Shadow Thief

26 - Outside Maple

The black mare neighed as she brushed past a tree. I loved the feeling of riding horses. Feeling the beet of her hooves and the thumping of her heart while wind rushed through my golden hair, tied behind my head. The cold daggers pressed against my arms and legs while the others were tightly restrained on my waist.

"Shadow!" Bryce's obnoxious voice called. "For the last time, it's getting dark. We need to stop."

"I was having a moment here!" I yelled back, glaring at Bryce. "Don't you know when to shut your mouth and let me enjoy the silence? I don't get that often with you around."

The others were trying to hold back laughter while I pulled the dark horse to a stop in a nearby clearing. One big enough so that we could set up two tents. For the slower of you, that's a girls tent and a boys tent. I, of course, left the tent setting up to the others, calling it survival training.

Surprisingly enough, Levi was good at setting up tents, so the others left most of that to him. Well, it was either that or sleep in upside down tents with holes in the tops, or bottoms.

"Alright, all of you!" I yelled, calling all of their attention over to me. "Get over here so I can tell you about what's going to happen when we get their." They obeyed, making a small standing half circle around me. "From what we were told, we should be at the thing...place...by tomorrow night. Just like last time, leave recon to me. I'll go in, find the head honcho, and come back with full plans for the next night. Got it?"

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Theo asked. "I mean, aren't human traffickers supposed to be even more dangerous than black market traders?"

"Yep, ten times worse, which is why none of you are going in unprepared."

"But what about you?" Levi asked. "Will you be okay?"

"Who do you think you're talking too? I'm Shadow the Thief, the best in the business. If anyone's gonna get in and out of there without getting hurt, it's me. Now then, all of you, get some shut eye. I'll take the first watch. Bryce, you'll be second."

"What?" Bryce whined. "Why me?"

"I'm sorry, who ruined my ride?"

He grumbled, but didn't reply.

"Shadow," Theo said, looking at me, "do you want me to stay up with you? I mean, not forcing you or anything, but.."

This will probably be one of the last nights I get to spend with him before I leave. Damn, talk about depressing.

I could easily see the sadness in his eyes when I thought I was gonna say no.

"Yeah," I answered, smiling when he brightened up. "That'd be nice."

He followed me, smiling the whole way. We choose a place a few feet away from the main camp, where we could see the whole camp and a distance away from it without being spotted by attackers. I leaned up against a tree with dark bark and Theo sat besides me.

I looked up at the stars which were partially covered by trees. Even so, they were beautiful. They sparkled in the sky, much brighter than the city. More beautiful.

"You know," Theo said, "we've been spending a lot of time together lately."

"I noticed. I think some of it had to do with Mercy's expert planning."

"Maybe. It's not such a bad thing though, is it?"

"Not really. I mean sometime, we might not get to be..."

"Get to be what?"

"Nothing. Don't worry about it."

I could tell that he didn't like me brushing it off, but I didn't really care right then. Well, that's a bad way of putting it. I didn't like it when he was upset, so instead of talking about it, I compensated. Crawling besides him, I snuggled into his side. He seemed shocked for a moment, but then wrapped his right arm around me, bringing me closer.