Prince of Thieves (On temporary hold for major editing)

Chapter One

A loud rip disturbs the almost eerie silence of the forest and my heart feels like it just dropped down into my stomach. Only one thing can make that sound. I squeeze my eyes shut and turn my head ever so slightly in the direction of the sound. Please, anything but that.

I hesitantly open my eyes and my mouth curls immediately into a snarl. Those little blighters are going to pay. Just mere feet away, my precious snow elk skin knapsack is being sliced open by knobby little gremlin fingers, the contents of it spilling all over the forest floor. They must have taken it from me moments after I got strung up in the trap.

"Ay! What the bloody 'ell do you think you're doing? Stay away from that! It's not yours!" I yell out to the little, gnarled-kneed, green-hooded offender.

The perpetrator just gives me a slide long glance and smirks ever so slightly. He throws the green hood off, revealing his ugly, bald, blue head. Unlike the others, though, he wears a golden belt around his green cloak—probably stolen—and a rather large red scar that cascades down the left side of his face. "What's that, girlie?" he squeaks out, holding up what used to be my beautiful knapsack. "Oh? Ye mean this? Why? Does it 'ave somethin' valuable?"

I let out a huff in annoyance. Gremlins and their one track minds. Then an idea dawns on me, and I chuckle inwardly. Oh, these little cretins are gonna pay. "I wouldn't say I 'ave anything of value, no. It's just that, I would hate if someone were to take a certain bauble from me."

The gremlin raises his eye flap in intrigue, then turns to rifle through what was left of my sack. I grin to myself. Checkmate. I have to restrain myself from laughing. Gremlins, such an easy race to trick. The gremlin finally pulls out said bauble and examines it in his little hands, calling the rest of the crew over to look at it as well. They march over from their various spots among the trees and underbrush toward who I assume is their leader—since the gremlins appear to have no problem what-so-ever taking orders from him. I smirk. This is too easy.

"Oi, girlie, what is this?" the leader asks.

I let out a chuckle and with a little bit of effort, pull my green scarf over both my nose and mouth. "Oh, it's not much, I just wouldn't push the button on the top if I was you," I say, my voice muffled by the scarf.

And true to their curious, not to mention stupid, nature, he presses the button, making a yellow gas seep out through the top of the bauble, slithering through the air as it rises. And before long, one by one, all of the gremlins fall to the ground, completely knocked out. Thank god it dissipates quickly; else I would be right next to them. Ha, that's what you guys get! That should put you ugly little twats out for at least a good hour, I think to myself as I spit out my scarf, making it dangle loosely by my head.

Now, the real question here is, how the bloody 'ell do I get outta this trap? I crane my neck to look left and then right. Rats, nothing in either direction looks remotely useful. And the only thing that actually has some potential is a broken tree branch that's sticking out in the mud, but it's a good five feet away.

I let out a groan. I'm really gonna kill him when I get outta here. I close my eyes. Think, Estelle, think. What would be a good way to get out of this little predicament? You've been in worse situations before and skillfully got out of those. I let out a snort and open my eyes. Yea, but those situations never involved gremlins with knot-tying skills.

Suddenly the familiar sound of a miniature pan flute playing something akin to a wolf's howl echoes through the forest. The Thieves' call. "Shit. The last thing I need is him saving my sorry arse. How did 'e even find out?" The call gets louder as it gets closer and closer. I shut my eyes again. Go away, go away, go away, I chant in my mind.

I can just see him now. With that annoying smirk on his tan face, that annoying cocky and snide demeanor, and not to mention that annoying way he talks. Irritation bubbles inside of me at the mere thought of him. I can just hear the vasta now.

"Well, well, well. What do we 'ave 'ere, eh? Did the little She-wolf get caught in someone else's trap?" a deep voice chuckles out.

I squeeze my eyes tighter. Please, for all that is good and holy in the kingdom of Fae, tell me I'm just hearing things.

"Oh, She-Wolf?" the voice sings out.

Guess not. And how many times do I 'ave to tell the twit not to call me that? I'm not a godforsaken animal!

"C'mon Ellie, Won't you look at your knight 'n shining armor?"

He's askin' for it ain't he?

Opening my eyes, a scowl makes its way onto my face as my dark, green eyes are met with mirth-filled, blue ones. A frustrated puff passes through my nose. "Hello, Finnigan."