Cries To The Moon Chapter One: Sylver's P.O.V.

Chapter One: Sylver’s Point of View1

I guess my luck had been asking for a day like today. Lately life had just been breezing by almost easily and I guess now was the day life took matters into its usual harsh, calloused hands. Today, for the first time in three years, us Thieves had been caught with our hand in the cookie jar or rather the Annarella Bank and Trust’s largest vault. Maybe it was Like Dover said, we’d just been taking sugar cookies from the same jar for too long. Annarella’s had to notice sooner or later. And life had picked sooner as it so often does. We’d lost four of our men and two others had been drawn up on one of the millions of WANTED posters and such that were quickly stacking up in the Royal Navy’s headquarters. And of course I, being a woman, had been noticed for long enough to be identified as one of the many “criminals” that already owned a WANTED poster. So now of course the Navy was renewing the search for me which meant my lovely boss had put me in freeze until the whole thing blew over, for the most part.2

The rosy sun shone through the patchy canopy in a hazy way, dying the leaves from emerald and jade to pink, orange, and a fire-y red. Finally, I found the part of the creek that belonged to me and me alone. I looked straight down at it, my first grin all day shining across my cheeks. My part of the creek is right where it bends. The bend has, over the years, formed into a sort of little... pond I suppose you could say. It goes deep enough and it's pretty roomy, at least it is with just me.3

I started stripping down. I took off my boots first making sure to put them in a different hiding space then last time. When you're a Thief you can never be sure who's watching. Though it generally turns out no one is watching you and you're just being paranoid. But that's part of what makes a good Thief. I took off my belt next. I made sure my sword and the gun didn't clash together as I hid them in a strategically sneaky place a perfect distance from my boots in case something were to go wrong. Last to go were my britches and my leather vest which I threw over my boots. I left on my white cotton shirt, after all I could never tell when someone might come tramping through this part of the woods. It hadn't happened in a long time, but you could never be too careful, especially when you're a Thief (I told you we are paranoid).4

I started my careful descent down the steep hillside. I had finally gotten down and was wading easily in the water when I heard a sound from the bushes above. After whipping my head around to see, I stood as still as the motionless tree trunk that lay directly to my left, all my senses trained on the area the sound had come from. I'm not sure how long I stood there as the mirky and slightly smelly water lapped around my waist before she appeared. She had blond hair and tan skin and looked to be a little younger then my nineteen. She climbed gracefully down to the water's edge and then glided in only giving me a quick looking over. My instincts immediately began peaking. Something was deffinitely off about this girl and my instincts are never wrong.5

"Hello." I said smoothly, using a much more rounded accent then my average voice possibly suggesting not only a background in England, but one in France as well.6

"Hello." She replied. Her accent I couldn't quite place though it was high and sweet. She had begun treading water in the middle of the swimming hole and I decided to take her example letting my feet touch the bottom, but glided my arms around in the water to get the feel of it. I bent my knees so my shoulders and were submerged, but all the while I kept a suspicious eye on the girl. Though of course being a MASTER Thief I didn't let my eyes betray my suspicions. I only let them register curiosity. "I don't believe I've seen you here before." I said casually, watching with proffesional hawk-like eyes for her reaction. She shrugged "I've been coming here since I was three. Why haven't I seen YOU around here?" I shrugged back. The suspicion the girl had been trying to repress flickered in her eyes for the briefest second. But not brief enough. I smiled a little and replied. "I have no idea."7

"What time do you usually come?" She was grasping now, trying to search for any hints from me. But I wasn't giving any away.8

"Usually a little earlier than this." Silence. I waited for her to say something, but nothing came from her mouth. It was only then I realized I'd been swimming circles around her. "What's your name." I knew she'd probably give a fake, but still it was something regular people would ask.9

"Summer." She said without hesitation. This made me wonder whether she'd been waiting for me to ask or if it really was her name. I was leaning toward the first. "I'm Lia." I liked the sound of it and as a precaution I'd had it prepared in case she asked. "What made you get in the creek with me because honestly if it were me I wouldn't have come in if I saw you swimming." I made my voice light and airy with a slight giggle.10

"How do you know I wasn't already swimming and that when I heard you I got out, but as soon as I realised you weren't a threat I got back in?" Me? Not a threat? HA! She obviously doesn't know who she's dealing with. I am the Princess of Thieves for crying out loud!!11

Just then, as if just by me thinking the words I was to get in trouble, the sound of a wolf howling three times made me stand. It wasn't a real wolf howling of course. It was the King of Thieves signaling us time to come home. I looked to see the sun dipping low to the ground and noticed Summer was eying it almost nervously.12

"Well it's best I head home now. Wouldn't want to be caught out here after dark." Summer let out a creepy laugh and spat bitterly, "No. I suppose you wouldn't."13

I got out of the creek and struggled up the bank, puzzling over her words. I put my clothes on in a rush and hurried home. I needed to tell the Guild.14