Kingdom of thieves

Kingdom of thieves - part 5

Later when Narla entered Kris's study, she saw the snatchers lined up along the wall all looking solemn and tense, all of their eyes were fixed on the crumpled body lying in the middle of the floor. Narla cursed silently to herself, it was Lian. 

His broken wrist was twisted at an awkward angle behind his back and his face was a mass of bruises and blood. Kris's right hand man and enforcer Gen, was leaning casually against the far wall, his arms crossed over his broad chest, his misshapen features were twisted into a grimace, Narla had no doubt that he had been the one responsible for the damage to Lian's face, Gen loved to cause damage to peoples eyes, nose and mouth, probably to make up for the damage that his mother had done to his when he had been a small boy. 

Narla took a place as far from Gen as she could and looked to Kris, he was perched on the edge of his desk, he nodded when she came in with Trey and stood. 

"You all know why we've come" he said looking around at the gathered snatchers, his voice calm, you wouldn't think he was about to execute someone. 

"Lian here though he could earn some extra gold by threatening one of your associates" he stepped carefully on one of Lian's hands with his boot, Lian groaned.  

"isn't that right" Kris knelt down and put his face close to Lians, "did you realy think you could double cross me" he said quietly, his voice cold and emotionless, he straightened, "I think we are all in

agreement as to what is to be done to him" he said looking round the room, there were nods of agreement, Narla didn't move, she watched Kris carefully, he walked slowly around his desk, he picked up a small bundel of coins and jingled in, thinking.  

Her heart sank, the bag of coins was the same one that she had taken from the man in the street a few days ago, she knew what was gong to happen. Kris turned to look at her,  

"Narla, would you do the honours?". Narla didn't move, she had known what he was going to ask but it still came as a shock. 

"Narla!" he said sharply 

She stepped to the middle of the room where Lian was, with every step a lead weight seemed to drop lower in her stomach, she grabbed a handful of Lian's hair, he moaned pitifully and bile rose in her throat, she pulled his head back by his hair and slipped her knife from its sheath, her hand automatically positioned itself at the base of his neck, she dragged it across, feeling it dig into flesh and feeling the blood spray onto her fingers, he made a gurgling sound and Narla had to clamp her mouth shut and swallow repeatedly to stop herself from throwing up.

She let go of the body, it ht the floor with a soft thump, blood began to pool around her bare feet. 

The room was silent as everyone watched the life slowly drain from one of their former comrades. Kris set the bag of coins back down on the desk, he waved for everyone to leave and they slowly filed out, Narla turned with everyone else but Kris called her back, she stopped, every cell in her body screaming to be away from this room, Kris spoke to her almost casually,

"I would like you, Narla to come with me to the higher districts with me, for a quick snatch" he looked at her, she could only nod, he smiled and continued "well only be there for a day or so, just to collect some depts and you are free to do anything you like"

Narla raised her eys off Lian body to look at him. 

"Why?" she croaked. 

Kris smiled "Because I want you to, you have proven yourself to be loyal to me and I reward those who are loyal to me", he motioned for her to leave, "Come early tomorrow morning, we can leave then."

Narla walked out of the room as fast as she could without running, Trey was waiting for her, "Narla...." he said putting his hand on her arm, she shrugged him off and stumbled threw the corridors and out into the cool night air.

She walked to the well at the corner of the row of houses and pulled up a bucket full of water, sitting on the edge of the well she dropped her knife into the water, put her hands in with it and began to scrub at her fingers vigorously, the water turned pale red. She felt Trey come up behind her and sit down, he didn't speak, he knew her too well, he knew that she Wanted silence and she needed to be alone, but at the same time she needed someone to be with her. Narla continued to scrub at her hands untill she had nail marks all over them, then she poured the water over her feet and began to scrub them as well, all the time she did this Trey sat with her.