I've always wondered about the Rogue of the Kyprin Isles. And what Aly would do about them. So here's a little one-shot fueled by my imagination.

The Rogue

Abhi looked at the celebrations going on around him with bored, tired eyes. For three weeks the suppressed people of the Kyprin Isles had been celebrating the corination of their new Queen. All Abhi saw was more work to be done. There was the cleaning up to do after the riots and reorganizing to do among his people. It's hard to be the King. He sighed to himself.

Not that he really was a king. No, that wasn't the life for him. He was the Rogue of Rajmuat, a king amoung the theives. His palace was an inn filled with the dregs of sociaty; thieves, prostitutes, beggars. It was the same who sat in groups before him. With a weary sigh he rose and stretched his back.

Everyone fell silent and watched him, waiting to see if he would speak or act. He rolled his eyes at them, the simple minded fools. He truned his back on the bar and climbed the stairs to his room. When he reached the second story he saw a crow perched on he banister. "What are you doing inside, little bird?" He asked it. His quick eyes noted the streak of silver on it's back, no doubt from a mage it had angered.

The bird mearly cawed in reply. It sounded like a warning. Still Abhi was not a superstitious man, and took no head of the birds warning. He unlocked the door to his room and entered, his gaze sweeping the room. It was empty, save for his own posetions. The crow flew into the room over his head, cawing. It circled the room once before perching on the back of a chair next to the door.

"Blasted bird." Abhi muttered under his breath. He turned his back on the room to lock and bar his door. When he turned again he nearly dropped his keys. A young luarin women was sitting cross legged on his bed. Looking her over as one of his profession must he thought her to be about seventeen. She was of average hieght for a girl her age. She built well, with thin cord-like muscles showing through her skin. These muscles were bunched, like a cat about to spring.

Her hair was shoulder length and blonde, with hints of red undertones. Her heart-shaped face was warm and open, although her eyes were gaurded. Her nose was small and delacate, although it looked as if it had been broken. Her lips were full. Her eyes were what intrigued Abhi. They were hazel/green. Their color was unextrodanairy but their expression... guarded, yet open, trusting, knowledgable yet innocent. Abhi knew not what to make of her.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"Who are you?" She replied. Her voice was nearly accentless. She could be from anywhere.

"I asked you first." He pointed out. He had started to circle the bed, slowly, cautiously.

"I asked you second." She countered, sending him a winning smile.

Figuring that this line of questioning would get him nowhere he tried again. "What do you want?"

"What does anyone want?"

"Are you ever going to answer me?" Abhi's impatience was growing.

"Probably not. Have you excepted that you are not the one in control of this situation yet?" The girl asked.

"I'm starting to see that now." He admitted pinching the bridge of his nose with his forefingers.

"Good. I'd thought that this would take longer. Have a seat." She raised her hand and gestured to a chair.

Abhi could not believe the audacity of this girl. He here was in his own home being told to sit down. "Do you know who I am?"

"Yes. Now have a seat."

"I'm leaving now." Abhi turned to go. His jaw dropped when he saw the man blocking his path. He'd guess this man to be in his early twenties. Another luarin, he had dark hair and eyes. His hands were thrust in his pockets, his stance relaxed. Like the girl he seemed completely at ease.

"Are you ready to sit yet?" The girl's musical voice asked.

Abhi went over to the chair and sat. "What do you want?"

"I haven't decided yet."

Abhi shifted uncomfortably. "Who are you?"

She frowned, tutting. "I thought we'd already gone over that. That isn't the question you should be asking." There seemed to be genuine disappointment in her voice.

"What should I call you?" Abhi tried again.

"Better. You may call me 'The Crow'. Hmm. That sounded better in my head. Ah, well, we'll use it anyway."

They lapsed into silence for a while. Abhi could hear the man behind him as he and The Crow watched each other. Abhi couldn't take the silence anymore. "Why are you here?"

"I wanted to meet you, considering you are my new employee." She was cleaning under her finger nails with a knife.

"You must be crazy! I don't work for anyone!" He drew one of the many concealed weapons from it's sheath.

The Crow threw the knife at him. It grazed against it's left ear to become embedded in the wall. She was on her feet in an instant. "I'd sit back down if I were you."

Abhi sat.

"Very good. You're learning." Silence fell once again. Abhi remained seated.

"So, Crow. The bird in the hall was one of your pet's, was he?"

The Crow frowned at him again. Abhi whinced, not sure if he had offended her. "He doesn't like it when I call him a pet. I suppose you could say that though. He is one of my favorites."

"Are we going to get to the point of this visit soon?"

"Well, I'm new in town. I've been spending time around town and, surprise, suprise your name came up a few times. I knew I just had to meet you, seeing how your job and mine intersect. I am in the business of information gathering, you see. I was going to find a man or two in your little court but I said to myself 'Why turn a common theif to my side, when I could have their King?'

"So here we are. You, Abhi King of Thieves and little old me. Fitting name by the way. Abhi, meaning fearless. But you are afriad of me aren't you? Well, not really me, but of a lack on control. Don't worry, we'll get rid of that soon enough."

"What do you want from me?"

"Didn't I tell you? I haven't decided yet. Just know that I'll be there, watching." She said with a wink.

"And what if I don't like that?"

"Then you'll have bigger problems then me to worry about."

"Like what?"

She watched Abhi for a few minutes, considering his question. "The man without a name. He, who is known by all of unhonest trade. The one who is feared to be lurking in the shadows of the darkest night. The one whose very existance is thought to be rumor, a fantasy or nightmare."

"You are an agent of The Whisper Man." Recognition flared in Abhi's mind. This was his style, certainly. He used to work for the man in question when he was still new in his throne.

"Oh, no. I work alone now. But he still looks out for me, from time to time."

Abhi shuddered.

"Well it really is time to go. Stay where you are, we'll let ourselves out." She whistled and the mage-marked crow flew to land on her shoulder. She crossed the room to the window and leapt out.

Abhi jumped to his feet and looked around. He couldn't see The Crow's rusher. He ran to the window and looked down. There was nothing unusual about the streets below. That night he checked all the doors and windows. They had all been closed and barred.

No one down stairs had seen the girl or her companion entering or leaving.