Felix the Swift

                             Felix the Swift

Darkness settled on the slumbering city of Ambracia as Felix the Swift crept along the rooftops. He ducked from shadow to shadow keeping himself unseen by unwary eyes. He rested next to a brick chimney, belonging to one of the countless townhouses that stretched along the city s winding streets.

Out of the darkness, he heard footsteps and a metallic jingle. Thinking the worst, he ducked inside the shadow, cast from the chimney. His soft soled shoes slipped on the damp roof tiles as he disappeared into the shadow of the chimney.

He thudded hard against the brick chimney, holding in a yelp of pain as the long rope dug into his back. Felix moved the chaffing, long rope, wrapped around his waist, into a better position. 

The City of Ambracia lay along the northern end of the Empire of Great Aurre, near the mountains and the forest of Draada. The forest was near, but the city was still surrounded by farmland. Great city walls surrounded the entire city, giving its gentle citizens a false sense of security. In the five and half hundred years since the city was founded, the city walls kept the strife out and armies at bay. Street lamps burned, their oil created islands of light surrounded by inky darkness.

Across the way, a beautiful woman stood in the moon light, admiring the stars. She leaned against the window frame, letting her long hair sway in the gentle breeze. Women viewed Felix as a ruggedly handsome, gentle man whose smile caused them to gush. Felix chuckled to himself thinking of the countless virgins  who cried themselves to sleep wishing he would share their beds. If only he could actually live up to his promiscuous reputation.

Felix quickly tied a black rag over his head to hide his light blond hair. He smeared black soot from the chimney over his face. His deep blue eyes focused in the dark searched for the jingling guardsmen.

"A guard, curse me for a fool." Felix whispered to himself.

A town-guardsman walked near, looking for trouble. He was wearing the tabard of Ambracia, a golden eagle in a black field. The Guard was one of the Duke's own personal guards.

The guard looked up and whistled at the women. The women sneered at him and slammed the shutters shut. The guard grunted and inaudible word and kept walking.

“If I was in my neighbourhood, that women would be hooting at him.” Felix muttered to himself.

Felix the Swift was thirty-five years old. He was the thirteenth child, but the third son of a poor cobbler. His family hovered on the edge of starvation for as long as he could remember. It never got any better when his older sisters grew up. His father had to pay out dowries for any suitor to marry them. His good looks didn’t run in his family. Felix was forced to steal food from the marketplace to eat.

When he was older, he never had a real profession. He spent his time stealing to make a living, to keep food in his stomach. His greatest job was when he was twenty-one; he seduced a middle-aged lady of noble blood and stole thousands of Gold Imperials. Luckily, he faked his own death and managed to make an escape. Set for life, he no longer had to make ends meet. He stole here and there, just to keep in practice, but never to satiate his stomach.

Now at the age of thirty-five, after years of living luxuriously, the gold was almost gone and he was back on the rooftops. He spent too much money on good wine and bad investments. Or so his flabby gut told him.

Felix saw his destination looming out of the darkness. A tall, three-story building that hovered over the two story buildings. Felix resumed his walk. With painstaking attention to details, he walked slowly along the roof. He made sure that his feet were on something solid before he put his weight on the next one, he didn't want the roof tiles to break off and fall to the ground with a loud crash. He wasn't in any rush, so he was going to take his time.

The target, a gold necklace that he figured would fetch a good price, was inside the Old Duchess Jearia's house. A building, made out of stone and brick with a tiled roof. Three chimneys jutting out of it with two pouring smoke out from the depths of the house. The window's of the building were huge, but barred, even a small boy couldn't get in.

As he got nearer to the target, Felix swore, "Curse me for a fool in a pink dress."

Between him and the house was an alleyway, which was twice his length cross. Felix hid in the darkness and thought about what he could do. Ideas floated through his head, but he discarded them almost instantly for one reason or other. Finally, a solution came him. Felix quickly walked along the edge of the roof and made his way to a clothesline, which was five feet below.

Felix crouched down and dropped his legs over the side of the building. He edged himself lower and lower trying to find the clothesline with his feet. With his chin on the roof and his feet dangling down below, he still couldn't find the clothesline. His arm muscles ached, but he kept his hold even though the aching turned to pain.

"If I fall," Felix thought to himself, "I am going to have to change my name to either  Felix the Cripple  or  Felix the Dead’. Curse me for being so short."

Lowering himself a couple more inches so that his eyes were level with the rooftop, his feet met the clothesline. He felt it buckle and shift under his weight. As slow as he could, he turned around facing the other wall.

"Ten feet on a piece of string." Felix muttered to himself, “Oh Great Reaur. You are mighty, and I am not. Please make me light as a feather and swift like a cat. I need your help to get across. Amen.”

Felix gulped and started to walk quickly across the line. He put his arms out for balance as the clothesline sagged alarmingly as he neared the middle of the line. Felix heard a crunch from the building behind him and he jumped forward. He grabbed hold of the windowsill as the line fell to the ground below.

With his sore muscles protesting, he pulled himself up and grabbed hold of the metal bars. Scraping his knees along the bricks of the building, Felix got his feet along the side of the wall. He walked slowly up the wall and kicked his left foot onto the windowsill. With his left foot up, he quickly got his second foot onto the windowsill and he stood up.

The top of the windowsill lay at his chest with the bottom of the window on the next story was just above his head. Felix reached up with his left hand to grab hold of the window sill.

A loud footstep sounded from below him, "Son-of-a . . . " He muttered to himself trying to look down. Unfortunately, he could not turn his head and still keep his balance. To Felix's horror, he heard a second set of footsteps coming from below him.

"Hey Gius. Come look at this." One voice said.

The second set of footsteps came closer. A metallic jingle sounded with each footfall. "What is it?"

"Take a look at this clothesline." Fius said.

Felix muttered, "Oh Great Reaur. You are mighty, and I am not. Please keep me hidden and safe from the men below. Amen."

With his prayer said, Felix slowly and quietly began to pull himself up-wards.

"I don't think it is a clothesline, Fius." Gius said.

"Then what is it, smart guy." Fius replied.

"I don't know." Gius said, "If it is a clothesline, where are the clothes?"
       
Felix was now standing on the third story window with his hands grabbing hold of the roof edge.
       
"There are clothes right next to it you fool." Fius said.
       
"They aren't on it now are they?" Gius said.         
       
"They were on it. They fell off when it came down." Fius said yelling.
       
Felix pulled himself upwards and climbed onto the roof.
       
"Hey what was that?" Gius said.
       
"What was what?" Fius muttered.
       
"Up on the roof! I thought that I saw something." Gius said.
       
"You saw nothing you fool." Fius said, "If you weren't my brother, I'd arrest you for being so stupid. Come on, let’s go to the tavern. You can buy me a drink."
       
"Sure." Gius said.
       
Felix lay on his back trying to get his breathing to slow down. His arms hurt and he knew that he would be feeling the pain tomorrow. He grudgingly got up and moved closer to a chimney.
       
Thinking back, he thought of the layout of the house. "Now which chimney was connected to the Old Duchess  bedchamber?" Felix muttered.
       
He walked slowly to each edge and looked down looking for something. His eyes scanned back and forth along the base of the building. He found it; down below him was a balcony.
       
"I hope that's the one." Felix muttered.
       
Felix made his way to the nearest chimney and luckily, it now was pouring smoke out of it.
       
"The lack of smoke must mean that either she's not home, or she's asleep." Felix commented to himself. "Or that I got the wrong chimney."
       
Felix quickly tied the rope around the chimney, the other end to him, and put on a pair of thick leather gloves. He removed the metal cover from the chimney and climbed in headfirst. It was a tight fit, but he slid down the chimney slowly. The gloves grew hotter and hotter as he got further down. He looked down and as the blood slowly rushed to his head he saw a faint light approaching him. He slowed himself as he came up to the light.
       
He poked his head out of the chimney and saw a big room. The candles were unlit and the room was silent. A large four post bed sat in the middle of the room with the curtains open: no one was on the bed. Felix untied himself and quietly made his way into the room.
       
"Curse me for a fool again." Felix muttered noticing his black stained footprints on the tiled floor.
       
Felix slipped off his shoes and made his way to the jewelry box. He quickly picked the lock and opened it up.

Smiling to himself, he picked the shining necklace up and pulled out a fake from his tunic. He put the fake necklace in the box and stuffed the real one in his tunic. He closed the box hearing it click as it locked as the lid closed.   
       
He made his way back to the chimney grabbing a towel from a table on his way. He put his shoes back on and quickly whipped the footprints from the tiled floor. They looked hardly noticeable. He climbed back into the chimney and tied the rope around his waist again. He scrubbed the tiled floor a bit more so it didn't look like someone came in through the chimney. Or at least he thought that it didn’t in the low light.
       
Up and up he climbed. His muscles ached and burned, but slowly he made his way to the top. He climbed out of the chimney and sat on the roof for a couple minutes resting his sore muscles. Feeling himself fall asleep, Felix got up. He pulled his rope out of the chimney and wrapped it around himself. He lifted the metal chimney cover and replaced it onto the chimney.
       
He made his way along the roof to where the alleyway lay cautiously. He tied the rope, using a slipknot, around another chimney and let it drop to the ground. He pulled a piece of string out of his pocket and tied it to the slipknot. Felix was confident that the rope would be strong enough to let him get to the ground, while the string would let him get the rope down after he was safely on the ground.
       
Felix slid down the side of the building with careful ease. His feet hit the ground, "Thank Reaur," He muttered.
       
"Stop it right there!" A voice sounded in the dark.
       
"You are under arrest! Thief!" Another sounded.
       
Standing in the shadows were Gius and Fius. They wore the Duke s Tabard, but wore little armour.
         
So, Felix the Swift. You are finally caught.” Fius said.
         
I think that you should be called  Felix the Fool .  Gius gloated.
         
Congratulations on catching me.  Felix said taking a bow.  You two are good guards. You have my compliments.  Suddenly, pointing behind them.  Hey Look! A distraction!
       
Gius and Fius turned around. With the two guards back turned, Felix ran down the alley the other way and disappeared around a corner.
         
We lost him again, didn’t we?  Gius said.
         
Just shut up and buy me something to drink." Fius muttered heading for the tavern.
         
But I bought you the last one,  protested Gius