An assortment of musical tunes wafted out from the tavern nearby, the chimneys puffing large amounts of gray smoke into the black abyss of sky. Obviously there was a celebration. Laughter echoed from the windows and doors, dying softly in the dead night, it seemed almost as if the whole town was packed into that tiny tavern. Each and everyone with a fresh gold piece in their pocket. Dying torches lined the streets idly, flickering their last few flames. Shyke’s eyes narrowed quiet a bit, looking through the dark street for a area to slip inside the busting tavern, without drawing much attention to herself. Without a sound she tiptoed to the other side of the darkening street, pressing her small frame up against the wooden supports of the tavern. Her eyes darted back and fourth, waiting for a person to step outside into the cool night air. Shyke lingered outside the building for a few more minutes until finally a man stepped out, pushing the door extra wide and he strode into the street, and by the look of his steps, drunkenly. Without delay, she slipped in through the open door and hid silently in the back of the room. Scanning over the people, it seemed like she would come out of this night with a full belly and a jingling pocket.

Silently Shyke slipped up behind a man, he attention fully fixed on a maid, as she danced about to the minstrels tunes. Lust burned in his eyes, and his pants, she could see from her smaller height. A smile of mirth spread onto her lips as she bent down beside his change purse. Nimble fingers loosened the cord and curled the purse in her hand, quickly bending back into the dead shadows. Shyke grinned widely looking into the bulging bag. For the next few hours she moved in and out of people, lifting up their spare change, and once, even, a man had a amethyst broach in his birches.

Tired, she slipped to a chair near the back, counting her winnings up softly, hoping her ability to be invisible to most peoples eyes was working. It wasn’t a spell no, but a gift from her father, the faery. Even when she wasn’t trying, she was sometimes avoided, as if people didn’t even see her standing there. Satisfied with her loot she tucked it away in a pouch, which laid beneath her loose blouse. Out of range from other pickpocket like herself. Sitting back in the hard wooden chair, Shyke pulled her cloak tight around her frame, waiting for time to pass. As in other expeditions, when a man found out he had been robbed, they almost always left the place to find the thief- certain that they would not stick around for to long. A smile dance upon her face as she sat still, watching the action of the tavern.

((Ooc: Ekk! Its short.. I’m so sorry! I can do better next time ><))

Ranewen walked down the quiet, black, deserted streets, the air around her as silent as was the rest of the town. She frowned, wondering where everyone was at such a time. She heaved a light sight and popped her head in a window to see no one inside. The street torches seemed to be dimming, and the moon was high in the sky. It’s so late… And the streets are so deserted. Where could everyone be? The question kept ringing in her curious mind. She shrugged her shoulders and made her way down the street, with her two pseudo-dragons following close behind. Her nightmare was on her left, and her wolf behind them sniffing the streets curiously, gathering strange scents that she had never smelled before. Ranewen laughed at her companions. Then, she stopped. She heard some sort of music in the distance. Down the street a ways, she saw a light spilling out onto the street as if someone had spilled a cauldron full of soup. She took a few eager steps closer and stopped once more. The music had gotten louder. She frowned as she thought of what it might be. She shrugged her shoulders once more and continued on. She turned around to her familiars and ordered them to go elsewhere as she continued on. All of them listened, like usual, and went elsewhere in the town to play in the darkening streets. Ranewen’s eyes then returned towards the building again and picked up her speed.

When she reached the tavern, she looked inside and noticed that there were a lot of people in there; and a lot there were. More than three quarters of the town were crushed in there, she guessed. The tavern never had this many people, so it must have been some sort of special event. Curiosity overtook her again and she opened the door and went inside. Everyone was too busy to even look up at her, and all but one of the tables was full. She thought it was empty, so she moved toward it casually and pulled out a chair and sat down in it. Only then did she notice the halfling in front of her. “Oh, I’m sorry… I didn’t know you were sitting here. Do you want me to move, or can I stay here?” she asked, getting ready to get up and find a place against the wall. This girl had a whole lot of Gold in front of her, yet she looked rather young. She smirked and nodded her head in approval. It was a thief. Just what she had hoped to find. Lamya had told her to get all of the thieves that she could to get together for the group of bandits. Maybe this girl would be interested if she let Ranewen stay. But she kept herself quiet, just in case this girl happened not to be a thief, and was just a rich girl who belonged to one of the rich families in Cascadia.

She surveyed the people once again and most of the women were dancing. A lot of the heavier men were sitting down at tables with others. Some of them were laughing and pounding their fists on the tables, and others were just being quiet and kept to themselves. They seemed to be sad not being able to dance. That’ll teach them not to put on so much weight… she thought to herself and smirked. She was one who always loved to nit-pick people. It was just one of her hobbies and something she couldn’t help but do. The maid came up to her and asked if she would like anything to drink and she shrugged her shoulders. She ordered herself some ale and told the maid to ask what the girl across from her wanted and to put it on her tab. She liked being kind to those who were almost as evil as she was. But, she had met no other who was as bad as she, because no one really knew Ranewen well enough to be able to judge her evil side. Only Lamya. Back in the North. And Renate. They were partners in crime as well. She smirked, remembering it vividly and even could recall the taste of the blood.

Shyke watched the woman intently, her blood churning beneath her skin as she gathered up her coins, the prize from the nights entertainment. I guess I need stronger invisibility.. T’would not be to good to be found and hanged for the village, my body, the source of their excitement. A suppressed shudder was sent down her spine, making her skin prickle with Goosebumps. Slowly she slid her gold into her pouch, her eyes still fixated upon the woman. I do not mind if you stay.. Although, I would be warned, a thief is said to be lurking around here. Shyke smiled deceivingly, leaning back, her small feet hardly scoffing the floors wooden boards. Her eyes twinkled around the room, from the bards spinning tales, to the maids spinning themselves. Festival activates, combined into such a small space. A tiny finger rubbed the worn wood of the table, its surface hidden by a layer of split beer and blood. The mere sight of it quite disturbing. Excuse me for a moment miss, but I must use the privy. She stood up slowly and exited the small doors, leaving her cloak draped on the chair - a sign she intended to return. Her small frame ran through the small path to the outhouse, her hands taking her gold sack and stashing it behind a cause of boulders which held open the tiny wooden shed. Shyke smiled satisfied and used the small building, coming out and leaving her gold behind. Incase something happened, she didn’t want the gold on her to condemn her of the crimes she did. Although, to her, it wasn’t a crime, but simply a way to live.

Without much distraction she moved back into the sweet smelling tavern, working her way about the passed out drunkards, who, by this late hour, reigned hold of the floor. If the woman at her table hadn’t of noticed her, she would of looted their pockets carefully, and taken what was left. But alas, the gaze from her new aquatinece was still on her, watching her as if she knew what she was. A smile of lies spread onto her mouth as she walked back to the table, pushing out the chair with some difficulty, as it was rather heavy for her small size. She climbed up into the small chair quickly, moving her tiny body onto the edge, her feet idly kicking at the air beneath them. Shyke took out a small candy and handed one to the woman, wondering if a lady would accept such a offer from.. Well, as she was most often seen as despite her obvious womanly features, a child. Don’t take this the wrong way.. But I am wondering why a lady such as yourself is not out enjoying the music with good cheer, but instead chooses to sit back here with a lonely Halfling. Shyke was never one to keep her thoughts to herself, and often it resulted on a threat to her own safety. A small smile plastered onto her lips it seemed, as she looked at the woman closer now, scanning her as if she were fresh livestock for sale. Chuckling softly to herself, her hand caressed down her body to her waist, which, lay a dagger, hidden but still found by her fingers. The hard bone handle claming as her hand wrapped around it. Shyke‘s hand did fall down.. And My fair lady.. Nearly died..

((This isn't as long, but I think it's still okay.))

Ranewen nodded as the girl insisted on hiding her stash, even though she hadn’t said it. When the girl returned, she kept her eyes on her. Good, she’s smart… she thought and smirked lightly. She looked down at the candy in front of her and she played with it in her left hand. She then decided to eat it while the girl asked her a question. A good one. Indeed. “Someone like me shouldn’t be dancing up there with them. Although I don’t look it, my friend, I’m a bandit. A thief. A murderer. And you, I know, are a thief, are you not? Don’t be afraid to admit the truth.” She smiled and stood up and walked to one of the passed out men. She used her Shadowdancer abilities to disappear into the shadows and she took his out of his pocket and slid it into her already over-stuffed pouch of Gold. She returned to the table and became visible again. She flipped one of the coins she had stolen in the air for the girl across from her. It hit the table and spun around until it came completely motionless. Ranewen watched it with her eyes and nodded toward Shyke. “You can have that. I stole it, as you probably could have seen, even though I was invisible.” She smiled and leaned back against the chair and looked around once again.

The barmaid came back with what she had ordered, and t he same for the girl across from her. She picked up her ale and sipped at it instantly and sighed in relief and delight. “Wow, I really needed a drink…” she said, mostly to herself, but loud enough for Shyke to hear if she wanted to. She tossed up a coin for the barmaid who greedily took it and walked away. “I’ll get that back tonight…” she said and smirked and winked in Shyke’s direction. “By the way, my name is Ranewen Amandil. You may have heard of me. I burnt down a section of Talas, saved Bahamut, murdered people in the Bloodseal Tavern, was involved in a battle with some sort of Elvin Mages, and many, many other things. You can call me Rae if you wish.” She smiled and nodded her head before taking a long swig of her ale. The music hadn’t slowed down a bit and everyone on the dance floor didn’t seem to tire out. If they had, it didn’t seem that way. She wondered how many of them were to stay at the Inn tonight. She could have some fun in there pick pocketing the rest of them. This is going to be a long night… she thought and looked over at her new friend. Maybe even her accomplice for the night. She would wait to see what this girl could really do before telling her about the Group of Bandits.

Outside, her companions were playing in the Dark Street and Ranewen thought about them for a moment. She wondered what they were doing. Her two pseudo-dragons were wrestling in the street and flying in their air, attacking each other in a playful, yet ruthless-looking way. Rahvein, Rae’s winder wolf, watched the streets for people, as did the nightmare. Abyss, the pixie, was inside a saddlebag snoozing. She always seemed to be tired, and today was no different. She was stretched out, eyes closed, hands behind her head as she dreamed of wonderful things such as waterfalls and the sort, although evil she was. The nightmare stomped her foot as she grew bored. She began to lazily trot up and down the street, peeking down the alleys curiously, wondering what lurked in the darkened ways. But since Ranewen wasn’t there, she didn’t dare to go in. She headed back towards the group and stopped, looking around once more before relaxing and munching on a patch of grass just off the street.

The small woman leaned back in her chair, her tiny feet resting up on the edge of the wooden table. She soaked in woman, or Rae’s, words, thinking about them slowly. Soon her eyes traveled back to the crowds, some of them now thinning, the music played more sloppily, the cause of to much beer and late night hours. Turning back to eye the woman, her lips curved up, almost as a smile, but not fully. Amusement flowed through her veins as she watched her steal. A area she mastered in. Your ways are very.. Distinct. But you see.. It is not just the gain which makes me excited, but the rush you get when you are actually pick pocketing them in a way that they might see. Now with a cloak of shadows, No in my opinion, that is cheat for the game. As she spoke, the gold on the table shined up to reflect in Shyke’s golden orbs, which on past occasions had changed to her mood. A finger slowly came out to caress the golden boon, her other hand still resting on the dagger in her pocket. Her life line, if nothing else. Aye.. She had skill.. And by the way she so openly spread herself- secrets as well. She must know I am a thief, or else she would not bother saying what she was… For the danger of me turning her in would always be apparent. The Halfling pondered over this for a moment, almost as if she were trying to decipher a code with only half the tools.

Thieving, is not a class.. While you call yourself a thief, you would imply that you depend on the coins from which you thieve. I myself, do. My clan is long gone, and as you can bluntly see, not many of my kind remain here in these lands. Sure you meet the occasional one, but were dying out.. Shyke stopped for a moment, almost looking as if a few tears were going to drop from her golden eyes. Memories rushed back like a tidal wave, taking her in it’s ever churning current. Ahh yes.. We are disappearing.. Its almost as if.. We, Halflings, are endangered. She smiled at the word. Her mother had so often used it as she was growing up, describing that before her 15th winter, it would be gone. Shyke shuddered at that and looked back into reality, her attention focused in on the woman. I am a thief.. If that’s what you so wished to hear, but please remember Milady…No matter how small I may seem, I’m not weak. Flashing a toothy grin and slid from her chair into a crouching position under the table, slowly, but silently she crept out, moving behind a large man, a thing tavern maid in his lap. Mirth was visible as Shyke’s hand cleaned out his bulging pockets, moving the contents into her blouse pocket and moving back to the table gently. Her eyes flashing once more to the couple, who, by now were getting a room from the Inn.

Without hesitation, Shyke spread her winnings onto the table in front of them. 10 gold, 3 silver, and a Gold chain. Fluttering her gaze up to meat Rae’s she grinned widely, sitting back in the enormous wooden furniture. That, Is how I steal. And That, is how I survive. Picking up the golden chain, she twirled it around in her fingers, watching how the fire place reflected into each of it’s links, as though inside, it kept a fire of its own. But, after a bit of admiring her prize she set it down hard on the table and leaned over it to look at the woman Rae more closely. I know you didn’t come back here for just a pleasant talk, and if you did, well, I don’t entertain well. I know you want something from me. What is it? Her small hand fell onto of the woman’s larger one and she grinned. Die, or tell, its your choice to make. her other hand was nestled below, resting on her ever present bone dagger.

(( Eh.. Well, Not as bad.. I wrote it at wow…5:22 Hehe Ejoy!))

Ranewen watched Shyke with glistening red eyes. She didn’t keep her gaze directly on her, though, in case anyone was to turn around and follow her gaze to the ground to find a thief. That would be horrible. Then, Shyke returned. And she had a lot of Gold now. Ranewen just smiled and listened as the girl told her that this was how she lived. Ranewen frowned, thinking for a moment of how it would be, living by digging into people’s pockets. That was a third of her life. Another third was being a Weapon’s Master, and the other third a Knight of Imythess. “I am a Knight of Imythess, a Weapon’s Master, and a thief. And, you are very correct. I didn’t come back here by coincidence. Actually, I did, but I would’ve left if I didn’t want something.” She stopped for a moment and called the barmaid over to get her some ale as she threw her cloak over the findings that were on the table. She didn’t wish to raise suspicion within this tavern, in fear of being caught. She wasn’t really afraid though. With her telekinesis spell, she’d be out of there within seconds upon being captured. Or so she thought. She ordered herself another ale and one for Shyke, just in case she wanted a drink. She then turned back to the halfling and continued to speak. “There is a group of bandits that are forming together in the Tethyr Desert. It is led by a demon who I do not know, but his name it R’hul. Now, I was asked by Lamya – my accomplice and the secondary leader of the Bandit Group – told me to find people to join this group and come with me to the Desert to meet R’hul within the next few days. I wondered if you‘d be interested.”

Ranewen’s voice was low, just loud enough for Shyke to listen if she decided upon it. She looked around at the thinning dance floor; most of the tables occupied once again with drunk and passed out people like before. Ranewen looked back at Shyke and winked, noting that they would be having a fun night here once most of the people were passed out and/or in the Inn. “Oh, and before I forget, he promised that each and every one of us can and will become rich if we decide to take a part in his group. I do not know if it is true if that is what he said, but that is what Lamya had told me, and I trust her. You have plenty of time to think, but just tell me as soon as possible, okay?” she asked and looked back over at Shyke, smiling greedily as she thought of the gold that must be in the men and woman’s pockets around the Tavern and Inn. Tonight would definitely be a fun night, and she hoped that both would make the best of it. She had hoped the Shyke would be yet another accomplice of hers, just in case Lamya teamed up with someone else such as R’hul or Skorne, the eavesdropper that they had caught listening upon their whispering. They were lucky that he was a thief and not someone that needed to be killed.

Her companions were still in the street and slowly made their way back toward the tavern, hungry. Tiu and Jordison flew in through the window and chirped to Ranewen as they landed on their table. The tavern turned slightly, then seeing what it was went back to their own business. Ranewen rolled her eyes and as the barmaid returned with their drinks, she took an order of meat and told the barmaid to put it outside. She also ordered some horse feed for Maral. She shooed her two pseudo-dragons away and shook her head. “Sorry about that.. . They’re almost as greedy as I am for my Gold. Such weird creatures. And when they’re hungry, they never stop pestering you until you give them what they want.” She laughed a bit and cracked her knuckled before taking her cloak back off of their findings; winnings, if you will. She smiled and waited for Shyke’s answer to her questions.

Shyke sat on the edge of her chair, almost moving herself up onto the table to hear the words of the woman in front of her. Rae’s comments sent shivers down her spine. Who was this woman? To the eye, she was a noble woman, richer clothing, a certain dignity about her, which the lower classes lacked. And yet, while she looked this way.. She claimed to be a Thief, and a bandit. Shyke shook her blonde tresses aside, letting her head drop into her tiny hands. Staring. She soaked up the words slowly, feeling a new sort of excitement churn in her stomach as they were spoken.. Being in a group of Bandits! Wow.. This is something I cant miss.. A new fire kindled in Shyke’s golden orbs, fed with the air of excitement. While her thieving ways were fun, after so many years of it, she had grown slightly bored with it. A small smile spread onto her lips as she listened more to the words. You say.. That this man.. R’Hual.. The Halfling struggled over the word slightly, her voice accented in a trace of old Halfling Language. You say R’h.. He, is the leader? But.. What exactly does this group do? Is it thieving or what? She looked at the woman questionably for a few minutes slowly and smiled. Because.. If its not, I can already tell you now I will not be much help.. Unless of course you need a lock picked.. I’m not to shabby at that.. Grinning Shyke sat back, watching as the last few mistrials played. By now, the music had died to slow cords, and it was obvious no one was even listening anymore. Almost as if the tavern had died in only a few minutes. Maids moved around lazily, bone weary from the long hours, although it was apparent some had snuck off- most likely to a Inn room with a guest. What was left were a few drunks, the rest of the room seemed dulled as the night pressed on.

Shyke’s eyes slowly focused in on Rae again, reaching out and stroking her hand lightly, her eyes drifting from her hand to her face, her words soft, yet audible enough to make out. Rae.. I will accompany you to this.. R’h-Ual.. But you must promise me something now.. If I ever disappear from the group.. Or don’t show up.. don’t look for me. She looked hard into the woman’s eyes, knowing well enough she was known to wander off on her own. As if had been far to often with her clan. Her mind washed back to when she was younger, and playing on the board valley of her homeland. All to often she had wandered away from the other children, choosing to sit by herself on a cliff face, or in a tree overlooking the land. But back then she had been disrupted to many times.. Half of which ended up in her basically beating up whoever found her. She shook her head lightly, her hand caressing the scar on her leg she got from a wrestle between her and the boy Hijiri.. He had bit her. Stuck and artery and almost killed her…

She let out a small sigh and snapped back into reality, glancing down at her hand, still resting on top of the woman’s, caressing her skin lightly. Shyke smiled slowly, a mix of emotions passing through her eyes as she stared on, looking into the face of what she though, and slightly hoped, was he beginning of a new companion.