Run, run, run, was the only thought going through my head as the city guard chased me. I had stolen a small bag of apples, now this probably wouldn't normally be an issue, but I'm a known thief. A bit of a famous thief in the Castle walls if I do say so myself, and I do say so myself.

Ever since my parents died, in what appeared to be a fire, I was adopted by an old man. He didn't have much money, in fact he was the one that taught me the basics of stealing.

Never be spotted, if spotted you're not a real good Thief. Once spotted run with the loot, don't drop it, if you do then your hard work will be for nothing. Don't make a sound, be like a cat, never being heard but still agile. Those were all the rules my mentor told me to live by.

And ever since his death I've been staying true to his teachings, that is until today. Someone had tipped off the guards that I was spotted in the South side of the city, and when the guards are tipped of about me they're pretty determined to catch me. To bad they never do.

I ran on the tops of the buildings, the guards out of my sight.

"I got you now!" A guard yelled as he tried to jump at me. He fell on his face, I jumped and stepped on him. He grunted as all my body weight landed on him. I didn't turn back to see if any other guards were catching up, this wasn't the time.
The apples were the loot, you never drop the loot.

As I looked ahead to plan my next movements I saw the building ahead was much taller then the ones I was on. I would need to do something fancy. I looked to my left and the buildings didn't go up any higher either, I would be stuck unless I thought of something quickly.

I saw a ladder, it wasn't fancy but it would have to do. I jumped down from the building. I heard other thuds around me, the guards were upon me. I quickened my pace and ran to the ladder. I ascended it quickly, once up I pushed the ladder back. A guard that was climbing it, fell down yelling, and I saw him fall down on his fellow Guardsmen. It was laughable.

The Captain of the Guard spoke to his men.

"Go around back and try and flank him, were going up." Himself and his men started raising the ladder. I wasn't going to try and run, his other men wouldn't find a way onto this building, and I could easily fight the Captain, his fighting skills were mediocre. I put the apples into my coat, I had made hidden pockets in it.

As the captain began to climb I pushed the ladder back down, he swore. I laughed at him, then jumped down. I unsheathed my dual blades. The other Guards didn't attack me, they knew the Captain had a personal vendetta against me and he wanted to kill me personally.

The Captain stood up, he wiped his mouth, even though nothing was there. I was bouncing back and forth, smiling at him, when I fought the captain I didn't aim to kill. It prolonged our time to hate each other, I wanted to tire him out until the day he died. I wanted him to suffer for accusing me of something I never did.

"So, Thief, I see your finally man enough to face me." He unsheathed his sword.

"So, George, I see your finally fast enough to get within a mile radius of me." I mocked.

He charged at me. I put up a blade to counter his first downward thrust. I then propelled my second blade and drew some blood. He back away and put his hand to the wound.

"Damn you!" He charged me again, George tried to feign an attack left, but he went right. I quickly rolled back. I was on my legs. Bouncing, waiting for him to attack again.

"What's wrong Georgie? Getting tired, need more food, why don't you go home and get it?" I asked him in a mocking tone of voice. My words hit a nerve.

George charged me, I pulled both my blades up to defend myself. He continuously barraged me, never leaving me time to strike. I was going back against a wall. He would have me. I took an extra step back and rolled to the side, he came running after me again.

"Running now are we William?" I didn't speak I just took a few more steps and turned around.

I lashed out with both my blades, both inches away from his face.

"Lucky, your weight held you back." I looked coldly at him. Even though I usually mocked George, only thing that was true was that he was rich, he was not fat. He was built up, strong, but strength did you no good unless you could control it.

George held up his hands, in a sign of surrender.

"Turn around, you can pursuit me another day." George turned around.

His men looked at him, trying to find out wether they should engage me or not. He made no movement to engage me again. He just continued walking away with his men.

"Rm–Gra–Hmmrrmmm." I moan as I awoke in the morning. I took the apples I had stolen from my coat out and ate one, It was cold and juicy, everything I had expected. I looked around my room, it wasn't much but it was all I wanted.

I currently lived in my old mentors home, it was small and didn't have much in it. My mentor was only a thief when he needed to be, he never stole for the hell of it as I did. Stealing for need, not greed, was the only thing I hadn't followed that my mentor tried to teach me.

As I stood there, alone, I let my mind drift away to a place I had not let it go in a long time.

"Eh, William!" I came to attention, the voice was at my door. I walked over to it and opened it. It was Cathy, she was an orphan. I had been giving her food for a month now, she was like a vulture, a cute one. "There you are!" She said cutely.

"Yes, here I am." She smiled.

"Got any food?" The question I was expecting. I nodded and threw her an apple. She looked down at it glumly.

"This is it?"

"Well,yes, I can't always have a feast. Now can I?" I asked indignantly.

"No, but..." She took a bite into the apple. "I just thought you cared about my health..." She said somberly.

"Now, you know as bloody well as anyone that I care about your well being!" I yelled at her. "I'm sorry I'm not king!"

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you angry." She said backing away. A few guards walked around the corner. They walked past me and Cathy, not paying us any attention. Or so I had thought, they then proceeded to unsheathe their weapons and point them at my back.

"I have you now William." It was George.

"Damn," I said, "you got me." Cathy let out a shriek.

"Shut up orphan!" One of the guards yelled out walking to Cathy, I knew if I made a move I would most likely end up with a sword through my heart.

"Ha," George laughed. "two for one, we can throw you both in jail." Cathy was being held by the guard, she was screaming loudly and tried to break free. The guard led her next to me, I knew I didn't have a chance to break free. I would have to accept my fate.