Solo Unusual Employer

[Amora Jade]

Season of Winter, Day 1, 513 AV
Castle Commons; 9th bell

The day marked the beginning of the season the young thief hated the most. Amora enjoyed the heat during the summer and wished it would never end. Because of the fact she did most of her ‘work’ at night the cold hurt her ability to perform. It was difficult to slip a hand into someone’s pocket when her own sleeve would get in the way. Luckily she decided to wear the coat whose sleeves hugged her wrists a big better.

Only the beginning of the season but the bitter cold was already making its stand. She knew it was going to be a harsh winter. The light from the sun was only partly clouded which allowed much of its heat to still penetrate the chilled air, making for a comfortable morning in the Castle Commons. The dark haired thief was craving something warm to put in her belly and to find some potential targets for her wrongdoings. It never hurt to make everyday count towards survival in Sunberth.

“Hot bread! Fresh outta the oven!”

Amora’s ear twitched at the calling out from a man sitting behind a bread and pastry stall. A small grumbling sound could be heard by her rising from her stomach. At the mention of hot bread it was all she craved, maybe along side some cheese. Her boots kicked up a small amount of dust as she walked quickly over to the stall before the bread was either sold out or got cold.

Only two other people found their way to the stand first, then it was Amora’s turn to pay. Normally she wouldn’t want to hand over her coin so easily but the smell that rose with the steam from the goods caused her stomach to ache and her mouth to water. The thief reached into her pants pocket for the appropriate amount of coin. A single copper rimmed miza was all the vender was asking for the treat and she was more than happy to hand that over.

The heat from the bread warmed her palm as the man handed it over to her in exchange for the coin. As she stepped out of the way of the other patrons in want of the bread she brought the loaf to her nose and took in a deep breath of its scent. It was incredibly relaxing for her, and made her excited to eat it. The next stall over held the cheese she wanted to eat with her bread. Another man, younger owned the stall and looked a bit lost. It was obvious to her that he wasn’t from Sunberth and probably didn’t quite understand how things worked there.

“How much for that?” The girl extended her right pointer-finger to indicate a single hunk of cheese that sat on his stall.

“Twelve coppers.”

Amora scowled at the man and her voice rose just a bit, “Twelve coppers! Are you insane?”

“Tell you what, just for you young lady I’ll give it to you for a silver and two coppers.”

The thief narrowed her eyes at the man. It was painfully clear he thought she wasn’t very intelligent. Clearly he was taking the rumors of Sunberth to heart, believing that the people there weren’t the smartest and were only brutes. Amora had her left palm pressed into the stall’s top as she neared his face with her own as she yelled, “I know how money works! I’m not an idiot. That is painfully expensive for a single hunk of cheese in this city and I can almost swear you won’t see a single coin during your visit!”

She had made a scene. Other patrons had turned their gaze to the stall and began to frown at him too. Normally the price for a single hunk of cheese in the commons was five coppers, this man clearing was taking advantage. He was lucky he was the only other cheese vender up that morning, otherwise Amora would have just walked away, “The most I’ll give you for that is a single silver. That’s it. You can either take that or not sell a single thing today!”

The thief backed away from the scrawny man and stood up straight, trying to show him she was serious. The cheese looked incredible and she knew it would make for a nice meal along with her bread. She just wasn’t willing to be completely screwed over to get it.

The vender cleared his throat and wrapped the cheese in a thin cloth before meeting eyes with the thief, “Perhaps you’re right. A single silver seems like a more affordable price and I won’t be losing too much. Here.” He lifted his hand that held the food and extended his other for the payment.

Amora was shocked. She had never been able to talk down a price before, she usually would just take whatever she couldn’t afford. With an astonished blink she reached into her pocket a pulled out two coins, one of which was silver. After she handed that one over to him she took her goods and headed to the nearest bench to enjoy her meal. The bread still held most of its heat which would even out the chill that the cheese had.

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[Amora Jade]

Amora sat on one of the few benches that littered the area in order to sit and enjoy her meal. The thief ripped a small piece of the loaf of hot bread off and placed it on her tongue. The warm touch made her mouth water and her taste buds dance. It practically melted in her mouth and barely five ticks had passed before she ripped off another, larger piece of it and shoved it in along with what was left of the smaller piece. If anyone had been watching the display of her scarfing down the food they’d assume it was the first she had for a season. There was nothing she liked more than hot food- especially considering it was a delicacy for her, since nearly all the food she would usually eat had already chilled by the time she got to it.

The dark haired girl was eating so quickly she nearly forgot about the hunk of cheese she had lying in her lap. With her mouth still full she broke off a small piece of the cheese and shoved it in to join with the bread. She had so much food in her mouth she could barely chew and she looked like a chipmunk, but the mix of flavors caused her eyes to roll back and she relaxed against the wood of the bench. Amora didn’t care the funny looks she got from a couple walking past. It was obvious to her they couldn’t understand how great something that simple was to someone who struggled to find food during the colder seasons.

With one hard swallow of the half-chewed food she was able to get it down without choking and shoved more in her mouth. Just as she was about to break off another piece of the cheese, her eye caught a glimpse of a small person watching her. Amora began to chew more slowly and half-looked in the child’s direction. He was staring wide-eyed at her food, practically drooling at the sight. The thief could tell just by a quick look at him that he was nothing but skin and bones. She wondered for a moment if he had run away from the orphanage, but didn’t have the will to try and chase him down to take him back.

Instead, the thief inwardly sighed and swallowed the food she did have before breaking off just one more piece of the cheese for herself and laying the rest of the hunk on the bench beside her. She knew what he would do. The boy, as quietly as his clumsy self could manage, snuck behind the bench and stuck his greedy hand through the wooden planks to grab hold of the food. Quickly he pulled it into his jacket and ran out of the area.

A small smile captivated her lips. She couldn’t help it. The boy reminded her of herself a bit, back when she was a kid anyway. Willing to take the risk of getting caught to steal something from someone who could hurt her. At least Amora wasn’t a dangerous target for the boy’s shenanigans, and he’d at least get some food in his belly. The thief gulped down the last couple bites of her bread and the small bit of cheese before realizing she would need more to eat in order to satisfy her hunger.

Because she didn’t get to fully enjoy the cheese she had bought, she wanted to go back for more. Amora pushed herself off the cold bench and tightened her jacket around her waist before she began to walk back to the stall she bought the food from. She noticed someone was already there trying to buy some so she’d have to wait, but as she neared the two began to scream at each other. Apparently the cheese vendor wasn’t willing to go down on his prices for anyone else.

Not wanting to be a part of the altercation, the thief headed out of the common area and set her trail to the Pig’s Foot Tavern. She knew that she'd have to pay more for the food she wanted there though, and that wasn't something she was very happy about. Why did she have to have a soft spot for kids? Since she was already short on coin she made the decision to 'earn' some more quickly before she got to the tavern.

As she exited the castle commons her eyes began to scan the streets around her. It wasn't as early as when she first arrived in the area and more souls emerged from the sanctuary of their homes to take the risk of setting out on the streets. This made things easy for her, considering a nice crowd helped her to conceal her sneaky hands after infiltrating the pockets of an unaware citizen.

A slight shiver came over her as a breeze swept her hair off her shoulders, then letting it land on her back. Large eyes darted from one person to another as she walked, eyeing their coat pockets and belts. If she watched carefully enough she would be able to see someone instinctively patting where they kept their coin to be sure it was still there. A scrawny man walked alone behind a group of three in a paranoid manner. He wasn't very tan compared to the others, and even though it was winter that's something that usually set an outsider apart form the natives. Just as the dark haired thief expected, the man tapped the pocket of his coat twice to ensure himself of its contents.

A sly grin formed from her lips and she picked up her pace slightly and dropped her arms to the side of her body, and tried to manage a natural swing as she neared him. He was walking the opposite direction of her so she had to plan how exactly she'd pull it off. "Pass him quickly... be sure to have your hand at the ready. Brush the pocket very very gently until your fingers find the opening, then quickly extend your hand further to grab onto some of that coin."

Amora repeated the steps in her mind and eased her breathing in an attempt to keep down her excitement. She wasn't walking with a group of people and he was only walking a few paces behind one. There wasn't much room for error and she knew that. All in what seemed like a tick the thief stepped out of the way of a barrel to near her target, brushed her finger tips along the course wool fabric of his coat, found the opening of the pocket, and extended her hand as far as it would go. She was only able to grab onto a few mizas between the tips of her fingers due to the speed at which she was walking.

The thief would remember next time to slow her pace just a bit while passing her target to be able to get a better grasp on the treasure. Still, she was able to grab onto a few and that was probably for the better anyway considering the man would probably pat his pocket again after passing her.
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[Amora Jade]

Pig's Foot Tavern; 10th Bell

The tavern would provide at least a warm meal to take the place of the food she.. ‘lost’. Amora’s belly ached a bit at the emptiness as she pushed open the door. As usual she was greeted with the familiar sounds of drunk arguments and music. They weren’t as loud as they were during the darker bells, but they still were there. Since the tavern wasn’t completely crowded, the thief didn’t have to dodge many people to make it to the bar. A small creak from the wood beneath her boots was barely audible in the quiet space between the switching of songs. A tavern waitress eyed the thief and held up a mug, questioning if she wanted ale or not.

Amora wasn’t a stranger to Pig’s Foot, quite the opposite actually. The staff knew her by name and knew what she normally came in there for, ale. Almost every day she would venture in there for a quick drink or two before heading out to do whatever she had planned for the day, be it to make a few coins or to ‘shop’ for some food. The dark haired thief nodded before taking a seat of one of the stools in front of the bar.

“I want some food too, please,” she said. There was no doubt the people who worked in the tavern got to see the most polite side of her, considering she wanted to stay on good terms with them so she would keep good service.

“Anything specific?” The waitress asked as she began to pour some ale into the mug she had held up before.

“I guess just some bread and cheese will do, thanks.”

The woman nodded and slid Amora’s ale over to her before disappearing to gather the food that was requested. The thief put the cold glass to her lips and tilted it back slightly, allowing the liquid to pour into her mouth. It’s cold touch was met with a warm sensation as it made its way down her throat and into her belly. Several big gulps were taken before she set the mug back down on the bar top with a small clink. It was then that the waitress returned with the food and the plate down in front of the thief.

As routine, the girl reached into her pocket and pulled out some coin. After counting out the appropriate amount and two coppers worth of a tip she set the mizas down on the counter in front of her. They were immediately scooped up and put away before anyone in the tavern could get any bright ideas that involved taking the money for themselves. The Pig’s Foot was one place she vowed not to steal from. Since she found herself in there often and enjoyed her time spent there, she didn’t want to cause any tension between herself and Merv. The people in it, however, were all targets.

Amora began to eat the food in the same fashion he had before when she was in the castle commons, only a little slower this time. She needed to be sure to pay attention to anyone walking near her in fear that one of their hands might venture into her pockets.

Once the thief was half-way through with eating her meal she paused to drink the rest of her ale and let her eyes wander around the building. Few more people had found themselves walking through the wooden door of the establishment, but it still wasn’t very crowded. Which was to be expected at such an early hour. None of them really caught her eye- at first.

Just as she was about to return to eating she caught a glimpse of a little old lady walking through the door. The lady was scanning the area in a bit of a frantic manner, as if she were afraid of who might be in there. Once she seemed to be satisfied she made her way up to the bar, then sat at the opposite end of Amora.

Merv emerged from the back to stock some clean mugs behind the bar. The lady waved for him to come near, glancing over at the thief in a suspecting way before leaning closer to Merv to speak to him. Amora cleared her throat and diverted her attention away from the pair in an attempt to undo any damage she may have done by staring. Instead she focused on her food once more- she began to break the cheese that was left into smaller pieces and rip the bread up as well, then paired pieces together before placing them in her mouth. The wonderful combination of food would be something she would revert to regularly from then on out.

The owner of the establishment approached the area near the dark haired girl and began to wipe off the bar top with a clean rag, “It seems that lady over there wants your help. She said not to be alarmed, that she knows of you through an old friend.” Once he was finished talking he disappeared into the back again, leaving the thief dazed and confused.

“Why does she need my help? I don’t even know who that woman is!” she thought to herself. Large eyes trailed to the woman who was now standing up and headed towards the exit, only sparing a small glance at Amora.

Out of pure curiosity and need to know how she knew of her, the young thief left what little bit was left on her plate to follow the little old lady outside.

Receipt-2cm Bread
-1sm Cheese
-2cm Tip

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[Amora Jade]

It was almost a dance the way she weaved through the bodies that were in her way as she neared the exit of the tavern. A dance she had performed more times than she count. Hai, even in one week she couldn’t count the amount of times she moved her feet in a rhythmic pattern just to escape the claustrophobic grasp of drunken souls who moved to the energy of the tavern music. It might be mainly due to the amount of alcohol she consumed on a regular basis, but still it was a lot.

Once she came to the face of the door it had just swung shut after the old lady passed through. The hands of the thief pressed their palms against the cool wood and pushed it open to be greeted by a nearly blinding sunlight. Apparently it was going to be a relatively sunny winter day, something Amora wouldn’t protest even for a tick.

Fresh cold air swept into the doorway, into the tavern, and over her body as she exited the establishment. Her teeth chattered and her body shook the cold off as her eyes scanned the open streets for the woman. She wasn’t hard to spot. To Amora the old lady looked fragile, something that stuck out like a sore thumb in Sunberth. People who actually lived to be old were hardened and tough. They could hold their own against even some of the young fighters who looked to take advantage of their wares. The thief had learned from many bad experiences that it wasn’t an easy task to rob the older natives of the city, instead she’d go for the ones who were new. It was easier and much much safer for a girl who could barely defend herself.

The thief’s boots scraped against the dirt of the street as she walked up to the lady who had asked for her, cautious still although she seemed fragile. “How do you know who I am?” she asked, straight to the point. There was nothing she hated more than for a stranger to know her and to have no clue of how they possess the knowledge.

The woman smiled gently and looked as if she were studying the thief’s face. Amora narrowed her eyes a bit in a confused expression and took one step back, a little creeped out. About five ticks passed before the woman finally spoke, “You look so much like your mother. Father too, you walk the same way he used to.”

Immediately she stepped back again and stood defensively as she began to question the woman further, “How do y-”

The woman interjected, still with a smile on her face, “Don’t worry, child. I knew your parents because I’m the one that helped deliver you. They were always kind people, never took anything from people who helped them. Good allies to have. It has been a while since I’ve been to this city,” she took a moment to look around before continuing, “But it seems that I’ve gotten it’s warmest of welcomes and this is only my third day back.”

A small laugh escaped her wrinkled lips, indicating a sarcastic phrase in her words. Of course she didn’t actually get a warm welcome. This much Amora knew, but what exactly had she meant?

“Why do you need my help? I’m not a fighter, I can’t bring anyone down for you. I’m sure there are pl-” again she was interrupted. The thief was starting to get the feeling that this woman wasn’t exactly a patient one.

“No, no, child. I don’t need anyone to be hurt. You see… I have this necklace that means a lot to me. It has been passed down from generation to generation in my family and someone mistakenly thought it was worth something. It’s old and only made of copper, it does have a sapphire embedded in it but it’s small. Not enough to be worth the hassle of selling the old thing. I just want it back. It means a lot to me.”

Amora listened with very little interest. She wasn’t one for doing charity work and she was sure by the expression on her face and the crossing of her arms over her chest that the woman could tell the same thing.

“I’ll pay you, of course!”

The thief’s expression lighted a bit and she let her arms fall to her side again before looking around them to see if anyone was listening. Once she was sure they weren’t she continued, “Where would I even know to l-”

Again. Again the woman interrupted her. It took all Amora had not to get frustrated with her. Maybe where she had been living it was normal and wouldn’t get you killed. “I was down at the Seaside Market today and I saw someone had put it up for sale. I noticed that the guard was eying me kinda funny so I can only assume he was the one who took it.”

Her story had flaws but Amora didn’t really care about getting the whole truth, all she was interested in was the money that the woman would offer her for retrieving it. “How much are you willin’ ta’ give me to get it back?” she said, rushing her words so that she could get them out before she was interrupted again.

The old woman stuck her fragile hand into her coat pocket and fished around for some coin to present to the thief. Once she pulled it out she neared Amora and opened her hand to show her how much it was. The thief’s eyes widened a bit as she counted them up. It was about half a handful of a mixture of all copper, silver, and a few gold. It was enough to impress her and almost make her willing to go. It still didn’t seem worth it to put her life on the line for a near-worthless necklace.

Before the dark haired girl could protest though, the woman chimed in, “I’ll give you this now and about the same amount when you return with my necklace. I know it’s not a fortune but I also know how important it is to have money for food in this city during the winter.”

No argument could be better. Now with the promise of another reward when she returned it was beginning to seem like a solid deal. Amora outstretched her hand to receive the coin and the woman smiled and nodded at the thief, “Just meet me back in the tavern when you return. I think I’ll stick around here, it being the safest and all. Oh! And one more thing...” she started as she leaned in even closer, "...if you can find a way to sabotage that stand I might throw in a couple more coins. Spread a rumor or something. Anything to turn people away from buying from them."

With that and another nod the lady turned on her heels and practically skipped back into the tavern. Just as Amora deposited the coin into her pocket did she begin to consider that the necklace might already be gone. It was a risk she had to be willing to take in order to get more mizas, and if it wasn’t there all she’d have to do was stay away from the old woman until she fled the city again or died. Either way it would work out for her, and that was the thought that put a smile on her face and had her on her toes on the way to the market.

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[Amora Jade]

Seaside Market; 10th Bell, 20th Chime

The putrid smell of the sea and the markets collective customers put an unhappy look on the thief’s face. Amora hated going to that market.. it was practically in the water! In fact is was in the water if the tides were high, which holding true to her unlucky nature they were. The girl let out an annoyed sigh and bent to tuck her pants securely into her boots. The last thing she wanted was for her clothes to be soaked.

Although she hated the place due to her fear of the sea, she absolutely loved the collection of objects that could be found there. Amora strode into the narrow walkway crowded with bodies and began to gawk at all the things she wished she could take. The first stand that caught her attention held a collection of daggers and swords. She wasn’t one to fight, but it would help to have a better weapon on her. The dagger she had was old and dull, and she didn’t even know if it could really hurt someone if she needed it to. A new one would for sure. Unfortunately there were two very wary guards posted on either side of the stand, along with an overly paranoid man who gave everyone who looked his direction a stare that promised death if messed with.

The thief turned her head and walked away in search for the stand that held the woman’s worthless necklace. Amora tried to remember the small details that the old lady gave her. Old… copper.. a small sapphire? Gods how am I gonna find something like that here? I’m sure there are a million of necklaces that look just like it.

The young thief weaved her way through the crowds. She was sure to keep her hands securely in her own pockets to both prevent herself from being robbed, and from robbing someone and causing trouble. There were only a few jewelry stands up that day, so maybe the search wouldn’t take too long. The first one was owned by a younger man, someone who she was sure didn’t come across the merchandise honestly. He had only one guard posted and he seemed to be so out of it (probably due to drugs) she was surprised the items still lay on the table.

Brown eyes scanned over the items in search for her target. A few silver pieces caught her eye, though she was sure they weren’t genuine. One ring in particular she wanted to take as her own. On it were beautiful carvings that all complimented the small green stone that lay perfectly in the center. She wasn’t sure what sort of stone it was, but it was pretty. Amora tried to fight the itch to take it, but it nagged at her when she turned to walk away once she concluded the necklace she was looking for wasn’t there. The painful urge was too much for her to bear, so she gave in.

Quickly the thief backtracked, sure to keep her movements hidden from the stall owner since he seemed to be the only threat present. She walked behind a couple who were staring at the good and stuck her arm between them to grab the jewelry that laid just on the outer edge of the table. Her fingers came in contact with the cold metal, immediately she pulled the ring closer and flipped it into her palm. She was barely able to close her hand around it fast enough to keep it in her grasp. Her hand instinctively went to her pocket where her new treasure would be stored.

That one act alone sent her adrenaline raging. She wanted more, she wanted to take everything she laid eyes on. It was something she knew she’d have to fight to keep her composure and to keep her out of danger.

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