To Catch a Thief

[Mei XiaXue]

for i can't seem to find Gan Ning

"What do you mean our problem isn't solved yet and we need to wait a little longer? If I find one more thing go missing tomorrow or worse, if I see my work somg where else..." XiaXue was sure that the merchant continued on but she had tuned him out. She sat in a private room off from the headquarters of the merchant guild with some of the more prominent merchants. The ones who had say in the imported goods. She crossed her legs on top of the table and picked at the tea leaves lingering in her cup.

Mei XiaXue had long discarded her robes, after the meeting with Sun Ren and was dressed to suit herself and her needs. Like exploring some forsaken tunnels with a pirate. Like that was a good idea. She wasn't unfamiliar with them, although her years at sea hadn't been with pirates, more inexperienced thieves. Who drank. So maybe pirates. But she had distanced herself from the people who she had spent time with. And she wasn't eager to go back to her old ways. She had done things the proper and lawful way, she had inherited what was left from the man who took care of her and she wasn't going to go back to skipping over towns every so many days.

So caught up in her drink and thoughts, she looked up as her name was called more than once by a red faced male. He owned a shop and a stall or two with jewelry that sold well. And too many of it was being traded for food and gone missing. She bit her bottom lip and listened as he rattled on about how she hadn't completed the job assigned to her and who knows what.

It would have been okay if he hadn't gotten in her face. She laughed quietly and removed her legs off the table. Stepping into the male and looking up, she shook her head. No more games. "Back off. Your job will get done, un less you believe the Princess does not hold true to her word. I will go with the aid she sends and stop the thievery. But upsetting me will not help." She snapped at him, and raised her hand to his face. Her nails touched his face and she drew a small line on it, reminding him how sharp they were. How deadly she was without the knife and sword resting on the table she had occupied.

She waited, body tense, until he stormed off in a fit, leaving her with the others. They turned back to their work, but they awaited the same thing XiaXue did. Gan Ning.

OWL