Post by Street on Apr 30, 2013 1:31:08 GMT -5
The sun was out and beaming warmly on the clay shingled roof where Street was laying shirtless with his arms under his head, watching all the people going about their business at the markets. The roof was only two floors above the cobbled town square and was one that formed the perimeter of the markets. It was late afternoon and Savage was enjoying the warmth as he looked around and thought of what to do for the evening's entertainment. He had a couple coins in his pouch from winning a fight the last night; enough for a warm stew and some mead at the tavern – there was always fun to be had there – he decided perhaps he would go for a drink when twilight set in.
Street began to close his eyes and almost dozed off before he heard some notable commotion from the near side of the market. Looking down, he quickly saw there was a stir around one of the smaller tent shops and he knew it well; Mr. Todd sold Street any of the wares he needed – like his razor and cloths - at very good rates. Street swiftly hopped onto his feet and got moving in closer to get a better look.
By the time he had hopped down onto the lower roof beside the one he had been laying on and ran to the far edge of it, Street saw a couple young men trying to scurry away from the shop as Mr. Todd shouted after them. He had been robbed it seemed, and no one in the crowd was doing much about it. Street leapt off the roof and rolled onto his feet along side the wall, hitting the ground running in their direction. Street slowed his pace to a casual walk as he approached the robbers who were moving in his direction. Keeping an eye on the men - Mr. Todd scrambling after them - Street lined himself up with the most forward of the robbers and hastened to a bolder stride, raised his gait and collided with him.
The robber recoiled and fell backwards to the cobbled ground, dropping a sack beside him. Street leaned over the other man, holding one arm out and pushed the man against the ground while picking up the sack with his other hand and tossing it through the crowd to Mr Todd. By the time Street went to stand up, the other robber stopped startled a pace away from him and shoved Street before he was upright. Street fell back a couple paces and bumped into a woman in the crowd. He moved forward again quickly and shoved the robber back, and into another man in the crowd. This second robber seemed to also have a sac in his hand, so Street stepped towards him again; Mr. Todd wasn't some wealthy man who could afford to lose a sac of wares – that could easily cost the old man food for his family.
Before Savage could reach the second burglar, the first had gotten up and dove to tackle him. The two fell through the crowd and hit the cobbled ground – Savage first, breaking the other's fall. Savage rolled backwards and threw the man off, thrusting upwards with his legs. He continued the back roll and landed standing on the stone ground, his back to the fallen robber and saw the other pushing through the crowd that had opened around the scene. Street took off after him, though it was hard to tell anymore where exactly the man was in the crowd.
The crowd was thick, so Street leapt over merchant tables like hurdles in the direction he'd seen the man run. Nearer the centre of the square, the crowd thinned and Street jumped over the water and scaled the fountain for a quick view; it took a mere moment to see the man running south by Main street and Savage was through the air off the fountain in pursuit again. The crowd was thinner there and Street was able to really run, keeping the robber in his sights and quickly gaining on him. Out of the square, the buildings were closer together, leaving Street with a more versatile terrain. It wasn't far along the road that Street could tell the man was eyeing a turn into the nearest alley to the right, behind a patio diner. Street moved closer to the right, ran up the nearest patio table and leapt from one to the other before hoisting himself feet over fist onto the low roof at the corner. With two feet landing on the roof of the cellar entrance, Savage thrust himself off and tackled the fleeing man as he made the corner into the alley, slamming him face first into the concrete alley wall. Street landed on his feet, kneeled over the fallen robber and began to throw fist after fist into the man's face. The sac of wares lay on the ground beside them, and it wasn't long before a pair of guards were over them.
The guards drew their swords and one commanded “Halt now!” Savage stood without hesitation picking up the sac as he did, though the other man was in no position to do so. Often enough, Street would run from guards as his walk in life wasn't very favoured by the law, but this time he hadn't any reason to flee. “Hand that over.” one guard demanded, eyeing the sac while holding his sword at Street and moving around to corner him. Street handed the sac over and the guard took it quickly, still holding his sword at him. “You're under arrest,” the guard proclaimed, “both of you.”
“What?” Street exclaimed in surprise, “I just caught this crook – I did your damn job for you – you should be paying me for this.”
“Likely story, street rat.” The guard responded snidely, “We know your kind – always skulking about, stealing what you want and fighting amongst yourselves. You're nothing but filth; riff raff – you're coming with us – if for nothing else than beating this guy senseless; we'll have to bring the surgeon in to the dungeon to patch him up.”
For the first time in his life, Savage Street had nowhere to run. Go figure it would be his own fault for not running when he had the chance; he could have been down the alley and over the walls before those guards caught him. He should have known no good deed goes unpunished.
Street began to close his eyes and almost dozed off before he heard some notable commotion from the near side of the market. Looking down, he quickly saw there was a stir around one of the smaller tent shops and he knew it well; Mr. Todd sold Street any of the wares he needed – like his razor and cloths - at very good rates. Street swiftly hopped onto his feet and got moving in closer to get a better look.
By the time he had hopped down onto the lower roof beside the one he had been laying on and ran to the far edge of it, Street saw a couple young men trying to scurry away from the shop as Mr. Todd shouted after them. He had been robbed it seemed, and no one in the crowd was doing much about it. Street leapt off the roof and rolled onto his feet along side the wall, hitting the ground running in their direction. Street slowed his pace to a casual walk as he approached the robbers who were moving in his direction. Keeping an eye on the men - Mr. Todd scrambling after them - Street lined himself up with the most forward of the robbers and hastened to a bolder stride, raised his gait and collided with him.
The robber recoiled and fell backwards to the cobbled ground, dropping a sack beside him. Street leaned over the other man, holding one arm out and pushed the man against the ground while picking up the sack with his other hand and tossing it through the crowd to Mr Todd. By the time Street went to stand up, the other robber stopped startled a pace away from him and shoved Street before he was upright. Street fell back a couple paces and bumped into a woman in the crowd. He moved forward again quickly and shoved the robber back, and into another man in the crowd. This second robber seemed to also have a sac in his hand, so Street stepped towards him again; Mr. Todd wasn't some wealthy man who could afford to lose a sac of wares – that could easily cost the old man food for his family.
Before Savage could reach the second burglar, the first had gotten up and dove to tackle him. The two fell through the crowd and hit the cobbled ground – Savage first, breaking the other's fall. Savage rolled backwards and threw the man off, thrusting upwards with his legs. He continued the back roll and landed standing on the stone ground, his back to the fallen robber and saw the other pushing through the crowd that had opened around the scene. Street took off after him, though it was hard to tell anymore where exactly the man was in the crowd.
The crowd was thick, so Street leapt over merchant tables like hurdles in the direction he'd seen the man run. Nearer the centre of the square, the crowd thinned and Street jumped over the water and scaled the fountain for a quick view; it took a mere moment to see the man running south by Main street and Savage was through the air off the fountain in pursuit again. The crowd was thinner there and Street was able to really run, keeping the robber in his sights and quickly gaining on him. Out of the square, the buildings were closer together, leaving Street with a more versatile terrain. It wasn't far along the road that Street could tell the man was eyeing a turn into the nearest alley to the right, behind a patio diner. Street moved closer to the right, ran up the nearest patio table and leapt from one to the other before hoisting himself feet over fist onto the low roof at the corner. With two feet landing on the roof of the cellar entrance, Savage thrust himself off and tackled the fleeing man as he made the corner into the alley, slamming him face first into the concrete alley wall. Street landed on his feet, kneeled over the fallen robber and began to throw fist after fist into the man's face. The sac of wares lay on the ground beside them, and it wasn't long before a pair of guards were over them.
The guards drew their swords and one commanded “Halt now!” Savage stood without hesitation picking up the sac as he did, though the other man was in no position to do so. Often enough, Street would run from guards as his walk in life wasn't very favoured by the law, but this time he hadn't any reason to flee. “Hand that over.” one guard demanded, eyeing the sac while holding his sword at Street and moving around to corner him. Street handed the sac over and the guard took it quickly, still holding his sword at him. “You're under arrest,” the guard proclaimed, “both of you.”
“What?” Street exclaimed in surprise, “I just caught this crook – I did your damn job for you – you should be paying me for this.”
“Likely story, street rat.” The guard responded snidely, “We know your kind – always skulking about, stealing what you want and fighting amongst yourselves. You're nothing but filth; riff raff – you're coming with us – if for nothing else than beating this guy senseless; we'll have to bring the surgeon in to the dungeon to patch him up.”
For the first time in his life, Savage Street had nowhere to run. Go figure it would be his own fault for not running when he had the chance; he could have been down the alley and over the walls before those guards caught him. He should have known no good deed goes unpunished.