LJ Idol, week 2: Throw back the small ones
It's a beautiful day in Ocarr, hot and bright and humid and wet. That's what happens in summer, when your city squats right next to the ocean and the day is cloudless: all your clothes stick to you and you feel miserable and icky. Like I said, beautiful.
Its beautiful if you dress light for the weather, like me. It's beautiful if your light clothes have a lot of hiding places, like mine. It's beautiful because everyone else, all the rich people who come down to the beach, don't know how to dress light, and bring their clothes with them. And then they shed them when they find it's so hot: Oh, my lord, let's just leave our coats here, no one will bother them.
It's beautiful because they so often leave little trinkets in them, things they've forgotten are there: a few gold coins, a ring or two, something that can be fenced without much trouble. They leave their tunics and coats at the rim of the beach, where the city guardsmen are supposed to watch them. But on a hot day there can be a thousand people here, and the mayor is too fond of his own gold to put more guards on duty, and all that gold and treasure just sits there, unharvested, ripe for the plucking.
That's where I come in. A little pickpocket, eager to reap a bountiful summer harvest.
You don't have to like me. I know what I do is wrong. I might tell you it's the only way I have to survive. That I can't take an honest job, that people are looking for me who'd kill me if I stayed in one place too long. That someone I love needs my care, and this is the only way I can support her.
I might tell you all that, and it might all be true. It might not; thieves are often liars, after all. But it might be.
It still doesn't make it right. It just makes it necessary.
And anyway, you don't really like the people I steal from, do you? Have you heard the stories of how they make their money? The wars they start, to profit from the weapons and armor they make? The cutthroat rivalries among the craft guilds? The way rivals find their families have been kidnapped and beaten, just to ensure cooperation in the market? The way every piece of gold here is tinged red with blood?
Or what of the stories of their servants? The degrading, insulting things they're forced to do to be given a mere pittance of a wage. The way the male servants are made to fight for sport, so the wives of their masters can wager on them. The way the female servants are left in the street when the husbands grow bored with them. That is the kind of work you would have me do? Face it: Ocarr is not a nice city.
Sometimes thievery is the only honest way to make a living.
It's easy enough to pluck pockets; do anything long enough and you can get good at it. The main thing is to not get caught: always know your mark, and always be on the lookout for anyone who may cause you trouble.
Right now my mark is the Baron Relking. Or really, his wife: a silly, blonde thing, less than half his age, probably not much older than me. Not that I look as old as I am--I could almost pass for a child. It helps: no one pays much attention to a young girl in filthy rags. In fact, the Baron looked right at me and didn't see me. The nobles get good at pretending us poor urchins don't exist unless they want us to.
As for his wife, she only has eyes for the Baron, or really, his wealth. I could tell that as soon as I saw her. I've been following them ever since they left their Keep in the center of the city, keeping out of sight except for that one time. I've only occasionally been able to hear her speak, but it was enough to confirm my suspicions.
"Oh, my Lord! Have you seen the latest cloaks at Bidney's? Purest ermine!! I simply must have one, I'll be so much the envy of Lady Penelope..."
In her own way, she's as much a thief as me. But at least I'm honest about it.
Once at the beach, they leave their coats on the little rope fence near the entrance to the beach, and head in. I wait. There is no sense in being hasty.
I drift along the walkway where the riff raff are kept--only the richest get to use the beach--but keep their coats in sight. Other pickpockets work this stretch, too.
Their are city guards patrolling, but not many. I watch one from the corner of my eye, waiting for him to go by.
When he's out of sight, I shrug my shoulders as if to rid the tension from them, and drift over towards the fence. I rest my hands on the rope, right on the Lady Relking's cloak, looking wistfully out at the sand and the blue sea beyond.
"Oy! What are you doing there?"
I turn to face the guard. Ye gods, I thought he wouldn't return so quick. He has an ugly look on his face. But then, that might just be how he looks.
I look him in the eye. "Just wanting something I can never have."
"Yeah, and a raggamuffin like you will never have it. Now move it along."
I turn away, schooling myself not to run, nor to draw attention to the treasure in my hand. I don't know what it is yet; I only got one item before I was interrupted.
I dart around a corner and look...and feel my face fall. A mere two gold coins. Evidently Lady Relking is working hard for her share if the Baron is this stingy. I put them back in my pocket.
As I move back towards the beach to see if I can make another dip, I see a mother with two little kids, being hustled away by the same guard. She looks hungry, and the kids are in rags. She wasn't trying to steal anything--she was just begging. The rich like that least of all when they're trying to have a day at the beach. He pushes them in my direction. I can hear the youngest one wail.
"Mommy, can't we get something to eat today?"
"No, dear heart, first I have to find a way to get your brother's medicine..." she tells him.
Being a pickpocket doesn't just mean I can take things from people; I can drop them off as well. The street here is narrow, and I turn so they will have to brush by me. The mother, wary of a stranger, huddles her boys into a line and slides by me.
"But mommy, I'm hungry..."
I turn back towards the beach and see a commotion. That same guard is pointing at me.
"That's the one!!"
Two of his confederates appear and grab me. As my friend approaches, I see he's carrying the Lady Relking's cloak. A cloakless Lady and her Baron are behind him.
"This is your coat, ma'am?" he asked of the Lady.
"Yes! And I KNOW I had two gold in that pocket!"
"Well, I saw this little girl hanging around your cloak. We'll take her to the castle and check her out, I'm sure we'll find your money."
The Lady and Baron look satisfied. I bow my head and try to look abashed, but I can't help smiling. I don't mind being searched--they will find nothing on me. No jewels, no rings, and certainly not two coins that were enough to pay a doctor and have something leftover for food.
No doubt about it, it's a beautiful day.
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