The Thieves of Otar

The Royal Guard

Zia had never felt so free. She had no place to go, no place to hide or sleep, but she had never felt better. She walked down the dirt road with a new spring in her step. She never knew why her father had beaten her, and she didn't ask again after he beat her for asking, but now that she was away, she didn't care. All that mattered was that she would never have to put up with her abusive father ever again, and she couldn't be happier about it.

The dirt crunched under her worn-out shoes that were much too small for her, and the darkness of the night wrapped around her like a blanket. It was cool, and she could hear the creek that ran by the market just a stone-throw away.

She found herself in the city market. During the day, the market was loud and crowded and full of people; but at night, it was dark, empty, and quiet.

It was getting dark quickly, and Zia knew she must find some sort of shelter. She found a closed fruit stand and crawled behind it as silently as she could. She would be thought a thief if she were caught trying to get behind a market stand in the dead of night, so she moved as silently as a shadow.

She flipped herself over the stand and onto the dry earth below. She pulled her moth-eaten blanket out of her bag on wrapped herself in it. She was cold from the steady wind that had picked up. She knew she would never find her way to safety in the dark by herself, so she decided to sleep here until morning when there was light, warmth, and people to comfort and protect her.

She listened to the cold wind rush by in a low, soft moan that sounded like a sweet lullaby in her happiness.

She woke a few hours later, shivering from the cold. Her threadbare blanket had done little to shield her from the chill of the night. The sun was starting to come up, the horizon just showing the pink and orange colors of the sunrise.

Zia knew that the market would open within a few hours, and she knew that whoever owned the stand she was sleeping behind would think she was a thief and call for the Royal Guard to arrest her, so she stood, stored away her blanket, and started on her journey to nowhere.

She walked calmly, knowing that her father wouldn't wake for hours from his alcohol-induced sleep. He had had lots to drink before, and the supply of mead in his meal was enough to knock him out for at least a full day.

She had nowhere to go, and the thought both excited and terrified her. The thought of being on her own, no abusive father and no cleaning, was absolute music to her ears. But not having a home, nowhere to keep warm at night, that's what scared her. But she assured herself that she would find someway to live. She could stay at the local inn, the Fallen Goose, for a few days earning her keep by cleaning out stables or serving tables. She was a strong girl for one her size, and she was convinced she could do the hard work that inn-keeping would require of her. Then, she could move on to somewhere else. Perhaps she could go to the castle and beg to be hired as a servant. She couldn't stay in the town, she knew, at least not long. She knew once her father woke and realized that she was gone he would hunt her down like a wolf hunts a deer. But she also knew that this might be her only opportunity to explore the market and see the town, and she just couldn't let that opportunity slip past.

Comforted by the thought of a plan, she walked along, trying to warm her muscles so it would be easier to move if she had to. Once she was well-warmed, she noticed that the shopkeepers of the market had gathered and were getting ready for the day- laying out fresh fruit, heating up the ovens, and displaying clothes and jewelry that no one could afford.

Zia decided to stay in the market for a while. There were plenty of places to hide if need be, and there would be plenty of people to talk to and be around. The thought of having company thrilled her. Zia had never had any friends- her father had not allowed it- but she didn't necessarily want friends, just people to talk to; someone who could give her a comforting smile. She was starved for a sliver of kindness, and she was convinced that the browsing shoppers of the market could give her that.