The Emerald Thief

The Emerald Thief - 4 - Tific

It wasn't difficult to arrange transport to Kri Town. I arranged for seven horses to meet us at the edge of Tific at dawn the day after tomorrow. One horse each plus one for bags. We would be out of here soon, but as we walked back towards the rooms, I wished we were going sooner. I liked the brothers, I wanted to help them, but being back here wasn't going much good for my mood. I just wanted to get them to safety and get back to Tsuna as soon as possible.

"Do you have bad memories here?" Tyce asked randomly.

"What?" I asked sharply, turning to him.

"It's just-" I sighed. "When you look around, it's like your being watched. Like you see ghosts everywhere."

"I lost my family here," I told him. "That's why we moved to Tsuna, new start."

I froze, realizing what I'd just said. I just told him... a near stranger. I might not have added any detail, but that was my secret. I can't believe I told him that.

"I'm sorry, he said gently. "I lost my parents too, that's why we had to work for the thieves."

"Then I'm sorry too," I told him sadly.

"That still doesn't explain why you act like you're being watched," he said thoughtfully, walking again. "But I'm not expecting an answer."

"Good," I laughed. "Because you're not going to get one."

The silence wasn't awkward as we walked the rest of the way back to the rooms. My brother and his brothers and already settled into the rooms. There were three small cheap rooms that I'd rented for a few days in the middle of town. One for me and Draven, one for Ryder and Nix and one for Tyce and Finn. They were all linked with doors and each had a tiny bathroom, but the only bath was in the larger bathroom at the end of the hall.

"That was fast," Draven commented. Everyone was in our room, which made it a tight fit, but not unbearably.

"It wasn't too difficult," I shrugged. "It was mostly the change that took so long."

"Well it worked," Ryder commented. "You look pretty different."

I laughed at that, sitting on the free space on the bed.

"I've got horses arranged for us at dawn in two days," I told them. "We'll ride to Kri Town, spend the night, then change horses and get to the Black Boarder."

"Es," Draven looked at me.

"What?" I sighed.

"How are we going to get across the boarder?" he asked. I just stared at him.

"Um-" I cleared my throat. "I'll use Trent."

He just stared at me. "Are you crazy."

"No." I snapped. "There's no other way. We can get them into the nation and be out of there before the guard start looking for me."

It' too risky," he shook his head. "We have to think of another way."

"Draven," I sighed. "I've got two other wigs, skin dye, eye dye, I can even wear makeup if it helps. We'll be fine."

"Fine," he said, but he didn't sound happy. I wasn't happy about it either. The risk was huge, I knew that, but I honestly couldn't think of any other way.

"So..." Finn yawned. "Are we stuck in here for two days?"

"No," I told him. "It would look odd if we all just stayed in here. Just don't attract any attention."

"No going anywhere alone," Ryder told his youngest brother.

"What?" Finn demanded. "I'm almost 16!"