The Price of Living (Alegra Silvertongue)

[tam]

I come from far away with pictures in my eyes
Of moonlit sqaures and morning streets
And the slow and silent Sunrise
But it was morning in the market where we recognised the sign
We strangers know each other now
As part of a whole design...

The last time Tam had been in Camelot City, she had stolen a precious necklace and had been lucky to escape with her life. She had left the City pretty quickly after that. But she had liked the place and had wanted to explore it more, stay longer. Now she was here she had learned that, if the current piece negotiations went well, there would be a Festival lasting five days.
That thought cheered her. Festivals were the perfect place for a thief and flute-player.

But that was a few days away. Now, Tam was tired and hungry and had not a single coin to her name. She had been walking all night through the forest and her boots were wearing thin. She needed a new pair. Perhaps the festival would give her enough money to do so. If not, she could always steal some.
Tam threaded her way towards the market square, following the crowd more than her memory. Suddenly market smells hit her like a wall. The scent of bread and spices and meat scorching on sticks made her mouth water. She would plan boot-theft later. Now all she needed was food.

Tam passed close to a stall selling bread and sweet pasties. She paused, pretending to choose between this one or that as a lady began to bargain for day-old bread. Tam waited for the debate to reach it's peak, when the stall-owner no longer had her eye on her wears... And with fingers soft as shadows, Tam scooped up two rolls and hid them inside her tunic.
She sauntered away from the stall. Any quick action would alert someone to her and that she did want want. So would go away and eat this bread and then return. Her head would be more clear then, and thieving safer. Or as safe as it could ever be.

Timeline: during Sweet Dreams
Weather: mid-morning sunny
Tags: Alegra Silvertongue

[Alegra Silvertongue]

A day on which her mother and brother were both away was like a blessing to Alegra. She'd been positively itching for a day to herself, though she wasn't entirely sure what she would do with it, so when, the night before, her mother had announced that she would be gone for two days and her brother would be late coming home, she'd nearly shouted to express her elation. When the morning rose, there was no question in her mind how she would occupy herself. She immediately dressed up in her armor and set out to train.

The training, however, had ended earlier than she had anticipated, and she found herself with spare time. With nothing better to do, she'd ventured to the market of Camelot City, more to look around than to actually buy anything. Alegra had to concentrate extra hard, of course, on watching around her; her helmet took feet off her eyesight. Fortunately for her and unfortunately for the thief, however, not nearly enough. Alegra's eyes, quick and sharp, immediately noticed when the person hid two rolls under their shirt and began to walk away; an experienced thief, then, bu a thief none the less.

Keeping her own pace no more than a walk so as not to alarm them, she followed, walking just a touch faster than they were until she was only a few feet behind. "Were you planning on borrowing that?" she asked coolly, her voice forced several tones lower as it always was when she was dressed as a knight. However, observing the person, she was startled to notice that they had more in common than she thought. On first glance, it seemed she was speaking to a man; but the curve of her face was too subtle, her eyelashes too thick, her build a little too slender. To a normal eye, this would not be particularly odd, but to a person who had experience hiding all of these features, she noticed right away: the thief was a female, too!

[tam]

Tam felt that familiar, cold prickling along the back of her neck. She was being watched. Every muscle and nerve now alert, Tam forced herself to be calm. The smell of the bread she hid was making her giddy with hunger but she knew she must not run. Nor must she look back. It was possible the person only watched her now, had seen nothing of her thief.

But she was not lucky today. She was being followed, and the sound of the tread as the person moved closer told Tam they wore armour. She swore under her breath. It was a guard, then, or a knight. Then a cool voice spoke in her ear.
And suddenly Tam was a brown whirlwind of speed. She had a knife in her hand, driving it backwards until the clang of blade on armour told her she had hit. It was not to injure her chaser, simply to distract her and give Tam a half-second longer to dance sideways down an alley. She glanced behind only long enough to fix the knight in her mind before racing down the dark alley and into the maze of Camelot's lower city.
Tam cursed as she ran. This was the worst of being a Nomad thief. Had she been in her home city, she would have lost this knight in half a second. Now as she chanced left, right and left again, Tam found herself meeting a dead end. She swore again, spinning on her heel to try a different turn before the knight came in and blocked her... but she found she was already too late.

[Alegra Silvertongue]

Alegra did something she rarely ever did; having discovered that Tam was a female, she'd let her guard down. So, when all of the sudden the sound of metal on metal filled her ears and she felt the pressure from the knife slamming into her armor, she was shocked. The women had knifed her?! If she hadn't been wearing her armor, that would have been a very bad situation, indeed. However, she resolved not to consider that as the thief suddenly took off, and a second later, Alegra was taking off after her. Though her armor was heavy, at her size she easily navigated around everyone, dashing after her without gaining or losing any ground.

She saw it before the woman did, having been through Camelot City hundreds of times. The alley she was about to cross into was a dead end. Another burst of speed and Alegra managed to get there before she could exit it, her small frame still enough to block the area. "Shall we be returning those rolls, then?" she asked with a raised brow. She had sympathy for those with no money for food, but she thought more highly of beggars than of thieves. Of course, she was not stupid enough that the woman would simply agree and humbly return the food, and her hand grazed over the hilt of her sword. She had already pulled out a knife; what else could she have hidden?

[tam]

Tam's head was spinning and a stitch stabbed painfully in her side. Normally she could run chases far longer than this without problems, but her hunger was working against her. Tam stared, brown eyes narrowed at the knight blocked the exit.

Tam still had the knife in her hand, held diagonally across her chest and she saw the knight rested a hand on his sword-hilt. Her mind raced. This knight was very small, smaller than any she had seen. The advantage of speed that Tam had over most armoured warriors would not be the same with this tiny knight. His sword would extend his arm far longer than her own knives, and his amour would keep him safe even if she threw her blade at him.
Then he broke her thoughts by raising an eyebrow, asking if Tam would be returning the food. Tam gave a scornful laugh.
"You think that mistress baker is gonna want them back?" It was a stupid idea. No stall owner would take back their wares after they had been stuffed down a thief's tunic.
"You think I'm gonna follow back with you like a puppy, say 'oh, so sorry I pinched your food, mistress. You may lop of my hand, now, if it please you."

Though her tone was so insulting, Tam's mind was only half on her words. She was still trying to calculate what she could do if the knight drew his sword. Perhaps if she insulted him enough he would grow angry, let down his guard. That might give her long enough to escape. Tam decided suddenly that she hated Camelot. It was obviously a no-luck place for her.

[Alegra Silvertongue]

As the "man" spoke, Alegra continued to examine her, both to judge how good the disguise was (at least, in other peoples' eyes; she herself was biased) and to make sure that they could not sneak an attack of any sort. Her reflexes were sharp as the sword she dealt with, but it was best if she didn't have to rely on him. However, provoking her would also be an incredibly stupid idea. If she could avoid it, she did not want to fight, especially considering that this was the first time she'd come across a fellow female cross-dresser, and she could not help but be slightly fascinated with her.

She fought the urge to roll her eyes at her intended sarcasm; the very notion was so ridiculous that it barely counted as sarcasm at all. Justice was justice, but Alegra didn't at all think she was worthy of having her hand removed. "Perhaps," she said dryly, continuing to keep her voice at a carefully calculated alto level, "she'll simply let you work for her as payment." It made sense to her, at least. She severely doubted that the baker would be purposefully cruel, and as far as Alegra knew, that punishment was only for thieves who were caught; wouldn't turning yourself in count as another matter entirely? She'd never stolen anything, so she couldn't know for sure, but it was the logical thing in her mind.

[tam]

Tam looked thoughtfully at the knight. He seemed to have taken no offence at her tone. Nor, she realised, did he seem to be over keen on hauling her to justice. That was something new. Normally people did not hesitate to take a thief - and it could not be because Tam was armed, not when it was a knight who had caught her.

Tam had started to calm a little, though her attention was still as sharp as before. Perhaps this was not the day she would loose her hand or her life for simply being hungry.
As the knight made a new suggestion, Tam could not help but smile. He seemed most interested in having the situation put right! Perhaps he was one of those nobles who believed everyone should be upright and honourable. It was kind of sweet.

"You don't understand," Tam said patiently, as though explaining to a rather dim child. The knight could not be expected to understand the world of thieves. Probably he had never even been hungry. "She would never accept that! Have me - a dirty thief - work for her where I could steal more of her wares?" Tam shook her head. "She would take me to justice, as is her right. Only thing she'd accept is coin, and never even from me!" And then she had a sudden idea. It was not much of one, but she would say it anyway. At least while she was speaking, the knight would not attack her.
"Why don't you pay her for it, if it bothers you so much. Then I will earn some coin - but not from her! - and repay you."
And I wonder if you will trust the bargain of a thief, Tam added silently. I wonder just how much you believe in precious honour.

[Alegra Silvertongue]

Her brows rose as the thief informed her that she didn't understand. It was true, she did not, but the point was irrelevant; even when she had been a child, Alegra had not appreciated being spoken to like one, and at nineteen years old, it was nearly insulting. Still, she did comment and let the woman continue, shifting her weight from one foot to another. A cheeky one, this person; a trait Alegra had to respect, because she saw it most often in herself. That she suggested Alegra pay nearly made her laugh at the sheer nerve of it, though she had to admit, it would be a fair solution, and a test of whether or not she meant what she said. Of course, there was a bit of a problem. "If I had any on me, I would," she said sincerely. "Unfortunately, the armor does not come with pockets."

She considered, however, that she had a point. The woman probably wouldn't want a known thief working for her; Alegra knew she wouldn't, even if the person did come clean. It could just be a plot. "We shan't tell her you're a thief, then," she suggested. "Perhaps we could simply say that you needed work for the day. I'm sure she'd be more willing to listen if I came with you."

[tam]

Armour did not come with pockets?
Tam grinned, eyes beginning to dance. This was a very interesting kind of knight. Though Tam was not surprised that the knight would not pay - she did not believe he would, even if he had money with him - she did not at all like the idea of working for that baker-lady. The knight was right in thinking she would be accepted at his word... but once he had left, what then? It would have to be said that Tam would not accept pay for her work, otherwise there would be not point to the plan. And then the lady would be suspicious. People never gave work for nothing.

Tam chewed her lip, mind racing. She would not walk into such a trap. She would not spent the day with someone she had stolen from. It was too dangerous.
But she knew this knight would never let her out of paying.
"What if...." Tam began slowly. "I do my own work tonight. And then tomorrow, I leave her the money. Anonymous, like." And then suddenly realising that it sounded like she meant to steal from someone else in order to pay, she quickly added. "I'm a musician. I play in pubs and Inns and the drinkers give me coins."

Tam wished this could soon be settled. She was so hungry, and the bread was just sitting there inside her tunic... did she dare to eat it while the knight still stood there? Tam decided that she did. Slowly reaching inside her tunic, she broke of a piece of the bread and chewed it slowly, eyes wary again.

[Alegra Silvertongue]

Alegra watched her silently, thinking. That would certainly be fair, of course, and easier, even... but who was to say she'd keep her word? She had nothing against the thief personally, but, well, she'd already stolen. Obviously she wasn't very trustworthy, and she'd even run upon being caught (though that came as no surprise, she supposed; anyone would). Not to mention that she no doubt lived elsewhere, and could very easily disappear there the minute Alegra turned around. It didn't go past her that she'd specifically said tonight, not that moment. She bit her lip under the helmet as she considered her different options.

When the girl pulled out the bread and began to eat it in front of her, she couldn't help but grin; obviously the girl had a whole lot of nerve. It was kin to her own nature. However, that didn't change the problem at hand. "What's your name?" she wanted to know, her eyes narrowed and centered on her face. She was excellent at determining a liar - or so she hoped. "And how will I know if you've kept your end of it? Better yet, if you don't, how will I find you?" The girl could guilt her all she wanted about not trusting her; it was a valid question (or set thereof), Alegra knew, and the truth was she didn't trust her. She had no reason to yet.

[tam]

Chewing the bread, Tam at once felt better. Luckily for her, the knight did not seem to object.
Then he narrowed his eyes almost to pin-points, demanded to know her name. Tam grinned. They were lie-spotter's eyes.
Swallowing her mouthful, she answered,
"Thomas Piper. But most call me Tam."
She had no fear of that being called for a lie. She had been Thomas Piper for so long now that it felt more like her name than the 'Tamasin Smithie' she was born with.
It did not even cross her mind that the knight knew her for a girl.

Tam was thankful that he seemed to agree with the plan - provided she could give him so way of knowing she would act true. Her mind raced.
"Well..." Tam began slowly, eyes dancing with fun. "I would give you my word... but everyone knows a thief's word is worth less'n naught." She grinned as though this fact did not bother her at all. "So. What if I give you something most precious to me? Made of wood, no value to anyone else... And you give me your word that you will return it when I pay. Because everyone knows that knights are honourable." Though the way she said that last sentence was almost a challenge. Almost as though she accused the knight of not being honourable by saying that he was.

Tam knew that she was taking a risk. The object she bargained with was the child-sized flute that had belonged to her mother. It was all she had left of her family, and though Tam no longer used it in performance it was more precious to her than the flute she played. If she ever lost it... Tam bit her lip. She had to believe that she would not.
"As for finding me, I'll stay at the Rising Sun." She named a pub and Inn she had passed on her way to the market. Such a place was bound to welcome a player of her talent. "And what's your name?" Tam asked suddenly. "How might I find you?"