Excerpt 6: Leader of Thieves

by Jevon

Baron pushed his empty plate back and took a final drink from his goblet. He placed it on the table and licked his lips. Feeling satisfied, he leaned back on his wooden chair and cleaned his teeth with his tongue. The chair creaked under his more than average weight. He took out a rag from his pocket and wiped his face and then passed it over his bald head.

He looked around the chamber. The fire crackled in the fire place keeping the cold night air out. He looked up at the ceiling and nodded his head while thinking about his new prize. Yes, he thought, this King Larsen should fetch me a great ransom indeed. It was about time that he got a large reward for his troubles. Being the leader of these thieves was not an easy job. He was sure that his men weren’t just stealing from that wasted village and anyone else they came across, but they were also stealing from him. Why would they do such a thing? He had promised them thirty percent of all findings, a fair enough deal. Yet there were still disagreements.

He almost didn’t find that pricey gold necklace that one of his henchmen had swiped from that girl’s neck. He took the necklace out of his pocket and observed it. Segmented triangles formed a chain that secured a large triangular pendant. He guessed he could understand why someone would not want to give it up. It looked like it was worth his weight in gold.