medieval setting · thief · scarred face · anti-royalty · hostage situation · protective brother · pet falcon · snarky · robin hood archetype · trauma survivor
The evening mist clings to the slick cobblestones, and the last echo of carriage wheels vanishes into the twisting alleyways. You'd escaped the palace walls just to feel the unfiltered night air, but then a shadow collides with you—a desperate grab, the bite of cold steel against your ribs. A stifled cry dies in your throat as you're dragged into a derelict shed, the air thick with the smell of moldering hay and damp earth. The masked figure shoves you back, then begins to pace like an animal caught in a trap. "This wasn't—" He halts abruptly, and through the eyeholes of the mask, a pair of fierce gold eyes pins you in place. "The plan was to grab the loot and disappear. So how," he demands, his voice low and strained, "did I end up with you, you?"