A Proper Young Thief: Prologue

A Proper Young Thief

M.K.Barry

Prologue: A Thief in the Night

At the edge of the village there was a small house. In the darkness of the late fall night the house seemed to stand as a beacon of comfort. It's windows were filled with firelight, and the smell of simmering soup drifted in the air, providing comfort to anyone wandering out in the woods so late late at night. The house was easy for the small band of travellers, dressed in tattered and torn black cloaks, to find as they stumbled out of the forest.

“This isn't wise.” A woman said. She was the only woman in the group

“Probably not,“ Said the man leading them, “but will you deny me this?”

“...You know I couldn't. I'm just saying it's dangerous.”

“Anything is dangerous right now,” he said, “Face it, we might get caught soon no matter what we do. We don't have much time.”

Another man nearby gave her a nudge with an ivory hand. He lost the real one to royal guards years ago, “Let him have this, “He said, “We all know he stands to lose more in all this than the rest of us do.”

The woman sighed, pulled her cloak closer around herself, and followed the men to the house. They avoided the glowing windows, and made their way silently to the door. The man in the front pulled down his hood, his short black hair glittered in the moonlight like a raven's wing, his dark brown eyes seemed even darker than normal, the pupils were so large. He stood at the door for a moment, took a deep breath, and threw the door open.

There were two people at the fire. There was a thin woman sitting in a chair, sewing what looked like a small dress. Across from her, sitting on the floor, her legs folded up under her was a small girl with long black hair that glittered in the firelight, She was sewing together scraps of cloth for a small doll. They both looked up, startled from their work as the crowd of people walked in through their front door.

The little girl let out a gasp and jumped up, “Daddy!” she cried. She ran forward and threw herself into the man's arms.

“Hello my little Lissa.” He said. He picked her up and held her before him, hiding a grimace of pain as he did. “Well, you don't look any older,“ He said. “Are you sure it's your birthday?”

The little girl giggled, “No daddy, tomorrow's my birthday!”

“Right! And you're going to be... Three?”

The little girl giggled, “No!”

“Four?”

“I'm going to be seven, and look!” she pointed to her mouth, “I have a loose tooth.”

“Oh wow, another? Didn't you have one last time I saw you?” He smiled and gazed at her, “Seven whole years gone!” He smiled and hugged her tightly. “My, how the years have passed.”

“Maybe they would pass slower if you were here more.” The woman said. The man looked over his daughter's head at his wife. He set Lissa down and looked at the other woman behind him.

“Come here, Lissa.” the woman said, “Say hi to Auntie Ella.”

Lissa giggled and ran over to the woman and started showing her the doll she made.

“I guess your friends are hungry, right Tiller?”

The man was about to say that no, they were fine, but the looks of hunger in his men's eyes were hard to miss. They hadn't eaten since breakfast... Breakfast the day before.

“We're.. a little hungry.” He said. He sniffed the air, “You were expecting us?”

“I had a feeling you might show up.” she said. She walked up to him and kissed him gently before whispering, “You've never missed her birthday.”

After a brief amount of fussing, a small collection of wooden bowls were found, and soup shared out among the men, who dove into the food, stopping only for breath and the odd praise.

“Delicious, as usual. “

“Mara's food is always the best.”

“I”ve eaten all over this kingdom, and out. Best food anywhere.”

Lissa brought her doll over to her father and tried to show him how she had embroidered the crooked green eyes onto it's face all by herself, when her mother started to pull her away from the table.

“You can show him in the morning sweetie. I think it's time for bed now.“

“Just a sec, Mara.”
“You want to spoil her while you're here, Tiller, I know, but-”

“No... No it's not that.” he quickly stuffed a piece of bread into his mouth and turned around in his chair. “Lissa, come here.”

Lissa smiled and pulled away from her mother, running into her father arms. Tiller pulled her up into his lap and smiled at her.

“Now.. You're mother is right, it's very late, and you should be in bed.”

“I know.”

“And you should always listen to your mother, right?”

Lissa sighed and played with the wool hair of her doll, “Yes father.”

“And I know it's hard to sleep. Tomorrow's your birthday, and you're going to be seven. You must be very excited.”

Lissa nodded, smiling as she did.

“So... If you'll go to bed and go right to sleep, I'll give you your present early, ok?”

Lissa gasped and looked up, smiling broadly at her father. Tiller couldn't help but smile, and neither could the rest of his group. It had been so long since any of them had seen a smile like that. A smile without any malice.

“I'll go right to bed and sleep all night!” she said.

“Ok... I'll give this to you now.” He reached into the folds of his cloak which he had hung off the back of his chair, and brought up a strange looking coin with a single red gem in the center. A small, needle-sized hole was in the top, through which a fine chain was strung.

“Tiller!” the woman cried.

“Now Lissa,” Tiller said, holding her still and looking her in the eyes, all jest gone from his face, “If I give this to you as your present, I need you to promise that you'll take very good care of it. I need you to promise that you'll wear it always, and never show anyone. Can you do that?”

The smile dropped from Lissa's face at her father's unnatural seriousness, but she looked up at her father and nodded.

“Good.” He said, “I know you'll take good care of it.” He gave Lissa one more long hug, holding her tightly. Her mother looked on for a moment before interrupting.

“It's time for bed,” She said.

Lissa nodded and gave her father one last squeeze before slipping off his lap and going towards her mother.

There was a sudden knock at the door.

Tiller's men all set their bowls down, and stared at the door. Tiller himself stood up and reached for the hilt of a sword at his side.

The door flew open as someone kicked on it. Five men in armor rushed into the room, swords drawn. Tiller drew his weapon, the others jumped up and drew an array of swords and daggers. Lissa screamed and hid behind her mother who kneeled down and wrapped her arms around her daughter, pulling her into her chest.

One man walked in after the others, his sword undrawn. He was taller than the others, and dressed in black clothes, and wore a dark breastplate. He had a hard, angular face, clean of stubble, and a long, pink scar running across his mouth, cutting it in half “Now now, Shadowthief.” he said, “Surly you don't want violence among womenfolk.”

Tiller held his sword steady before him, “I do what I have to do, General Adams, and you ought to know that.”

“Daddy!” Lissa cried out. She tried to pull herself from her mother's arms, but her mother held her close.”

The guard chuckled, “'Daddy'? That little brat is yours?” he turned to his men, “Lookit that, looks like the great Shadowthief has a family.”

“I swear, any of you lay a finger on them, and-”

“And what? You'll kill us all? We have five men in here, and another ten outside. Really, you were rushing so much you failed miserably to hide your tracks. You think you'll win?” He gestured to Mara and Lissa, “You think they'll manage to escape?”

“They're innocent.”

“Perhaps, but I can't guarantee that a sword won't slip if you try to fight us.”

Tiller and his men stood still, the men looked at the guards. Ella glanced out the window, and nibbled on her lower lip before saying in a hushed voice to Tiller, “Archers and guards. I can see three outside the window. They'll open fire.”

“Come now Shadowthief. Are you going to risk the life of such an adorable young girl, such a lovely wife just to try to escape from us with your little family of thieves?” He paused a moment, then grinning, said, “Or are you going to cooperate.”

Tiller looked to the guards, to Lissa, and started to sheath his sword.

“You'll give me the sword.” the guard said. He looked to the others, “all of you.”

Tiller frowned, but tossed his sword to the ground before the guard's feet. The other bandits followed suit. The guard nodded to his men. Two collected the weapons. Two others took rope and went towards Tiller, grabbed him, pushed him against the wall and started to tie his hands.

Lissa broke free from her mother, flew at the men and bit at the leg of one. He howled and kicked at her knocking her to the floor. A baby tooth fell out of her mouth, and blood dripped to the floor. She pulled herself up, sat on the floor and wailed.

Two guards ran forward, grabbed her, grabbed her mother, and threw them both into the bedroom off the kitchen. Lissa's mother beat at the door, pulled on the handle, but they had propped something up against the door. She ran to the window, but an archer was there, and arrow ready in a tensed bow. She fell to the floor beneath the window, pulled Lissa close to her, and held her daughter in her arms until they heard the men finally leave their house.

- M.K.Barry

Chapter 1: The Little Thiefling >>