A group of thieves

When she reached the bridge, she was out of view of the smoking man. She tiptoed across it, hoping that the sounds of the lake and the boats tapping on wood would mask her footsteps.

She climbed the stairs as quiet as possible. Each creak in the warped, wooden steps made her cringe. They caused her a sharp breath.

She needed to be silent, no doubt there'd be sharp ears up there. These were the best thieves in the land.

About halfway up, she had a look over the lake, hearing the gentle waves slap against the supports of the building.

She took in a deep breath and continued to climb.

As she rounded the corner to the top floor, she felt the cold, sharp steel of a blade gently touching her throat.

“Who are you?” the man behind her asked. His voice was deep, sharp “What do you want?”

“I—” Samia composed herself. “I came to join you. I’ve been searching for you since you left Ashforth.”

“You…” the man let out a soft chuckle. “You want to join the Shadow Blades?" He laughed a little louder. "I saw you a mile away. I smelled your expensive perfume all the way up here. I heard your approach up every step. You really think you have what it takes.”

Samia gulped down the embarrassment of her inexperience. “Yes,” she let out a whisper. Her heart juddered at the thought of his blade slitting her throat right here, right now. What was stopping him from doing that?

The man let out a few more laughs, before settling. “Well, I have nothing better to do tonight. Come on in, let’s see what the others make of you.”

The man retracted his knife, and they headed up the rest of the stairs and through the door.

The dimly lit room was filled with the thick aroma of pipe smoke and the muffled sounds of hushed conversations. The Shadow Blades were a notorious band of rogues who operated all across Hellsmere, moving from town to town when they were found out by the authorities. Some fantasized about them, others were disgusted by the mere mention of the name.

“Who do you have here, Reynaldo?” The man who spoke had short black hair, and grey eyes, he wore thick gold earrings and a black shirt, with half the buttons undone, showing the dark hairs on his chest. “We’re supposed to be keeping a low profile, no visitors.”

“Don’t worry, Lexo, she’s a new recruit,” said Reynaldo. He nudged Samia in the back until she walked into the centre of the room.

She got her first look at Reynaldo. He was handsome, with long black hair and a dusting of stubble, he smelled a little fresher than the others.

“You’re serious?” Lexo’s eyebrow rose, and one side of his lip did too, into a smirk.

“She wants to be a thief.”

The room was dark and dim, and Samia only just realised there were three more men sitting on the floor with their backs to the wall. They wore hoods that concealed their faces. Somehow they seemed to wear them better than Samia wore hers. Perhaps there was an art to wearing it properly.

How many more men were in here?

“Is that so?” Lexo asked her.

“Yes,” Samia replied, suddenly feeling a little intimidated. “I’ve followed you; I want to become part of your society, and travel around Hellsmere with you. I want to learn how to be a thief.”

Lexo looked at Reynaldo and they both smirked.

“You stolen much before?” Lexo asked.

“A few things.”

“What was the most valuable thing you ever stole?”

Samia gulped, realising what an amateur she must seem in front of all these experienced thieves. She looked down at her feet. She was no good at lying. “I’ve never stolen a thing. I was hoping you would teach me.”

There were a few laughs around the room. There were more voices than the men she'd seen so far. There must've been at least a dozen of them in here. Judging from the deep voices of their laughs, they were all men.

“What we do can’t be trained. You either have it... or you don’t,” said Lexo. “I’m afraid we can’t help you. You need to learn for yourself. If you can, maybe we’ll take you in future.” He dismissed her with a hand, looking away.

“But—” Samia looked around, realising Lexo couldn’t be talked around.

She turned for the door. This was supposed to be her new life. She’d spent weeks, months tracking these men down. If it had to be this way, so be it, she’d steal something valuable, then be back here to brag about it.

“What if…” Reynaldo blocked her path.

“What?” Lexo asked.

“What if we keep her around. Maybe training her could be… entertaining.”

The two of them shared a devious grin.

“She’d better be very entertaining if we have to put that amount of effort in,” said Lexo. He turned to Samia. “You want to stick around? You're serious that you have what it takes?”

Samia nodded like a good dog, smiling with enthusiasm.

“Alright, well you can provide the entertainment tonight. Dance for us.”

Samia's eyes narrowed slightly, realizing where this was headed. "What do you mean?"

“Are you deaf, girl? Dance. Let’s see how you move. Put on a show for us.”

A mischievous glint flickered in Lexo's eyes as he continued, "You don’t get into the Shadow Blades just by being a thief. You have to have a talent for the arts, too."

Reynaldo chuckled, gesturing to a makeshift stage in the corner of the tavern. "We've got a little tradition around here. Show us your moves, darling. Dance for us, and if you impress, you're in."