Varian and the Seven Kingdoms (Varian's Seven Trials)

Treasure Hunters

Get the goods, get out. That's all he had to do. A young blonde teen had his back pressed to a wall, listening around the corner, into an alleyway.
Two large men talked to one another, arguing quietly as not to be overheard by the passersby in the street at each end of the alley. Hugo pushed up his big, round glasses and waited for an opening. The two ginger men continued to bicker and Hugo took the chance to move past them, through a curtain on the wall beside them.

Behind the curtain was a large, dimly lit room. It was filled with dozens of bags of cargo and goods. There was fruit, furniture; enough to put together a home. Hugo didn't look around long before he hid behind one large bag on the ground. He listened and heard the men continue to argue outside. They hadn't noticed him. Hugo stood from behind the bag and wandered, quietly on his feet, looking for something. He spotted a bag with Miyamgar scrawled on the side and made his way over to it. The boy removed a blunt blade from his pocket and began ripping through the tough fabric of the sack as quietly as possible. Among other valuables, two gauntlets stuck out of the bag and he grinned victoriously. He took the gauntlets into his hands and saw his wide smirk reflected in them. Then he noticed a shadowy face over his shoulder and turned quickly. A hooded figure swung a sword at the boy and he rolled out of the way. The figure swung again and Hugo put the gauntlets up defensively.

The clank of the blade against the metal caught the attention of the men outside, who ran inside. They unsheathed blades of their own. Hugo moved away, the three attackers backing him into a corner,
"What're you doing here, boy? Who sent you?" A low and grisly voice asked.
"Who sent me? Can't a simple thief get lucky?" He smirked, gesturing to the goods around them. The hooded person swung at Hugo again, the boy once again defending himself with the gauntlets, but the blade scraped his arm.
"And you chose nothing but the gauntlets." The person growled then swung at the boy's leg with the blade. Hugo flinched at the pain but stood his ground.
"Drop the gauntlets and I may spare your life." The low voice spoke again, backing Hugo further, until he was pressed into the wall.
"I like my chances." The blonde smirked. When the three laughed, Hugo slammed his blade into a rope on the wall. The rope had been securing a sack which was hanging from the ceiling, which now fell straight onto the attackers. Hugo laughed and ran around the pile of clothes the three had been caught in. One of the red-haired men, the one with an eye patch, grabbed Hugo's leg. The boy fell to the ground, grunting at the pain, and dropping one of the gauntlets. He kicked the man in the face, causing him to let go. When Hugo reached for the gauntlet he had dropped, the other red-haired man grabbed it. Hugo assessed the situation, watching the hooded figure stand from the pile of clothes. The boy ran, leaving the gauntlet behind, a sword narrowly missed his head as it flew by. He turned the corner and ran as fast as he could until he reached a crowd, which he hid in. From within the crowd, he watched as the now-revealed man with a scar across his face, and the two red-haired men looked around the streets then headed in the opposite direction. Hugo sighed in relief, and finally had the chance to focus on the throbbing of his bleeding leg and arm. He ignored the pain for the time being, and made his way home.

At the edge of town, there was a shabby looking cottage. He walked around the side and climbed in through one of the windows. Hugo kept moving until he reached an open room, a man standing guard at the door.
"Cyrus, how goes it?" Hugo asked with a smirk. The man dismissed him,
"Donella's busy. She's got company round."
"Let him in, Cyrus." A voice called from the room. Cyrus stepped aside and Hugo winked at him before entering the room. There was Donella, the same stern look she usually wore on her face. She was sitting beside a large man with blonde hair.
"Hey, Donnie." Hugo smirked confidently.
"Do you have what I asked for?" She questioned, barely looking up from a sheet of parchment she was reading.
"Sure do- well...I couldn't get the other but..." Hugo stopped speaking when Donella's harsh green eyes looked at him. She stood from where she was sitting and walked over to the boy, hands behind her back,
"But?"
"But...they almost caught me." Hugo admitted, nervously.
"Is that so?" Donella circled the boy, "I thought I'd taught you better." She stopped in front of him, and leaned down to speak close to his face, "Perhaps you've gotten too arrogant. Remember, Hugo, if I ask for something, I expect you to bring it to me."
Before Hugo could protest, she grabbed his face,
"No questions asked." She growled and Hugo felt a shiver travel through his body. She let go of him and walked back towards the table,
"What do you have to say for yourself?" She asked. Hugo was about to blurt out the apology he had repeated so many times, then he looked to his arm and leg and their injuries.
"It wasn't my fault." He said, with all the courage he could, "I got pretty badly hurt out there." He told the woman. She turned around and stared at him,
"I don't care." She said simply, and Hugo's chest felt heavy.
"This is the world we live in, Hugo. One day you will learn that. I asked for two gauntlets, and you've brought me one. That disappoints me. I expected more of you."
Hugo was silent. He looked down at the gauntlet, then up at Donella; matching her demeanour, hands behind his back,
"I'm sorry, Ma'am. I'll do better next time." Hugo responded. Donella nodded then put her hand out. The boy walked over, glancing briefly at the man, then handing over the gauntlet. He left the room, limping as he went.
"Don't you think you were a little harsh on the boy?" Asked the man, with a chuckle.
"He's a big boy, he can take it."