A Thieves Reward extended preview

A Thieves Reward.

Laura set the bag of potatoes onto the rotted wooden table and wiped the sweat from her forehead. “Vector. Oran. I am back.” She pulled up a chair and sighed as two shrill figures emerged out of the darkness.

“What took you so long?” Vector asked.

Laura lit a match and used it to light a nearby candle. “I think they are on to what we are doing.”

The two young men sat down, causing the rickety old table to rock back and forth as they did so. “What do you mean.” Vector sneered with his blue eyes. “Our plan is perfect. You must just be too weak to do the job.”

Laura used a knife to cut off a slice of the potato she had just set on the table. “Maybe you should have stolen these then if you are so tough. It will put some muscle on those bones of yours, you know.”

“Why you little. . .”

Oran put his deathly pale arms in between them. “Stop this nonsense.” He coughed. “We are family. Laura risked her life to bring us this food.” He turned around and pointed at the swirling bottles on the wall. “Our father gave his life so we could use those potions to keep ourselves alive, and we have been. Laura has gone out every night, shrinking herself and stealing the supplies we need to get by.”

Vector sighed. “I know what kind of hard work she puts in for us. But come on, sis.” He crossed his arms. “You can and have done better than this.”

Laura shook her head, her hazel eyes scanning the holes in the ceiling. “You try running away from a cat when you are less than a foot tall. I told you I think people are starting to catch on to what we are doing.” She looked back at Vector. “That cat almost ate me tonight.”

“Hey, you got away, didn’t you? You are perfectly fine with no cat marks on you. You should still be able to go out there and help steal food while Oran and I try and get back on our feet and earn a job.”

“I told you before.” She sat down at the table. “I could try and get an apprenticeship at the smithery.”

Oran put his hand on Laura’s shoulder. “We need you here.”

“But. . .”

Vector tore into his potato. “Your brother is right. So, keep at it, and soon we will be able to help provide.”

Laura crossed her arms and snorted.  Sure thing, you pig.

Oran rubbed his sister’s shoulder. “Are you alright? You are not eating?”

She smiled. “I am fine.” She cut herself another piece of food. “I was just thinking about something.”

Vector spoke with a mouthful of potato, bits, and pieces flying everywhere. “Well, since you were unable to procure us enough food to last a few days, you will have to go out again tonight.”

Oran gasped. “You can’t be serious. Don’t you remember the warnings father told us?”

“What the silly superstitions about overusing the potions?” He laughed. “Oh, come on now, brother. What could really happen to us if we drink too many of them in such a short period of time?”

“I am with Oran on this one,” Laura said. “What if something happens to me?

You two are not in any condition to fend for yourselves yet.”

“That is exactly why you need to go out again tonight.” Vector slammed his hand onto the table and immediately rubbed his palm. “We are going to starve if you don’t.”

Laura rolled her eyes. “You are not going to starve.”

He rubbed his stomach. “Maybe not, but we are going to have some severe pains because our sister doesn’t care to help us. Ohhhhhh. Owww.”

“Ok, ok.” Laura crossed her arms. “After we are done eating, I will head back out there. Are you happy?”

Vector smiled as he took another bite from his food. “I am so proud of you, my little sister.” He clasped his hand down on her shoulder. “If father were still here, he would be too.”

“If father were still here, he would give you his mind on forcing me to do this instead of you trying to get up off your lazy ass and doing it yourself. Even Oren is trying to make a recovery. You are just treating our situation as if it were a joke. Huh!” She turned around.

“You wound me, sister. We struggle to get by, and you can only think about trying to divide us.”

“I’m sorry.” She sighed. “It just slipped out.”

Vector picked up his plate. “Well, I know you mean well. I am going to retire early for the night. Having to wait around for you wore me out. See you when you get back in the morning, sis.” He stood up with a plate full of potatoes in his hand and walked to the doorway. “Oh, one more thing. Try and get us some good food this time. Some chicken or maybe some lamb. Something fancy.” He laughed as he walked out of the room.

Laura sighed. “He thinks because I use the magic potions our father left us; it is an excuse for him to be lazy as a pig.”

Oren stood up and rubbed her back. “He will learn that he can’t treat us this way forever.” He laughed. “I am starting to feel better from your help. So hopefully, that prideful oaf will see me improving and feel urged to stay in better shape than me.”

“You have a better outlook on this than I do.”

He knelt down in front of her. “Hey. We are family. Just because one of us is a bit lazy and rude doesn’t change that.”

“I guess so.” She rubbed her eyes. “Look, I need to catch some quick rest. I have a long night ahead of me.”

Oren smiled. “Ok. And thank you.” He hugged her. “We wouldn’t still be here if it wasn’t for you.”

Laura smiled. “No, thank you. You help keep me sane. Especially with having Vector as a brother.” They both laughed.

***

Laura stretched her arms and yawned. “Ahh, that was a nice nap.” She stood up to see the candle from dinner was still burning. “Nice to have gotten what little sleep I could.”

She stood up and walked over to the rotted wooden cabinet which held the family’s collection of shrinking potions. “Ok, time to get to business.” She grabbed the potion in front and smiled. “This baby will shrink me down to just under a foot tall for an hour.”

She noticed a parchment sticking out from the back of the cabinet. “Oh yes.”

She picked up the flimsy piece of paper. “Dad’s formal. Without this, we would have been dead long ago.” She sighed. “Thank you, dad. Even now, you are helping us stay alive.” Looking at the formal, she noticed the warning at the bottom.  Allow a twenty-four-hour period after using the potions. Otherwise, the effects could become unstable.

She sighed and put the parchment back into the shaky cabinet. “I’m sorry.

But I don’t have a choice. I have to keep our family safe. And if that means putting myself at risk, then so be it.” She gulped. “I hope that all that happens is a bit of indigestion.” She slipped the potion with swirling blue liquid into a sack before grabbing a dark coat. “Vector, Oren. I will see you two in the morning.” She unlocked the door to the farmstead and slipped out into the cool night air.

Once she was a safe distance from the farmstead, she pulled out her map and examined it in the pale moonlight. “Ok, where should I hit tonight? I can’t go back to the Kandler’s place. Not since they got that god-awful cat.” Laura pulled at the collar of her shirt. “That thing could have had me for breakfast last night. I can still see his gaping maw. Ughh.” She shivered.

“Well, let’s see. If I remember right, there is supposed to be a lavish ball being held tonight at the fancy castle just south of here. The place will be full of food for me to swipe. But I doubt any type of security that would be specialized for my particular nature.” She held the potion up in the moonlight. “It will be risky, but I think with this event going on, I would be hard pressed to find anyone with unlocked doors at this time of night. And once I drink this, I need them to have their doors unlocked or, well, no getting the food out.” Laura sighed. “Ok crazy ball it is.”

Laura crossed a small creek over to a moonlight glade. In the center of which a young horse with gleaming black fur grazed. “Hey there, Sky. How are you doing?”

The horse took one look at her and went back to eating.

“I know you didn’t expect to see me so soon.” She ran her hands over the stallion’s side. “But we have to go out again tonight.”

Sky snorted before going back to eating the grass.

“I know I don’t like it either.” She sighed as she turned around and walked over to where she had stashed the saddle in the bushes. “But we have to. I promise we will get you a nice bucket of carrots on the way back.” Sky neighed as she walked over. “Okay, oats, you picky devil.” She laughed as she slid the saddle onto Sky. “Now, are you ready to go? We have some distance to travel tonight.” She climbed onto his back. “So, let’s go so we can have some nice rest and relaxation before the night is over. Ya!”

***

Later that night, the parapets of the castle came into view. “Here we are, Sky.” She patted him on the side. “Good job.” She directed Sky over to the nearby river and dismounted. “Ok, you know the drill. Stay here until I come out with the goods.” She set the pack down on the riverbank. “And guard this will your life.” Sky looked at her with a blank gaze. “I will take that as you understand.”

Laura pulled the potion out of the bag. “Ok. It is time for you to help me once again.” She turned around and looked at the massive castle walls. “I just wish I knew the best way to do this. I need to find a way inside first as this place is going to be massive, and I will be well tiny.” She scratched at her side. “Hmmm.”

“Hey, what are you doing here?”

“Huh?” Laura jumped out of her skin. “I umm. . .”

A young man in ragged clothing walked up to her. “Well?”

“I was just enjoying the view of the river.” She smiled.

“Well, do it on your free time.” He shoved a pair of dishes into her hands. “I have been looking all over for some of my workers, and I find one of them just enjoying the scenery. You will be lucky if you are not sent to the dungeons.” He clenched his hands into fists. “On today of all days for the servants to have mushrooms growing in their brains. What is wrong with my staff?”

Laura gulped as she searched through the dishes. “That jerk better not of. . .”

She spotted the bottle amongst the junk, the gleaming liquid still inside. “Phew.” She sighed as she lifted the set of dishware. “At least I have my excuse to get inside now.” She followed the river until she spotted a small wooden bridge that led to a doorway into the castle. “I am guessing that is where I want to go?” Laura noticed the armored guard and gulped. “I hope.”

She kept her cool as she approached and didn’t look at the guard or his shiny axe.  This is the way you are supposed to go. Yes, this is. Keep calm.

The guard snorted. “Hey, you!”

Laura gulped. “Yes.”

“Move that shit into the castle faster.” He held his chain mail gauntlet over his face.

“I can’t stand the smell.”

She hurried her pace past him. “Of course, sir. Right away, sir.”

“Damn peasants. I don’t know why I have to be on duty watching them instead of having fun upstairs.”

Laura rolled her eyes as she walked inside.  Such a great person to guard the castle.  She turned the corner and found herself in the kitchen.

“Hey, thank you so much for bringing these back to us. You can set those down anywhere.” A large woman with a frying pan stood in front of her.

She looked around. “But there are no tables to put these things down on.”

The lady put her hands on her round hips. “Did I say where? Just put them down.” Laura gulped and set the mess onto the floor, pulling the shrinking vial out and slipping it inside her pockets. “That is better.” The lady walked up to Laura. “Are you new around here?”

“No.” She shook her head. “Worked here my entire life.”

The woman looked Laura over from top to bottom. “Well, ok then. I need someone to replace one of the servers upstairs. You look skinny enough to handle it.”

She shook her head. “Those rich fat cats would love someone like you up there.”

“Oh.” Laura smiled. Perfect. I am just making my way up there.

“You will need some better clothes than that if you are going to work on the ball floor, honey.”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, the lords of the land want the best from their servers. You will love it. You get a nice fancy outfit for the night.” She put her hand on Laura’s back. “Come on. Let’s get you ready. We don’t have all night.”

She led Laura into a room filled with exotic clothing. “Ok. Get undressed.”

“What?” She turned around. “But you are right there.”

“Yes. So, I can help you.”

“I think I can pick out an outfit on my own. Thank you over much.”

“Fine. Don’t accept my help.” She threw her hands into the air. “Just make yourself look nice. Don’t need to put both of our jobs and lives on the chopping block.” She shut the door, so hard debris fell from above.

Laura sighed. “Not only did I want to have her watch me undress.” She pulled her shirt off. “But I couldn’t let her see this.” She slipped the potion out of her pocket. “That lady might have thought I stole something. Hugh. This is becoming a bit complicated, but I still think everything will work out. Now let’s see.” She picked up a black leather outfit with bunny ears.

“What kind of shit are these nobles into?”

***

Laura pulled at the tight leather as she walked through the torch-lit hallways. “This is not how I expected the night to go.” She sighed as her exposed breasts bounced back and forth. “The sooner I can drink the potion and shrink out of sight, the better.” She looked at the tray in her right hand, which held a massive roast duck. “I came here to steal the food, not serve it.”

She could feel the cold glass of the bottle resting against her leg. With her new outfit, she didn’t know where to stash it, so Laura tucked it way inside her outfit, away from sight. It was quick-acting, so she didn’t want to drink it until she was ready to shrink down and steal these nobles blind.

She passed through a wooden door and entered into a grand hall filled with people in extravagant clothing.  Well, I think I found the ballroom.  She watched a group of nobles dancing in the center as she walked over to a twenty-foot-long table filled with food.  Wow.  Laura set the roast duck down on the table and sighed. “There is enough food to keep my family set for months.” She sighed. “But there is no way I would be able to get it out of here when I am so small.”

“Ahh, a waitress.” A fat, bald man walked up to her. “Please, miss, can you fetch me some of the wine at the other end of the table for the misses and me?”

Laura raised an eyebrow. “Is the walk too much for you?”

“Do you dare talk back to your betters?” He took a deep breath. “Huh. I will forgive this little misgiving if you come to my quarters after hours.” He winked at her.

Laura winced. “Ugh.” She turned around. “I will get those drinks for you, sir.”

“Oh, and hurry. I can’t stand this place without some ale in me.” He held his chest and laughed.”

Laura rolled her eyes as she hurried to the other side of the table. “Creep.”

Once at the other side of the table, she ducked under the white tablecloth. “Ok, I don’t think anyone saw me.” She took a deep breath and threw the bunny ears to the side. “Time to put an end to this charade.” She reached down her pant leg and pulled out the small vial. “Hopefully, nothing too crazy happens, and that warning my father left was just that. A warning.”

Laura pulled the cork off the bottle and threw it to the side. “I will have to be quick. This place is huge.” She drank the contents of the bottle. “This isn’t like just sneaking out some cheese out of some farmstead.” She set the bottle on the ground. “This is going to be hard. Ughh.”

She clutched her stomach as searing pain raced through her system. “This never hurt before. Gawh.” She slammed her hand down on the ground as her clothing tightened onto her body. “What is happening?” Laura falls onto her hands and knees. “My skin feels like rubber. Ughh.” She winced as her back pressed against the table above. “Oww.”

“Oh dear, what in the world was that?”

“My drink was knocked over. That is what. I want answers now.”

Laura gulped. “Crap.” She tried to lower herself to the ground, but even pressing her body against the floor didn’t change the fact that she was pushing the table upwards. “What is happening?” She watched as her shoulders slowly expanded outward from the table’s edges. “I’m growing, aren’t I? This isn’t good.”

“Is this part of the ball?”

“What do you mean?”

“The table?” Laura felt pressure from above. “How did our host get this to rise?”