The young thief scratched his head in confusion. "Whada ya mean?" he asked, yawning as he lifted himself out of his bed and stumbled into the bathroom.
Xepher stalked angrily after him. "I mean," he declared, "that I came to visit you at three in the morning last night, and you weren't here! Where could you have been but a brothel? Why didn't ya at least ask me if I wanted to come?" He stood in the bathroom door as Xicanti relieved himself, waiting expectantly for an answer.
Xicanti was unsure of what to say to his brother. Much to his surprises, he found that he had no desire to tell him about Cahra just yet. "I was at The Hero's Conquest," he lied as he pushed past Xepher into the room and made for the closet.
For the most part, Xepher was satisfied. "Now that we've got that settled," he said, drawing himself up to his full height, "there's the matter of the guards that I've been sent to tell you about."
Xicanti wriggled a tunic over his head, then looked out at his brother. "What 'bout the guards?"
"They want us to help 'em find more weaknesses in their defense of the Palace. You know, so evil Jedi an' assassins can't get in. The captain sent me to get ya, since he figured it'd be better practice to try an' catch two thieves than just one. But of course, when I got here, you were still sleepin'!" He glared at Xicanti in mock anger. "You have any idea what time it is?"
Xicanti shook his head. "Other than that it's after four in the morning, no," he replied.
"It's already eleven! Almost noon!"
Xicanti had never been one to sleep in late; it wasted too much of the day. This time, however, he found that he was not particularly angry with himself for it. That was tiring last night! he thought, deliberately letting Xepher overhear the internal dialogue. The look on the other's face was worth it. Xicanti grinned at him and thought, :Just kidding!: Xepher's look was not one of satisfaction.
The two boys talked as Xicanti got ready to leave. He took a long time, having decided to make Xepher wait. Bugging him isn't very nice, the young thief thought, but it sure is fun! He was careful not to let his twin hear his thoughts this time.
Xicanti was soon ready to go, and so they headed off to the guardroom. It was a relatively long way; the trip took them nearly half an hour at walking speed. As was his way, Xicanti spent the time teasing his brother.
"So," he asked casually, "why exactly were you looking for me at three in the morning?"
Xepher replied simply, " I found a nice mechanic who was willing to show me a few things. I wanted to tell you about her."
Xicanti glanced at him. "She pretty?"
"Beautiful. And very vigorous!" Xepher grinned. "Not in the way I wanted, though." He sighed and shook his head. "All we did was knife-fight. She's married, but she has a strange passion for it."
The thieves walked a little farther in silence, until Xepher broke it. "Why do you sleep naked?" he asked. "You never used to before, in all that time we shared a muddy blanket."
Xicanti shook his head. "All you think of is naked people and sex," he grumbled to his twin. "You're horny, and that's all there is to it."
Xepher looked over at Xicanti curiously. "You don't wanna answer me," he said slyly. "That means there's gotta be a sort of a secret involved somehow. And, since ya know me, you'll understand that I have to pester you 'til you tell me." He grinned. "It's what you'd do yourself, and everyone 'knows' that identical twins like us do similar things all the time." He quickly added, "Only I don't sleep naked."
Xicanti let out another sigh. "You really are most damnably like me!" he grumbled. "Okay, I'll tell ya why I sleep naked. I don't think normal people sleep in their clothes, an' I don't have any of those pajama things. So I sleep naked." He grinned over at his brother and added as a joke, "Plus if a beautiful woman - who wasn't married - happened to walk into my room while I was asleep, she'd see how gorgeous I look with my chest exposed!"
Xeph laughed and shoved Xicanti off to one side of the corridor. Xicanti shoved back, and the two were soon engaged in an all out combat in the empty hall. "We haven't done this in ages," Xepher panted as he tried to get his brother off of him. "I'd forgotten how much fun it could be." He succeeded in getting Xicanti off of him and pinned against the wall. "Especially when you're winning!"
Xicanti just smiled at his brother and, with one fluid motion, hooked a leg around both of Xeph's, jerking it into the backs of his twin's knees. A cursing Xepher was sent flying.
Xicanti stood over his brother, victorious. "You're right!" he commented. "It is better when you're winning!" He grinned down at Xepher and helped his brother up.
The young thief was exhausted by the time his appointment with Cahra came around. Luke had decided to use the day's lesson to learn what Xicanti knew as far as acrobatics went. Xicanti had been the finest gymnast in his den, yet had never worked on such things for two-and-a-half hours straight. After the lesson, he had decided that he felt ready to drop down and die blissfully. He had still made his way down through the levels, though.
Xicanti was once more perched upon the ledge below Cahra's window. He carefully adjusted his illusion, taking great pains in its placement and thanking whoever was listening that such projections were not taxing on energy.
Having made sure his appearance was as it should be, Xicanti checked the throwing knives strapped across his chest. They were by far his favorite weapons, and had seen much use. Fondly, the young thief remembered back to the day he had stolen the magnificent weapons. He had slipped quietly into one of the best-guarded houses on the second level, at Rettar's bequest, in his never-ending search for things which would remove him from the den master's bad-books. He had been only eight years old then, and had taken all the best trinkets, ensuring his keep at the cellar for a good while yet. He had been walking through one of the larger rooms, searching for other interesting objects, when he had come across a place filled with the most beautiful things he could have imagined.
The items were made from metal, for the most part, and had had their edges made into a thin, sharp line. They covered the room, their near endless variations holding him in awe as he traveled about, examining them with the utmost care. The little boy had had a difficult time trying to decide what to focus his attentions upon... until an undeniably lovely piece caught his eye and held it.
It was an odd contraption, belt-like in nature and displayed upon a fake torso. Two straps, covered in small sheaths, were cris-crossed over the fake chest in an unusual manner. Xicanti crossed the room and touched the black leather reverently. He soon discovered a small knife inside each sheath; fascinated, he drew one out and examined it. Upon finding it to his satisfactions, the little boy took the belts off of the model shrugged his own small torso into them. They had not fit well at all, yet the much younger Xicanti had been no less pleased with them. Much to his increased pleasure, Rettar let him keep them upon his return to the cellar as a reward for the night's excellent haul.
A few days later, Sharstas had taught him that the belts were called bandoleers, and the knives were special ones made for throwing. He had taught the boy their use, and within a few months Xicanti had been able to out-throw even the veterans of the sport, who sat around the tavern drinking and telling him tall tales.
After seven years, the young thief's torso had grown to fit the bandoleers, and his aim with the knives had only improved. Xicanti smiled as he thought of that. It's damn good to know you're the finest of your craft, he thought to himself. With that in mind, he hoisted himself over the ledge into Cahra's room.
His friend was waiting for him, a strange shape at her side. Xicanti was unsure of what it was at first, but soon recognized it. It was a dog, very like the ones many house owners used as guards. They were cheaper than 'droids or mercs, so were perfect for guarding the estates. Or so they think, Xicanti thought with a mental smile. I've never had any trouble with them.
This dog certainly did not look as if it was guarding anything. It stood calmly, its tongue lolling out of its mouth as Cahra scratched behind its ears. It was a fairly large creature, with floppy brown ears and a kind expression on its face. The large, furry body had what could be considered a white basecoat, with brown patches over the ears, front paws, back and tail. All in all, it was a magnificent creature, equal to the horses.
The dog surprised Xicanti by walking away from Cahra's side and snuffling his hand. Uncertainly, Xicanti placed said hand upon the top of the dog's head and scratched at the ears. Its eyes slitted in obvious pleasure. Despite himself, the young thief found that he liked this strange creature immensely. He bent down to his knees and scratched at the head with both hands. The dog shoed his appreciation by flopping over on the startled boy, knocking him down.
Cahra smiled. "He likes you!" she exclaimed. "That's pretty unusual, you know. Odin doesn't like anyone. Dad thought he'd make a good guard dog because of that, but the poor thing's too friendly to want to hurt anyone. He's just a little ornery around some people. So I got him as a pet." She reached down to Odin's head and helped Xicanti with the scratching. "I named him Odin, since that seemed like a good enough name for him. Certainly better than Gog, which was his last name."
Odin let out an agreeable woof, showing his approval of the name change. :She really did do good when she changed it,: the dog said to Xicanti. :I'm much happier as Odin than I was as Gog. Now, scratch just a little over... yes, that's it!: Xicanti obligingly moved his hand around until it was correctly placed, then left it at that.
Cahra looked up at her friend. "Well?" she asked. "Are you going to teach me how to be a thief or not? We only have four hours, you know!"
Xicanti grinned at her. "Getting impatient, are we?" he teased, mentally asking Odin to get off his lap. The dog did as he had been asked, transferring himself to the comforts of the bed. The young thief rose and asked, "What do you want to learn first?"
She shrugged. "Whatever's most important, I guess."
"That'd probably be pickin' pockets. It's kinda hard to teach, though, especially when ya've only got two people. D'ya have any brothers or sisters who'd keep quiet if they were used for practice?"
Cahra shook her head. "It's just me, I'm afraid," she replied apologetically.
"Hmm... we've gotta improvise, then. Maybe one of those dummies with bells and those sorts of things on 'em in... Yeah, that might work. I don't carry a dummy around with me, though. You have one?"
Once again, Cahra didn't.
"Okay then." This was turning out to be more difficult than Xicanti had thought. What can I teach her that doesn't require a third person? he asked himself.
:What about moving quietly?: Odin asked. :It seems to me that that would be fairly important.:
Xicanti gave the dog a mental grin. :That's it!: he exclaimed. :Thanks.:
:Don't mention it,: replied Odin, who promptly dropped off again.
"I'll teach you how to walk quietly, then," Xicanti told the girl. "That'll only take two people, and it's pretty easy once ya get started."
Cahra looked dubious. "I've tried to walk quietly on my own before," she said, "but it never seemed to work. Some part of me was always making a sound."
"That's just 'cause you've never had a master thief for a teacher before!" Xicanti replied with a grin. "I'll have you walkin' without a sound by the end of hour."
He made good on his promise. Before the hour was over, Cahra had mastered the art of stepping quietly and silencing her clothing. "It's amazing!" she exclaimed. "I never would have thought that I could move like that." She smiled at Xicanti. "You're a great teacher."
Xicanti shrugged, trying to be modest. The last thing he wanted was for Cahra to think he was vain. "I've just had lots a practice, that's all," he replied. "There're some situations where makin' noise could put your life in jeopardy. It's not just an interestin' skill to master at those times - it's a survival tactic."
Cahra nodded. "Have you ever come close to being killed?" she asked.
"A couple of times, yeah," the young thief replied, thinking back on those situations with something less than enthusiasm. "I guess the first time I was almost dead was when me an' Xepher - that's my brother - were tryin' to sneak into one of the theaters they show the movies in. We did it all the time when we were kids, so it wasn't really a problem for us. We just went up to the counter and told the lady our little brother'd run in, and we really needed to get him or else he might go into one of the cells with the porno holos in it, and our mother'd never forgive us. She always let us in. She probably figured out we were lyin' after the first couple a times, but she let it go." He smiled at the memory. "All this went fine, 'till the theater went all-porn, and the weirdoes started to go.
Due to its length, this chapter is divided into two parts. Please click on the "Next" button to view the second part.
Copyright 1998, Jadis Darkmore
