Alice trudged on as her parents walked silently through the woods, them moving once more. At this point, she was used to it. Her parents always moved for better location for their jobs as thieves. She sighed as she looked around her. "Can we take a break? We've been traveling since morning and I'm very hungry."
Her father looked at her. "Mm?" He looked at the sky and tried to find the sun's position through the glossy leaves that protected the forest floor from the sun's rays. He sighed when it was a failure for him. "Snatcher" he ordered, "go and find the sun's position."
His Swellow squawked and flew off for a second and then did one of his dances that Alice found quite funny once he came back. However, she didn't laugh. Her parents hated it when she laughed about their dances. They said she'll understand in time.
Her father nodded his head as if he understood the dances. "We'll stop for the night. Get some food. Alice, I'm surprised that you didn't ask to stop around noon. That takes strength."
Warmth flooded Alice's cheeks when she received a compliment from her dad. "Thanks," she muttered as she sat down and accepted the food her mother was giving her.
It was a simple meal that consisted of some thin bread that was cooked the whole way through, some Sawsbuck jerky, and some dried berries. Not anything fancy, but she was used to it. After all they couldn't exactly fit a whole feast in their pockets.
Alice kept quiet, listening to her parents talk about their next job in whispers. She felt a rush of excitement run through her as she listened, wanting to help them. However, she knew the rules. She was already too loud for them to take, they didn’t need her needlessly messing up missions. But it couldn’t hurt to ask. “Can I do something this time?”
Her parents fell silent, the normal reaction they gave when she asked this, before her father spoke up in his hushed tone. “Better you start sooner rather than later. How old are you again?”
She frowned, angry that her own father forgot her age. “Eight,” she replied with a slight edge, her eyes narrowed.
Her father laughed a bit, more of a quiet chuckle. “Of course, how silly of me. You cannot help us while we work yet, but we can start preparing you for it.”
Her mother didn’t seem as enthused as her father was, but Alice didn’t care. She was going to join the family business soon, and she was excited.
The next morning, her training began. Her father was strict but gentle, encouraging her when she got frustrated with herself because she failed to do something properly or on par with him. Which was often.
Her mother didn’t help much, but that was to be expected. She honestly couldn’t care less if her daughter was the best thief in the world or if she was imprisoned during her first heist.
In the span of two years, Alice was working with her parents. For probably their biggest heist yet...
Her father looked at her. "Mm?" He looked at the sky and tried to find the sun's position through the glossy leaves that protected the forest floor from the sun's rays. He sighed when it was a failure for him. "Snatcher" he ordered, "go and find the sun's position."
His Swellow squawked and flew off for a second and then did one of his dances that Alice found quite funny once he came back. However, she didn't laugh. Her parents hated it when she laughed about their dances. They said she'll understand in time.
Her father nodded his head as if he understood the dances. "We'll stop for the night. Get some food. Alice, I'm surprised that you didn't ask to stop around noon. That takes strength."
Warmth flooded Alice's cheeks when she received a compliment from her dad. "Thanks," she muttered as she sat down and accepted the food her mother was giving her.
It was a simple meal that consisted of some thin bread that was cooked the whole way through, some Sawsbuck jerky, and some dried berries. Not anything fancy, but she was used to it. After all they couldn't exactly fit a whole feast in their pockets.
Alice kept quiet, listening to her parents talk about their next job in whispers. She felt a rush of excitement run through her as she listened, wanting to help them. However, she knew the rules. She was already too loud for them to take, they didn’t need her needlessly messing up missions. But it couldn’t hurt to ask. “Can I do something this time?”
Her parents fell silent, the normal reaction they gave when she asked this, before her father spoke up in his hushed tone. “Better you start sooner rather than later. How old are you again?”
She frowned, angry that her own father forgot her age. “Eight,” she replied with a slight edge, her eyes narrowed.
Her father laughed a bit, more of a quiet chuckle. “Of course, how silly of me. You cannot help us while we work yet, but we can start preparing you for it.”
Her mother didn’t seem as enthused as her father was, but Alice didn’t care. She was going to join the family business soon, and she was excited.
The next morning, her training began. Her father was strict but gentle, encouraging her when she got frustrated with herself because she failed to do something properly or on par with him. Which was often.
Her mother didn’t help much, but that was to be expected. She honestly couldn’t care less if her daughter was the best thief in the world or if she was imprisoned during her first heist.
In the span of two years, Alice was working with her parents. For probably their biggest heist yet...
