Published Author Or Bust!

In the past I have been very reserved about posting my work on the Internet, but in an age where people are publishing novels online and distributing them for free, it can’t hurt to share the first draft of the first chapter of my novel. They may be a few editing notes and spelling mistakes - this is pre-editing - and it’s a bit of a long one. Any criticism is welcomed.

Chapter One - Jolku: Nothin’ planned

II didn’t have anythin’ planned that night. Never do usually, not on the night of a meetin’. I don’t think many of us do these days. Deep down, we’re a bunch of show-offs, and the best way to prove your skills is to think on your feet, see what the Saints throw your way. In my line of work, you need to.

So, with nothin’ planned, you can only guess where chance is goin’ to strike. I’ve got pretty good at with this line of thinkin’; stupid people are the easiest to work on, and drinkin’ loosens a stupid tongue. So, just settle in at a busy tavern, wait for someone stupid to arrive and buy them a drink. If you’re really good at it, you can buy it with their on money.

My tavern for this month’s meetin’ was the King’s Folly, down in the Rissu Quarter. Not known for its rich clients as it’s far too close to the slums for most of the city’s Hacs, but it’s never let me down yet. The drinks are cheap, there’s plenty of dark corners and exits, and any visitors from the Guardians are on the take. Plus, there’s the added challenge that half the drinkers are there for the same reason I am.

From my splintered wooden booth, I could see most of the room, as well as the stairs to the upper bar and the tavern’s front door. If anyone came in or went out, I would notice. Through the smoke hangin’ in the air, comin’ from both the fire and the ten or so pipes dotted around the room, I could see the clock above the bar. Not even ten. Plenty of time.

The cracked plaster on the walls and the ale-soaked furniture matched the people around the room: nothin’ special to look at but welcomin’ all the same. Most people were dressed in tattered clothes, torn by the wear and tear of another workin’ day deeper in the city, but all of them, men and women, were relaxed, leanin’ back in their chairs and becomin’ louder with every finished pint. With such a rowdy crowd in the tavern tonight, you’d have thought any dark, shady types would be hard to spot, but if anythin’, it just made ‘em stand out more. On this night, it took me a little over ten minutes to clock the man in the black cloak.

Like me, he had his hood up, coverin’ most of his face, and his cloak pulled around his shoulders, with only his hands visible, clutched together tightly on the table top. Unlike me, he drew too much attention to himself. He’d chosen a table in the middle of the room. He kept fiddlin’ with his cloak, pullin’ the hood closer around his face. And, what got me most interested, he kept lookin’ around, checking the doors. He was waitin’ for someone.

People meetin’ in a place like this generally have somethin’ planned. I should know, I use the King’s Folly for meetin’s like that every couple of months. Meetin’s like that generally involve one of two things – theft or murder. This one was unlikely to be a murderer. His sweatin’ hands looked too soft, too puny to be any good at swingin’ a sword or pullin’ a bow. He looked too nervous. If murder was on the menu tonight, it would be his first time.

That left theft, which was much more likely. Again, it would probably be his first, and if it wasn’t, he couldn’t have been thievin’ long. Whatever the case, if you were goin’ to start breakin’ the law round here, theft was where you started. The crime rate’s so high in some districts that you can knock off any shop, lie low for a month or so and all’s forgotten. The Guardians just can’t catch thieves. They’re too stupid and there’re too many good place to hide. If you try your hand at murder, though, they tear the streets apart looking for you and if you’re really unlucky, they bring in the Regals.

No, this guy was a thief, and he was bound to be a poor one. He’d probably been picked by a better thief to be used as a scapegoat. To get taken away by the boys in blue while his partner ran off the loot. It’s a trick that works and for a moment, I wondered if it was one of my lot. That’d mean I would have to move on. While the city’s big enough for all of us, we like to defend our turf. A scapegoat job takes time and money to set up and if a fellow thief ruins it, even the Saints can’t hide you.

After a while, I knew it wasn’t one of us that set this guy up. Whoever it was, he was pretty stupid too. Another reason this guy was lookin’ around nervously was his race: he was a Viseth. You could tell by the pasty, pale look of his skin, the green tint of his fingernails, the quality silk of his cloak. Few people seemed to have noticed, except me and the barman, probably ‘cause everyone else was drunk. The barman kept glancin’ over and glarin’ at the Viseth’s back, but didn’t motion for any of his barmaids to lead him to the door. Either someone was payin’ the barman off, not wantin’ any trouble, or the Rissu Quarter had finally accepted the Peace.

The moment the second cloaked man walked in I knew he was here to meet the Viseth. He strolled in with too much confidence, didn’t remove his hood, but made straight for the middle table, not lookin’ at anyone but his partner. His movements were stiff, tryin’ too hard to look tough – always the wrong thing to do in a neighbourhood like this.

Rather than sittin’ down with him, the second man simply tapped on the Viseth’s shoulder and marched up the stairs to the upper bar. The Viseth followed, still lookin’ around nervously, pullin’ his hood around his face. The barman watched them leave and turned away, servin’ the next woman at the bar. I listened to their heavy feet on the stairs above my booth and waited.

If I followed them upstairs straightaway, someone would have clocked me, probably the barman. With those two drawin’ enough attention to themselves, I didn’t want to stand out as well. Yes, I was missin’ whatever they were talkin’ about but there was no way around that. There was no other way upstairs so if they came down and left, I could just slip out of the side door next to my booth and follow ‘em.

I finished my drink, stood and wandered upstairs. My feet were just as heavy as everyone else’s and the stairs creaked but I fought the urge to sneak the rest of the way up. I was just a regular guy havin’ a drink, right? Like most taverns, the King’s Folly’s upper bar was much nicer than the one downstairs. Fewer tables made the room feel bigger and cushioned chairs made it more comfortable. The air was fresher, with all windows open, and the lack of pipes and a fire gave the place a cooler, cleaner feelin’. There weren’t many people either, which made it easier to both find and hear my two friends, sittin’ at a table in the corner of the room, their backs facin’ the stairs.

I calmly strolled up to the bar and ordered a drink, which cost a lot more than it did downstairs. When it arrived, I sat down at a table near the two cloaked men, their backs to me, my back to them and listened.

“Are you sure about this?” the soft voice of the Viseth asked.

“For the final time, yes,” the second man hissed. From his accent I guessed that, like most people round here, he was a Rissu. “It’s the easiest money you’ll make in the next three seasons.”

“But we could get in trouble.”

“Yes,” the Rissu replied dryly, “Breakin’ the law could get you into trouble.”

“Don’t joke. My family won’t be able to afford to bail me out of a Guardians cell. This whole thing is for my family – if we get caught, it’s all over.”

“Then make sure we don’t get caught. You’re the lookout, by the Saints!”

“But - ”

“All you have to do is stand outside and keep an eye out for the Guardians. If you see them, whistle and we’ll get out of there.”

I smiled. It was a good trick. As soon as the lookout whistles, you slip out the bank, leavin’ him standin’ in the middle of the street, waitin’ for you.

“And what if you find your own way out?” Clearly the Viseth wasn’t as stupid as he looked.

“Don’t you trust me?”

“You’re a thief!”

“So are you.”

“Not yet I’m not, and even after tonight, I’ll only be a lookout.”

“Tell yourself what you want, but once we knock over Hobb’s, we’ll both be guilty. You don’t have to thieve to be a thief.”

“Even so…”

“Look, what do you want?”

“I want my cut.”

“You’ll get it.”

“Up front.”

“I don’t have that kind of money. If I could afford to pay you now, would we be plannin’ tonight’s little venture?”

The Viseth went quiet.

“Look, this is my job, so we’re doin’ it my way. You’ll get your money once we’re safely away from the shop. I’ll deal with the lock, you keep a lookout, and I’ll swipe whatever I can. Understand?”

“Fine.”

“Right, let’s finish our drinks and get goin’. I want to be done before midnight.”

So did I.

***

Hobb’s Jewellery is definitely a lookout job. While Mineral Road is quiet and dark enough to work on, the shop is too close to the end that joins the torchlit Murphy’s Lane to be completely safe. Guardians partollin’ down Murphy’s often glance down Mineral, usually so that they don’t have to walk down there, savin’ a few minutes from their shift. And if you’re a particularly bad thief, jewellery shops have an added danger – after all, smashin’ through those glass cases isn’t quiet.

Since my friends from the King’s Folly weren’t all that bright, I chose to sit back from this one. Leavin’ the tavern before they did, I took a calm stroll towards Mineral Road on the northern edge of the Rissu District. Since they’d been kind enough to discuss their target out loud, there was no need to follow them. Even stupid people like those two can notice when someone’s followin’ them, but it’s a lot harder when that someone is actually ahead of them.

Mineral Road was pretty much deserted by this time of night. In fact, the entire district was quiet. It bein’ the middle of the week, no doubt people were less keen to spend a wild night out. As I made my way to Hobb’s, I only passed one person, a woman in a silky green robe that looked a little too expensive to belong to someone at home in this part of the city. The bulging purse at her hip suggested that she could afford it, though, so rather than concernin’ myself with her bein’ alone, I relieved her of the pouch as I passed. Bein’ my oldest skill, my pickpocketin’ went unnoticed. At least I’d have somethin’ to show for the night’s work if this job didn’t go well.

Most of the buildin’s on Mineral were shops, so the only people down here would be the two or three shopkeepers sleepin’ in the rooms above their stores ‘cause they didn’t have another house in some other district. The less people around, the less chance there was the two theieves would wake anyone up. Even so, I wanted to be able to get away quickly if – or when – things went wrong.

Pickin’ a shop opposite Hobb’s Jewellery, I crouched by the lock of the front door, and pulled my dagger from the sheath on my hip. I twisted the hilt until it screwed off completely, and took out the two lockpicks hidden inside. Lockpickin’ is the slowest part of a thief’s job, but the more you do it, the better you get. I’ve still got to work on it, but I’m good enough to get most doors open in a couple of minutes. This one was pretty easy so I was able to get into the shop quickly.

It was a simple grocery store, with breads, vegetables and cheeses laid out on the tables around the room. The shopkeeper must have been in a hurry to close up tonight ‘cause he hadn’t bothered to put any of it back in the pantry. For me, food can be a little hard to come by, especially if I have to lay low or a number of jobs go wrong. Always preparin’ for the worst, I reached for the sack hanging over my back and pulled out a soft blanket. Grabbin’ a loaf of bread and a couple of cheeses, I wrapped them up and dropped them back in the sack.

Now, I had to find a place to watch out for the two jewel thieves. Rooftops are somethin’of a favourite of mine. No one looks for you up there, especially at night, and runnin’ from roof to roof can be more quick and more easy than usin’ streets. Bein’ up there would let me watch them knock off Hobb’s follow them when they made their getaway and make my own if things turned ugly.

Before I made my way to the stairs, I walked behind the counter and started lookin’ through the drawers. Sure enough, one was filled with dathums, the small, smooth gold dice-like money that The Three Kingdoms runs on. I scooped them all out and dropped them in the pouch on my other hip, before turnin’ and headin’ to the back of the shop.

The stairs were pretty easy to find, so I quickly went to the top floor and checked out all of the windows. The ones that gave the best acces to the roof were at the front, so I opened them and climbed out onto the boxes of flowers outside. From there, I pulled myself onto the roof and turned to watch Hobb’s Jewellery. Now, all I had to do was wait.

The two thieves turned up a few minutes later. Once again the showed me they didn’t understand the basics of thievin’ – I could hear them arguin’ before I could even see them. The Viseth was insistin’ they look for a back alley behind thed jewellers. The Rissu was insistin’ that there wasn’t one and it would ruin ‘the plan’ if there was and they used it. Despite clearly havin’ more brains than his leader, the Viseth still didn’t seem to realise ‘the plan’ involved him and a Guardians cell.

“Right, we’re here,” the Rissu hissed, “Keep an eye out while I work on this door.”

The Viseth gave up arguing and did so. It took them twice the time it had taken me to get through one locked door, but at least they were sensible and kept quiet. The lookout kept spinnin’ round, scared of missin’ somethin’ but this meant he had all angles covered. Perhaps this wasn’t goin’ to go wrong after all. Perhaps it wasn’t goin’ to be so easy to rob them.

As the Rissu stepped quietly through the door, the Viseth tried to follow.

“No,” the Rissu snapped, “You’re the lookout, remember?”

“But I can see from inside,” his partner moaned, “I can look through the windows.”

“No, you’ll see more from the doorway.”

And be seen, I thought. The leader really wanted his scapegoat to be caught, and I almost wanted to warn the Viseth about what he was gettin’ into. I may be a proud Rissu, but I’m rather enjoying the Peace. Getting’ rich is easier when there’s three races to rob.

The Rissu went in, the Viseth kept lookin’ up and down the street, and it didn’t take long for them to make mistakes. They both kept arguin’, loud enough for me to hear from the roof, the lookout was standin’ in the middle of the street and just when I thought the thief knew what he was doin’, I heard the well-known sound of glass breakin’.

“What are you doin’?” the lookout called, panickin’.

“Savin’ time.”

“Couldn’t you just pick the locks?”

But it was too late. Through the winders of the buildin’s around Hobb’s, I could see candles bein’ lit. Someone on my side of the road must have seen what was goin’ on ‘cause I soon heard the nightmare call of: “Thief! Thief!”

The lookout ran inside, but another smash of glass told me the thief was not finished yet.

“What are you doin’? We’re got to get out of here.”

“Makin’ this worth our while. Now keep a lookout!”

“But - ”

“Guardians! Thief!” someone called. Strangely, there was only one voice. I never realised this street was so empty at night. Maybe I better head back here myself when the rent’s next due.

I looked down the road to see two Guardians approachin’ from Murphy’s Lane. A woman ran out from the salon three doors down from Hobb’s to meet them and pointed urgently at the jewellery store. The two nodded and drew their swords, walkin’ slowly towards the shop.

“This is the Guardians!” the first called in an angry woman’s voice, “Come out with your hands up.”

“No way!” the Rissu called back. If he’d just stayed quiet, he could’ve snuck out the back before they knew he was even in there. This thief really was a fool.

There was nothin’ for the Guardian to do but run into the store, her sword raised and her friend behind her. I stood, ready to move when I needed and listenin’ as hard as I could to the battle inside. There were no clangs between swords, just the sound of metal hitting wood or glass. As slow as they were when thinkin’, the thieves were obviously quick enough on their feet to avoid bein’ hit.

There was a loud smash of glass as a black-cloaked figure leapt through the left window. Without even turnin’ back, the man began runnin’ down the darker end of the road. The Guardianess burst out of the door and chased after him. The second thief followed, only to be hurled to floor by the remainin’ Guardian. As the officer tugged the hood off his face, I saw it was the Viseth. I grinned. The Rissu was gettin’ away with it.

“Backup!” the female Guardian called. “I need backup, Lorgas!”

Sure enough, the Rissu was gettin’ away. He was already a good distance in front of her and speedin’ away from Hobb’s jewellery, back into the heart of the Rissu quarter. Even on a dark night like this, I could see the expression on the remaining Guardian’s face, and it probably matched mine. It was the look of not knowin’ what to do next. He’d planned to simply grab the two would-be thieves, cart ‘em off to the nearest Guardians station and earn a pat on the shoulder from his captain. Now he had to secure one prisoner and help catch the other. Me, I had planned to follow these two and rob ‘em when the inevitable argument about splittin’ the loot. I thought they wouldn’t get caught – clearly, I gave ‘em too much credit. Now I had to wait and see what this officer did before I could make my move.

Keepin’ one knee on the back of the Viseth and his left hand pushin’ the thief’s head against the cobbled street, he reached for the belt around his blue tunic and took it off. As quickly as he could, he wrapped it round his prisoner’s wrists and stood, watchin’ as the Viseth tried to wriggle out of his bonds. They weren’t exactly tight, but the amateur criminal had pretty much given up now, knowin’ the only thing he could count on was a night in the cells.

The officer watched as his partner disappeared around the corner, still runnin’ after the Rissu thief, and stepped quickly over to the woman from the salon, who had been cowerin’ in by her door since the two guardians had run into the jewellery store. As soon as his back was turned, I slid slowly forwards to grab the edge of the roof, before swingin’ quickly and quietly into the open window below and closin’ it behind me. I ran quietly down the stairs and to the front door, openin’ it slightly so I could see out into the street.

There lay the Viseth, still not strugglin’ and not realisin’ that even an idiot like him could easily get out of there. I could hear the Guardian desperately tryin’ to persuade the salon woman to keep an eye on the prisoner until he returned, but she kept refusin’, askin’ stupid questions like “what if he escapes?” If he hadn’t done a runner by now, he was never goin’ to. I heard her turn and leave, slammin’ her shop door behind her, just before the Guardian opened it and called after her, lecturin’ her on ‘public duty’, yet another idea the Guardians has failed to put across to the people of this city.

I opened the door a little more and peered down towards the salon. The Guardian was standin’ in the doorway, beggin’ the woman to come and watch the thief. From the sounds of it, he wasn’t going to win that argument any time soon, so I opened the door and dashed across the street to the Viseth. He looked up as he heard me comin’ but I motioned for him to stay quiet.

“Looks like you’ve had a rough night, friend,” I said, kneelin’ down behind him. I reached for the dagger at my hip and sliced through the belt, freein’ his hands.

“What? Who are you?” he asked, gettin’ to his feet.

I didn’t reply, instead grabbing his wrist and pullin’ him back into the empty store across the road, pullin’ the door shut behind us. He hid behind the counter as I moved to the window and looked to see where the Guardian was. He was steppin’ back from the doorway, about to give up on this lady, who only a short while ago had been so eager to help the two officers catch the jewel thieves. That’s the way it is with this city, though. When you stand to be congratulated, maybe even rewarded for a good deed, you’re everyone’s best friend. As soon as you’re in a position where things can go wrong, you lose interest.

The Guardian turned to check on his prisoner and screamed. He hurried to the spot where his belt lay and crouched, lookin’ around wildly. He stood, dashed into Hobb’s, searching for his prisoner, and back out again, utterly lost. Then, clearly hopin’ to cut his losses by helpin’ his partner catch the other thief, he turned towards Murphy’s and ran. With a chuckle, I turned to my new friend.

“Thank you,” he said, “But why did you help me?”

“It looked like you needed it,” I replied simply.

“So what now?”

I could hear the worry in his voice and realised I still had my dagger in my hand. This guy had already been stabbed in the back by one partner, so he’d be a little more wary around me. I sheathed the weapon and nodded towards the jeweller’s.
“Now we finish the job.”

“Huh?”

“The Guardians have gone, the neighbour has lost interest and gone to bed, and your friend isn’t worried about his share anymore.”

“So?”

This Viseth truly was useless.

“So there’s nothin’ to stop us from helping ourselves.”

I saw his eyes light up briefly before his face transformed into a frown.

“What’s the catch?”

“Half,” I grinned.

“Half?”

“Half each.”

The Viseth mulled it over for a while, but I knew he’d already agreed. The Rissu had been plannin’ to give him a measly cut, if anythin’, so this would prove to be more profitable for him. Plus, he’d be on the way to the cells if it weren’t for me.

“Deal,” he grinned back. “Thanks, friend.”

“You’re welcome,” I lied.

***

Providin’ he learns from his mistakes, the Viseth might make a half-decent thief someday. He had been lightfooted enough to step around Hobb’s quickly but silently, and he took his time with everythin’ he lifted out of the glass cases so that nothin’ made a noise as he dropped it into my sack, even takin’ the care to shuffle the straw inside so the jewels didn’t clash against each other as I moved. It was almost enough to make me feel guilty. Almost.

“How much are we takin’?” he asked, hopefully. “As much as we can?”

“No. Fill each sack to about halfway,” I replied, not turning away from the beautiful jewelled necklace I was lifting carefully from its case. “We’ll never be able to fence this lot without someone tracin’ it, and you always need to travel light for the getaway.”

I don’t often give out free advice, but I was feelin’ strangely generous tonight. Besides, bein’ more friendly with this rookie was goin’ to help me accomplish what his former partner couldn’t.

We looted the place in silence for a while longer and once I was happy we’d taken enough, I led him through the back of the store. The rear door was locked but it was easy enough to pick, and we stepped out into the alleyway behind the shops. He made to run, but I stopped him.

“Walk. It looks less suspicious and will stop our haul from makin’ too much noise,” I said. “Save your energy for when you need it.”

He nodded and we walked calmly out of the alley and onto Murphy’s Lane, where we walked in silence towards the centre of the city. Occasionally we’d turn off and wander down another street, givin’ a cautious glance whenever we could spare it, before strollin’ back to a main road. Once we were far enough from Mineral Road, I led him into an empty courtyard surrounded by apartments.

“What are we doin’ here? Won’t we wake people up?” my partner asked.

“Not if you keep your mouth shut. And we’re dividing the loot,” I replied, putting my sack down and pretendin’ to rifle through it. He did the same, turnin’ his back to me. “I’ve got other stuff to do, places to be.”

“Is it a job? Do you need help?” he asked, not turnin’ away from his own sack. “I really appreciate you helpin’ me out back there, so if there’s anything I can do…”

“No, I should be able to help myself,” I grinned, bringin’ the hilt of my sword down on his head.

The Viseth rolled to the side before it could make contact, drawin’ his own sword and restin’ it against my neck as he stood. I froze, loosenin’ my grip on my own weapon to show that I wasn’t goin’ to make any stupid moves. Where the hell had that come from? If his reflexes were that good, how had he been caught not more than a quarter-bell ago? Somethin’ didn’t add up here.

“Take it easy, friend,” I cooed, an underlyin’ tone of menace maskin’ my panic.

“I’d follow your own advice, thief,” he spat. His tone was different, now deeper, darker, and even his stance had changed, holdin’ himself with a previously unseen confidence.

“You want my half? Fine. Take it.”

The Viseth just laughed. “You think I’m interested in that bag of jewels? You’re my real prize tonight. I had hoped to get the other guy, but I’m sure my colleagues will catch up with him before long.”

It all fell into place.

“You’re a Guardian.”

It wasn’t a question, wasn’t a statement. Just a few words to make me realise what a mistake I’d made. A pathetic mistake, too. I’d trusted what my eyes had seen and my ears had heard, trustin’ that the snivellin’ Viseth had been the victim in this. Assumin’ the other Rissu thief had been the one pullin’ the con, the one in control. This Guardian had simply been goin’ along for the ride, waitin’ to catch someone in the act. When the Rissu had scarpered, my pity for the amateur had put me directly into the line of fire. I’d even been stupid enough to bring him somewhere quiet where I could be caught off guard.

“I’m more than a Guardian.”

Somethin’ else clicked in my mind.

“You’re one of Haristin’s, aren’t you?”

“The Thiefcatchers, that’s right,” he grinned, smugly. “Like I said, I’d been aimin’ for the other guy, but you offered yourself so freely when that officer thought he’d caught me.”

Too trusting. It was a mistake I tried not to make, because when somethin’ like this happens, you’re on your own and there’s no one to blame but yourself.

“Bit of a cheap trick, isn’t it?” I asked. “Can’t you [insert plural insult here] catch us the normal way? Unable to keep up?”

“You bring us down to this,” he said, pressin’ the blade a little harder against my neck, the cloth of my hood protectin’ me from its edge.

“Well, I’m sorry to hear your standards have slipped even further. Pretty soon, you’ll be doin’ our job for us.”

An idea. Right there. But how to use it?

“Don’t worry. We’ll catch the lot of you before that happens. As for you, a trip to Wurther’s Gallery should help to discourage any friends you may have from followin’ your lead.”

Wurther’s Gallery. The large square in the city centre where all the main public executions are held. Where thieves are taken to made examples of.

“Wurther’s Gallery, eh? And a Thiefcatcher skulkin’ around my neighbourhood? I’m honoured. You boys must be desperate to catch me.”

“Hah!” the Viseth scoffed. “You wish. Didn’t even know you were lurkin’ around tonight. You’re just a bonus.”

“Still, you’ve got to be a little proud. Catchin’ a guy like me when all you were aimin’ for was a small fry like your partner back there. And on one of your first shifts, too. You’re new to the Thiefcatchers, aren’t you?”

“How would you know?”

“I give you guys the runaround every week,” I said, exaggeratin’ slightly. “Even Haristin has failed to catch me. I’ll bet he’ll be pleased when you take me to the station.”

His eyes glazed over, thinkin’ about the possible rewards. I tightened my grip slightly on the hilt of my sword and shifted on my heels. He snapped out of it and steadied his own sword.

“Then again,” I pressed, “what’s he goin’ to say when he finds out you’ve broken one of the laws you’re meant to be holdin’ up. Breakin’ and enterin’. Theft. Doesn’t look good on a new Thiefcatchers record, especially if you’ve only caught one of us.”

“It was all in the line of duty.”

“Was it? Is that how it will look when Haristin has to explain it to the Sheriff? Who will the Sheriff blame? Haristin or you? If Haristin takes the fall, will he take it out on you?”

The Guardian’s eyes dropped briefly, tryin’ to answer these questions in his mind. I gripped my sword and prepared myself.

“And how’s it goin’ to look when you have nothin’ to show for it?”

As he looked up, confusion in his eyes, I span on my heels, leanin’ forward to dodge his blade before swingin’ my own to knock it away. Takin’ a few steps back, I blocked his panicked attacks, lookin’ for a way out. He pressed forward, forcin’ me to step over the bags of jewels that still lay on the floor. I pulled my dagger from its sheath and made a heavy swing with my sword towards his arm. He blocked it with his own sword, but before he could recoil, I stepped in and delivered a swift cut to his hand with the dagger.

The shock of bein’ wounded made his stagger back, trippin’ over the sacks of jewels, dropping his sword as he did so. I kicked it away before stamping on his stomach, makin’ him splutter and wheeze. As he lay there, gaspin’ for breath and graspin’ for his sword, I heard voices around us. The fight had woken someone up. As he moved to roll away, I kicked him in the stomach again, grabbin’ my sack off the floor as he curled into a ball, and dashed back towards Murphy’s Lane.

I didn’t have anythin’ planned that night, but it’d turned out alright in the end. As I stepped onto Murphy’s, certain that I had plenty of room to run if I needed to, I yelled a single word, loudly and clearly.

“Thief!”

James Excerpt, The Thieves Guild