Post by alynna on Nov 1, 2009 14:07:27 GMT 10
Title: The Master Thief
Rating (and Warnings): PG-13
Fairytale/Nursery Rhyme adapted: The Master Thief
Word Count: 3,296
Summary: The story of how George becomes master thief and wins Alanna's hand in marriage.
Notes: I did not intend to make it this long. Funny how you can start writing and expand it further than you initially imagined.
“Son, it is time for you to leave. I have no money to give you, but I hope you can find good fortune,” Eleni told her son. She smiled. “You are very clever. Make a great man out of yourself.”
George smiled brightly. “Thank you, Mother.” And with that George set off down the center path of the tri-forked road.
George walked leisurely at first, feeling the cool afternoon air blowing across his cheeks. He smiled to himself, embracing his newfound freedom. Finally a man of seventeen, he was leaving his home.
George whistled as he strolled down the road and was soon lost in thoughts. He failed to notice the dark hazy clouds growing rapidly darker and larger across the previously clear blue sky. The impending sign of a storm. A dangerous storm.
The first crack of thunder alerted George to the sudden change in weather. The sky was dark as night though it was still mid-afternoon. George swiftly quickened his pace, hoping to find shelter before the sky broke loose. He headed off the path into the forest. The trees would perhaps serve as a buffer to the rain.
George could feel small drops falling onto his head. He knew they were simply a tiny prelude, like dipping your foot into the water to check its temperature. Then, like jumping into a pool of cold water, the sky collapsed bringing a terrible thunderstorm down with it. George sprinted off through the forest, barely able to see due to the thickness of the rain. He wanted to cry out, to scream for help, but he knew no one would hear him. Even if someone was nearby, the deafening thunder would prevent his screams from reaching their ears.
George came into a clearing. Here he felt it, the true power of the rain. It whipped across his face and burned at him. He felt as if he was being pounded into the earth. He turned this way and that unsure of where to go. He saw a large rectangular shape in the distance to his right. Without even thinking, he ran towards it. Mud splattered all over him as he sloshed through the ground. Now he was back in the forest, with his eyes set on an outline that kept fading and coming back into view.
George collided with it, falling to the doorstep of a small house. He thanked the gods for bringing him there safely and kissed the door.
“Boy.” George turned at the sound. Sitting on a chair in front of the window was an old woman. She addressed him again. “Boy, you’d better get away from this place,” she said.
“I just need shelter for the night,” he said. “Only a night,” he insisted.
“There’re thieves that live here,” she said. “It’s not safe for a young lad like you.”
George lifted his chin angrily. “I decide what’s safe and what isn’t.” George abruptly stood up and tried at the knob. He slipped just before he reached it.
The old woman cackled with laughter.
George stood up again and yanked the door open. The room appeared to be empty and with one last look at the old lady, George walked in, closing the door silently behind him.
The room was dark and all George could see were the windows and the outline of a staircase in back. George cautiously took a few steps forward, looking all around for signs of danger. A flash caught his eye like lightning. Without thought he brought out his own knife and deflected the one coming straight at his throat.
He heard a throaty laugh. “Well, well, well,” said a voice, “looks like we’ve got ourselves a quick young lad here.” George heard more movement around the room. He could see dark outlines of shapes that had been in shadow moments before. “Ados, light a candle, will you?” said the man with the knife.
The man called Ados arrived a moment later, candle in hand. The candle was rather bright and illuminated the room enough so George could see their faces flickering in and out. They were dirty and filled with years of grime.
“And now for introductions,” said the man who had first spoken. George presumed him to be the leader of this band of thieves. “I am Horam, king of the court of the rogue. This is my court. And this is our current base. What are you doing here? Who are you?” The man Horam pointed his knife at George as he said those words.
George did not flinch but calmly answered him. “I am George Cooper. I am a traveler who only seeks shelter from this awful storm. This is the first dry place I could find. I only ask to stay the night. I have nothing. Your quick prying hands won’t find anything on me.” George had noticed the subtle movements in the dark when the man had checked nearly all of his pockets. The only money George had, he kept in his shoes; and it was very little.
The king looked him over, studying every inch of George. “If you have nothing, then you are nothing,” he said. He glared at George, prepared to kill him at any moment.
“I may not have money or anything of real value, but I do have knowledge, wit, and above all, cleverness. I could be useful to you. I have nowhere to go. Rather than kill me, take me on as your servant, and I will be most loyal.” George swept a low clumsy bow. As he drew up, he caught the king’s quick smile.
“Alright, lad,” he said. “But first you’ll need to pass our tests. You can stay here for the night, but tomorrow we will test you to see if these skills you possess are of any use.”
George nodded. “Thank you, majesty,” he said. He nodded his head toward the rest of the court. “Now,” he said, turning to face the king once more, “where do I sleep?”
…
The next morning the thieves trekked through the forest to a small town down the road. The Rogue King instructed him to steal a horse from the man selling them. The thieves dispersed and stood at different places along the market, all staring at him, waiting to see his next move.
George studied the man, considering the best way to steal from him. He saw the man look longingly after a rich man that walked by. It was the shoes, George realized.
George placed a shoe in the middle of the road and quickly ran out of the way and stood behind the horses. The man turned and saw the shoe. He glanced both ways then slowly began to approach it. “Only one,” he said aloud. George read his lips. “The other one’s got to be around here somewhere.” The man looked up and down the road. As he looked up once more, he caught sight of the other boot much further ahead. The man went racing after the boot, and George took his opportunity to steal the horse. He rode it away proudly back to the thieves’ home base.
George tethered the horse then sat in the grass relaxing, feeling at ease.
The thieves arrived many minutes later and the king seemed angry. “You idiot,” he said to George. “Why didn’t you steal the others as well?”
George looked up confused. “You only asked for the one.”
“Yes, but you had the opportunity to take them all,” said the king. The king crossed his arms glaring at George. “I’ll give you one more chance. Go find the man, steal the rest of his horses, and we’ll adopt you as a member of our court. Or else you die.”
“Easy, easy,” said George, casually standing up. “I’ll get the rest,” he said. He leisurely walked down through the forest. He could hear the thieves whispering behind him. He turned to wave, smiled at their little rumors. Then he set off once more, a little more quickly, to where he knew he would find the man. George looked around, searching for a new idea. He suddenly thought of the rope in his own bag and ran up the road a bit, his plan already arranging itself in his mind.
The man with the horses rode down the road. He glanced to his left and let out a horrified gasp. A man was hanging on a tree. The man quickly looked away and continued onwards trying his best to ignore the awful scene.
About a mile up the road, the man came across a similar sight. He didn’t give himself time to study it but continued onward.
He didn’t notice the body come back to life and hurriedly run ahead of him.
For a third time the man passed a body. This time he turned to look at it shivering. It was the same body he had seen the last two times. “Magic…dark magic,” he said in fear. But he needed to be sure. The man rode back quickly to check the other bodies to make sure it was indeed the same man.
As the man scurried away, George came down from the tree and grabbed his abandoned horses, quickly herding them into the forest. He reached the base with all seven horses in tow.
The king looked at him. His jaw dropped so low George thought he would dislocate it. Slowly the king’s court walked up to him. Each introduced themselves and treated him with great respect. The king simply stood there staring, not believing what he was seeing take place.
He stood up tall as George met his eyes with his own dancing eyes. Ignoring George’s smile, the man spoke. “There is one horse you forgot to steal.” He paused as all the court looked around to him. “The one the man was riding,” said the king. “Steal that one, and you can be the king.” The man smiled wickedly and walked away laughing.
“I’ll do it,” said George. Before the king could respond, George ran off towards the city. He vaguely remembered how the man looked. But he found him.
The man was a thin poor thing that looked fairly young. He definitely didn’t look like a horse seller.
The man was drooping in his saddle, looking this way and that at the forest and the roads around. He was searching for his horses. The thought that they had been stolen hadn’t even occurred to him. George ran into the forest, skirting around the road so as not to be seen. A few yards into the forest, he stopped. George brought his head up and realized a loud sound quite like the whinny of a horse. He saw the man start toward the sound, then dismount. George smiled and ran in a semi-circle as the man ran directly into the woods, leaving his horse behind.
George swung up onto the saddle and urged the horse on. He returned to the base with a smug smile on his face.
The king was appalled. But he had made the promise. George was now King of the Court of the Rogue.
George’s first act was to find a new base. He soon found an inn in the city of Corus that suited their needs. He befriended the owner, Solom, and soon found himself the king of the inn as well. Some of the Rogue did not support him and left him. The previous king was included in this group. However, George kept building up his group, so the loss was not great.
George returned the horses to the horse seller, and watched as they happily swarmed around their master. George was content. He had done a good deed. The man, whose name was Stefan, thanked him for finding his horses, and invited him to visit him in the palace stables anytime. George smiled and introduced himself to his new friend. He then returned to the Dancing Dove, the Rogue’s new base.
…
One day while on the streets of Corus, George noticed a small little boy with purple eyes walking by. George unknowingly began to follow him. He was intrigued by this young creature. After a small interaction, the lad’s father, George guessed, led him forward towards the palace.
George thought about the boy for several days and tried to use his gift to find out more information. However, he could not, for the young boy also had the gift. But after probing the older man, he discovered that it wasn’t the boy’s father, but his serving man. George sent some of his spies for more information about the boy and those connected to him. He soon found out his name was Alan, and he was training to be a page. His sponsor was Gary, or Gareth, the duke’s son.
George was pleasantly surprised one day to find the two in the market. Alan and Gary. He introduced himself and befriended them. George’s network had grown much since he had first seen the boy. But he had instructed them not to disturb them while he spoke to his little friend.
The two left and George found himself wanting to know more and spend more time with young Alan. His wish was granted as the two kept coming back occasionally bringing their friend Raoul with them.
George tried to help out Alan as much as he could. He was very happy when Alan came to him asking for his help. For a moment he found himself feeling used, as he jumped to conclusions. But Alan surprised him by telling him he didn’t want George to kill the Malven fellow that was bullying him, but instead he wanted to learn tricks from George to fight Malven. George agreed and took this as an opportunity to get to know Alan more. He had Alan’s trust, he knew.
The depth of this trust was revealed when one day Alan came to him through the secret door, begging for help. Alan revealed his deepest darkest secret to George. “I’m a girl,” he said.
George took in the information slowly. Alan was a girl. A girl that was training to be a knight. George had been intrigued by Alan, because he liked her? George thought this over then quickly noticed the situation they were in. “Turn around while I get dressed,” he said. Alan complained but obediently turned around.
“A woman healer?” he said. Alan nodded. “Okay, I know just the person. My own mother.” George hadn’t seen his mother since she let him go. But he had very much longed for her, and he couldn’t let Alan down—or whatever her real name was.
They reached his mother’s house, and George inquired Alan’s real name. “You won’t let it slip, will you?” asked Alan afraid to give it out. “Not me, youngling,” he said. “I don’t let anything slip.” Alan slowly got off the horse then said, “It’s Alanna.”
George’s mother was at the door. She was happy to see him and willing to help. While Alanna slept, George updated his mother on everything that had happened to him. His mother was quite surprised but willing to accept that her son had become a master thief.
After that incident, George constantly thought of Alanna. He did like her, a lot, he realized. He had never noticed it before. Intrigue and love had gotten mixed up in his mind. But now that he knew Alanna was a girl, he noticed little things about the past he hadn’t noticed before. The prince, or Johnny as they now called him, had seemed so protective over her. If he knew her secret, George knew the prince would most certainly fall in love. George had to try to take Alanna while her squire friend was still clueless.
But this plan failed and Prince Jonathan learnt of Alanna’s secret.
George took it upon himself to go up to this squire and demand for Alanna’s hand in marriage. “I am the Master Thief,” he said. “And I love her.”
Jonathan laughed. “Master Thief? I bet you can’t steal the roast we’ll serve at the palace tomorrow. Steal that and she’s yours.” George was angry at Jonathan. The prince had seemed so confident George would fail.
George concocted a plan. He took three white rabbits from the forest and released them near the kitchens. Everyone went scrambling for them, thinking there was only one, and George promptly stole the roast.
George returned to Jonathan, asking for his reward. Jonathan didn’t want to let Alanna go. He stalled it further by saying, “Play a trick on Duke Baird, the healer.”
George laughed, thinking about the fun he could have.
Duke Baird stood in his study alone thinking to himself. George was hidden above him. George spoke claiming to be Kyprioth, a god sent directly by Mithros himself. The joke was cruel but Duke Baird believed it fully. George could see him shaking in fear. The duke followed “Kyprioth’s” instruction. He waited in the stables while George stole all his valuables in his study. After that a certain god took particular interest in George.
Jonathan was amused by George’s trick, but was still unwilling to give up Alanna. The squire-prince asked George to steal twelve horses and twelve grooms.
With Stefan’s help George was able to sneak in, disguised, get the grooms drugged into sleep, and steal the twelve horses.
Jonathan was still not pleased and asked George if he could steal his horse while he himself was riding it. George took up the challenge.
Disguised as an old man, George held a cask of mead with his finger in the hole where the tap should have been. He stationed himself near where the prince was riding. Jonathan came up to him.
“Good man,” he said, falling for George’s disguise, “have you seen the master thief about? I suspect he is in the woods. Would you go check there for me?” he asked.
“I am shorrrry, shirrrr,” said George disguising his voice as well. “I cannot”—hiccup—“leave or elssse the mead will schpillllll.”
Jonathan sighed. “Good sir, I shall hold the mead for you, and you can go look in the woods.” George handed the mead to Jonathan and clumsily got onto the horse. George slowly trotted toward the woods. Then he jerked the horse aside, threw off his hood, and cantered toward the Dancing Dove.
Jonathan gasped, seeing he had been tricked.
Jonathan’s next task was for the thief to steal not only his sheet from his bed, but also Alanna’s sheet. George was horrified to learn they were sleeping together.
George put a dummy outside the open window, and Jonathan saw it, thought it was a robber. He loosed an arrow at it, and it fell down outside the window. Alanna saw the scene from under her sheets but quickly returned to sleep. Jonathan ran outside to go hide the body. George snuck into his room and took Jon’s and Alanna’s sheet, telling her he had to clean up the blood with them. Alanna nodded not even opening her eyes. George stole a quick kiss and left.
That night Alanna dreamed of George. She told Jon of it the next morning, and Jon saw it as a sign that the master thief had won.
He reluctantly gave Alanna to George, and to his foul disbelief, she was quite happy. Happier, in fact, than she had been with him.
George was happy too. In addition to being master thief, he soon became a spymaster. He watched Alanna grow up and as soon as she was knighted, the two made plans for marriage. They were happily married three months later, and even Jonathan himself gave his blessings.
Rating (and Warnings): PG-13
Fairytale/Nursery Rhyme adapted: The Master Thief
Word Count: 3,296
Summary: The story of how George becomes master thief and wins Alanna's hand in marriage.
Notes: I did not intend to make it this long. Funny how you can start writing and expand it further than you initially imagined.
“Son, it is time for you to leave. I have no money to give you, but I hope you can find good fortune,” Eleni told her son. She smiled. “You are very clever. Make a great man out of yourself.”
George smiled brightly. “Thank you, Mother.” And with that George set off down the center path of the tri-forked road.
George walked leisurely at first, feeling the cool afternoon air blowing across his cheeks. He smiled to himself, embracing his newfound freedom. Finally a man of seventeen, he was leaving his home.
George whistled as he strolled down the road and was soon lost in thoughts. He failed to notice the dark hazy clouds growing rapidly darker and larger across the previously clear blue sky. The impending sign of a storm. A dangerous storm.
The first crack of thunder alerted George to the sudden change in weather. The sky was dark as night though it was still mid-afternoon. George swiftly quickened his pace, hoping to find shelter before the sky broke loose. He headed off the path into the forest. The trees would perhaps serve as a buffer to the rain.
George could feel small drops falling onto his head. He knew they were simply a tiny prelude, like dipping your foot into the water to check its temperature. Then, like jumping into a pool of cold water, the sky collapsed bringing a terrible thunderstorm down with it. George sprinted off through the forest, barely able to see due to the thickness of the rain. He wanted to cry out, to scream for help, but he knew no one would hear him. Even if someone was nearby, the deafening thunder would prevent his screams from reaching their ears.
George came into a clearing. Here he felt it, the true power of the rain. It whipped across his face and burned at him. He felt as if he was being pounded into the earth. He turned this way and that unsure of where to go. He saw a large rectangular shape in the distance to his right. Without even thinking, he ran towards it. Mud splattered all over him as he sloshed through the ground. Now he was back in the forest, with his eyes set on an outline that kept fading and coming back into view.
George collided with it, falling to the doorstep of a small house. He thanked the gods for bringing him there safely and kissed the door.
“Boy.” George turned at the sound. Sitting on a chair in front of the window was an old woman. She addressed him again. “Boy, you’d better get away from this place,” she said.
“I just need shelter for the night,” he said. “Only a night,” he insisted.
“There’re thieves that live here,” she said. “It’s not safe for a young lad like you.”
George lifted his chin angrily. “I decide what’s safe and what isn’t.” George abruptly stood up and tried at the knob. He slipped just before he reached it.
The old woman cackled with laughter.
George stood up again and yanked the door open. The room appeared to be empty and with one last look at the old lady, George walked in, closing the door silently behind him.
The room was dark and all George could see were the windows and the outline of a staircase in back. George cautiously took a few steps forward, looking all around for signs of danger. A flash caught his eye like lightning. Without thought he brought out his own knife and deflected the one coming straight at his throat.
He heard a throaty laugh. “Well, well, well,” said a voice, “looks like we’ve got ourselves a quick young lad here.” George heard more movement around the room. He could see dark outlines of shapes that had been in shadow moments before. “Ados, light a candle, will you?” said the man with the knife.
The man called Ados arrived a moment later, candle in hand. The candle was rather bright and illuminated the room enough so George could see their faces flickering in and out. They were dirty and filled with years of grime.
“And now for introductions,” said the man who had first spoken. George presumed him to be the leader of this band of thieves. “I am Horam, king of the court of the rogue. This is my court. And this is our current base. What are you doing here? Who are you?” The man Horam pointed his knife at George as he said those words.
George did not flinch but calmly answered him. “I am George Cooper. I am a traveler who only seeks shelter from this awful storm. This is the first dry place I could find. I only ask to stay the night. I have nothing. Your quick prying hands won’t find anything on me.” George had noticed the subtle movements in the dark when the man had checked nearly all of his pockets. The only money George had, he kept in his shoes; and it was very little.
The king looked him over, studying every inch of George. “If you have nothing, then you are nothing,” he said. He glared at George, prepared to kill him at any moment.
“I may not have money or anything of real value, but I do have knowledge, wit, and above all, cleverness. I could be useful to you. I have nowhere to go. Rather than kill me, take me on as your servant, and I will be most loyal.” George swept a low clumsy bow. As he drew up, he caught the king’s quick smile.
“Alright, lad,” he said. “But first you’ll need to pass our tests. You can stay here for the night, but tomorrow we will test you to see if these skills you possess are of any use.”
George nodded. “Thank you, majesty,” he said. He nodded his head toward the rest of the court. “Now,” he said, turning to face the king once more, “where do I sleep?”
…
The next morning the thieves trekked through the forest to a small town down the road. The Rogue King instructed him to steal a horse from the man selling them. The thieves dispersed and stood at different places along the market, all staring at him, waiting to see his next move.
George studied the man, considering the best way to steal from him. He saw the man look longingly after a rich man that walked by. It was the shoes, George realized.
George placed a shoe in the middle of the road and quickly ran out of the way and stood behind the horses. The man turned and saw the shoe. He glanced both ways then slowly began to approach it. “Only one,” he said aloud. George read his lips. “The other one’s got to be around here somewhere.” The man looked up and down the road. As he looked up once more, he caught sight of the other boot much further ahead. The man went racing after the boot, and George took his opportunity to steal the horse. He rode it away proudly back to the thieves’ home base.
George tethered the horse then sat in the grass relaxing, feeling at ease.
The thieves arrived many minutes later and the king seemed angry. “You idiot,” he said to George. “Why didn’t you steal the others as well?”
George looked up confused. “You only asked for the one.”
“Yes, but you had the opportunity to take them all,” said the king. The king crossed his arms glaring at George. “I’ll give you one more chance. Go find the man, steal the rest of his horses, and we’ll adopt you as a member of our court. Or else you die.”
“Easy, easy,” said George, casually standing up. “I’ll get the rest,” he said. He leisurely walked down through the forest. He could hear the thieves whispering behind him. He turned to wave, smiled at their little rumors. Then he set off once more, a little more quickly, to where he knew he would find the man. George looked around, searching for a new idea. He suddenly thought of the rope in his own bag and ran up the road a bit, his plan already arranging itself in his mind.
The man with the horses rode down the road. He glanced to his left and let out a horrified gasp. A man was hanging on a tree. The man quickly looked away and continued onwards trying his best to ignore the awful scene.
About a mile up the road, the man came across a similar sight. He didn’t give himself time to study it but continued onward.
He didn’t notice the body come back to life and hurriedly run ahead of him.
For a third time the man passed a body. This time he turned to look at it shivering. It was the same body he had seen the last two times. “Magic…dark magic,” he said in fear. But he needed to be sure. The man rode back quickly to check the other bodies to make sure it was indeed the same man.
As the man scurried away, George came down from the tree and grabbed his abandoned horses, quickly herding them into the forest. He reached the base with all seven horses in tow.
The king looked at him. His jaw dropped so low George thought he would dislocate it. Slowly the king’s court walked up to him. Each introduced themselves and treated him with great respect. The king simply stood there staring, not believing what he was seeing take place.
He stood up tall as George met his eyes with his own dancing eyes. Ignoring George’s smile, the man spoke. “There is one horse you forgot to steal.” He paused as all the court looked around to him. “The one the man was riding,” said the king. “Steal that one, and you can be the king.” The man smiled wickedly and walked away laughing.
“I’ll do it,” said George. Before the king could respond, George ran off towards the city. He vaguely remembered how the man looked. But he found him.
The man was a thin poor thing that looked fairly young. He definitely didn’t look like a horse seller.
The man was drooping in his saddle, looking this way and that at the forest and the roads around. He was searching for his horses. The thought that they had been stolen hadn’t even occurred to him. George ran into the forest, skirting around the road so as not to be seen. A few yards into the forest, he stopped. George brought his head up and realized a loud sound quite like the whinny of a horse. He saw the man start toward the sound, then dismount. George smiled and ran in a semi-circle as the man ran directly into the woods, leaving his horse behind.
George swung up onto the saddle and urged the horse on. He returned to the base with a smug smile on his face.
The king was appalled. But he had made the promise. George was now King of the Court of the Rogue.
George’s first act was to find a new base. He soon found an inn in the city of Corus that suited their needs. He befriended the owner, Solom, and soon found himself the king of the inn as well. Some of the Rogue did not support him and left him. The previous king was included in this group. However, George kept building up his group, so the loss was not great.
George returned the horses to the horse seller, and watched as they happily swarmed around their master. George was content. He had done a good deed. The man, whose name was Stefan, thanked him for finding his horses, and invited him to visit him in the palace stables anytime. George smiled and introduced himself to his new friend. He then returned to the Dancing Dove, the Rogue’s new base.
…
One day while on the streets of Corus, George noticed a small little boy with purple eyes walking by. George unknowingly began to follow him. He was intrigued by this young creature. After a small interaction, the lad’s father, George guessed, led him forward towards the palace.
George thought about the boy for several days and tried to use his gift to find out more information. However, he could not, for the young boy also had the gift. But after probing the older man, he discovered that it wasn’t the boy’s father, but his serving man. George sent some of his spies for more information about the boy and those connected to him. He soon found out his name was Alan, and he was training to be a page. His sponsor was Gary, or Gareth, the duke’s son.
George was pleasantly surprised one day to find the two in the market. Alan and Gary. He introduced himself and befriended them. George’s network had grown much since he had first seen the boy. But he had instructed them not to disturb them while he spoke to his little friend.
The two left and George found himself wanting to know more and spend more time with young Alan. His wish was granted as the two kept coming back occasionally bringing their friend Raoul with them.
George tried to help out Alan as much as he could. He was very happy when Alan came to him asking for his help. For a moment he found himself feeling used, as he jumped to conclusions. But Alan surprised him by telling him he didn’t want George to kill the Malven fellow that was bullying him, but instead he wanted to learn tricks from George to fight Malven. George agreed and took this as an opportunity to get to know Alan more. He had Alan’s trust, he knew.
The depth of this trust was revealed when one day Alan came to him through the secret door, begging for help. Alan revealed his deepest darkest secret to George. “I’m a girl,” he said.
George took in the information slowly. Alan was a girl. A girl that was training to be a knight. George had been intrigued by Alan, because he liked her? George thought this over then quickly noticed the situation they were in. “Turn around while I get dressed,” he said. Alan complained but obediently turned around.
“A woman healer?” he said. Alan nodded. “Okay, I know just the person. My own mother.” George hadn’t seen his mother since she let him go. But he had very much longed for her, and he couldn’t let Alan down—or whatever her real name was.
They reached his mother’s house, and George inquired Alan’s real name. “You won’t let it slip, will you?” asked Alan afraid to give it out. “Not me, youngling,” he said. “I don’t let anything slip.” Alan slowly got off the horse then said, “It’s Alanna.”
George’s mother was at the door. She was happy to see him and willing to help. While Alanna slept, George updated his mother on everything that had happened to him. His mother was quite surprised but willing to accept that her son had become a master thief.
After that incident, George constantly thought of Alanna. He did like her, a lot, he realized. He had never noticed it before. Intrigue and love had gotten mixed up in his mind. But now that he knew Alanna was a girl, he noticed little things about the past he hadn’t noticed before. The prince, or Johnny as they now called him, had seemed so protective over her. If he knew her secret, George knew the prince would most certainly fall in love. George had to try to take Alanna while her squire friend was still clueless.
But this plan failed and Prince Jonathan learnt of Alanna’s secret.
George took it upon himself to go up to this squire and demand for Alanna’s hand in marriage. “I am the Master Thief,” he said. “And I love her.”
Jonathan laughed. “Master Thief? I bet you can’t steal the roast we’ll serve at the palace tomorrow. Steal that and she’s yours.” George was angry at Jonathan. The prince had seemed so confident George would fail.
George concocted a plan. He took three white rabbits from the forest and released them near the kitchens. Everyone went scrambling for them, thinking there was only one, and George promptly stole the roast.
George returned to Jonathan, asking for his reward. Jonathan didn’t want to let Alanna go. He stalled it further by saying, “Play a trick on Duke Baird, the healer.”
George laughed, thinking about the fun he could have.
Duke Baird stood in his study alone thinking to himself. George was hidden above him. George spoke claiming to be Kyprioth, a god sent directly by Mithros himself. The joke was cruel but Duke Baird believed it fully. George could see him shaking in fear. The duke followed “Kyprioth’s” instruction. He waited in the stables while George stole all his valuables in his study. After that a certain god took particular interest in George.
Jonathan was amused by George’s trick, but was still unwilling to give up Alanna. The squire-prince asked George to steal twelve horses and twelve grooms.
With Stefan’s help George was able to sneak in, disguised, get the grooms drugged into sleep, and steal the twelve horses.
Jonathan was still not pleased and asked George if he could steal his horse while he himself was riding it. George took up the challenge.
Disguised as an old man, George held a cask of mead with his finger in the hole where the tap should have been. He stationed himself near where the prince was riding. Jonathan came up to him.
“Good man,” he said, falling for George’s disguise, “have you seen the master thief about? I suspect he is in the woods. Would you go check there for me?” he asked.
“I am shorrrry, shirrrr,” said George disguising his voice as well. “I cannot”—hiccup—“leave or elssse the mead will schpillllll.”
Jonathan sighed. “Good sir, I shall hold the mead for you, and you can go look in the woods.” George handed the mead to Jonathan and clumsily got onto the horse. George slowly trotted toward the woods. Then he jerked the horse aside, threw off his hood, and cantered toward the Dancing Dove.
Jonathan gasped, seeing he had been tricked.
Jonathan’s next task was for the thief to steal not only his sheet from his bed, but also Alanna’s sheet. George was horrified to learn they were sleeping together.
George put a dummy outside the open window, and Jonathan saw it, thought it was a robber. He loosed an arrow at it, and it fell down outside the window. Alanna saw the scene from under her sheets but quickly returned to sleep. Jonathan ran outside to go hide the body. George snuck into his room and took Jon’s and Alanna’s sheet, telling her he had to clean up the blood with them. Alanna nodded not even opening her eyes. George stole a quick kiss and left.
That night Alanna dreamed of George. She told Jon of it the next morning, and Jon saw it as a sign that the master thief had won.
He reluctantly gave Alanna to George, and to his foul disbelief, she was quite happy. Happier, in fact, than she had been with him.
George was happy too. In addition to being master thief, he soon became a spymaster. He watched Alanna grow up and as soon as she was knighted, the two made plans for marriage. They were happily married three months later, and even Jonathan himself gave his blessings.