beat her with it.”

“What did she say?” Namian inquired, putting on his own sword.

Sheila sighed nervously, “Well, let’s just say D’arvan called her Arleta one too many times.”

Oh for the love of…! Namian thought to himself as he put on his own cape and headed for the door. If Téa’s mission in life was to drive him insane, she wasn’t far from succeeding.

~*~*~

Dolt! Idiot! Simpleton! Téa called herself so many names, even swearing in her tribe’s language. Me and my stupid temper! Surly she wouldn’t get D’arvan’s help now, she had never spoken to him in such a way in her life. I suppose there’s a first time for everything.

She crouched behind some bushes by the road, about a quarter of a mile away from the town. The sun had disappeared completely and there was barely enough light to see. No carriage could be seen yet.

Hayden appeared by her side followed by Sheila, holding the walking stick. None of them spoke because no words were needed. Téa could see the other bandits including D’arvan hiding in the nearby trees. Their dark attire concealed them perfectly to the untrained eye.

Out of the corner of her right eye she noticed Hayden tying a dark blue handkerchief over his nose and mouth, then pulling the hood of his cape over his head.

“What are you doing?” She whispered.

He glanced her way, or she thought he did; it was hard to tell with that getup. He whispered back, “Just in case.”

“In case of what?”

“I don’t want to be recognized.”

She rolled her eyes, “You’re from Frell, Hayden. They’re from Anency, I doubt they’d recognize you.”

He shrugged, “Can’t be to careful.”

She was about to retort with an insult when they all could hear the sound of wheels on the road. Fifty three heads turned towards the source of the noise to find a large black carriage rolling up the road. It came complete with a driver, two white horses, and none other than the Lord and Lady Duke. The inside was brightly lit with lanterns.

They might as well hang a sign on the front that says, “Rob me”.

She signaled with her hand for Hayden to cross the road, which he did. Then she climbed up a nearby tree, on which a large branch hung conveniently over the road. Carrying the walking stick, she slowly inched her way onto the overhanging branch, waiting patiently for the carriage to get closer.

~*~*~

The carriage rolled along noisily, and Namian touched the back of his head to make sure his handkerchief was tied securely. If he had in fact been a nobleman, the Duke and Duchess probably wouldn’t have recognized him. But seeing as he was a prince, every noble was sure to identify his rank. Every noble from his own country, anyway.

The carriage was nearly underneath the branch from which Téa say, and he watched as she leaped onto the moving carriage and shoved off the driver, who fell to the ground with a thud. He could hear the duke saying, “Did you hear that?” Pulling out his sword, he ran over to the carriage that Téa was now reining to a stop.  Here goes….

~*~*~

Hurriedly jumping off the carriage, Téa ran to the fallen driver and put her dagger against his chest, “Follow me please.” He complied and she led him back to the carriage, just as Sheila and Hayden were catching up. Opening the stagecoach door, she shoved him inside. By this time the Duchess had started wailing.

“What is the meaning of this?!?” The Duke, a very weighty man with a handlebar mustache, bellowed. Téa gave them both a mock bow.

“My lord and lady, let me be the first to congratulate you. You are being robbed.” By the time she had finished her sentence Sheila had opened the other door in perfect timing and put her sword against the duchess’ throat. The fat woman wailed even louder, but then she got a good look at Téa’s hair and gasped.

“I…I’ve seen your picture in town! You’re the…the…Red Headed Bandit!”

At this point both Sheila and Téa burst into laughter.

“Is that the best they can do?” Téa managed to choke at mid laughter.

“What half-witted git thought that up?” Sheila laughed even harder now, almost forgetting to keep her sword up.

Choking back her laughter, Téa strode around to the back after Hayden took her spot with his sword drawn. That would keep the passengers still while she retrieved the loot. But just in case…

~*~*~

“I demand that you release us and return our possessions at once!” The Duke’s face was so red it reminded Namian of a beet. The Duchess wasn’t much better to tolerate, waving her chubby hand at her face like a fan. She was whimpering so loudly Namian wanted to cover his ears.

“We’re going to die! My things! We’re going to die! My things! We’re going to die!” He wished she would make up her mind on which was more important.

“Madam? Are you perchance in acquaintance with Dame Olga of Frell?” He couldn’t help it, the words just popped out.

The wails stop immediately, “Olga’s my sister! How? What?…”

Sheila looked at him with a puzzled expression, but he was to busy widening his and opening his mouth in amazement mixed with perplexity. Dame Olga’s sister? He was stealing from his mother’s step-aunt? Then he almost grinned, if he ever told his mother about this she’d probably die laughing.

“Really, that’s…umm…interesting.”  The Duchess looked as though she were about the throw a million questions at him, but he held up his hand to stop her.

Suddenly the driver, who had been silent all the while, flung himself head first into Namian’s stomach, reeling him backwards with an “Oof!”, Then he stood up and climbed into the driver’s seat, grabbing the reins while at the same time kicking off Namian who had taken hold of his foot. Namian fell on the seat of his pants an watched as the driver flicked the reins quickly.

But a crack was heard and the carriage didn’t move, only skidded slowly as the horses tried to pull. Namian watched as Téa jumped from the top of the carriage where she had been working to the seat next to the driver, striking the back of his head with the haft of her knife. Looking back at the passengers, Namian saw that Sheila had managed to keep the passengers in their seats, barely.  He stood up and looked at Téa, who was pushing the unconscious driver off the carriage. Then he heard her mutter to herself in a language he had never heard before,

“Tolo dan dinteast, “ she looked his way, switching to Kyrrian, “How did I know that was going to happen?” She shoved the driver off completely. He hit the dirt hard and she jumped down next to him.

“Why didn’t the carriage move?” Namian asked.

Téa spoke loudly so that Sheila could hear as well, “Told you that that walking stick would come in handy.”

Namian looked at the back of the carriage. Sure enough, Téa had wedged through the wheels, rendering them immobile.

“Help me,” Téa ordered. She had tied the driver’s hands behind his back and was attempting to drag him. Namian picked up both of his legs and together they shoved him back into the carriage. She then took his sword and pointed it at the Duke and his wife.

“If any of you try a stunt like that again, I’ll gut you myself!” She glared at them. They both cowered back as she handed the sword to back to Namian.

He whispered to her as she passed him, “You wouldn’t really, would you?”

“You kidding?” she flashed a grin, “I don’t know how to use a sword.”

~*~*~

Honestly! They were so predictable! Even their drivers practically spelled out in bright yellow letters what they would do. Trying to be heroes for their employers to get that extra gold KJ in their pay, or maybe even an extra day off.

Téa laughed to herself as she sawed away at the ropes on top of the stagecoach. They held tightly onto three large wooden chests and it took a lot of muscle to break the strands. She could hear the Lady Duchess whimpering below her and rolled her eyes. She knew their actions so well she could probably fake being a noble herself. Granted, Hayden’s sudden appearance in Sheree had caught her off guard. But they weren’t all duplicates of each other, there was always that one baby noble who was more spirited than the others.

Snap! The largest rope had broken off with some difficulty but then the little ones came off with extreme ease. Grinning to herself she opened one of the chests to reveal a large amount of jewelry and gold KJ’s. The next two chests revealed the couple’s clothes, and the last turned out to be personal items for travel. She knew that D’arvan would keep the money for himself, while the clothes and personal items would be split up among the guild. She signaled Hayden by whistling to him, and he looked up.

“Time to test your strength, help me take these down.”

~*~*~

It was pitch black in Frell by now, and Sir Russell had to light a lantern to see enough and keep his horse on the road. No one occupied the streets but there were lights on inside the buildings. The castle of King Jerrold could be seen up in the hills in front of him, it’s walls lit warmly from the lights of the menagerie. Oh, how he hated that place. The royal family visited often, and being the captain of the guards he was forced to come. The cheery animal keepers annoyed him enough but he despised the gnomes and elves that passed by him freely. He hated their ways, their lives, even those who worked in the castle he detested. They were such filthy beings. No matter, he would take care of that problem soon enough.

It took several minutes to get through the streets of the town and he finally arrived at the castle gates.

“Who goes there? State your business!” The tower guard called from high up above.

“I am Russell, the captain of the guards. And I mean to tan your hide if you do not open the gates immediately!”

The tower guard instantly rushed out of sight and it wasn’t long before the gates began to open. The castle courtyard was quiet and few servants could be seen. Torches on the wall gave off a soft glow but the starts could be seen shining brightly up above. A servant girl took the reins of his horse and he dismounted, taking off his gloves. Sir Bertram appeared at his side.

“Sir Russell, his highness Prince Charmont has requested an audience with you immediately,” Bertram’s frown remained on his face. Russell knew that the old knight didn’t like him, none of the prince’s closest knights liked him, but he didn’t care. He nodded to Bertram and walked towards the great hall. In the throne room sat the entire royal family. Charmont, his wife and the king and the queen stood in the center of the room. Charmont walked over to him.

“Sir Russell, you’ve no doubt heard of the disappearance of my son.”

“Yes sire, the unfortunate news overtook me on the road.”

“Then you also understand that I want all measurements taken to find him?”

“Yes of course, sire.”

Princess Ella spoke, “Is it a possibility that one of our enemies could have taken him?”

“No,” said King Jerrold, “no demands have been made for him, and our enemies have known better than to abduct a royal family member since, well, your kidnapping.” Then he coughed loudly so it shook the entire room, and Queen Daria put her hand on his arm.

“Darling, you need to rest. Are you sure you’re all right?”

King Jerrold nodded, then coughed some more. Charmont looked back at Russell.

“You were the last to see him, yes?”

Russell nodded.

“Namian would never deliberately run off alone, so we must keep abduction open as a possibility. I want all free knights to patrol the towns.”

“Yes sire.”

“I’ll tell Slannen in the elves forrest,” Princess Ella said, “the gnomes and the fairies shall know of this as well.”

Russell looked at her, “Beg your pardon, my lady. But how shall we tell the fairies of this? Don’t they keep their identities concealed?”

“The fairy Lucinda is a frequent guest and friend of ours, she will inform the rest of the fairies.” Russell nodded in understanding.

Suddenly King Jerrold fell to his knees, clutching his stomach and trying to steady himself with his free arm. Charmont and the princess ran to his aid.

“Father, what’s wrong?”

The old king looked up, “I feel light headed all of a sudden.”

Queen Daria pulled on his arm and with Charmont’s help were able to get him to his feet. Princess Ella took Charmont’s place helping Daria get the king to his chambers, and the prince walked back to him.

“I leave it to you to take the measures to find my son. If he is not safely home within the week I shall take my knights and find him myself.”

“Yes sire.” He bowed and the prince left, leaving him alone in the throne room.

Russell smiled to himself. He would no sooner run his blade through that little brat then return him home.

Oh yes, I shall bring him home. No guarantees he’ll be alive though, the captain thought to himself, smiling even wider. One of his spies had reported seeing the bothersome prince with the very red-headed girl who had stolen his documents. It couldn’t be any more perfect.

After removing the walking stick from between the wheels and making sure all of the three chests were on the ground, Téa smacked the horse’s hide and the pair of them went galloping off away from the town with the Duke (still red faced), the Duchess (still whining), and the driver (still unconscious) inside. The trio watched the carriage fade from sight before turning back to the lair. The bandits hiding in the woods had already returned, and Sheila leaped in giddy excitement,

“Woo-hoo! That was a lot more fun than guttin’! We should do this more often!”

Téa laughed as she dragged one of the chests with her, “Well, you can do a Run next time. Hayden and I are getting out of here.”  Sheila shrugged and grabbed the handle of the second trunk, leaving Hayden with the third. He just stood in the darkness.

Téa put her trunk down and turned to face him, only able to make out his outline as the moon was behind him, “Come now, Master Hayden. It wasn’t that bad was it?”

Hayden said nothing, simply picked up his trunk and hauled it passed her towards the lair. Téa called to his back,

“It wasn’t my fault, Hayden. I was quite prepared to let you watch while I did all the work!” She picked up her trunk and walked after him, “nobles are so typical! They have to do one little thing wrong and their lives are ruined.”

Hayden stopped and turned to face her, “A little thing? We just stole three trunks full of valuable possessions from people who had done nothing to deserve it.”

“Deserve it? Nobles as rich as they are can part with a few belongings…”

“So you can profit from it?” he interrupted,  “How can you think like that? I know you, you’re better than this.”

Her anger tried to take over, so she tightened her fist as she spoke, “You don’t know me at all! And if stealing a few gold KJ’s gets me closer to my family then so be it!” She walked off in a fury; not looking back and wishing her trunk were lighter so she could walk faster. Why did no one understand what she was trying to do?

They all made it to the alley, though it was hard to seem inconspicuous with the three of them dragging rather large wooden boxes that looked expensive into an alley entirely peopled with criminals. The alleyway was completely empty and Téa assumed that they were all inside waiting for them. She knocked on the lair’s door.

The sliding peephole opened and the guard peered through, “State your business.”

“It’s me and D’arvan is expecting us, open up.”

“First the password.”

“No! We’ve just come from the Run and D’arvan is expecting us. Let us in!”

“First the password.”

Téa gave an exasperated sigh but waved her hand, “Alright.”

The beefy guard stuck his arm out the hole and held up two fingers, “If this is five, then what is this?” He held up three fingers.

“Two. Open the bloody door!”

The door opened slowly and Téa dragged her trunk into the hallway, followed by Sheila and Hayden. She knocked on the second door and it opened. The bandits all cheered, though not as elatedly as before. The wooden chests were immediately taken from them when they reached the center of the room, and the bandits rooted through them. D’arvan stood motionless off to the side, arms crossed, saying nothing.

The trunk full of KJ’s was immediately taken to D’arvan’s private stash, and not one bandit touched it. The clothes were passed among the group, and they marveled that the duchess actually had some taste in clothes. The same with the duke, though Téa didn’t know who would be able to wear them since the couple were on the…large side.

The personal items were gone in a flash, even the trunks were taken. Téa turned to D’arvan and the room quieted to hear her,

“I’ve completed your two tasks, will you give us aid?”

D’arvan’s face screwed into a smirk, “No.”

“No?”

Now he grinned, “Did you happen to check the town’s clock on your way in?”

She looked at him with a puzzled expression, “Well, no. Why…oh, you can’t be serious!”

He drew a dagger that hung at his waist and the rest of the room drew their swords, “It was 9:05, Arleta.” Two men grabbed Hayden’s arms and dragged him to the center of the room. Though he struggled he could not get free of their grip. D’arvan ran his finger along the edge of the knife to tease her. She frantically grabbed his wrist.

“You can’t do this!”

He pulled away, “Oh, but I can.”

She tried one last time, “D’arvan! Please!”

But he snapped his fingers, signaling two men to grab her from behind. With all her might she could not pull free, and had to watch helplessly as D’arvan walked slowly towards Hayden, who to her surprise kept his mouth shut.

“Hold his head still.”

One of the burly men restraining him grabbed Hayden’s chin and forced his head to tilt to the side.

Téa pulled against her human manacles, “Then leave him alone, I’m the one you should do it to.”

D’arvan turned, amused, “You? I believe that’s the least self-centered thing I’ve ever heard you say.”

“Is this about our argument before the run? If it is, don’t take it out on him! He’s done nothing to deserve this!”

He just shrugged, “Too bad.” He then turned back to Hayden, who still kept silent. The knife was getting dangerously close now.

~*~*~

The razor-sharp edge broke skin, drawing blood, as if it were slicing through bread. He bit his inner lip to keep from crying out. D’arvan seemed to be taking his time, thoroughly enjoying it no doubt. Time slowed down painfully. Everything seemed to blur, including the laughter from the bandits that mixed with the awful sound of the knife on his skin.

Faster than the blink of an eye, Téa thrust her elbow into one of the men holding her arm. The man instantly let go to cradle the pain. She then punched the man to her right with her free arm, making him fall to the floor; but not before she grabbed his sword. Running up D’arvan (who had barely enough time to whirl around let alone stop her), she grabbed the knife from his hand. Namian felt warm blood run down his cheek, the searing pain giving him a headache.

Crossing the two blades to make scissors, Téa held them at D’arvan’s throat. All this had been done so quickly not he or the bandits had had time to react. The room was dead silent now.

“Keep the loot, but let us go.”

“Or what? You’ll decapitate me?”

She pressed the blades harder and brought her face close to his, “Maybe.”

He made a sort of snorted laugh, though he kept his head and neck still to keep from touching the knives, “I know you, Arleta. You don’t have the guts…never have.”

Her eyes narrowed and a smirk crept onto her face, “No one knows me, and if you call me that name one more time…” She drew a drop of blood and he flinched. The entire room wasn’t moving, even Namian had ignored his pain and watched. D’arvan seemed to be trying to keep his calm, but was failing miserably.

“You kill me and you’ll never make it out of here alive.”

“But you won’t let that happen, your life means too much to you.”

After a long moment, he seemed to force the words from his throat, “Alright! You can leave!”

“Do I have your word on that sir?”

He nodded vigorously, “On what is left of my honor.” Téa withdrew the swords and threw them to the ground, then grabbed Hayden’s arm and pulled him through the crowd to the door.

Outside of the lair the cold night air made the pain worse. The bright stars seemed like smudges with their pitch-black background. Namian’s headache worsened. He felt a cloth being shoved into his hand.

“Put that on your ear,” Téa ordered. He did so, even though it hurt something awful. She gently pulled the cloth away from his ear for a moment to examine it and put it back.

“He cut you deep,” She said, “but it will heal in time, you’ll have to live with a scar though.”

“Téa?”

“Yes?”

“Can we leave now?”

She nearly smiled, but stopped herself and nodded. The door from the lair burst open and Sheila ran out carrying a burlap sack, “Téa! Wait!”

“What?”

The tiny blonde handed the bag to Téa and looked at Namian, giving him an “oh-you-poor-baby” look. He smiled briefly, though with the pain in his head he really didn’t feel like it. Téa opened the bag and threw her a skeptical look. She pulled out a section of dark red silk that belonged to a dress.

“What am I supposed to do with this?”

Sheila shrugged, “It was one of the nicer ones and I snatched it before the others did.”

“Sheila, about three of me could fit into this.”

“So find a tailor. Besides, there’s other things in there besides the dress,” demonstrating this, she reached into the bag and pulled out food, spare pieces of cloth, and a map. Téa looked over the map carefully, then exclaimed,

“This has all the back passages labeled in Westova! Where did you get this?”

“From D’arvan’s chambers, the last time…” Sheila glanced at Namian briefly, “…I was with him.”

Téa hugged the little blonde with her free arm, “Thank you Sheila.”

Sheila let go and smiled, “I had better get back. D’arvan thinks I’m out here delivering his message.”

“Which was…?”

“ ‘Don’t come back.’ I do hope our paths cross again, Téa. I’m sorry these things turned out the way they did.”

“It’s okay,” replied Téa, giving her one last hug. Sheila embraced her tightly, then turned to Namian and gave him a full kiss on the lips. Startled, he just stared, watching her back as she walked back to the lair. Téa seemed amused.

“Well,” said Namian, “she’s certainly outgoing.”

“Indeed,” Téa smirked, “prostitutes are like that.”

~*~*~

The look on his face was priceless. He stood there holding the rag to his bloody ear, eyebrows up, eyes widening. She couldn’t help but smile.

“Oh.”

“Don’t act so surprised, she wasn’t batting her eyes at you for nothing.”

He sighed, “Can we leave yet?”

“Hold on,” she replied, spotting the dog from the inn wandering on the side of the road. Handing the bag to Hayden, she walked over to the furry mutt, who sat licking his leg.

“What are you doing?” Namian inquired.

His query replied, “I need to do one last thing before I leave this town.” She unclasped the innkeeper’s necklace that hung around her neck and attached it to the dog’s collar. Scratching its furry ears one last time, she turned it around and pushed it back towards the inn.

She walked back to Hayden, taking the bag, “Now we can leave.”