• Her bells were ringing beautifully.

    She flew through the air as a bird in first flight, unbound by the world or gravity. A feeling ever so free, it made her feel alive.
    She had to consider, no doubt, where she was going. If she took a wrong turn, then how would she be able to shine in her winnings?
    Over the roofs she jumped. Three steps at a time, no, now four. Was it five? She knew where she was by how far the roof tops were getting. Her time flying was wearing thin, and she had to take in what she could.
    She was counting her steps, and she realized she was on her last roof. With that, she jumped so far, her bells started to ring again. The song of the last birds’ flight.

    Thump

    She was so graceful and well- balanced that she didn't get a single scratch or pain.
    The thief stood in the middle of the street. She walked forward, with her hands out, and felt for anything. The moon was buried under the silk clouds that nothing was visible. When she didn't feel anything, she widened her eyes and dashed forward.

    Thirteen, twelve eleven

    She counted every two steps. When she reached one she made a sharp right.

    Ten, nine

    When she hit two she slowed down and made a left. Seven more steps she made another sharp left. This was straight in an ally.
    She walked in the ally and heard noises all around her. The moon shone once more pass the silk clouds. With that, she walked into the middle of the ally.
    Her winnings were in her hand, and she looked around. She was about to call out when she realized that would reveal her location. Instead, she shook her had ruthlessly. Her bells rang so loud and beautiful that anyone awake at this hour would think that a bird from heaven has flown down to bless them. Anyone, except this group.

    "Neven!" four voices shouted. They were soon hushed by the thief. The voices were silenced, and the thief giggled.
    "Come here you guys"
    Two bodies grabbed her legs and barricaded her.
    "Oh, Neven, we missed you!" shouted the young voice. He was the youngest of the four, and his name was Gilo. "We heard the sirens, we were so scared!"
    "Do you think that anyone could capture the great Phantom Thief Neven?" complained an older voice. She wasn't that much older than Gilo, Myko her name was, but she acted like it. "She's too good for that, we all know that!"
    "Now now guys," spoke Neven "just because I took longer than I normally do doesn't mean I was captured. I just.....had a little fun, is all". She mildly blushed.
    "Yeah yeah. Stop stalling and fork over the goods" cried an older voice. Brent, the rudest of the bunch, had four years on Myko, and five on Gilo. He acted like a big shot around Neven.
    "Brent! You shouldn't be so mean to her!" Myko protested.
    "Well" Neven interrupted "he can do what he wants." She broke free from the two binding her and walked up to Brent. Neven bent down to his height til they were nose-to-nose. "If he does what he wants, then I’ll do what i want and not give him his treat."
    Neven felt Brent blush as the heat radiated off his skin. The young ones giggled when he turned away with his arms folded.
    "Hey is the older one here too?" asked Neven. She knew, she could feel his presence that he was here. But she had a thing for quiet kids. She stood up and walked around with her hand over her eye like she couldn't tell. "Oh where oh where is he?" The kids giggled.
    "I'm over here, Neven." whispered the last one. His name was Jax, and though he was the oldest he was the shyest one of them all. He had three years on Gilo, but Gilo had him beat in volume.
    "Very good. Let's start."

    Neven walked to the left wall of the ally and sat down, leaning against the wall for support. The others soon followed her. She opened her bag of winnings, and searched around.
    "Okay, lessee here....." She grabbed something small and round. It was kinda bumpy, and she knew exactly what it was. "Here's a melon for Myko and Gilo....." she tossed to them and went back into her bag. Another round object, two of them actually, and she pulled them out. "Two granny apples for Brent..." she threw them at him. His face was in scorn.
    "Hey, Neven, where's my third one?" She remembered that her bag was lighter when she was captured by the Guardsmen.....
    "Don't be so rude Brent!" Myko yelled.
    "Hey, Big-Mouth, Be lucky i got you anything. I was in there minding my own business when the Guardsmen came. Since yours was last on the list, i didn't know if i should get the red ones or the rotten ones." The children giggled as Brent crunched into his apple.
    "Last but not least, A loaf of bread for Jax! It’s the freshest one they got, still kinda warm too! Enjoy" She passed it to him, and he just stared at it.
    The others munched away.
    Nothing gets past Neven.
    "Hey, Jax, what's the matter?" He still looked at it. Then he tore the bread in half, and gave it to Neven. She stared at his offering, smiled warmly to him, and took it graciously.

    "So, Neven, whatcha get this time." Myko asked. Neven was thrilled. She loved telling about her winnings.
    "I got a very special prize today." she said as she reached the bottom of her bag. She pulled out three gems, all different sizes, all different colors. Myko was wide-eyed and awed.
    "Wow, Neven, these are so pretty!" She picked up the middle sized one. It was deep red like a ruby, but at the same time, clear. She gazed at it until Gilo asked for it. Myko handed it over and grabbed the next. This one was the smallest, but Myko didn't care. This one was the color of a soft sapphire. Marvelous and inviting.
    "Neven! I like this one the best! It's the same color as your eyes!"
    "Why thank you, dear Myko" The young girl smiled. The last one was the biggest and the brightest. It was an emerald and shone in its brilliant beauty against the moonlit night.
    Brent decided to join the two-man - or should i say woman - conversation.
    "Neven, how are you able to steal food and shiny gems and escape Two-Star Guardsman Peet and jump roof-to-roof and everything, if you're blind?"