Red Gauntlet

Chapter 1: Thief

As always I stick to the shadows to remain undetected. It's become both a habit as well as a necessity of life. When the coast is clear, I begin to move through the streets as any normal person would.

I navigate my way through the crowd and search for my brother amidst the mass of bodies. He is about two years younger than me, but most would assume he's older than his seventeen summers. Soren's tall with a lean frame and an overly confident attitude. I am the opposite—short in stature, like my mother was, and easily overlooked in crowds like this one.

It has always been us against the world since our parents disappeared. It's hard to recall some memories of them since I was so young when they passed, but I remembered my parents loving on the two of us up until the day they both left for the war. The Queen sent them to battle, so, in a sense, she is responsible for their deaths. The war she started with the East has claimed too many lives over the years and left orphans like my brother and me in its wake.

Soren and I have lived on the streets together for almost our entire lives. I have clung to his side in an effort to survive without my parents there to guide me, and the habit has stuck. Lately, I've found myself more protective of him than ever. While I let him join me on the occasional heist, the moment any real danger pops up I force him away from it.

He is my only family after all. Precious beyond compare, even if he is annoying at times.

I finally spot him, flirting with a young, beautiful shop owner. Clothed in his best blue trousers and white shirt, he could pass for a merchant or even a businessman in this crowd. The woman he's with would have no reason to distrust a charming boy like him at her age.

His hand finds its way into her purse for a second, disappearing from sight. As it withdraws from her purse I catch the gleam of a few shiny gold coins. The lady remains unaware that she has been robbed and continues to smile up at my brother in sweet ignorance. He continues talking to the girl while his eyes begin searching for another lady's bulging coin purse.

I sigh in exasperation and march over to him, trying to contain my smirk. I wave my hand at the duo, effectively gaining the girl's attention as well as his. "Soren, where have you been?" I sling my hand around his shoulders. "I've looked everywhere for you, little brother." 

The girl he's with glares for stealing Soren away. With a huff, she returns to the shop she came from. I just hope she doesn't check her purse anytime soon. She'll find a rock in place of her valuables if she does. Replacing the gold with something of equal weight allows my brother and I to get away with our fair share of pickpocketing every day.

"What was that for?" he asked as I pulled him away from his newest victim. "I could have gotten enough coin for us for a week's worth of food."

I put my finger to my lips. "Hush, she might overhear you and call the guards on us." 

He fell silent.

While just moments before we were on the good side of town, I soon find myself briskly walking past a brothel. We've been staying in an abandoned building near here for the last few months while I save up money to rent a real home, but it's a roof over our heads. This area, as well as the smelly docks filled with sea traders, is one of the few places I try to avoid staying at for too long if I can manage it.

As we trek through the jumble of heavily perfumed women with painted faces and loosely clothed bodies I can't help but shudder. Hideous men throw coins at them, hooting and hollering like wild animals as the girls dance in their laps for payment.

A man from the crowd leers closer towards me. He reaches out a hand and grabs a handful of my blouse, right where my pounding heart is. I try to brush his hand off, but his meaty fist won't budge. He brings his face closer to mine and I smell the stench of ale on his breath. He smiles up at me like an imbecile, revealing beer-stained teeth and foul-smelling breath.