Chapter 2
She crept along the outside of the manor, keeping to the shadows and trying to calm her breathing. The night was still young, but the moons were hidden behind the clouds, which made it a perfect night to do what she was attempting to do. She was in the merchant district, more commonly called The Point, of the city of Koth and she was thrilled, so thrilled that she almost blundering straight into the guard! She caught herself at the last minute and paused in the deep shadows of the home of the wealthy merchant, Zhuerelm. The guard walked on past the spot, not noticing the young elven female there, Lizzy was her name, she had come to Koth a few months prior to make her name in the world and to show her father Davkas that she could survive on her own. Of course things didn’t work out exactly as she planned and here she was now creeping along in the shadows, about to break into the rich merchant’s home to see what she could find.
Prior to this Lizzy had been living down by the docks and was attempting to make a living by working in and around the fishermen. But it wasn’t working out too well so she soon found herself hooked up with a man named Snake…
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Living in Koth was not an easy thing for Lizzy, she was young and newly out on her own, after leaving her father a few weeks ago. Of course Lizzy wasn’t her real name it was Lissidrinne, yet all her family and friends called her Lizzy for short. Lizzy was an elf, her full name being Lissidrinne Moonglade, she had long pale blonde hair and deep blue eyes, she caught the attention of many a male wherever she happened to be. She had been here in Koth, a busy port city, most of that time, yet she still didn’t feel like she belonged. She missed her old home in Castitrona with her father and all her old friends from that great city. Her father, thinking about him brought back the angry words they had exchanged when she left, over two months ago now…
“Lizzy I just don’t understand why you wouldn’t want to train with me and become a scout, like myself, for King Brightwater? “ Davkas, her father, said to her as Lizzy was walking out the door to their cottage.
“Father” Lizzy began with a exasperated look on her face “I’ve explained this over and over again, I do not want to be a scout” she emphasized the word scout as she continued her speech, “I need to see the world, while I’m still young, I’m not ready to just settle down and run errands for the King!”
Davkas was taken aback; he paused at the doorway as he absorbed the extent of Lizzy’s explanation, it wasn’t the first time he had heard it of course, yet it still bothered him greatly, for he was a scout in the King’s employ, and was often assigned tasks by the King, so her words hurt him deeply, yet he chose not to say anything to Lizzy about it now for he figured it wouldn’t help the situation.
“But where will you go?” Davkas asked his daughter with a bit of trepidation in his voice.
“I’m not sure yet, but I plan to take the south road and follow it around the coast. Perhaps I’ll settle in Koth!” Lizzy replied back to her father, knowing full well he wouldn’t like the idea she was going to Koth of all places.
“Koth! Why that place, it is home to a mixture of pirates and other scum!” her father shot back at her, instantly regretting the comment as it came rushing out.
Yet Lizzy wasn’t listening, not really listening anyway, she continued on and soon went out to the barn and started to saddle her horse. She had already taken a few things from her room and packed them in her saddle bags, along with some food from their pantry. She carried her sword which her father had shown her how to use, and the special chain mail shirt her father had given her on her eighteenth birthday. So she felt she had everything she needed to explore the world. Her father had followed her to the barn and waved goodbye as she trotted her horse down the road, the look on his face made her heart ache, yet she was determined to do what she thought was best for her.
So now here she was in Koth, living in a slightly run-down inn and trying to make her way in the world. Of course if her father really knew how she was making her way he would be even more upset, for you see Lizzy was a thief by trade. She stole things, and she found out that she was very good at it, so she continued in this line of work.
It had all started one day while she was sitting in an old tavern down by the docks, someplace her father would had shuddered to think of his young, beautiful daughter was at. She hadn’t been in Koth that long, yet she had already been forced to sell her dear horse and saddle so that she could continue to eat. She was sitting there listening to the stories the sailors and other old salts were sharing about their adventures on the seas. Deep down inside Lizzy was envious of their lives and was thinking about joining up with a crew and sailing the seas, but she was not comfortable around the water and figured she would only get seas sick and it would not pan out at all. So she sat sipping her mead and listening, soon with her sharp elven ears she picked up on a conversation that was being held across the way from her.
“I’m telling you Taithmar I have something special you need to see!” the young male was saying to the older, human female seated across the way from him at the table.
“Shhh,” said the woman, apparently named Taithmar, to the younger male. “I promise I will arrange to see what you have, just be a little more discreet if you’d please.” She added and gave him a sour look.
“Oh right” the young man said in reply. “Can’t let everyone know what you really do here in Koth, now can we?”
With that comment the woman, Taithmar, rose from the table and started to walk out the door of the tavern. The young man jumped up and dashed after her, he went to grab her by the arm, but the older woman was having none of that and deftly twisted away and shoved the young man aside. He fell to the floor, landing on his rear in the process, his face turning a bright red.
“Wait! He cried after her “I didn’t mean anything by it! Will you still take a look at what I have? I could really use the coin.”
But Taithmar didn’t turn or acknowledge the young man; she simply walked out the door, giving the proprietor a funny look. Her eyes met Lizzy’s briefly and Lizzy quickly looked down into her mug of mead. The young man, Lizzy couldn’t really tell if he was fully human or had some elven blood in him, picked himself off the floor, dusted himself off a bit, and went to sit at the table again. He looked dejectedly at his ale sitting there, not really drinking it just playing with the mug. It was about this time that Lizzy walked up to him, or should we say sashayed up to him, trying to use all her womanly charms to her advantage. Of course the young man looked up at her standing there, and his mouth gaped open a bit.
“Greetings” Lizzy began when the man didn’t say anything. “My name is Lizzy. May I sit?” She asked him with a smile on her face.
“S-surely” he responded, with a big silly grin on his face and he motioned for her to sit at the chair Taithmar just vacate. He caught the serving maid’s eye and motioned her to bring two more ales.
Lizzy looked at him and said “I couldn’t help observing your exchange just now with your friend.” Of course Lizzy emphasized the word friend to the young man to see what his reaction would be. Then she added “Oh and what is your name?”
“Most people call me Snake, that’s not my real name of course, but that is what I go by, and I wouldn’t call Taithmar my friend necessarily. You see we are business partners in a way.” He said to her with a leering smile as his eyes drifted up and down her body, of course he tried to casually lean back a bit in his chair and placed his right leg up on the table.
Bur Lizzy was having none of it, for she knew she had him where she wanted him. Lizzy of course saw where his eyes wandered to and she smiled inwardly, she liked it when stupid males where distracted by her womanly features. Pressing this to her advantage was something Lizzy was becoming quite good at. So she saw an opening and went for it.
“Business partners huh?” she asked demurely. “What kind of business are you in?” About this time the serving maid came up with the ales and Snake flipped her a silver coin, obviously to Lizzy showing off a bit.
“Well if you must know” Snake began and he leaned in, so Lizzy leaned in closer to him and saw his eyes grow wider in excitement, which of course was the effect she was shooting for. “I am a thief by trade and Taithmar is my fence. After I steal something from some rich merchant I turn to Taithmar to fence it for me and provide me with a few coins for my trouble.” He then attempted to lean in even further and steal a kiss, but Lizzy abruptly sat back, with a coy smile on her face.
“Oh I see” she responded to him. “So you are in the business of thievery.” She said the last part with a disappointed look on her face.
“So that offends you sweetie?” Snake says to her in reply as he now leans back in his seat and takes a drink of his ale. He eyes her warily and then says “Perhaps I have said too much!” he then looks to be getting up and leaving and Lizzy quickly grabs his arm and motions for him to stay seated.
“No, no don’t get me wrong!” she says to him. “It all sounds very exciting! I was just sitting over there at the other table trying to determine what I should do with my life and this all sounds so intriguing to me.” Then she gets serious and looks him in the eye, she then leans closer to him and he can feel her breathe on his face as she leans in, she grabs his hand on the table “Snake, do you think you cold teach me your trade?”
Snake just sat there staring at Lizzy, probably two inches away from his face, he took in her beauty, marveling at her eyes, he had never met such a lovely woman before, not even another elven woman! He couldn’t believe his good fortune, the disappointing meeting with Taithmar forgotten now. He just sighed, a deep sigh, and said “Of course Lizzy, I would be honored to show you the tricks of the trade and all. But for a price.”
“Oh and what price might that be? ‘Asked Lizzy with a small smile on her face.
“I get fifty percent of anything you pilfer.” Snake responded in a matter of fact manner.
“Oh!”was all a dumbfounded Lizzy replied back
So it was from that moment on that Lizzy had taken up the “trade” of a thief. She knew instinctively that her father would not be happy with her, but she didn’t care right now. She was having the time of her life and was going to enjoy the whole experience, she was sure of it. Yet soon after she met Snake, he disappeared out of her life and hasn’t seen him since.
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…creeping up to a servant’s door towards the rear of the manor house Lizzy paused to listen, not hearing anything on the other side she pulled out her tool and began to pick the lock on the door.
“Click”
The lock was open and so she gently pushed at the door, peeking around the now open door Lizzy peered inside. No one was around, all was quiet, and so she slipped inside. She walked quickly, yet quietly, along the corridor, she paused at each doorway and opening listening first then taking a quick look around the corner. She crept past a dinning area, then a sitting room, she paused long there to gaze at all the books along the far wall. Then she kept going deeper and deeper into the home of the merchant, looking for something that she could take and sell to her fence.
Soon Lizzy came to a crossway, a corridor ran east-to-west so this was the one she decided to investigate. Soon she came to an area with three closed doors and a guard, she quickly hid behind a statue that was in the corridor and crouched down to think.
“OK Lizzy now what do you do? Hmm, I wasn’t expecting a guard in the home!” Lizzy thought to herself.
Lizzy decided that whatever it was the man was guarding must have been worth taking. So she decided to try a ruse and quickly undid a button on her blouse, let her hair down out of its ponytail, and pulled her dagger and hid it behind her back. She then crept back down the corridor she had come from and rounded the corner, she stood tall and began walking back towards the guard, making sure her hips moved just right…
“Halt! Who are you? And what business do you have in Zhuerelm’s home?” the guard asked Lizzy as she walked up to him at the end of the corridor, at the same time he drew his sword from its sheath.
“Me?” Lizzy smiled brightly at the guard as she sauntered up close to him, ignoring the bare blade in his hand. “Why I’m just a little lost girl looking for some company.”
The guard looked a little confused for a moment, and that was all the time Lizzy needed as she whipped the dagger around from behind her back and plunged it into the exposed neck of the guard! His eyes widened and a small gurgling escaped from his mouth, and then he dropped his sword and slumped to the floor dead!
Lizzy felt momentarily sick to her stomach, for this was the first time in the months prior to beginning her life of crime, that she had killed another person. Yet, at the same time she felt elated! She was now free to check out the rooms at the end of the corridor, just as long as she acted swiftly!
So Lizzy listend quietly at the first door and hearing nothing she tried the handle, the door was locked, so Lizzy pulled out her tools again and tried the lock…
“Click”
…and just like that the lock was picked and she was looking inside. Seeing no one inside, she stooped down and grabbing the guard under his arms pits she slowly dragged him into the room. He was bleed profusely yet there was nothing she could do about that now, so she shut the door quietly and started to examine the room.
What she saw amazed her, there were many items scattered across a table, books, small jewelry boxes, and a dark black statue, which was apparently made from black onyx. She also saw some stunning paintings hanging on the walls around the room, more book shelves and a great chest against the farthest wall. This caught her eye so she made her way over to it. She paused in front of it staring at it, and then she knelt down and looked at its lock. She could tell almost right away that there was something puzzling about the lock, it seemed to shimmer as she looked at it, so she rubbed at her eyes and looked again, still it shimmered slightly and so she concluded that it had some sort of magical trap caste on it. So she turned away from it and turned her attention over to the table.
For some reason the books didn’t really interest her so she examined the jewelry boxes instead, there were three of them and they were exquisite! The craftsmanship of each of them was astounding to her and so she carefully took them and placed them in her bag, nothing seemed to happen so she then glanced over at the statue that was just sitting there. Not noticing anything out of the ordinary she almost absently picked it up and dropped it in her bag.
It was then that she heard the foot steps! Someone was coming down the corridor and soon they would see that the guard was missing and the blood on the floor. So she scanned the room again…
“Yes!” she thought to herself as she spotted a window.
So she moved over to the window and looked it over as quickly as she could, noticing where the latch was she drew her dagger back out and used it to throw the latch back. Then she opened the window as quickly as she could and that’s when she heard it. A wailing sound came from the open window; she had set off some kind of magical alarm!
Not knowing what else she could do she quickly climbed into the window, just as the door opened into the room! Another guard stood at the door with a startled look on his face! He quickly yelled at Lizzy to stop and drew his sword, charging across the room, fortunately for Lizzy and unfortunately for the guard he failed to spot the dead guard on the floor and tripped over him, landing with a thud!
Lizzy used this time to slip out the open window and into the court yard. Of course the wailing noise the window was making continued and soon the guard patrolling the grounds came rushing around the corner of the manor!
“Halt!” the guard shouted when he spotted Lizzy and pulled his sword free.
“I think not.” Was all Lizzy said in reply and ran the other way, away from the guard and heading for the nearest wall.
Lizzy made it to the wall and with a leap she was able to reach the top of the wall and pull herself over, the guard right at her heels. She jumped for the top of the wall, for it was only about seven or eight feet high and landed on the street below. The clouds were still covering the light of the three moons, which Lizzy used to her advantage and quickly ran down the street, staying as close to the shadows as possible. She heard the guard land on the street behind her and he began to run after her.
Lizzy though was very fast for a young woman and very skilled at climbing things, so she decided to take to the roofs, and soon was climbing up a wall of a building close by. She could here the guard behind her cursing as he tried unsuccessfully to climb up after her. Soon Lizzy was blocks away with no one in pursuit so she crouched down in the shadows and waited for a moment listening. When she didn’t hear the guard any long, assuming he had gone back to the manor house to report her, she climbed back down to the streets and made her way back home.