The lady and the rogue (Hat + Rawrg

The man had no name. Names were dangerous. His eyes were a bright blue, his hair jet black. His skin was whiter than the moon, his features sharp and handsome. A lot of people likened him to a raven, or another bird. His eyes peirced souls, his hands delicate and dextrous from picking hundreds of locks. His arms were made for throwing knives and carrying ill-gotten goods. His glothes dark, dark green, almost black, lined with gentle silver.
He was, of course, infamous. He stole from the rich. He gave to himself. The girls loved him, the men wanted to be him. They called him the Raven, and he was only spotted by sheer luck, if ever. He was a living legend.

So of course it was incredibly embarrasing when, in tryng to break into the room with the hidden safe, he landed, glass shattering and peices spearing the ground around him, and realized that this room was...
That of the daughter of the family.

Elizabeth (minus ears) sat up with a start. "H-huh?" She asked, long golden hair falling around her shoulders. Liz was the beautiful seventeen-year-old daughter of a very rich noble. He was very influential, and had many, many sons who made him proud by hunting and marrying girls with large dowries. Elizabeth was his only daughter, and the only child who was kept hidden away from the world, unless the family went to a ball or a party, at which time her qualities were flaunted and many sons of other nobles fought for her hand in marriage.

"Wh-who are you?" She asked, looking at him with fright. She hadn't seen many men--or any at all, actually--inside her room, especially not at this indecent hour. She held her blanket up over herself, as she was dressed for bed in a mostly see-through night gown, which was thin and small for the summer months. "W-what are you d-doing in m-my room?"

The man looked around, his face hidden behind a mask. "I seem to have landed in the wrong room." he said smoothly. "Please, return to sleep. I am merely checking the security of your home for your father. I'll reimburse the window." a suave smile slipped across his lips. "I am surprised. You are more beautiful than he mentioned." With that, he turned away and seemed to slip away into darkness.

As he shut the door behind him, he smiled. He had a new target now. Not the money. No, compared to the treasure in that room, the money in the safe was paltry. He would hold her heart and her body in his hands.

Elizabeth trembled even after he was gone. The midnight wind teased at her golden locks as she stared after him, then over at the broken glass on the floor. Surely, someone would clean it up in the morning. With a shiver, she rolled over and went back to sleep, holding her blanket around her spindly frame. What an odd thing for father to do, sending a man in her room like that. The man had said something about being in the wrong room, but still, it was just--she shook her head, closing her eyes, drifting back into her uneasy sleep.

The next morning, the glass was gone. A small note lay in its place. It was black with white ink.
I would like to see you again. Come to the market this afternoon or leave your window open tonight. I will see you soon. Do not fear, I will not harm you.

Raven

The handwriting was perfect, and under the signature was a drawing of a raven, simple and clean. Obviously, the man from last night. She'd caught the Raven's eye, and it was rumored any woman who did, vanished. But not in a bad way... They were whisked away to live free, away from the trappings of society, to live the night like he did.

Then again, the man had a lot of rumors attached to him.

Elizabeth blushed when she found the note. He'd come back in the night? But did that mean... Blush filled her cheeks as she thought of all the things that could have happened while she was asleep. She shook the thoughts from her mind and quickly dressed for breakfast. She spoke to her father, but did not mention the man or the note. The morning was passed with horseback riding and reading, not at the same time of course. Then came luncheon in her room, dressing, and disappearing from her chambers. Of course, her ladies knew where she was going, and were sworn into secrecy.

The beauty entered the market under a hood, which was attached to a simple burlap hood. Her beauty was hood, but her golden locks still shone around her face.

A man walked up[ beside her, similarily hooded. He smiled as he walked up beside her. "You came after all. How bold of you." he said quietly. "Bold for a sheltered girl." he added softly. "You know who I am. But I have yet to assign a name to this angel's face..." he said, turning towards her, his blue ice ueyes meeting hers.

Elizabeth looked back at him, her own big, brown eyes glittering. "But I don't really know you, do I?" She asked, only loud enough for him to hear. "I know you as well as any other girl in this country... I know you as a shadow, and only recently as a man." A small smirk passed over her lips. "So perhaps I will tell you my name when I learn yours, Raven. You may call me what you like until then." She flashed him a shy smile. While she was confident in her wiles, she was not so confident with him. He was too... mysterious, for lack of a less cliched word.

He chuckled. "I love a girl like you." he murmured. "I don't think so. I only give my name to those I truly trust." he said softly, leaning closer. "But I can guess your name with ease. I'd rather hear you give it to me, though." he said, his impish smile growing. "After all, it's more fun to recieve than it is to take." And I mean that with everything." The last word had an odd emphasis on it. "Don't you agree?"

He was well known for his habit of swereping girls away, and breaking hearts ever so gently. The scourge of fathers and older brothers, more than a theif of gold, but a theif of the heart as well.

Elizabeth smirked, looking over a cart full of grapefruits. It was her favorite thing to eat. She selected one, paid for it quietly, and began to pick at the thick, bitter peel. As her fingers worked, she somehow didn't trip over herself or anything else, having been taught from birth how to be able to deal with several things at once. "But you would rather take another man's riches than receive a living of your own." She informed him, quietly, as the rind of her fruit fell away into the dust of the street. "I have not so sheltered a life that I haven't caught wind of your escapades. I do hope you don't take me for that much of a fool."

He smiled, offering her a slice from one he'd palmed and peeled while she had spoken. "I do have a day job." he said. "I'm a locksmith." he said. "Mine are of the highest quality." he said, taking a slice of his own from the stolen fruit. "Business all over the city. It is nice to get the money coming and going." he said, his teeth shining in the sunlight.

She looked at the fruit with a raised eyebrow, then turned back to her own. "I'll stay with the honestly-gotten one, thank you." She murmured. Having grown up a proper lady, she had high moral standards, and stealing was not something that she had a particular mind for--especially petty things like fruit that she could easily pay for. "When did you decide to be a thief?" She asked, quietly, after a minute or so of silence.

"That..." he said quietly, "Is a good question. A better one, though, would be.... 'When did you become a locksmith?'" he sighed, eating another slice. "I... I was born into harsh times. Let's leave it at that, for now." he said softly.
"Besides, I switched the fruit with money." he said with a smirk. "My hands and fingers are fast and able. Did you notice?" he asked softly. "Tell your father, by the by, to reinforce his windows. A peice of advice. I already did yours..." he handed her a small key, "But really. You can't be too careful these days."

Elizabeth looked at the pretty silver key. It was ornate, and most likely made of something not silver. Still, it was nice, and she tucked it quickly into the folds of her dress. "Thank you." She murmured, nibbling on another grapefruit slice. "I didn't notice, I'm afraid... I--" The clock suddenly struck three, announced by the bells in the clock tower. She suddenly went pale, staring off at nothing. Tea time. She'd forgotten tea time. "Ah... I have to go!" She said suddenly, blushing as she looked at him, suddenly looking very much like a shy little girl. "S-sorry, bye." She said, and bolted, disappearing into the crowded streets. She got home just in time to change for tea, which was promptly at three-thirty, and avoided a scolding from her parents.

He smiled at her, taking another bite. "An interesting girl indeed. Smarter than she looks." he finished the fruit and wiped his lips carefully, then made his way back to his shop. He had three more orders today. It was going to be busy, indeed...

When Elizabeth settled down for sleep that night, she wondered if he would visit her. She'd met him in the market, true, but... she almost hoped to see him again. He was a handsome man, after all, and smart, and suave, and... sigh. The stories were true after all. And even if he did decide to fancy her, maybe even to love her, it would only be a fleeting moment before his eyes lit upon another beauty and he forgot all about her. Elizabeth sighed, closing her eyes, rolling over in her big bed and trying to forget the man.

He decided against visiting her at night. Too forward! Instead, he merely slipped her another note.
I want to show you my.... honest side. Come to this adress, my beautiful maiden.
Raven


On the flipside was the adress of a lock shop. It was quite well-known too, and if it got out that Raven ran it...He'd die. Well, that was the good outcome, a simple death. He'd swindled hundreds of millions of dollars. He'd be lucky to 'just' die.

A week passed, and Elizabeth did not visit the shop. It seemed that her father had gotten wind of her escapades, and she was now under close supervision, often kept in her chambers by a guard or two. She found it odd, of course, because she had never been locked up before, and it was weird to start the practice now, when she should have been being paraded about for marriage. She spent the long hours doing, mostly, needlepoint, hoping that someone would come rescue her like in the fairy tales.

He came late this time, opening the window, putting a finger to his lips as he walked inside and handed her a note.
Don't speak. Only nod or shake you head. Understand? the note said simply, Raven looking around, hunched over. It felt like if she looked away, he'd vanish into thin air. His breath, the clothes brushing against themselves... all silent. Like he wasn;t even there.

Elizabeth looked up at him, confused, but nodded. She wanted to ask him why but, as it would break the newly-forged contract, simply kept silent and looked at him imploringly. She was clutching her sheets to her chest, hiding her pajama-clothed body from him. Her golden hair was teased in the wind again, moonlight giving her an almost angelic glow.

He took the card and flipped it over.
I want to take you away from here. You shouldn't be cramped in here. Do you want to come with me? the card assked. Suddenly, his eyes looked into hers. They seemed to glow, standing out like lanterns in the darkness.

Elizabeth started shaking slightly. She stared at the note, swallowed hard, and thought for a very long time. Five minutes. But I have my parents... my sisters... Ten minutes. What would I bring? Where would we go? Fifteen minutes. Who cares? Suddenly, she stood, leaving her blanket behind and going to her closet. Five minutes later, she appeared in a simple dress and a cloak, looking at his feet. She nodded, finally, in response to the card, but was too embarrassed to look him in the eye.

He nodded, walking over to her.
"I'm sorry for being so suddenly intimite." he murmured softly, kissing her knuckles. Then he picked her up like a bride and leapt from the window. For a moment, a beautiful moment, they seemed to fly. The moon shined on his features as his hood fluttered back. Instead of lust, or pride, showing on his face... Only love and determination. in the few weeks, she had captured his heart, rather than the other way around.

This didn't anger him. He rather liked the development.

The kiss and the lift surprised her, but she made no noise. Quiet as a mouse, she wrapped her arms around his neck, hiding her face against his shoulder. She had been brought up a lady, taught to be quiet and calm in all situations. Her training staid fast as he carried her over roof tops. She did not fidget, nor did she ask questions. She simply sat quietly in his arms, leaning against him, lulling herself into a soothed half-sleep to avoid thinking of all the things she'd just done, all in a simple nod of the head.

He slipped into his room quietly, setting her on the bed gently, sighing. "What have I done now?" he asked himself, taking off his hood and gloves, pulling a bedroll from the closet, laying on the floor next to the bed. He paused, then slipped the covers over her, then he smiled. "Why not." he picked up the mask, setting it over her face. It was... endearing. He chuckled.
"Sleep well... Nightengale." he said softly, pushing a hair from her face. "Tommorrow's going to be... interesting." he slipped into his bedroll and fell to sleep.