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Sage crept onto the palace property easily enough, evading the few guards that were out and about at the moment. Most of them seemed to be inside, congregating around some sort of gathering. The more he looked around, the more he figured out he'd landed at a perfect time to creep in and steal some things. All the big fancy rich people were in one room, and by the looks of it, were just getting started with some sort of long, and no doubt very boring, meeting if some kind. Good. That made things a hell of a lot easier for him. He watched through a small window for a few minutes, just making sure that's what was happening. Once the meeting started though, he chuckled to himself and moved to peer upwards, looking at the wall. Like most other building built by the rich of the country, it was made of stone. Perfect. It would be solid enough to hold his weight, and jagged enough for plenty of places for his feet and hands to find hold. He took his shoes off, tying them to his belt, and then gripped the first bit of stone above his head, slowly making his way up the tower. He made sure to stay still when guards came by, but none of them were focused on the tower wall ... probably because it was the hardest part to climb. Maybe they thought it couldn't be done. Most people probably couldn't. But sage had experience with this sort of thing...and he'd figured out tricks and tips to get himself up to a window. He peered in, eyeballing the shiny and expensive looking things he could see. Good ....he'd found the room of one of the royal people. A lady, by the looks of it. Jewelry and such were strewn about, as if they were just toys. He didn't see anyone in the room, so he slowly moved to reach out and push on the window. To his surprise, it opened right away, letting out only a very small squeak as it swung inwards. He moved to climb onto the window sill, balancing there for a few more moments before creeping into the room and moving to grab a few things he could find quickly. Some jewelry, some expensive fabrics, and a few coins he could find. He didn't need a lot...there was a lot here, so if he could get in and out quickly, they may not even notice anything was gone. Maybe he could come back another time, and get more, if need be. But a few bits of jewelry and such would hold him over for a while until he could get another job. He froze when he heard voices coming from the room next to him. Evidently, the entire royal family wasn't at the meeting. He crept closer, peering through a small crack in the door adjoining the rooms. The princess and a guard were arguing, and neither seemed to suspect anything of him being there, so once the guard left he waited for a minute before going back to whatever he was doing.
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Elara’s heart still pounded in her chest, her pulse hammering in her ears. The adrenaline from her confrontation with the guard hadn’t quite settled, and now, the sudden presence of another figure in her chamber made her blood run cold. She cursed under her breath, her mind racing for a way to react. Her eyes darted to the shadows, seeking the source of the movement. The man stood there, barely more than a silhouette in the dim light. He hadn't entered through the door. No. He had slipped through her window—quiet as a whisper in the dark. She could feel the anger rising in her chest, the defiance from moments before threatening to snap into something sharper. Who the hell was this, and how had he gotten past her? Her body tensed, every muscle coiled like a spring, ready to strike or flee. She forced herself to meet his gaze, her breath shallow. "You’ve got to be kidding me," she muttered under her breath, the frustration and fear mingling in her voice. She clenched her fists, refusing to show weakness. And then, without warning, she yelped before simmering back down, staring at the man. "Who are you?"
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Sage felt himself tense up again when the girl turned in his direction, and this time he knew she'd seen him. Shit. That wasn't supposed to happen. Oh well. It could easily be dealt with. He didn't really want to kill her. Murdering the kingdoms only heir wasn't exactly the way to solve the issue. But he could always knock her out. Poison her. At least then her sick comment would make sense when she woke up tomorrow. He cocked his head in response to her comment, a soft hum rising in his throat. "Depends who's asking," he noted quietly. He knew exactly who she was...and he really couldn't care less. He had no respect for her, or the rest of her family. He didn't make any sort of move to attack her, though, or feel threatening. In fact, he'd relaxed completely by then. His weapons were hidden, as well as the few bits and bobs he'd already taken. They weren't anywhere someone could see them. He sort of moved to walk around the place a few steps, running a finger along the top of the desk. And peering at the finger. It was well maintained, at least. He knew that already, of course, but the casual, dismissal action would infuriate the princes, decreasing the likeliness of her calling for a guard or anything.
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Elara's heart pounded in her chest as she watched him cock his head.She snorted when he said 'depends who's asking.' "What is that supposed to mean?" She starts,walking to sit on her bed. "To one man you will say 'Oh,i'm Hugh.' and then another 'Oh,im John.' Is that all you do?Just act not like yourself?" She asks casually,fiddling with her hair. "COuld you maybe,get out?Let me carry on with my day?Not try to kill me?" Elara asks,standing and walking over to the fireplace,sitting and fiddling with her dress. (sox so short)
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(it's alright! I'm on my phone now so mine are a bit shorter too lol) Sage glanced over at the girl when she snorted and started talking, honestly only half listening. He wrinkled his nose after a moment, moving his gaze to settle on her for a brief moment from where he'd been previously eyeing a necklace on the table. "First of all, who makes their child Hugh," he snorted. "Second of all, that means if you don't know my name, then you can't hunt me down or some shit like that," he added, passing another few coins down his knuckles and into a hidden pocket as he passed the table. He'd perfected his stealing techniques...people could be staring straight at him and not notice the slight movement of his fingers transferring an item from table to pocket in less than a second. This girl would, undoubtedly, be no different. He didn't feel bad stealing money from her anyway ...she had plenty of it laying around. He rolled his eyes when she asked if he could leave and not kill her. "This was supposed to be an empty room," he grumbled, shooting her an accusatory look. Then, he chuckled slightly and gave her a quick shake of his head. "If I'd wanted to kill you, both you and your friend who was in here earlier would have been dead a while ago," he pointed out, eyebrows arching upwards slightly. It didn't really matter ...she wouldn't really be a threat, and he'd gotten what he'd come for. So, he just plucked an expensive looking bag up from the counter, and tossed a handful of coins in it. "I'll just take this and leave you to your night then," he chirped in a fake cherry voice, moving back towards the window. He was, admittedly, itchy to get out of here before someone else came in, or something unexpected happened. Well ...something else unexpected.
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"Finally." She mutters,shutting the window and locking it,stripping off her dress and putting on her night clothes.Elara slid into the large bed,comfy and content.Her guard had checked in once more,leaving her to be to her own.She fell asleep quickly,the mans face plastered in her mind. Who was he? (and by short i mean really short lol)
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(all good xD) Sage had slipped out the window after trying the bag of coins to his belt, climbing back down the castle wall and quickly making his way back down to sild ground. Once he made it to the treeline, he pretty much just waltzed right out of the royal property, hopping up and out of the castle gate without any issues. He then moved to hide the things he'd stolen, tugging a brick out of a building he lingered nearby usually and storing them inside. Then he reconsidered, and tugged out three more bricks, and spreading his spoils out amongst all the bricks he managed to pull out. That way, if someone did by chance find one, they wouldn't find it all. He'd be safe. He moved off a little way, then, leaning with his back against the wall in the back of the alleyway, squinting up at the sky. A storm was coming ...he could smell it in the air. Ugh. He'd be wet tonight. Maybe he could find a dry outfit the next day. Steal it or buy it. Trade for something, maybe. Edited at January 18, 2025 10:59 AM by NightClan
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Elara awoke,the sun glimmering through her wet window.She stood,yawning and stretching before looking out,dawn had only just come.She grinned,tossing on a pair of pants and a tunic,concealing herself with a black tunic. Elara grabbed a set of fresh,clean clothes meant for anybody,as she always liked to try to help.She swiftly and quietly waltzed out of the castle,taking the guards tunnels into the village. She turned down a alley,hoping to make it to her favorite bakery.Elara dropped the clothes off at somebody on the wall,her darting away and continuing down the alley.Her blonde hair shimmered in the light,her face clean and eyes sparked with curiosity. With a sigh,Elara walked into the bakery,ordering two scones and continuing on her way,occasionally taking the comment made by a townsfolke.
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Sage had sat in the corner for a while, keeping himself curled up in a ball to preserve as much heat as he possibly could. He did fall asleep everntually, though it was a light one, since he knew he wasn't exactly safe out here. He knew better than to slip into a deep sleep. As the sun came up though, and shops started to open, he forced his stiff lips up with a sort of shiver, pretty well soaked to the bone by then. It didn't take long for him to sweep through the town, grabbing some pants from one shop and a tunic from another at the opposite end of the square. Then, all he had to do was find a decent place to change and hide his clothes while they dried out. He sort of wandered around for a while, attempting to look for a spot like that. He found one in an old stall...there was a door and everything, and it was locked, but he could slide in the back area since he was so small and it was backed up against a natural rock face. not many people could fit in here....maybe he could even sleep there in bad weather. The roof was leaky but it would be better than just out in the open.
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Elara walked past a stand,snatching a apple. "Hey,are you going to pay for that?!" The shop owner exclaimed,Elara rolling her eyes and tossing a sack of coins over her shoulder. It hit the man in the face,him being grateful but,as many do when they can't see what happened and feel like they got punched in the face,he called out. "Guards!I've been assaulted by that ma'am right there!" He boomed,pointing at Elara and two guards flooding towards her. "Fuck." She muttered,starting to jog through the crowd. "Stop" They had called out,but that word was foreign towards her. She kept running,one of them eventually grabbing at her cloak and pulling her back,her pushing forward and escaping again.Elara ran,past a stable,past a old shop,past another stable,and into a barn.She darted in,hiding under a old ledge,being concealed by shadows. "Where'd she go?" One of the guard asked,prowling towards where she was.Her breath hitched,her praying they would'nt catch her.Both of them turned,Elara coming out and continuing to run,not for long however.A guard grabbed her ankles and pulled her down,Elara landing with a thud.She stood,managing a uppercut to one of them and picking at the shackles until they fell,hearing something and freezing,her sharp eyes searching in the shadows for minutes.The princess sighed as the guards stood,her shaking her head and darting off again.
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