Thief's Magician (on hold)

Chapter 5

They saw the caravan's flapping flag over the hill, their bright colored camp and the throngs of people playing around, kids scattering and Leon could see little pickpocket doing their job diligently. He could say he is quite proud of them. Taking Noel pouch, he tucks it into his jacket while she protests of it.

"Trust me; you'll lose it in mere minutes. If you wanted to trade your," He pauses, choosing his words carefully, "trading items, go to the bidding house." She pout, realizing he is right on the matter and she gesture to him to lead the way. He shook his head and make her go first, guarding from the rear. Children and merchant flock them, shoving wares to their face and Leon watch with amusement when Noel hand crept to her side where her wand rest in the side pocket , itching to blast them all off. He makes his own way by glaring and slapping sneaky hand off his pocket and Noel's bag. Soon, even he is tired of the masses of people. The last time he went for a carnival, it wasn't this pack, he wonder what is the new attraction.

"Here, ignore them." He took her rein and led their horses to a grazing area.

"We'll sell our wares first. Then you show me what so fun about this place." He grins over her sarcastic tone and helps her down and took the bag.

"These are your wares. Don't include me in your devilish scheme. But I do want to see how you do trade." She grins in wicked manner and they manage to establish their shop, right in front of the bidding house. 'If she doesn't have magic, she has abundance of knowledge worth of a dragon and the luck of leprechaun.' Her voice tinkling in the air, calling for her customer and she hadn't lack of good humor. She twists her words, making the ordinary look majestic in the eyes of the beholder, cajole the eager and whisper her persuasion. Little children hung to her words as she relay magical stories and they would beg their parents to buy them candy from Noel. Leon hung back, watching and acting as her bodyguard, sending the troublemaker away with one savage look. By near evening, she is ten times rich and none too tired, much to his consternation. To make it worst, a gypsy came striding to their shop, her beads twinkles by the sunlight and her red hair lending the image of fire.

"Here comes the real trouble." Noel smiles to him, not taking any heed to his panic words. He makes her think he has some sort of grudge against these jolly people, or maybe it is because of their jolliness against his moody disposition.

"How will you sell me that colored feather young lady?" Draping her arms across the table, the gypsy stared right into Noel's eyes while Leon visibly shivers.

Noel stared right back into the gypsy's gray eyes -surprising the gypsy who is use to people avoiding her eyes- and smile, breaking the contact to glance at the feather that the gypsy want. "I wouldn't lie to you. I say you can have it for two silvers."

"And yet you sell it for 100 gold and 80 silvers, the others for one diamond." Noel continues to smile over the gypsy's words and the gypsy thought she might take a like to Noel. "Were you saying that I couldn't afford to buy it as the same as the other?" Noel shook her head, putting the feather into the gypsy hand.

"I never put price to any of my wares; you're the one first to ask. Others assume it is price heavily and heavily they pay." They gypsy laugh and she glance at Leon who avoid the two woman as if they are plague, thinking one is a gypsy- which is already bad news to him- and the other woman is a cutthroat, squeezing money out from the fools.

"You've got to learn from her Leon, she is deadlier than any band of thief formed together to raid a kingdom into poverty." Leon eyes narrowed.

"I'm beginning to think of that." Noel grins, considering it as compliment. Then she looks between the gypsy and Leon, seeing that they knew each other. Under her questioning glance, Leon drops his hand to her shoulder and as if using her for a shield, he positions her in front of him, between him and the gypsy. "Levine, meet Lady Evan. She...I'm escorting her home."