1 Allen (1/2)

The streets of the Crescent Town, particularly in the marketplace was as busy as ever. It was accommodating merchants from the different regions of the kingdom selling wares, food, and sometimes jewelry; buyers from the town, whether poor or rich; and of course, pickpockets.

For clarification, there aren't many pickpockets around these parts, though the marketplace indeed had the most record of them that it even beaten the number in the slums.

A kid particularly at thirteen years old was tailing a merchant who was pushing a cart, the latter was unaware that he was being followed at broad daylight.

'Looks like a newcomer, he should probably have some money on his pockets.', the kid judged in his mind.

He slowly shortened the distance between him and the merchant; the former inwardly said, 'What big pocket holes... this is a bit weird, no, I must do it, it's William's birthday tomorrow.'

The kid further shortened the distance between them, as the merchant was about to turn to a corner, the kid managed to pickpocket him in time.

He then immediately ran and hid at the nearest alley.

When the merchant already turned around the corner, it checked it's pockets, to feel that it was devoid of money.

However, he only smiled under his cap that shadowed up the half of his face and took a pouch full of coins from the cart and poured in some of it to his pockets.

After which the merchant continued pushing his cart while humming a tune.

...

At the alley, Allen panted, it wasn't the first time he stole something, as life was harsh, rather, he felt that he was being watched earlier.

”I'm alone now... huff... stop sweating!”, Allen told himself. He then checked how much he got from the merchant and was surprised.

It was 10 bronze coins! It might sound small amount, but in fact for Allen, it was already a month worth of risky stealing!

Allen kept the coins in a small pouch and hid it under his shirt; he then climbed the wall of the alley towards the opposite alley and walked away.

He was going towards his family house at the outskirts, luckily, there was no wall around the town; he sneaked out of the town by going to a grassy yet muddy location and went towards their house at the foot of a hill.

As he doesn't have any slippers nor even worn out boots to wear, he washed the mud off his feet on a river on the way.

When he saw a familiar house on the horizon, he finally relaxed, as there were no patrols in this area, but nonetheless it was still peaceful...

Rather, only outside the house.

Before he even got to open the door, Marco, his father, opened it first and looked at him.

”How much did you steal today?”, Marco asked slowly, seemingly drunk while giving out his hand.

Allen gave the pouch of 10 bronze coins.

Marco inspected it's contents and his face changed into anger, ”Why is it only this few?”

”This is how much I could steal for a month, father.”, Allen replied hastily as he backed off due to fear.

”So you're saying you've been hiding this for month?”, Marco shouted angrily.

”No I...”

”You're sleeping on the outside tonight! If you dare go in, you will sleep with the grass for a week!”, Marco closed the door with a loud bang.

Allen lowered his head and muttered, ”This day can't get any worse, can it?”

-rumble-

A large rumbling from the sky could be heard, afterwards rain fell down to the ground.

”A storm?”, Allen immediately hid under the nearest tree in the vicinity.

The kid shivered as he tightly crouched himself behind the tree where the raindrops were coming from, however, the wind's direction was unpredictable and kept changing.

...

The storm didn't stop until it was afternoon, but the sky was still full of black clouds.

Allen then saw the door of the house opened and a kid who looks like much younger than him ran out and went to him.

”William?”, Allen asked.

”Big brother, you look so miserable and you might get cold anytime.”, William tossed a blanket to Allen. ”Use this.”