Glass Crest

Chapter 5: Thieves | Ashen

The road to Muse was a short one, but twisty, and it could be dangerous if you didn't have the right protection. So I had decided to rent a donkey―they were slow, but they didn't give me the insecurity of being alone. If I were to pass anyone that were to be a threat, I would just say I'm a humble passerby, with literally no money. I was worth nothing to them.

The day did not go by quickly, and my mind often wandered to my mom. Was she watching me right now? If she was, did she approve of what I was doing? No. Me and Nadine had already gone over that. Mom was dead. She couldn't, and wouldn't affect the decisions I was making.

What would I do with my life after this? I had no one to go to, nowhere to go. I would have nothing, except the satisfaction that my mother did not die in vain. Oh well. I'd figure that out later.

After a few hours the only thing that kept me going was my vengeance for my mother. I had passed a few other people, mostly merchants, or nobles, visiting their family in the capital. A few of them looked at me funny, sizing me up, but I made sure to yawn and stretch those moments, to show off my muscles. Yeah, those guys left in a heartbeat.

A man in beggar's' clothing passed me and continued on his way, leaving me in silence. A few minutes passed, and I realized this wasn't normal silence. I stopped. There were no birds. No rustling grass. Nothing. I shrugged and walked on.

After a few more minutes I got the feeling of being watched, so I casually looked around. Still nothing. No sound, no anything. But that still didn't shake the feeling.

My heart started racing at the thought of being alone. Truly alone. I didn't have anyone, save Nadine and her parents. And Damora, if she counted, but that was the one time.

I needed a weapon. If someone was really sneaking up on me, I needed to defend myself. I pulled out my dagger, and held it in my hand for whoever the heck was watching me to see.

But after more moments of stillness, I realized it must have just been my imagination. I still held onto my knife, but relaxed. Nothing was watching me.

And so I continued to daydream about my life. I should get a better job, maybe at the bakery or somewhere. A palace guard. They get payed well, and pay less taxes because, well, the taxes pay for them, right?

Yeah, a palace guard would be great. Surrounded by royalty. Maybe I could drown my worries in happiness.

I didn't know what was happening until I felt a sharp pain in my head and, dizzy, fell to the ground.

~~~

As I woke up, my vision was fuzzy and sound muffled. My mind was also not right, and I tried to piece together what happened.

I had been watched. It was the only explanation. And as I looked around, I took a few things in. Everything was dark except green around me and an orange spot a ways away. I heard voices, coming from the light. Fire. I was at a camp. I heard trees rustling in the wind, and the crackle of the fire. And it smelled . . . it smelled like food!

It was then I realized I was desperately hungry. Even though it hurt everywhere, I tried to stand up but failed. My hands were tied behind my back.

My vision soon became clearer, though there were still bells ringing in my ears. There were a lot of people―young people, like me―sitting, talking, and . . . eating, around the fire. A few tents were dotted around. I looked to see my hands were tied together and to a tree. Darnit. My backpack and knife were gone and . . . my heart stopped. So was my necklace.

I felt like calling attention to the crowd, but I'd have a better chance escaping without them knowing I was awake, even if it was on an empty stomach.