A Proper Young Thief: Chapter 22 :A Striking Resemblance

A Proper Young Thief

M.K.Barry

Chapter 22: A Striking Resemblance

There was something about that kid that bothered Tiller.

Not that he had don't anything. Well, no that wasn't true. He had done something. He had snuck in with Ella, came up through the well. That would be enough to warrant some questioning at least. But he hadn't really dont' anything after that. He had run out gotten a job making deliveries for an apothecary.

Nothing strange.

The strangest thing about the kid was that he looked so young, and was living in an inn. Tiller knew that a job as a simple delivery boy didn't make enough money for a kid to stay in an inn.

But he hadn't caught him, and the king didn't care about some brat, likely a runaway, who lives in an inn. For all Tiller knew, maybe he worked at the inn as well.

It wouldn't work to just go in and ask though. Though it couldn't really be proven, the inn was heavily involved with Ella's band of thieves. There just wasn't any proof on it. And everytime any guards went looking for her there, they found nothing. They didn't even go anymore. There was hardly a point. Their unsuccessful raids on the place just made the guards look like fools.

He had had more success. He had found out that the old armory had been Ella's hideout. Well, one of them anyway. But that hadn't been used since he had found her there that one time. Since she had escaped from him.

“Damnit” he swore under his breath. He looked around carefully to see if anyone had paid attention to him. He was on the street, following that kid again. Luk, he had heard him called. Maybe he would eventually lead him back to Ella.

I had her neck in my hands. I could have killed her, I was going to, and then all this damned stuff would be over. Without her, the others have no idea what they're doing. Now all I have is an empty armory, and that kid.

There was something that bothered him about the kid, and he couldn't figure out what it was.

Luk turned down a street, to pass by some food stalls. A normal thing. He quietly followed him, and saw that the whole street was crowded more than normal. The normal smells of mutton and cakes were there, of course, but he could smell new, strange and sweet smells that he didn't recogonize.

Sometimes, travellers came and sold new foods here. It was generally expensive, but worth a look. But he wasn't here to try new foods, he was here to find out more about that kid.

Maybe he could find Ella through him, but likely not. If he knew where she was, if he was important at all, he would be better protected, and wouldn't need to work as a delivery boy. He likely wouldn't bring him to Ella. But right now, he had no other leads, and that kid bothered him for some reason.

He watched the kid carefully, though he only stopped to look at a collection of baked treats at one stand. Tiller stopped at a stand a few paces away, and pretended to look at some smoked meat. The kid was talking and pointing at something on the table.

“Can I help you.”

Tiller glanced up and looked at the man minding the stall. He had a nasty, greasy look to him. His hair was thing and scraggly, and his eyes were tiny.

“No.” Tiller muttered, and talked away before he could shoot dirty looks at him. He could go ahead of the kid a little, and he wouldn't notice. He kid hadn't notice him at all since he had been following, so he wasn't too concerned.

The kind was passed some kind of fancy pastry, with berries in the dough, and a sweet icing drizzled over it. Coins passed hands, and he picked it up and held it before his face for a moment, admiring it before taking a bite. His eyes grew bright, a type of excitement overcame his features. The kind of childish joy over small, simple things that sometimes sticks around until well after a child has grown up.

Tiller tripped, and walked past the kid as quickly as possible, dashing through the alley.

He knew why the kid bothered him so much. He reminded him of Lissa.

He put his head down, pulled his cloak down, and left, making his way to his “home.” Every now and then, something or someone would remind him of Lissa. A toy she might have liked. A game she might have played, or something she might have said to someone. But that, that look that the kid had had on his eyes, his features...

“Even his coloration.” Tiller muttered, “He looked just like her.”

But Lissa was dead. Lissa was likley a murdered, overcome by the powers of something he had hidden with her years ago. Dead because he had to leave her alone. Dead because he had wanted something. Dead because he, a thief, had wanted to do something worthwild.”

She was dead, and it was all his fault. He couldn't even have the pendent anymore. Even if he did do as the king wanted him to, he had nothing left. No family, no clan, no pendent. Nothing. Not even a damned legacy.

Ella was a better thief, a better leader than he ever had been. He had been no kind of husband, no kind of father.

He ducked into an ally, leaned back against a brick wall, tilted his head back, and rested his hand over his eyes. He had to calm down, he couldn't break now, and bring attention to himself. He couldn't just well in self pity, he couldn't even mourn properly for his daughter.

He wasn't allowed to. There was work to be done.

I'll never be able to. He though, I'll never know where she's buried. She's a murderer. She's buried in some shallow, unmarked grave somewhere. In a few years they might plant potatoes over her body.

He took a long, deep breath, and went back out into the street, hurrying home.