ã€ŠThe Far Edge of Fateã€‹


 Prologue

    Like a sudden crash of thunder, the baby¡¯s cries split the otherwise still and silent air. A few of the people in the nearby buildings stuck their heads outside in annoyance, only to see a nondescript wooden box seemingly filled with cloth. It seemed to be the source of the noise.

    Many of the gazes now tempered by pity retreated back inside, closing their doors and shutters in an attempt to drown out the worst of the wailing. No one, not even the night shift of thieves who kept an eye out for inebriated targets had noticed when the box was placed there. But the area was certainly aware of its presence now.

    An abandoned child in the slums was nothing new. The people here barely managed to eke out a living for themselves, let alone a stable family. They pitied the child who had done nothing to deserve its cruel fate, but they would not go so far as to spend their own limited resources saving it.

    As the night wore on, the cries died down, though without checking, no one could be sure whether the infant was dead or sleeping. And no one cared enough to look.

    The question was answered as the sun broke the ridges of the buildings, bathing the box in its unforgiving heat and light. The baby awoke, letting out unhappy shrieks once more into the apathetic surroundings. With the day¡¯s traffic, the passerby each glanced at the box before continuing on their way down the street between the shabbily built wooden housing. Once in a while, someone would break off from the flow topause as if in contemplation, then shrug and return to the steam.

    Once again, the cries subsided, much to the relief of those surrounding the area. Night fell.

    Two pairs of boots paused beside the box.

    ¡°Is it dead?¡± One man asked the other, staring skeptically at the bundle inside.

    ¡°What¡¯s it matter? Alive or dead, it don¡¯t need th¡¯ box. That¡¯s quality wood, that is.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯ like it. Takin¡¯ from th¡¯ dead¡¯s bad luck, and takin¡¯ from a child ain¡¯t much better.¡±

    ¡°Put yer superstitions aside, idiot. We¡¯s already livin¡¯ a cursed life.¡± He reached inside and gathered the cloth together with the infant and placed it unceremoniously on the ground next to the box. The movement immediately set the child off again. ¡°Shuddup afore I skin ya!¡± he glared at the bundle threateningly.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°Come on, Jarl, let¡¯s get outta here,¡± the other man said nervously.

    ¡°Alrigh¡¯, alrigh¡¯. I take no pleasure in killin¡¯ babes neither, an¡¯ it¡¯ll be dead on its own soon ¡®nuff.¡± The man called Jarl picked up the box. Glancing inside, his eyes were caught by a small sheaf of paper. He pulled it out, stared at the writing, then tossed it aside. ¡°Can¡¯ read it. Le¡¯ss go.¡±

    Hesitating for a moment, the other man picked up the fallen scrap and tucked it into the cloths surrounding the child. He put his hands together in prayer over the infant before scurrying off after Jarl.

    For the next two days, the child continue to cry out, its cries not seeming to weaken in the least. At one point, irritation with the child had hit a high point with several of the nearby residents contemplating spilling innocent blood to regain the peace, but the moment had passed. Now, they had come to accept the child¡¯s noise as part of the background. None of them believed it could keep up this strength for too much longer.

    At night, two new pairs of boots paused in front of the child who was once again in a screaming pattern.

    ¡°This¡¯s the legendary caterwaulin¡¯ creature, huh?¡± One of the men asked over the noise.

    ¡°Yessir. Hasn¡¯ died or weakened, far as anyone can tell.¡±

    ¡°Hah. I like it. It wants ta fight tha world, let¡¯s give it a fightin¡¯ chance.¡±

    He bent down and gathered the noisy bundle, cradling it in one muscular arm against himself. His warm, brown eyes looked fondly upon the little fighter. The paper that the previous thief had tucked in slipped out with the movement, but the new man deftly caught it in his free hand. One look at it caused him to shake his head. He could make no more out of it than the previous man. Still, he figured it belonged to the babe, so he might as well bring them together.

    ¡°Alrigh¡¯, little one. Let¡¯s get ya to yer new home.¡±

    As if sensing that it was now safe, the child ceased its cries momentarily and opened its eyes, startling the man. The eyes, one pale blue and the other silver, seemed to stare through him for a moment before they closed again, giving way to another streak of screams and tears.

    ¡°Geez, I know I don¡¯ have th¡¯ nicest mug in th¡¯ world, but I am savin¡¯ ya an¡¯ all. Ya could show a little gratitude. Who¡¯m I kiddin¡¯, yer a wee babe.¡±

    The other man stood by, watching his boss, the head of the crime base in this city, incredulously. If anyone could see him crooning to a newborn, they would never believe he had the strength to maintain his control here. Still, the man knew better than to question his boss on the advisability of picking up what would certainly become an uncontrollable weak point in the future. Questioning was a good way to end up dead.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Silver here¡¯s gonna need some care.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the other replied, falling into step behind his boss.

 Chapter 1

    Fifteen years later.

    ¡°Can¡¯t we train with somethin¡¯ differen¡¯ fer once? I¡¯m tired of usin¡¯ the same weapons all the time. A sword?¡± Silver pleaded, flopping down onto her back.

    ¡°Spoiled brat, tha¡¯s what ye¡¯ve become. Disrespectin¡¯ the noble tools of the thief trade,¡± the muscular man opposite her complained, the amusement in his eyes taking out any serious edge the comment had. His dark skin glistened with sweat, though not nearly as much as the lightly tanned skin of his adoptee.

    ¡°Daggers ¡®n¡¯ knives aren¡¯ a thief¡¯s tools. Thieves aren¡¯ supposed ta fight. These¡¯re more like assassin tools,¡± she quickly reposted, brushing some of her short-cropped dark golden hair out of her face.

    Rath, the dark-skinned man, grinned. He flicked a throwing knife her way, guiding it to bury itself in the wood next to her head. She didn¡¯t even flinch. ¡°Go ask a noble ta teach ya to use a sword if ya wan¡¯.¡±

    Silver snorted and pushed herself back to her feet in one fluid motion. She pulled the knife out of the wood, looked at it, then stored it away in the small pouch of miscellaneous items she kept on her hip.

    Rath shrugged and put the remainder of his weapons away. ¡°Yer workin¡¯ today, I take it.¡±

    She nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a good day. Tax collectors¡¯re out.¡±

    ¡°Jus¡¯ remember, if ye get caught, I dunno who ye are.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, no honor among thieves. Or other criminals.¡± The young girl rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna ferget anytime soon.¡±

    ¡°Good girl. Have fun, then.¡±

    Again, Silver nodded, stopping on her way out only to wash her face in their washbasin. That done, she hurried outside.

    It was still early in the day, but the stalls were already in full swing. The slums didn¡¯t have as wide a variety of selection as the main area, given that they rarely, if ever, saw tourists. And most of the residents rarely had money to afford anything but the necessities. Still, that didn¡¯t mean the spirits of the people were suppressed.

    ¡°Mornin¡¯, Silver. Headin¡¯ out ta work already?¡± one of the shopkeepers asked, flashing a smile at the girl.

    ¡°Yes¡¯m.¡± She paused briefly to reply to the greeting. ¡°It¡¯s best ta start early on days like today.¡± Hesitating a brief moment longer, she added, ¡°Take care today.¡± A note of concern colored her voice.

    ¡°Don¡¯ worry, don¡¯ worry,¡± the woman laughed, waving her concern off. ¡°We¡¯ve all been through this since we were babes. But here,¡± she picked up a small roll and tossed it to the girl, ¡°take this fer yer trouble.¡±

    Silver received the roll with a quick grin. ¡°Thank ye kindly,¡± she said before biting down and taking off with a wave.

    Many others called out to her as she went, but she didn¡¯t stop again. Instead, she returned each greeting with a wave or a smile as she continued on toward the central area of the city.

    There was no gradual shift from the slums to the common area. There were no walls delineating where one section of the city stopped and another began, only the one that encircled the city. No one needed to be told, not anymore. Enough guards patrolled the shopping districts to prevent the unwary tourist from traveling into the more ¡°unsavory¡± parts of the city, if the open space of no man¡¯s land wasn¡¯t enough to tip them off.

    Before entering the open area between the two districts, Silver slipped down a side alley to approach from somewhere other than the main road. While she wouldn¡¯t stand out against the colorful crowd the capital¡¯s shopping district drew from various areas around the continent, she did stand out from the typical, dark-skinned dark-haired residents of the southern country. Coming from the slums would be nothing short of suspicious to any of the guards who saw her.

    Double-checking that her clothes would be presentable for the masses of society, she inhaled, allowing energy to circle through her body, strengthening it. Maintaining her focus, she pushed hard against the ground, sprinting forward at a breakneck speed. For anyone not looking for her or without a detection barrier up, they would have a hard time spotting her small form. And since no one other than her knew about her ability, no one would be looking for her.

    After reaching the common area, she slowed, slipping into the shadows between two buildings to readjust her hair and clothes as she let the energy slip out from her body. Plastering a bright smile to her face, Silver stepped out into the sunlight and broke into a carefree skip down the road. Though she was, she thought, approaching sixteen years of age, she looked indistinguishable from an eight year-old. It was a weapon of which she didn¡¯t hesitate to take advantage.

    Unlike the slums, the buildings here were neither ramshackle nor were they built entirely from wood. They were a mix of stone and wood, though mostly stone. Wood was not commonly found in the south as there were no forests. But it was easier to manage than stone if you didn¡¯t have a mage on hand to help shape it. The scarcity of wood only added to the dilapidated style of the slums as each structure had been built and maintained over the centuries largely by scraps accumulated from items used to transport merchants¡¯ goods.

    Silver¡¯s smile grew icy for a moment as her eyes sweeping the area caught a glimpse of the towering spires of the castle in the middle of the city. It stood proudly, deep black even in the sunlight. The first time she¡¯d seen it, she¡¯d thought it was a tantalizing target to any would-be attackers. That is, of course, until Rath told her that it was protected by an invisible barrier powered by countless magical artifacts at any given time.

    Then, the moment was gone, leaving her usual warm and innocent expression in place. If anyone had seen the slip, they would have doubted their eyes. She followed her path to the stall she had in mind, dodging around those in the area. As one would assume of a capital city''s market, races represented here ranged all the way from the red-skinned humanoid Skaath who lived deep in the earth to the northern beast tribes. While Silver understood how the lizard tribes could stand the heat and preferred the heat herself, imagining the furred tribes under the southern sun made her shudder.

    Finally, her destination came into sight. A quick survey of the area gave her her first target. Male on the heavier side. Clothing fairly high-quality. The insignia embroidered on his chest marked him as a member of one of the bigger trading companies in the area. The man talking to him as he walked seemed to be more of a friend than a guard, and she felt no sense of danger coming from either of them. Nodding to herself, she altered her trajectory slightly to allow her to pass by them.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    Not one thing about her changed. Not her breathing, her heart rate, nor her pace. She was, for all intents and purposes, a carefree youth enjoying her time in the big city. As she passed her mark, he perhaps felt a small breeze, but nothing else. Both parties continued on their way without so much as a glance at one another, the man too engrossed in his conversation to immediately notice the sudden lack of weight. Silver reached into the pouch she had taken and pulled out eight silver coins and twenty copper from their feel, slipping them into her personal pouch. From her exploration of the stolen money, she could tell that there were three gold coins mixed in with the rest of the silver and copper she hadn¡¯t removed. Her grin widened.

    ¡°Good morning, mister!¡± she greeted the stall keeper cheerily, jumping up to sit on a part of the counter that was open.

    The man, a ram tribesman beast halfling with curling horns set aside a fluffy white sprouting of hair, peered at her with his unsettling eyes before smiling. ¡°Ah, if it isn¡¯t little Sylvia. You¡¯ve made it back to the city again.¡±

    ¡°Yep! Mam and Pap went ta trade, so I¡¯m free,¡± she replied, swinging her legs back and forth.

    The sheep-man chuckled fondly. ¡°I take it you¡¯ll want the usual, then?¡±

    Silver nodded solemnly before leaning in conspiratorially, looking around as though afraid her imagined parents would overhear. ¡°Someone has to take care of them, you know.¡±

    ¡°Ah, lass. I hope when my wife and I take in a child, he or she is half as considerate as you.¡± Already, his hands were moving, pulling out a number of mixed herbs in cloth pouches. He placed them on the table next to her while she took out her personal money pouch. ¡°Five silvers for the lot.¡±

    Silver looked at him with a pout. ¡°They cost more than that!¡± she said accusingly.

    ¡°We had a good harvest, so the prices are lower this time,¡± the man continued smiling as he put his hands up in his defense. ¡°Wife¡¯s orders.¡±

    Still affecting a pout, the girl pushed the five coins across the table. ¡°I always save up, you know.¡±

    ¡°Yes, well you should also be able to buy things like sweets, and-¡±

    ¡°THIEF!¡± an enraged voice rose above the crowd, drawing many a head. Most of the people present subconsciously touched the places they held their coins to make sure they were still there.

    When Silver caught sight of the one yelling, she saw it was her mark having finally noticed. With an internal, remorseless shrug, she deemed his loss as his fault since he had chosen not to pay attention to his surroundings. She hadn¡¯t even replaced his pouch with something else, since some skilled mages could find traces of a person on an item and track it back. Only thieves who went after smaller marks bothered with tricks like that. She wasn¡¯t one of them.

    The man pushed his way through the crowd, looking for anyone running away. Finding no one, he slammed his foot angrily into the ground before his friend tugged him away, looking uncomfortable at the attention they were receiving.

    The stall keeper looked around uneasily. ¡°You be careful too, little Sylvia. Keep an eye on your money. Or don¡¯t. I hear that¡¯s how they find it.¡±

    Silver nodded obediently. ¡°I¡¯ll be careful, mister. Thank you for the herbs!¡±

    She hopped off the counter, brushing her skirt so that it would fall back into proper position. With a cheerful wave, she darted back into the crowd. Now that the kind enraged merchant had done his second job, she had a few additional marks in mind.

    -------------

    Silver had a successful morning. Tax days always resulted in an increased presence of guards which afforded the masses a false sense of security. To any pickpocket worth their salt, it was a festival. She, personally, liked to think of it as a reclamation of funds for the excess taxes to which the poor were subjected.

    Under the shade of a small umbrella plunged into the ground and sealed with magic, she sipped from a cool cup of sweetened juice. It was light and tangy, a local specialty extracted from a flower in the area. From her spot, she watched the crowd curiously rather than with a critical eye now. She saw a group of tax collectors moving from stall to stall and shop to shop, two knights and a mage. Everyone who greeted them bowed or curtsied in respect and perhaps a little fear. Still, the difference in reception here and in the slums was obvious.

    Continuing to allow her gaze to wander, she saw another youth across the way, leaning against a corner. He seemed to be eyeing the guards as she had before, but he didn¡¯t move. No one in their right mind would try to steal from the tax collectors, plump though the reward would be. Not even Silver dared to try her luck there. Unlike the usual marks, they were fully alert and skilled. Well, she amended her thought, perhaps not fully alert. Even they knew that only a fool would try it which allowed them to lower their guard somewhat.

    The boy noticed her attention and locked eyes, glowering at her. She responded with a warm smile. Breaking his eyes away, he made a gesture for her to follow him and disappeared down the alley. Silver debated for a moment whether or not to follow. Of course, she knew who he was. He was another high-level pickpocket who worked in the general markets. Even if she ignored him now, he would certainly come find her later. Still, it was with a somewhat regretful sigh that she got back to her feet and returned the cup to the stall, receiving back the ten copper coins she had given as insurance for its return. She then slipped through the people and disappeared down the same alleyway.

    He waited in a gap between the store that faced the street and what she guessed was a storage building. ¡°Zeik,¡± she nodded with a mischievous smile.

    ¡°Cut the act, Silver. What¡¯re ya doin¡¯, musclin¡¯ in on my place?¡± he demanded aggressively.

    ¡°Why Zeik, I dunno what¡¯churr talkin¡¯ about,¡± she replied, putting a hand over her heart and affecting surprise.

    Zeik ground his teeth. ¡°This¡¯s my area. Get out. Jus¡¯ ¡®cause Rath picked ye up doesn¡¯ mean ya can do what¡¯cha wan¡¯.¡±

    Silver dropped her manner in an instant and rolled her eyes, leaning back to lounge against the wall with her arms crossed. ¡°We both know Rath wouldn¡¯ lift a finger ta help me if I made a mess. Look, I wasn¡¯ takin¡¯ marks in yer area. I was on a break and happen to like tha juice here.¡±

    The boy continued to eye her suspiciously. Then, he relaxed with a sigh. ¡°Sorry, Silver. I know ya wouldn¡¯ break code like that. It¡¯s jus¡¯, today hasn¡¯ been goin¡¯ too good. Fer some reason, everyone up ¡®ere has their guard up.¡±

    She tilted her head. ¡°Huh, really? My area was normal today.¡±

    ¡°Not jus¡¯ that, four of my marks had a tracker coin inside their purse. I had ta waste four dechanters on ¡®em. Probably spent more¡®n I earned.¡±

    That sent Silver¡¯s eyebrows up. ¡°A tracker coin? Who wants ta waste that on a pickpocket?¡±

    ¡°I dunno. Maybe they¡¯ve cottoned on to the rise during tax collection.¡±

    ¡°But then why was my area fine¡­?¡± she furrowed her brow.

    Her gaze fell upon the ring on her finger. It didn¡¯t look like much, but it was her most expensive possession. All of the pickpockets and thieves who went after bigger targets had them. They detected any low- to mid-tier tracking spells placed on an object. Or so she was told. She had never personally encountered one of the spells. She didn¡¯t even know if the thing worked.

    ¡°Hey, d¡¯you mind wavin¡¯ yer ring across me?¡± Silver finally asked.

    Zeik hesitated, then acquiesced. ¡°Nothin¡¯,¡± he announced at the end, perhaps a little grumpily. She didn¡¯t blame him.

    ¡°Here,¡± she handed over two of the dechanters she kept on her. They looked similar to copper coins and anyone who didn¡¯t know what to look for would probably assume they were. To anyone who regularly handled money, however, the feeling would give it away in an instant. ¡°Payment fer checkin¡¯.¡±

    Again, there was a brief moment of hesitation before he accepted them with a shrug. Pride was an expensive commodity few could afford in their life. ¡°Thanks. I think I¡¯ll give it one las¡¯ shot afore I give it up as a bad job.¡±

    Silver nodded. ¡°Good luck. I¡¯m gonna check in with the others. See if they¡¯ve noticed anythin¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Good luck to ya too.¡±

    With another nod, Silver waited while Zeik went first, counted to thirty, then made her way out and went in search of the other areas.

 Chapter 2

    Eleven. Of the fourteen high-leveled pickpockets working in the general market, eleven of them had had to deal with at least one tracking coin. One of the three lucky ones was Silver, while the other two thanked her for the warning. Everyone was feeling a bit put out by the strategy, but no one was willing to give up just yet.

    Silver returned to her own area and decided to make one or two more hits before heading back. She didn¡¯t want to push her luck too much, especially after having given two of her dechanters away. Thankfully, both marks passed without incident.

    Making one last stop in the general market, Silver bought a bag of hard candies and two sticks of meat marinated in a sweet and spicy sauce. These the shopkeeper placed in a magically-sealed container that kept them warm until opened. The girl took the products with a smile and dashed off, habitually checking to make sure no one was following her. When she was certain no one was, she dodged into an alleyway and made her way back the way she had come.

    Silver kept an eye out for any late tax collection patrols on her way, wanting to avoid awkward questions about her presence here. She¡¯d been caught once, but they took her to be a lost girl separated from her parents. It had taken no small effort on her part to separate from them in the end. Even now, she wouldn¡¯t have an issue playing innocent with her small stature, but it wasn¡¯t an experience she relished repeating.

    Taking a different path than would take her home, she entered a small building, if it could be called that. It was hardly taller than her own small frame and looked as though it would fall in on itself at any given moment.

    ¡°Mina, I¡¯m here,¡± Silver announced.

    A small head popped up from what one could mistake as a pile of rags in the corner. A girl with long black hair, grungy from lack of washing, smiled softly. This girl, who looked like she could be Silver¡¯s age, actually was eight, give or take. She lived alone, her mother having died from illness two years prior. No one knew who her father was.

    ¡°Hi, Silva. Welcome back!¡± Mina always pronounced Silver¡¯s name without a hard ¡®r¡¯, something Silver found endearing.

    ¡°Look at ye, sittin¡¯ here without a wash. Yer gonna hafta get out of here someday. C¡¯mon, let¡¯s getcha washed up. Then I got a surprise for ya.¡±

    Mina¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Ok!¡±

    She obediently followed Silver to one of the local water basins. Like most of the slums, it was a mess with bugs drawn to the still water, threatening to bite any who came too near. If they had a mage available, they could have set up a water system like in the other districts which would ensure clean, free-flowing water even in this water-forsaken land. Unfortunately, that option wasn¡¯t on the table. Silver swatted away the worst of the bugs as she led the way. She gave the younger girl¡¯s hair a good scrubbing, then instructed her to get the worst of her dirt off.

    Frowning, Silver turned around to peer up and down the side road as well as along the buildings. Her instincts had been telling her for some time that they were being watched, and she wanted to let whoever was watching know that she wasn¡¯t pleased by it. Unfortunately, even with her sharp eyes, she couldn¡¯t find the source of the disturbance. She turned back around in disappointment.

    ¡°Mina!¡± She snapped abruptly, eyes flying wide.

    The other girl immediately froze, causing a large amount of water to splash all over the ground as a blue light dissipated. It took all of Silver¡¯s self-control not to look around nervously which would inevitably tip anyone off to the strange occurrence if they hadn¡¯t already noticed.

    ¡°Don¡¯ use tha bucket ta draw too much water. It¡¯s a waste,¡± she continued, more calmly this time.

    Mina kept her head down and nodded. Of course, she hadn¡¯t been using the bucket.

    ¡°If yer done, I¡¯ll fill the bucket and bring it back. I wanted ta borrow yer fire pit in any case.¡±

    With the bucket now in tow, the two girls walked back to the ramshackle structure. Silver noted that the eyes on them had now faded, for good or ill. Perhaps she had imagined it, but she wasn¡¯t going to doubt her instincts on the matter.

    She left the bucket outside and followed the now mostly clean girl back inside. Too bad no amount of scrubbing would rid the indoor cloths of their stench.

    Mina sat, still subdued with her head down. Silver looked at her seriously.

    ¡°We¡¯ve talked about why ya can¡¯ just do that afore,¡± she said without preamble.

    ¡°I know, ¡®M sorry. Jus¡¯, no one was there, ¡®n¡¯...¡± Mina looked up with big, brown, pleading eyes that glistened with promised tears.

    Silver wasn¡¯t buying it. ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®jus¡¯,¡¯ Mina. Someone was probably watchin¡¯ us there. Do ya wan¡¯ ta die? Or be taken away?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡­¡± Mina¡¯s eyes now threatened true tears.

    ¡°Then make sure never ta do that again. Alone ¡®r¡¯ not.¡±

    The other girl nodded and, satisfied her message got through, Silver smiled. ¡°¡®S long as ye understand. Now, let¡¯s get ta the surprise.¡±

    Mina¡¯s eyes instantly fell upon the small box and pouch the older girl produced. Excitement cleared the downcast expression off her face in an instant. She looked at Silver, who nodded permission. Silver was amused by the self-restraint Mina made sure to show as she reached slowly for the items rather than falling upon them. Opening the box with the meat skewers, the younger girl pushed her long, waist-length hair out of the way of getting caught in the meal and tenderly nibbled on the edge. A moment later, the first stick¡¯s meat was gone.

    As she reached for the second stick, Mina paused and looked at Silver guiltily. ¡°Yer not gonna eat?¡±

    Silver shook her head with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll eat later. I promised Rath I¡¯d eat with him.¡±

    ¡°Ok,¡± she responded with a nod before devouring the second stick. Silver wished she¡¯d brought more. Mina opened the pouch and popped one of the candies into her mouth and sighed contentedly. ¡°Thanks, Silver. I love you.¡±

    Silver reached over and patted the younger girl¡¯s head. ¡°I love you too, even if ya hate ta listen.¡± That elicited a giggle. ¡°Alrigh¡¯, I¡¯m gonna take care of business and head back. Rath¡¯ll be annoyin¡¯ if I¡¯m late again.¡±

    ¡°Ok, see you tomorrow!¡±

    ¡°Wash yerself afore I come this time. Jus¡¯ ¡®cause we¡¯re treated like animals doesn¡¯ mean we gotta smell like ¡®em. Tomorrow, I don¡¯ work neither, so I¡¯ll train ya a bit. Get ready!¡±

    ¡°Noooo,¡± the other girl moaned, falling back into her makeshift bed.

    Chuckling, Silver exited the shack and picked up the bucket before walking the few paces to the fire pit. In truth, it was nothing more than a glorified hole dug into the ground and kept away from the wooden structures nearby. It never saw too much use, but nights could get bitter here.

    A few pieces of slightly burned wood were already inside the hole, so she rearranged them. Then, she took out the nine purses she had snatched today, emptying all the coins into her personal pouch. With the stolen items now free of their burden, Silver gave the area a quick check before stacking them on her right hand and lowering them into the pit. Like when she ran, she took a deep breath, focusing on the palm of her hand. Energy rushed through her body to that point until she pushed it to combust. All at once, the pouches burst into flame, turning to ash in mere moments. The remains she scattered among the wood as smoke trailed into the sky. To finish the charade, she took the bucket and poured it into the pit. There was no fire inside, so she didn¡¯t care to follow any specific method with the water.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    Satisfied with her work, Silver returned the bucket to the others gathered near the water basin, then took the familiar path home.

    -------------

    Silver pushed the door to the building she shared with Rath open and entered cautiously, watching from where his attack would come. Her eyes pierced the dim interior as though a magelight on its highest setting illuminated it. She looked up and just had time to roll forward before the dark-clad attacker plunged downward with two daggers held to end her life.

    Taking advantage of the room, Silver let the roll carry her under the table where she stopped on her back. With one arm she hit the far side of the table so that it tilted and blocked her from the attacker. She followed the move up with a kick, sending the object forward even as she rolled back to her feet and drew her own weapons.

    To her surprise, the assailant collided with the table and crashed to the floor under its weight. Silver hadn¡¯t expected the result and hesitated for a brief second, but it was enough. The soft whisper of fabric behind her was all the warning she had of the second attacker, presumably freshly arrived from the second floor. Spinning, she raised her dagger to block his before aiming a kick straight into his solar plexus. She added a small bit of her strengthened force into the blow and man met wall with an anguished cry. Clearing the room with one eye but keeping her senses alert, she approached the first man and stepped on the table, further pinning him to the ground before he had the chance to get up.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Rath?¡± she asked, eyes narrowed.

    ¡°Dead,¡± the voice growled.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Rath?¡± Silver asked again, pushing her weight down on the table.

    ¡°I didn¡¯ lie ta ya. Ye can check upstairs. Dead, with ye not far behind. It¡¯s a revolution, sweetheart.¡±

    Silver thought about killing the man for that last remark, but elected not to before heading up the stairs with a cautious eye out for any other surprises. There were none, save for Rath, toppled over on the ground. The girl drew the throwing knife from that morning out of her hip pouch and threw it to strike the wood near the man¡¯s head. He didn¡¯t move. She couldn¡¯t tell if he was breathing. Silver stood still for a while before eyeing the pool around the man. It...smelled like blood. No. He couldn¡¯t actually be...right?

    She crept forward, pace by pace. It was definitely blood. For the first time, Silver felt alarmed and rushed up to him. ¡°Rath? Rath?¡±

    The strike was fast, yet she saw it. She saw every inch as it came closer, but no matter how she told her body to react, it wouldn¡¯t move fast enough. The best she could do was to have the knife slice through her arm rather than something fatal. Not even allowing herself to wince at the pain, she kicked back and prepared to fight. However, it seemed like it was over.

    Laughing, Rath sat up. ¡°Gods alive, girl. Ye almost make me feel bad fer puttin¡¯ this party tagether. Almost.¡±

    Silver scowled at him, wishing she could turn everything she felt right now into a curse.Instead, she said nothing.

    Rath plucked the throwing knife out of the wood again and spun it around his finger idly, continuing to grin. ¡°Ya didn¡¯ believe it at first. What gave it away?¡±

    Not bothering to reply, she turned and headed back downstairs. The man from under the table had extricated himself and was helping the man she had kicked to stand up. He¡¯d probably broken something. Good. Silver couldn¡¯t remember the last time she¡¯d been this furious. Rath attacking her was a homecoming tradition, but this was the first time he¡¯d incited others to help. Manipulating her emotions was, in her book, unforgivable.

    She picked up the table and flipped it back over, noticing it had cracked in a few places. Also good. When she placed it down with more force than was strictly needed, the men in the room flinched. The movement drew her glare back to them. ¡°Out.¡± She commanded.

    Both men jumped and, without another noise, they hurried out the door into the ever-darkening night. Silver stormed over to one lamp and clicked it on, doing the same to the rest as she moved around the room.

    A sound on the stairs alerted her to Rath¡¯s presence and she spun, releasing three of her own throwing daggers in one go. He leapt backward in surprise. ¡°Those would¡¯ve hit me!¡± he said accusingly, staring at her.

    ¡°They would¡¯ve,¡± she agreed frostily. So frostily, it felt as though the temperature in the room dropped several degrees. She hoped he felt it, too.

    ¡°Yer still mad, I take it.¡± Rath scratched the back of his head looking a bit sheepish.

    ¡°Ya think so?¡±

    ¡°Alrigh¡¯, maybe I went a bit too far and I¡¯m sorry, but--¡±

    ¡°But? I don¡¯ give a troll¡¯s hairy ass about any buts.¡±

    ¡°Silver--¡±

    ¡°No. I know yer constant, serious attempts on my life are fer my own good, and I¡¯ve accepted that much, but this?¡±

    ¡°It could happen,¡± Rath finally snapped at her, tired of being interrupted. ¡°And ye need ta be prepared.¡±

    ¡°By settin¡¯ somethin¡¯ so obviously fake up? And then ya fake dead and make a sneak attack that only tha dead body could make? That¡¯s supposed ta help?¡± As her temper flared, the glow of the magelights dimmed.

    ¡°I knew ya could handle somethin¡¯ like today. Or I thought ya could. Clearly, I was mistaken.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, ye were. Guess ye¡¯ll have to stick around fer me a while yet.¡±

    For a while, they stood absolutely still, glaring daggers at one another. Rath was the first to relent. ¡°Ok, let me explain in full. I wanted ta use tonight ta help cement yer reputation. That ye weren¡¯ an easy mark. Well, I guess that got across.¡±

    ¡°The actual attacks I¡¯ve fought off weren¡¯ enough ta prove that?¡± This time, she resisted rolling her eyes, if barely.

    ¡°Well ye see, those attackers¡¯re dead. People don¡¯t necessarily believe it was ye that killed ¡®em. I guessed ye¡¯d leave these ones alive. Probably. And now they can tell the others.¡±

    ¡°And tha impressive fake death?¡±

    ¡°Well...show ¡®em ye weren¡¯ soft?¡±

    ¡°¡®Cause me leavin¡¯ ¡®em alive while I wen¡¯ up ta check on ya wasn¡¯ soft.¡±

    ¡°I told ¡®em there was a chance that ya¡¯d figure it out. I think the message still got across.¡±

    Silver shook her head and let go of the worst of her anger, the magelights returning to full strength. She was still mad at him, of course. And she wouldn¡¯t let him get off that easily. It was a poor excuse at best. More than likely, he didn¡¯t have a reason for it and just wanted to have fun.

    ¡°As if weaklings like those could make me think ye were dead. And that talk abou¡¯ revolution, pathetic. Where¡¯d ya get ¡®em from, the shelter fer flunked assassins?¡±

    Rath allowed a small smile to return to his face, sensing that the worst had passed. ¡°They¡¯re rookies, but they came quite recommended from their commander. I had ta work hard ta find someone ya didn¡¯ recognize. And could take a beatin¡¯. I was countin¡¯ more on my act anyway.¡±

    ¡°Tha blood?¡±

    ¡°Pig. I thought it was a nice touch.¡±

    ¡°I saw yer attack.¡±

    ¡°Maybe ya did, but it don¡¯ matter if ya can¡¯ move fast enough ta dodge.¡¯

    Silver pointed to where the attack had hit on her arm, revealing only dried blood and no trace of a mark. ¡°Good enough.¡±

    ¡°Not if it¡¯d been poisoned.¡±

    She stuck her tongue out at him, then drew two gold coins from her purse and tossed them his way. He raised an eyebrow as he caught them.

    ¡°Yer short one fer this week. And ye can¡¯ tell me ya didn¡¯ get more¡¯n this today.¡±

    ¡°Ye can pay the other for me,¡± she said with a malicious smirk. ¡°Injury money.¡±

    ¡°What injury? I don¡¯ see no injury.¡±

    ¡°Injury money.¡±

    ¡°Alrigh¡¯, fine. Just this once, though. And don¡¯ go spreadin¡¯ it around.¡±

    Silver sat down, instantly releasing a bright smile on him. He cringed away and began preparing dinner.

    ¡°That reminds me. There were a lotta tracker coins around today.¡± She told him about everything she¡¯d found out from her talks with the other pickpockets.

    ¡°Hm. I don¡¯ think they took this long ta figure it out. More¡¯n likely, it¡¯s tha new guard commander. He¡¯s a little annoyin¡¯.¡±

    Silver was surprised. That was the closest she¡¯d ever heard Rath come to complementing an enemy. ¡°He¡¯s good, huh?¡±

    ¡°Not good, annoyin¡¯. Ya need yer hearin¡¯ checked, girl?¡±

    She grinned. ¡°So this new guard commander?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a good deal more competent than tha usual sort they get, unfortunately for us folk tryin¡¯ to make a honest livin¡¯. Well, I¡¯ll send out tha word ta be more alert when workin¡¯. Here, dinner¡¯s ready.¡±

    ¡°I...ate earlier.¡±

    ¡°I figured. I only made fer myself. Sit with me. Are ye sure yer eatin¡¯, though? Ye haven¡¯ grown hardly in years.¡±

    ¡°I am, I am,¡± Silver waved his concern off airily.

    ¡°Hm.¡± Rath gave her a critical look before letting the topic drop.

    They shared a peaceful, if somewhat tense chat while Rath ate before heading to their separate rooms to sleep. This building prided itself as the largest one in the slums, perks of ruling the underground world. Not that that was saying too much in the area. As a result, they also enjoyed the occasional late night greeting, but the invaders foolish enough to try it were always dispatched quickly.

    It was while lying in bed waiting for sleep to claim her that it hit Silver that the new commander may be part of the reason behind Rath¡¯s little play. He would never admit it, but it was a possibility. It was against code to turn a coworker into the authorities, but you never knew what a money-hungry idiot would do. With that uncomfortable thought at the forefront of her mind, Silver managed to force herself into a fitful sleep.

 Chapter 3

    As usual, Silver woke with her thin blanket pulled over her face, leaving her legs exposed. She pushed the fabric off and glared at the fingers of sunlight prying their way through the small gaps in her shutters. Automatically, she got up, pulled on a dress from the plain box at the foot of the pad she used as a bed, and strapped the belt with her pouch on. After checking that her daggers were secured and out of sight, she left the room. Rath wasn¡¯t in the kitchen, so she headed out the door without a word.

    A quick glance at the sky told her it wasn¡¯t too early drop by a stall and get some breakfast for Mina. Silver turned away from the route she¡¯d take to Mina¡¯s and headed toward the stall from which she¡¯d received the roll the day before, thinking to return the favor. Unfortunately, the stall wasn¡¯t there. What met Silver instead was the structure¡¯s remains. Smashed and shattered pieces of the magicked warming box lay among the wooden frame.

    ¡°Damned tax collectors,¡± Silver scowled.

    ¡°Silver¡­?¡± a hesitant voice said behind her.

    She turned to face the woman who had been the owner. Her eyes flicked over the basket the women held, woven from the stems of one of the tough desert plants growing in excess around Lesand before returning to the woman¡¯s face. The shopkeeper seemed anxious as she met the younger¡¯s gaze. Silver tilted her head to the side, silently requesting information.

    The woman offered an uncertain smile. ¡°Tha taxes raised ¡®n¡¯ I wasn¡¯ prepared fer it.¡±

    Silver closed her eyes and released the energy she had begun to gather subconsciously. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not anythin¡¯ anyone can do nothin¡¯ about,¡± she replied with a resigned shrug while visibly relaxing.

    ¡°The nobles could do somethin¡¯,¡± the younger grumbled under her breath. In the next second, she slipped into her friendly smile. ¡°What¡¯cha got in that basket?¡±

    ¡°Rolls. Gotta start buildin¡¯ up again.¡± This time, her voice held both pride and conviction each in no small parts.

    ¡°Good, I came by wantin¡¯ ta buy some. Six, if ye don¡¯ mind.¡±

    ¡°Of course, of course. Anythin¡¯ fer my best customer. That¡¯ll be twelve copper,¡± she replied, placing the basket on the ground and withdrawing her product.

    Silver passed over the requested money and accepted the rolls, slipping them inside her pouch. Then, she attached her small frame to the woman in a hug, deftly slipping ten silver coins, the equivalent of a gold, into the woman¡¯s coin purse.

    ¡°I¡¯ll come again!¡± she said brightly. In a quieter voice, she added, ¡°Present fer ye. Best thing we can do is show those damned collectors that they can¡¯ keep us down ferever. Careful not to let tha others know, of course.¡±

    Silver danced away, waving innocently. The woman allowed a troubled expression for only a moment before wiping her face clear.

    ¡°Thank ye fer buyin¡¯ here. I¡¯ll look forward ta yer next visit.¡±

    Objective accomplished, the girl turned back and strolled back in the direction toward her house, allowing her expression to cloud back over. There was no sense in wasting energy keeping a happy, energetic front up. Especially not when it would pass on its own as she walked.

    ¡°Mina, you awake?¡± she asked as she pushed through the cloth entrance.

    ¡°Silva?¡± Mina¡¯s voice replied sleepily. ¡°It¡¯s too early.¡±

    Silver watched a small shape roll over as Mina buried herself deeper in her makeshift bed.

    ¡°If I¡¯m up, ye can get up,¡± the older stated firmly.

    ¡°Tha¡¯s why I don¡¯ wanna get up.¡±

    Despite her complaints, the raven-haired girl sat up and stretched. Resigning herself to her fate, she looked at Silver warily.

    ¡°Here.¡± Silver pulled out the rolls and handed them over. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go walk around some more, so take yer time. And don¡¯ ferget to wash up.¡±

    ¡°Ok,¡± the other agreed meekly.

    The older girl didn¡¯t go too far, the feeling from yesterday of being watched still in the back of her mind. She leisurely, seemingly aimlessly, wandered through the streets. Should anyone have cared to map her path, they would have found it to be a wide circle with Mina¡¯s house at the epicenter. The walk served two purposes: one, she was able to check if the feeling emerged again now; and two, even the light movement managed to expunge the remainder of her morning mood. Her expression comfortably returned to its normal, amiable state.

    Sensing nothing out of the ordinary and judging enough time had passed, Silver headed back to Mina. When she returned, she found the younger girl crouching on the ground. So focused was she that she didn¡¯t seem to notice Silver¡¯s approach.

    ¡°What¡¯re ye lookin¡¯ at?¡± Silver asked.

    Mina gave a huge start and looked around. When she saw Silver, her expression became wary for a moment, then relaxed after realizing she wasn¡¯t in trouble.

    ¡°I was tryin¡¯ ta get tha bugs ta stop fightin¡¯,¡± she admitted, pointing to where two emerald green beetles clashed with their respective single horn.

    With a fond smile, Silver said, ¡°Leave ¡®em be. Even if ye separated ¡®em, they¡¯d find somethin¡¯ else ta fight elsewhere.¡±

    ¡°But what if they get hurt?¡±

    ¡°That migh¡¯ happen, but they wouldn¡¯ thank ye fer stoppin¡¯ ¡®em. Maybe they have a friend they want ta impress.¡±

    ¡°Mu.¡± Mina pouted.

    ¡°Come on,¡± she laughed, ruffling the other¡¯s still-damp hair, ¡°let¡¯s get to work.¡±

    Mina¡¯s pout deepened, but she still stood up.

    ¡°Alrigh¡¯, let¡¯s just get straight inta tha thick of it.¡± Silver held out her personal money pouch and attached it to her belt. ¡°Have ye practiced tha one-handed release?¡±

    ¡°A little¡­¡± The response was petulant.

    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to work twice as hard, then,¡± she retorted with a devilish grin.

    ¡°Yer tha meanest person in tha world,¡± Mina complained.

    ¡°Good, maybe one day I can give Rath a run fer his money,¡± Silver laughed. ¡°Now, no more time wastin¡¯. C¡¯mon, give it a shot so I can see what¡¯cha remember.¡±

    Mina reached for the strings and worked her fingers reasonably dexterously while Silver patiently looked on. Ten seconds passed. Twenty. Thirty. Finally, the pouch slipped off the belt and landed on the ground with a thud. Silver scooped it up and retied it.

    ¡°Again.¡±

    They went through the same process several times, but the time it took never changed much. Internally, Silver sighed. Mina never showed any sign of frustration. Though the older girl didn¡¯t think the younger would do anything less than her best, it didn¡¯t seem as though she was bothered by her lack of success, either. By her age, she should have been out on the main streets going after targets, even if they were smaller. If she didn¡¯t pay into the weekly money collection, she didn¡¯t receive the same protection in the slums as the others.

    The fund that Rath had set up acted as an insurance for when something happened. When a building burnt down through no fault of the resident, the funds could be used in its rebuilding. When tax collectors destroyed a stall, the owner received a small present of money to help them get back on their feet. The roll stall keeper was no different, but Silver had wanted to provide a personal boost. If there was some other dire need in the slums, the money could be put toward that, too. And there were other benefits as well. Those who paid into the pot weren¡¯t targets of the other criminals in the slum. If they were targeted, the assailant would be required to provide compensation once found. On the whole, such crime was much lower in the slums than elsewhere, as there was little point in the minds of the thieves to taking from those who already had nothing.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    But that didn¡¯t mean it didn¡¯t happen.

    Personal grudges always existed, and there were those who wished to rise in power and wealth in the world of organized crime. Silver wasn¡¯t sure where the rest of the money went, but she felt that at least part of it was put toward stabilizing the peace. She did know that Rath sometimes rewarded others for their contributions. Her daggers were one example of that, and she treasured them despite her complaints. Beyond that, with how much some people contributed each week, she felt that Rath had to be sitting on a veritable hoard of treasure, but she wasn¡¯t sure exactly how much. Nor was it her business. If she had once been curious, she didn¡¯t pay it any mind now.

    Silver returned her attention to the girl in front of her. If she wasn¡¯t willing to pick up this trade, she would have to find another or she would never survive without a guardian. The biggest problem was Silver didn¡¯t know anything other than fighting and pickpocketing. She couldn¡¯t pass on any other skills. As the pouch struck the ground once more, she scooped it up and stored it in its usual place. Mina looked at her with a mix of apprehension and curiosity.

    ¡°If you really don¡¯ wanna be a pickpocket, I can¡¯ really do nothin¡¯ about it, can I?¡± the older girl asked with a small smile to show she wasn¡¯t angry.

    ¡°It...it¡¯s not that I don¡¯ wanna, it¡¯s jus¡¯...¡± Mina tried to explain, flapping her hands uselessly.

    ¡°It¡¯s alrigh¡¯. Yer too soft fer it, if we¡¯re talkin¡¯ straight. I¡¯ll try ta think of somethin¡¯ else ye can do. Why don¡¯ we head ta tha market an¡¯ have some fun?¡±

    ¡°Really!?¡± The younger¡¯s expression brightened in an instant. ¡°It¡¯s ok!?¡±

    ¡°If yer with me, it should be safe enough. We¡¯ll stop by my place ta get ya a dress.¡±

    ¡°Yay!¡± She was practically bouncing.

    Hiding a laugh, Silver led the way home and to her space where she pulled out a dress. She turned around to hand it off, but Mina was staring around wide-eyed. It took a moment for the older girl to realize that the younger had likely never been inside a sturdy building, not even when her mother was alive.

    Stepping up to Mina¡¯s side, she draped the dress over the other¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Get changed an¡¯ come outside when yer done. Don¡¯ take too long!¡±

    Mina snapped out of her reverie and nodded. ¡°Ok.¡±

    Silver slipped back outside and quickly scrubbed herself down. She had already finished by the time Mina emerged in the new dress, looking acceptable for wandering around the general market. She seemed even more shy than usual, head ducked with a small tinge of red visible even against her dark skin.

    ¡°¡®M ready,¡± she mumbled.

    ¡°Keep yer head up. Ye gotta be confiden¡¯ in tha market ¡®r¡¯ ye¡¯ll get swarmed.¡±

    Mina looked up, but she still wore her nervousness like a cloak. Shaking her head, Silver turned, gesturing for the other girl to follow her. They took a somewhat roundabout way toward the market, moving in and out of alleyways. There probably wasn¡¯t anyone following them, but Silver wouldn¡¯t take that chance. Not when she had Mina with her. At last, they reached the boundary between the two sections. The younger girl stared anxiously at the empty stretch, and more anxiously still at the buildings in the distance.

    ¡°Close your eyes. Pretend yer still walkin¡¯ through the slums,¡± Silver instructed her as she gathered her energy. Mina obeyed.

    With the strength circling, picking up someone her own size was effortless. Silver did so, checking to make sure the girl¡¯s eyes were squeezed shut before shooting off and closing in on the markets. It was over in seconds.

    ¡°Ok. You can open your eyes now.¡±

    The sounds of the market were already rolling over them in waves where they stood in the alley. Mina¡¯s eyes opened and never seemed to stop as they moved toward the entrance. She stood, frozen, overwhelmed by the sheer number of people and sounds. Silver smiled. When Rath had first taken her to the market, she had felt much the same, though she had acted as unimpressed as she could, hoping to impress the man who had adopted her. It hadn¡¯t seemed to work, but she could well understand the girl beside her now.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s go walk around,¡± she urged gently.

    The other nodded and cautiously followed Silver as they merged with the flow. Silver thought about reminding her not to stare so wide-eyed at everything, to act more like she was used to this, but she immediately dismissed the idea. Somehow, she couldn¡¯t quite bring herself to put a damper on the younger girl¡¯s mood.

    While Mina drank in the sights and unknown languages, Silver kept an eye out around them, warning off would-be pickpockets with a stare. They all would recognize her, as recognizing the other workers was a requirement before entering the streets, so it only took a single non-verbal warning to keep them away from the other girl. She also made certain to steer clear of any patrols, fewer in presence though they were today.

    By the time they had walked around half of the market loop, the sun had reached its peak. Silver bought Mina a bowl of noodles in a cold broth and one of the more popular treats of the area, flavored flakes of ice, for each of them. They sat under one of the umbrellas, enjoying.

    ¡°Tha¡¯s the castle, right?¡± Mina asked before slurping more of her noodles. Now that her initial shock had worn off, she¡¯d regained her tongue.

    ¡°Yep,¡± Silver replied shortly.

    ¡°It¡¯s big.¡±

    ¡°The slums¡¯re the biggest, though. ¡®Cause they¡¯re the outer ring.¡±

    The younger girl looked surprised. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s thinner ¡®n¡¯ tha common an¡¯ noble livin¡¯ quarters, but it¡¯s long. ¡®Course, it¡¯s split by tha gate leadin¡¯ inta tha market, but tha¡¯s why we have an underground tunnel.¡± Sometimes, she forgot how little the other girl got out.

    ¡°Oh. Why¡¯s it so split?¡±

    ¡°Because we¡¯re poor, an¡¯ they take our money.¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯ think yer poor, Silva. Ye always seem ta have money. An¡¯ ye take it back from ¡®em, don¡¯cha?¡±

    Silver shifted uncomfortably. ¡°It¡¯s fer work, an¡¯ tha¡¯s why we have tha common pot ta help out tha slums. Hurry up ¡®n¡¯ eat yer ice flakes, they¡¯re gonna melt.¡±

    Mina nodded and set about the cool dessert.

    Silver wanted to explain the differences in how the thieves of the slums acted compared to the nobles, but not here where just anyone could hear. Plus, she wasn¡¯t sure the younger girl would understand. Though she was a native to the slums, she had been sheltered from the worst of it. The entire system in Lesand was designed against people rising in the ranks. It wasn¡¯t impossible for someone from the slums to open a shop in the general market, but it would take bribes far in excess of what one could earn by any normal means. And that was on top of the other setup costs. Your luck in birth determined your fate in all but the most extreme cases. To the eight year-old who had yet to experience all of this, Silver wasn¡¯t sure she could adequately explain.

    Repressing a sigh, she finished off her own dessert, crunching the edible dish in which it came. She smiled at Mina who seemed to have already forgotten their conversation and was enjoying the luxury she could but rarely experience. When she, too, had finished, the two girls sat, basking in each other¡¯s companionship.

    Every so often, Silver glanced at her companion whose eyes seemed fixed on the stall keeper across the way, the one selling ice flakes. The woman was on the plumper side with a pleasant smile for each of her customers. Even though she was alone, she handled the large crowd around her stall effortlessly. Most of her stall seemed to operate automatically--she pressed a button which pushed water infused with flavor and color into an enchanted ice box where it froze almost instantly. She then took one of the hundreds of pre-baked bowls from a sleeve, held it under a spout jutting out of each flavor¡¯s ice box, and pushed another button. The ice flaked out from the spout into the bowl which she would then hand over to the customer.

    ¡°It looks fun,¡± Mina said quietly.

    If Silver hadn¡¯t been looking, she wouldn¡¯t have known what Mina was talking about. Still, seeing her interest, Silver had the vague wisps of an idea beginning to connect in her mind. Whether it would pan out or not was a different thing altogether.

    ¡°Mhm,¡± she simply agreed, standing up and brushing the folds out of her dress. ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s keep goin¡¯.¡±

    They spent the remainder of the afternoon completing the market loop. Silver bought some food to send home with Mina for dinner. She also purchased a hair tie decorated with a small, foreign bird neither could place as a commemoration of Mina¡¯s first visit. Though the younger girl protested, Silver couldn¡¯t see the purchase as superfluous. It was fun, having someone to spoil.

    As the sun began to set, they made their way home. Again, Silver had Mina close her eyes as she sprinted across the gap. Coming from the market, Silver decided it was fine to take a much more straightforward return path and it took only half as long to arrive back at Silver¡¯s house where Mina changed back into her original outfit. From there, the two walked back to Mina¡¯s abode.

    ¡°Thank you, Silva, today was really fun!¡± Mina¡¯s smile was wider than Silver had ever seen it before.

    ¡°No problem. I had fun, too. I do have a request fer ye, though. Remember this mornin¡¯ when I came here? Can ye come ta my house around tha same time tomorrow? And make sure ye scrub before.¡±

    ¡°That early?¡± Mina looked hesitant. ¡°Ain¡¯t that a bit...dangerous?¡±

    ¡°Dangerous? Why?¡± Silver was confused.

    ¡°Nevermin¡¯,¡± the other shook her head vigorously.

    Now honestly concerned, Silver pushed her for information. ¡°Is somethin¡¯ happenin¡¯ around here in tha mornin¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Nope! It¡¯s just ye...well, this mornin¡¯ was fine, so tomorrow¡¯ll be fine, too. Don¡¯ worry!¡±

    Unconvinced and with worry still gnawing at her slightly, Silver let the topic go. If Mina was late, she¡¯d just go looking for her and fix anything that was getting in her way.

    ¡°So ye¡¯ll come?¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡±

    ¡°Alrigh¡¯, then. Don¡¯ ferget ta scrub.¡±

    Mina nodded obediently. With a wave, Silver turned and returned home, arriving not long after the sky had turned a deep, royal purple. She entered the house on alert, but there was nothing out of place. Curiously, she examined every inch of every room on both floors, then slipped outside to the roof and checked there, too. Still nothing. Feeling discomfited by the lack of ambush, Silver reentered and went to her room. Since Rath didn¡¯t seem to be around, she saw no need to wait for him. Maybe it was his apology for the day before. Or not. But if there was a chance for her to grab more sleep, who was she to refuse? As such, she took off her pouch and daggers, placing the latter by her pillow, before climbing into bed and allowing sleep to take over.

 Chapter 4

    ¡°Try it and I¡¯ll kill you,¡± Silver growled, eyes still closed. Her slum accent was nowhere to be found.

    The sloshing of water told her that the invader¡¯s movement had come to a sudden stop, but there was no retreat. The girl opened her eyes and glared. A grey light filtered into the room from outside, indicating that the sun had yet to rise.

    Rath grinned in the face of her fury, hands still firmly grasping the half-filled bucket. His face annoyed her. Grabbing one of her fighting daggers, she threw it toward his chest, making him step diagonally away to avoid it. The weapon sailed out the door and thudded into the wood of the wall across the hall.

    ¡°I need ta talk ta ya, so get up,¡± he said, seemingly unbothered by the assault.

    ¡°Sun.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯ up.¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    ¡°Silver, get up,¡± Rath finally commanded in a tone that brooked no argument. With that, he turned and left the room.

    Silver grunted, pulling herself out of bed and slipping into a different dress. When everything was in its usual place, she headed out toward the wash basin, moving through the kitchen where, to her surprise, Rath wasn¡¯t alone. The other man who she vaguely recognized as his second-in-command was playing with the dagger she¡¯d thrown. She¡¯d take issue with that later.

    A quick scrub later and she was seated at the still-broken table with the other two. To her surprise, the other man handed her dagger back with a smile as she arrived.

    ¡°Mornin¡¯, Silver,¡± he greeted.

    She returned his smile with a glare, accepting the dagger and tucking it away.

    Turning her attention to Rath, she asked, still in clipped, proper speech, ¡°And what is so important that I needed to be here now rather than in a couple of hours?¡±

    Rath gave her a warning look. ¡°Silver, this is Hyder. Tha head of tha assassination corps. Ye met him once ¡®r¡¯ twice when ye were younger.¡±

    At those words, Silver gave the man another lookover. So he wasn¡¯t Rath¡¯s second-in-command? Everyone knew that, while Rath did indeed control the crime run in the slums, the assassination corps was its own entity. They cooperated sometimes, but they were not what one would call friends. And the assassins didn¡¯t pay into the same pot as the other criminals.

    ¡°Ye took care of some of my cocky fledglings the other day. I¡¯m grateful to ya,¡± Hyder said with a slight bow of his head.

    Silver truly felt nothing exceptional from this man. His skin was dark, even for a southerner, and his hair was cropped so close to his head he was veritably bald. Still, knowing who he was now, she imagined that he could go from his relaxed, seemingly unaware state to the sharpness of a sword in an instant, much like Rath. Unlike Rath, however, he seemed much more calm and measured in comparison to the crime head¡¯s boisterous nature.

    She also realized why they were meeting now instead of at a time when more people would be awake.

    It was the perfect time between the night shifts ending and the morning shifts waking, the time when people wandering about would be fewest. For Rath and the head of the assassination corps to meet secretly, it was the safest time.

    She nodded cautiously in response to his words as she allowed her accent to return. ¡°I should be grateful fer their help.¡±

    Rath snorted as the other man laughed. ¡°I sent ¡®em over ta show ¡®em not ta underestimate an opponent when Rath asked fer some trainin¡¯ help, but I¡¯m not sure how much beatin¡¯ ¡®em helped convince anyone about ye.¡±

    Silver opened her mouth to reply, but Rath interrupted. ¡°All these niceties aside, we don¡¯ got a lotta time, so let¡¯s get down ta business.¡± Silver shut her mouth, a little curious now. ¡°I know ye brough¡¯ tha information about tha tracker coins. Turns out, tha¡¯s not tha only trouble lately. Every group¡¯s experiencin¡¯ some resistance. Well, most of ¡®em, in any case,¡± he added with a glance at Hyder who inclined his head. ¡°Now, we¡¯re not sure if it¡¯s gonna continue ¡®r¡¯ not, so we¡¯re not gonna make any decisions jus¡¯ yet. But we¡¯re gonna lay some groundwork. So Hyder here had tha suggestion ta train ye as an assassin fer a bit.¡±

    Silver immediately felt her eyes narrow into a glare again, but Rath held up a hand.

    ¡°I can vouch fer ¡®im. He was my right-hand man until jus¡¯ recently and¡¯ll do right by ya. And it won¡¯ be ferever. Jus¡¯ until we know fer sure how this is gonna go. Not a bad offer, really. Ye get some free skills outta it and a nice vacation from yer work.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Silver didn¡¯t even need to think before refusing.

    For one, assassination training would be anything but a vacation. For another, she had a feeling that those ¡°free skills¡± would be anything but free in the end. She trusted Rath to an extent, and believed that he had her best interests at heart, but that didn¡¯t mean he wouldn¡¯t use the best tool for a job just because of a personal connection. It was interesting that someone from the normal criminal corps had managed to go from second-in-command (she felt somewhat self-satisfied that she hadn¡¯t been wrong about this) to head of the assassination corps, but she had the feeling it hadn¡¯t happened without ruffling some feathers. She was not about to set foot into that mess for anything. Not even if it angered Rath.

    However, contrary to her expectations, both men shared a chuckle.

    ¡°I told ye she wouldn¡¯ go fer it.¡±

    ¡°Well, it was worth tryin¡¯. Who would suspect an eight year-old of assassination?¡± Hyder spoke wishfully.

    ¡°¡®M fifteen,¡± the girl pointed out calmly.

    ¡°I know, I¡¯m sorry. I was actually there when Rath picked ye up. I meant in appearance. It does have its advantages, ye must admit.¡±

    She nodded. They were something she used in her work every day and part of the reason she was still actively pickpocketing at her age.

    ¡°Well if ye knew I¡¯d say no, remind me why I¡¯m here again?¡± It took a great effort to keep the annoyance from her tone.

    ¡°I wanted ta officially introduce ye, but I also have a request. Can ye check in with tha pickpockets every day? I¡¯m gonna be in ¡®n¡¯ out for a while and wanna keep tabs on tha situation. Can¡¯ have a meetin¡¯ every day and draw attention, though. I trust ye ta do it without makin¡¯ it obvious ta tha wrong people.¡±

    Silver nodded again in acquiescence.

    ¡°Good.¡± Rath stood up, Hyder following his lead. ¡°I also need ta borrow ye tonight, so don¡¯ go ta bed too early.¡±

    ¡°Ye say that after wakin¡¯ me up early?¡± She couldn¡¯t help the exasperation from escaping this time.

    He winked. ¡°Ye got ta sleep early last night, didn¡¯cha?¡±

    The off-hand comment would have sent chills down anyone else¡¯s spine. For Silver, however, whether he was making an educated guess based on his absence or if he really was keeping an eye on her even when she didn¡¯t know, she wouldn¡¯t be surprised. In fact, it would have been stranger to her if he didn¡¯t somehow know.

    ¡°Well then, we¡¯ll be off. See ya tonight.¡± Rath cheerily waved as he headed toward the door.

    Hyder smiled. ¡°It was good seein¡¯ ya again, Silver.¡±

    Again, she nodded as he, too, left. Before the door closed, she caught part of their conversation.

    ¡°Gods, she was scarier ¡®n¡¯ ye on a bad day. What¡¯d ye do ta tha poor thing?¡±

    ¡°Ah, she¡¯s always like that in tha mornin¡¯. She¡¯s still young ¡®n¡¯ can¡¯ control her bloodlust yet. Just needs a stern hand ta guide her until she¡¯s fully awake, tha¡¯s all.¡±

    Silver scowled and only caught part of Hyder¡¯s reply, something about his rough methods on kids, but it didn¡¯t matter. She made a mental note to return the favor to Rath someday.

    Now on her own, she was at a loss. There was a large chunk of time before she could expect Mina to show up, but she had been up for too long to go back to sleep. Cursing Rath again, she decided to do some practice on her own upstairs.

    -------------

    ¡°Hello? Silva?¡± Mina¡¯s voice drifted nervously up the stairs.

    Silver immediately froze mid-strike against the wooden dummy and brushed the sweat from her forehead. ¡°Hold on, I¡¯ll be right down.¡±

    Reclaiming her throwing knives and tucking her daggers back away, Silver headed down the stairs where Mina waited just inside the door. The older girl smiled warmly.

    ¡°Ye can come further in, it¡¯s alrigh¡¯. I¡¯ll go clean up, so go get back inta tha dress ye wore yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Ok,¡± Mina agreed, peering closely at Silver¡¯s face. ¡°Ye seem...happy...this mornin¡¯.¡±

    Silver¡¯s smile froze, but she refused to let the comment get to her again. ¡°I¡¯m happy every mornin¡¯. Now go get changed.¡±

    The younger girl nodded several times before scampering off to Silver¡¯s room. With a sigh, Silver went outside and scrubbed herself down the best she could without taking everything off. Mina emerged from the house and watched until she had finished.

    Satisfied, Silver said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The duo walked until they came to the roll cart which was currently a roll box. The stall keeper smiled, somewhat apprehensively like the day before, when she saw them. ¡°Ah, Silver. Ye¡¯ve brough¡¯ a friend this time.¡±

    ¡°I did,¡± Silver smiled again. Was she really that bad in the morning? ¡°I have a request.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± The woman¡¯s apprehension began to grow.

    ¡°How d¡¯ya feel about takin¡¯ on an apprentice? That is, if that¡¯s what Mina wants.¡± She looked toward the younger girl who squeaked.

    ¡°M-Me?¡± She immediately ducked behind Silver, peering nervously at the stall keeper.

    The stall keeper looked moderately uncomfortable by this point. ¡°I¡¯d like ta help ye out, but--¡±

    Here, Silver took a page out of Rath¡¯s book and held up her hand. ¡°I know yer rebuildin¡¯ ¡®n¡¯ all, but don¡¯cha think an apprentice could help out? ¡®M not askin¡¯ ya ta pay her right off tha bat, jus¡¯ food ¡®n¡¯ shelter. She¡¯s smart. She¡¯ll pick up anythin¡¯ ye teach her quickly, so ye can get back on yer feet faster.¡±

    Now, the woman was thinking, pensively gazing at the younger girl, though her mind was clearly elsewhere. Deciding to give her one final push, Silver stepped up next to her.

    ¡°Yer plannin¡¯ ta move inta tha general market, aren¡¯cha? If ye take ¡®er, I¡¯ll help provide funds ta get ye closer each week,¡± she whispered into the woman¡¯s ear.

    To be honest, it was a guess, but one she felt was worth banking on. Silver knew that the stall¡¯s rolls were fairly popular and that there was no way that the woman wouldn¡¯t have been able to afford a raised tax unless it was a truly exorbitant amount. More than likely, she chose not to pay it. The tax collectors sometimes liked to make an example out of an unlucky owner, but Silver had an inkling that that wasn¡¯t the case this time. Yesterday, the woman had looked troubled after Silver slipped her the money. Most in the slums had nothing against charity and only worried about debts, but Silver had no need to claim such a thing from a simple stall keeper. The woman may have instead worried about Silver¡¯s retaliation should it be discovered that her stall¡¯s destruction hadn¡¯t been unavoidable.

    The amount that Rath would pay out of the common pot wouldn¡¯t be enough to recoup all the costs of a destroyed stall, of course. This was, in part, to discourage people from allowing their stall to be destroyed rather than pay the tax. They would still take a loss. But in this woman¡¯s case, some things were more important than the money she would have to pay to restart. If she paid the raised tax now, the next time the tax collectors came, they might take more. Or they might get the idea she was hiding even more money. If she was indeed putting money away to be able to buy a spot on the main road, that would be her worst case scenario.

    Confident in her conclusion, Silver stepped back and looked at the woman expectantly. The woman, for her part, threw the girl a startled look before falling back deep into thought. Mina looked between the two bemusedly.

    ¡°I don¡¯ think it¡¯s a bad idea. I could use tha help,¡± the woman said at last, now looking at the two girls seriously.

    Silver offered a brilliant smile before turning to Mina. ¡°What d¡¯ye think? Ye don¡¯ hafta do it if ya don¡¯ wanna. I thought ya might enjoy workin¡¯ in a shop.¡±

    Mina hesitated, looking at the woman. ¡°It¡¯s ok? Ye don¡¯ mind?¡±

    ¡°No¡¯ a bit,¡± she smiled back, now fully warmed up to the idea.

    ¡°Then, I look forward ta workin¡¯ with ye, Mistress,¡± the young girl said with an attempt at a curtsey. A second later, her arms were thrown around Silver. ¡°Thank ye, thank ye, thank ye,¡± she sobbed excitedly, burying her face into the older girl¡¯s dress.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    Silver patted her head, chuckling. ¡°Don¡¯ thank me, thank tha stall mistress fer agreein¡¯. It won¡¯ be easy, but I¡¯m sure ye can do it.¡± She pushed the raven-haired girl toward the stand.

    ¡°Alrigh¡¯, well, I don¡¯ have much right now, but I¡¯ll show ye the basics of how I run things here.¡±

    It seemed that the woman wanted to jump straight in, so Silver excused herself and headed off to the general market with a small smile on her face. Of course, there was no guarantee that the arrangement would continue to go well, but she held high hopes that it would. It was probably the best option for Mina as she was now.

    With one problem settled, at least for the time being, she turned her attention to Rath¡¯s request. Today, her area would be in a different part of town. Assignments rotated every couple of days to avoid having the same pickpockets in the same areas all the time. Of course, they didn¡¯t work every day and were allowed to choose when they would so long as they paid their dues each week. Having everyone out like had happened during the tax collection day was rare, limited only to special occasions. Since most people entered the general markets via the official roads, they had to pay a bribe each time they entered so going every day would be a heavy burden to bear. If the guards caught Silver entering the way she did, she would have to pay twice the fine at the very least.

    Making sure her ring was secured, she went to work. No problems presented themselves in any form. In a way, it made her feel a little baffled, but she shrugged it off for the time being. This was more typical than the strangeness during collection day had been. Regardless, she decided to go in search of the others to check in. What she found made her frown.

    ¡°Ye saw him taken?¡± she asked for confirmation.

    Zeik, also working today, nodded. ¡°An¡¯ I heard about two yesterday. These damned coins ¡®r¡¯ bein¡¯ passed around like candy. The higher tiers can still turn a profit but if tha lesser marks are holdin¡¯ ¡®em, too...¡±

    Silver understood. The lower tiers of pickpockets didn¡¯t have a detection ring. They didn¡¯t have any defenses and, as such, were simply arrested, sent who knew where. Or worse.

    ¡°They can¡¯ be plannin¡¯ ta do this ferever,¡± she sighed. ¡°It¡¯s gotta be expensive fer them, too.¡±

    Even if the enchantments were laid on cheaper copper coins, the enchantments themselves cost upwards of five silver depending on the effectiveness.

    ¡°But I don¡¯ get why they¡¯re botherin¡¯. Were their losses too much? After all these years?¡± Zeik growled, angrily striking the wall of the nearby building with his fist. ¡°I¡¯m only a bit away from retirin¡¯ from these streets, but this is settin¡¯ me back.¡±

    Silver pitied him, but if she showed it, it would only piss him off more. Not everyone wanted to stay in the relatively high-risk high-reward trade of a high-tier pickpocket longer than was strictly necessary. Plus, Zeik had hit puberty and was rapidly changing. It wouldn¡¯t be long before he couldn¡¯t blend in as effortlessly. Most kids not from the slums his age would bear the mark of an apprenticeship or shop.

    She tried to find a solution, starting from the simple ¡®stop pickpocketing until their guard drops.¡¯ That wouldn¡¯t work, though. The pickpockets would never go for it because they¡¯d fall behind in their dues. Not the worst outcome, maybe, but it would set them down the ladder further. Maybe the younger, low- and mid-tier kids wouldn¡¯t mind waiting for a bit, but those belonging to the high-tier would refuse.

    Then again, maybe that wasn¡¯t so bad. The high-tiers had ways to deal with the problem and would deal with it as needed. If they lost money, well, that was on them. But the younger kids were a problem.

    Silver looked at Zeik who shook his head, guessing at what she had thought of. ¡°I won¡¯ stop jus¡¯ yet.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± she replied. ¡°I¡¯m gonna ask the low- and mid-tier groups ta back out fer now while we look inta this. All I need ye ta do is let me know how many ye get when ye go ta work.¡±

    Zeik thought about it before nodding. ¡°I can do that much, I guess. Yer not gonna stop either, are ye?¡±

    ¡°Nah. It¡¯s botherin¡¯ me. The nobles decidin¡¯ ta get in our way even more.¡± She chose not to tell him she still had yet to run into a tracker coin.

    ¡°Good luck ta ye, then.¡±

    ¡°Same ta ya.¡±

    Without any further discussion, they split up like the last time, Silver going in search of the other pickpockets. She spread word to the lower tiers, telling them to back off. Some of the older mid-tiers resisted and she shrugged. It wasn¡¯t really her concern if they made their own decision. The were old enough to take responsibility for their own actions. If they didn¡¯t wish to keep themselves safe, there was nothing she could do. On the other hand, she would do everything to protect the younger ones.

    The other high-tier pickpockets confirmed what Zeik had said. They¡¯d run into an unusually high number of coins, though less than on the collection day, and each confirmed the disappearance of some of the lower-tiered pickpockets. From what Silver gathered, a total of nine low- and mid-tiers had been taken. Coals of anger burned in the pit of her stomach. By time she¡¯d finished spreading the word, she didn¡¯t feel like working anymore. In a dark mood, she trudged home.

    To her surprise, several younger children were milling outside the building when she arrived home. Exasperated, she approached them. ¡°What are ye all doin¡¯ here? D¡¯ye wanna get in trouble?¡±

    They jumped as one and turned to look at her. One of the older boys, maybe ten years old, ran up. ¡°Silver! Is it true? We can¡¯ go out ta tha city fer a while?¡±

    Oh. That¡¯s what this was about. Of course, the kids she¡¯d sent back while locating the others in the city would have spread the word.

    ¡°It¡¯s true. Sorry ta disappoint ya. I¡¯ll try ta figure it out quickly so ye can get back out.¡±

    There was a collective ¡®aww¡¯ from the group as they drooped in disappointment.

    ¡°I¡¯m not scared o¡¯ no guards,¡± the first boy said, puffing his chest out proudly.

    She rapped him hard on the head. ¡°If ye were smart, ye would be. Once they take ya, yer gone. Didja notice that some of ya¡¯re missin¡¯? It ain¡¯ likely ye¡¯ll see ¡®em again.¡±

    She pressed the point heartlessly, hoping to get it into at least some of their minds. If it could help them survive even one day more, it was worth it.

    The boy didn¡¯t look convinced, but neither did he argue.

    ¡°Now get outta here. Ye¡¯ll hear when it¡¯s figured out, so enjoy tha downtime. Don¡¯ worry about yer dues fer now,¡± she continued, making shooing motions with her hands.

    Reluctantly, the crowd of kids dispersed and she breathed a little easier. She had the thought to visit Mina and see how she was getting along, but neither she nor the stall keeper was there. Silver assumed they¡¯d finished up for the day. With nothing better to do, she went to dispose of the wallets she¡¯d grabbed. After that, she went home to train, this time using their enchanted moving targets She let herself get lost in the rhythm until well after the sun had set.

    Suddenly, she stopped fighting and resheathed her daggers. She turned and looked at Rath, leaning against the doorframe to the stairs.

    ¡°Done?¡± he asked with his customary grin.

    ¡°Mhm. Let¡¯s get whatever errand ye have in mind outta tha way.¡± She gave a pointed yawn.

    ¡°Yer no fun anymore.¡± With that complaint, he turned and headed back down the stairs, leading her outside.

    They didn¡¯t share any further words as they slipped through the darkness, a pair of shadows under the blue-shaded moonlight. Silver took note of the occasional person creeping in the darkness, but they didn¡¯t dare attack the duo. Rath¡¯s long black braid flicked behind him as he quickly made his way through the street.

    The slums felt entirely different at night than they did during the day. More alive. But more than that, the atmosphere flipped entirely. It was exceedingly rare to find children out at this time. Stalls, too, were shut down for the night. In their stead, a number of small structures glowed with magelight or candlelight, offering low-quality alcohol and other such ¡®pleasures.¡¯

    The biggest change, however, was the activity at the border of the sections. One building in particular drew an excessive amount of traffic. If Rath and Silver¡¯s dwelling was the only two story building in the slums, this one was the largest overall. Even by general market standards, it was a behemoth. The din from inside matched its size. Laughter, the sound of dishes clinking, arguments, and other more questionable noises drifted outside, increasing in volume briefly each time the sound-dampening curtains swung open and closed.

    This was Haven, the biggest brothel in Lesand. Silver had been here a few times before with Rath, though always on the business end. She hoped that held tonight because she was not in the mood to play around here. Taking the mask proffered by Rath, she put it on just as he had done with his own.

    Rath pushed through the barrier inside, allowing the thick perfume permeating the air to assault Silver¡¯s nose. She coughed a couple of times but kept up behind the man who led the way through the front room filled with everyone from slum residents enjoying a luxury to nobles out for fun. Of course, everyone wore a mask so it was impossible to tell who was who, except for the male and female workers who were each denoted by a purple armband they wore. The slight haze hanging over the room merely added to the mysterious effect.

    Haven was, in a way, just that. Many different races were represented here, both as customers and workers. Security was as safe as could be; any belligerent customers were immediately escorted outside. To actually purchase sex, the customers had to submit to a disease check which would determine whether or not they had a transmittable ailment. The employees were cleared every day, so once the customer was okayed, they were allowed to head to one of the back rooms.

    Thankfully, it did seem like today was yet another business trip. Rath stopped by the counter, murmured a few words Silver couldn¡¯t hear over the cacophony of enjoyment to the worker, then opened a door into a long hallway. She stayed with him as the door shut, recognizing the path as the one to the brothel¡¯s owner¡¯s office. When they reached it, Silver tried to objectively ignore the sounds emerging from within which were anything but business-related. Apparently ignoring the sounds better than her, Rath began to knock and continued to do so until an annoyed woman¡¯s voice snapped at them.

    ¡°I though¡¯ I said I was busy tonight.¡±

    ¡°Funny. I thought we had a meetin¡¯ planned,¡± Rath retorted, none of his usual good nature showing.

    There was a curse followed by the door opening to reveal a fully naked woman in her fifties. From what Silver had heard, she¡¯d been quite the sought-after beauty in her youth. Based on the annoyed looks the two men inside had, she hadn¡¯t lost much of her desirability.

    ¡°Rath,¡± she purred, ¡°I though¡¯ ye said ye were comin¡¯ by earlier. I was so disappointed when ye didn¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit, Maggie. It won¡¯ take long, so let¡¯s get it over with.¡±

    ¡°Hold on, dears, I¡¯ll be back afore too long,¡± she said over her shoulder.

    Closing the door behind her with a click, Maggie beckoned the two of them to follow her to another room. Pulling out a key, she pushed it open and invited them inside, spreading herself out languidly on the bed.

    ¡°Isn¡¯ tha¡¯ Silver? Still cute as tha firs¡¯ time I saw her,¡± Maggie began.

    Silver stared back through the small eye holes in her mask without a word. She wouldn¡¯t know where else to look otherwise.

    ¡°Alrigh¡¯, Maggie. What d¡¯ye have fer me?¡± The smallest portion of Rath¡¯s bloodlust was leaking out, but Maggie didn¡¯t seem overly affected.

    ¡°Here.¡± She passed over a piece of paper. ¡°That¡¯ll show tha location. It¡¯s been well spoken for,¡± she added with a wink.

    ¡°Yer sure?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Two of tha guards confirmed it.¡±

    ¡°Yer sure they¡¯re sure?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Maggie rolled her eyes. ¡°Are ye satisfied?¡±

    ¡°Almost. Is tha time confirmed?¡±

    This time, she hesitated. ¡°More ¡®r¡¯ less. He changes it every time, but probably in a couple¡¯ve hours.¡±

    ¡°I guess that¡¯ll hafta be good enough.¡±

    ¡°Well then,¡± she said, standing and stretching lithely, ¡°I¡¯ll be gettin¡¯ back ta my other business, if ye don¡¯ mind.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯ let us keep ya,¡± Rath replied dryly.

    They moved back into the hall where Maggie locked the door. She turned and headed back to her office, waving as she walked, hips swaying from side-to-side sensually.

    ¡°Never sleep with someone ye¡¯ve gotta work with,¡± Rath advised Silver, watching the retreating figure disappear into her office. ¡°Makes things all kinds o¡¯ complicated.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯ plannin¡¯ to.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± He unfolded the paper and looked at it. Silver recognized it as a small-scale map of the city. A pinpoint of light appeared on its surface. After studying the location, Rath refolded the paper and tucked it away in his own pouch. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Ye aren¡¯ gonna tell me what this is about, are ya?¡± Silver asked as she trailed behind him to the exit.

    ¡°And spoil tha surprise? Why don¡¯cha tell me about yer day instead?¡±

    Silver knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to argue an explanation out of him, but they had emerged back into the front room anyway so she said nothing. They traversed their way back through the revelers and out into the clean, night air. The girl inhaled appreciatively.

    ¡°Tracker coins¡¯re still around,¡± she said as though the conversation hadn¡¯t had an interruption. ¡°I told tha younger kids ta hold back fer now.¡±

    Rath nodded. ¡°Probably fer tha best.¡±

    They shared some mindless small talk as they made their way across the no-man¡¯s land. As they closed in on the mysterious location, Rath would occasionally reopen the paper. The closer they got to the marked destination, the dimmer the light became. Finally, it was gone entirely, so Rath pointed upward indicating that they should scale the stone building nearby. Once they were in position, the man lounged back, relaxed.

    ¡°Now we wait.¡±

    They sat in silence. Silver was intensely curious as to why they were here and who they were going to spy on, but asking was useless and she didn¡¯t want to waste her breath. An hour passed, then two. She stifled yet another yawn. Finally, a stone below skittered against the ground. Silver snapped to full attention. Beside her, she felt Rath¡¯s attention sharpen as well. They both moved toward the edge, peering down to where a man dressed as a slum resident stood. Not long after, another, much better dressed man appeared.

    Rath got Silver¡¯s attention and pointed at the second man. She got his message and stared, allowing her sight to focus. Even from here, she could see his features perfectly. He, too, shared the common brown skin and black hair of the southern people. His hair was short, but not cropped, falling around his head in an almost messy manner. The white of the cloak that marked him as a guard stood out starkly against his dark skin and the silver of his armor. If she didn¡¯t know better, she would have sworn his eyes, so dark they appeared black, held a glimmer of the same innocence she so often saw in Mina¡¯s. Something like that had no place on a guard¡¯s face, even if that guard appeared to be not much older than she herself. She couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that he looked a little familiar.

    ¡°The thieves¡¯re targetin¡¯ tha Gellard family in three days¡¯ time, sir. A group o¡¯ five,¡± the man from the slums said after exchanging a greeting with the other man.

    ¡°That is in line with what else we have heard. Is there anything else you can tell me?¡±

    A nod. ¡°They¡¯ve got darkness scrolls fer tha job. An¡¯ a getaway plan through tha sewers.¡±

    The guard raised an eyebrow. ¡°It seems they¡¯ve put no small expense into this job.¡±

    ¡°Yessir. They¡¯ll have sleds in tha sewers, enchanted to run on top o¡¯ tha water.¡±

    ¡°Very well. I think that will suffice.¡± The guard passed over a bag that clinked heartily.

    ¡°Thank ye fer yer kindness.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll send a note along for the next meeting.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡± The man from the slums bowed and disappeared.

    The guard turned, casting his eyes up toward the building where Rath and Silver crouched. Neither one moved an inch. He waited several moments, then turned and left as well. Letting out a breath, Silver sat back.

    ¡°Gotcha, Jarl,¡± Rath smiled like a child on his birthday. ¡°Well, tha thieves won¡¯ be happy abou¡¯ havin¡¯ ta change their plans, but tha¡¯s one down.¡±

    ¡°Not a plant o¡¯ yers, then?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately not. Knew we had a leak with everythin¡¯ lately, but I don¡¯ think he¡¯s tha only one. Now tha¡¯ we know this one, we can have some fun.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Silver didn¡¯t care all that much what he did and was more interested in getting to bed right at the moment. ¡°Well, ye didn¡¯ bring me all tha way out here ta keep ye company. What¡¯s special abou¡¯ tha guard? He the captain?¡± She couldn¡¯t think of any other reason he wanted her to pay attention to him.

    Rath confirmed her guess with a nod. ¡°Tha annoyin¡¯ one.¡±

    ¡°Ye wan¡¯ me ta kill him ¡®r¡¯ somethin¡¯?¡± she asked, only half joking.

    ¡°No.¡± The answer was immediate and firm. ¡°More trouble than it¡¯s worth.¡±

    ¡°Noble kid?¡±

    ¡°Mm.¡±

    Well, that made sense. He was too young to be a normal guard. Still, it didn¡¯t seem like he lacked the skills to back him up in the position. What a pain.

    ¡°I wanted ye ta be able ta recognize ¡®im. And ta warn ya not ta get in over yer head with ¡®im. Don¡¯ fight ¡®im.¡± He looked at her seriously.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯ plannin¡¯ ta fight ¡®im,¡± she replied defensively.

    ¡°Keep it tha¡¯ way. Alrigh¡¯, tha¡¯s it. Like I toldja this mornin¡¯, I won¡¯ be around fer a while, so I¡¯ll leave ye ta handle tha kids. Ye can go sleep now.¡± Rath grinned again, serious mood dispersed.

    ¡°Ye dragged me all tha way out here fer this. I¡¯m goin¡¯ back, then. Have fun playin¡¯.¡± Silver couldn¡¯t help grumbling as she turned and made her way down the building.

    Rath watched her go before turning to look over the city. With a sigh, he, too, descended and went on to his next set of business.

 Chapter 5

    For the next couple of days, Silver tried dropping by the roll stall in the mornings but never saw Mina. When asked, the stall keeper always said she was working in another area at the time. Silver handed over a little of the extra money she¡¯d gathered going to the markets every day to the woman and tried to ignore the small kernel of worry growing in her heart. She told herself that nothing too bad could have happened since the woman still came every day. Still, she couldn¡¯t fully banish the various scenarios that clamored for her attention in her mind.

    She made a mistake.

    Going into the markets every day made her work routine. From time to time, Silver even targeted lower tier targets to check the situation of the tracker coins, but she continued to avoid them. Even as a professional, she began to let her guard down, allowing her worry for Mina more ground to take up residence. Today, she was so distracted that she hadn¡¯t noticed that the rotation had brought her back to the same spot she had been in during collection day.

    ¡°Ah, if it isn¡¯t the young Sylvia. It¡¯s early for your family to be back in the capital, is it not?¡±

    Jolted from her thoughts, Silver looked around and saw the ram halfling looking at her over a stack of boxes he was apparently moving to the stall. Instantly, she changed her posture so that her shoulders sagged a bit more than they had been, adopting a somewhat sorrowful expression.

    ¡°Pap got sick, so we couldn¡¯t leave,¡± she explained mournfully.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry to hear that.¡± The kindly beastman frowned with worry for the girl he¡¯d come to dote on. ¡°The herbs weren¡¯t enough?¡±

    Silver shook her head. ¡°The healers aren¡¯t sure what it is, but they say it doesn¡¯t look too dangerous.¡±

    ¡°The healers can¡¯t figure it out either, hm?¡±

    ¡°They think it¡¯s a cold. So it should go away soon.¡±

    ¡°If it was a normal cold, then the herbs you bought should have helped some¡­¡±

    ¡°They did help some, but what I had weren¡¯t enough to do all the work,¡± Silver responded, kicking herself internally. What was she doing, letting a spun story get this complicated? Everyone knew simple was best, and if one could work in a grain of truth, even better.

    ¡°It must be a particularly stubborn cold, then. It happens sometimes, especially with travelers. When my wife and I go to gather, we have to be careful.¡± Despite the story being poorly-woven in the girl¡¯s mind, the sheep-man seemed to find it believable. ¡°Did you come to buy more herbs, then?¡±

    She nodded. ¡°Yes, please.¡±

    ¡°Alright, give me a moment to finish restocking.¡±

    Silver watched him go about his work. When he¡¯d finished organizing, he immediately began to mix and grind herbs, not even to pause to look at which ones he was taking. Finally, he tipped it all into a small tea bag.

    ¡°Boil it in water for five minutes and have your father drink it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much,¡± she smiled, reaching for her personal coin.

    She froze, face paling. Her personal pouch wasn¡¯t in the place she usually kept it. Right now, in its place was the pouch of her last mark. It was proper manners to take your pouch out before making a purchase as a show of trust to the seller, a tradition pickpockets thrived on. Silver always kept the most recent stolen pouch in place of her personal pouch until she was a reasonable distance from her mark to avoid drawing attention to the opening of the pouch she wore on her waist. She had yet to exchange it out for her own having taken it not too long ago. If she took out the stolen pouch here, the man would know it wasn¡¯t hers. It was embroidered with a merchant¡¯s symbol and of a much higher quality than her own.

    Should she try to switch it out in front of him here and now? All of his attention was currently focused on her. Not even she was good enough to get away with that. Distraction? What would be natural enough? If she was a little bit further from his stall, she could pretend to trip, but she was right in front of him.

    There was nothing. A worried, young girl on an errand to the markets she frequently visited wouldn¡¯t have a reason to suddenly point at something, and she had nothing on hand to easily cause a disturbance, or at least not one that wouldn¡¯t be immediately traced back to her. Silver had been backed into a corner because of her own stupidity. She wanted to kick herself several times over. What kind of novice mistake after novice mistake was this? Had she grown too cocky? Why didn¡¯t she just say that they had come back a little early because they¡¯d forgotten to purchase something? Of course, seeing the herb seller made her immediately think of something medical-related. Her house of matchsticks was about to burn to the ground, and there was nothing she could do about it.

    ¡°Is something the matter?¡± The stall keeper looked on with deepening worry, having seen the color flee her face.

    Maybe there was one thing she could do.

    Silver patted a place close to, but not on, the stolen pouch. She willed tears to well up in her eyes as she looked at the halfling. ¡°It-It¡¯s gone. My money.¡±

    ¡°Your money pouch is missing?¡± The man looked shocked. Even if he had warned her to be careful before, he hadn¡¯t truly thought anyone would steal from a young girl.

    ¡°It¡¯s gone. What should I do¡­? Mam and Pap¡¯re going to be so angry.¡± Silver worked herself up as several tears fell. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mister. You even made the medicine for me.¡±

    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s no problem, my dear. Take a few deep breaths. You can pay me later, so just take it for now.¡±

    The girl felt a rare twinge of guilt shoot through her. This man was a genuinely good person. She knew that. It was one of the reasons she came to him for herbs when her ¡®family was in town.¡¯ He and his wife never skimped on the quality and sold everything for a fair price. Of course, that was also part of why they were still operating out of a stall, but Silver didn¡¯t hate that kind of honesty. And their herbs had helped numerous people in the slums. Taking advantage of this couple was not something she had ever wanted to do.

    ¡°Are you really sure¡­?¡± Part of her wanted him to say no, to see that she was lying to him. Not a very large part of her, but a part nonetheless.

    ¡°Of course, Sylvia. Pay when you can,¡± he replied with a smile.

    Silver closed her eyes, but the tears spilling right now were real. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    ¡°No need to apologize. However, I know someone who might be able to help you. I¡¯ve heard the guards have been giving out coins that help pin down the thieves. Apparently it¡¯s been working. Would you like me to take you to their headquarters?¡±

    That piece of information was enough to bring the girl back to herself. Careful not to lose her act, she wiped away the tears. ¡°Giving them away?¡±

    ¡°So it seems.¡±

    Silver pondered that for a few seconds before offering a small smile. ¡°Thank you, but I want to get this medicine back to my pap. I¡¯ll bring you the money and go to the guards later.¡±

    ¡°Thatta girl. Everything will be ok. And there¡¯s no rush on the money, alright?¡±

    ¡°Ok. I¡¯ll be back, mister!¡± With a wave, she was off.

    Silver ran further than she probably needed to, but after her recent string of slip ups, she didn¡¯t want to leave anything to risk. She still felt embarrassed to the point she wanted to crawl under a rock for a few days. Thankfully, she¡¯d gotten some relevant information out of the situation, so she couldn¡¯t call it a total loss. Tomorrow she would take money back to the stall. Maybe she could dig a little deeper into what the beastman had told her.

    For today, though, she headed home. It was still early, but she clearly wasn¡¯t in the right mindset to do her job properly. She stopped briefly on the way to ask one of the other high-tier pickpockets to spread the word to deliver their reports to her later. With that settled, she was free to spend the rest of the day performing mindless tasks around the house.

    Silver and Rath cleaned the house when they could, so it never got overly filthy. But since she had time today, she took advantage to wash their bedding and laundry, hanging it out to dry in the desert¡¯s summer heat. The upstairs training area didn¡¯t have much in the way to take care of. Rath had cleaned up the worst of his little game the other night, but some of the blood stain remained. It didn¡¯t matter. It wasn¡¯t the first, nor would it be the last. The main work up here was maintaining the equipment. She sharpened the edges of her spare blades and rubbed oil into the striking dummies. Though enchanted, proper upkeep would still prolong their life. Lastly, she fixed up the various throwing targets before running out of things to do.

    Thankfully, she¡¯d spent enough time that it wasn¡¯t long before knocks began to sound at the door. Silver took each report as it came, confirming that the situation had still not changed. The frustration among the pickpockets was mounting. She was thinking of what other steps could counter this new plan when she opened the door yet again, expecting another pickpocket, but instead finding Mina. The young girl was grinning from ear to ear, holding a covered basket.

    ¡°I brough¡¯ these fer ye!¡± she said without preamble, holding the basket out.

    Silver couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Mina¡¯s excitement, along with her being here safe and sound, dispelled the dark cloud that had come to reside above the older girl. She took the gift quite happily, pushing back the cloth on top to reveal several misshapen rolls inside.

    Mina looked on with a touch of concern. ¡°I know they don¡¯ look perfect ¡®r¡¯ nothin¡¯, but my mistress said they were ok!¡±

    ¡°Thank ya, Mina. They look delicious. Come inside, I don¡¯ wanna stand here ¡®n¡¯ eat alone.¡±

    They sat together at the table, Silver being careful not to put too much weight on it lest it decide it had stood its last. She offered one of the rolls to the younger girl who shook her head with a somewhat nauseated look on her face.

    ¡°I can eat ¡®em anytime I wan¡¯,¡± she said weakly.

    Swallowing another laugh, Silver bit into the roll, surprised by the sudden burst of floral flavor in her mouth. ¡°Didja put a type of jam in here?¡±

    ¡°Yep! I suggested it to tha mistress. It costs a bit, so we can¡¯ use it all tha time, but she said it¡¯s ok ta add it ta a few! We haven¡¯ even sold ¡®em yet,¡± the younger girl added conspiratorially.

    ¡°Well then, I am honored ta be able ta try tha early product,¡± Silver replied, enjoying the flavors. Perhaps there was a bit too much salt, but she didn¡¯t mind. This was the product of Mina¡¯s efforts over the past few days. She continued eating until the basket was empty, considerably more than she ate in a normal week.

    Patting her overfull stomach, she said, ¡°Thank ye Mina, that was a treat. Yer gonna make a fine baker.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Mina¡¯s eyes shined brightly. ¡°I¡¯ll bring more when I can!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to it. D¡¯ye know if yer mistress is still at her stall?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not. Didja need her fer somethin¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Nothin¡¯ urgent. I¡¯ll catch her tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Ok. I should probably get back, we get up early ta make tha rolls in tha mornin¡¯. I¡¯ll come see ye again, soon.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯ work too hard ¡®n¡¯ burn out,¡± Silver chuckled. She had never seen Mina so invested in something before and hoped it wasn¡¯t temporary.

    ¡°I won¡¯! G¡¯night, Silva.¡± Mina bid farewell and rushed off, taking the empty basket with her.

    Silver realized she was smiling loosely, the result of the release of stress she hadn¡¯t realized had built so high. It was something she would need to keep a closer eye on in the future to avoid situations like today. She stayed up a while longer to see if any late reports would come in and then turned in for the night.

    -------------

    Before leaving today, Silver made sure that there was nothing to incriminate her, even opting to leave behind her weapons. She left the house feeling naked. It was later in the morning, but not yet afternoon, so she imagined that it was a good time to drop by the roll stall. As usual, the woman was there, but there was no sign of Mina.

    ¡°Mornin¡¯,¡± Silver said as she approached.

    ¡°Good mornin¡¯, Silver,¡± the woman replied.

    ¡°Tha rolls last night were delicious. Thank ye.¡±

    The comment drew out a smile. ¡°That Mina¡¯s a hard worker. It won¡¯ be long afore we¡¯re able ta sell her rolls at the stall, which¡¯ll be a big help.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad ta hear that. Ah, I dropped by today ¡®cause Mina fergot this last night.¡± Silver held up a small pouch, one of the ones that had carried herbs previously. Inside were thirty silvers.

    The stall keeper took the bag cautiously. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure ta pass it on ta her,¡± she said, looking for confirmation in Silver¡¯s eyes. The girl nodded.

    ¡°Thank ye again, fer everythin¡¯.

    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure.¡± The sincerity in her voice made Silver smile.

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be off.¡±

    They exchanged nods and Silver headed off toward the market.

    Silver showed a much happier face today when she met up with the herb salesman. ¡°Hello, mister. Thank you for yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re back today? How is your father?¡± He inquired with a favorable smile, seeing her mood.

    ¡°Pap¡¯s doing better. Mam said the healers said he¡¯d be back on his feet soon.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that.¡±

    ¡°Oh! They sent me with the money. Here,¡± she said, passing over three silver. She had changed her money pouch out to one similar to her usual one, though somewhat newer. The last one was ¡®stolen,¡¯ after all, though she doubted whether he would have noticed that detail.

    ¡°My dear Sylvia, this is far too much!¡± he couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. ¡°The medicine from yesterday is only worth one silver and fifteen copper pieces. This is double that! Surely you must know that. Not to mention, you were just pickpocketed.¡±

    ¡°Mam always says to repay favors, and she said to give you this. She said she¡¯s grateful for the kindness you always show me!¡± Silver affected embarrassment as though she were truly an eight year-old who had been seen through by her parents.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    ¡°Is that so.¡± The man thought for a moment. ¡°Well, even if you say that, I can¡¯t accept all of this with a clear conscience. Perhaps we can use part of it for lunch? My wife isn¡¯t back yet, so I have some time. Unless you plan to eat with your parents?¡±

    Silver shook her head at the question. ¡°Mam was up helping Pap with the tea last night, so she said she was gonna sleep some. She gave me money for lunch! I don¡¯t mind eating together.¡± It was the least she could do, to let his mind be at ease some.

    ¡°Then let us go. It is a little early perhaps, but I¡¯m hungry.¡±

    They went in search of a shop the man had in mind after he secured his wares and chatted about little things. Silver was careful to keep details about her ¡®past¡¯ as close to reality as possible. Unfortunately, she knew little of the north where she claimed to be from, so she steered the conversation away from those types of inquiries where she could.

    ¡°Were you thinking of going to the guards, then?¡± the beastman asked once they had finished.

    ¡°Mhm,¡± Silver nodded. ¡°It might be too late, but Mam said it couldn¡¯t hurt.¡±

    She was curious about why the guards were suddenly giving out such expensive enchantments like they cost nothing. Had someone pickpocketed a noble who was angry enough to sponsor such an effort? Or perhaps many of them? It was something she hoped to find out by going directly to the source.

    ¡°Shall I take you there?¡±

    ¡°Mm¡­ Yes, please. If you have time? I¡¯ve never talked to a guard before.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see how my wife could fault me for making sure you were ok through this.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± the girl smiled.

    Of course, Silver was well aware where the main building for the guards was, in addition to each of their outposts. Still, she let the ram halfling take the lead.

    A ruby red lizard the size of a large dog sunned itself outside their destination. The only thing marring it''s color was the light grey collar clasped around its neck. Though its eyes were closed, Silver knew that the magical beast would be ready in a second if it received a command from its master. Inferno lizards, as they were called, were not uncommon in the south, even as tamed magical beasts. It was, however, unusual to see them in the areas outside of the mage academy and noble district. The lizard drew many curious glances and the beastman gave the creature a wide berth as he pushed through the heavy curtains.

    Silver looked around curiously--until now, she¡¯d never been inside. The air inside the building was cool, the walls inscribed with cooling enchantments. Immediately to the left upon entering, the wall was covered with posters depicting described likenesses of wanted criminals. She gave those a once over and saw a few familiar faces. Most of them had already taken up less visible positions in the criminal world. Under the posters were several desks where workers took care of various paperwork and requests. To the right was another area blocked off by a curtain, but there were no windows allowing visitors to see inside. She guessed it was a private break room for the guards. Directly in front of them were several chairs where visitors could sit while waiting.

    The beastman beckoned her forward toward the desks.

    ¡°Hello,¡± he began, addressing one of the workers there, ¡°my friend here had her money pouch stolen yesterday. Is there anything that can be done to help?¡±

    The male receptionist barely glanced over the two of them before handing over a form and a cheap, common stone pen. ¡°Fill this out,¡± he said in a bored voice.

    Silver looked at the form but couldn¡¯t read a word. Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t unheard of for a girl of her apparent age to be illiterate, especially as the daughter of a small-time merchant family.

    ¡°Mister, I still can¡¯t read it all or write. Could you help me?¡± she asked the stall keeper.

    ¡°Of course, my dear,¡± he smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s sit over there.¡± They took a seat on the chairs and he began. ¡°Name? Sylvia. No surname? I¡¯d assumed not. Let¡¯s see...age¡­?¡±

    ¡°Eight,¡± she supplied.

    The beastman nodded and continued after writing it down. ¡°Amount stolen?¡±

    ¡°Four silver and twenty-three copper.¡±

    He looked surprised. ¡°You remember well.¡±

    At that, Silver smiled proudly. ¡°Mam always says to keep track of every copper you spend.¡±

    ¡°A wise woman indeed. Time stolen?¡±

    ¡°Mm¡­ I¡¯m not sure. Around lunchtime yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Any identifying marks on the pouch?¡±

    ¡°Nope, it was just brown.¡±

    ¡°Did you have any tracking enchantments on it or the coins? And if so, do you have the tracker¡¯s eye?¡±

    An enchantment on the pouch? She¡¯d never heard of something like that before. Was it even possible to do that? It must be if it was a question on the form. The tracker¡¯s eye, on the other hand, she had heard of. It allowed anyone to track the object it had been linked to if the connection wasn¡¯t broken by something like the dechanters. It was a large part of why the enchantments were so expensive.

    Silver shook her head.

    ¡°And lastly...an address. Would you like to use where you¡¯re staying now? Or perhaps you could use my store? We¡¯ll be here longer than your family, I imagine. That way, if they find anything, I can hold it for you until your family comes to the capital again.¡±

    ¡°Is that really ok?¡± she asked, brows furrowed.

    ¡°Of course it is! I wouldn¡¯t offer if I didn¡¯t mean it.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s not a bother¡­¡±

    ¡°Ok...and...done! Let¡¯s turn this in.¡±

    The beastman handed over the finished paper to the same receptionist who didn¡¯t even look at it before placing it onto a nearby stack. Again, hardly sparing them a look, the receptionist handed over two coins while dispassionately saying, ¡°As part of our current campaign to reduce theft in the city, we are giving out free tracker coins. Take care not to spend them if you wish for them to be of use. Come back immediately if you are robbed.¡±

    ¡°Just the coins? Not the eye?¡± Silver couldn¡¯t help but blurt out as she accepted one. She had left her ring behind today, so she had no way of checking the enchantment. Already she was planning to slip it into someone¡¯s pouch on her way back. Or, she supposed, she could spend it.

    The receptionist looked at her with undisguised annoyance. ¡°The captain put the enchantments on himself and can therefore trace them without an eye. If that is all, I must get back to work.¡±

    It didn¡¯t seem like he was doing anything of pressing importance and Silver still had a thousand burning questions, but it was probably for the best. If she asked too much here and now, it would be suspicious. Still, it was too much to believe that any one person could keep track of the tens, if not hundreds, of tracker coins that were currently in circulation. What kind of monster was this captain¡­?

    Silver peered at the copper coin in her hand. There was nothing to tell it apart from an ordinary coin to the naked eye. She looked up at the ram halfling beside her. ¡°Have you ever used one before?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°We have a couple on hand, but we¡¯ve luckily never been robbed, so they sit there gathering dust.¡±

    That news pleased the girl. She might even go as far as to hunt down the one who stole from them if it happened in the city. Well, probably not, but it was the thought that mattered.

    ¡°So I just...put it in the bag?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the gist of it.¡±

    ¡°Ok,¡± she said, putting it into the bag at her side. If she put it in her actual money pouch and couldn¡¯t tell which one it was, she¡¯d be in trouble later. ¡°The captain must be really nice!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear you say that, but truly it is out of my own desire to see these streets safer that I do this,¡± an unfamiliar voice spoke from behind her.

    If she hadn¡¯t felt the presence of someone coming up from the off-limits room, it would have startled her. As such, she faked a startled jump and turned to face the man. ¡°Oh!¡±

    ¡°My apologies, miss. I didn¡¯t mean to startle you.¡±

    This was the selfsame man she and Rath had spied on just recently. He had a pleasant smile on his face. Being this close, she realized that his features actually reminded her somewhat of Rath, which is what had struck her previously. But the impression they gave off couldn¡¯t be more different, and this man was at least twenty years Rath¡¯s junior. Perhaps he was Rath¡¯s child, born a bastard into a noble family. The thought almost made her laugh, but she covered the impulse with a bright smile in return.

    ¡°Thank you for making the city safe!¡± she curtsied.

    The captain laughed, waving a hand. ¡°It is the other guards you should be thanking. I, alone, could not accomplish much.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re the captain passing out all these coins? Doesn¡¯t it get hard with all of them?¡± Silver kept her eyes wide and awe-struck.

    ¡°Perhaps it would ordinarily, but I have a trick.¡± He smiled but didn¡¯t say anything else.

    After waiting a moment, she decided to risk prodding him. ¡°Ohh, a trick with magic! That¡¯s so cool! You¡¯re like...a magic detective!¡±

    This elicited another laugh. ¡°Something like that. It isn¡¯t magic, but rather logic with a bit of luck.¡±

    Logic and luck, huh? ¡°I think magic sounds cooler, but I guess those other things are ok, too.¡± She turned and looked at the beastman who was eyeing the captain somewhat warily. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s cool?¡±

    He jumped and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s cool. Pardon me, captain. I am Hidal of the Ranzem clan. It is an honor to meet you,¡± he finished with a bow.

    ¡°The honor is mine, Hidal. Forgive me my lateness as well. I am Rinear, captain of the guard. You are this child¡¯s guardian?¡± Rinear returned the bow.

    ¡°No, she is just a friend. She often buys herbs from my stall and happened to have her money stolen recently, so I came with her to help file a report. Her father has recently taken ill, and her mother is with him,¡± Hidal explained.

    ¡°Ah, I see. And what¡¯s your name, little one?¡±

    ¡°Sylvia!¡±

    ¡°Well, Sylvia,¡± the captain said, bending on one knee and patting her head like she so often did to Mina, ¡°I hope that your money won¡¯t go missing again, but if it does, do come back and ask for me. Hopefully, it won¡¯t be too late to track down.¡±

    ¡°Ok!¡± she agreed.

    Standing up, Rinear paused for a moment before asking, ¡°By the way, and do forgive me the personal nature of this question, but do either of you perchance have any disenchanting items on your persons?¡±

    Both Hidal and Silver gave him bemused expressions, the latter of whom didn¡¯t even need to act this time. What ordinary person would carry something like a dechanter? Silver had left all of hers back in her room, so she wasn¡¯t worried about him happening to find some on her, either.

    ¡°No, sir,¡± ¡°Nope!¡± they responded respectively.

    ¡°Hmm...strange¡­¡± Rinear scratched the back of his head looking baffled. He opened his mouth to speak again, but at that time, another guard pushed in from outside, interrupting.

    ¡°Excuse me, sir, one of the pouches holding one of your tracker coins was taken approximately three minutes ago.¡±

    ¡°Ah, it seems I must behave rudely once again. It was a pleasure to meet the two of you. I hope we might meet again.¡± He bowed to the duo before returning his attention to the other guard, giving an order as he walked toward the exit. ¡°I haven¡¯t felt one disappear or move yet. Gather a group. If it disappears, we will hurry to that place and see if we manage to catch anything.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Both guards left the building, leaving the beastman and the girl behind.

    ¡°Well, he seems a decent sort,¡± Hidal commented.

    Silver barely caught a snarky reply from betraying her. ¡°Mhm! I wanna grow up to be like him.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re already a good girl,¡± he smiled at her. ¡°It is time that I get back to work as well. I¡¯m sure I will see you again, and I will let you know at that time if I hear anything.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, mister!¡± Leaving, she noticed the lizard was gone. Probably the noble captain¡¯s pet, she guessed.

    -------------

    Logic and luck. And the comment about the coin disappearing and moving¡­ She hadn¡¯t heard any reports of anyone getting caught, so it seemed that whatever had happened earlier hadn¡¯t gone well for the guard captain. If she was the one keeping tabs on all those coins, how would she do it? It wasn¡¯t a magic solution, if she were to believe his words. That worked in her favor since she didn¡¯t have an intricate knowledge of how enchantments or, indeed, magic in general, functioned. She doubted, though, that he could tell which coin belonged to whom.

    Where had the low- and mid-tier pickpockets been when they¡¯d gotten caught? Had she asked? No. She only knew that they¡¯d been caught. Movement¡­

    There was a knock on the door.

    ¡°Silver,¡± Zeik said when she opened it, ¡°Another mid-tier got pulled in a bit ago.¡±

    ¡°Where?¡± she asked immediately.

    ¡°Not far past tha checkpoint, I think.¡±

    Silver¡¯s eyes narrowed as a piece of the puzzle fell into place. However, even though she now had that piece, all it did was open a world of headaches for her. She sighed.

    ¡°I might regret askin¡¯, but are ye ok?¡±

    ¡°I think I know how they¡¯re goin¡¯ about this, but findin¡¯ a solution¡¯s gonna be a pain in the ass.¡±

    Zeik¡¯s eyes brightened at her words. ¡°Ye¡¯ve figured it out?¡±

    ¡°I think so,¡± she emphasized.

    ¡°How?¡± his inquiry came impatiently.

    ¡°I found out that tha captain¡¯s enchantin¡¯ all tha coins himself. If he does that, it doesn¡¯ cost ¡®im much. My guess is that he goes after tha coins that come ta tha slums. There¡¯re guards at tha checkpoints, so if ye go in and out that way, it wouldn¡¯ take long ta getcha. And it¡¯d be obvious if he caught tha wrong person, like a noble ¡®r¡¯ a merchant on business. If he gets lucky, he might catch someone if they take too long ta use a dechanter, too. Logic and luck.¡±

    ¡°Ok,¡± Zeik said slowly, ¡°but even if he saves money doin¡¯ tha enchantin¡¯ himself, he still uses tha coins.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s some noble kid,¡± Silver replied distastefully. ¡°If this¡¯s a hobby fer him, it¡¯s just an investment.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. Still, if that¡¯s tha case, isn¡¯ it simple? Don¡¯ bring tha tracker coins out of tha market ¡®r¡¯ noble areas.¡±

    The girl massaged her temples. ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. Think about it. Fer tha high-tiers, not all of their marks¡¯re gonna only be holdin¡¯ his tracker coins. What if they have their own tracker¡¯s eye? Ye can¡¯ hold on ta tha coin fer too long without deenchantin¡¯ it. Think about why we use tha dechanters in tha first place. Even if ye spend it ¡®r¡¯ ditch it in someone else¡¯s pouch, there¡¯s tha chance that they¡¯ll be able ta track yer essence as tha most recent and follow it back ta ya.¡±

    ¡°I know that,¡± he said peevishly.

    ¡°So ye could go after smaller marks an¡¯ accept tha lower rewards by gettin¡¯ rid of the tracker coins,¡± she continued as though he hadn¡¯t interrupted. ¡°By tha time Mr. Nobility managed ta find tha coins, they¡¯d¡¯ve been passed around a couple of times. But tha¡¯s not much good, either. Not ta mention tha lower tiers. They don¡¯ have a ring ta begin with, an¡¯ they can¡¯ just dump all their copper; tha¡¯s most of their haul. ¡®N if a bunch of kids start askin¡¯ ta change their thirty copper fer a silver, someone¡¯s gonna cotton on.¡±

    For a while, there was silence while Silver sank deeply into thought and Zeik tried to find a flaw in her logic. Silver remembered Rath¡¯s description of the captain: annoying. She had to agree.

    ¡°Ye know, I do regret askin¡¯. I don¡¯ want this headache. I know they say two heads¡¯re better ¡®n¡¯ one an¡¯ all, but I don¡¯ think this head¡¯s gonna do too good. Sorry, Silver.¡±

    Silver¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Heh, not bad, Zeik. I have an idea.¡±

    Confused, Zeik asked, ¡°You do?¡±

    ¡°Well, half of one, anyway. Keep everythin¡¯ I told ya a secret fer now.¡± She glared at him. ¡°Secret. Don¡¯ tell anyone. An¡¯ I mean anyone.¡±

    ¡°I got it, I got it. Don¡¯ go offin¡¯ me now.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± she nodded. ¡°Goodnight.¡±

    The door shut in Zeik¡¯s face. He shook his head. Truly, he wished he hadn¡¯t asked. Now if something got out, she¡¯d blame it on him, and that kind of blame probably wouldn¡¯t end well. With a heavy sigh, he turned and trudged home.