No Regrets

"Run!" The boy yells. "I'll hold them off." He doesn't need to tell me twice. Don't look back. No feelings. No regrets. I keep running. I can hear the clanging of swords behind me and the shouts of the boy who helped me escape. Whoosh. An arrow whizzes past my head but I don't look back. I can't look back. I have to stay alive. I've come too far to die now.

four days earlier

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"Get her!" I hear a shout behind me. I keep running, smiling to myself. If they haven't caught me by now, they never will. I throw a piece of paper behind me and clutch the bag of jewels tighter in my hand. The paper, my card, is a handwritten note to the guards which says, -Who am I?- I know it infuriates the guards and it makes me laugh, so whenever I'm being chased, I throw one down. I turn the corner into an alley and stand flat against the wall. About ten soldiers run past shouting orders at each other. I stand there for a while and catch my breath. After a few minutes, I walk out of the alley. Bam. Something hits me on the head. My vision blurs and I collapse to the ground.

I wake up on the ground. Not in a prison cell, but in a house. It's a dreary home, with a dimly lit fire and about a dozen burned-out candles. I hear footsteps outside and I jump to my feet, reaching for my dagger but it's not there. Of course, it's not there. I say to myself. The first rule of kidnapping someone, take away their weapon. The door to the room opens and a man wearing a large fur cloak and black boots stands in the doorway. He is around middle age and has a bushy black beard.

"Who are you?" I ask, ready to fight. To my surprise, the man laughs.

"The question is, who are you?" I look at him, confused. This is some kind of mind game. To distract me. "You are the best thief in Lezina, no one knows your name or even what you look like."

"So how do you know?" I ask.

"My friend has been following you for a few months now." He steps aside and a tall, lanky man wearing a black, threadbare coat and scuffed black boots walks into the room. "We've known who you are for weeks now but we were waiting for the right time." I realize that I've seen him around the village many times. Not doing anything, just standing there, though sometimes he would be reading a book. This man is also middle-aged with a clean-shaven face.

"The right time for what?"

"I'd like to offer you a job." The man says with a smile. I look at him skeptically.

"What kind of job?"

"Well, what are you best at? Stealing." I smile, now I'm Interested. "I'd like you to steal the crown jewel."

"What? There is no way I can do that. I mean, I'm a good thief, but not that good. No one can make it into the castle, steal the jewel, and make it out alive." I take a step forward and hold out my hand. "Give me my dagger, then I'll be leaving." The man looks at his friend with an amused look on his face.

"No." He turns back to me. "You will steal the jewel because I know something."

"Oh, yeah? And why's that?"

"I happen to know that you want to leave Lezina. For good. And to do that, you need money. And I happen to have a lot of money that I'm willing to pay." I think about this for a second.

"How much?" He smiles.

"Enough to get you halfway around the world on the fastest ship in the kingdom." I hold out my hand.

"Deal."

"Wonderful, meet me here tonight after you got the jewel." He shakes my hand. "Oh, and you might need this." He hands me my dagger. I walk out the door and head towards the castle, making sure to stay in the shadows with my hood up. I can't take any chances. This is the job of a lifetime. If I do this right, I can get out of here for good. The sun is starting to set now and shadows cover the streets, making it easier for me to sneak up to the castle gates unnoticed. The guards are busy dealing with a merchant who seems to want to get into the castle grounds to sell his little souvenirs. I slip unnoticed between the gates when the guard's backs are turned and run through the courtyard, hiding in the shadows. I walk around the side of the castle until I reach the servant's entrance. Idiots, they left the door unlocked. I walk through the corridors till I reach the stairs leading to the treasure room. (Don't ask how I know where the treasure room is. It's a long story.)

Finally, I reach the gate to the treasure room. No lanterns are lit so the only light I have is from the moon shining through the small opening in the roof. Obviously, the gate is locked but I didn't come all this way to turn back now. I take a pin out of my hair and pick the lock. Child's play. I smile, the crown jewel is sitting right in the center of the room. The crown jewel is a gem about the size of my palm. It's a deep red diamond that glimmers in the moonlight. I pick it up and admire it for a second. I can see why that man would want this.

It's at that moment when I hear heavy footsteps running up the steps. I see light coming closer down the corridor. I look around, that's the only way in or out. I'm trapped. About a dozen soldiers enter the treasure room with torches lit and their swords drawn.

"Asena Aldin, you're under arrest."