msmoon | A Little Girl in a Big World (Reply)

Beware, for I am: Image hosted by Photobucket.com Productive

Ok, so what did I do after this morning’s initial flury of activity? Nothing. That’s right. Nothing. I feel into a stupor and did little more than watch more Lord of the Rings appendices, read fan fiction, and write a little. But I did get something out of the writing at least...

Well, I was gonna post this to all_tales, because I’d love some feedback and comments on it, but I’m not sure if I’m allowed to...So I’ll just post it here! This is really kind of an original with original characters, locations, and environments...This story just sort of popped into my head, and I see it as kind of a short story that leads up to the big one that’s been brewing in my head. The character is just so lovable (to me at least) that I can’t forget about her, so I wanna at least have this first chapter up to remind myself about it.

Ok. Here it is.

My name’s Riff Raff. I’m a young woman who’s just turned fourteen years of age. And this is a story about me...leastwise it has me in it. You might think it’s a bit odd for me to be telling you this story like this, but it’s my story so I’m going to be the one who’s telling it. It won’t always be like this, all jibber-jabber, but I enjoy jibbbering and jabbering, so that’s how I want to start out.

All right. First off I’ll start out by telling you the basics. I’ve already said that I’m a young woman that’s just turned fourteen. What you don’t know is that I’m an orphan and have been since I was eight. My mamma died when I was seven-and-a-half, and I suppose my old man just didn’t want to stick around and put up with me any longer. I did what any normal kid orphaned in Cuguost, the biggest city in the world, would do...I became a thief. Not a very good one of course, but every thief has to start somewhere don’t they?

It wasn’t too long before I caught the eye of the head of the Knaves guild. Batabus was his name, or at least that’s what he was going by. He was young for a guild leader, and he was well known for recognizing the potential of youth. Sure we’re all impetuous oafs that don’t know what we’re doing, but at least we’ve got gumption. He inducted me into his little band of what he called Urchins. We were all below what was called, the age of reckoning. At the time, I had no idea what that mean, but it sounded ominous. I learned the trade real easy, and continued on about my business. But then one day something happened...and as it did end up changing everything, I’ve a mind to sit down and get out my own account of how it went down. That’s what you’ll be reading now.

******************

Riff chewed the vetta seeds slowly, letting them grind in her molars. It was one of the few pleasures she enjoyed as a street-urchin. The vetta plants grew all over outside the city walls, and their seeds, though tough at first were actually quite pleasant to eat once you got past their outsides. The best part was that once you’d grinded through the tough exterior of the seed, everything you’d just put in your moth was edible. Not like those foul light-lilly seeds the boys had taken to eating. They had to stick those in their mouth, shell out the interior of the seed and spit out the exterior. Why go through all that effort if you can’t eat the whole thing? Riff suspected they enjoyed chewing on those just so they’d have an excuse to spit. Whenever they’d break into those things, she’d grab a bag of vetta seeds and head off her own way.

She’d found a shady spot in one of the corners of the guild. She readjusted the cord that kept her black hair in a tight pony-tale, draped her little cloak about her and sat as far away from the light as she could. Their guild was really an intricate connection of tunnels, just above the sewers and just below the surface of the city. As far as she knew, there were five entrances from above, not counting the entrances outside the city walls. As she was just an urchin, no one had really asked her to do anything in the sewers, but the boys often told horror stories about being sent into the sewers for something and never coming back.

“I’m surprised you can hear anything above all that crunching you’re doing.” She heard someone mutter. She looked over to see Tiaret, half cloaked by the stretching darkness of the tunnels. Tiaret was a mystery to many in the guild. She was a woman-of-age (which meant anywhere from 16 to 22) who’d just appeared a few months ago. Her agility skills was unquestionable as she’d managed to show-up even old Criakus, Batabus’s head body-guard. She was about five foot six inches tall with long red hair that she kept in a strict braid. She wore leather breeches and a tight leather half-shirt, though to Riff it almost looked like a corset. If she didn’t have that heavy cloak to cover her, she might be considered indecent. She also had vanguards for her forearms and a pair of thick, even if tight boots to complete the look. Her dark chocolate brown eyes always seemed to be laughing at everyone around her though...as if she always knew something everyone else wasn’t aware of. Most of the senior members of the guild didn’t like her being around...but then most of the members of the guild were male, and none of them minded having another pretty face to look at.

“I like ‘um.” Was all Riff said in reply.

“Obviously.” Tiaret murmured. “But you can’t live off of those things, you know.”

Riff shrugged carelessly. “I don’t have to spend money to get them either.” She informed. “’Sides, I’ve already bought my meals for the day.” As the Urchins were part of the guild, they turned in a certain percentage of the previous day’s ‘earnings’ to Batabus every morning. There was, of course, a specific quota that the individual Urchins were supposed to meet. When they met that quota they were provided three solid meals and shelter by the guild. Not a bad arrangement, unless you were bad at pick-pocketing.

“Did you have any money left over for yourself?” Tiaret asked studying her fingernails.

Riff looked her over suspiciously. Most of the Knaves guild watched out for their own, but there were some who’d stoup so low as to scavenge off the weaker members. She’d never heard tell of Tiaret doing so, but thieves were supposed to be and adaptable sort.

“Maybe.” She commented, not willing to commit more. Tiaret spared a look down at her.

“Gotta keep thinking of the future, ya know?” Tiaret murmured.

“Whaddaya mean?”

“Well, do you really want to depend on this guild forever?”

Riff thought about that for a moment. She’d been with the guild for three years now, and she honestly hadn’t thought much of the future. When she’d first been tossed out onto the street by their government, all she really could spare a thought for were the problems in front of her. It was just too much to consider what problems the future might bring. But she’d never thought then that she’d end up being a thief...it’d just been a means to an end...a way to survive.

She swallowed the mouthful of seeds she’d been working at and swiped her tongue over her teeth. “Don’t got any other choice.” She muttered.

“No...No I suppose you don’t have any other choice at the moment.” Tiaret said with a wink.

Riff glared at her momentarily. What was this? Some maternal itch or something?

“Don’t see you caring about the others...” she noticed.

“Aye, but that’s because none of them are as good looking as we are.” Tiaret said with a smirk, her chin rising in the air. The long column of her throat extended almost regally, and Riff watched with a certain measure of curiosity.

“Good looking?” She asked.

“Of course dear. You must’ve noticed that most of the other girls in this game are brutish. They’re too busy at trying to show the boys they’re as good at this as they are.”

“Uh-huh...and you don’t wanna prove yourself?” Riff asked skeptically. Batabus’s opinion was a crucial factor in surviving this guild. If he thought you had it, then the other members would help you refine it. How could someone not want to prove they were just as good as anyone else?

“No. I don’t want anyone thinking I’m as good as them.” Tiaret said smugly. “I want them to realize that I’m better.”

Riff raised an eyebrow. “And you’re not telling this to the others because...?”

“For the same reason that you were admitted into the Urchins group...” Tiaret said mysteriously. “I think you have it.”

Riff considered that for a second. It was a common Knave tactic to appeal to a person’s vanity in order to gain their favor or cooperation...Tiaret brought in a monthly due to the guild, was never seen gathering said due, and always seemed to have a way to make herself seem superior. Basically, she was what every Knave Urchin wanted to be.

“And if I refuse?” Riff said.

“I guess I’ll just have to give you this.” Tiaret said tossing a small object in Riff’s direction. Riff caught it easily and looked it over. It was a small purse. “It’s common knowledge that people tend to think possessions make you the individual...they make you special, they make you stand out.” She pulled her hood up carefully and turned. “Get yourself something nice, dear.” She threw over her shoulder as she disappeared into the darkness of the corridor.

******************

Surprised? I certainly was! At the time, Urchins were thought of as the bottom of the ‘food-chain’ if you follow me. The well-skilled and the higher-ups often avoided having anything to do with us. The most we got out of them was remarks of ‘how cute we were’ which really drove us mad. We didn’t want to be cute, after all. Cute didn’t scare anyone, and on the streets, you wanted to scare people. And here she was, this high-up, well-skilled, beautiful woman (having one of those descriptions under your belt was a feat, but all three?), basically offering me an apprenticeship!

Of course, then came the dilemma. Do you say ‘too risky’ and keep your noise out of it; or should just throw caution to the wind and jump into the fray. I have to say...at 10 years-old, my answer to her offer wasn’t as sound as some might anticipate...

So, whaddaya think? Sure, it’s a rough-draft and a work in progress but at least it sort of introduces you to a person in my world. I’m getting so sick of not writing about it, and yet I don’t have anything more to write concerning the main story.

So that’s all I really did today. Write that little diddy and add a bit to the next chapter in the EQ Saga. I’m now very hot and it’s late. So I’m gonna go shower and then it’s off to bed (I hope).