"There!" Morgana said, pointing at a man wearing a long leather cloak, a puff of smoke surrounding his face. We'd been on the docks all morning searching for Bobby and after three hours we had finally found him.
He was a completely bald man with a long, unkempt grey beard. His eyes were covered by small black sunglasses, and he had on a long leather cloak that stopped just below his knees.
You could tell from his shins that he was a thin individual but the ankle high boots he wore seemed to accentuate his skinniness. The orifice where his foot entered the boot seemed like black holes. I couldn't understand how he even walked around in them. They looked like they should fall off his feet with every step.
We moved to sit on the edge of the wall near the sea so that we could keep him in our periphery.
We had a sort of arrangement when it came to scoping out targets. Dillon would always sit on the side closest to them but looking away, so he could pretend to be looking at me and Morgana but was actually looking for any guards. I'd be at the end looking towards the target, and then Morgana would be in the middle looking back and forth between us.
We always figured this was a good set up because to an outsider, it would seem we were just looking at each other as we had a conversation. Dillon always got nervous when keeping an eye on a target, Morgana would get distracted and want to actually talk to us so she was best suited to the middle, and I was typically focused on the task a little too much and thus drew less suspicion by looking across Morgana and Dillon.
Our plan was to scope him out for two days and then on third, we would go about robbing him of his pipe. Honestly, we wanted to do it quicker than that but we worried that if we blew it we wouldn't be able to use Marky as a fence, and would likely have to face retribution.
Luckily for us, it was summer so the docks weren't too cold or wet and a trio of kids hanging about wasn't suspicious. It was actually quite a nice couple of days.
Bobby didn't really do much apart from watch the ships that came in, occasionally he'd make notes in a little pad, or talk to one of the sailors but other than that it was uneventful so we were able to just relax in the summer sun.
Dillon would talk about how he wished it was him who owned the ships. How he'd set up trade deals across all seas. Bringing in ores from Travellia, and textiles from Dunneen. He reckoned if he got a single ship, he could start off making deliveries before moving onto his own import/export business.
Morgana jumped in and talked about how she could do all the logistical elements. Hiring the right dockworkers and ship crewmen to ensure a functioning business. She said she'd get deals on crates or even source a way to create them in house.
"I could be the captain," I said. "I'd take the hardest routes and chase down the pirates."
"You can't endanger the ship!" Dillon admonished. "We'd lose money from the repairs."
"We'd get money from the pirate bounties or by selling the ships," I said excitedly.
"Pirate hunters and salesmen don't mix. What if you had fragile goods in the hold and you took a shot from a cannon?" He replied.
"The insurance wouldn't cover pirate hunting I don't think, and we'd have to hire fighters rather than just sailors," Morgana added. I remember thinking that I'd not even thought of insurance. I knew it was a big deal because we'd been taught about it by Master Shen earlier in the year but it seemed boring.
"I think we'd make more money by playing it safe," Dillon said looking at Morgana.
"Plus then you wouldn't need to risk your life", Morgana told me with a smile.
I didn't really have much to contribute to the fantasy after that so I left them to it. Don't get me wrong, I liked the idea of having a business and they made good points, I just didn't think I could settle for a quiet office life. What's the point in going on the sea if you're not going for an adventure?
At the end of the second day we came up with our plan to get the pipe from Bobby. Morgana and Dillon would cause a distraction by walking into him. They'd both profusely apologise whilst keeping his attention on them and away from me and the pipe.
As that was happening, I would sneak up and replace his pipe with the exact replica Marky had given me. During the time we had been watching Bobby, we had confirmed that it was - if not an exact copy - then enough to fool someone at a glance.
As we went home that day, I swiped some tobacco and light from an unsuspecting mark and filled our pipe. I figured it would be noticeable if Bobby just finished smoking and his pipe was suddenly empty and cold, so this way I could try and match the contents and heat so he wouldn't instantly clock the issue.
The morning of the robbery I woke up feeling nervous. I'm not exactly sure why. Perhaps on some level I realised it was going to be the start of a new life. Maybe it was just the threads of fate pulling together. Whatever it was, I didn't feel like my usual energetic self.
I made breakfast for the three of us and noticed that the larders were getting empty. The money from this job couldn't come soon enough. We ate our porridge in silence and then set out as we had the last couple days.
The plan was to do the switch around midday when activity on the docks had increased and Bobby was a little more relaxed.
We found a place on the sea wall and made small talk like we usually would. Just random bits and pieces but no talks of dreams. I could see it in their eyes that they were getting nervous but I was worried mentioning it would increase the nerves rather than settle them.
As the hour approached, I filled the pipe with tobacco and then lit it, letting it smoke a bit behind my body. Hopefully Bobby wouldn't notice.
At around midday we finally began. We knew from past experiences that it was still important to not really look at the target so that they couldn't work out what was going to happen. We each made terrible jokes and laughed at them so that we could flap about a little. The plan was to make any odd body movements seem like a natural occurrence of our laughing fits.
As we got close to him, I noticed he'd separated his arms with his pipe being in his left hand, a little away from his body.
I nudged Morgana, who in turn fell into Dillon, and he smashed straight into Bobby with a big 'oof'.
Morgana immediately started fussing over them both, seemingly trying to pull Dillon up but was actually pushing him back down. Dillon was apologising profusely but it was as if his feet were made of butter and he kept slipping further into Bobby, who was forced to take his weight.
Whilst this was going on, I expertly palmed the fake pipe and snatched the real one. Just as Bobby looked over to me, I made a big deal of 'catching' his pipe before it hit the ground and handed it over to him. Of course the replica is what he got and I secured the real one in my inside pocket.
"So sorry about that," Morgana said.
"Yes, terribly sorry," Dillon added.
"Good thing I caught that pipe!" I said, "It looks like it costs a pretty penny. I'm sure it would be a hassle to replace."
"Yes, quite", Bobby replied, his eyebrows narrowing.
We were already on the move though so there was not much more he could say as we all burst into laughter. Just innocent children laughing at their embarrassing bumble into a random citizen.
We quickly exited the docks and headed to Marky's shop. We'd done it! Our first robbery as part of a job. After the tense morning, the relief was almost palpable and we played through the streets on the way to Marky's, jumping up and off walls like we were cats.
It was agreed that it would just be me going inside again. Although the others were slightly more trusting now, there was a fear that he'd just snatch the pipe, us, and keep the money. By having Morgana and Dillon outside, we hoped to at least be able to get help if things went sour.
It looked a bit less oppressing in the daylight but it still wasn't particularly inviting. Inside, Marky was sitting on the same stool and carving a piece of what looked like the same hourglass. He was wearing a different tunic but still had the same gold chain. I noticed his long auburn hair this time, although it was pulled back and tied with something.
"Back so soon?" He asked by way of greeting. As he did so, he tipped an hourglass over so the sands started falling.
"We've got it!" I announced, the excitement clear in my voice as I showed off the pipe.
"Well give it here then." I did as he asked and handed over the pipe.
"Have you looked at the contents?"
I shook my head to indicate I hadn't.
"Lesson number one," he said to me, "always check to make sure the goods are where you think they are."
"You said not to look," I whined.
"I also said I wanted you to retrieve what was inside the pipe. How do you know that's what you've done?"
My heart dropped as I realised he had a point. What if it wasn't in there? Would we have to track Bobby down and pilfer through his belongings? Luckily my panic was short lived as Marky opened the secret compartment and a rolled up note fell out.
He proceeded to unfurl and read the contents before lighting it on the nearest candle, destroying it forever.
"Well done. You did the job and succeeded before the deadline". He threw three coins at me, causing me to scramble. I caught two but the third rolled under a display case. As I was on my hands and knees picking up the third, the door chimed.
"Get off her!" Came Dillon's cry followed by the sounds of a small scuffle.
"Shush now, there's no need for that. I told you, you're not in danger."
I jumped to my feet and took in the situation.
A man wearing a black cloak with the hood over his head was holding both Morgana and Dillon. Strapped to his waist was a thin sword - a rapier I think the name was - and in the handle a red jewel glinted. He was a big man that would tower over me and Marky. The only detail I could make out under his hood was a viscous scar that started at his jaw but was lost into the shadow of his hood. It was much lighter outside the shop than inside so it was difficult to see into the darkness. I almost got the feeling it was magical in nature because of how obscured his face was.
"Ah, Rhodri, you've brought the other two. Excellent." Marky said as he got up from his stool and came over.
I was unsure what exactly was going on but nobody seemed particularly threatening, despite the situation so I decided to wait for Marky to explain. Besides, there wasn't much I could do.
"Settle down now," he said to Dillon. "There's nothing nefarious going on. We just wanted to make sure you all knew what was what. Especially now that we're doing business with each other."
"Let Morgana go! You don't need her!" Dillon cried, trying to break out of Rhodri's hold.
Marky rolled his eyes and locked the door.
"Nobody's going anywhere yet. There's still one more person needed before we can start this meeting. Why don't we go somewhere a bit more comfortable?" He asked us although it was clearly rhetorical. "Oh don't be thrashing about any more because if you break something, you'll have to pay for it. One way or another."
The threat got through to Dillon but only after he sent a look Morgana's way. She whispered she was okay and we all set off into the next room.
I was truly perplexed at this point. It felt like there should be some danger as Morgana and Dillon had been manhandled into the building but Marky had given us the coins already. I couldn't really think why he'd do that if he was planning to kill us.
Then there was the issue of the person we were waiting on. Did Marky think we had an accomplice?
The room he led us into was like a luxurious study. Sandstone sculptures lined the walls and alternated between showing animals and weapons. At the head of the room was a luxurious wooden desk, the wood a chocolate colour, with intricate patterns carved on the outside which appeared to depict a hunt.
On the wall behind the desk was an assortment of weapons. There were swords, knives, flails, maces, bats, arrows, and even a glass bottle. The odd thing was that all of them looked used and worn down. In the centre of the room was a wooden coffee table and to either side were leather sofas.
Marky instructed us to sit on the left one whilst he sat in the chair behind the desk, and Rhodri stood by the door. The sofa was pretty big so the three of us on one wasn't uncomfortable. Dillon and I both saddled up to Morgana though as she was in the middle, with Dillon wrapping his arm around her shoulders.
"Whilst we wait, shall we talk about future business?" Marky asked, a smile on his face as he looked between us.
I was still a little shocked at the situation so I just nodded rather than speaking.
"Good. As I'm sure you can work out, running a pawnshop comes with the risk of selling stolen goods. Despite my best efforts to prevent it, sometimes ill gotten gains end up on my books," he told us with a shake of his head. The seriousness of his statement was somewhat belayed by the fact he was still smiling and the very nature of our being there.
"So feel free to bring me any items you're looking to sell and I'll be happy to assist. Just make sure none of them are stolen. Okay?"
"But how will you know if they're stolen?" I asked him.
He smiled "Now there's a good question. I suppose there's no way for me to check so I would just have to trust you now wouldn't I?"
"And if we brought you stolen goods?"
"You wouldn't. As far as I am concerned, any and all goods you bring my way will be from your own homes that you've unfortunately had to pawn to generate some income. Is that clear?" He said, his smile slipping from his face.
"But-"
"What did I tell you the other day about stupid questions?" He gave me a pointed look. "You're a smart kid, I'm sure you can figure anything else out for yourself."
It was at that moment there was a knock on the door.
"That was quicker than expected. Rhodri, can you let him in?"
Rhodri nodded and disappeared back into the shop area. When he returned, he had Bobby next to him and my heart went wild. Thoughts ran through my head at a mile a minute. I felt Morgana tense up next to me, and I could see a panicked look in Dillon's eyes.
I looked around for escape routes but couldn't see any. Maybe I could cross the distance, jump off the desk, pull down a weapon, and then fight off three grown men so that we could escape? Nah, probably not. We'd been set up and now we'd have to pay the price.
"Boss, sorry I-" Bobby stopped as he realised we were in the room. He looked at us with confusion before looking at Marky, then back to us, and then realisation dawned on his face.
"Sit down Bobby you prick." Marky told him, pointing at the other sofa.
Rhodri made it clear it was an order and not a request by gripping him on the shoulder, all but throwing him down.
"Do you want to explain yourself?" Marky asked as he drew a leaf shaped dagger from his belt.
Bobby looked around like he could find a suitable answer somewhere in the room but in the end he just let out a big sigh and it was like his body deflated. "I let my guard down, boss."
Marky nodded as he looked at Bobby. "That's right, you did," he said. "Three amateur kids managed to rob you no more than three days after first seeing you. Do you think that's good enough?"
"No boss."
"That's right, it's not. You were warned months ago that you were being lax. You're lucky this was orchestrated by me and not someone else."
"I'm sorry, I've got no excuses," Bobby said with his head down. I had to respect the guy. He'd clearly messed up but he was taking responsibility for it. If it was me, I'd have probably brought up the fact Marky had provided all the details to at least shift some of the blame.
"Did you know that I spread the word that I was looking for someone to do this job? I let people talk about how I wanted something retrieved from a pipe and yet it seemingly didn't even come to your attention." Marky was on his feet now and walking towards Bobby.
"It's sloppy. Really sloppy." He punctuated his point by stabbing the dagger straight into Bobby's thigh.
"Ow! Shit!" Bobby cursed, his hand going to the wound to put pressure on.
"You've embarrassed and endangered my business. Where do you want the next one?"
I couldn't believe what he was asking, and from the intake of breath, neither could my companions.
"S-" Bobby took in a breath, "Same again please boss."
Again the dagger stabbed down into his thigh. This time Bobby managed to keep in his cries by managing his breathing. The pain was written all over his face though and I knew it must have hurt like hell.
Marky looked him in the eyes, nodded, and then walked back to his seat.
"You've messed up Bobby but it's recoverable," he said with a sigh as he sat back down, "I want you doing double shifts on Miralder Street for the next few months. Is that understood?"
"Yes boss," came the strained reply. He was clearly unhappy about the assignment but wasn't going to voice that opinion right now.
"Good. Now go bleed somewhere else and think about how you're not going to make sure it doesn't happen again."
Bobby gingerly got to his feet and hobbled over to the door as we all watched. His blood leaving a trail behind him that Marky eyes with disgust. "Oh and Bobby?"
"Yes boss?" Bobby asked, turning back to face him, the pain clear in his eyes.
"This was a warning. You won't get another."
"Thank you boss, I won't need one."
Nobody spoke until the bell on the door jangled, indicating that Bobby had exited the shop.
"Shall I clean up?" Rhodri asked.
"Yes please. I hate it when blood seeps into the floors, It's always such a pain to get out." Marky looked at the blood spatters with disgust before using a piece of cloth to wipe the dagger he'd used to stab Bobby.
"Now kids, I'm sure you can work out what just happened but just so we're all on the same page, let me spell it out for you," Marky said, making eye contact with each of us to ensure we were listening.
"Bobby is an employee of mine but he'd gotten a bit too relaxed in his duties lately and left himself open to abuse. This is not acceptable. As soon as someone loses discipline, it becomes a weakness, and if an employee of mine has a weakness, that can be exploited which in turn threatens my business. I can't allow that, can I?"
I shook my head but Marky just gave me a look that made it obvious he wanted a verbal answer.
"No Marky, you can't have that."
He nodded at me "Good. I'm glad you understand." He reached into his pocket and pulled out nine coins, before throwing us three each. "Consider that a bonus for a job well done."
My eyes widened because I couldn't believe it. So much for so little! This time the coins all stayed together in the air - though I'm not sure how - and we were each able to catch them. Which was a relief because it was embarrassing when I was crawling around before.
"You've proven yourselves capable so I'm going to have some errands for you to run occasionally. Is that okay?"
"Yeah that's great," I said excitedly to which Marky chuckled.
"Good, good. You know how high my standards are when it comes to work and I will be expecting you to meet them. Okay?"
"Yeah of course. We wouldn't dream of becoming a weakness, would we guys?" I said, turning to Morgana and Dillon. They both looked a little taken aback at the situation but after seeing my look, they quickly gave their affirmations.
Marky looked at us and slowly nodded his head.
"Right off with you then. I'll be in touch when I have something for you."
We got up clutching our money tightly and headed back to the main part of the shop. Just as we were about to exit, Marky called out to us again.
"Oh, there was one more thing actually, kids." That stopped us in our tracks and I immediately went to the worst case scenario. Had he just been toying with us and now he was going to kill us to cover his tracks?
"Make sure you keep our affiliation a secret. As far as anyone else is concerned, the only dealings we have are the buying and selling of wares. Is that understood?"
Relief flooded through my body "Yeah of course Marky. We won't tell a soul."
He smiled "That's good. See you soon."