"We gotta let you off here kid," said a tall, sturdy man. He was dressed in modest clothes and furs--leader of the caravan that had escorted him. He looked very uncomfortable with the current situation, rubbing the back of his neck and tracing the treeline with his eyes.<br/><br/>"Look, uh... You do good work, kid. It's a small town, but someone will need an apprentice. You'll be alright, ya hear?"<br/><br/>The bespectacled blonde boy frowned and stared hard at the dirt rode. "Thank you for taking me this far," he said quietly. He turned away and started walking. The man looked like he wanted to reach out and give the kid a hug, but couldn't manage to do it. It was hard enough parting like this, after what had happened...<br/><br/><span style="color: #80BF40">~Veloen~</span><br/><br/>"I can read and write," the boy said. "I know how to handle money and do math. I can even do physical labor if that's what you need."<br/><br/>The butcher looked uncomfortable. "How old are you, kid?"<br/><br/>"I'm thirteen," he answered. "I'm old enough for an apprenticeship."<br/><br/>The burly man crossed his arms and tilted his head. "If I had consent from your parents, maybe," he muttered. "Ah~ Look, kid, I'm sorry, but this is a real small town and business is tough, you know?"<br/><br/>"You don't have to pay me," Riu countered. "I just need a place to stay."<br/><br/>The old man forced himself to break eye contact. "I've already got three boys asking to work here--kids of men I grew up with here in town. Try someplace else, alright?"<br/><br/>"I'm sorry, but we really can't take anybody else right now. Have you tried the farms?"<br/><br/>"Sorry, but we really don't have use here for a scrawny kid like you. Go somewhere else."<br/><br/>"Seriously? Try the town hall or something, this isn't a good place for you."<br/><br/>"We just can't accept anyone under sixteen years old. I'm sorry, but you'll have to look elsewhere."<br/><br/>Riu stepped outside, his fists shaking from how hard he was gripping them.<span style="font-style: italic">Dammit!!</span>He was trying not to cry, but found himself wiping away a stray tear nonetheless.<span style="font-style: italic">If nobody will let me work for it, I'll just take what I need!</span><br/><br/>*** Thirty minutes later***<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">There. If it's her, even I can manage it.</span>Riu was hiding behind a tree, watching a beautiful young woman count what was probably her daily earnings. He felt bad, but,<span style="font-style: italic">she has a job, so she can just earn more later.</span><br/><br/>But how best to do this? He'd never stolen anything before. It wasn't even in her pockets, so it wasn't pick-pocketing. Well, he only needed enough for food. It should be find to just run by and grab as much as he could in one go. Then he just had to outrun her. She had longer legs than him, but with those sandals it wouldn't be easy to catch him. Well, he had to go now, or she'd finish counting and he'd lose his chance.<br/><br/>Steeling himself, Riu ran out from behind the tree. He came from behind the girl, crouching down and scooping up an handful of coins. He would pause only for this instant before making his escape.<br/><br/>But disaster had struck. As he jerked his foot forward to keep running, it caught on the girl's robes. The boy lost his balance and tumbled forward. He face-planted in the grass, and slid a good couple of feet. The girl, in turn, got dragged with him, and he dropped all the coins.<span style="font-style: italic">Shit!</span>he thought. He tried to get up to run, but his foot was now thoroughly tangled in her dress, and he just fell again. Furiously, he grabbed grass in his fists and resigned himself to lie there and face his punishment.