He ran down the street, his boots lightly padding the stone beneath them. Yes, the eight-year-old had a knack for trouble; the thrill seemed to be his favorite, though. Sinbad turned the sharp corner and hid with his stolen fruit. He stole it right from under the man's nose! Yes, that made its taste all the better.

He panted as he leaned back against the stone building, it was almost winter and here he was breathless and sweating. He must have been running for about ten whole minutes, of course he would be exhausted.

As a dark shadow cast over him, the child looked up in slight anxiety. Had he been captured? Maybe the man at the stand had planned this all along. His brows furrowed but his gaze softened as a stranger stood before him. A boy, not much older than he was, with darker skin and no shirt offered him a hand. As cautious as he was told to be, he took the boy's wrist and pulled himself up, sinking his teeth into his prize.

"What are you doing sitting around here two minutes away from the guy you just robbed?" It was just an apple, but the boy seemed to understand the stand owner's pride. Being robbed so blatantly, by an adult or child, always seemed to make them go nuts. Especially when their season was almost over. Sinbad gulped down his bite.

"Actually, I'm like…ten whole minutes away." He rolled his eyes and the boy crossed his arms and arched a brow. Without speaking he seemed to say 'oh really?' Then, he pointed to the stand with the irate man standing behind it, scoping the area out with his dark eyes. "…oh."

"Yeah, not very bright." The stranger sighed and pulled him away by the arm, away from the hectic center of the city. Good, Sinbad actually hated cities. The younger boy preferred solitude over adults looming over him any day. "So where are your parents? I'll walk you back." The boy with no shirt asked and he gave a soft frown, looking to his feet and dropping the core of his eaten apple.

"They're gone." He could feel the stranger's gaze on him, probably a sympathetic one, so instead of frowning up, Sinbad perked up. He hated talking about his parents, too. While he expected a sympathetic stare, he was a little surprised to see a half-smile on this strange boy's face.

"Me neither. Hey, we can look out for each other." He offered his hand and Sinbad bowed at the waist to get a better look at his palm. The boy rolled his eyes. "You shake it, dummy."

"I knew that." Sinbad puffed his thin chest and proudly shook hands. "And yeah, we can totally look out for each other, but just make sure you know that I'm in charge." He nearly jumped with joy before pacing to walk ahead. "My name's Sinbad, c'mon!" He called.

"Kale." Kale introduced, sighing inwardly.

Something told him he'd be looking out for Sinbad more than Sinbad would be looking out for him.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sinbad: The Legend of Seven Seas.

I just have a refound obsession again.