A smirk played at the edges of Raid's mouth. Really, she loved it when the merchants forgot their guards at home. It made her job that much easier.

She'd already stolen ten purses, eight of which were fat and weighed in comfortably in her various pockets. The fools she'd taken them from were probably frantically searching their empty pockets as she walked. Raid grinned.

It had been good stealing for the past week or so. Business was at it's height for all the merchants that bustled into Olencia's walls, and that meant that Raid's business was also at it's peak. In all the hustling around, no one noticed a teenaged girl weaving around inside the crowds with flat clothing and leaving with lumps in them.

"Nice," Raid murmured, smirking again. Absently, she carressed one of her secreted throwing daggers as she scanned the crowd for another target. Her eyes rested on a merchant wearing particularly gaudy clothing, but moved on. The flashiest ones always were the most hypersensitive to theft.

There.

Yet another merchant; average clothing, but with a few rings on his fingers. Probably had more gold on him than he needed. Raid slid into the crowd again easily, already calculating the procedure.

Amusing. Valandil could find little better in the way of words as he watched this young thief worm her way through the crowds. She was hardly sloppy, but for a man who made his living watching the actions of others, she had been glaringly visible in her attempts at thievery. Since he had taken an interest in the woman, she had stolen a number of purses, Valandil surmised that some of them would be quite heavy indeed.

Now, as she lined up on another merchant, the assassin watched her move, watched they way she stalked her target. She had the talent to be sure. Dexterious hands, swift movements, a light touch. All of these were essential to making a successful living as a lightener of merchant's burdens.

As the girl began to move in for the job, Valandil swept in behind her, curious. He spoke in a low whisper, so that only she could hear him.

"A tempting target to be sure, but Markus Aureloais is known for being far more attentive than he looks. At least thats what the past dozen now handless thieves say." She jumped. Valandil smiled. As an assassin he always felt a tingle when he made people jump. It was just one more sign that he was good at his job.

"Might I suggesst Francis Boreas, hes a bit duller but just about as rich." Valandil waved casually at another fat merhcant who had just made his entrance into the square.

Just a few more feet, and Raid would have enough gold to last her an extra two weeks in the inn. She ducked her head, smiling. Her hand was at the ready...

"A tempting target to be sure, but Markus Aureloais is known for being far more attentive than he looks. At least that's what the past dozen now handless thieves say."

Raid twitched, her hand flying to the hidden dagger. She'd been spotted!? A guard--

A quick glance behind her told Raid that the low voice behind her hadn't come from any guard--the man was built for stealth, and dressed all in black. He had the entirely wrong air about him. No guard aside from Hadrian would be able to spot her at work, anyway.

"Might I suggest Francis Boreas, he's a bit duller but just about as rich." The man waved at yet another fat merchant entering the square--the fool had only one guard around him, she noticed scornfully. Raid considered listening to the man.

She veered off imperceptibly, making for a simple fruit stand. She still sensed him behind her, so her left hand worked furiously in thieves' sign. Raid was betting that he understood it.

What is it to you which target I choose? I don't know you. You don't owe me anything.

Apprently his little thief friend had a sense of arrogance about her. She ignored his advice, and veered suddenly at a fruit stand, her hand's flashing in "thieve's sign". A common hand-language for those who used silence as a weapon. How quaint. Valandil had not used the language of hands in nigh on two years, and it took him a moment to decipher her furious questioning.

What is it to you which target I choose? I don't know you. You don't owe me anything.


Valandil's lips quirked in a faint smile as he glanced back at the sharp merchant, and his eyes widened in amusement again as he saw another thief slip in towards Markus. The big merchant stiffened and waited then just as the thiefs hand was coming free with his purse the large man spun grabbing the wrist with his meaty hands.

"Another one! This city is becomming infested with pickpockets!" He motioned to one of his guards. "Take her to the garrison, they know what to do with thieves."

Valandil's hands flashed in sign. I may owe you nothing little sister, but it would be a shame for one so early in your career to loose your hands to piranah such as Markus. He grinned again. You could perhaps assume I owe Markus something then.

In truth Markus had once caught a friend of Valandil's, but Valandil held no true grudge, it was just something to put this young, highly suspicious thief at ease.

Raid's eyes were once again drawn to Markus, sharpening as she saw another one of her kind slip in behind him. The thief stalked him, obviously skilled...

Her hand was too slow, she realized inwardly. When she reached for the man's purse...

He stiffened, grabbing the girl's wrist with a meaty hand just as she brought it away from his side. "Another one! This city is becomming infested with pickpockets!" He motioned to one of his guards. Raid watched, cold in the pit of her belly. "Take her to the garrison, they know what to do with thieves."

I'll bet you do, she murmured inwardly. Bastard. The thief may have had potential.

Raid turned her head in the black-clad man's direction in time to see him return a message in thieves' sign.

I may owe you nothing little sister, but it would be a shame for one so early in your career to loose your hands to piranha such as Markus. He grinned. You could perhaps assume I owe Markus something then.

Raid considered him, her eyes moving back to the smug-looking merchant.

Well, now she owed the man something. The female thief, while her hand had been slow, obviously hadn't been lacking in skill. It could very well have been her off to the garrisons.

She turned back, not bothering to speak in thieves' sign. "Well, it seems that now I do owe you something. Anything in particular you need stolen?" Her voice was light; any onlookers would think she was jesting. Raid's eyes told a different story.

((I am glad to see you are not letting my inactivity in our RP keeping u from being active elsewhere ^-^.))

She seemed unimpressed by Valandil's refusal to pass her "debt" on. Valandil really had no use for a run-of-the-mill thief. Granted she showed a large amount of talent, but she still had a lot to learn. Valandil had little patience, but lots of experience. Still, he was not the teaching type. Valandil frowned as she turned to him, her hair swinging and eyes flashing. "Well, it seems that now I do owe you something. Anything in particular you need stolen?"

Valandil almost sneered, almost. His lip did twitch at the tone of her voice, and her seemingly foppish manner. In which she suggested she steal something for him.

"Girl." Valandil began. "I spotted you working from across a crowded marketplace and came upon you unawares. If I have enough experience to do that, what makes you think I cannot steal anything I want myself?"

His teeth showed in something close to an aproximation of a smile. "I told you, I owed Markus something, I am not really interested in anything you might have to offer." He looked her up and down openly and then chuckled. "Girl." And with that he turned and began to walk away, thinking he was finally done with this girl...

((-.-' short))

Raid didn't like the twitch of the man's lip. It smacked of condescension. Raid hated condescension.

"Girl." She glared, already knowing the gist of what he was about to say. "I spotted you working from across a crowded marketplace and came upon you unawares. If I have enough experience to do that, what makes you think I cannot steal anything I want myself?"

And here she'd thought it was luck. She set her jaw, pouting sulkily. Raid, along with condescension, hated being confronted with skill that was superior to her own. It made her feel small and weak.

The man bared his teeth in a mockery of a smile. "I told you, I owed Markus something, I am not really interested in anything you might have to offer." He looked her up and down blatantly. Raid hissed at him, further loathing the disregard he gave her. He chuckled again as if he found what he saw to be amusing. "Girl." He turned and began to walk away.

"Do not dismiss me as if I were nothing," Raid snapped at him, walking quickly at his heels. "If you can do so much better, why don't you show me how to do better?" Her eyes flashed. "I'll believe your skill to be so infismally greater than mine when I see it."

"Do not dismiss me as if I were nothing,” Her harsh words scourge at him, seeking a reaction. He gave her none. "If you can do so much better, why don't you show me how to do better? I'll believe your skill to be so infismally greater than mine when I see it."

For a moment, the assassin almost turned her down. I don't teach kids. He could feel each word forming itself in his mind. But after a moment he shook it off. He was bored. He glanced away from the girl, and back at Markus. It had been a while since he had been forced to steal for his own livelihood. And he did owe Markus something. That fat bastard.

Valandil smiled, and turned back to the booth by which they stood. With a swipe he grabbed a piece of bread. the store owner began to protest but Valandil winked at him.

"I shall return in a moment good master." The man sat back, his eyes questioning.

Valandil pulled his black cloak's hood over his head, and hunched his back, which gave him the appearance of a much older man. He glanced back at the girl. "Watch." he grunted, and began hobbling forward to Markus.

"Sir, buy some bread sire, please!" Valandil raised his voice a pitch, and whined as loudly as he could. Markus looked up, and snorted contemptuously.

"Be gone Beggar."

"But sir, my family, there cold sir, and starving."

"I said be gone!" The two guards moved forward to forcibly take Valandil away, but the assassin leapt forward, clinging to the rotund man. With a grunt Markus pushed him away. And then he openly checked his purse, which was still there. Valandil could almost feel the girl's smirk behind him.

"Please sir?" Valandil whined once more. "When you have so many gold coins, what is one for the lives of a family of four?"

Markus sighed. "All right." the two exchanged goods, and Markus turned to leave. Valandil smirked as he heard the clink of gold on gold as Markus walked away. Then with an almost cavalier movement, he struck, slitting the bag, and palming the coins, his movements hidden by the fold of his cloak as he bowed low in "thanks" before Markus.

Then the merchant was gone, and Valandil walked back casually to the stand. The girl still had that smirk, but it shrunk when Valandil tossed the handful of coins to the bread-seller.

"I would loose the exact currency were I you good master"

Valandil turned back to the young girl. "Well?"

((Let me know if object to my viewing of you…))

Raid watched, her jaw set and shoulders tense as he glanced away from her and back to Markus. Good, she thought viciously, you're considering it. Let's see what you can do.

The man smiled and turned back to the booth. He swiped at a piece of bread, drawing a protest, but he calmed slightly when the "thief" promised to return shortly. Though, there was a definite dubious light to the shopkeeper's eyes.

Yes, Raid mused. What are you doing, stranger?

The stranger pulled the black hood that had been resting on his back over his head, hunching and suddenly appearing very, very much older. "Watch," he grunted at the girl. She folded her arms, staring curiously and with a bit of malice. He hobbled toward Markus.

"Sir, buy some bread sire, please!" Raid kept herself from flinching at the suddenly nasal, high-pitched voice of the man. Instead, she stared harder, a growing sense of trepadition in the pit of her belly. He was drawing too much attention. Even if he succeeded, he'd make trouble for beggars anywhere near the market.

Markus looked up and snorted. "Be gone Beggar." Raid leveled a stony glare at the fat merchant. Some of her best friends in Maloren had been beggars, and she didn't like the disdain in his voice.

"But sir, my family, they're cold sir, and starving." Such a plea would not work on such a man.

"I said be gone!" Two guards moved to forcibly take the "beggar" away, but he leaped forward, clinging to Markus' front. With a grunt, he pushed him away, openly checking for his purse.

Raid smirked viciously, one arm unfolding to let a hand drift to and carress a hidden dagger. The stranger was planning--was expecting something to happen that he knew would happen.


"Please sir?" Again with the whine. "When you have so many gold coins, what is one for the lives of a family of four?"

Markus sighed. You fool. "All right." They traded goods, Raid sharpening her gaze to watch their every movement. The stranger was losing his chance...Ha. He'd taken it, striking in an almost serpentine manner and taking the bastard's purse. The smirk widened.

He walked casually back to the stand, no longer pretending to be a beggar. Her smirk faded, though, when he tossed the prize to the breadseller. A waste, Raid thought.

"I would lose the exact currency were I you good master."

He turned to her. "Well?"

The hand carressing the dagger was tense, and she brought her arms up to cross again. "He couldn't have needed those," Raid said tightly. Her jaw was set.

"You drew too much attention," she continued, eyes keen. "He'll be making life miserable for every beggar near the market once he's found himself considerably less heavy in the purse. That trick wouldn't work more than twice, and then only on different people."

Raid flicked her gaze at the shopkeeper, eyeing him as he counted the coins. She'd steal them back later--she probably needed them more than he did. Her gaze went back to the man. "I'm no hapless fool when it comes to thievery, stranger."