Post by T-Bone on Nov 27, 2011 22:01:22 GMT -5
((Sorry, it's a bit long.))
They watched her enter the bar. Concealed behind the bushes, the two thieves were slightly less than invisible. But the ermine had managed to not notice them thus far, which made her an excellent mark.
"Badger Game," said Jaroah, "Please say Badger Game."
Their heads peered over the tops of the bushes. Their eyes never left the building.
Tobias shook his head. "No, that wouldn't work. She's not. . . attractive enough. Wouldn't be believable."
Jaroah sounded offended. "You doubt my skill?"
"No, it's just. . . I feel like we could do better. We need t'be able to, uh, disappear."
"Well, what d'you suggest?"
Tobias bit his lip thoughtfully for a moment.
Jaroah was impatient. "Tobias?"
". . . Fiddle Game."
"We don't have a fiddle, Tobias."
"Sure we do. Remember that rock I found the other day?"
Jaroah looked at him incredulously. "Yore kidding."
~~~~~~~~~
He glanced from side to side, as though afraid somebeast might see it. Quickly, he drew the small rock from his pocket and showed it to the ermine. "This is it," he whispered. "This how I do muh magic tricks. Is my livelihood." It was a small, dull, gray rock, no bigger than the mouse's fist.
The ermine furrowed her brow. "That?" She tilted her head doubtfully. "What's that s'posed t'be?"
"Ssshh!" He held a paw up to his lips and shook his head urgently. Glancing around, he could see some beasts starting to look in his direction. He swiftly stuffed the little rock back into his pocket. He leaned in closely and whispered. "It's lodestone. Lodestone rock."
"Loadsto-- what's that?"
He sighed, as though he'd had to explain it a million times. "It's a special rock, very hard'a find. It got special qualities makes it push an' pull cerden things, like, like medal." He drew a knife from his belt and discreetly showed it to the ermine. Then, taking the lodestone, he placed the knife on the bar and passed the stone over it. The knife blade jumped up and attached itself to the little rock, as though of its own volition.
The ermine gasped. The mouse nodded. "See? Like magic. That's how I do all muh tr--" He stopped, glanced at the floor. He seemed to remember something. "Oh no. I leff muh money at. . ." He glanced around furtively again. "Can you hold onna this fur me?" he asked the ermine, offering the lodestone. "I think they wanna hurt me, bud, bud if'n you 'ave it, then they can' take it from me."
She raised an eyebrow and nodded.
"Thank you!" he said, shaking her paw gratefully. He stood up. "I'll be right back!"
"Right back!" he shouted as he opened the door and exited the building.
The ermine shook her head and chuckled mirthlessly. Some beasts were just pathetic. She may be low on the social ladder, but at least she wasn't that guy. Kandra looked down at the rock in her paw. So, this was his livelihood? A little rock that attracted metal. Wow, what a pitiful excuse for a---
Just then, the door swung open. A mouse with a hat strutted in. The room seemed to be watching him as he pushed past the shrew by the door. This mouse had swagger. He bumped into Kandra, and she dropped the little rock.
"Excuse me, miss," the mouse mumbled as he bent to pick it up for her. He rose to his feet and began to hand the lodestone over to her, but he froze when he realized what he now held in his paw. ". . . Is this a lodestone?"
Kandra lowered an eyebrow and took the rock. "Yeah. But it's not--"
"I don't think you understand," he said, sitting down in the seat next to her, right where the burly mouse from earlier had been sitting. He held up the rock as though it were gold. "I am a huge collector -- I have been looking for this rock for ages."
"Okay," said the ermine, "But it isn't--"
"Look, I don't have time to talk right now -- I have an appointment in an hour. I'll be back later tonight, around sunset. Bring that rock here, and I will pay you a hundred gold coins for it. A thousand, even, you name the price. Just. . ." He handed the rock back to her and began to back toward the door. ". . . don't lose it!" And with that, the mouse with the hat was gone.
Kandra couldn't believe her ears. A thousand gold coins! Surely, he wasn't serious? What luck! But wait. How would she get the lodestone from the big mouse?
Standing up, Kandra prepared to exit the building and hide until sunset, but just then, the burly mouse walked back through the door, holding his wallet. The ermine sighed. There went her chances of stealing the rock. There was no way she could get past that mouse. He was big, and he looked as if he had been in a rough fight recently. She didn't stand a chance.
. . . Wait. He was a poor-looking mouse too. His shirt had a few holes in it, he didn't have sleeves even though it was autumn, and he wasn't even wearing shoes! Clearly, he wasn't used to dealing with high sums of money. This was her chance.
He sat down next to her and glanced at the lodestone expectantly. Kandra placed it on the bar, but when he reached for it, she stopped his paw. He furrowed his brow at her.
". . . I have an offer to make you," she said. "While you were gone, I met a beast who says he can help you with your magic business."
The mouse beamed. "What's his name? Who is he?" he asked excitedly.
She held up a paw. "But to do it, he says he'll need seventy gold coins."
The burly mouse looked crestfallen. He didn't have that kind of money.
Kandra leaned in closely. "I can give you seventy coins right now, if you'll let me keep your little lodestone."
"But how will I do magic?" he cried.
She placed a paw on his shoulder. "Don't worry. The beast I told you about says he has lodestones of his own. Better ones. That is why he needs the seventy coins, which I can offer you for this little, insignificant rock of yours. . ."
He seemed to consider this for a moment. Finally, he sighed. "Fine, I'll sell it, but tell me where he lives first."
"Er, he-- He lives on the other side of the sandstone quarry, in, in a small house at the base of a tall hill. Yeah, there should be a patch of daisies on the west side." She pulled the details from her memory, from the time she accidentally stumbled upon a snake's abode. She had barely survived; this dimwit, on the other paw, would most likely not. "Now. . ." Kandra placed a small pouch of money on the bar, opening it to prove that it was real. ". . . Do we have a deal?"
The burly mouse nodded, took the money, and left. Kandra chuckled to herself, feeling quite smart.
~~~~~~~~~
"I hate her," Jaroah said as he removed his tattered shirt and exchanged it for a decent one with sleeves. "She deserved to be conned."
Tobias shrugged. "That's why we picked 'er, Jare. 's what makes the con work." He continued walking, not waiting for his brother to change out of the disguise. They had already lost two days thanks to the incident with Nik Lagdo and Bon Vaygan and the fox. Tobias was not about to waste any more time getting to the abbey.
Jaroah picked up the supplies with a grunt and hurried to catch up with the illusionist. "Gahh, why do y'gotta keep a whole rock in here, Tobias? This thing's stupid-heavy." Indeed, Tobias had made the decision to add the lodestone to their supplies. It was useful and hard to come by and much larger than the one they had sold to the ermine. Unfortunately for Jaroah, it was also heavy.
"Aw, suck it up," said Tobias. "We're like half a mile away from Redhall. Not long now."
Jaroah growled. "Tobias, I took a beating three days ago from Nik! I still have a black eye from it!"
"An' that's my fault?"
"You wanna know what it feels like, Tobias? I'm the one carryin' all the supplies too, plus yore stupid rock."
"That's 'cause yore bigger than me."
"So? I ain't carryin' an extra load fur you. 'specially not after gettin' the tar beat outta me."
"Look, Jaroah, I know you were drinking in that bar. You probably can't even feel it."
Jaroah stopped. He let the supplies drop to the ground and simply folded his arms. Tobias turned around. "Come on. Stop bein' a baby. Pick it up." No response. "Jare." The burly mouse shook his head. "I'm not gonna ask again," said Tobias. Jaroah raised an eyebrow.
~~~~~~~~~
"I'm so glad you offered to carry the supplies, Tobias."
They were walking along the Main Path again. Jaroah was in the lead,arms swinging freely by his sides. Tobias walked behind him, struggling to support the weight of the supplies. He had a new bruise on his right cheek.
"Come on, we're nearly there," Jaroah teased him, pointing to the abbey. "Not that far."
"I hate you," said Tobias through clenched teeth. His breathing was ragged, and it was becoming increasingly clear that he was terribly out of shape. Jaroah chuckled. They both knew Tobias deserved it.
Finally, they arrived. The big mouse knocked on the gate and waited. Tobias collapsed beside him as it opened.
They watched her enter the bar. Concealed behind the bushes, the two thieves were slightly less than invisible. But the ermine had managed to not notice them thus far, which made her an excellent mark.
"Badger Game," said Jaroah, "Please say Badger Game."
Their heads peered over the tops of the bushes. Their eyes never left the building.
Tobias shook his head. "No, that wouldn't work. She's not. . . attractive enough. Wouldn't be believable."
Jaroah sounded offended. "You doubt my skill?"
"No, it's just. . . I feel like we could do better. We need t'be able to, uh, disappear."
"Well, what d'you suggest?"
Tobias bit his lip thoughtfully for a moment.
Jaroah was impatient. "Tobias?"
". . . Fiddle Game."
"We don't have a fiddle, Tobias."
"Sure we do. Remember that rock I found the other day?"
Jaroah looked at him incredulously. "Yore kidding."
~~~~~~~~~
He glanced from side to side, as though afraid somebeast might see it. Quickly, he drew the small rock from his pocket and showed it to the ermine. "This is it," he whispered. "This how I do muh magic tricks. Is my livelihood." It was a small, dull, gray rock, no bigger than the mouse's fist.
The ermine furrowed her brow. "That?" She tilted her head doubtfully. "What's that s'posed t'be?"
"Ssshh!" He held a paw up to his lips and shook his head urgently. Glancing around, he could see some beasts starting to look in his direction. He swiftly stuffed the little rock back into his pocket. He leaned in closely and whispered. "It's lodestone. Lodestone rock."
"Loadsto-- what's that?"
He sighed, as though he'd had to explain it a million times. "It's a special rock, very hard'a find. It got special qualities makes it push an' pull cerden things, like, like medal." He drew a knife from his belt and discreetly showed it to the ermine. Then, taking the lodestone, he placed the knife on the bar and passed the stone over it. The knife blade jumped up and attached itself to the little rock, as though of its own volition.
The ermine gasped. The mouse nodded. "See? Like magic. That's how I do all muh tr--" He stopped, glanced at the floor. He seemed to remember something. "Oh no. I leff muh money at. . ." He glanced around furtively again. "Can you hold onna this fur me?" he asked the ermine, offering the lodestone. "I think they wanna hurt me, bud, bud if'n you 'ave it, then they can' take it from me."
She raised an eyebrow and nodded.
"Thank you!" he said, shaking her paw gratefully. He stood up. "I'll be right back!"
"Right back!" he shouted as he opened the door and exited the building.
The ermine shook her head and chuckled mirthlessly. Some beasts were just pathetic. She may be low on the social ladder, but at least she wasn't that guy. Kandra looked down at the rock in her paw. So, this was his livelihood? A little rock that attracted metal. Wow, what a pitiful excuse for a---
Just then, the door swung open. A mouse with a hat strutted in. The room seemed to be watching him as he pushed past the shrew by the door. This mouse had swagger. He bumped into Kandra, and she dropped the little rock.
"Excuse me, miss," the mouse mumbled as he bent to pick it up for her. He rose to his feet and began to hand the lodestone over to her, but he froze when he realized what he now held in his paw. ". . . Is this a lodestone?"
Kandra lowered an eyebrow and took the rock. "Yeah. But it's not--"
"I don't think you understand," he said, sitting down in the seat next to her, right where the burly mouse from earlier had been sitting. He held up the rock as though it were gold. "I am a huge collector -- I have been looking for this rock for ages."
"Okay," said the ermine, "But it isn't--"
"Look, I don't have time to talk right now -- I have an appointment in an hour. I'll be back later tonight, around sunset. Bring that rock here, and I will pay you a hundred gold coins for it. A thousand, even, you name the price. Just. . ." He handed the rock back to her and began to back toward the door. ". . . don't lose it!" And with that, the mouse with the hat was gone.
Kandra couldn't believe her ears. A thousand gold coins! Surely, he wasn't serious? What luck! But wait. How would she get the lodestone from the big mouse?
Standing up, Kandra prepared to exit the building and hide until sunset, but just then, the burly mouse walked back through the door, holding his wallet. The ermine sighed. There went her chances of stealing the rock. There was no way she could get past that mouse. He was big, and he looked as if he had been in a rough fight recently. She didn't stand a chance.
. . . Wait. He was a poor-looking mouse too. His shirt had a few holes in it, he didn't have sleeves even though it was autumn, and he wasn't even wearing shoes! Clearly, he wasn't used to dealing with high sums of money. This was her chance.
He sat down next to her and glanced at the lodestone expectantly. Kandra placed it on the bar, but when he reached for it, she stopped his paw. He furrowed his brow at her.
". . . I have an offer to make you," she said. "While you were gone, I met a beast who says he can help you with your magic business."
The mouse beamed. "What's his name? Who is he?" he asked excitedly.
She held up a paw. "But to do it, he says he'll need seventy gold coins."
The burly mouse looked crestfallen. He didn't have that kind of money.
Kandra leaned in closely. "I can give you seventy coins right now, if you'll let me keep your little lodestone."
"But how will I do magic?" he cried.
She placed a paw on his shoulder. "Don't worry. The beast I told you about says he has lodestones of his own. Better ones. That is why he needs the seventy coins, which I can offer you for this little, insignificant rock of yours. . ."
He seemed to consider this for a moment. Finally, he sighed. "Fine, I'll sell it, but tell me where he lives first."
"Er, he-- He lives on the other side of the sandstone quarry, in, in a small house at the base of a tall hill. Yeah, there should be a patch of daisies on the west side." She pulled the details from her memory, from the time she accidentally stumbled upon a snake's abode. She had barely survived; this dimwit, on the other paw, would most likely not. "Now. . ." Kandra placed a small pouch of money on the bar, opening it to prove that it was real. ". . . Do we have a deal?"
The burly mouse nodded, took the money, and left. Kandra chuckled to herself, feeling quite smart.
~~~~~~~~~
"I hate her," Jaroah said as he removed his tattered shirt and exchanged it for a decent one with sleeves. "She deserved to be conned."
Tobias shrugged. "That's why we picked 'er, Jare. 's what makes the con work." He continued walking, not waiting for his brother to change out of the disguise. They had already lost two days thanks to the incident with Nik Lagdo and Bon Vaygan and the fox. Tobias was not about to waste any more time getting to the abbey.
Jaroah picked up the supplies with a grunt and hurried to catch up with the illusionist. "Gahh, why do y'gotta keep a whole rock in here, Tobias? This thing's stupid-heavy." Indeed, Tobias had made the decision to add the lodestone to their supplies. It was useful and hard to come by and much larger than the one they had sold to the ermine. Unfortunately for Jaroah, it was also heavy.
"Aw, suck it up," said Tobias. "We're like half a mile away from Redhall. Not long now."
Jaroah growled. "Tobias, I took a beating three days ago from Nik! I still have a black eye from it!"
"An' that's my fault?"
"You wanna know what it feels like, Tobias? I'm the one carryin' all the supplies too, plus yore stupid rock."
"That's 'cause yore bigger than me."
"So? I ain't carryin' an extra load fur you. 'specially not after gettin' the tar beat outta me."
"Look, Jaroah, I know you were drinking in that bar. You probably can't even feel it."
Jaroah stopped. He let the supplies drop to the ground and simply folded his arms. Tobias turned around. "Come on. Stop bein' a baby. Pick it up." No response. "Jare." The burly mouse shook his head. "I'm not gonna ask again," said Tobias. Jaroah raised an eyebrow.
~~~~~~~~~
"I'm so glad you offered to carry the supplies, Tobias."
They were walking along the Main Path again. Jaroah was in the lead,arms swinging freely by his sides. Tobias walked behind him, struggling to support the weight of the supplies. He had a new bruise on his right cheek.
"Come on, we're nearly there," Jaroah teased him, pointing to the abbey. "Not that far."
"I hate you," said Tobias through clenched teeth. His breathing was ragged, and it was becoming increasingly clear that he was terribly out of shape. Jaroah chuckled. They both knew Tobias deserved it.
Finally, they arrived. The big mouse knocked on the gate and waited. Tobias collapsed beside him as it opened.