The road north was growing colder with each passing day and night. Alethea despised the cold. It brought back memories of many long nights from years gone by that she had spent huddled and shivering against her sister’s frame - the only source of warmth available to her - while she prayed to any of the gods generous enough to hear her plea, that they would both wake up the next morning. She would often pray for more food too.

Alethea hadn’t wanted to leave the relative safety and comfort of the Great City in the south. Pickings were far more favourable there than those of other regions and the rich had more money than sense. However, her recent high-profile heists had earned her a reputation - and a price on her head. While she was wary of bounty hunters and their ilk, it was other thieves that had ultimately been behind her decision to accept an offer from a nobleman to steal something up north. The thieves and con-artists of the Great City were very territorial and had not taken kindly to a newcomer stepping on their toes and taking what they viewed as their bounty and loot. People said there was honour among thieves, but Alethea knew that if you were to ask any real thief, they would tell you you were sorely mistaken.

Traveling the Great Northern Road alone was too risky, Alethea had decided, especially now that winter was drawing in. While the south enjoyed a moderate winter, the north truly did battle with the elements. Furthermore, if she decided to only travel when she thought she could pass unnoticed all the way to the north, it would take her an age to reach her destination. Thus, the most practical and safest avenue open to her was to join the wagons belonging to various traders that were heading that way. Choices were slim given the time of year, but Alethea secured herself a spot on one of them. Well, two spots really as Baego, the young lad that had stuck to her side like an adhesive for the past few months had decided to join her on her sudden journey.

The wagons were less than a days ride from the heart of the north, the home of the infamous Weades. Alethea had so far tried to limit her contact with members of the trading company. The men soon got the message that no, she would not be warming their beds along the way and mostly left her alone now. The few women traveling with the wagons did try to draw her into idle chatter, but this always made Alethea feel uncomfortable. Simply talking with people had always been difficult for the young woman. She was never sure on what she should say or how to act. In such circumstances, Baego was her hero. He had sensed her discomfort right from the get go and would step into conversations or even answer for her. Baego had no problem talking - in fact, there was rarely a time when he wasn’t talking. Even in his sleep he would murmur.

The thief pulled her cloak tighter around her thin frame as a rather strong gale started to pick up. She hadn’t managed to purchase thicker clothing for herself or Baego before they had left the Great City and the pair was suffering for it. Though neither had come down with an illness, Alethea was thankful that on the morrow she would be able to buy something more substantial to ward off the chill in the air. In the coming days, Alethea knew she would be receiving more information from her current employer on where exactly she would be stealing from as the nobleman had been rather vague on that particular aspect of the heist, simply telling her he would reveal such things when he knew she was in the north. Alethea did not like accepting work when there were such matters concealed and unknown to her, but the excitement she felt over what she was about to steal had swayed her decision.