Waiting For Sunrise - The Books Of Beginning AU

6. Welcome To The Savages

They set off to find the girl Ms. B had mentioned, Abigail. Jake and Beetles led them through the main room of the church, and the siblings looked around in awe at the set up of it all, punctured by groups of laughing and joking children. 

There were rows of cots set up across the floor, each with mismatched bedding. Some had small toys or possessions tucked among the covers or under the cot itself. The children gathered around the cots wore patched clothing, plain dresses and pants, but they all seemed well fed and at ease in this place. The church might have been a little rough around the edges, but it was home to everyone who lived in it, that was obvious.

Up where the altar had once sat, a group of children opened fat plundered wallets and untangled stolen jewelry. Jake smiled at them, and waved. "Looks like a good haul today!"

"No thanks to you!" A sandy haired boy of about nine yelled back teasingly.

Beetles snorted, "only cause we got the gang some new recruits. Savages, meet Kate, Michael, and Emma. They're siblings and our newest members. Ms. B told us to take them to Abigail, as if we ain't smart enough to show them around ourselves."

"She's right; you aren't even smart enough to peel potatoes," the boy joked with a crooked grin.

"It's not that we ain't smart enough, we just choose not to," Jake argued, and the boy laughed. 

"This here is Sam, by the way," Beetles introduced the boy. "He got thrown out of an orphanage too."

Sam shrugged, "I kept catching curtains on fire when I was mad. I guess they didn't like that, so they chucked me out."

"I'm sorry," Michael said sincerely.

Sam grinned, "I'm not. Being a savage is the best. Oh, and Abigail's looking through the finance stuff in the back."

"Thanks Sam, keep sorting that loot," Jake said, motioning for the rest of them to come along.

"You ain't the boss of me!" Sam exclaimed with good cheer, making the two boys laugh, and making Emma chuckle as well. Michael and Kate just exchanged smiles, both of them feeling at ease among the happy kids, and curious about this Abigail they had been sent to find.

Abigail, it turned out, was eleven years old, with dark brown hair pulled back in twin braids, intelligent brown eyes, and she instinctively huffed with annoyance as soon as she saw Jake and Beetles walking towards her. She dropped the pencil she had been writing in a little book with, and crossed her arms.

"What do you two want?" Her voice was strong and slightly bossy, with a hint of sass that suggested she had no trouble making her opinions heard.

Beetles rolled his eyes. "Are you still mad at us? We said we we're real sorry, Abigail. What more do you want?"

"For you two to apologize, admit I'm the better thief, and that I woulda nabbed that pocket-watch if you idiots hadn't come in and messed everything up," Abigail replied heatedly.

Beetles and Jake exchanged looks, the latter complaining, "you want us to lie?! Come on Abigail, that's really not fair!"

"You two lie like rugs all the time, especially to me." Abigail rolled her eyes, the same way Emma tended to when Michael had been going on about dwarves. "But I'll forgive you if you introduce me to your new friends."

"This is Kate, Michael, and Emma. They're siblings and Ms. B's letting them join the gang," Beetles replied, "and she wants you to show 'em around."

"Great. It's nice to meet you three," Abigail said with a quirked smile, "and don't worry, you're being left in hands far more capable then these twos'."