Her shadow was barely visible in the moon's light. As quiet as the night itself, she wove her way through the palace. This was the life of the thief, sneaking, hiding, stealing, and backstabbing your way through the world. She paused for a moment and leaned against the stone wall. Two guards walked by, talking about the female stripper that had visited the lord that night. Little did they know, that female stripper would be their down fall. She pulled one into the darkness toward her and snapped his neck. Before his comrade could utter a reply, she covered his mouth adn put a knife through his back. She carefully laid the bodies in the shadows, then continued on her way. It would be awhiled before the guards' disappearance would be noticed.
She reached the outer wall of the rich noble's home. Just above, she could see his open window. She smiled; a fire was lit. He would get to see who was responsible for his demise. She chuckled quietly to herself as she pictured his eyes full of fear. She could almost hear his pleas for mercy, but for a man like him, there would only be a torturous death.
She hadn't always been this way. She was once just a peasant girl, dreaming of nothing beyond her village and someday marrying. But that had all changed when the rich noble had visited their hut. That day, she had pretended not to notice how the lord showed a special interest in her mother. She knew it was wrong, but surely this rich man was a man of honor! He would not do anything to bring dishonor on himself. The next day, it was reported that roadside bandits had killed her father while on a trade run. Her mother was grief stricken, and the rich man offered his condolences. A few days later, hea asked the widow to marry him. She flat out refused, saying she could only marry one she loved, and that seh would never love again. The lord, in a fit of rage, stabbed the woman with his might sword, not knowing that a young girl was hiding in the corner, within the shadows.
The rich man would pay now. The woman, no longer the scared and frightened girl, would have her revenge, even at hte cost of her own life. She pulled a rope witha grapple at the end of it from her pack. First, she swung the grapple around, then flung it at the roof. She heard it hit the roof with a dull clunk. She tugged at the rope, making sure it had taken hold of something secure. Then, she began her ascent.
She reached the lord's window. She carefully took a peek inside the room. He was in there all right. He was sitting in a nice padded chair before his fireplace, warm and cozy. She soundlessly swung into the room, creating just a slight breeze that made the curtains billow. She took a piece of cloth she had attached to her belt and held it in both of her hands.
She tiptoed toward the lounging noble, making not even one sound. Then, like a wraith diving out of the night sky, she put the cloth around his mouth, sufficiently gagging him. She quickly wielded a dagger. It was no ordinary dagger, for it had been dipped in poison. She put the dagger to his neck and whispered into his ear, "Get out of the chair."
He did so. She then motioned him to step further away from the chair and closer to the fire. She whirled the fat man around, making him come face to face with her. She removed her mask, revealing the face of a young woman barely in her twenties. "You remember me, don't you? Sure, you know me as the stripper. But do you know who I really am?"
The man shook his head no.
"Well, surely you must remember how you arranged my father to be killed by your men. Do remember how awful my mother and I felt? Yes, you offered apologies to us, but you had something else in mind, didn't you? And when my mother refused you, you killed her."
His face took on a pale shade.
"But you don't remember me being there do you? Well, that was because I was hiding, like a good little thief. It is your fault that I have become an outlaw, a fugitive...a killer." She stopped herself there. She couldn't get emotional now. She needed detachment from her feelings to keep a clear head. She continued, "Hope you liked the show earlier this evening, rich man. Here's one more little pleasure to go with it."
The man's eyes became as round as saucers. He was sure he was going to be killed. Right then and there. Instead, she leaned over and gave the man a passionate kiss. Then, just when their lips released, she plunged the dagger into his back. She maneuvered the nearly dead man back into his chair. She bent over, looked at him eye to eye and said, "The dagger will ensure that you know the pain my mother felt. The poison on it will ensure you will know the pain I have felt for nearly fifteen years, rich man. I hope you like it."