First time along the promenade [Open]

[Sage]

Scara Brae was proving to be, different.

It wasn’t the endless wheat fields like back home, nor was the air sweet with the scent of grapes and wine. The Scara Brae docks actually had a rather foul smell, like old wet wood and fresh livestock smothered with a thick layer of tobacco on the wind. Sage wasn’t disappointed per say, it was after all his idea to accompany his father on one of his business ventures, a few weeks away from the estate would do him some good. At least that is what he kept telling himself each time he tried to reach for a book.

Stepping back onto solid ground after a week’s voyage at sea however was utter bliss, his first venture at sea was now just a bad memory and he was eager to find a library as soon as possible. Sage was quick to spot his father amongst the crowd as he was making his way towards him, he had always been tall, and his face stern and cross in a seemingly endless frown.

“Are you going to be ok?” he asked as he stood beside his son.
“I’ll be fine, father, there must be a bookstore around here somewhere” Sage answered eager to find such an establishment as soon as possible.His father just frowned a little more. “I meant are you going to be ok on your own?”

“Were staying at the Fox and Hounds inn along the docks, so I shouldn’t get lost that easily” He answered, picking out the inn in question further along the road, the Inn was run by an old friend of his fathers who he had met once when he had last visited Crossroads.
“Run by Coren Seith if I remember correctly” he enquired.

His father nodded in reply “I want you back by sundown, no later understand?” he spoke sternly.

“By sundown, no later” Sage affirmed with a bright smile, brushing a long lock of his hair behind his shoulder. His father grumbled in response, it was as good as a dismissal as any and Sage turned to go but stopped when he saw the worry in his father’s eyes.This wasn’t Crossroads, Sage was well aware of that, if there was any kind of trouble he would not be within running distance of the estate, and truthfully, sage was unaccustomed to the larger cities without his father’s guidance.

“I’ll be fine” Sage said warmly.

[The Mongrel]

No Unfoundling travels to Scara Brae on official business. We'd had some trouble with the Scourge as a nascent group, and only in recent decades had come to an agreement: we stay off their island, they stay off ours. Both sides break the truce from time to time, and it's always a cause for bloodshed when it's discovered.

I hadn't come on business. Not Unfounded-related, anyway. My friend Paige had a friend here, and he had agreed to give me shelter until the Day of Burning blew over and people forgot about me. Forgot... would anyone I knew be alive when the humans forgot? I wouldn't be alive when the elves forgot; that, at least, was a certainty. But I don't live among the elves. We'll say the reasons are obvious.

I shook myself to clear the pessimism. Human memories are far shorter than their lives; I might be able to return to my own in as little as a year or two. A year or two of missing everything. Why had I gone to Raiaera, again? My homeland only ever brought me trouble.

It was afternoon when my boat docked, and I'd been told to seek out my contact no later than two hours after dawn. I had hours of daylight to kill, and the nights were growing ever longer. Minutes don't pass any more quickly for elves than humans, when they're standing between us and what we want.

Still, I had some coin. I probably needed a new shirt or vest. At the very least, I could get a drink. Among the throngs of people, with their smells of commerce and worry, I could move unhindered, almost unseen. Everyone wrapped themselves in their own lives, their own concerns, and it took something special to drag them from it. I'd be invisible.

Just so long as I keep my hood up and my head down.

Strangers are rarely kind to halfbreeds, and regardless of what I'd done in Raiaera, that's all I wanted to be in Scara Brae. Just an ordinary mongrel cur.

[Vendredi]

Here’s the first rule of thieving: Don’t get caught.

Fii strolled down the streets of Scara Brae with his hands in his pockets. He was whistling a dirty ditty. Occasionally, he would stop at a store to chat. He fit in. His rough tunic and leggings were worn, but clean. His hair was neat, and he shaved earlier in the morning. He looked like a fine, upstanding citizen of the land.

He did not look like a thieving bastard from a nomadic band of mercenaries and whores, and that was just as well. If Fii looked like what people called him behind his back, the city guards would have already thrown him into the gaols.

Here’s the second rule of thieving: Pick easy targets.

The streets of Scara Brae were full of people. A few of them looked sketchy with hooded faces and trembling hands. Most looked the way Fii did -- simple, clean, regular citizens going about their daily businesses. A few of them, however, looked new to the city. Simple country-boys and dangerous foreigners alike milled down the well worn paths.

Fii had been trailing one of the country lads for the past ten minutes, and and the man--boy?--had not picked up on Fii’s presence at all. That was a good sign. That meant an easy target. Fii liked easy targets. They were less trouble.

His target passed by a fruit vendor. Fii followed unhurriedly behind, and swiped two apples on his way past. He bit into them. Crunchy. They were twisting and turning deeper into the city. Soon, they were in front of a tavern. His target paused, as though considering something. Around them, the greyish faces of the milling masses were packed so tightly that one could not tell where one face ended and another began.

Here’s the third rule of thieving: Strike as soon as you have a chance.

Fii moved forward, and pushing through the crowd like an eel in the river. It took mere moments before he reached his pondering target, and only a second more before he pushed past. Through the tangled ocean of limbs, one could barely tell who had hit whom, and where.

In the end, it had taken only a single quick cut of a razor to drop the man’s purse from where it hang. Too easy, Fii smirked unwittingly, as he eked his way out of the crowd and into the tavern.

[Sage]

The bookstore was a precious find, tucked away in some alley as though it was meant to be hidden, and it wasn’t just a normal bookstore either, it was a magical bookstore. Sage had to withhold an un-manly squeal of delight as he cast his eyes over the titles of the books. “The art of Magic” he had read back home, “Pyromancy for beginners” a fire mage amongst a wheat field? Yikes! Ancient tomes galore and not a single one within his price range either. Sage cast an eye towards the shop keeper as though the man could sense how much Sage currently had on him, probably could too, there was a spell for that he could imagine, popular amongst thieves and shopkeepers.

Nah.

“May I help you-huh?! The shopkeeper asked, confused as he looked his way, surprisingly it was a look sage was not unfamiliar with. There had been plenty of times back home when merchants passing through would confuse him for a girl, “It happens” he thought with acceptance, the first time had been horrifying, and the second had been equally jarring.

But he had been mistaken for a girl enough times to no longer be jarred by the apparent confusion it caused.

“A boy” he supplied with an easy smile, and considered the ice broken as it were. “I was wondering what other books you had for beginners” The shop keeper adopted a brief frown upon his wizened face, though it was quickly replaced by the prospect of a potential customer.
“A book on Water manipulation to your right, and wind manipulation further along” he answered without missing a beat, “Thank you” the apparent- boy replied, though the shopkeeper was seemingly rather doubtful about that.
“It happens” he repeated to himself as he turned and traced his finger along the spine of a book called “Light and shadow.” All some kind of elemental manipulation it seemed, perhaps he didn’t have any stock on cantrips and incantations. Gosh he could spend hours here alone if they did.

Still it was a wonderful little treasure trove, he would have to return as soon as possible with the rest of his gold that was within his father’s care, “20 gold Pieces is enough for any book” he had stated before they had even gotten off the ship, and while any book would be hard pressed to cost more than 20 pieces of gold, a magical tome was so much more. Not that he was impatient eit-oh who was he kidding, he was practically slavering all over the tomes.

“I’ll be right back sir” he called to the shopkeeper as he exited the store and back onto the docks. He hadn’t gotten too far from the fox and the Hound Inn, just further down the docks.
He looked up towards the next establishment along “The peaceful promenade, a bit of an oxymoron considering the amount of noise within” he thought bemused and was about to set off back towards his father when he saw two people seemingly collide with one another.

Though Collide wasn’t quite the right word to use, slither seemed accurate enough, even as he saw a glint of metal and the parting of the boys’ purse. Sage continued to look on even as the other broke away and entered the tavern without breaking his stride. Sage continued to Gawk some more.
“A thief, seriously?”

That isn’t right, no one should take something from another, especially in such a, deceitful method. Sage felt his stomach tense at the sheer wrongness at what he had just seen, and was at a loss as to what to do. He had been warned about possible thieves before they had even set off, though he had been more concerned about bandits along the road to Radasanth, and from there pirates along the ocean to Scara Brae.
But here and now, after watching it happen, just in front of him?

Sage acted before he could think it through, moving forwards to open the taverns door before it could fully close and grabbed for the thieves wrist even faster.
“Give it Back!” he cried as sternly as he possibly could, though at that moment his actions had registered in his mind and he had suddenly realised that he was quite possibly in over his head and causing some rather unnecessary trouble.

“oh”

[Vendredi]

Fii heard the yell behind him, but he did not realize that he was the one being yelled until the thin fingers clenched around his wrist. At that moment, the noisy discords of the nearby crowd seemed to have hushed, and curious faces were drawing into a circle around him.

Fii’s first reaction was: Ah, shit.

His second reaction was: How did I get caught?

He pulled his wrist out of the grip, and turned to face his accuser. At the same time, his other hand slipped the tiny purse into the back pocket of a half-drunk man who had the misfortune of passing by at that unfortunate moment.

Pity, Fii thought, as he parted with the coins. Never let it be said that Firelis Tvy’ern was a petty thief. He was a generous one. Removing the evidence of a crime was another part of this trade, as was knowing when to give up. The greedy ones never knew when to give up. That was why the greedy ones rotted in prison.

When Fii had finally turned around, he had both hands held up, and his palms were empty.

“Give what back?” he asked with the easy grin of an untrustworthy man, feigning innocence.

[The Mongrel]

It's not my business. It's not my concern. Young thieves get caught sometimes, it's how they learn they need to improve. I'm just in here to drink.

But damn if I don't have a soft spot for little thieves. After all... I was one, once.

I'd also spent half of my life finding promising young criminals that could be taken in and trained up. I'd watched literal generations of them learn, grow, live, and die back at home. I didn't really want to have one mis-timed cut see a child off to the gaol.

I stepped up beside the two males, soft as a shadow. If either of them were adults, it was only just. The pick-pocket was only just learning his trade, and was just smart enough to let his prize go when called on it, like a fox fleeing at a raven's caw so he doesn't run afoul of wolves. The other was shorter, better dressed, better fed. He could almost have been mistaken for a human female at first glance. Almost. He looked more surprised than the boy he'd called out, like a rabbit who had just kicked a mastiff in the face.

Boys, boys.

"Is there a problem, gentlemen? Because you might want to get it resolved before the Watch comes. I hear they're not terribly genial in these parts."

[Sage]

“Give what back?” Sage repeated in disbelief, giving the copper haired boy his best frown, righteous indignation flaring at the sheer dishonesty.

“The Purse you stole the one that is in your, hand?” Sage suddenly found himself lacking for words, the boys hand was empty of the purse he had just witnessed him pilfer. Sage narrowed his eyes, more than suspecting some sort of sleight of hand, but unable to figure out exactly what he had done with the purse.

“I saw you take it, I know you did.” He declared rather heatedly in a hushed whisper. And he had, the Copper hair was rather distinct amongst the dark browns and light blondes hues around them. Hushed whispers began to grow louder and sage glanced back to see several people beginning to stare. Oh- OH dear, Sage reflected that this was probably the single most stupid thing he had ever done, repressing the panic beginning to rise, sage once again made a grab for the boys wrist with a tighter grip than before.

Sucking in a deep breath to calm down and hopefully restore rational thinking over the rising anxiety he was feeling from causing a stir. Sage turned his attention back to the thief taking the moment to really look at him.

“Young, probably as old as I am” and looking far too mischievous for his liking either, he wondered where his parents were, or if he even had them, a street urchin maybe, he appeared a little too tall and lean for that though.
The question remained what had he done with the purse, on moment it had been in his hand, newly pilfered, and the next it was gone, vanished into thin air. Sleight of hand was the obvious answer, but how.

“How did you do that?” Sage asked with a tone of curiosity that he could not keep out, while at the same time he gave the re-acquired wrist an extra squeeze, hoping convey the message that anything but a satisfactory answer would not be tolerated.

Then a new voice spoke up and Sage felt his stomach literally drop and tighten like a noose. Then he turned to the owner of the voice and felt that vice grip on his stomach tighten some more. She looked like war itself, battle hardened and experienced, Sage hadn’t even noticed her approach and neither did he miss the pointed ‘Gentlemen’ it felt utterly bizarre for someone to correctly guess he was a male right off the bat for once.

“Well doesn’t that beat all?” he pondered to himself as he forced himself to again reassess the situation he had thrown himself into.

“No miss. No problem, my …um” friend? No, not good enough.
Thinking quickly he could only think of a single wonderfully terrible idea, his instincts insisted it was not a bright idea, nor a clever one, but it stuck nonetheless.

“My boyfriend!” And under the proverbial gender wagon sage threw the thief.

“My boyfriend, uh took my uh … Favourite ribbon, I use too tie my hair, he is being very mean!” And thus sage had cemented the single most stupid thing he had ever done in the history of, ever. He had once read a similar situation in a book once, though the role his was playing was actually a female in that. But he was often confused for a girl often enough that people around would buy the flimsy excuse right while the woman … well she would see right through it for sure, though she didn’t look the type to press it either, right?

[Vendredi]

Ah, but you can’t prove it.

The thought was petty, but the pettiness made Fii feel vindicated and amused. Fii was the type to take his little pleasures where he could, even against pretty little things like this accuser, and she was a pretty little thing, albeit dressed a little too boyishly.

“Do what?” he repeated, head cocked to one side, continuing his act of innocence even as she gripped his wrist again. He let her. It amused him to.

Around them, the gathering crowd of curious onlookers grew larger. The crowd could soon be large enough to draw the attention of the law keepers, especially since they were standing on the doorsteps of one of the most prominent taverns in the city. Fii thought he could see the bronze tan of their armour out of the corners of his eyes.

Strangely, however, he was not worried. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, missus.”

She had no proof. Therefore, if he pretended ignorance long enough, the problem would go away. That was the way the world worked, even if the City Watch came right now.

“Is there a problem, gentlemen?” came a voice from beside them. It was a woman’s voice.

Fii did not look to the sides. The voice continued to speak, but Fii’s attention were fixated on the last word in that sentence. Gentlemen?

Never let it be said that Firelis Tvy’ern was not quick to learn. Now that his mind was on it, he could see that his accuser might not be a young missus at all. The height was there, but the curves were not. Then there was the set of the shoulders, and the knob on the neck -- Oh, Fii thought. A man.

A man who was soon claiming that Fii was his… boyfriend. Heh. How quaint. This was a first. Oh boy, his family would be horrified if this got back to them, but Fii found it absolutely hilarious.

The grin on Fii’s face grew wider as he listened, and a strange light lit in his eyes. The gauntlet had been thrown, and Fii could not resist the urge to play along. He had always been a mischievous little blight. This seemed too delightful a beartrap to jump over, and so he stepped into it with a cheery grin and eyes wide open.

“Very mean,” Fii nodded in agreement.

Then he moved closer towards the other boy, so close that his lips almost touched the other’s ear. He had to bend down slightly. Imitating the husky whispers of the acting troupes playing romance, he said, “But I can make it up to you, love.”

Something in him giggled like a little girl.

[The Mongrel]

One little rule-abider, so terrified of maybe getting into trouble and making a scene that he was pretending to be involved with a stranger just so another stranger wouldn't scold him. He was also aware enough of just how androgynous he looked to other humans to try and pass himself off as a girl when it suited him. One little rule-breaker, so ready to see how mad the world was that he'd go along with it. He was also aware enough of just how much trouble he could find himself in if he didn't.

Humans are funny little creatures. In a moment, they might decide that one thing is a good idea, however bad it might be. Then they'll go and stick it through to the end. I've seen many marriages happen that way.

I was aware of law enforcement in the room. One highly visible in armor, another drinking just after his shift, still wearing a tabard. A third sat in a dim corner, intent on not being noticed. He was probably only here to monitor dealings between known members of the Scara Scourge and their associates. I was aware of a few young adventurers in the room, all watching the dealing between these two boys and this hooded elf who openly wore a sword. They all wondered if there was a way they could capitalize off of it in either reputation or wealth.

Neither of these groups concerned me.

The Scourge might be small time compared to other organizations known to the world, but they don't like other criminals in their favored dens. Such as the tavern we were all standing in now, these little lying boys and me. Those eyes - the half-elf behind the bar, the smoker by the door who seemed too drunk to notice anything, the muscular human who was purposely losing a card game to some other brand of lowlife - those bothered me.

"Excellent. So you boys go along and have fun on your date, and take care to not get yourselves in trouble." I stepped so they both could see me and offered a stiff, humorless grin.

"The world can be dangerous for the uninitiated."

Silently, I turned, starting from the nearly-lit front of the tavern to a dusky table at the back.

I was only there to drink, after all.

[Sage]

Sage held his breath even as the moment passed, and continued to do so even as the copper haired boy stepped easily into the deception with that mischievous grin. That would have been fine on its own, but then the boy spoke huskily into his ear, causing sage to squirm under the close proximity and the ticklish sensations that ran down his neck. He somehow managed not to squeal in a womanly fashion.

The woman in the hood seemed to turn her attention to something else for a single brief moment, and then she turned back to them, not pushing the situation any more than it needed to and so saved Sage from further embarrassment. Then she gave the most puzzling statement sage had ever heard.

“Dangerous?” Sage balked, what was it in the world that could possibly make it dangerous, the monsters, the People? The Dumb luck it took for a person like him to witness something by chance, to react without thinking. Possible, life was after all in constant flux so friction would be bound to occur every so often. “And that would spiral into this, into making a public spectacle of myself?”

The thought was most unappealing.

Then she was gone, making her way towards the poorly lit side of the tavern. With her hood still up, no less sage observed, wondering if that meant she was some sort of mysterious protagonist. Well either way it would probably be best if he and the copper haired boy vacated the entrance to the tavern.

“Oh, sorry” he said out loud to a patron as he squeezed by, he didn’t think he could possibly get any more embarrassed not even with his so called fake ‘boyfreind’ draped all over him. Oh he was never going to live that one down if either of his sisters found out, no he affirmed to himself, what happens in Scara Brae, stays in Scara Brae. Still he flushed with embarrassment, looking back towards the thief who appeared far to amused for his own liking, he wanted to throttle him but he was far too thankful at that moment to really give it a go.

“Thank you” he said in earnest, and then proceeded to elbow the boy in his side.

“But if you really want to make it up to me, love." he hissed "Then you will give back that ‘ribbon’ so I can … huh, oh where did he go?” he trailed off silently when he saw that the owner of the purse the thief had purloined from was no longer anywhere to be seen.Was he to the Left? No nothing. To the right maybe, not there either, had the boy even stopped, Had he not even noticed he had just been robbed? Sage could only stare at the crowd for just a moment more.

Gone

“Fine, I give up, I don’t care anymore” he groused dejectedly