Thalos and the group stepped outside of the Great Hall, the sun just passed mid-day as their class ended, Thalos looked up to the sky, large grey clouds drifted above Frosthelm, a sign more snow was on its way. Garrick and Elara were talking about the lesson today, something about magic and spells.
"Fireball!" Garrick yelled out loudly, thrusting one palm forward. Elara shook her head, and turned her own hand upward. "No, Garrick, if anything it would look like this." Thalos saw Orin at the back of the group. He didn't say anything, but he could clearly see Orin doing something strange with his hand, maybe trying magic as well? All attempts by the group to cast magic were met with strange stares from everyone around them.
"You all got it wrong, it's like this! SNOWBALL!" Garrick turned as Brynn pretended to cast a spell. It was just a snowball that ended up hitting Garrick straight in the face. Thalos and Orin chuckled softly, trying to hold back a laugh. Garrick was about to say something when Brynn cut him off.
"It's still early and I have an idea" Brynn's grin was unmistakable, she did in fact have an idea.
Thalos sighed, he knew what was to follow "Of course you do"
Brynn ignored him. "Alright! We could go to the market and…"
"No" Garrick stopped her immediately.
Brynn narrowed her eyes at him "I didn't even finish!"
"Because we already know what you're going to say" Elara crossed her arms "You want to sneak into Harl's stall again, he was not happy with us last time he found us in there"
"We were just looking" Brynn shot back "We didn't even do anything!"
"He chased us out with a hammer, Brynn." Thalos held up his arm pretending to have a hammer. "A hammer!"
Behind them Orin let out a small chuckle. "Didn't he throw a bucket at you?"
"It missed!" Brynn was starting to raise her voice.
"It didn't miss." Thalos corrected "It hit Garrick instead"
Garrick rubbed the back of his head. "Right on my head. I can still feel it."
"Fine, No Harl. Then" She thought for a moment longer. "Oh! What about going to the wat"
"No." Elara interrupted her.
"I didn't even say anything yet!"
"If it involves climbing the watchtowers again, then no" Elara said
Brynn scoffed at her "You act like we got in trouble for that"
"We did" Thalos pointed out "twice"
"Only because the Guards spotted you" Brynn crossed her arms again "I wasn't the one that got caught."
"Yeah. Because we did, after, you ran away Brynn." Elara was shaking her head.
That always made Brynn mad, whenever she would shake her head at her, It always made her feel like she was looking down on her. "Fine no watchtowers, no Harl, what about the forge? We could just…"
"No," Garrick groaned, an almost painful sound. "Morran still hasn't forgiven us for the Bellows' mistake."
Orin winced. "That was bad."
Thalos nodded. "That was really bad"
Brynn grinned widely. "That was funny though"
"He set Garrick on fire!" Elara snapped at her.
Garrick gave a nervous laugh. "That one was crazy, but I had a little fun"
Elara placed her hand on her face and sighed "you had to dive into the snow to put yourself out."
Brynn rolled her eyes. "You're all no fun!" Brynn started to twirl a strand of hair around one of her fingers. Then her eyes lit up. "Aright, last idea. I promise it's a good one!"
The others groaned in unison.
"What? This one's different! We could go on Owen's"
"If you say Owens sledding hill, I swear" Elara started to protest
"Owen's sledding hill!" Brynn finished loudly, one finger pointed straight up.
Elara sighed "Brynn we are not al"
"Come on! It's perfect, we haven't been there for a while and…"
"Owen put iron spikes at the bottom after what happened last time"
Brynn blinked once. "He what?"
"Spikes" Garrick echoing Thalos "I saw him burying them under the snow. After you sent his brother flying off the cliff into the frozen lake. He swore he'd never let us back there again."
Brynn looked confused. "That's crazy! We didn't even do anything!"
"You pushed Bram off a cliff!" Elara tried to emphasize by raising her voice at the end.
"It was a very small cliff" Brynn was visibly becoming annoyed.
"Bram hasn't talked to us since," Orin said quietly.
Thalos walked up beside Brynn "Look, Brynn, I have to agree with the others. I want to do something fun too, but I need to stay out of trouble today"
Brynn never even looked at Thalos "You're all impossible."
Elara had a small smile. "Maybe you just aren't that good at coming up with ideas"
Brynn said something under her breath, but didn't argue further.
As they walked, their talk died down to an awkward silence. Thalos saw Garrick starting to become uncomfortable with the silence. Garrick was never good with uncomfortable situations. "Well Brynn lets just make new ideas then" Garrick spoke up.
Brynn turned around smiling. "Let's do it then!"
Thalos and Elara both looked at each other "This is a mistake" "This is definitely a mistake"
Thalos saw Brynn's grin as she scanned every roof, every stall, every path. And he knew that trouble would find them again.
The five of them walked down the main path, passing the market, villagers gathered in small groups talking about the latest news, A few elders stood near the middle of the market, they looked like they were worried, giving urgent commands to some hunters nearby. Elara pulled on Thalos's cloak, he slowed his walking and looked at Elara "The elders look troubled again" She was watching the group of elders. "They always do lately" he replied "Probably another problem in the forest" Elara looked out to the tree line "I wonder what's happening out there."
Before Thalos could reply, Brynn suddenly started running off the main path.
"Alright… Everyone follow me!"
She was running down into an alley between a few market stalls, looking over her shoulder to make sure everyone was following her. She led them toward a group of storage sheds near the back of the market. They were small wooden shacks, where traders kept their supplies, the doors were locked shut, with heavy iron chains. A perfect challenge for her.
"Brynn, if we get caught…" Thalos started, but was cut off. "We won't. We are professionals."
Elara sighed "That's a lie."
She turned her back on Elara without a word, inspecting the lock. "A bone in lock." She smiled. Brynn knew these locks well. It was a small iron mechanism that was built into a hollowed out horn. A metal bar ran through the center. Held in place by pins. The key would be a carved antler that rotated the pins inside the bar. Once aligned properly a small audible click can be heard and the bar would slide free, unlocking whatever is behind it. "It looks like the blacksmith left already, That means there is no one watching his coal"
"And we need coal?" Orin asked
Brynn huffed "Does it really matter?"
Thalos walked beside Orin "We don't need coal. And I can't get another talking to by my father"
"Come on!" Brynn said "Where's your sense of adventure!"
"My sense of adventure is just fine, you're just crazy!"
Brynn smiled, the others laughed lightly, but no one walked away. Brynn already knew what that meant, because trouble had never stopped them before. Brynn knelt by the shed's wooden door, looking at the lock "Simple enough" She muttered. Looking back at the others "Garrick keep watch! Orin help me open this lock"
Orin was caught off guard "What? No. Couldn't yo…"
"You're the quietest" Brynn interrupted him. "And I want your help"
Thalos always found it amusing, Brynn was always getting Orin to help her do the hardest tasks. Brynn once convinced Orin to dress up and act like an old couple to try and sneak into the meeting room with the other elders. From what Thalos heard it actually worked quite well until someone asked Orin a question, and he broke character immediately.
"Thalos, Elara keep watch down the alley, we don't need someone ruining our fun"
Thalos walked back to the entrance of the Alley. He knew if they were spotted he would get in trouble again. But he found it hard to say no to Brynn. Even if he did, Brynn would grab him and drag him back into the action. And it was really his own fault. He was too curious. And in his own way he did find this fun. And he knew Elara would join in. She always tried to stop Brynn's recklessness, but once it started, she joined in like the rest of us.
Brynn took out a small bone from her satchel. Thalos could hear Brynn talking to Orin. "Any bone will work if you know what you are doing." Orin hesitated, Brynn grabbed his hand. "Hold the horn still Orin" Brynn inserted the bone. "Okay Orin, spin the horn" "I don't want to d…" Orin started. "Shhhhh we almost have it!" Brynn cut him off. "Just slide it this way… We just need to move the rod over here."
Thalos and Elara were watching Brynn and Orin more than the Alley. And before they knew it a loud voice cut through the air.
"HEY! What do you lot think you are doing!"
The words sent a jolt through the entire group. Orin flinched so bad that he fell back into the snow. Thalos spun back around to see an elderly woman wrapped in thick fur. Standing just beyond the alley. A cane pointed directly at them. Brynn cursed. "Run!" She yelled.