A Little Thief (1/2)

Writers: Estelle, Paula
Date Posted: 4th March 2020

Characters: Puwul, Arten, Helere
Description: Arten tries to steal food from Puwul's tavern...
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 1, day 24 of Turn 10

Early in the evening, towards the end of the second sevenday of his
journey in the tithe wagons, Arten noticed a change. Usually towards the
end of the day they slowed as both beasts and men grew weary, longing
for the time when the lead wagoner would call a halt and they'd draw up
the carts, sometimes in a circle around a camp, other times near the
shelter offered by a small hold.

Then it would be easy for the boy to slip out of his hiding place under
cover of darkness. He'd hunt tunnelsnakes or small rodents for Winter,
then when the men were asleep he'd creep into the supply wagon to get
some bread and dried meat for himself. Fortunately, in the populated
areas close to the Weyr and carrying nothing of much value, they didn't
seem too worried about bandits, and he'd not had any trouble with the
sentries.

Sometimes, if he was lucky and made a catch early, he'd go for a walk in
the night, stretching cramped legs and looking up at the clear sky,
glittering with stars. The land seemed so open and flat, after a life
spent in cliff Weyrs, that it made him dizzy. Then he'd return, before
sunrise, to his hiding place and sleep through the day as they journeyed on.

Today, the wagons didn't slow, but seemed to increase their speed, and
he could hear a cheerful note in the voices of the drivers as they
called to each other. The road seemed to improve, too, the wheels
jolting over fewer ruts and potholes. Rubbing sleepy eyes, Arten crawled
over to look out from under the wagon cover.

Ahead, he could see a cluster of buildings, one taller and much more
expansive than any of the holds he'd seen on the way. Could that be a
major Hold? Out to the sides of the road he saw strange, diminutive
trees in neat rows stretching out towards the distant hills. The nearest
ones were covered with wide green leaves and he could just make out
large, heavy bunches of grapes. Vineyards...

Before long, the tithe wagons were pulling up in an open space in front
of another building, a short distance from the large Hall. Laughing and
joking, the wagon drivers released their beasts from the harness and led
them away. Arten caught the words "beer" and "tavern", and when they
were gone and he felt safe enough to peek out again, he saw that there
were people going in and out of the building and the sound of cheerful
voices from within...and the delicious scent of cooking meat in the air.

The boy's stomach ached. He'd not had a really filling meal since he'd
left the Weyr. There'd be plenty of food in the tavern, but he hadn't
any marks or anything to trade. But maybe...if he could get around the
back, there'd be kitchens. Maybe Winter could help him steal a few bites
of dinner.

Tithe wagons returning always meant a busy (and profitable night) in the
Vintner Hall's tavern. Those drivers were thirsty after their journey.
Puwul send a warning to his staff, made sure his wife had plenty of food
cooking and brought out fresh barrels of beer and ale. The waitresses
were soon running back and forth, delivering food and tankards.

Arten walked as casually as he could around the side of the building,
trying to seem as if he was meant to be there. He was relieved to find
that no-one paid any attention to him, with all the bustle around the
arrival of the drivers.

Through the back door, he could see a busy scene, a woman stirring a pot
of stew, people rushing in and out to collect trays and bring back empty
glasses and dirty dishes, and a drudge with her hands in a sink of soapy
water, washing up. The smell of cooking was almost unbearable. Arten
remembered the trick he'd used before to get out of the wagon: a
distraction. He turned his head and gazed into Winter's eyes, then
concentrated as hard as he could on what he had in mind.

The blue firelizard didn't need much encouragement, since he was just as
hungry as his boy. With a rustle of his wings, he leapt into the air,
flew through the door and descended on a plate of sliced meat next to
the woman.

"Sharding firelizards! Puwul, drive it off!" his wife's cry brought
Puwul to the kitchen.

He recognized all the firelizards belonging to locals and regular
customers. This one was unfamiliar, with colour like that, he was sure
of it.

Thanks to his shady past, Puwul could move surprisingly quietly and
quickly for a man of his age and size. The meat distracted the flit, so
he didn't notice the tavern master until he grabbed it. He took a firm
hold of the firelizard's body, so it couldn't fly off or /between/ away.
"Hah, caught you, you little thief!"

While the kitchen workers were watching the firelizard, Arten had crept
in and grabbed a loaf of bread from the table, tucking it under one arm
before heading for a tray of warm meat pies. He had one in each hand and
was debating taking a third when he heard the cry of "thief" and spun
around in a panic, only to hear Winter's terrified screech. The little
blue struggled and beat his wings frantically, desperately trying to
break free from Puwul's grip.

Without a moment's thought, Arten dropped his haul and charged at the
man. He jumped up to catch at his arm and tried to prise his fingers off
the firelizard. "Stop it! Let him go!"

"Looks like there's a bigger thief too," Puwul noted. He did release the
firelizard, after quickly checking he hadn't hurt it. He turned to take
hold of the boy's arm. His grip was tight, but not so it would leave a
mark, just so tight the boy wouldn't be able to pull himself free. He
studied the boy. Despite his age, Puwul was still a strong man and many
would find him scary looking with his broken nose and gold rings in ears..

"Oh, shards, what a mess!" Helere complained.

Arten looked down at the floor, covered with the splattered remains of
the pies he'd dropped in his attempt to rescue Winter, then turned his
gaze up at the man and flinched in terror. The tavern master looked like
a enormous pirate, with his deep tan and the glittering rings in his
ears. He had no idea what they did to thieves in the holds. Would he be
thrown in prison, or sent down the mines? For the first time since he'd
left the Weyr, he wished he'd stayed at home.

Last updated on the May 31st 2020

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A Little Thief (1/2)