Amongst Thieves

CHAPTER FIFTEEN- Downstream

'You knew didn't you, ya smug bastard. You knew they weren't who hired me, and you let me believe it all the same.'

The runner shrugged again, remaining silent as he stared at the door the girls had left through.

After a moment of tense silence the thief swallowed his anger, instead heading for the door the boy was staring at.

'Your room's the other way,' the boy said from the corner.

'I know where my ruddy room is!' The man fired back. 'I'm gonna try and make something out of this mess of yours.'

'Where?'

'Finally wanna learn do ya? I'm gonna see if I can't find the real person who requested that job. I get the feeling they will wanna know that someone is trying to track them down. Might be enough to get me back on his good side after being caught.'

'Pitiful' the boy said softly from under his low hood.

'What'd you say to me?' The thief hissed, old anger boiling to the surface.'

'I said you're filth.' Callen spat, tearing off the hood and tossing it at the man's feet. 'You and any man that scampers back to lick some masters boot.'

The thief's fist slammed into the wall as his temper broke. 'You think you're better than us do ya kid?

'Of course I do. You beg after nobles to let you to steal trinkets. You skulk around in those stupid hoods like it makes you invisible. I hate that I stand there and let people think that I'm as useless as the rest of you.'

'Then don't!' The man shot back. 'Leave and let the rest of us be real thieves.'

Callen gave an ugly snort. 'You really have no idea, do you? Go run to your master then, just don't expect me to be your errand boy, or anyone else's when you get back.' He turned his back on the hooded man, leaving him to rage silently as the door thudded shut.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Elinore woke and instant before her back slammed against the floor. She opened her mouth to complain, to berate her handmaid for pulling her from the bed at such a ridiculous hour but Sasha clamped a hand over her mouth, eyes wild. The look alone was enough to send fear coursing through her, a look of dread that surpassed anything she had seen when the bandits came for them.

'What's going on?' She whispered when Sasha removed her hand.

'I don't know, but we need to get out of here.' Sasha replied frantically, dragging her to the window.

She felt it a moment later, the acrid burning of smoke at the back of her throat.

'Fire? Sash, are my parents...'

'I don't know!' The girl hissed back, half pushing her through the window. She landed unsteadily in the garden below, tears filling her eyes from the thick smoke that spewed from the ground floor. Sasha landed beside her a moment later, grabbing her arm without a word and dragging her along as they sprinted across the yard. Elinore stole glances behind her as they ran, watching through the haze of smoke as her home went up in flames. They were halfway across the yard when she saw another figure drop from her window.

'Someone else made it!' She managed as she gasped for air, the burning in her lungs making each breath more difficult than the last.

Sasha ignored her, not breaking stride until they had reached the low wall that separated the manse from the river below. There was a low whirring in the air the instant before Sasha's screams cut over the crackle of distant flames, the girl clutching at Elinore as her legs buckled. She watched in horror as her friend pulled the dark knife from her back, grinding her teeth as tears rolled from her eyes. Still shaking she pushed the bloody knife into Elinore's hand.