Chapter 1-Life at Night

this is a compleated chapter Its similar to the beginning of the short story I dont have long on computers i will post more when i can Be warned while not many there are mature aspects to this noval

Amelia

 

Chapter 1

 Life at night

 

“Damn” Amelia said as the picture Frame made a loud thud on the floor boards of the third story hallway. As quietly as possible Amelia lay the picture down on the rug that lined the middle of the hallway and then turned back to face the wall. The picture had been hiding a hole... a very deliberate square hole that had been cut into the thick wall. Amelia pulled out a coin pouch and then reached into the hole then withdrew her hand with a fist full of gold coins she did this a few times filling the pouch then, after tying the first pouch to her belt, pulled out another pouch. Amelia began smiling at the slight clinking of the gold coins as they dropped on top of other as she dropped them in the pouch then she began to fill a third. Amelia was an orphan born a raised on the streets with only her wits to survive, she was now a thief a common pickpocket. Or as common as the best pickpocket can be. She wasn’t just the only thief that could break into the third floor of a noble’s house through the front door and get away... she was the only thief that could break into a noble’s house and get away full stop. Amelia didn’t consider her life a bad one it was the only life she had ever known so didn’t have anything to compare it to but she did consider that some people had a slightly better life than her she smiled slightly ‘one of those people will wake up significantly poorer tomorrow’ she thought as she tied her sixth and final coin pouch to her belt. As she turned around she lightly fingered the pendant that hung around her neck it was the only thing she owned even the clothes she wore had been stolen, the pendant she had always had however. Carefully Amelia lifted the picture and held it against the wall hoping the string on the back would catch the hook when she let go. She took a deep breath and released the picture. It fell and Amelia watched as if in slow motion as the picture fell to the floor hard and then the cheap frame hit the floor and burst apart like it was an explosion, it was followed immediately by shouts to Amelia’s left... the direction of the stairs, her entrance and, what had originally been, her exit. Amelia Swore under her breath while she looked around at her options. The hallway was a long one with six evenly spaced doors on either side Amelia was between the fifth door from the stairs on her left and the sixth door from the stairs which was on her right and past that was the end of the hallway which had a window with a simple finger latch. Amelia immediately went to it and opened it directly across from her was a roof that was just a little lower that the third floor she was currently standing on but to reach it Amelia would have to jump the width of the road below. Amelia looked down, the three story drop she would take if she missed the opposite roof and then at the dimensions of the window frame. She would need a run up and would have to crouch to fit through the window. It would be one of the most difficult and dangerous jumps she had ever attempted... but she could do it. She took a few steps back preparing for the run up.

“Hey boy, STOP!” Amelia didn’t turn to face the minor noble’s personal guard but a smile touched her lips. She wore boys clothes for a reason first to not be recognised and secondly... to not be taken advantage of by stronger men. She had found boys clothes to be rather unflattering on her. Amelia ran forward and with a little jump pulled her legs up and sailed through the window then as she started to drop she pushed off from the window sill and toward the roof of the two story building over the road. She landed lightly only just making it but a tile dislodged and she slid back a few inches before stoping and regaining her balance right on the edge of the roof. She flinched as the tiles smashed on the road below and more lights turned on

“Huh!” Amelia scurried forward a bit while she turned to see the guard jump the gap from a crouching position on the window sill. He hadn’t attempted a run up but he was taller and bulkier than the seventeen year old girl. He made the jump but only by grabbing the edge of the roof. Amelia took off away from him as he pulled himself up. More guards were running out of the Manor and climbing ladders to the roof of buildings so they could reach Amelia as she ran lightly jumping from roof to roof. But Amelia seventeen year old legs were no match for those of the fully grown men bent on killing her. They were catching up. Suddenly a guard appeared in front of Amelia. He had obviously run along the streets below and had just climbed the ladder directly next to the point that, Amelia had chosen, to jump from to the next roof. Amelia stumbled slightly to a stop then crouched as the man’s sword sailed over her head were her neck had been barely a moment before. Amelia scuttled back out of reach and as she stood drew twin daggers. Amelia always carried both her daggers but only ever got both out if her current situation demanded a fight. While daggers had their advantages there weren’t many when facing someone trained and armed with a sword as that person could stay well out of range of your daggers but still deliver you with a killing blow. Some could throw daggers like a throwing knife and although Amelia was an expert on the rare occasions when she got her hands on a throwing knife her daggers were waited wrong and throwing them was useless. She couldn’t retreat, she couldn’t go forward, and she was dead if she stayed and fought. ‘S**t’ Amelia thought. She spun the hilt of the dagger in her left hand so the point pointed behind her but kept the point of the dagger in her right hand pointed forward then crossed her wrists both points pointing toward the man in front of her right wrist below her left supporting it. Suddenly she darted forward and to the right swinging her left arm around catching the man in his side he flinched from pain and Amelia gave him a hard Kick sending him of the edge. “So long b*****d!” she yelled after him before jumping the gap to the other roof legs pumping hard to stay ahead of the other guards. Finally she was able to slip silently into an alleyway and stay hidden. It was early morning when the guards gave up searching and the market stalls were opening when she was finally able to stumble home. But she didn’t have a home just two abandoned buildings were she would receive a brutal beating if she couldn’t pay the half gold. Most people made more than one gold if a single sale. People like her struggled to get half although with her newly filled six pouches she should be able to escape a payment beating for the next couple of months.

 

Reviews

[Otsana]

I think that the story is quite interesting and you have put a good amount of detail into it. I also like the fact that you haven't made your character perfect in every way, you have mentioned that the boy's clothes she is wearing arent flattering and that although she is the best at what she does she still knows her own strengths and weaknesses and doeasn't underestimate her enimies strength. Moreover I think it is a great story. Nice write.