Thief's Honor (cont. Chapter 1)

James smiled. “Oh nothing. Does the word Creed mean anything to you?” Raven paled. How could he know that name? No one knows about her mother. “No. Why do you ask?” She noticed as James heard the lie in her voice. “Oh no reason. I heard a customer come into the store while I was working at the forge. He mentioned the name Creed to Henri. She told me about it last night.”

Raven was troubled as she and James walked into the Warrior’s Folly. James greeted his wife, Henri, with a kiss before she could greet them. “James Ironhide, shame on you! I’m working!” She turned to him, hands planted on her hips but a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “I’m sorry dear, I could not resist.” James nodded in Raven’s direction. Henri frowned as she watched Raven sit down at a table looking troubled. “Is she alright?” James nodded, “She saw him today.” Henri tilted her head, as if asking a silent question that only they understood. James nodded and turned to join Raven at the table.

I need to just ask him. It’s James, he would never do anything to harm me. Raven looked at James. “I lied. Creed means something to me. How do you know that name?”

James crossed his arms. “A lot of what you think you know is about to be turned upside down. Are you sure you want to know”

~

The hooded figure watched from a corner table in the Warrior’s Folly. His face was shadowed so that if the black-haired elven woman would not recognize his features. He shouldn’t have revealed himself in the market, but she had to be the woman Creed had told him about. Her skills at swordplay were very impressive and her eyes reminded him of Creed. It was time for James to put her to the test and see if she was the one they had been looking for.

James had come to him earlier that month. As leader of the Thieves’ Guild, it had been his job to make sure all of the members had been informed of Creed’s disappearance. It was very disturbing with the reappearance of The Illusionist. Creed had only trusted him with the information of who she really was, and this elven woman he needed to find and protect. They had agreed that she would be recruited to be a part of the Guild so that he could keep a watch over her personally.

He only hoped they could recruit her before Creed’s fate became her own.

~

(I'm going to start adding all of this onto the page titled "Thief's Honor". That way you can read it all at once. I'm going to be experimenting with pages so there might be a couple changes in the next couple of weeks. Be forewarned!!)

Thief's Honor

So I have a new idea for a book. I know, I know. I haven't finished the other one. But sometimes when you hit a roadblock, you need to do something else. Here's my something else. I'm thinking that I'm going to call it "Thief's Honor". Here' s a rough draft of what I have so far, let me know what you think of it.

Shadows seem to be shifting and hiding something malicious. Anxiously looking around, the High Elf speeds up her pace. The Orphic Forest had a reputation for playing tricks on the mind. Plus the rumors swirled that Amon, The Illusionist, had taken up residence in the forest. It was basically his kingdom, but it was the fastest way to Chaos Harbor despite the danger. The High Elf, known only as Creed, gathers a bundle closer to her chest. She must make it to Chaos Harbor. This precious bundle must be delivered safely before they were found.

~

Chapter 1

The clash of swords rang out in the courtyard as the blades clanged against each other. The wielders were engaged in an elaborate dance as a crowd watched who would be superior. Once a week, the townspeople were entertained as Raven and James exchanged blow for blow with their blades, Raven’s falchion against James’ rapier.

With each clang of steel, the steps were made to be more complex and required more skill than most people had. It was a art form, watching this dance of blades. Raven was confident in her ability to win. Only she was able to notice as James tired, and she felt she only grew stronger. She waited patiently for the perfect opportunity to strike. James lunged towards her and she twisted to avoid the blade. She followed her spin with a downward strike and James was not able to bring his rapier up to parry. Her blade whistled through the air, stopping mere inches from his jugular. The crowed broke into applause as James lowered his weapon in surrender. “Well played Raven.”

Raven grinned as she clapped him on the back. “What say we head to the Warrior’s Folly for some of Henri’s cooking?” They made their way through the crowd as people congratulated them, telling them how they enjoyed watching the sparring. Once clear of the crowd, Raven removed the dulling enchantment she had placed on their swords. James watched as her emerald eyes turned violet when she used her magic.

As Raven and James walked through the Harbor Market down by the docks, Raven felt an eerie chill run down her spine. Frowning, she looked over her shoulder. As she scanned the crowd, a tall red-haired man caught her eye. She noticed him watching her intensely and as she made eye contact, he grinned and winked at her. Raven snorted and faced forward. She didn’t like being watched. She turned to look again and the stranger was gone. James noticed her searching and turned to look as well. “What’s wrong Raven?”

Raven shook her head. “Nothing. I thought I felt someone watching us is all. It’s nothing.”

James noticed she was still tense. He watched out of the corner of his eye as he caught a flash of red. He made contact with the stranger, who was watching Raven from an alley. The man nodded to him and he returned his nod. James looked back at Raven, pondering. She noticed his attention and flushed. “What?”