planned to be long gone before anyone even knew she had been in the merchant’s home.
Normally, Lexi only did what she needed to do to survive, but this job was different. She had been approached by a tavern owner who needed a favor. The merchant’s son was stringing the tavern keeper’s daughter along in hopes of stealing her virtue. Lexi thought the whole situation was ridiculous; she couldn’t imagine pinning her hopes for the future on a boy, no matter how handsome. Tiberius was the closest she’d ever come to actually having a crush, but she was just too pragmatic to believe that an Earl’s son would ever love her. The tavern keeper was paying her to plant a fake love letter in the boy’s cloak. If she was caught, she would be held in stocks for days, then scourged in public. It would be humiliating, if it didn’t kill her. She couldn’t imagine what Tiberius would think of her. He knew she lived on the streets and did what she had to do to survive, but if he were faced with befriending a thief that was caught red-handed, she imagined he would pretend he didn’t know her at all. That thought made her sad, more than she thought it should.
She shook off any thoughts of Tiberius or of getting caught. It was time to get busy. She touched her tightly cinched cloak, making sure that the little scroll of parchment the tavern keeper had given her was still in its place in her hidden pocket. She stood and stretched, reaching high in the air to extend her spine. She flexed her hands and raised each foot, rolling her ankles to make sure she wouldn’t cramp up as she climbed.
One more look into the street revealed nothing but darkness. She took a deep breath of the frosty air, then began climbing. The side of the merchant’s home that faced the alley had a few windows and one door, but for the most part it was plain stone. Luckily, at least in Lexi’s mind, the stone wasn’t polished or even flattened, producing a very unique look for the homeowner and a very climbable wall for the accomplished thief. She found handholds easy enough, although she was only able to grip the wall with her fingertips. She didn’t have shoes and gripped the wall with her toes as she climbed higher. It was a painful and difficult climb. She hoped coming down would be easier. She would have to get in and out without leaving any sign she’d been there.
When she reached the window she spread her feet wide, finding the best toeholds she could. Then, steadying her breath, she tried the window. It was made to swing open from the inside, and she had to take hold of the sill with her cold, almost numb fingers and push gently. She breathed a sigh of relief when the window swung open. Immediately, she heard the grumbling snore of the merchant. Lexi knew she had to get in and close the window before the cold night air roused the sleepers.
She hoisted herself up onto the window sill and leaned inside. It was dark, but her eyes had adjusted so that she could just make out the darker shadow of the fat merchant sleeping on the large poster bed. Lexi reached into the room, making sure there was nothing to trip on beneath the small window. She found the chamber pot, but nothing else. She slid into the room as quickly as she could, then swung the window shut again. Slinking through the darkness was her specialty. She moved across the room, noticing the thick rug around the bed with her bare feet. It was thick and luxurious, but she didn’t have time to worry about the rug. She found the door and stepped into a hallway. There were several other rooms and she checked two empty rooms before finding the son’s room.
Lexi stood over the sleeping form, watching the teenager sleep. She couldn’t help but realize how different their lives were. She couldn’t imagine sleeping so soundly. The boy’s bed was bigger than most of the rooms that Lexi could afford to rent for a single night. She could tell by the boy’s thick chest and broad shoulders that he
Normally, Lexi only did what she needed to do to survive, but this job was different. She had been approached by a tavern owner who needed a favor. The merchant’s son was stringing the tavern keeper’s daughter along in hopes of stealing her virtue. Lexi thought the whole situation was ridiculous; she couldn’t imagine pinning her hopes for the future on a boy, no matter how handsome. Tiberius was the closest she’d ever come to actually having a crush, but she was just too pragmatic to believe that an Earl’s son would ever love her. The tavern keeper was paying her to plant a fake love letter in the boy’s cloak. If she was caught, she would be held in stocks for days, then scourged in public. It would be humiliating, if it didn’t kill her. She couldn’t imagine what Tiberius would think of her. He knew she lived on the streets and did what she had to do to survive, but if he were faced with befriending a thief that was caught red-handed, she imagined he would pretend he didn’t know her at all. That thought made her sad, more than she thought it should.
She shook off any thoughts of Tiberius or of getting caught. It was time to get busy. She touched her tightly cinched cloak, making sure that the little scroll of parchment the tavern keeper had given her was still in its place in her hidden pocket. She stood and stretched, reaching high in the air to extend her spine. She flexed her hands and raised each foot, rolling her ankles to make sure she wouldn’t cramp up as she climbed.
One more look into the street revealed nothing but darkness. She took a deep breath of the frosty air, then began climbing. The side of the merchant’s home that faced the alley had a few windows and one door, but for the most part it was plain stone. Luckily, at least in Lexi’s mind, the stone wasn’t polished or even flattened, producing a very unique look for the homeowner and a very climbable wall for the accomplished thief. She found handholds easy enough, although she was only able to grip the wall with her fingertips. She didn’t have shoes and gripped the wall with her toes as she climbed higher. It was a painful and difficult climb. She hoped coming down would be easier. She would have to get in and out without leaving any sign she’d been there.
When she reached the window she spread her feet wide, finding the best toeholds she could. Then, steadying her breath, she tried the window. It was made to swing open from the inside, and she had to take hold of the sill with her cold, almost numb fingers and push gently. She breathed a sigh of relief when the window swung open. Immediately, she heard the grumbling snore of the merchant. Lexi knew she had to get in and close the window before the cold night air roused the sleepers.
She hoisted herself up onto the window sill and leaned inside. It was dark, but her eyes had adjusted so that she could just make out the darker shadow of the fat merchant sleeping on the large poster bed. Lexi reached into the room, making sure there was nothing to trip on beneath the small window. She found the chamber pot, but nothing else. She slid into the room as quickly as she could, then swung the window shut again. Slinking through the darkness was her specialty. She moved across the room, noticing the thick rug around the bed with her bare feet. It was thick and luxurious, but she didn’t have time to worry about the rug. She found the door and stepped into a hallway. There were several other rooms and she checked two empty rooms before finding the son’s room.
Lexi stood over the sleeping form, watching the teenager sleep. She couldn’t help but realize how different their lives were. She couldn’t imagine sleeping so soundly. The boy’s bed was bigger than most of the rooms that Lexi could afford to rent for a single night. She could tell by the boy’s thick chest and broad shoulders that he
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