The air was soft and cool, bringing with it the distant smell of brine as the air currents twisted and curled along the fields outside town. The wind blew gently between the apple trees and along the wheat fields, as it left the bustling confines of Port Mox it crept ever closer to the low wooden palisade surrounding Daera.
When the breeze arrived, it sent a shiver up Adelaide's spine. The market was busy, packed with people bustling back and forth, browsing and bargaining. But the mass of people did nothing to mute the chill in the air. Winter was surely almost here and it wouldn't be long before the first snows fell. Not a great time of year for those who lived on the streets and in the alleyways.
Not great for people like Adelaide.
The alleyway did its best to block the chill but she knew it was time to get moving, with that thought she stood and stretched, wiped her hands on her pants, and pulled her cap lower across her face. The drab greys and browns she wore would help her blend in, especially in a crowd like this. She smiled to herself, it was time for some fun.
A bump against a rather large man had her pocketing a purse of coins. A few steps later, a silver ring was slipped off a finger. Adelaide paused at the fountain in the centre of the square, resisting the urge to peek at her loot. That was for later, once she was safe.
She had seen children younger than her gawking openly at their ill-gotten gains only to instantly be scooped up by one of the guards. No way was that going to happen to her, she hadn't yet ever been caught and today would not be that day either.
Flexing her fingers, Adelaide hopped down from the edge of the fountain and hunted around her for some small bits of glass and metal. Scrap for the blowers or the smelter could fetch a meal or two if you got lucky enough. It was amazing how little the average townie cared about the garbage scattered across the cobblestones. It also helped keep her out trouble, scavenging may not be an upstanding profession, but it was a far cry better than petty thieving in a guard's eyes.
After a few steps and some bits of metal in her hand she saw boots in front of her. Familiar boots. She took a deep breath and smiled.
"Hello sir. Brisk wind in the air today, wouldn't you say?" She put on her very best and most pleasant voice. The kind she used when she managed to get hired for the day at one of the market stalls. The gruff face that looked back at her was not familiar specifically, she couldn't name the guard, but it was not unexpected.
"What are you doing, girl?" Adelaide giggled inwardly, this was a new guard. Probably fresh off some boat in the port, drawn to Praetoria with the lure of land and glory. Or drawn by the prospect of work, who knows.
"I'm picking up glass and metal sir." She showed him her hands, and all the metal bits in them. It wasn't even a lie, she really was picking up metal presently.
"Why?" The guard looked about two bricks short of an outhouse. And about as wide too, the man's leather jerkin barely covered his gut.
"To bring to the smeltery sir. Make myself some coin and buy some bread, you know?" Her chipper tone turned her own stomach. If this went badly, it wouldn't be the first time she'd gotten a beating for her smart mouth. He would have to catch her first though, and she was fairly confident that would be a little beyond his skill level.
The guard looked her up and down before grunting and waddling off, pike slung over one arm. Adelaide let out a sigh of relief, she was far too hungry to get into a foot race today. Keeping an eye on the guard as he sauntered off, she pocketed the scrap and scooped up more pieces as she walked. Another coin purse here and a loaf of bread off a shop keepers stall had her pockets full by the time she left the market square. She made note of the shopkeeper however, she would be back to slip a few coins into his cart later on. She may be a thief, but she wouldn't take the livelihood of a man with a family.
Bread in hand, Adelaide paused. Maybe now, in a cold alleyway, was not the best place for lunch. Stowing the loaf safely once more, she looked around. The alley simply wasn't inviting, this would not do for a picnic spot. She had done enough work for the day, it was time to find a nice spot to relax and enjoy her meal.
And her loot.
Turning to follow this new line of thinking she ran directly into a man who had entered the alley. Startled, Adelaide recoiled and immediately assumed a defensive posture, hand hovering near the knife she kept hidden on her hip.
The man had a hood pulled over his head, casting shadows across the upper part of his face, leaving his mouth and jawline exposed. The sinister grin told Adelaide enough, she turned and ran, pulling over crates and barrels as she went. The sound of heavy boot-falls from behind spurred her faster.
She jumped over the sleeping form of Jerrycan Jake, who was startled enough to stand up and cause her pursuer to stumble over the disheveled man.
"Thanks Jake!" Adelaide yelled excitedly over her shoulder. Grabbing an old shop sign tightly, she slid around a corner on one knee and underneath a cracked piece of wall into what used to be a basement. She needed to get to the sewers, she knew them better than anyone else in town.
The first sound of splintering wood gave her the extra energy she needed to cross the debris strewn room in record time. An old sewer grate was embedded in the floor here, a grate she very astutely made sure to always keep unlocked for occasions such as this. What lay below was a network of pipes that ran deep below, winding their way downwards like a spiral slide. Not a pleasant escape route but very much a functional one.
As she slammed the grate behind her and threw the chunk of iron in the way of it opening. She paused for a second to catch her breath and tried to listen. A gasp was pulled out of her as the grate was yanked on. Once, twice, then a loud bang as whoever her assailant was seemed a bit angry about losing her.
Adelaide shrugged. Wasn't the first time she'd given someone the slip. Probably won't be the last either. Though usually she did at least know who was chasing her. She wondered who it was and why she was the target.
Shrugging to herself she began to walk deeper into the sewers, pulling the bread out as she went and taking a huge bite.
"Still warm," she mused around a mouthful of bread. Chewing and humming to herself she moved off into the tunnels.
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