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The Prince of Thieves Ch. 03

Hi, it's Useli. I must say, it's been a LONG time since I've written anything and this was something I just had floating around in my head that I wasn't sure was going to be any good. Thanks to everyone who took the time to read this.

***

True to her word, Illia woke them both before the sun had spread it's golden wings across the land. Atlas stood and stretched, attempting to both drive the last bits of sleep from his body and ward off the early morning chill.

It took longer then he would have liked but soon they were back on the road, heading towards the port city of Atlantis. Slowly, the world began to come alive around them.

The early morning calling of the birds, and chittering of squirrels as they scurried about to gather food for what seemed to be a fast approaching winter. Hours of travel had passed before the sun had finally crest the horizon, attemping to drive away the chill that the night had brought with it.

Long shadows were cast across the path from the tallest trees. The path they were following was one that Atlas and Kale were not familiar with but Illia seemed to know.

The amazon didn't seem concerned with enjoying the scenery. She had no doubt seen much of it living in the forest, where as both men had spent their lives within the walls of the city and as a result were amazed by the natural beauty surrounding them.

"I cannot believe I never left the city," speaks Atlas. "I think I much prefer these lush surroundings to that of the cold stone of the city."

"I agree," comes Kale's voice. "What a wonderful place. You see now why I spent much of my time out doing research on the local plants." The blond nodded slowly as he gazed around with amber eye's. "Such beauty can only be found here in the wilds."

"And bandits," added Illia. "Keep your eye's open. They often ambush small parties such as ours." Atlas shifted a bit. In the past he had come across a few bandits, come to the city to trade what they had plundered from innocent people.

It was men who lacked stealth and cunning who often became bandits. What they could not take by sleight of hand, they took by force. He had absolutely no respect for such people, and when he had found them alone, well...one is hard pressed to hear screams of help in the back alley's of Solis.

"B-Bandits? Along these roads?"

"Of course. We show them no quarter in our territory, ambushing and killing any bandits who we come across. Because of that they tend to avoid our forests." Kale swallowed and looked around quickly, apparently trying to spot if they were walking into an ambush themselves. "Calm yourself, Kale. If you get so worked up over something like that you won't live to see thirty." His lips twitch but he doesn't respond, instead attempting to calm himself.

"Bandits give good thieves a bad name," comments Atlas.

"Is that right?" The blond leans around to look at her from a side-long angle and nods. "I don't see how. Both take what does not belong to them. Bandits simply do it by force."

The youth shook his head in what she would describe as exasperation.

"Any proper thief uses forethought and planning, in place of violence." Illia rolls her eye's a bit, a slight smile playing at her lips. The man had ideas that there was such a thing as a

'proper thief' in this world? At the least he was amusing.

"I suppose I must concede that there is at least SOME difference between the two. However, I do not believe that 'proper' is a word that should be applied to either profession, Atlas."

"All I heard is, 'there is some difference between the two', Miss Illia." Again she rolls her eye's at his words. The hours passed slowly, and the forest around them stayed the same.

It was thick, with tree's and vegetation of all sorts surrounding and shielding them from much of the sun...but also shielding any potential attackers who might seek to do harm to them.

This did not bother Illia, who was used to traveling in this sort of terrain and it didn't bother Atlas, who was looking around at all the birds and small animals in the tree tops.

However, it was Kale who attempted to keep a close eye on their surroundings. The scholar nearly lost his glasses several times when a small noise that Illia knew belonged to the forest, drew his attention and he looked sharply in that direction.

It was rather amusing not only to her but the young thief as well. "Kale, you need to relax," spoke Atlas, breaking the silence.

"I am a scholar, not a fighter," he comments, shoving his glasses up. "Forgive me if I am worried about a fight."

"There is no sense in worrying about fights that haven't even begun yet. If you would like to spend time worrying, then worry about something else." He snorted in response to the

thief's words but otherwise didn't respond. Illia didn't speak on the issue, and Atlas didn't venture a guess as to what her thoughts on the issue might be. Rather, he returned to enjoying the scenery without pause...

- - -

They had stopped to rest the horses and stretch their legs. Atlas was crouched down on top of a large moss covered boulder, keeping an eye on everything he could. He tried not to show it, but it was obvious that he was worried about their surroundings as well.

Illia was sure that she could handle any of the untrained bandits they might happen across in the woods, as she had in the past. 'The past', she muses to herself. 'It seems like years rather then weeks.'

The amazon glanced between the two men in silence, and it was the Prince that caught her looking. He flashed a wry, charming smile and she rolled her eye's at that action.

She glances away and sighs. He spoke to her with the title of 'Miss' which was rather respectful for an outsider, but at times he was rather rude as well. In the past that would have earned him the point of her sword or if he were one of them, a flogging.

But she constantly reminded herself that she had deserted her village now, turned her back on her own people. Illia found the thought didn't bother her as much as she imagined it would.

A small pebble bounced off of her leather armor and she looked sharply up at the blond thief, looking away innocently but not without a mischievous smile on his young face...it irritated her immediately. "Don't throw another one," she warns in a harsh whisper.

"I didn't do a thing," he counters, feigning innocence. She glanced away, keeping a close eye on the surroundings. Several long moments passed before yet another pebble struck her, this time it was her shoulder.

Illia glared up at the thief, facing away from her yet again, but this time in the completely opposite direction. He slowly looks down at her, mischief burning keenly in his amber eye's. "What?"

"I'm warning you. Don't throw another damn one or I'll make you swallow it."

"I'm not doing anything." Her lips twitched in response to the slight smile on his face. Again she looked away, feeling that he would take her threat seriously...but that hope was dashed when she felt a third pebble strike her stiff leather armor. That was the final straw.

Illia jumped up and began to climb up the large rock he was currently occupying. The moss was slippery, and she was weighed down by a heavy sword and pack.

As embarassing as it was, she found herself unable to get up to him. This only served to further anger the amazon, who immediately shed her pack and tried again, only to slip down and land on her behind.

Atlas, who had been a bit concerned at first was now watching with unbridled amusement. "You need to calm down and take a deep breath. If you're angry you'll only make more mistakes and get hurt."

"Shut-up!" He sighed heavily and sat on his haunches, spinning a small twig between his nimble fingers. Several times she tried and failed to climb the slippery rock only to slide back down. All the while Atlas watched her with a bored expression, not uttering a single word to encourage or discourage her.

After only spectacular failure she finally jumped up and growled. "Damn you! Come down here at once!"

"Climbing on slick surfaces requires slow and deliberate movements, Illia. Always keep your weight spread out evenly and never place it all on one foot. That's what your problem is."

"I don't need lessons from you! Now get down here!" Illia heard the sound of people moving through the brush and placed a finger to her lips.

Atlas nodded in understanding and the amazon glanced in the direction of the noise. Several bandits broke free of cover and she drew her sword, sparing a quick glance back to find the young thief was gone.

"Coward."

"What have we here?" questions the largest man, apparently their leader. "An Amazon by the looks of her, and all alone. Isn't that something?" His confidence only served to spur the other three men on, who smiled broadly. "Aren't we lucky, boys? I've always wanted to try one."

"You think I'm alone, you bastard?" A scowl darkened his face, but he spared a quick glance around the small clearing before advancing slowly. Apparently, he was willing to call that bluff. They fanned out in a semi circle and with her back to the large boulder, she had nowhere to go but up it...which had spectacularly failed many times already.

She would start with the largest of them, try to frighten the others off by killing him.

She widened her stance a bit and was seconds away from carrying that thought when she saw the Prince standing behind the large man. One of the blonds arms circled his neck and yanked him back off balance before planting a dagger firmly into his heart.

Immediately he went limp, the life leaving his eye's long before his body dropped to the ground with a solid, dull thud. The other's turned and Illia stuck, cutting one of the bandits across the back from shoulder to hip with a single stroke.

Crimson blood splattered his dark tunic as he stumbled forward, falling first to his knee's and then face down. Illia parried a blade with relative ease, and struck back. The bandit was lucky enough to raise his sword in time to avoid the blow but staggered a few steps as a result of the solid blow.

It was an opening that she exploited. The woman stepped forward and ran him through, pieceing his heart and killing him instantly.

She yanked the steel blade free and turned to see the Prince expertly warding off two of them with his dagger. It didn't allow him to block or parry but he used his speed to his advantage, avoiding their blows with flawless movements.

The man he was fighting was bigger then the young thief, and stronger as well...but naturally slower. He played this against the man, using his speed and agility to dodge the thrust of his blade. Atlas moved forward, gripped his shoulder and stabbed the man twice in the chest, both times aiming for the heart.

The first bite of the blade had killed him, and the second was simply to make sure. The man tumbled backwards and the Prince turned on the final bandit.

His fist struck the man so hard across the jaw that it spun him. Blood ran down his chin from the split lip and no doubt the loss of some teeth. The man had barely gotten himself stopped when the blond was on him again.

With a single blow he struck him between the shoulder blades, at the base of the neck and severed his spine. Death came immediately to the bandit who tumbled forward in silence.

Blood seeped from the wound, slowly pooling in the grass under them. "Impressive work, Illia," compliments Atlas. "I'd never have been able to get Kale to safety and myself behind them without you."

"It wasn't on purpose," she counters, her anger somewhat cooled now. The scholar peeked out from his hiding place at the two and breathed a sigh of relief. Though Illia wouldn't admit it to him, she was glad that Atlas had been fighting at her side. His skill with a dagger, when combined with his apparent speed and agility certainly made him someone to be feared on the battle-field...

- - -

Atlas had scavanged the coin-purses of the bandits and taken a short-sword in place of his dagger. It was obvious that Illia looked down on such things but did not say a word while he did so.

Refitting one of the smaller men's sword-belts to himself was quite a chore and he soon found all that had gone to waste as he immdiately disliked the tugging weight at his hip, unbalancing his six-foot frame.

He stuck with it, deciding that there wouldn't be much need for running and climbing in the forest. Afterwards, they were back on the horses and the trail, leaving the bodies for the animals. Kale said not a word as they rode and Atlas knew that the man did not like killing.

An hour or so of uncomfortable silence was all it took for the young man to address the issue. "It was us or them," he finally spoke. "Best not to dwell on things like that, Kale. You'll go mad if you do."

"But...you killed them," he mutters. "Doesn't that bother you?!"

"They were bandits. I don't see a reason for it to bother me, Kale." The scholar gritted his teeth and glared at the blond.

"Have you no heart?"

"When did you become so concerned with who I kill? You didn't seem to mind when I killed those guards to save your behind! If you've got a problem with me then just come out and say it, Kale!" Immediately he halted the horse and faced him. Illia halted their mount and sighed heavily.

"Yes, I have a problem with your killing."

"Well, it's a good thing that I don't care what you have a problem with, isn't it, Kale?" The man squeezes the reins tightly and shakes his head. He opens his mouth to respond when Illia cuts him off.

"We can have this arguement later!" she barks. "We should focus on moving forward." Not another word is exchanged as they press forward down the path towards the city.

Hours pass and soon night is upon them...and all three of them are hungry as can be. While making camp, Illia and Kale both noticed the absence of Atlas but don't pay it much mind until after they had finished. Moments before they call for him, he comes walking back towards the camp carrying a pair of rabbits.

At least they had dinner for the night. After skinning and cleaning the rabbits, they roasted them and ate their fill. It was a bland meal, but none of them complained, happy to have their stomachs full. Kale was the first one of the trio asleep, leaving Illia and Atlas sitting at the fire across from each other in silence.

Illia busies herself running a sharpening stone over the blade of her sword. "Is he always so disagreeable?" she finally questions, breaking the silence.

"Not normally," replies Atlas. "I think it's starting to sink in...there's no happy ending when he get's to the city." She pauses for a moment and looks up at the young man sitting across from her, gazing up at the night sky.

"What about you? How do you feel?"

"Me? It doesn't matter to me one way or the other. I'm gonna make the best of whatever situation is thrown at me, Illia. I guess the same goes for you, right?" She doesn't respond instead she keeps running the stone over the edge of the sword.

"You should sharpen your blade as well...both of them." Atlas waves her off and leans back, threading his fingers behind his head and staring straight up at the sky and silence reigns for a few moments. "Who taught you how to weild a dagger?"

"The same woman who taught me how to move like I do. A lot of people like to think that I learned everything I know on my own...they don't like to imagine that a woman was the one who taught 'The Prince of Thieves' everything he knows." To Illia, that was the oppertunity to address that title of his.

"How exactly did you get THAT title?" He leans up, a wry smile on his face.

"Because I'm such a gentleman, of course. Only a prince could have manners like mine." She arches a brow and his smile grows. "And I can pretty much steal anything from anyone."

"I suppose that's as good a reason as any." He chuckles a bit and nods in agreement. "Do you remember your parents?"

"No. The closest thing I had to a parent was an old lady who kept me until I was five. Even when I was staying with her we barely had enough to eat, and only a small shack to keep us warm. It wasn't all that different from being on the streets." She begins sharpening her sword once more.

"Sounds like life was difficult. I suppose you began stealing to survive."

"Well, it wasn't for fun, Illia. I didn't know how to farm, or work metal. As you can tell, I have a real problem obeying the law so I wasn't cut out to be a guard or a soldier. Stealing...it sort of came natural to me. Picking pockets was a lot easier then begging for a few meager coins."

"You could have apprenticed under a blacksmith."

"I was only five. There wasn't much I could have done." The young man sighs heavily and then lays back on the ground, once more staring up at the night sky with his fingers threaded behind his head. "I'm gonna get some sleep. You should do the same, Illia..."

They travelled in this way for a week, not sleeping more then a few hours a night and beginning their travelling early in the morning and ending late at night.

It had become the first and only real routine that Atlas had ever known in his short life. Though the Prince wouldn't admit it...he found it to be strangely enjoyable. For someone who couldn't tell you where he'd be spending the night or getting his next meal, it was nice to know that at least something could be counted on in his unstable life.

But more then the routine...he enjoyed the company of Illia, and a healthy bit of teasing...

- - -

Morning came early for Kale and Atlas, the two being roused yet again from their slumber before first light. Again, it took several long minutes before they had broken down camp and were on horse back.

But they would reach the city before nightfall barring anything unfortunate happening. As before, the morning was chilly and there seemed to be a light frost clinging to every surface.

The air chilled the thief's naked arms but he did not complain. It was a few hours after sunrise that the warm glow had managed to knock off some of the chill and the youth was back to himself. 'Thin clothes certainly will NOT do,' he tells himself. 'Though I'll have no use for anything thick in the desert. I'll simply have to get some new clothes in Atlantis.'

It wasn't long before the tree's began to thin out and the terrain changed to from forest to grassy plains.

But the sun had risen and slowly begun to set before Atlas caught his first breath of the salty sea breeze. Ahead of them, a hill loomed and the horses climbed it without protest.

The sense of excitment and anticipation was something that none of them had felt in quite a while, and as they crested the top of it they were treated to the beautiful sight of the sea, set a blaze by the golden rays of the falling sun. Colors of all kinds danced off of the roiling waves and a wry smile lit the young thief's face.

"Well, Kale...I told you I'd get us here," he comments. "If nothing else, I am a man of my word...erm, sort of. I also have Illia to thank for tending my wounds." The amazon glances back at him and gives him a nod in acknowledgement. "Now...let's go get a proper meal and a bath...!"
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