"Mouse, you lazy oaf wake up it is time to get moving." A voice called out from below as a piece of bread was thrown at the young man.
He smiled and quickly caught the piece of bread much to the annoyance of the birds that were perched on the roof of the ruined house that Mouse called home. He looked down from the rafters where he slept and smiled with a toothy grin while taking a bite of the bread enjoying its warmth as it hit his stomach.
"Garrn, nice to see you my alarm clock." He looked around. "Where's Sai, isn't he usually following you around?"
Garrn nodded and kicked the support beam causing Mouse to jump down and stared into his green eyes. "Sai has already started his morning routine. We need to go and catch up to him or bossman will have our heads."
He smiled and threw the remains of the bread to the birds which started to caw loudly and fight each other over it and followed Garrn out of the ruin that he called home.
Mouse looked at Garrn as he felt his arm around his shoulders and turned back looking at the ruin he called home.
"Mouse why do you live there? Even bossman has said there're better places to live, and he even offered a few to you?"
He shook his head. "That place is where I call home. It's close to the outside, and I feel happy sleeping in the rafters with the birds. It's also way more comfortable then being in a cot, or on the floor."
Mouse smiled at Garrn. "The only time I'm on the ground is when I'm taking things that aren't mine but will soon become mine."
"Hahahaha."
They stepped out of the alleyway and into the market street which was full of people traveling from the docks to the trade quarter.
He winked at Garrn and started to stretch. "It seems like it's our lucky day. Ships coming into port this morning with fat purses, pity they will lose them before they even place a single bet."
"Hahaha."
Mouse stood watching the crowded street as he started to look for his prey.
Mouse looked at where Garrn was and noticed he had moved while he was looking around the street for targets. Mouse rolled his eyes and looked up seeing the toothy grin of Garrn looking down at him from the roof.
"Same as normal then. I'll be your eyes for the targets, and you'll be taking the things they treasure most."
Mouse smiled back. "Go enjoy your little highway. I know your too scared to deal with the guards."
"Hahaha."
Mouse turned and walked out onto the busy street. He turned and smiled as Garrn's face was no longer visible.
He stretched his shoulders. "Child's play." He walked through the crowd relieving rich merchants and sailors of their money purses. He looked up at Garrn watching which target to hit next.
He watched as Garrn ducked hiding himself and cursed. "Not good…" He cursed again and looked around for a place to hide. He felt a firm hand grab his shoulder caused him to curse and turn looking at the guard in front of him. He smiled and looked at the guard in the eyes.
He tried to brush the arm off his shoulder, but the firm grip did not let go."I'll try the direct approach this time." He mumbled as he stared at the owner of the hand.
"Hello again sir. It seems we always meet each other at the most inconvenient of times."
Mouse smiled as the guard clenched his teeth and checked his pockets. Mouse smiled as the guard stared at him with a furious look "Were you looking for something?"
"Young man, all the guards know what you and the others are doing here every day. The day that when you do get caught, you'll lose your hands and spend time in the city cells with all the others that will want to help you hold your little brother every time you need to go to pee."
Mouse smiled and yawned, covering his open mouth with his hand.
"Yes. You tell me this speech almost every time you see me, yet you find me with nothing in my pockets and then you have to let me go, saying that I should be back in the academy studying to be an advisor or some diplomat to the island chains speech."
He watched as the guard sighed. He felt the grip on his shoulder loosen.
"Yes, young man you're right. One day you'll be caught with your pockets full and your pants down. At that time there'll be no warning and no excuses. The life you lead now can only end in one of two ways, one of them is death and your body dumped in the sea or dead with no hands in the cells."
Mouse looked around at the crowd and back at the guard yawning at the guards speech. He felt a fingertip poke him in the ribs. "Which one do you want boy?"
Mouse smiled and took a step back while quickly turning and disappeared into the crowded street he looked back over his shoulder.
"There's a third option you didn't mention, never get caught and live like a king. Oh, and thank you kind sir for the gift of a new battery dagger. How did you know I've always wanted one?"
He laughed loudly as he heard the guard curse.
"Boy, I want that back now!"
Mouse looked up at Garrn. He shook his head at him and cursed under his breath. He noticed Garrn looking up turned following the direction that he was pointing to. He smiled and started to signal the others in the busy street to get into position.
He walked up to the target quickly removing the fat money purse that was unguarded and passed it quickly to a passing beggar. He hummed to himself as he continued his morning routine and couldn't help himself from almost laughing. He paused for a moment to control himself and passed the money purse to a beggar standing by ready.
"This plan is perfect. Pity I didn't think it up." He stopped smiling for a moment as he silently passed another money purse to a nearby beggar who was sitting along the side of the paved road.
Glancing up he saw Garrn signaling and then vanished from view. He frowned and turned signaling the others who quickly moved out of the street into nearby alleys as sounds of heavy footsteps started to echo off the stone road.
"Get out of the way! Clear the road!"
Mouse stood in the alley and watched as an escort of guards made a path through the busy street for a covered transport as it made its way towards the docks.
Garrn appeared next to Mouse with a quiet thud of his shoes hitting the road.
"Why would they be heading that way? They have their own direct route from the keep to their private docks?"
"No idea, but whatever it is, there is either money to be made, or a lot of trouble heading that way."
Mouse looked at Garrn nodding and turned to look behind him.
"Thud."
Mouse stared at a young orphan looking at him and smiled waving his hand at him
"Hey Mouse, did you hear me this time?"
Mouse turned and looked at the small orphan."Yeah I heard you when you stepped on the loose stone slab.You really need to watch out for them as they're noisy."
"The next time I'll surprise you with my skills."
"Hahahahaha… We��ll see. I'll be waiting to see that…" Mouse looked around at the orphan. "What brings you here today?"
"There is a message from bossman that needs to be sent out to all members."
They stood silently waiting while the orphan pulled out a small stained piece of paper out of his pocket and started to read it to them.
"All needed at meeting point Bridge, an emergency meeting is to take place, all must attend."
They nodded at the boy and Mouse tossed a coin to the orphan who easily caught it and made it disappear as quickly as it appeared and winked at them.
"Next time you won't see me until it is too late." Mouse watched as the orphan ran out of the alleyway into the crowded street.
Mouse looked at Garrn. "We better head to the gate entrance. I'm sure Sai'll be there waiting for us." He smiled at Garrn.
"Let's race to see who gets to the gate first, the winner gets a free meal." Garrn smiled and climbed up to the roof. "This is my highway up here, there is no way you can beat me again."
"Hahaha… We'll see."
Mouse jumped back into the busy street signaling to the others watching and started running towards the meeting point.
Running through the crowded street, sliding under transports and around people with ease, laughing.
"I wonder what I'll get for lunch this time?"
He twisted and stepped around a rather large merchant who happened to lose his money purse at the same time. He smiled as he pocketed the purse and dived sliding underneath a transport, turning into an alley to catch his breath.
He held his breath for a moment to see if he could hear Garrn's footsteps on the roofs around him. He frowned when he heard nothing and stepped back out into the crowded road as kept running towards the gate entrance.
"Ahh, the smell of this place is terrible."
Mouse cursed and spat arriving at the docks. He looked up smiling at the sea birds that were flying overhead.
"It doesn't seem to bother you at all."
He watched the sea birds fly around until a small flock landed near a small group of sailors dressed,in colorful clothes walking around. He stopped for a moment.
"The island chains clothing is always amazing and stunning, and it really makes the women look beautiful and attractive no matter the smell."
He took a step forward towards them smiling and winking at one of the female island chain sailors.
"You're as beautiful as the dawn sun rising over the horizon."
He then cursed and shook his head. "Sorry, I have to be somewhere at the moment, but I'll be back to continue talking with you, and maybe we'll paint the city with the beautiful clothes you are wearing."
"Hahahaha… We haven't left the docks, and men are already wanting to see what's under your clothes."
"He's cute. Maybe I'll show him. I know that'll make you jealous, wouldn't it?"
Mouse shook his head smiling as he overheard their comments. He ran faster. "I hope this did not get me out of a free meal." He cursed again sidestepping a small group of sailors and turned into an alleyway.
Mouse cursed and ducked, rolling to the side as a dark shadow raised their arm a fist flying through where Mouse was previously standing.He stood up and smiled at the shadow in the alleyway.
"Sai, what was that for?"
He watched as Sai turned and stretched his arms showing off his muscles and large body.
"That was for making me wait."
He looked up as Garrn jumped down and landed on Sai's shoulder sitting there smiling. "Hey Sai… Mouse it seems you win, and I owe you another meal."
Mouse smiled back at him. "That's right. You owe me another meal, how many is it now? Five or six?"
He watched Garrn smile and jump onto the ground with Sai standing behind him. "Can't really remember."
"Bossman wants to meet us. What do you think it's all about?"
He turned to Garrn and followed his gaze looking at the towering Sai. He shrugged his shoulders and started walking to the end of the alleyway and pointed at the metal cover in the paved ground.
"Not sure, but we can assume it's either something very bad has happened, or someone's in a lot of trouble."
All three nodded as Mouse moved towards the wall. "I'll open the door and then we'll all know the answer soon."
He pushed a hidden battery which lifted the metal cover revealing a small narrow ladder going down into the darkness below the streets, which the three of them then climbed down their bodies slowly fading into the darkness.