Page 7 of Of Blood & Stone

Eyes wild, the shop owner spun around, his attempt to grab Elnok by the throat dodged as Elnok stepped to the side, holding up the bloodied bladder.

“Thief,” the man growled.

“Actually, I was hoping we could do some business?—”

The man lunged for Elnok. Instincts threading through his muscles, Elnok jumped, narrowly missing the tackle that would’ve surely broken a few of his ribs. Without missing a step, Elnok threw the bladder at the man, grabbed his rope, and climbed.

“Guards!Guards!” the shop owner yelled.

Splinters piercing his fingers, Elnok gripped the beam, balancing and unraveling the rope in one swoop. Tying it up and wrapping it around his waist, Elnok ran across the beam.

“My bread! You low-life bastard!”

Elnok didn’t have time to refute the man’s rather rude statement. Instead, he jumped up through the roof’s hole. Chilled air whipped his face as he leaped onto another rooftop, and then the next. Armor clanked loudly as guards pursued him on the ground. He circled his way out of sight, finally sliding flat onto the familiar tiles of the infirmary’s rooftop.

He waited, ears straining, breaths heavy.

Distant shouts rang through the town while seagulls squawked, the sounds of pursuit fading into the opposite direction.

Not my best work.

Elnok crawled across the cold roof tiles. He removed his other stash of hay, exposing the hole he’d made last week for his other frequented destination. He silently jumped down onto the wooden rafter.

The familiar stench of rotten corpses and bloated fish assaulted his senses as he ran across the flimsy beam. Cots lined the infirmary floor, people with graying skin sending watery coughs into the air while nurses rushed to and fro, more than likely offering their morning “delicacy” of ground fish with lentils. But Elnok doubted if it was anything more than rat intestines and bile.

Elnok stopped as he found the familiar mop of dark brown hair. Smiling underneath his face cloth, he jumped off the beam and fell through the air.

A woman yelped as he landed with a light thud, straddling Orym, his closest of friends and most trusted companion.

Orym stiffened in fright only to give way to a loud cackle.

“You brutish man!” Orym laughed as he coughed into his fist, blood dribbling from the side of his mouth. “You nearly killed my nurse.”

Elnok smiled as he said, “I would never do such a thing to sweet Yenna.”

“Howdareyou?” The nurse, Yenna, scolded him from behind.

Elnok turned to find her in her usual garb, beige linens and a matching face scarf. Her green eyes and dark eyebrows were set against brown skin.

She grabbed his arm and shoved him to the side, forcing him to sit on his ass next to Orym’s cot. With anyone else, he would grab their arm and twist until the bone broke, but he did no such thing to Yenna. She took good care of Orym.

“This needs to end, Jasper,” she whispered, her grip strong despite her small arms.

Jasper.

The alias by which Elnok was known in this coastal village, for his true name would only render unwanted suspicion. Better to remain anonymous under the guise of an unimportant, petty thief than someone of importance. Although, with the ship docking soon, it wouldn’t matter much longer.

“My dramatics wouldn’t be needed if you’d inform the guards to let me through,” Elnok replied as he raised a brow, “But I think you rather enjoy a good show.”

“What I would enjoy is if you let us do our jobs and not frighten our patients,” she hissed.

“Oh come now, Yenna, he’s just bringing some much-needed excitement to our otherwise dreary lives,” Orym teased as his brown eyes shone against his pallid skin, “Isn’t that right,Jasper?”

“A duty I take more seriously than most,” Elnok said with a wink, readjusting his face cloth over his nose.

He tossed the bag to Orym, his friend laughing loudly as he held the piece of bread in his hand, ripping off a bite and stuffing it in his mouth.

“I won’t lie,” Orym said, crumbs falling from his mouth, “I had my doubts, but I suppose youarethe better thief.”

---