Stepping Wild (Dungeon Runner 04)

Tibs caught sight of the occasional guard through the small window. He sensed four of them, plus her in his attic. The fabrics that made out his costumes were no longer hanging from where he stored them. Their essence was pooled on the floor, ripped. That meant he wouldn't be the Nimble Roamer until he remade the costume.

She stood before the chimney, watching them, as far as he could tell from her position. The muddling meant he couldn't sense if she shifted, or where she looked. Being clever enough to figure out where his hideout was meant that getting what he needed for his costume could be complicated. She'd seen what they destroyed. So she'd know to be looking for merchants dealing in those fabrics. Probably was already planning to watch for any theft of them.

Amusement mixed with his annoyance at how easily he'd dismissed her because of how young she was. Even knowing she'd tracked him without help hadn't made him take her seriously. He should have known better. How often had he taken advantage of looking like a child? Of being one?

He'd been clever even back then.

He couldn't think of one time when he'd been outsmarted. His failed plans had been due to his lack of experience and other events interfering.

The brand itched at the reminder and he barely kept from scratching it.

The one thing they hadn't found were his coins. Earth essence made it easy to reset the stones that made the disused chimney, so his work couldn't be noticed. Even by her standing so close, out of the way of the guards still tearing apart the room. Having moved on to the boxes and crates that had been there when he moved in.

This left him with the scholar's costume, in the room he'd paid for as him, the clothing he wore, and the coins he'd collected throughout the day. Until he knew if she'd already arranged to have to room watched, he couldn't risk going for the hidden coins there.

A guard stepped up to her, his front muddling as he stepped close enough to be in the green stone's range. His motions were sharp, indicating the chimney, Tibs through. When she didn't move the guard joined the others to their destructive search.

Had she ordered him back to work? Kept him from wasting time searching the clearly unaltered chimney? Or….

He went over what the guards did. How they went about it. The destruction didn't help in capturing the Nimble Roamer, which was her goal. All it did was give him what they left of his costumes. Some of the papers he'd used to make his fake ones. Fortunately, any with the scholar's name were in his room.

This felt more that she had to stand there while they worked. Forced to watch any chance she might have to catch him vanish. The Roamer would realize the room was watched, would see the destruction by peeking in. Then he'd changed everything about how he worked.

She'd gone to them with what she'd worked out. She'd have no choice. After her capture on the roofs, he doubted she could afford to act without the city's approval. She had probably laid out her plan to catch the Roamer when he returned to his hideout, only for the guard to rush there for any proof they could parade in front of the citizens, show the city leaders as proof they had done their jobs.

They'd made sure she couldn't catch the Roamer anymore. Even if she caught Tibs entering, all she'd have was a thief, not her quarry.

Not that the city leaders would care.

The only reason, as far as Tibs could think, they hadn't executed an innocent, claiming he was the Roamer, was they he still performed his crimes. They needed to stop that before they could make the claim he'd been caught.

This came too close to making that happen.

The first thing was to get his coins. Once they left, he'd have to be attentive for anyone watching the building. He didn't sense people in the alleys or the roofs, other than the roof watchers at their posts, without line of sight on the building. Unfortunately, the road it was on was a well traveled one. All it would take for skilled watchers to remain unseen were a few changes of clothing, maybe as simple as different colored cloaks, caps and shoes, and they could walk a circuit that even he wouldn't be able to notice.

Once he had his coins, he'd need a new hideout.

He should have set up backups. He used to alway have more than one, but it had been years since he'd needed them. He'd made the mistake that got many thieves caught. He'd grown overconfident. If not for his essence, he could have gone up to the window before noticing anything was amiss.

And then have to run for his freedom.

He needed to quickly remake the Nimble Roamer's costume. Something else he should have had many of; hidden throughout the city. Too many years without being caught; without even coming close to being caught. At least his lesson was only costing him a few days's delay. They would be busy, but he'd have what he needed remade in time for his next performance, after the theft of the guard's silvers.

The only things intact when the guards left were the floor, walls, roof, and the chimney, and that was only from her keeping them from wasting their time on it.

He had still out-smarted her.

He stopped the forming smile.

She'd worked out too much for his confidence to be justified. Once he had his coins, he could rejoice at her not being as clever as she thought.

The guards left carrying items to prove they had done their work. The ink pot and quills. A few scored coppers he'd been practicing on, hoping to make them look enough like those on the Street he could slip them there unnoticed. And the Roamer's ripped cloak and vest, holding them up for people to see.

Proof they'd finally stopped the Roamer.

He couldn't wait for the city folks' reactions during his next performance. Two days were ample for the city's proclamation to reach everyone, and his reappearance would show their incompetence.

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How often could they discover the Roamer's hideout, claim they'd caught him, until no one believed them? How would that then affect any claims they made as to what was best for the city's people?

If he made sure she was the one finding them, how long until the city stopped letting her work here? Until she lost confidence in what she knew about him? A few extra costumes, coins left behind, the time to create the evidence he'd worked there for a while. He had plenty of coins hidden in the chimney to cover what he'd need to make that happen, and still hand over what he'd promised the quiet rebellion, and he'd remake that cost with only a few thefts of silvers.

She left the attic with the last guard, and he readied himself. She would have to signal whoever she'd hired. If she didn't, he'd act quickly and she wouldn't know she'd missed him. At the steps, she stopped and turned. The guard grabbed her arm, and she wrenched it out. He couldn't tell if the argument turn heated, but it ended with her heading back in while the guard went down the stairs.

She had a knife in hand by the time she reached the chimney. She carefully pried a stone out, then another. A third and she could put her arm in. She felt about, and just as Tibs figured he'd outsmarted her again, she felt up, touching the metal grate that kept small thieves from entering this way. She removed the stones above it until the hole was large enough for her to take the three leather bags out.

Tibs couldn't think of anything to do while she studied the knots keeping them closed; he hadn't opened them yet, as he hadn't needed those coins. She tied the bags together and put them over her shoulder before leaving.

She stopped at the edge of the door, peeking out. Two guards were on the other side of the street, talking. When a group of people passed between her and them, she fell in with them.

He followed her from the roofs. He only lost sight when he had to avoid the roof watchers, but never sense of her. Even without the bags of coins, the muddling the stone cause made her distinctive among the rest of the people.

That she hadn't handed them to the guards meant she might not be as honest as she seemed. Maybe she hadn't targeted him so she could stop his crimes, but because she knew he had a lot of coins and wouldn't be able to set the guards on her.

That felt wrong.

He'd encountered her twice before, in cities months apart if she traveled by road. If she used the platforms? There weren't enough silvers in those bags to cover that cost over more than a few uses.

And she was good enough to have tracked him, found his hideout. That meant should could charge gold for her skills. Or possibly electrum, due to her young age. She had mentioned this would help her prove herself to others.

And if this was a con, which he didn't think it was, she could still make more than those bags contained in less time.

But her lack of honesty put her in the same position she'd put him. When he stole them back, she couldn't go to the guards. She would be after him again, once the Nimble Roamer resurfaced, possibly working harder to make up for the humiliation of having been outsmarted, but he'd learned enough about how she thought she wouldn't get close to him a second time.

She was on the transportation platform before Tibs realized where they were. When an Attendant looked out the door of the building they resided in, she motioned impatiently. The man didn't hurry to her and then didn't seem ready to agree to what she wanted until she produce a folded paper and he read it.

Tibs saw disbelief on the man's face, then shame. He nodded as he handed it back, and, again, before Tibs realized what was happening, golden light surrounded them, then faded away.

She'd taken his coins out of the city. Worse. Out of his reach!

His dismay faded, and he held back the laugher long enough to confirm he was the only one on this part of the roofs. He'd been outsmarted by someone half his age.

Then the consequences settled on him, and his mirth vanished.

All he had were the coins on him.

Tibs could manage with little. Picking pockets let him get food and he had the scholar's lodging to stay in.

But the Roamer? He couldn't get the money for the clothing needed in time for his performance, and anything but a perfect replica would be declared as someone else attempting to keep the Roamer alive. Stealing them was a problem. She might be gone, and the guards not overly clever, but there would be people the city leaders employed who'd have worked out where those clothes could be obtained.

And he couldn't get the silvers quiet rebellions were expected in time for the morning's delivery. Not unless he was willing to steal from the city's merchants. He also couldn't go to them to explain the situation. As Tibs, he'd be nothing more than someone suspicious, taking advantage of the situation. As the Roamer, explaining he'd been outsmarted by a child would erode whatever confidence they had in him. At least enough they might decide they needed to know more about who he was.

He didn't want to steal from the merchants.

The nobles?

With only a few hours to find a house, get in, avoid everyone, get their coins and leave? Without leaving them suspicious essence had been involved? If him rushing this didn't result in getting caught and having to fight his way out. It would result in adventurers being called in.

He cursed. The merchants were victims; they didn't deserve to be robbed. But what else could he do. He had to deliver the coins he'd promised them.

Or did he?

He looked at the platform, toward his hideout.

The Roamer had been stopped. The criers would spread the news well before the sun touched the top of the walls. If he'd been stopped, he couldn't deliver the coins.

He couldn't abandon them like this. They needed him.

Didn't they?

He sat and breathed. It had been a long time since he'd resorted to Oneness to settle his emotions, but he needed it now.

He chuckled. Don would have a lecture for him about how Oneness wasn't something to pull out as needed. It was a way of living, something that he needed to incorporate into all aspects of what Tibs did.

And considering how often his temper got the better of him, Don would be right.

But Tibs was too busy to devote the months to practicing it until he always did it.

But he breathed now and used that to expel his frustration. He breathed, and he expelled the responsibilities he'd put on himself. He breathed and expelled the worry about what would happen without him to hold everything in place.

There was someone holding thing in place. The unknown mastermind of the quiet rebellion. The one whose plan was already in motion.

The one who needed the coins Tibs provided.

But did he?

He breathed and expelled the need he had to be the one to solve everything.

His coins helped, money always helped. But how much of what they'd asked for was truly needed? The mastermind was too clever to ask for the minimum.

He breathed and expelled his doubts.

He had to be to set all of this in motion.

Did they have the minimum they needed? Surely they did. As much as they wanted? Probably not, but he had delivered more than half the amount he'd promised.

He breathed and expelled the unexpected disappointment.

They didn't need him.

But his research needed him.

He breathed and expelled his certainty.

When was the last time he'd uncovered something of use?

But there was tomorrow.

He breathes and expelled his uncertainty.

There was always tomorrow, but he had now. He had the information on the forest. The stories hinting at where a dungeon might be, if there was one.

He'd told himself one year to help the city.

He breathed and expelled his reproach.

That was before he'd found the quiet rebellion. Someone to lead the people to reclaiming their city. He'd never wanted to be that person. He couldn't be that person. Tibs was wrong to lead something like that. His temper would destroy the good he wanted to do.

He didn't have to stay.

He breathed and held in it. He savored the bitter sadness acknowledging it caused.

He expelled the guilt.

He'd planned. He'd helped, and for the first time, he'd been outsmarted.

He chuckled.

He doubted ending the Roamer's career had been her plan. She'd probably be back after spending the coins she'd taken to take up the hunt, but he wouldn't be there to witness it.

He headed for the scholar's lodging to gather the few things that would help him on the road. Then he'd be bound for the wild again.