[Thief/Open] Reintroducing Renik the Slip

[The Scythe]

So a few years ago, I started a light thread just for fun. It was called [Thief] and my main character was Renik, the Slip. ALthough in the story he doesn't have magic or powers, the way I write him is that effectively he can draw upon all the young hoodlums of Montfort at will to do his bidding. So like in a super hero roleplaying game where the character's abilities can be bounded, but can also include allies and resources, I've gone that route with him.

So here he is again. There's no need for this thread to move at any specific speed or towards any specific story destination. It's just for fun.

I especially love the surprise of seeing what other people write.

So hey, Renik is here, and he's looking for people to steal from.

Oh, also, in this thread the events of [A Frozen Vesper] have taken place, and the city is recovering.

[The Scythe]

[Admin] This is going to be a light, simple thread, to be something
easy to play around with. It'll give me breaks between the heavy
lifting of [Unlikely Twins] posts. Renik is a cutpurse and pickpocket
of little consequence to anyone, including himself. This thread will
be open at all times. Anyone can post at any time, whether a single,
one-time post, or a full commited character, or even short visits from
characters from other threads.
Feel free to hunt him, notice him, comment on him, or be available to
be stolen from him, at your pleasure.


[Thief/Open] 1 - Introducing Renik The Slip

[Renik]

Things had been horrible lately, what with the freezing, and the horrible little ice creatures. And the blue patterns they made all over the ground.

But, with all that said, there were a LOT of homes and businesses left open and unattended. And Renik was nothing if not ready to take advantage. And that meant food and money. And even though things were bad, people still needed to eat and buy food. And sometime soon after some normalcy was restored, there was a market day.

A young boy walked through the streets, somewhere between
eight and twelve years of age. Even he wasn't certain exactly. He
was certain of his two names though. He'd been given the name Renik
at the orphanage, and his second name he took for himself. He and his
clothing were a little grimy, but no worse than many of the poor
children, and better than some of those.

The boy had slightly shaggy hair, sandy-blond, and brown eyes that
roved the people and stalls looking for a mark. He had a worn tunic
that had started out life white, but now was a middle-brown, and brown
britches. His best clothing was on his feet. They were a pair of
well-made sandals from the stall of the best cobbler in town.
Quality, but not flash. He'd spent two months staking out that
cobbler to get them. To stay out of sight, you couldn't show off, he
knew, but when it came time to run preparation was key. He'd been
sent back to the orphanage a few times already and had learned what
got you caught.

Right now he was keeping his eye on two stalls right together, a
baker's cart and a fruit stand. A single pass between them and he'd
have breakfast, lunch and dinner. Now he needed something else. He
passed halfway around the edge of the market before he saw the
solution. Coming up the road to occupy his pen was Hanta, the hound
breeder. He and his son held the leash on five hounds each, all
straining and pulling the man and boy along. Perfect. He started
towards them through the crowd. Timing would be everything. Coming
up from the side and slightly behind, the thief picked his spot, just
before they reached the bread cart. There he "tripped" with an
exclamation, landing on hands and knees right behind the hounds.

Confusion and chaos! Focused on the hounds, Hanta was to late to
react and went face first over the thief's back. Needless to say, the
leashes slipped and there were suddenly hounds everywhere! One leaped
up on Hanta's son to lick his face, and the boy lost his dogs too.
Ten hounds in the busy marketplace. People jumped, ran, tripped,
fell, and were bowled over. The meat vendor's cart would've tipped
except he beat off two of them with a stick.

Renik stood up smoothly and headed out of the market straight between
the bread cart and the fruit stand. With his left hand he took a loaf
of bread. With the right, a red and green apple. These went into the
ample pockets of his loose britches. He grinned at the commotion
behind him as he made his escape. It was even bigger than he'd
planned. In fact, it would've been perfect to pick up even more food,
or some coin. But that wasn't his way. You got caught by tempting
fate, and his name wasn't The Slip for nothing.

[Troshen]

[Renik]

Renik walked the town, enjoying the morning breeze, and his freedom. The baker's family and the milkman had been through town already that morning, and at each family's door there were full milk jugs and baskets of freshly baked bread. The jugs and the baskets belonged to the families, and they left them out to be filled or exchanged when the milkman and baker came by.

Renik watched the street with a critical eye. How to get both and get away? He set himself a goal to do it faster and smoother this time than ever before. Ahhh, there was the idea. He always came up with those, sooner or later.

The milk bottle were too big for him to make with, that was the problem, not the bread! The answer was in a little pail one family had hanging from a hook. It must have been for a small child, since it was hardly bigger than a drinking cup.

He guided right to that edge of the street, and as he walked by smoothly lifted it from the hook, and walked on, looking straight ahead. It wouldn't do to look nervous and attract attention. There were some people out on the street this early, but he timed it just right and none were looking his way.

Then the milk. Two houses down past that, also on the right, he had to pause for a moment to tip a milk jug to fill his new pail. And then the next house after that, a loaf of country bread, and then a smooth right turn off the street. In a few more turns he was back in The Ally.

The Ally was HIS ally, basically. His and his crew. He wasn't the first one there today, which was unusual. Generally he led the way for them all, all the time. The boy there was Maikal. Maikal had been on Renik's crew in the past but now had moved on to do his own things. Maikal was leaning on the wall, and stood up and came straight over.

"Ho Ren'"

"Ho Maikal"

Maikal looked all around before saying anything.

"Ren, I've got problem. I've a guy I owe some money to. And he wants something. Something from Firehammer Forge. Can you help?"

Renik looked into Maikal's eyes intently, evaluating. Was he still true? He would trust him and protect himself both, he decided. Besides, it was always a good time to connect up a crook on one side with the Firehammer family on the other. THAT ought to be a real show!

Renik broke off a piece of bread and handed it to Maikal.

"First off let's eat. Then you can show me where this "Guy" is at and see what's up with that. And then we'll see about the rest of it all.