Queen of Thieves Box Set

by Andy Peloquin

  Ilanna nodded.

  "Good. What's the plan, Elmar?"

  The older boy stroked his chin. "I'm thinking you'll take Alun and Gettis to Clothier's Row and see what you can do out that way."

  Tunn crossed his arms. "That's dangerous close to Grey territory."

  Elmar shrugged. "So keep your eyes open and your wits about you. The Row is right on the border. If they don't like us taking what's ours, they can bring it up to Master Fox."

  Tunn chewed on a filthy fingernail. "Fine, but I don't like it."

  "Noted. Now get going, the lot of you. And see if you can dig up Kester, wherever he's hiding. He owes me a two-copper bit from yesterday's haul and I'll be damned if he gets away another day."

  Tunn and his companions disappeared into the bustle of the main avenue, leaving Ilanna alone in the alley with Elmar and the third boy.

  "You're with us today, Idan. Let's see if we can't keep the Hawkling alive a whole day, eh?"

  Idan gave Ilanna a smile filled with encouragement. "It's not all that bad, once you get the hang of it." He appeared only a year or two older, though much thinner. A shock of dark hair hid his eyes, completing his scruffy appearance.

  How odd. All the Foxes wear ragged clothing, even in the Den. Their "streets", as Elmar called them, looked one bad day away from gutter rags.

  "So, Hawkling, how'd you do under Master Velvet?"

  Ilanna winced and glanced at her scarred fingers. "I was very good at the snatch, but it took me a while to get the bump right."

  "Show me." Elmar produced a purse from within his robes and threw it to Idan. "Bump it from him."

  Idan slipped the purse into a vest pocket and opened his arms. "Think of me as your mark, apprentice. Let's see how you do."

  Ilanna stepped toward Idan, stumbling at the last moment and falling into him. When she came away, the purse dangled in her fingers.

  "Watcher's teeth, Hawkling!" Idan whistled. "For a moment there, I thought you fell for real."

  Ilanna smiled and tossed the purse to Elmar.

  Elmar shook his head. "But that trick ain't going to work all the time. Oft times, you don't want to draw attention to yourself. You'll need light fingers to pull without the mark noticing."

  Idan waved the older boy away. "She'll do fine, Elmar. Barely felt the dip."

  Elmar nodded. "I'll trust that you're a hand with the snatch, then. I guess it's time to show you the city and let you try for yourself."

  Ilanna fell into step beside Elmar, and Idan took up the rear as they moved into the busy avenue. Carts and wagons rumbled past. The sound of braying animals and shouting vendors echoed around them. The scents of fresh produce filled the air, mixing with the aromas of peppercorns and cloves. From a nearby cart wafted the smell of spiced sausages and a pig slow-roasting on a spit.

  I'm finally free! She drank in every loud, colorful detail.

  Elmar gripped her shoulder and hissed. "Slow down, apprentice. Act normal. Walk like you're going someplace, but not so fast that you stand out."

  Ilanna matched her pace to his. After a year confined to the lamplit tunnels of the Menagerie, she couldn't ignore the thrill of being out and about.

  "The secret to being a good Fox is knowing how to pick your mark." Elmar pitched his voice low so only she heard. "The right mark is rich enough to carry a purse, but not so rich that they carry gold. Look there. Tell me about him."

  Ilanna studied the man Elmar pointed out. He looked like any other traveling the city. "What am I looking for?"

  "Clothes. Merchant quality at best. Look at that waistline. Just a bit of bulge around the middle, shows he's rich enough to afford good food, but not a porker. Sturdy boots, made for walking, not riding. He knows how to spend money, but not throw it around."

  "He's a good mark, then?"

  Elmar nodded. "If you can lift his purse, you'll come away with at least a half-drake. Though he's also the sort most likely to use a mousetrap."

  "Mousetrap?"

  Elmar smirked and crooked his fingers. "Special traps meant to bite a Fox's fingers off. Nasty things!"

  Ilanna's eyes widened.

  "Don't worry. Only a few smart ones have them. You'll spot the sort quick enough. They're the kind that always keeps their eyes moving, watching everything around them." He turned to Idan. "Idan, time to earn your keep."

  Idan nodded and moved ahead. Ilanna marveled at the way his dull, ragged clothing blended in with the crowd. He disappeared for a moment, reappearing a few paces from his mark.

  "Now, watch how Idan lifts from the man with the boots." Elmar pointed out the target. "He'll get close, wait until there's a crowd, then move in for the bump."

  Ilanna watched Idan's movements. The boy zig-zagged through the crowd toward his mark and made his move with such dexterity Ilanna nearly missed it.

  "Now, watch as Idan gets away with his loot. Head down to hide his face, but eyes on the street. He don't hurry, but he don't dawdle neither. He'll go around the corner, double back, and meet us here to hand off his catch. Free piece of advice, apprentice: never look back over your shoulder. That's how the mark will spot you and cry beef."

  Ilanna's face crinkled in confusion.

  Elmar rolled his eyes. "Alert the guards. Watcher's beard, apprentice! You want to be a Fox, you have to learn the speak."

  A few minutes later, a grinning Idan slipped toward them. "Easiest mark I've had in a long while. Not much of a haul, though." He bumped against Elmar, and the purse passed between them.

  Elmar's face fell. "Can't be more than a few copper bits in here."

  Idan shrugged. "Them's the odds. It's a good thing we have all day to roam the streets."

  Ilanna's heart sank. "All day?"

  The older boy quirked an eyebrow. "You've somewhere to run off to, Hawkling?"

  She reddened. "W-Well, I have my training and—"

  Elmar towered over her, his eyes burning. "Remember this good, apprentice. While you're with the Foxes, you're a Fox. You'll have time to be a Hawk, but I can't have your attention divided. You need all your wits to avoid a morning drop at the end of a noose."

  Ilanna ducked her head. "Y-Yes, sir."

  "Good. And this is the last time you'll be saying any of this nonsense, got it?"

  "Yes." Face burning, she turned from Elmar's glare and studied the street. She thrust her chin toward a man in rich, colorful robes and fine boots. "What about him?"

  Elmar shook his head. "Never take from a noble. They're likely to report it to the magistrate, and that's not good for anyone."

  Ilanna nodded.

  The older boy turned to Idan. "Get this over to Dorrin. He's the Adam Tiler today."

  Idan took the purse from Elmar and ducked into the crowd.

  "Adam Tiler?"

  "Bag boy. Have to have one. If we get caught with stolen loot, we'll dangle for sure. The Adam Tiler stays out of sight all day long and holds our loot until day's end. He's the clicker that doles out the booty, and he gets a share of the day's haul. All fair and tidy, like."

  "I had no idea being a Fox was so complicated. There's so much to remember!"

  Elmar smiled. "Girlie, you don't know the half of it. We're just getting started."

  * * *

  Ilanna spent the rest of the day learning the tricks of the Foxes' trade. Elmar never repeated lessons. He expected her to learn the first time. He was never cruel, though he had little patience for inexperience.

  She learned to read crowds and use their distraction to her advantage. Elmar and Idan showed her how to make and use diversions. Elmar knocked over a basket of apples, and while he argued with the shopkeeper, Idan bumped a purse from a man who had stopped to watch the row.

  Idan showed her the mark of the Foxes—two yellow dots above four vertical lines—etched into the door frame of a butcher's shop. The mark meant the owner paid for protection from the Night Guild, rendering the establishment untouchable.

  Elmar spent an hour teaching her how to find escap
e routes. The twisting alleyways near the market provided bolt holes, but could trap a fleeing Fox in a dead end or pile of debris.

  "Best keep to the open streets as much as possible. We Foxes tend to work together, so most of the time your crew'll be handy to help you in case of trouble. But if you're ever alone and in need of a quick escape, find a door to duck through, a wall to climb over, or a gutter to slip into, and pray to the Watcher you didn't snatch from the wrong mark. Got it?"

  Ilanna nodded. "It's a lot to remember."

  "It ain’t easy being a Fox. It takes years to get as good at it as me. You're lucky you got paired with us Reds. The Grey Foxes are too damned slow. Don’t even get me started on the Pales or the Blacks. No, you lucked out, Hawkling."

  Just then, three small children shuffled past. They looked like ordinary children, though much filthier. They reeked of unwashed bodies, rotting fish, and dried refuse. One wore a patch over an eye, while another hugged a bandaged limb to his chest. Something about them screamed Guild. Perhaps it was the wary look in their eyes or the way their hands hovered near their belts.

  Elmar sneered. "Grubbers."

  Ilanna turned and stared. "Really?"

  Elmar nodded. "You know what sets a Grubber apart from horse shite, Hawkling?"

  "What?"

  "People actually find a use for horse shite." He snickered.

  Ilanna didn't think it funny, but chuckled anyway. No sense offending the person in charge of keeping her alive on the streets.

  "Yes, you Hawks are lucky enough to work with the Foxes."

  "Can I ask you a question, Elmar?"

  "I can't stop you, now can I?"

  Not much of an encouragement, but Ilanna took it as permission. "Why do Hawks work with the Foxes? I know part of it is because we have to earn our keep, but why not send us with the Grubbers?"

  He shook his head. "You don't want to go with the Grubbers, Hawkling. They don't live long. And those that do rarely are all there in the head." He tapped his temple.

  Ilanna watched the Grubber children disappear into the crowds. Is that…? The one with the eyepatch looked like Eleven, though much thinner, paler, and more ragged.

  Elmar tugged her away. "No, apprentice, you Hawks and Serpents train with the Foxes because it's the only way to learn certain skills."

  "I don't understand. How will learning how to pick pockets on the street help me up there?" She pointed to the roof of a three-story inn.

  "It won't, but you won't always be up there. Sometimes you'll have to come down from your rooftops and mingle with us on the streets. When that happens, you'll need to know how to stay alive. Plus, you learn how to blend in, how to read your marks, and how to think on your feet. All of these skills will come in handy as a Hawk or a Serpent."

  Ilanna nodded. It makes sense. The more I learn, the better I'll be.

  "Now, Hawkling, I've spent all day training you and don't have so much as a copper bit to show for it. It's time for you to show me I haven't been wasting my time."

  Ilanna's eyes widened. "Me? Now?" Her stomach churned.

  Elmar nodded. "Why else d'you think you're out here?"

  She had no words. Her mouth felt suddenly dry and she wiped sweaty hands on her cloak.

  "Don't worry, apprentice. First time's always the worst."

  Ilanna searched the crowd, desperately trying to remember what Elmar had taught her about finding a mark. There! Her eyes fell on a paunchy man wearing a well-made vest and sturdy coat. A slight bulge at his right hip revealed the location of his purse.

  "Off with you, apprentice. Sun's heading for the hills and we're due back within the hour. Enough dawdling."

  He shoved her forward, sending her stumbling. Ilanna shuffled forward on leaden feet, her heart pounding furiously.

  Can I do it? She'd spent hours practicing, but never mastered the bump. In the crowded street, the snatch wouldn't work. She wiped her hands against her clothes again and clenched her fists. Elmar had told her she'd have to steal if she wanted to eat. I have to. What choice do I have?

  She tried to do exactly as Idan had. Move slowly, approach the mark without being seen. She wiped away the sweat dripping into her eyes. With every step, the beating of her heart grew louder. Blood rushed in her ears and her throat closed up.

  Two paces away from her mark, she stumbled and fell. Her knee struck the hard street and she cried out. By the time she found her feet, her mark had moved on. She'd lost her chance. With a heavy heart and a slump in her shoulders, she returned to Elmar. She winced in expectation of a reprimand.

  Elmar only shook his head. "You did better than I expected, Hawkling. We all choke up on our first day." He patted her shoulder. The patronizing gesture brought a rush of heat to her cheeks. "Come on, it's time to get back."

  "But I thought I had to bring home a drake if I want to eat?"

  "First day's free, Hawkling. Second day, you don't come back until you've got what you need. Got it?"

  Ilanna nodded, trying to hide her disappointment. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she followed Elmar through the streets of Praamis toward the tunnels she called home.

  * * *

  When she slipped into House Hawk later that night, she went straight to her room. Werrin, Willem, and Bert tried to draw her out with questions about her first day, but Ilanna kept her answers brief. She didn't even bother with dinner. Instead, she attacked the pile of sewing that had accumulated over the last few days of training.

  Since the discovery of Jarl's sewing kit, she'd taken on the repairs of all the apprentices and Journeymen in House Hawk. The big Hawk had been too busy to mind. Conn had even handed off her chores to Werrin and Willem. The twins grumbled incessantly, but they were only too happy to bring her their ripped and torn clothing.

  She even had a few repair jobs from Serpents, Scorpions, and Foxes. Once she completed them, she would earn a few coins for the work. Right now, anything was better than failing on the streets.

  As she thrust and tugged the needle, her frustration melted away. At least this is something I'm good at. Even if she couldn't lift purses on her first day, she had skills to offer.

  She clenched her jaw. Tomorrow, I try again. Tomorrow, I will show them I am the best the Night Guild has.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Darkness filled Ilanna's world. She floated in a dream, yet she knew it was a memory as well.

  The sound of sobbing reached her. Her breath caught and she stopped, not daring to move. "Where is that coming from?"

  The back door stood ajar, the darkness beyond beckoning her. The night chill sent a shiver down her spine and she pulled Mama's threadbare blanket around her shoulders. A lump rose in her throat at Mama's perfume—lilies, her favorite.

  The monster knelt before Mama's lily bush. "Why, Liora? Why did you have to be so stubborn? I know you said we couldn't afford it, not with what we owe to the Guild, but couldn't you see that you and the baby were dying? Why wouldn't you let me bring the healers sooner? We would have found the money, somehow." One hand wiped tears from his face and the other tipped a bottle to his lips.

  Why was he talking to Mama? She was with the Long Keeper; she wouldn't hear him.

  "How could you leave me, my love? This world is empty without you. And, to make things worse, you've left me alone with a child nearly into her eighth year. I have no way to feed her, no way to teach her the things she needs to know."

  Sorrow flooded her and she turned back to the darkness.

  A hand shook her shoulder, jolting her from sleep. "Get up, apprentice."

  "Wha-?" Ilanna opened a sleepy eye. "What time is it?"

  Denber stood over her. "Just past dawn." The light of a beamer filled the underground room. Snores echoed from the adjoining bunks.

  Why do I have to get up?

  "Time to get up and get out on the streets. Common room, five minutes." Denber placed the beamer on the chair and left the room.

  Of course. Ilanna groaned. My training with the Foxe
s. Throwing on her clothes, she hurried to the common room.

  Denber met her in the Aerie with a loaf of bread and a cold sausage. "Eat along the way. The Foxes are expecting you."

  Conn stumbled into the room. Exhaustion lined his face. He slumped on the bench and rested his head in his hands.

  Ilanna pitched her voice low. "What's with him?"

  Denber shrugged. "He refuses to say anything, except that he's planning his Undertaking."

  "What's that?"

  "Don't know. Since nameday, he's spent most days and nights out on the street. Watcher knows what he's doing." He turned to Ilanna and thrust the food into her hands. "Off with you. Don't let us down again."

  Ilanna read disappointment in his face and she reddened. She took the food and hurried from House Hawk. Anticipation twisted her stomach in knots. She stuffed the food into a pocket of her “streets”. Better save it for when I'm really hungry!

  As she navigated the twisting maze of tunnels, she wondered about the change in Denber. She didn’t know what to make of the older boy. He'd been so kind to her in the beginning, taking care of her, teaching her, and making certain she understood each lesson. But on her third day training in the Perch, she'd slipped while climbing the rope ladder. She'd caught herself, though her finger ached for days after.

  Denber had changed that day. His friendly, open manner disappeared. He pushed her harder than even Conn. She preferred his approach to teaching—it had none of Conn's haughty disdain—but she felt as if it annoyed him. One moment, he would greet her with a smile and a kind word, and cool and aloof the next. Never mean, just gruff or—and this hurt most—distantly polite.

  Elmar stood at the next intersection. The sight of the Fox drove all thoughts of Denber from her mind.

  "Ready, Hawkling?"

  Ilanna nodded.

  Elmar grinned. "Then let's find you a pocket to pick!"

  * * *

  "Damn it, Hawkling! That's the third time you've turned weasel today and it ain't even noon yet."

  "I'm sorry, Elmar. It's just…" She swallowed. She couldn't think of a reason why she couldn't do it. Yet every time she approached her mark, her hands trembled, sweat soaked her palms, and she couldn't think straight.