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The street wasn't too crowdy. A minor setback. A young boy with hair a few millimeters short of baldness and ragged clothes of unidentifiable, drab colors quickly moved through the people that were out and about. Despite the cold wind, this scrawny kid wasn't cold. This kid was also not actually a boy. Iradel was constantly on the move, not only avoiding being there when people found out something from their pockets had gone missing but also keeping her very slender body a little warm.
She hadn't made much money today, even got caught once and a few times almost, even though she'd been able to get away every single time. The man who had caught her stealing had been the most persistent, but somehow she'd managed to lose him as well in a maze of alleyways. Why he'd chased her down so far for two nearly worthless coins and a handful of berries was a mystery to Iradel, but the berries had tasted well.
A rich looking man came walking down the street. People seemed to make way for him, even though Iradel suspected they were more impressed by his bodyguards. She was too. She bit her lip, took a step back until she was one with the crowd. What she had collected today would hardly be enough to eat and even after those berries, hunger was gnawing at her. Yet even she was wise enough to know that getting caught by those men was likely to result in either death or her being ditched in the gutter a cripple.
Yet she took her chance. He came closer. Iradel moved forward. Any truly wise person would not have tried. Everyone was focussed on this man and his pretty clothes. Surely she would be seen if she tried to pickpocket the merchant. Especially by his bodyguards, who were looking for anything that could pose a threat to this man.
Now, Iradel wasn't truly wise, but she did know how to take advantage of a situation.
And so it was that as they moved past her, her nimble fingers rid not the merchant, but the bodyguard behind him of just enough money to eat for another night. Immediately, she wormed herself back into the crowd, not even looking back to see if anyone caught her. She started walking, trying to look as innocent as she could, her hands in the pockets of her pants, touching the money that she had acquired and trying not to feel too pleased with herself.
She turned away from the street, into an alleyway, where she waited in the shadows for a moment. There were no sounds indicating people were searching for her, so it seemed she had done a good job. She allowed herself a tiny little smirk, stepped out of the shadows and walked on.
She hadn't made much money today, even got caught once and a few times almost, even though she'd been able to get away every single time. The man who had caught her stealing had been the most persistent, but somehow she'd managed to lose him as well in a maze of alleyways. Why he'd chased her down so far for two nearly worthless coins and a handful of berries was a mystery to Iradel, but the berries had tasted well.
A rich looking man came walking down the street. People seemed to make way for him, even though Iradel suspected they were more impressed by his bodyguards. She was too. She bit her lip, took a step back until she was one with the crowd. What she had collected today would hardly be enough to eat and even after those berries, hunger was gnawing at her. Yet even she was wise enough to know that getting caught by those men was likely to result in either death or her being ditched in the gutter a cripple.
Yet she took her chance. He came closer. Iradel moved forward. Any truly wise person would not have tried. Everyone was focussed on this man and his pretty clothes. Surely she would be seen if she tried to pickpocket the merchant. Especially by his bodyguards, who were looking for anything that could pose a threat to this man.
Now, Iradel wasn't truly wise, but she did know how to take advantage of a situation.
And so it was that as they moved past her, her nimble fingers rid not the merchant, but the bodyguard behind him of just enough money to eat for another night. Immediately, she wormed herself back into the crowd, not even looking back to see if anyone caught her. She started walking, trying to look as innocent as she could, her hands in the pockets of her pants, touching the money that she had acquired and trying not to feel too pleased with herself.
She turned away from the street, into an alleyway, where she waited in the shadows for a moment. There were no sounds indicating people were searching for her, so it seemed she had done a good job. She allowed herself a tiny little smirk, stepped out of the shadows and walked on.
Iradel wasn't stupid. She'd lived here for too long to just assume that the man behind her, despite the distance, just happened to be headed in the same direction. Not after several deliberate but useless turns from her side. She sucked her cheeks in and resisted the urge to speed up. Not yet. She was sure she could get rid of him, but just starting to run wouldn't exactly do her much good, probably. She casually reached down a pocket in her rough cotton shirt, her fingers closing around what she called her knife. Except it was only a sharpened piece of wood. Not particularly useful against a real knife, but it had saved her ass in the night a couple of time. Especially when doing things they were not supposed to, certain people were quite quick to jump to the conclusion that the pointy thing she'd be holding up in the dark was in fact a knife.
She'd only stabbed someone once, with it. It was far from effective, but it had been a nice distraction. She got away relatively unharmed, at least.
A quick little look around, during which she did her best to look dreamy, as if just admiring the city, confirmed that in the distance the man was still there. He was good, she gave him that. If she hadn't been completely on edge because of her last theft, she'd probably hadn't noticed. But now she was looking for anything that could be considered 'off'. Those rich folks tended to be way too proud and bruising their ego could have unexpected results.
Iradel decided it was time to try to shake the stranger off. She turned left, into a really dark, really narrow alleyway and started running, taking turns left and right, hoping to make it impossible for the man to follow her. She hadn't seen him before, so she hoped he wasn't familiar here, in which case these streets would be a true maze. If he did know his way around… well, she could only hope that either he had no bad intentions or she was fast enough and she decided to put her money on the latter.
However, she was getting tired. Despite her good condition, the fact that she hardly ever had enough to eat was a weight on her skinny shoulders. She could do running away for a while, but she was no long distance runner. Not in this shape.
And if it hadn't been for one inconvenient setback, her quick legs might still have carried her to safety if she had been very lucky. However, as she quickly moved into yet another narrow little street, one that reeked of all kinds of unpleasant substances, she was facing two men who seemed to be bout to attack eachother. They hadn't seen her yet, so she quickly moved backwards, out of the alley. She had been thrown off guard a little and felt like she had lost precious time. It didn't help that the only other way was a dead end unless she went back for a few streets, risking meeting the man who had been pursuing her. In the alley, the sounds of a loud fight had started and Iradel started running again, panting, away from the noise and back until the street allowed her to turn left again. She slowed down a little. Surely she would have gone far enough? Even if she'd been taught to count past thirty she'd lost count of how many turns she'd taken.
She'd only stabbed someone once, with it. It was far from effective, but it had been a nice distraction. She got away relatively unharmed, at least.
A quick little look around, during which she did her best to look dreamy, as if just admiring the city, confirmed that in the distance the man was still there. He was good, she gave him that. If she hadn't been completely on edge because of her last theft, she'd probably hadn't noticed. But now she was looking for anything that could be considered 'off'. Those rich folks tended to be way too proud and bruising their ego could have unexpected results.
Iradel decided it was time to try to shake the stranger off. She turned left, into a really dark, really narrow alleyway and started running, taking turns left and right, hoping to make it impossible for the man to follow her. She hadn't seen him before, so she hoped he wasn't familiar here, in which case these streets would be a true maze. If he did know his way around… well, she could only hope that either he had no bad intentions or she was fast enough and she decided to put her money on the latter.
However, she was getting tired. Despite her good condition, the fact that she hardly ever had enough to eat was a weight on her skinny shoulders. She could do running away for a while, but she was no long distance runner. Not in this shape.
And if it hadn't been for one inconvenient setback, her quick legs might still have carried her to safety if she had been very lucky. However, as she quickly moved into yet another narrow little street, one that reeked of all kinds of unpleasant substances, she was facing two men who seemed to be bout to attack eachother. They hadn't seen her yet, so she quickly moved backwards, out of the alley. She had been thrown off guard a little and felt like she had lost precious time. It didn't help that the only other way was a dead end unless she went back for a few streets, risking meeting the man who had been pursuing her. In the alley, the sounds of a loud fight had started and Iradel started running again, panting, away from the noise and back until the street allowed her to turn left again. She slowed down a little. Surely she would have gone far enough? Even if she'd been taught to count past thirty she'd lost count of how many turns she'd taken.
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