Chapter 11: A Day of Taking

I woke refreshed and glanced at Marie beside me. I sighed and stretched before moving off the bed. She laughed, “up so early?”

I grinned as I headed to the bathing room, “time for me to go work.”

I was filling the larger than normal tub when she walked in, “about time you went back to work.”

She tested the water and stepped in, “sitting around watching me and drinking tea all day.”

I grinned as I knelt to wash her, “I had to convince you to bed me.”

She laughed and caressed my face, “pick me up after I get off?”

I nodded and continued to wash her. After we finished she left and I sat to think before heading out to make rounds. I spoke with people and helped a few before I saw my first prey. Three men working a protecting racket were roughing up an old woman selling sausage and bread. I crossed the street as I pulled my sticks.

The first I took in the back of the head and the second I brought a stick around and into the side of his head. The third I jabbed a stick into his stomach to fold him over before I slugged him. I smiled at the woman before kneeling and tying the men. I pulled them to their feet and got the woman’s name.

The men tried to threaten and I used my stick and beat them about their legs. As we got closer to the guard building they tried to plead and then beg. I shoved them into the building and the commander looked up from something he was reading. I shoved the three men towards a guard that started towards us from the fire, “assault, attempted robbery and extortion.”

I sat across from the commander who chuckled, “finally getting back to work?”

I grinned, “I was getting bored.”

I began my report and he waited, “we have been getting almost daily reports of a street gang down by the docks.”

I looked at him and he shrugged, “robberies with bodily injury and theft.”

I nodded and went back to writing, “I will go take a look.”

After I left I headed to the docks. The old man smiled when I sat beside him, “I thought you left.”

I smiled, “a woman.”

He laughed, “a noble cause.”

I glanced at him, “I heard you had a gang down here causing trouble.”

He glanced up the street leading away from the docks, “see the four young men up by the sundries shop?”

I nodded as I looked, “only four?”

He snorted, “there are another three in the alley further along.”

I stood, “perhaps I should introduce myself.”

I walked up to the sundries shop holding my purse as if to protect it. I went in and talked with the owner who was worried the gang would rob him. When I walked out I started up the street holding my purse again. The gang started following me and when I approached the alley the other three came out to block my way.

One sneered as he pulled his dagger, “give us your money.”

I smiled and pulled my sticks instead, “how about I tie you up and take you to the guard instead?”

They rushed me and I side stepped as I lashed out. I cracked two on the side of their heads before slashing to the side to break the wrist of the man with the dagger. I kicked a fourth in the groin and jabbed one end of a stick into the gut of a fifth. My other stick snapped out and into the forehead of another before I blocked a dagger and slugged the last man in the face.

I looked at the men on the ground around me groaning and put my sticks away before pulling leather strings and tying them up. I kicked and hit them until they were on their feet and started them towards the guard building. I kept having to prod them along until I began to hit them in the shins with a stick.

When I shoved them into the building several guards followed us in and laughed as they pulled them away. I grinned as I sat to write out another report, “attempted robbery and assault with a dagger.”

The commander grinned, “since you are working...”

I looked at him and he shrugged, “we have been having a lot of thefts in the farmers market, sneak thieves mostly.”

I nodded and went back to writing. It was almost lunch time when I reached the market and leaned against a stall. I watched the market for several minutes before I had an idea who the thieves were. I straightened and started across for a spice stall as three young men walked to it from two directions.

While two bumped into each other and began arguing the third used the distraction to start lifting the small pouches of spice. I pulled my sticks as I reached the stall and lashed out and into the head of the third man before jabbing into the stomach of one of the others. I brought my other stick around and into his head.

I kicked out into the groin of the last man as he reached for dagger. I brought a stick down on his head and glanced around at the merchants before bending to tie them. I pulled the stolen pouches of spice from the first man and tossed them to the merchant and got his name. I yanked the men to their feet, “I thought I warned you not to return.”

I started them walking and used a stick to prod them along as they began begging and whining. When I pushed them through the door the commander turned from talking to a magister, “already?”

I shoved the three towards a guard, “robbery and attempted robbery. Remember the men I caught and had to let go for the information about Countess MacTav?”

The commander looked at the men and smiled, “they came back, how nice.”

After I wrote out the report and sanded it I stood to stretch, “time to find lunch.”

The magister smiled as he read my report, “there is a new cook across the square.”

I grinned, “that is good because I did not want to have to hunt something down.”

They laughed as I walked out and went across the square. I was eating when the large man walked in and began arguing with another customer. I tried to ignore them until the first man pulled a knife and stabbed the other. I stood and pulled my sticks as the man turned. He sneered as I stepped away from my table and slashed out at me.

I brought one stick down to break his wrist and stepped in to lash out and into the side of his head. After he dropped to the floor I knelt and tied him before searching him, the man he stabbed was dead. I took a thick leather wallet and a heavy pouch of gold before taking his dagger and pulling him to his feet as he began to fight the leather ties.

I cuffed him and shoved him towards the door. He was still trying to fight and get loose when I shoved him through the door of the guard building. The guard by the door slugged him and started cuffing him as he pushed him towards the door into the cells. The commander was looking at me and frowning as I crossed to his table, “murder.”

He blinked and glanced at the closing door, “across from the guard building?”
I nodded as I pulled a piece of parchment to me, “in front of several witnesses.”

He shook his head and waited until I was done to read the report. I thought I had done enough for one day and headed towards Maria’s tea shop. I walked into the marketplace as four men attacked a woman. I turned and started for them as the crowd moved back. They were laughing as she screamed and struggled while her blouse was ripped.