If The Crown Shall Fall

Thieves of Nightfall

              The bright, warm rays from the sun cast down on the sleeping group of travelers. The light caused Rhydian to stir from his slumber. Just when he had begun to reach the stages of deep, comforting sleep. The boy had been restless and on edge for most of the night. There was something about the path they were on that left an eerie trace.
         Rhydian had stood guard as his friends slept through the night, getting the rest they needed and deserved after their long trip far away from home.  His loyal friend, Kale, had asked to keep watch.
          As it was, Kale and the others expected to be woken for the next shift to keep the guarding position equal for all of them. It was their jobs, after all, to guard and protect their leader, but Rhydian could handle keeping pace the next day with little sleep. His friend's were more sluggish and ill-prepared without such a luxury. It was wiser and best for his friends to get more sleep. 
                Yet, even Rhydian had trouble staying awake as the night wore on. He'd managed for hours, waiting and watching for something to happen. The eerie feeling he had had previously still lingered, however;  nothing out of the ordinary ever happened. The night had been quiet, perhaps even peaceful as some might describe it. And the luminescent light of the moon was a comfort of its own to Rhydian who found tranquility in sleeping under the stars. He, too, had fallen under the night's sleepy spell.
              Now Rhydian was waking, his eyes taking time to adjust to the bright morning light. He might have been tempted to call it unbearable, but the warmth from the sun's rays was too terribly nice to sour his mood. Rhydian stretched, letting his arms rise above his head as he tried to relieve some of the stiffness from his muscles.
          He cocked his head to the side, stretching out his neck only to find a sharp pain upon his movements. Exactly what he was looking forward to. Rhydian would be the first to admit he couldn't wait to be back in a bed and comfortable. Sleeping against trees for even the smallest amount of time was not something his body appreciated. His neck would very well be sore for the rest of the day, Rhydian knew.
            "Oi! Little princeling. 'Bout time you woke from your slumber." Kale shouted from across the campsite they'd put together.
          Rhydian had little time to react as his friend chucked the pack with Rhydian's belongings at him. He grunted as the bag landed on his abdomen and Rhydian felt the dull, heavy handle of a dagger bite into his stomach. "Watch yourself, Kale, you know I'm not much of a morning person." He paused, taking a breath, "be thankful you were able to get plenty of sleep."
           Kale shrugged, before speaking, " I know you expect a thank you for that, but you should have let me stand guard for a while. You have all the more reason than the rest of us to be well rested." He scowled. "You do realize you're in charge of us, right? You're the one with big plans and princesses to woo, Rhydian. It's basically our jobs to guard you."
            Rhydian smirked, "And what fun would there be in letting you have all the action. I need to stay grounded, too, whether you'd like to believe it or not."
             Kale nodded. "It's your nature, yes, we all know. Even still, let us do our jobs, mate."
            Kale bent down to pick up his sword and pack. He slipped the sword into his sheath and pulled the pack onto his shoulders. Unlike Rhydian, Kale was a morning person. He was always the first to rise and the first to be up and ready to go. It would appear this time that everyone was ready save for Rhydian.
          Apparently, they had all agreed to give the boy time to sleep. Cowards. They could have easily woken him up if they weren't so worried of what he might do. Rhydian was the least of their worries. His friends ought to know by now they were in a hurry, trying to get this quest over with as soon as could be possible. After all, thieves always had more than one job to do. The Thieves of Nightfall weren't meant for action, not wasting time.
             Rhydian shuffled to his feet and hurled his pouch at one of the other members in the party who was waiting to carry his things. Rhydian nodded his thanks at the youngest boy in their party and collected himself as he fell in step behind his friend. The others had already packed up their makeshift campgrounds and were ready to move forward with their journey once more.
             Kale nudged Rhydian's shoulder. "Are you ready to see your princess?"
          Rhydian felt a small smile tug at his lips. "For her? Absolutely. Ready for the rest of the annoying hindrance that will inevitably happen? No."
            Kale nodded. "I can understand that. No doubt, this may be a very long day." He stood tall, and locked eyes with his friend.
              "But as always the rest of us are ready to fall in line behind you. For honor and hope. We thieves are a tough bunch, thank the good lord, if anything problematic does ensue."
              "Your loyalty is an admirable trait, friend."
             Kale smiled. "One we all share, but I appreciate the compliment." He paused, smirking, then spoke, "However, should you like to repay me, I'm sure your princess knows many a lovely lass that could do with some company."
              Rhydian grinned, "You would hardly have the guts to talk to one of the women in this kingdom. They'll likely eat you alive. Hate to break it to you, Kale, but you are not as adept at your skills with the ladies as you are with your fighting."
    Kale laughed, the sound seeming to echo off the branches of the forest surrounding them. His hearty laugh cheered up the band of thieves as they trudged ahead on their path.  The other accompanying men trailed behind on the path, but Rhydian could hear their light-hearted conversation.  Given their circumstances and reasons for making the journey as it were, the troop's cheerful behavior was a welcome sight, their laughter a welcome sound. If the thieves were one thing, they were certainly merry under any circumstance.
    "You only say that in hopes that I won't steal your little princess's breath away."  Kale joked.
    As much as Rhydian hated to admit it, his friend wasn't wrong.  Kale was full of witty charm and his looks got him by well enough. His bright red hair passed down from his ancestors was a sight none could forget. It was almost a curse, being the only one with red hair of the bunch, he was also the most recognizable.  Though the hair wasn't his most dominating characteristic.  From years of battles and hardship, the boy sported numerous scars -much like the rest of them- but one scar stood out most. 
Three gashes marred his left cheek, stretching from under his eyes to his jaw. The raised reddish pink scar was a reminder of the time Kale had failed and he would never make the same mistake he once had.  The scar was off putting, but it wasn't the reason why his skills with the ladies were severely lacking.  Kale was a notorious flirt with commitment issues.  The last girl he'd found had wanted far more than a passing bit of fun.  Though Kale would never admit to it, he was more afraid of the idea of liking someone's company only to have it ripped away from him in the future.  The Thieves were not new to life and death situations and losing loved ones.  The idea was not foreign, but how it would be nice if it were.
    "First sight of you, my friend, and she'll run for the hills.  She'll think I'm a keeper in comparison."  Rhydian chuckled, and pushed his friend forward. Best to be on their way quickly.
    Kale winced, placing his scarred right hand on his heart.  "Ouch, and I thought you were the nicer of the two of us. You wound me." He shoved Rhydian in retaliation before speaking once more, "Come, young prince of thieves, we have much to do and far little time to do it." 
    Rhydian smirked, "I ought to be giving you the orders."
    "But is that fun for me? No. Messing with you is the highlight of all my days."
    "And a pain in my ass." Rhydian stated, matter-of-fact.  Perhaps he would never admit it to his friend, but Rhydian enjoyed their jokes and banter.  Kale was much more of a brother to him than a friend, and the lighthearted attempts of conversation were always a good distraction when times were difficult.  He was thankful for having grown up in the Nightfall clan with a friend.
    Rhydian trudged forward once again, stepping over the puddles of rainwater on their path. His boots sunk into the soft ground beneath his feet, and he scowled at the feeling, but marched on.  The sun's warmth beat against the back of their necks.  The temperature in the territory was much different than that where they came from.  Where they spent their days, it was cooler; not terribly so, but enough of a difference to make them squirm under the heat.  Rhydian rummaged in his pack, his hands finding the bottle of water he kept tucked away.  Unscrewing the lid, he lifted the bottle and took a sip.  The water was hardly cold, but it kept him hydrated during the heat. 
    Rhydian wasn't sure how to feel about the environment here.  If he were to make these journeys often, the blistering heat might get to be too much.  He much preferred his cool mountains and their windy peaks.
    Kale nudged his shoulder.  "Keeping quiet now, are we? Silence from you is unheard of."
    Rhydian smiled. "By the sounds of it, that's all on you, friend."  He paused.  "I need to be honest with you for a moment, Kale.  I don't know what lies in wait for us in these lands."
    Kale frowned.  "What do you mean to say?"
    "I mean to say, though my task is one of calling in on a debt, there is much more at stake here.  My father believed that there was an evil here. It is well hidden, like a buried treasure." He pointed out, "On the surface, one would think nothing of it. Think of it as an old tree. At first glance it looks sturdy, strong, but under the surface its roots are uplifting, dead.  Underneath  lies all the decay, the destruction." Rhydian stated. "Out of nowhere, the tree could fall, its roots giving way under the pressure of the decay.  My father believed that tree would fall very soon and it with it all of the lands."
    Kale shook his head, "Do you honestly believe that? For the most part, we carry on and go as we please.  There has been balance for years."  He was puzzled by the idea, but he didn't feel the way the magic lurked the way the prince of thieves could.
    Rhydian nodded in agreement, "There must always be balance at one point or another, but the scales of balance always find a way to tip in favor of one party or another.  It is not an unlikely concept, but it should be one we keep in mind. Is that clear?" He sighed, and spoke clearly, "If something should happen, we must be prepared."
    Kale nodded.  He would do what was necessary.  "You have my word."
    And as they marched forward on the beaten path before them, the Thieves of Nightfall could sense the quiet hum of magic lurking underneath like a decaying root.  Its power quiet, but sure.  Behind them was the mountains that carried them home, kept them safe.  In front of them, the road was uncertain, but in the distance one could see the faint landscape of a land where things were not always what they seemed.  With haste, the thieves carried forth to collect what they were owed.