Thieves' Race

by Isaac Padgett

  She stuck her tongue out at me and went inside, looking back to make sure I was staying put. Kicking the dirt, I watched it puff up in clouds, trying to see how the wind carried it. After a few moments, I grew bored, so I decided to do an exercise my old teacher had me do every day.

  Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I calmed my mind. Once my thoughts had stopped running around each other, I opened my eyes and scanned the yard around me for no more than a few seconds before screwing my eyes shut again. I didn't even notice the ringing of metal being struck, stopping, though I heard footsteps approaching slowly.

  Aether's voice spoke softly, showing that she had returned already, "And what did you see, Jack?" Of course, she knew what I was doing. She knew me like none other.

  The map I had hastily thrown up in my mind was still being filled in, but I spoke slowly as I added details, "There's a new scratch along the door in the next house over, showing red paint. It looked like a dog took his nails, or maybe his teeth to it. The wind vane on Gregory's shop is crooked again, and he left a few bits of metal out last night. More careless than I thought he would be. There's also a little girls doll left out on a stoop and five sheets hanging out to dry, though, they all show wear from use."

  I sniffed the air, trying to smell something aside from the tanning materials from a few shops down, "Someone's made a pie; I think I can smell some apples. Not sure though, it's hard to smell anything here."

  Eyes still closed, I waited for her response and was surprised to hear a gruff voice ring out, "Aye, I left the bars out last night, but t'was to get a better temper on the steel. The cold night air was better for 'em than dousing them would be. Very perceptive, though, boy. Now, open your eyes; I got work I need to get done, and I suppose I now have to add fixing the damned windmill to my list."

  Gregory was a bear of a man, with coarse, short black hair and scraggly beard. His skin was stained black, and his face and arms were both covered in burns and scars.

  Even though he spoke few words and tried to keep his face expressionless, I could see that worry marked his brow as he waited for me to open a box Aether was holding.

  The box was plain, almost boring-looking. In the expectant hush, I slipped my fingers around the edge of the box, trying to find its opening. I fumbled with the catch in the wood, pressing it harder than I meant to and making the lid open with surprising force. Aether almost dropped it but managed to hold on with her fingertips. It didn't stop her from glaring at me.

  I couldn't even muster an apology as what I saw took my breath away. Nestled in the box was a pair of knives, with arm and leg sheaths curled under them. Picking one up and turning it over, I felt the balance was perfect for throwing while remaining heavy enough for casual use. It was comfortable in my hand.

  The steel was silver with tiny gray swirls down the length of the blade. The leather-covered wooden hilts were smooth and met with bronzed cross-guards. A gasp escaped me as my fingers traced the crouching wolf emblazoned on the cross-pieces.

  With a simple flick of the wrist, the knife was tumbling through the air to strike a stump of an extended cut-down tree. I whistled and walked over to yank it out. "Gregory, you have truly outdone yourself this time. These are priceless, magnificent...beautiful. Thank you."

  The smile that showed through his beard threatened to blind me as he bowed and hurried back inside to do whatever it was we had interrupted. The ringing of pounding steel soon filled the air once more, and the sound soothed me a little as I held the present.

  I couldn't bask long before Aether punched me in the arm hard enough to bruise a little, "So you can thank him, but not the best friend who planned all this for you? I see how you are, after all I've done..." She tried to fake a sad face, but I grabbed her in a hug, and she couldn't help but laugh.

  "So, you really like it? You weren't lying to make him happy?" Aether looked at me and tried to read my face as I responded.

  "Truly, I love it. You've already made today amazing; I can't help but thank you. And in any way that I can." I waggled my eyebrows suggestively and made her burst into renewed laughter.

  The rest of the day seemed to pass by in a happy haze, with me being able to only really remember the fact that I spent the day with her. I couldn't remember what we did exactly, though some parts stood out, like when I tackled her into a bush or when she smeared blueberries across my face from a bush we had found near her favorite oak tree.

  Saying bye to her that night was more challenging than ever, but I knew that she had places to be and that Kate still had her surprise for me. I didn't want to make her wait even longer than I had to, just for a few more moments with Aether.

  So with regret and downcast eyes, I walked back into the poor quarter. After most of a day in the woods, the air was so putrid that I was tempted to breathe through my mouth. I knew if I did that, though, I would just taste what I was smelling, and it would make it all the worse, so I took as shallow a breath as possible until I grew used to it once more.

  And of course, all days have to have their black spots. Mine just took a tad longer to show itself. "So, Jackie boy, I see you got yourself a pair of fancy blades. And here I thought you said you weren't lifting no more? Where did ya happen to nick them from? I'd love to grab me a set. Though the wolf is a little cliche, I'd go with more of a snake myself."

  Elroy jumped down from a broken-down crate he had been waiting on, most likely knowing that this was the path I'd take to get to Kate's. His goons had probably been following me for most of the day.

  My finger's closed protectively over the gift from Aether, and I widened my stance, "Listen, Elroy. I don't have time tonight to listen to you spout off a bunch of nonsense before ordering your bullies to come to try to take care of me. So, if you wanna fight, let's get this over with as quickly as we can, just you and me. We both know how it will end. Just cuz I've been gone a while doesn't mean I can't take care of a meddling little squint such as yourself."

  He held up his hands in mock surrender, "And here I am, thinking you would be nicer to the one who taught you so much? Alas, I see I was wrong. And as much as you frighten me, I cannot leave just yet. You see, I'm not here to fight you, just for a small chat. Like you said, just you and me, no bullies. There is still a little time left for you to join up with us; things don't have to get ugly. I'm trying to give you one last chance, and I suggest you take it. You'll be helping me if you want to or not, sooner or later. It's not too late."

  For once, my facade slipped, showing my surprise, "Not too late for what? What are you talking about? What are you planning?"

  Elroy just shook his head and started walking towards an alley, "Don't say I didn't warn you. If you change your mind, meet me tomorrow night where we used to have our hideout. I'll know you turned me down if you aren't there, though, for everyone's sake, I hope you are."

  He left, and I knew better than to follow him. He might not have people waiting in the shadows for that very reason, but I didn't want to risk it, and I knew it wouldn't change anything. If he didn't want to tell me something, there was nothing I could do to change his mind. Not without becoming the person I promised Aether I wouldn't be.

  Shaking my head after a moment, I decided not to worry about it. Whatever it was, I would find out later, and there was no point in stressing about what I couldn't change. That, and I was already running late. If I wanted to catch Kate before she went out for the night, I'd have to hurry.

  On the outside, nothing seemed different with her house. It looked just as it always did, though it was darker than usual. The inside, however, forced me to stand in disbelief in the doorway. The walls were covered in colored fabrics with stitching spelling out, "Happy Birthday, Jack."

  Kate had to have taken all day to decorate, not including the stitching. Most of the money she had squirreled away had probably gone to the cost of the fabrics, and it made me feel a twinge of guilt.

  Kate was nowhere in sight, so I felt safe entering. I noticed a small note,
scribbled on a small patch of bare wall under the ribbon I had given to her, spelled out in black charcoal: "Jack. Had to run. Sorry the party didn't work out. Be back in a bit. You can wait here if you want. Kate."

  I decided to sit down on the only chair she had: a small, broken-down crate that was more likely to collapse under me than hold any sort of weight.

  Part of my mind idly wondered where it was that she went out at night. Once, I had tried to follow her and only ended up walking into a small trap she had set for me. I still had sewage stains on the shirt I had been wearing that night and had learned my lesson very well. I left her to her business and knew she would mind hers.

  She must have written the note over a mark ago because I wasn't sitting for more than a handful of minutes before I heard her clump up to the doorway. A few tentative sniffs, and then she entered, a bright smile on her face, "I knew it was you. I could tell; you smelled like woods and, what is that, blueberries?"

  I just nodded, once more impressed by her sense of smell. What was even more surprising was how well she could smell and yet still live here. You got used to the smell quick enough, I supposed, but every day it seemed to grow worse.

  "Kate, I can't believe what you've done to the place. The time, the effort it must have taken. Thank you so much; it means a lot to me."

  She walked past, a hand trailing over my arm for almost a moment too long before disappearing, "It was nothing. My pleasure. Besides, it gave me an excuse to use up all this old fabric I had lying around." I stared at her tensed up back, wondering. She had to know that I knew the fabric was new; what was she trying to hide?

  "Even still, it means a lot to me. Not many would have gone to so much effort on any day, let alone today. How did you even know it was my birthday, anyway? I don't remember ever telling you or you being around when it was spoken of. You always seem to know things without being told."

  Kate looked back over at me for half a moment, almost seeming like she was about to share something with me she never had before. But the moment passed, and she just smiled winsomely at me, "Oh, Jack, didn't you know? I know everything there is to know what goes on around in this place. Like, for instance, how Elroy is trying to recruit you again. I thought he had decided to let you go."

  I sat back, leaning carefully against the wall, "About that. Do you know what Elroy is planning and why he seems to want me back so badly all of a sudden? He hinted there was something big going down, though not much else. He even went so far as to threaten me, order his boys on me, and hint at something bad happening to everyone."

  Kate shrugged, her eyes scanning the fabrics and stitched words, seeming to be looking for flaws to fix, "All I know is, it's being said that someone from outside is hiring him to do something big. Supposedly there's a mysterious man who comes and goes like the shadows, and he's even been seen bossing Elroy around and pushing at him. I can't help you any more than that, though, sorry, Jack. Maybe just try to avoid him for a while, let him get it done on his own."

  I nodded slowly, scratching at a speck of dirt on my leg, "I would, aside from the fact that he's not only ambushing me, he also hinted that something big was going down. Something bad would happen if I didn't show up at our old hideout tomorrow night."

  She still refused to look at me, even going so far as to fidget and twist her hair around, "Maybe...maybe you should go. Tomorrow night, you know. Just to see what he wants. Not join up with him, just gather information."

  I stared harder than ever at her, but she wouldn't look away from the fabric on the wall. I noticed a faint bruising going along her arm like someone had grabbed her and squeezed hard enough to leave a mark.

  "Kate, what happened. Are you okay?" I slowly reached out to touch her, but she flinched away from me."

  "Just go away, Jack. Go home. I'll be okay. Go home." Faster than I could react, she leaped past me and out the door, not once stopping to look back at me.

  I sat there for almost a full mark, trying to understand what had happened. The bruise, Kate telling me I should go tomorrow night even after telling me to avoid Elroy. Nothing was adding up right, and it left a sour taste in my mouth.

  With a sigh, I stood slowly, feeling my muscles cry out softly from being used all day. Walking home seemed to take longer than everything else that day combined. The darkness seemed to press in at me, threatening to crush me and all I held dear. Sadly, it seemed to be a weight that I couldn't do anything about.

  That night, for once, I had a new dream. This one was just reliving what had happened the day before, every detail standing out in my memory. The only difference this time was the ending. In the dream, it all ended in flames and darkness, and my dream self got burned trying to hold on to my friends. I woke in a sweat, and it took hours to fall back asleep, and when I did, it was restless.

  3

  Jack

  Pine needles crunched under my feet, filling the quiet air of the forest with the faint rustling of my passing. The trees around me stood tall and proud in their old age, majestic and strong. They would still be standing here long after I had gone and passed away.

  Leaves were just starting to fall, giving the air a sense of peace, even while the plants around me were dying. Death gave way to life and life to death. I felt the familiar string under my fingers as I stood, breathless, waiting for the movement that would betray the location of my prey.

  I had been tracking the same elk for hours now, painstakingly following the signs it left while it ran through the woods. The smell of smoke lingered in the air, and I had run into some tracks of a hunting party earlier in the morning. I hoped I would get to the elk in time before any of the other hunters; my purse was hanging even emptier than usual, and the pelt would make me enough to buy some cheese and bread.

  I listened to the whistling of the wind blowing through the few needles left on the trees, trying to hear past them. Learning to tune certain sounds out was a skill I found most helpful when out hunting, though I had learned it for a completely different profession. Distractions could get a thief caught faster than anything else, and sometimes, the slightest sound was all you needed to know you had to get the hell out of wherever you were.

  My discipline today was lacking, though, and I found it difficult to focus on what I was doing. My mind kept going back to the nameless threat Elroy had made the night before. If I didn't show up at the warehouse tonight, who knew what he would do?

  I couldn't think of anything that he could do to hurt me that he would be able to get away with. If he hurt Aether, her parents would stop at nothing to find him, and as chief, her father had the power and money to track him wherever he tried to run. Kate could take care of herself better than anyone I knew, so I didn't have to worry about that either. All that was left was me.

  So, lost in thought, it was a surprise when a deer burst out from the underbrush and ran straight past me. It was so close that it brushed up against my arm, pushing me slightly off balance. Something had spooked it bad, causing it to flee without worrying about me.

  I didn't even bother shooting after it, knowing the shot would miss and be a waste. Instead, I turned to where it had come from. Whatever had scared the animal was a much more significant threat, and I didn't want to turn my back on whatever it was.

  Snapping branches and grunts filled the air, and I nocked an arrow with a dejected sigh. I could tell already that it was an enraged bear, and if it was this close, it had my scent. There was nothing I could do but stand and fight or find a tree to climb.

  Looking around, I knew that there weren't any trees high enough that I could get to before the beast closed in. The bow would work, as long as the bear was a small brown, or maybe one of the mottled grays that lived in caves deep in the woods.

  It was just my luck, then, when an injured black bear, the largest of the bears found in this area, burst into the small clearing I was standing in. Pain filled her eyes, and her massive form dwarfed me and made the clearing look that much smaller. The moment our eyes m
et, she reared back on her hind legs and let out a massive roar that threatened to burst my ears.

  I could see a few arrows buried in her side, snapped off, almost as if she had rolled to try to get them out. Knowing I had nothing else to do and less time to do it, I drew back and firing, not bothering to look where the arrow went before readying and firing a second.

  The first arrow glanced off her side, leaving a long bloody gash, while the second took her in her eye. Half blinded and further angered, she fell to her feet and crossed the clearing before I could take a breath. She blindly swept at me with one of her massive paws, snapping my bow like a twig, her claws tearing through my tattered shirt and ripping into the skin below.

  I fell back, desperately scrambling to try to get away before she finished me off, but the bear seemed to have forgotten me. Her paws were scraping against her face, trying to get the arrow out but just driving it deeper into her brain. I didn't expect her to live much longer but took little satisfaction as I felt the same about myself.

  I clutched my now shredded shirt to my chest as a makeshift bandage, surprised at how much blood was already soaking through. Laying on the forest floor, I felt my sanity slipping away with my blood. At one point, I even thought I heard voices in the distance.