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“Going out tonight?” Johan asked.
“Duh, do you have to ask? I go out every night.” Kiera chuckled.
“Okay, well be careful, I hear there is some kind of security team on the west side of town.”
“I’ll be careful, don’t worry.” Kiera walked out the door and into the night. Ever since the taxes were raised, Kiera and Johan haven’t been able to get a job. Johan was retired and Kiera was too young to be hired at the time. Now because of their mysterious reputation of getting money without a job, no one would hire Kiera. So Kiera learned to be a thief and get money without a job.
“I wonder what the deal is with the security,” Kiera thought, “Well a little peek can’t hurt.” She jumped from house to house without making a sound. She had to be careful on a full moon like tonight; the extra light might give her away, but it also casts great shadows.
She sat like a gargoyle on the corner of a building a block away from the house, “Guards? Why would there be gua--” her eyes grew wide, ”those are palace guards, what are they doing here?” Palace guards came weekly to gather the taxes. Once, when Kiera was a little girl, no older than seven, they ransacked their house looking for gold that they didn’t have to pay the taxes. They took one of Johan’s special daggers that night, one that he had gotten from his uncle the night he died. “Shouldn’t they be guarding the high n’ mighty Prince Saeran,” she shook her head, wiping away the terrible memory. “I’m better off stealing from townspeople than messing around here,” she whispered to herself. “Oh, what’s this? Someone walking all alone in the middle of the night? Ooh silk, better get this one.” she murmured, rather maniacally as she swooped down behind the man.
“Give me all your gold and your fancy silk overcoat and I won’t have to kill you,” she whispered fiercely into his ear with her dagger up to his throat. Time seemed to freeze as she stood there waiting for the man to say something.
“W-wait, p-please, please don’t kill me. I’m f-from the king’s palace, I-I am the royal messenger,” he struggled to find the words in his throat.
“All the more reason to, the king stripped me of my rights to get a job.”
“T-that’s what I’m in town for, you’d be perfect for a special job,” he stammered, quite relieved he thought of it in time.
“Let me get one thing clear, this blade has the blood stains of hundreds of townspeople, I’m not a girl you want to mess with,” she whispered yet lowering her dagger slightly.
“N-no really, the king needs someone strong to take his son to the city of Tybard.”
“I’m not going to say it again, I don’t work for nobles!” She paused for what seemed like an eternity. “Even if I did, what would be in it for me?” she asked, not showing any sign of wanting to.
“W-well, uh, heh heh,” he stammered, forcing a laugh, “10,000 gold and a-all your rights to employment back, o-of course. I’ll be at Saeran’s house until sundown t-three days from now, I’m sure you can guess which one that is.”
“I never said I wanted to do it!” Kiera tighten her grip on her dagger again. “And I still want that fancy overcoat.”
“Fine, fine, take it, small price to pay for my li-”
“And 20 gold coins,” Kiera cut him off.
“Fine,” he sighed, “I should probably stop talking.”
“No no keep talking, be my guest” she smiled wickedly. The man dropped his overcoat and 20 gold coins to the ground, “Now walk back to your fancy noble home and don’t look back.” The man didn't walk, he ran for his life, and rightfully so. Who would be dumb enough to wear such fancy clothes in the dead of night?
“So Johan.” Birds were chirping in the late hours of the morning, light seeping through the windows. ”I met the royal messenger last night.”
“Oh? And what did he have to say?” Johan asked as he pulled on his stylish new overcoat.
“He said the king needs someone strong to escort his son, Prince Saeran, to Tybard. Do you think I should do it, Johan?”
“Well I guess it kinda depends on what they offer you.”
Kiera finished her bowl of stew and put it on the counter. “The messenger said 10,000 gold coins and full rights to get a job.”
“Hey, what about this old man?!” he smiled.
“If I go I’ll make sure they get you a job, too, don’t worry” she smiled back.
“That is a pretty good offer though, maybe you should do it. Just make sure you have a good threat prepared.” he chuckled though she knew he meant it.
“Don’t worry, I’ve already got something in mind.” she murmered more to herself than Johan.
“Saeran Sir, is everything set?” Ardehn, the royal messenger, asked.
“For the tenth time, yes I have everything” Saeran grunted, very annoyed at this point. “Everything but my bodyguard, I thought you said this strong person would be here.”
“Yes, yes, she will be here.”
"Ok...wait, hold on a minute, did you just say 'she'? I can't be guarded by a girl, i-i-it's bad for the royal family name!"
"Why are you so worried, she is the strongest person I could find. Trust me, you'll be safe." He paused then figured out that safety wasn't the only thing on his mind. "Ok, what are you really thinking?"
Saeran sighed, "I get really nervous around girls, I don't know why, I just do."
"The only reason you will be nervous around this girl is because she is down right scary, she almost killed me when I found her."
"That still doesn't change the fact that she is a girl and I will be alone with her for weeks maybe a month."
"I know you better than that, you'll be fine."
"Ok you're right, I can do thi-"
The front door was thrown open, “I’ll do it!”
 Ember1257 · Sat Oct 11, 2008 @ 09:02pm · 5 Comments |
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