Thief Collection

5. First meeting

It was growing late in the day, the glowing embodiment of Ra had just began to darken as it low in the western lands. You should not have been down by the river this late in the evening, though the cool of the water was a shocking sensation to the sweat-soaked garment clinging to your body. It was the reason you needed to draw water from the river, your mistress already had struck your right ear hard enough to make it bleed today and you did not want to risk another strike because you were deemed unclean in her presence. You would risk the constant threat of the crocodiles and hippos to avoid such a fate in the morning. Had your father still lived perhaps it would have been you in the place of the mistress but fate had deemed your life otherwise.

It was as you gathered the water that you noticed the form. At first you thought perhaps someone had lost clothing (it was not uncommon for children to lose grip on such things in the river’s currents) and it had somehow tangled in the reeds. But as you peered a little closer you saw the form was not of shapeless clothing but of a person. A young man to be exact. He was soaked from the water, half-hidden in the reeds despite the brightness of his red cloak and the reflecting sliver of his hair.

You hesitated a moment, you did not know this man and this far from the city bandits were not an uncommon sight, but as he stirred with a groan you dropped your bucket of water and pushed through the reeds to his side. By now the riverside seemed to be abandoned save the two of you, so you were alone in your efforts as you half-dragged and half-carried the larger form of this stranger to your home.

It was tiring work, the day had been long at the looms already and though he was only taller then you by a few inches the weight of his water-soaked clothing and his own weight was heavier then you were use to bearing alone, but you had managed to bring him into your home and laying him down before lighting a candle as you examined him.

You paused again here, though you did not see any blood to suggest a wound you doubted he would have lost consciousness just from falling into the river. And the night would grow too cool for you to allow him to remain as he was. Taking a hissing breath through your teeth, and reprimanding yourself for acting so childishly, you carefully slipped an arm under his back, lifting him to slip his cloak off of him. You had it half-way off before you felt the cold press of something against your arm and you shifted to make out what it was in the dim light.

The item seemed to be some sort of amulet, and you had no doubt that it was gold from the shine in the light. But as you studied it you pulled your arm away, feeling a strange pit gather in your stomach. The design was like of nothing you had ever seen, a ring with a pyramid in the center as well as the eye of Ra. From the ring hung four small spikes like objects, all of this done in gold and held by a rope around the man’s neck.

Feeling that pit grow in your stomach, you decided against removing it from his neck. You were no thief and by the strangeness of it, either this man was of some connection to the temple or a bandit. Neither would work well for you if he woke with it missing. So you tried to ignore the strange item as you shifted to remove the cloak from his other shoulder.

You didn’t know when he woke, if you had woken him somehow in your movements earlier or if he had finally began to regain consciousness on his own. Regardless your world crashed as a steely grip fasten to your arm, fingers digging into the flesh as you were jerked forward, your other arm floundered for leverage and was the only thing that kept you from crashing nose-to-nose with the stranger.

Your startled eyes met sharp violet ones, annoyance striking heavily through them as you froze above him. Lucky your voice was not as slow. “Wait!” His eyes narrowed in what you took was an indication to talk fast. You mentally reprimanded yourself for not checking him for any weapons before as you obeyed the unspoken command.

“I found you in the river. I just brought you here to help you. I meant no harm, I swear!”

“Are you alone?” The voice was low, rough as if he did not use it often or had suffered some injury before.

You thought about lying for a moment, staying that you were expecting others but replied honestly. “I live alone. There is no one else here.”

“Hmm.” He made no comment or move to state wither he believed you or not. “And you believed undressing me would aid me?”

You blinked, something in the tone making you unsure if this was a true reprimand or something else and you found yourself turning warm for no reason. “You are soaked, they will not be pleasant in the cool of the evening and I was checking to ensure there was no wounds.” You replied firmly, wishing to the powers above that you could look away from those eyes. They were far too dark and saw far too much.

“Hn.” This time there was a visible sneer of disbelief as you felt your cheeks warm more with indignity then embarrassment.

You blamed this for the ability to lift your chin, looking down your nose at him. “You have your answers. Let me up.” You ordered, you were still the heir of your family and mistress of your home, you were not going to let this stranger see that he intimidated you.

You seen surprise flicker openly over his face, feeling that this was not a man that was easily surprised, before you felt a strange rumble through his chest against yours. It took a moment to realize he was laughing at you.

“As the lady wishes.” This was said with a flash of teeth that reminded you too much of hunting lion you once saw as a child before he released your arm. “If she would rise.” Now he was openly laughing at you as you reared back and off of him quickly.

You swallowed as he sat up slowly, but his body flinched as he released a hissing breath and brought his arm half-way up to his right side as if to shield it from pain before it dropped as he remembered your presence and his eyes cut to you.


You sat where you knelt for a moment before taking a breath as you reached over. “Don’t move, most likely you had struck the river bank when you fell in.” You did not want to know how he ended up in the river, not right now. “Let me help.”

“You are a fool.” You were sure he had rolled his eyes as you snorted.

“I am also the fool that saved your life.” You shot back as you shoved the cloak off his shoulders. “Can you stand if you lean on me? The bed will be warmer then the floor.” You asked as you raised your head and paused.

He was staring at you, had seem to be doing so for some time as he frowned at you. You hoped this was from his own pain or confusion at your action rather then true anger or annoyance. But after a moment he seem to realize his actions before he sneered. “I do not need your help, woman.” He pushed himself to his knees before he froze as he bent to push from the ground.

You reached forward, one hand garbing his arm as the other wrapped loosely around his back and side. He growled but you ignored it. “Steady. Come, walk with me.” He rose with you but refused to put his weight on you as you watched his jaw tightened.

You rolled your eyes at the stubbornness of males but helped him to walk to the small nest of covering you called your bed in the far corner of the room. He did not sneer at this at least but sank silently down to lay. You said nothing in reply as you looked over him (keeping your watch over quick glances over him) before nodding. “Rest. It grows late.” You ordered as you stood and turned away.

You walked outside, pretending to be fetching something else as you felt the stare of his eyes in your back as you swallowed hard and looked over the river as the last of the light vanished into the darkness of the night sky. And wondered just what you had gotten yourself into this time.