The Ranger and the Thief (Book two of The Ranger and the Thief series)

Chapter Seven

Willy took a deep breath as he pulled the traditional Kheffiyeh over his dark brown hair. The captain, who Willy learned his name was Rigneg, had given him the headdress that morning and taught him how to wear it. Bente watched as Willy straightened it and he gave her a sad smile, knowing it would be the last time they saw each other. Rigneg had told them that morning that Willy would give him the pack of gold and then they would make their way to the slave market, where Willy would stay until he was sold. Bente would be taken to Araluen, and they would never see each other again.

"Let's go Thief." Rigneg snapped. Willy bit his lip and looked to Bente.

"Can you give us time to say goodbye?" He asked, almost choking on his words. Rigneg glared at him.

"Two minutes." Then he walked away. Willy knelt down on the deck next to where Bente was still tied up. He let out a shuddering sigh and she threw her arms around his neck.

"Please don't do this, Willy." she begged. He closed his eyes and shook his head.

"I have to Bente." He opened his eyes once more to see Bentes filled with tears.

"I want to go with you then." She said. He shook his head again and kissed her cheek.

"No. You need to go to Araluen and find MJ." He said. She let out a shuddering sigh and handed him something. He looked down at his hands in disbelief.

"How did you get these?!?" He asked in amazement. In his hands were the Saxe knife and the throwing knife she had given to him on his birthday.

"You were unconscious, and they hadn't noticed your knives yet. I took them and hid them under my dress." She said. He let out a small sigh, lifting up the robes and strapping them around his bare waist, letting the robe fall to cover the knives.

"These will be very useful. Thank you Bente." He said.

"Times up lad!" Rigneg yelled. Willy kissed Bente on the cheek briefly and ran to join the captain, not even looking back at Bente.

***

Bente stared at where she last saw Willy, and she let tears run down her cheeks as she realized he was doing it all for her, so she could get to Araluen.

Bente sat there, for what seemed like hours. She finally cried herself to sleep.

As Bente drifted off to sleep, a ship that was once seen in Socorro many years ago, sailed into the harbour, and moored next to the very ship she was on.

"How are we suppose to find Willy?" She heard a familiar voice ask. She sat bolt upright, and let out a small sob.

"MJ?!?" She yelled.

"Who was that?" She heard Hal ask.

"No idea. It came from over there." She heard footsteps on the shore approach the ship.

"Please help me!" she yelled in the Skandian language. The footsteps quickened and MJ and Hal appeared.

"Bente?" MJ ran to her and cut her loose. Since she had been tied up for so long, she couldn't feel her limbs. MJ slipped his arm around her waist to hold her up and she let out a small sob of relief.

"We have to get out of here before Rigneg comes back." she said.

"Where is Willy, Bente?" Hal asked, obvious worry in his voice.

"Rigneg took him. They were headed for the gold market. They wanted Willy to get them some gold, or whatever. Once he has the gold, he'll take Willy to the slave market." She said. MJ's grip tightened around her waist.

"Why isn't he selling you too?" Hal asked.

"Willy made a deal with Rigneg, that he'd do whatever he was told if they took me to Araluen so I could find MJ and Will." She said. MJ and Hal stared at her in horror.

"We must find him." MJ said. Hal nodded.

"We need to get her back to the ship first." Hal said. He scooped Bente into his arms and they quickly walked back to the Heron. When Hal steped on board, everyone Turned their way, curious why they were back so soon.

"Bente?!?" She heard her father ask in horror. Edvin came running over to them and took Bente out of Hals arms, giving her a bone crushing embrace. He sat her down on a rowwers bench and hugged her tightly.

"What are you doing here?!?" He asked cupping her cheeks in his hands.

"I was captured with Willy. We were walking along the shore, and then suddenly someone grabbed me from behind, gagging me so I couldn't scream and watched as they knocked Willy unconscious. That was about a week ago, it was the night of his birthday." She said. She looked over to see Jesper awefully pale.

"Where is my son, Bente?" He asked.

"The gold market." Hal answered for her.

"The gold market? How are we suppose to draw everyones attention away from Willy, Rignegs especially?" Edvin asked.

"I have a plan." MJ said.

***

Willy tried to calm his nerves as he left the ship with Rigneg and they walked through the busy streets towards the gold market. Rigneg had told him the plan over ten times, and Willy was still nervous things would go wrong.

They reached the gold market and Rigneg shoved him forward, pointing discreetly too a traders stall, and handed him the pack. Willy took a deep breath and headed towards the stall, examining every inch of it and trying to figure out the easiest way in through the locked doors separating him and the gold. He slipped around the stall, avoiding the traders gaze and slipped his throwing knife out from under his robes. Normally he would have his lock kit, but he had not had his kit with him the day Rigneg captured him and Bente.

Willy slipped the knife into the keyhole and carefully moved it gently around, feeling the gears with his knife, as if it was his own hand. He felt a click and he held his knife there, testing to see if it was unlocked yet. But it was a kind of lock that needed three clicks to trigger the opening. Willy slowly pulled his knife back and felt around a little more until he felt the second and the third click, before it popped open. He slowly pulled the door opened a crack and slipped into a room full of gold. He stared at the gold trinkets and jewelry lining the sheleves for a moment in awe before grabbing the closest too him and placing it in the pack, praying to the Gods he wouldn't get caught.