<span style="font-family: 'Tahoma'">On the other side of London, the air was thick with the scampering of rats and scraping of claws against cracked wooden doors. Children cried for shelter and the fog provided little to no visibility for those without lanterns. Two young girls strolled a cobblestone path, wary of where their bruised feet took their next step. The youngest was wrapped in a large, ragged blue shawl and the eldest had only her torn pants and oversized men’s shirt to keep her warm as the temperature dropped at a steady rate. Joanna gripped Ellen’s shaking hands and braced herself against the breeze. Her stomach growled in protest at the lack of nourishment. <br/>
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"We're going to Lyon's Tea Shop, tonight, Ellen," Joanna announced in a nonchalant tone. "Would you like the jelly filled sponge cake again?"<br/>
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"We're stealing from there again?" Ellen stopped in her tracks and tugged on Joanna's hand. <br/>
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Lyon's Tea Shop was for the rich; it rested in the upper part of London and carried all the sweets and tea anyone desired. It was dangerous to enter at night when there were less people, but it was also somewhat convenient. All the rich people were home and not there to call them out because of how outrageously different they were to the upper class. Ellen was desperate to steer Joanna away from Lyon's and head towards the bakery instead, where they threw out their leftover bread in the trash in the alley- a commodity that was free, but unhealthy. Joanna wouldn't allow her sister to get as sick as she had been, coughing and rubbing her nose.<br/>
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"Lyon says we're vermin. We've been caught too many times. It's wrong." She turned away from Joanna and coughed into her shawl.<br/>
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"It's <i>right</i>, you mean," Joanna stressed, irritation thick within her voice. "We need food to live, Ellen, and you mean I've never gotten caught."<br/>
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"Well, you were dangerously close to being seen last time," Ellen argued and stomped her feet.  <br/>
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"But I wasn't seen," she yanked on her sister's hand and took long strides, "which is why we're going back, so we can have something to eat before finding a place to hide."<br/>
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Lyon's elegantly curved Tea Shop sign creaked a bit in the wind. Gold lined panels marked the exterior and the squeak barely made the shop appear ominous, even in the deadly silence of the village. Most merchants and upper class had gotten ready for the night; Joanna believed the night was a perfect time to grab a few things. Joanna and Ellen's eyes landed on the sugary displays in the windows. The lights were still on and a small rotund white cake with raspberries on top caught Joanna's eyes. She licked her dry, cracked lips as her mouth watered with anticipation. It'd only been a few weeks ago since they'd last had something so sweet.</span><br/><br/><span style="font-family: 'Tahoma'">"What a beauty," she breathed, and glanced over at her sister. "See anything you want, El?"<br/>
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Their marvel at the store window came to a brief halt when a privateer immediately appeared in their line of sight. The girls shifted into the darkness of the alleyway, nimble on their toes. The privateer passed by their alleyway and shined a lantern down the open path. Joanna placed her hand over Ellen's mouth to keep her from screaming and pressed her own body up against the corner of the garbage dump. The light moved around for a brief time and the clack of boots moved away. Ellen's stomach churned with dread and frustration. Her sister's defiance had been expected, but it was risky and worrisome. <br/>
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"Oh, I don't have a good feeling about this," she whispered through gritted teeth. <br/>
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"You never do. Now hush, or we'll be caught."<br/>
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Joanna looked both ways to make sure no one was around and made a quick endevour towards the Tea shop while Ellen hung back and kept an eye out for any strange figures or situations nearby. Joanna was not the epitome of discreet and preferred to get the job done, so being on the lookout was important. When the shop owner, Lyon Barrington, was busy counting money and organizing new jewels for tomorrow, Joanna was detailing her escape plan. She didn't come to the sweets shop too often for tactical reasons; Once Lyon believed she wouldn't return, he often didn't expect her to come back.<br/>
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A rush of adrenaline pumped through her, nerves in her shoulders bunching up as she eyed the savory desserts. The sponge cake Ellen enjoyed was sitting on the farther end of the display next to a mountain of what Joanna believed to be lemon tarts. She licked her lips again and without a second thought, darted inside. The bell- usually signaling a customer, this time, ironically, a thief- rang and Lyon glanced around the corner from his front desk to see a familiar figure taking a couple pastries and a cake down from the display cases. Anger boiled deep inside as he barked at Joanna and made a run for her. <br/>
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"Bloody thief!" <br/>
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Joanna burst out of Lyon's shop, laughter and derision following close behind. <br/>
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"Guards! A thief!" <br/>
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"Quick, Ellen! Run!" she exclaimed. Night fell and a loud gun shot rang out in the distance. The silhouette of a huge explosion painted the streets and the sky went up in flames. Alarm fell on Ellen's face as the sound of boots began to grow louder. Joanna carried the crumbling cakes in her hands as she darted down the alley and made a left towards the chaos on the other side of town, hopeful that they could lose the privateers in a sea of apparent disarray. Ellen didn't understand what made Joanna head towards obvious danger, but she didn't question her sister's decision and followed her as fast as her legs could carry her.<br/>
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"Oh, Joanna, hurry up!" Ellen squeaked, cheeks red. Her legs burned from the sudden physical exertion. "They're here!"<br/>
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