R.C.'s 25 Days

Story 3: The Darkest Day of the Year

The city of Cordoh was lost in the cheer of the season. The time had come to Vordelle for the Festival of Darkness. For those who believed in such fairy tales, the darkest day of the year—the twenty-fifth day of Twelvemonth—was the day when the curtains between the world of Meldin and the world of the banished demons was torn apart. Of course, Elsa Silvereye had no time for such things. The only reason she even considered celebrating the Festival of Darkness was that it brought many people to the large cities of Vordelle—and, as a result, more pockets to pick. It was Elsa's most profitable night of the year, and the thought made her smile. She and Elaine would eat well for months after tonight.

The slim, redhaired thief made her way through the crowds of people already gathering. At about three in the afternoon, the sun was already beginning to set, casting a chill over the people. Soon, in front of the mayor's house, a massive bonfire would be lit, and food would be distributed to everyone, free of charge. Elsa knew that appealed to Elaine; people, rich and poor, eating from the same place, able to eat without paying a single piece of copper. But Elsa knew that it was a meaningless celebration. If they only did it once a year, what was the point? The poor would be starving again within a week.

Elsa casually sliced through a wallet with her knife, slipping it into the bag she had slung over her shoulder and pressed against her hip. She was taking no risks that anyone would attempt to steal from her. She just didn't make rookie mistakes like that anymore. After all, someone had to be the breadwinner for her and her sister, and Elaine just wasn't cut out for the art of thievery.

Sliding through the crowd as easily as a fish through water, Elsa cast about for her sister. Even though Elaine strongly disapproved of their thievery, she knew it was the only way the twins had to survive, and she would likewise be making her way through the crowd, taking the fattest wallets she could find. For a single moment, Elsa caught a glimpse of her, sliding a wallet free and putting it away. Then she was off again, disappearing into the crowd.

Satisfied now that Elaine was still safe, Elsa pushed on through the crowd, searching and hunting for more big wallets to steal. When her eyes lit on a tall young man standing in the crowd, watching a lovely woman singing, Elsa grinned. He was so absorbed in the singer's beauty that he didn't notice anything around him, and Elsa would take advantage of that. Moving forward carefully, she avoided an overenthusiastic—perhaps drunk—man cat-calling the singer, who simply ignored him and kept singing. Even Elsa had to admire the lovely tones of the woman's voice, but she had better things to do.

The young man was focused on the stage and didn't see Elsa as she crept up behind him. Getting out her ever-present knife, the thief allowed herself a smile but brief smile as she reached out for the wallet. As her hand got closer ...

The young man swung around and grabbed Elsa's wrist. She gave a strangled exclamation of surprise, and the surrounded audience gave the two of them odd looks. However, the singer reclaimed their attention only a moment later, and they ignored Elsa and her intended victim. "Come now," the young man said with a smile. "I thought we were beyond such things, Elaine."

Elsa's eyes widened for a moment before hostility returned to her face. "Let go of me," she snarled, reaching for her knife with her left hand.

Immediately, the young man had a startled expression as he released Elsa's wrist. "You're not Elaine, are you?"

"I am not, and how dare you speak so casually about her?" Elsa demanded furiously. "Have you been in contact with my sister?"

The young man had the audacity to look a little amused. "In contact with? I'm afraid, Miss Silvereye, your sister tried very much the same trick on me that you did. Since it is the season of giving, I forgave her and bought her dinner. She's a lovely young woman, and we've been in contact with each other since the beginning of this week, when I first arrived here. I couldn't ask for a better guide to Cordoh."