Thief {Part Two}

Post by Neonhyper

Apologies for the late posting of the second part of the part.

SET PHASERS TO SUPER LONG CHAPTER!

---

Dawn eventually fell to pure night as the moon stole the will of the sun and the two enterprising thieves entered the court of Silvermoon's nobles. Their pace slowed from dashing run to hurried walk as their boots clicked against the perfectly kept stone square, in sharp contrast to their home within the city walls, which stretched out at least a mile in every direction. The air was crisp with cold breezes; the late hours silent, save the shuffling of brooms and the rustle of leaves from the verdant, gold trees that decorated the court.

Lit up by crimson, flickering flames within lanterns set upon gilded poles was a golden fountain, a proud quel'dorei woman holding a bowl from which water bubbled and fell to the basin at her feet. The fountain sat in the middle of the court, and from the square's center split off paths between rows of hedges that led to the estates of various famous houses. Ethyn paused aside a decorated bench, spotless of any dust, to peruse the forged invitations. He hid them against his breast once again, before taking Nasia's hand and leading her off without a word.

They approached a gate forged of gold, much like every other piece of metal they had encountered in the city outside of Murder Rowe, left unlocked so people could come and go freely. Nasia unlatched the gate and pushed it open, allowing Ethyn to walk down the decorated path before she followed after him, a soft click resonating from behind them. The sweet smell of red roses wafted along as they strode, farther from the main court and past the lavish gardens that served as a barrier between the land owned by the noble families.

Eventually they reached the courtyard of one certain estate, where the numerous ornate fountains sprayed alongside dazzling lights and illuminated the dark shroud that smothered the night. A line of quel'dorei, others who were as fashionably late as Nasia and Ethyn, were outside the main double doors of richly colored stained glass. Two bouncers, hired men of Silvermoon's guards, checked the invitations of those who wished to enter the mansion behind them. A group of giggling high elf girls in front of them were forced to go back the way they came, provoking a snicker from Ethyn.

He procured the envelopes once again when the pair were next to be checked and handed them off to the bouncers, still silent. One of the two guards checked the documents over while the other waved the two inside. Nasia was all too quick to pull Ethyn into the atrium before there was a chance to look at the fake invitations too closely. Luckily, no one noticed her anxious haste and the two slipped into the main room of the enormous residence.

An immediate wave of sounds hit the entering pair. A choir of harmonized voices and a few slender women strumming fingers against harp strings provided the background music to the eve. Couples danced formally across the marble floor with precise steps and flowing skirts, the men lifting their ladies up by the arms and twirling them about before setting them back on their feet. Above, the ceiling was nothing but a giant skylight, letting the moon and stars shine bright alongside the many diamond and silver-chained chandeliers that hung above the atrium.

Ethyn whistled at the quiet din of clattering necklaces and bracelets only he could make out over the rest of the noise and the gleam of gem studded dresses and rings through the glare of every other light. The entire fortune Nasia and he held was nothing compared to what one of these nobles was carrying on their person. In fact, he was quite sure that their undergarments were worth more than everything he owned. He gently took Nasia's forearm and whispered low in her ear.

"See if Leira can get a few dances in before the night wanes," Ethyn muttered under his breath. "--and see if any of those dances can liberate some crowded coins from aristocratic pockets."

Nasia's eyes turned upon him in a steely glare, but she was utterly silent. There was no point in expressing the displeasure in her assigned task as she knew there was no way of getting out of it; she was sure he was aware, anyway. Before she left his side, she slipped a hand into one of her black leather gloves and removed a vial. To anyone watching, the slender quel'dorei woman gave her gentleman one last squeeze of the hand before departing to the middle of the room.

Ethyn rolled the glass vial against his palm with his thumb, hiding it beneath the cuff of his sleeve. The clear liquid within sloshed silently as he gave a last look at Nasia's form from behind as her hands were already taken by another man. He couldn't help the pang of jealousy that wracked against him as he pried his gaze away and steeled himself. The next course of action was clear, he just had to overcome his own emotions to continue on with the mission. The only reason they were at this upper class excuse of a social gathering.

He strode purposely towards one side of the atrium, where long tables had been set up and covered in lacey cloths, upon which sat platters and platters of food. Ethyn swallowed harshly as his throat watered while his eyes scanned the small finger sandwiches and hors d'oeuvres that were laid out by the hundreds. The rumbling in his stomach could not be ignored; despite every ounce of willpower he used, he ended up with his mouth full and attempting to appear civilized with his cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk.

Eventually he came upon the refreshments. Wine was being served formally by waiters in tuxedos, but other choices in drinks were free to be self-served. As to not appear suspicious, and possibly because he was now quite thirsty, Ethyn took a glass of moonberry juice with one hand as the other popped the cork off the vial against his wrist. Slowly and subtly he let a few drops of liquid fall with barely noticeable splashes into each glass set out. He grinned, corking the empty container and pocketing it, and smiled as he saw a few guests head for the drinks as he returned to the food tables...

In the middle of the atrium, Nasia aptly kept steps with the far more graceful dancers. Lessons from her youth, previously buried under much more necessary skills for survival, arose to the surface of her mind as the dances continued on. Every time she thought that she might have a brief respite, another charming man would approach, hand extended with a simple question upon his lips. Of course, she would answer yes, her hands dexterously moving during the spins and steps to relieve them of a few stray pieces of gold in easy reach of their pockets.

These long dances would finally end and the handsome young quel'dorei, perhaps only a few years older than herself, would let her go with a somber frown. They were all attractive in one way or another, none of them however, held that spark that was in Ethyn's eyes. The spark of one who had endured far more than rigorous discipline to acquire manners or learning how to properly twirl a woman in a fancy ballroom. When the suitor-searching males would fade back into the crowd, Nasia would simply shake her head and stow the coins she had stolen.

The moon was at a far higher position in the sky then it had been when she and Ethyn had originally joined in the celebration. She pursed her lips and hurried away as the music began to flow into a different song, to avoid being dragged into another bout of fancy footwork. Her eyes scanned the atrium for her partner, yet only landed on staggering forms who dumbly stumbled about. A light grin preyed upon her lips as some of the nobles collapsed and were promptly dragged away as to not disturb the rest of the guests. Nobody would chalk it up to anything other than one too many drinks.

In congratulations to a job well done, she approached the food table with the intention of filling her stomach up fully for the first time in years. A far-too-decorative piece of dinnerware was loaded with various delectable, culinary bites by the time she was finished passing down the room. She avoided the refreshment table and found a spot near the entryway where she could enjoy her food in peace and hopefully pick out Ethyn in the process.

"Excuse me..." a voice called, too loud and too precise to be directed at anyone aside from her. She cursed her luck under her breath, having been just about to bite down.

"My apologies for interrupting you miss, but my friend couldn't help but notice you," the speaker was another one of the young men at the party, "from across the room. He's a tad shy and was wondering if you might care to accompany him in a dance...?"

Nasia's eyes followed his gesturing hand to where he was pointing, where leaning against the wall with a glass of wine stood another man, obviously older than her. He was staring intently at the rim of his goblet, yet she saw his stare extended past it, to examine her and his friend. She bit gently upon her lower lip, for some reason he seemed so familiar. It was as if a hidden memory tugged at the back of her mind, wishing to be acknowledged and remembered.

Then it clicked. His dirty-blonde hair was long and fell past his shoulders, with lengthy bangs arched from his forehead and hanging in front of his face; a style that many quel'dorei men wore, but only one had perfected. A somewhat nervous expression was barely read overtop a cool demeanor and he was garbed in a navy blue suit, much like Ethyn's in style, but trimmed in silver. Yet it was the face that truly gave it away. It was older than the last time she had seen it, far older, but still the same.

"Lorilast," she breathed.

His friend was puzzled, "Y-yes, his name is Lorilast... Lorilast Shadowstrider. My lady, pardon me for asking again, but have you decided?"

"I... I'm sorry, but I cannot. I have to find my friend and get ready to leave, daybreak fast approaches," Nasia murmured dumbly, pushing past the confused quel'dorei as she blindly headed away from that part of the atrium. Anywhere but there.

It was not a stretch of the imagination to think that he would be there. He was still a noble even if she was not, and the Shadowstriders were well known enough in Silvermoon to be invited to something of this sort. Yet she could not help it, the Thalassian curses rolling off her tongue in hurried gasps of air. One of the only two people in the whole blasted city who could possibly remember her, had to be here. She prayed it was just a passing glance, that he would not remember, that she was just another one of the pretty faces in the crowd.

She found Ethyn across the room, trying to keep an assured appearance as he spoke with a young woman. Nasia might have found a way to mock at the way he tugged at his earring when he was nervous, trying not to blush as the elven girl chuckled at him, were it not for her current predicament. She found no qualm in shoving the stranger off to the side and grabbing Ethyn by the collar of his fancy wear.

"We are leaving," she hissed, low and unheard.

He looked over her shoulder at the lady, who's ego had obviously been bruised by Nasia's sudden arrival, before replying smoothly between grit teeth, "We aren't done yet..."

She would have none of it, her reply was as sharp as it was demanding, "We. Are. Leaving. Now. Grab what you have and go."

They matched glares for a moment but Ethyn was to lose in every respect. He pushed away from the wall, bowing apologetically to the girl he was talking to, before heading off to the side room where the hosts had allowed personal belongings to be stored under a watchful gaze. The guard there however, was blissfully unaware of Ethyn's pilfering and that nothing he took out of that room was actually his. With a black, gold embroidered satchel swung over his shoulder, nearly bursting, he headed to the exit of the mansion where Nasia was waiting.

No words were exchanged as they left, only keeping a slow pace as to not attract the attention of the still-wary bouncers that kept watch. Once they were out of earshot and sight, Nasia spurred into a brisk pace back towards Murder Rowe, as the night broke into day with the colors of dawn, painting across a canvas of the sky, with whispered prayers still resting upon barely parted lips.

---

They were running so fast down that road, Nasia was sure they were going to hit a wall at any moment. Ethyn kept on though, just like he had every time before, like nothing in the world could stop him. Not the angry shopkeeper and her broom. Not the guards with their giant glaives and enormous shields. He just kept running, and so did she, always one stride behind him.

Ethyn feinted to the side, allowing Nasia to run on ahead of him with the leather sack filled with fruit and bread. She dared a look behind her, just in time to see him throw a few barrels leaned up against a wall out into the street. The guards were forced to duck and weave to avoid the obstacles and soon Ethyn was back at her side. It was a simple distraction, but it was enough. The two of them ducked into the alley, pressing themselves against the shadows until the guards ran right past where they were.

High-fives were exchanged and breaths caught. Nasia smiled to herself, dusting off the gritty leather outfit she was wearing and proceeded to clamp her teeth around the neck of the sack and climb back up onto the roof, Ethyn following behind. The small crevice with the crates, a meager place that no longer fit the older pair, welcomed them home. Nasia passed off the food to Ethyn, who grabbed them each a small roll of bread before hiding the rest under the two hole-filled blankets in one box.

Nasia munched on the bread and leaned against the crate with her stuff in it. She exhaled softly and reflected. Had it been two years? Maybe three? The time since she fell from nobility had blurred together. She sighed and rifled through her things, picking out a sheet of parchment and a packet of widely colored pastels, most of which were snapped or worn to stubs.

"Watcha doin'?" Ethyn asked, leaning over her shoulder. She'd been scribbling on that parchment for weeks and he'd always been curious as to what was on it.

The outcome of every time he asked was the same. She threw herself in front of his face and scowled, "It's not done yet, you can't look!"

He sighed and backed off, leaning against the wall as she shifted so that the back of the parchment was facing him. The silence awkwardly dragged on between them, with only the odd munching and the sound of Nasia's doodling to break it. Eventually, Ethyn couldn't stand it any longer.

Post by Neonhyper

"So how'd it used to be... ya know... being rich and noble and all?" he asked.

It wasn't an uncommon question from him to her. He was always asking about what her life was like before she ran off. Sometimes it would end with him telling her she was stupid for leaving it all behind; sometimes just in silence.

"I've told you it all before, Ethyn. It was all pretty dresses, silks, gems, getting yelled at for not sitting up straight, and dealing with a comb scraping against your head every few minutes," she mumbled in response. "Everyone telling me what to do instead of letting me do what I want. The only fun was when I was alone with my bro--"

She cut herself off and didn't continue as Ethyn blinked curiously. Nasia never mentioned any of her family in her stories, except for her mother. Always how much she hated her mother, "Brother?" he prodded, perhaps with less care than he should have.

"Brothers," she responded, much to his amazement, but didn't look up from the parchment. "Proprias and Lorilast. They were my closest friends. When mother and father went out, they often let Prop and Lori watch me. We'd climb in the gardens, play hide-and-seek, they even helped me practice with the bow I kept hidden from mother."

Ethyn bit his lower lip. He'd seen her use a bow they had stolen on a risky trip to a weapons shop after he had lost his dagger to the guard; she always hit the mark when she could focus, "Don't they miss you?"

"I miss the more than anything," she whispered. "They're both older than me. Mother sent them off when Lori was of age so that both of them could become paladins. Another gear in her clockwork life. Prop always told me he wanted to be a magister."

The uncomfortable silence returned, but Ethyn didn't notice. He was lost in thought now. Nasia eventually leaned over and tapped him on the shoulder until he shook his head and snapped himself out of the daze. She held the parchment and looked at him for a moment, before turning it around, "It's done."

He stared at the mix of rough-textured colors across the paper, not comprehending what he was seeing until the picture finally came into focus. A girl and a boy, one with chestnut brown hair and the other with red one shade too light to be exact, sat with their backs turned on a shingled roof that was oddly colored green. Dark silhouettes of spires rose up against a sunrise, or maybe a sunset, background. Ethyn pursed his lips, knowing very well what she drew between the two figures--clasped hands.

"The roof's the wrong color."

Nasia stared at him in exasperation for a few moments, before angrily replying, a tad loudly, "Shut your stupid face!"

There was no time for him to say anything before she stood up and stormed over to the crates. She slipped inside hers, no matter how much effort it took to squeeze inside, leaving Ethyn alone on the rooftop with only one thought.

"Girls."

Post by Morec0

Interesting. So Nasia was once a noble (yes, just figuring this out if it was mentioned in part one)? So what caused her to wind up on the street? And met one of the few people that could recognize her, excellent plot development.

Deleted and moved for the appearence of the story, heh. And it seems my question was answered.

Post by Monday

I like it, especially meeting her brother. It was a little long for me imo, but excellent all around.

*Funden's*
*SEAL OF APPROVAL*

~~E: There we go...~~

Post by 355559

This post was from a user who has deleted their account.

Post by Mojoworkn

Fully read and APPROVED! :D

Post by Neonhyper

Fully read and APPROVED! :D

YAY. APPROVED!

I like it, especially meeting her brother. It was a little long for me imo, but excellent all around.

*Funden's*
*SEAL OF APPROVAL*

~~E: There we go...~~

Reeally long but offset by the flaming winsauce for sure.

/bow

I want to take a moment to half explain why I write things that are so long, since I could pretend I'm sorry but I'm really not. I have an issue of having certain things I wish to explain, and only so many words to write them in if I want to keep the story short. So, choosing between gimping epicness and yet making it below 15k character... I choose to keep my epicness.

Interesting. So Nasia was once a noble (yes, just figuring this out if it was mentioned in part one)? So what caused her to wind up on the street? And met one of the few people that could recognize her, excellent plot development.

Deleted and moved for the appearence of the story, heh. And it seems my question was answered.

Somewhat, since explaining won't spoil anything in the next chapter (which you will all groan and shake your heads when you learn it might be longer than this one), I'll clarify a bit.

As you can possibly understand, Lady Shadowstrider was a bit of a... control freak. Everything was her way or the highway, and everything in her way had to be perfect.

So, despite the wants of her children, she sent them off to do what she wanted them to do. For Proprias and Lorilast, that was becoming paladins. Without her brothers around, Nasia was subjected to even further luxurious torment-- eventually, even after dreaming about being a Farstrider and begging, she was going to become a magistrix.

It broke the last straw, so Nasia ran away. From this point, the young flashback in part one starts.

Post by Behelich

‡~~~~~~‡
ALUCARD's
     Seal
      Of
Flourishing
  Approval
‡~~~~~~‡

The most comforting SoFA™ you can get in these parts.

Post by Hellborne

‡~~~~~~‡
HELLBORNE's
     Seal
      Of
Flourishing
  Approval
‡~~~~~~‡

The most comforting and totally original SoFA™ you can get in these parts.

Thief {Part Two}

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