Zar moved through the understory of the thicket noiselessly, her leather moccasins soft upon the dense earth. She could feel the accumulation of humus, leaves and needles under her soles, springy with the recent rain. The air was sharp and still, as it always was after a storm. She raised her bow softly in the direction of the burrow she had been examining for the past half an hour. The owner of this burrow had finally returned. When she released the string, it was with practiced accuracy, and her victim fell without a sound, dead upon impact, speared through the heart. She smiled. Rabbit would taste good tonight. She had been hunting and eating well since she had left the Robber’s Roost camp. Meat would bolster her strength before winter time.
She retrieved the rodent and removed the arrow. It was completely undamaged and she cleaned it and returned it to her quiver. Ten arrows. That was all she bore. Each one was designed for a specific purposed and each was either retrieved or replaced after use. Mostly they were used for small game, such as this. Three were thicker than the others, and were used for large prey when necessary or large foes.
Zar moved to the top of a hill where she paused to take her bearing and to skin her prize. The skin she would retain and tan into leather the next opportunity she had. She fleshed and salted the skin and then bundled it and tied it to her pack. It joined two already tanned rabbit hides from earlier that week. They would sell when she ventured into market. And if the price wasn’t to her liking, she could take a few hours and sew them into moccasins and sell them for three times as much at the next market. She could make an easy turn around off of rabbit or squirrel. They were abundant and though they didn’t fetch massive sums, they were far easier for her to catch and process than anything larger like a deer. Though they wouldn’t be nearly enough to pay off a 500 silver debt.
By the time she had finished the initial process it was midday and the late autumn air had become hot. From her vantage she could make out the Oxan Mountains to the east, their peaks already studded with a light snowfall below them the Great Oxan Forest extended east and north from their base. Her heart ached for a moment. If she were to turn in that direction now and walk swiftly for five days, she would come to Ruedhan, the heartland of her clan, the Rowan Clan of the fae folk. It had been almost three years since she had seen the Sacred Grove, where her people still dwelt. Few though they were, this was still their home, or at least as far as she knew. They had been killed off nearly to extinction during the Great Invasion, the fate of many of the clans of the fae folk. Yet all clans had persevered, and in the century since the fighting had ended some had even prospered.
Zar turned her gaze. Closer to hand, she could see the Gem Road far below her, so named because of old it had connected all eight of the invading forces of the Great Invasion together, now called the Eight Gem Kingdoms. These days the Road was a common thoroughfare for trade and travel between the Gem Kingdoms, now that they weren’t all warring with each other over land and resources anymore. She wished to stay close to it. She had no desire to be on it, for she did not want to unwittingly meet any foes. All manner of brigands and gangs patrolled the road, looking for opportunities. It was well known as one of the easiest means to make a quick coin, by pickpocketing certain parties that happened along it in the dead of night. Zar was aware of its reputation. She knew how to use the road to her advantage. She never robbed the poorer wanderers, there was no point and no need. But as very wealthy voyagers frequently used the Gem Road this time of year, she felt less bad about absconding with a few of their shinier trinkets now and again.
“Damn you Takash,” she muttered under her breath. But she couldn’t blame him, not really. He was the herder of scoundrels, the wrangler of the dispossessed, harvester of the freebirds. If he was to keep the Robber’s Roost going, all of them safe, fed and housed, he couldn’t very well afford to have his people dupe him or give them much quarter. He could smell a rat from a mile away, and though he collected them, he kept them at arm’s length and on tight leashes. Zar couldn’t be the weak link in the Robber’s Roost. Takash didn’t tolerate such.
She shook her head vigorously, rubbing her temple in slow circles with the center of her palms, wishing the whole situation had gone differently that day and instead of being seen as a liability whom no one wanted on their team, she had been cast as a hero who had helped swell their coffers by thousands. It didn’t help to think of this of course, but she couldn’t help but indulge in the brief fantasy. All she could really do was move forwards and pay the Robber’s Roost back. She had already made about sixty silver so far from hunting and pillaging over this past week. She had found a pack of supplies fallen from the back of a cart on the side of the road. Inside had been a few silvers and enough oddments to sell for a couple dozen more at market. But it wouldn’t be enough. Always more she needed, and desperation was now at play with the change of seasons coming soon.
She forced herself out of the unpleasant contemplations threatening to take over her mind and continued on her way. She ventured near enough to the Gem Road so that she could use it as a navigation cue and could hear the traffic upon it. A risky business it was. Others, who had the same intentions, would undoubtedly be on the fringes as well and not just her fellow Robbers.
She found a good overlook, a sheltered rocky outcrop far enough above the Road to observe the comings and goings but could not reveal her to any below. At first, the day was a sparse one. A few small groups, none worth her time. A few solo travelers. One band of soldiers that piqued her interest briefly. Soldiers were a dangerous lot to pickpocket from, however, and rarely yielded anything of great value apart from weapons. The Robbers already had plenty of those.
She decided to stay at her perch until the sun dipped and then to move on if she hadn’t found any targets before then. The minutes crept by, hot and lazy. She removed her jacket so as to gain better access to the sun and absorbed its nourishing rays with pleasure. The was essential for fae folk. They must have sunlight to survive and keep up their stamina. Though Zar was only half fae, she still needed to absorb sun for at least an hour every day if she could. She dozed a couple of times, but never stayed asleep long. Like a wolf or lion, she rarely slept for more than a few minutes out here on her own in broad daylight.
There was a sudden loud trundling noise just before sun dip, followed by the sound of many voices. Zar drew herself out of her most recent daze and gazed downwards. An enormous caravan was passing by her. There were fully armored carriages and horses, three long wagons and at least seven guards. Her fingers tightened on the rock she leaned on in front of her. It might just be a lucky day for a Robber.
~~~~~~~~~~
The caravan made camp about a mile from where Zar first spotted them, in a shallow gully where a small creek ran. It soon became apparent that the stanch security was for the benefit of noble travelers, lords and ladies and presumably their belongings. They were easily discernable by their finery and their jeweled appendages. Zar counted four nobles, one older gentleman, two middle aged women and one younger lady, although there were probably more within the wagons. There were also half a dozen servants visible, preparing meals and fires and tending to the horses. She observed them from behind a ridge well outside of their camp. She was well hidden in a grove of oaks, but she felt nervous despite her excellent vantage. A group this large was sure to draw robbers like vultures. She couldn’t be the only one to have staked them out.
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Out of paranoia, she traversed the entire circumference of the camp widely but found no sign of others in situ. Far from making her comforted, this worried her more. Perhaps whoever else was participating in the stakeout had an extremely advantageous position. Or perhaps they hadn’t arrived yet.
Back at her own observation point, Zar examined the camp closely. The guards were all well armored and provisioned. They seemed well trained and there were a lot of them. If she was caught pilfering, they would be formidable foes. On the other hand, perhaps they were guarding some pretty important people with some pretty valuable belongings. Was it worth the risk? She debated about it for a good while as the sun continued to descend but she always came up with the same answer. If that 500 silver isn’t in my palm within a moon, you’ll be paying in other ways. Zar didn’t know exactly what unpleasant job she would be forced to do for the Robbers if she failed to pay her debt. This was her last chance to prove herself worthy and to make up for her blunder. If she couldn’t pay up by the end of the moon, she’d have to go on the run, rather than risk unpleasant or gruesome tasks. Cleaning up and disposing of bodies perhaps. Or worse, performing some sort of disgusting services for the men. Her stomach squirmed and she hardened her resolve.
She waited until it was fully dark and the camp was lit with bonfires before she went closer. The guards were attentive, but she was able to use her skills and stealth to her advantage. She had left her bow and arrows as well as her travelling pack behind. This was a job best done unencumbered. Zar easily bypassed two guards on her first excursion closer to the wagons. They were only the first line of defense however. A whole network of guards was patrolling the area. They were strong and focused and she had to be careful to time her movements perfectly. Zar finally made her way forwards past some trees and hid under the lead wagon for about ten minutes, watching the movements of the guards. Then she proceeded to hide under the second wagon. Whereas the first had been empty, the second was full of voices, though she couldn’t make out much more than the fact that there were three of them and all were female. She supposed these were some of the ladies being transported.
She observed one of the armored carts carefully. They were locked and look fairly impregnable. But the jewelry and silks that the nobles had been wearing earlier might be more available. She watched several of the nobles as they sat around a large bonfire eating a meal. They were in their cups and were quite at ease. From the talk she overheard, they seemed to be on their way to a noble wedding. Her stomach growled at the smells of venison and potatoes, she hadn’t had time to cook her rabbit yet, but she wasn’t there to steal food. She spotted a jeweled golden ring by the way it glinted in the light sitting next to a young lady in a green silk dress. The ring looked important, yet the girl wasn’t wearing it upon her finger.
Zar licked her lips. If she could get behind the cart that stood just feet away from the ring, she might be able to crawl close enough to snag it. This was risky, much more so that her usual robberies. But the ring looked valuable and might fetch a good price. It was extremely tempting. She considered waiting until some of the camp went to bed for the evening but then thought better of it. The girl would probably take the ring into the wagon with her. It was now or never.
She crept forwards carefully until she was well hidden behind the cart. The girl was eating her meal and appeared quite occupied. She wasn’t older than 19 or 20 by the looks of her, fair and beautiful but also distracted and awkward in a teenage sort of way. Zar figured all she had to do was to crawl about a meter, reach out and seize her prize. The minutes ticked by. Zar waited for one of the guards to leave the light of the fire and then made her move. Silently she shifted forwards on her hands and knees and reached out. The ring was warm from the glow of the fire. She scooped it up and was back behind the cart and then under the wagon before the girl could even take a sip of her wine. Unfortunately, several guards had congregated on the other side of the wagon, unknowingly cutting off her escape. She waited, growing slightly nervous. They couldn’t have spotted her, else they would have seized her immediately. But they weren’t moving and were talking in low voices as if they were concerned about something.
Suddenly there was cry from the fireside behind her. She turned to see what the commotion was about.
“You lost your ring!” a shrill female voice was shrieking.
“I’m sorry,” another voice spoke, probably the young lady’s. “It was sitting there, and now I can’t seem to find it.”
“That ring has been in our family for five generations!” the shrill voice shrieked. “Why on earth weren’t you wearing it?! How are we going to explain this to the prince?!”
“I’m sorry,” the girl repeated while Zar felt her stomach drop. Five generations! This ring was probably worth a good deal of coin if it was that old!
The camp, meanwhile was becoming rather more active than Zar would have liked. Roused by the wielder of the shrill voice, several more guards had wandered over, as well as other ladies.
“We must search everywhere!” the shrill lady was bellowing. “That ring will not be easily replaced. Hurry! And you, young lady, you shall have a lashing for this. Muddle-headed child!”
Zar knew she would have to run for it. If they started looking under the wagons, she would be in trouble. She found the path ahead moderately clear as many of the guards had gone to see what all the fuss was about. Zar counted her stars, wriggled free from the wagon and made a run for it. She was nearly clear of the blockade when she saw one last guard ahead. He turned just as she attempted to dodge behind a tree.
“Who’re you?” he asked, coming swiftly over.
It was dark, too dark for either of them to make each other out clearly. Zar swallowed and the adopted a paltry voice. “Madam said to fetch her some fresh water leaf for her bed sores. They pain her so. Please sir, she’ll be angry if I don’t get them soon.”
The guard snorted and nodded. He gazed back at camp. “What’s going on back there?”
“The lady seems to have lost that fancy ring,” Zar said, her heart beating hard.
“Bet that aunt of hers isn’t too happy about that.”
“No, not too happy,” Zar confirmed.
“Well you get on then fast and don’t stay out there too long. There’s wolves and worse been following us since we came to this damnable forest.”
“Yes sir,” Zar said in relief and she made as if she was heading to the creek side.
As soon as the guard was out of sight, she booked it back to her ridge and retrieved her pack. Then she headed north, back the way she had come, west slightly so as to distance herself from the road. The moon was high tonight, and she could see well thanks to her keen vision. She found a small dell that looked like a good place to spend the night. She nestled herself in between two large granite boulders and then fished in her pocket for the ring. How lucky was she! Though it was too dark to see much of its finer features, the mere weight of the thing gave her great hope. She thought guiltily for a moment about the young lady who would be receiving a lashing because of her robbery but easily put the onus out of her head. Such a human girl would have grown up in luxury. If a lash or two was the worst thing to happen to her in life, she would be fortunate indeed.
As she prepared her kit for sleep, she gazed up at the stars. Perhaps she would swiftly be able to pay her debt after all.