Ignoring the cries and protests of various merchants, he quickly bounded onto a nearby stall, trinkets and charms clattering onto the floor beneath him, and with one great leap propelled himself through the air into an open window. Muttering a swift prayer to the gods, Briar dived into a nearby laundry pile, wrinkling his nose with disgust at the stench, and pleaded fervently that his pursuers had lost sight of him. Suddenly he stiffened and held his breath as he heard the guards pause outside the window, wincing inwardly at the nasal tone of the shopkeeper demanding justice for his damaged wares.

The guards pulled themselves through the window one by one, and Briar couldn’t help but laugh silently despite his plight; they were obviously struggling to heave their bulk through. However, this was little consolation. The town guards, as a rule, trained vigorously every day, the more trouble they had getting through the window, the bigger and stronger they’d be. He clung to the wall, burying himself deeper into the dirty clothes covering him. Briar curled up small as he heard them systematically ransack the room, drawing closer and closer to where he was concealed. His body trembled uncontrollably as the room went silent, knowing for sure the guards had seen the pile of laundry, perfect for hiding away a young lad. The silence hung in the air as Briar, still clinging to his stolen loaf, took a deep breath, believing it to be his last. He shuddered as the steely ring sliced the air, the unmistakeable sound of a sword leaving its sheath. Eyes wide with fear, he listened as the blade plunged into the clothes randomly, too scared to flee or protect himself, knowing in his heart that his best bet was to stay still, a cowards death, but a clean one. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut, waiting for the cold kiss of steel. He didn’t really have any regrets, too young to have experienced true love, no family left living or caring, Briar just wished he’d been able to eat the bread he’d fought so hard to obtain. For what seemed an eternity he waited, knowing they were still there, just wanting it to be over with by now, hoping for a clean blow to kill him instantly, not wanting to feel as the guards had their fun with him.