Prince of Thieves (On temporary hold for major editing)

Chapter Two

"Yep. Those little buggers deserved it. Now get me outta this trap, or I'll make good on what I said and feed ya to the ogres!" I yell at him.

Finnigan lets out a sigh. "Fine, if I must." He shuffles over to what is left of my knapsack and takes out my switchblade, snapping it open with a click. As he walks back towards me, his expression changes. Instead of the cocky smirk he usually wears, his lips are upturned, a cynical, and a devious grin on his face.

Uh, oh. I think. This can't be good. "Finnigan, I know what you're thinking, don't you dare—" I am unable to finish my sentence, though, thanks to the sound of ripping rope and the smell of wet dirt assaulting my senses as I fall face first onto the forest floor. I push myself off the ground and flick a couple of leaves out of my hair. Turning to Finnigan, my eyes narrow as I see the bemused look on his face.

A scowl finds its way onto my features as I cross my arms. "You think that was funny, don't 'cha?" I growl.

He just grins boyishly and shrugs. "Was the best thing, as far as entertainment goes, for me today."

I blink.

And blink once more.

Entertainment? He calls me falling on my bloody arse entertainment! Oh, he's gonna pay for that one.

Finnigan chuckles at my half shocked, half irritated expression and turns his back causally towards me as he looks up at the tree tops. "Wow, I should come out 'ere more often. Meloda Forest is breath takin' this time in the spring," he muses.

I start to take slow, measured steps towards him, taking care not to crunch too loudly on the freshly dew-drop stained grass. This might be a fool's task—seeing that I have never successfully snuck up on the Prince of Idiots before, but a girl's got to try.

Meloda falls quietly all around me, as if it and its creatures are waiting for me to pounce. The birds stop their song, the wind briefly stops, and it feels like everything is at a standstill for all of five seconds. That's all I need to get the jump on him.

I step closer to him, stilling my breath, and with a quick movement, I jerk my foot out, kicking him in the back of the knee and bring him face-flat on the ground. I place one foot on his back and give a triumphant smirk. "Pay back's a little blighter ain't it, Finny?"

Well, that's what I would have liked to have happened. But let's be real here, as much as I hate to admit it, Finnigan is more than worthy of the name Prince of Thieves. As I launch my leg out in mid kick, Finnigan spins around and grasps my foot and, as if it was the easiest task in the world, pushes me backwards. Onto my arse. Again.

I wince as I prop myself up onto my elbows. "Damn. Thought that actually might work this time," I mutter.

Finnigan comes to stand in front of me with his classic shit-eating grin. "Oh Ellie, you should know by now, ya can't sneak up on me," he chuckles. Finnigan holds a hand out to me. "That was a really cute try though. What is that? Me: one-fifty, you: ten?"

I smirk to myself as a plan forms in my head. He thinks he's funny eh? Wait till he sees this one.

I give a frustrated huff, masking my emotions carefully. As I take his hand, I quickly yank him down right next to me. "Eleven actually," I correct with a sly smirk.

Finnigan chuckles and the corners of his mouth turn up into an amused grin. "Bloody 'ell," he laughs. "You never cease to surprise me, you know that Estelle?"

I merely roll my eyes and push myself off the ground, taking him up with me. "Flattery will get you nowhere boy'o." I let out a tired sigh as I take in my surroundings. Now that I'm right side up, I can get a clearer view of where exactly we're at in Meloda forest.