The Thief King

17. Church of Crows

It always was difficult sneaking out, the only window in the house found in her parents' old room. She could climb through it easily, but Sera slept so lightly that Hannah could not take that chance. The front door was equally treacherous. An endless maze of loose floorboards that groaned and creaked at the lightest footfalls. Once past those hurdles, the door was renowned for making a loud cracking sound. It was broken, rusted and malfunctioning. Instead of swinging open, it needed a forceful shove to dislodge the hinge before it could open.

There was a third exit. A forgotten one. Hannah's father must have built it to keep his old boating equipment. A basement. It spanned almost the entire block, beginning under their old, tattered rug and ending inside a fireplace of a burnt out building. The only danger on the other end was the occasional group of men that lurked in the building. Probably for shelter.

Tonight, two men talked softly a room away. Hannah was always cautious about exiting the fireplace. She listened and waited, until convinced they were not moving from their positions. It was a simple thing slipping through the house undetected. Prisms of moonlight shafted through open windows and gaps in the roof, casting deep shadows. It made Hannah think of her brother's lesson on chiaroscuro. Shadow did not exist without light, and it was up to the artist to capture just how dark shadows could be.

Joey waited for her at their usual meeting spot. He sighed when he saw her, but his face stubbornly kept the concerned frown.

"What took you so long?"

Sera had waited for Koltin's return for hours before giving up. "Sera was excited about the market tomorrow." Hannah shrugged. Her grin was not answered so she dropped it. "Don't be such a sour face. I'm here and we still got time, don't we?"

"Travis will find a reason to be mad."

"Travis can be-" Hannah pursed her lips. "It don't matter. Come."

They ran towards the docks, taking the back routes. The streets were understandably empty. A gentle snow was falling and the air cut through Hannah's clothes as if she wore nothing but a summer shirt. She ran faster. The exertion helped her body regain some warmth. Joey kept up, his long legs carrying him effortlessly. Hannah hated him for his height.

The ancient fishing hut was quiet. They crawled through the slatted window to find their friends already huddled together around a slow-burning fire. The light, surrounded by the group of bodies, cast long shadows along the floor and up the wall like a dead sun.

"Oy!" It was Travis. "You two, late. Should I be surprised?"

Joey balled his fists at his side and dropped his gaze. Hannah stepped forward and placed both hands on her hips. "We here, ain't we?"

"I said midnight didn't I?" Travis moved away from the group. "First ye bring me a meager loot and now ye show up late. You youngins are pushing yer limits with me."

Hannah's throat dried up. Her tongue felt heavy and her heart sped with every step Travis took towards her. Was it because she was afraid he would hit her? Would he hit her? She narrowed her eyes. "I told ye, it wasn't my fault."

"No? But ye still owe me forty fish."

"Travis, the docks be closed. Warehouses locked up."

"I don't care, ye will fetch me the fish tonight. I can't go back to them orphanages without them. I promised them. Would ye hear of a bunch o' kids starving cause of ye?"

Hannah ground her teeth. "No."

"Exactly." Travis smiled, leaning closer to her. His dark features would make a beautiful drawing. "The docks should be empty this time o' night. Ye might find a guard or two, but ye be small and quick. Ye can be in and out in a minute without anyone knowing any better."