Hidden Mysteries

Chapter One

Chapter One

          Anya Thimes walked out of her small home and frowned at it. It was simple, made of cheap wood out by the forest, a little walk away from the town. She stood there, not moving for a while, staring at the shack through long eyelashes and green eyes. Being slightly taller than the average height for women those days, her body was covered with thin, wiry muscle. She wore a simple brown dress with sandals on her feet, nothing close to the style of women with money. With arched eyebrows, she looked back at the house she lived in, and thought with bitterness, It’s not the idealhome, but it is shelter.

          Anya, her dark brown hair pulled up into a loose bun, finally strolled past the small stone, clay, and wooden houses into the town square of Hallareese. It was small village built right next to the royal castle that housed the monarchs of the land.

          Dozens of smells infiltrated Anya's nose; rising bread from a bakery, dyes from a fabric shop, spices from a stall with a foreign salesman. Set with cobblestone, the ground in the square was uneven and Anya could feel some of the rocks protruding through her thin sandals and she entered the bustling part of the town. The fountain in the center of the square burst with water and the mosaics that decorated it reflected the early morning light. It was here, in the square, where the young girl started her work. 



          Anya bent down as a man came near her. He was dressed finely, wearing a tunic of costly materials paired with expensive leggings. Acting as though she were merely fixing the straps on her shoe, Anya waited for the unsuspecting man to approach her. She stood up abruptly, bumped into him, and made his small leather coin bag fall into the open pocket of her skirt. Not even noticing the small exchange of money, the man walked away without a word. Anya smiled; today was going to be a good day. 



          The sun was just above the roofs of the houses by the time Anya felt confident that she had gathered enough. She sat by the fountain to count up her earnings, careful to avoid the notice of others. About one hundred ninety-five coins. This was only from four gentlemen altogether. With the knowledge of superstitions from her childhood friends, Anya never stole from women.

 It was believed to be bad luck.

          With the warm summer sun on her back, Anya relaxed by the water, her fingers lazily skimming the surface. It will not be long, she thought to herself and she watched people perform their shopping in the square.

          At this rate, I will soon have the money I need to get out of this filthy town.

          Just as she was about to stand up and make her way home, Anya spied a new victim passing by. She could not ignore him, even if she had only told herself moments ago that she had made enough money that day. His walk screamed confidence; an blissfully easy target. He wore his sandy hair short and his eyes were a dark blue. From where she was, she could just see the smirk on his face, tugging the right corner of his mouth higher than his left. She smirked herself and went to walk past him. Just as she bumped into him though, he grabbed her arm and twirled her around until she was in front and facing him. Looking at him full on, Anya received a better sight of him. His right eyebrow, which was raised carefully above his left, was perfect if not for the scar that cut it almost cleanly in half. The crooked nose suggested a breaking at least once and he stood above her at a good four or five inches.
 Light stubble decorated his strong chin and lean face.

          “Thieves are frowned upon here.” The man told her calmly, those dark eyes of his twinkling with mischief. 



          Anya raised a brow back at the boy. "You accusin' me o' crime, sir?" She said in her best commoner's accent.