Perched on the rooftop of a squat building, Abel watched as the small group of merchants entered the city through the gates and immediately made a course of the marketplace. He notched an arrow into his bow and slowly crept along the top of the building, eyeing his target warily. The caravan itself was too big a target for him, but one of the merchants walking alongside it had a hefty bag of what could only be coin or other valuables hanging from his belt. An arrow flew from his bow, cutting through the cloth that covered the wagon. The caravan stopped, the merchants and its two guards turning to inspect the tear.
He slung the bow over a shoulder and hopped swiftly and quietly to the street below, his dagger coming loose to deftly cut the string of the wealthy merchant's purse. Luck was not on his side, however, as the merchant and his fellows turned almost immediately as he cut the purse loose, all crying out in varying degrees of surprise. The two guards came around, drawing and brandishing their swords on Abel.
"Good afternoon!" Abel said cheerfully, slowly backing up from the armed men. "Lovely weather we're having, innit?"
"Drop the purse, thief." One said coolly, confident in the thought that they would stop this lone man.
"Now, I can't do that, and you very well know why." Abel explained, backing into a crate before quickly hopping up onto it as the men approached. "I need this money, food's expensive and I'm awful hungry." A hand moved to rub his belly. "Besides, what a waste this would be, you have plenty more where this came from."
A bolt flew past him as one of the merchants produced a crossbow. Abel ducked in surprise, eyes wide as he turned to hop up onto the wooden support beams of a vendor's stall, them climbed up onto the roof and turned around.
"Thank you for the generous donation, my good sirs!" He called down to them cheerfully, sheathing his dagger and pocketing the coins. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must be off!" Turning, Abel ran just as another bolt flew toward him, narrowly escaping.
He slung the bow over a shoulder and hopped swiftly and quietly to the street below, his dagger coming loose to deftly cut the string of the wealthy merchant's purse. Luck was not on his side, however, as the merchant and his fellows turned almost immediately as he cut the purse loose, all crying out in varying degrees of surprise. The two guards came around, drawing and brandishing their swords on Abel.
"Good afternoon!" Abel said cheerfully, slowly backing up from the armed men. "Lovely weather we're having, innit?"
"Drop the purse, thief." One said coolly, confident in the thought that they would stop this lone man.
"Now, I can't do that, and you very well know why." Abel explained, backing into a crate before quickly hopping up onto it as the men approached. "I need this money, food's expensive and I'm awful hungry." A hand moved to rub his belly. "Besides, what a waste this would be, you have plenty more where this came from."
A bolt flew past him as one of the merchants produced a crossbow. Abel ducked in surprise, eyes wide as he turned to hop up onto the wooden support beams of a vendor's stall, them climbed up onto the roof and turned around.
"Thank you for the generous donation, my good sirs!" He called down to them cheerfully, sheathing his dagger and pocketing the coins. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must be off!" Turning, Abel ran just as another bolt flew toward him, narrowly escaping.