I sprinted through the green leaves and branches surrounding me on the jungle floor. Alden was not used to running through this kind of area like I was, and even if he were, he would be the pathetic type that wasn't used to running at all. I don't know how it happened, but I kept a good hold of the scimitar while running at what seemed a billion miles per hour. It kept slashing through branches to the side of and in front of me, but that helped me all the more.
I finally dashed up a tree before Alden caught up to where I had been. He slowed down to a stop, scratched his head, looked around the trees and even looked up at one point. Luckily, I had hidden myself well enough to where he didn't see me. He let out several large huffs of breath before finally starting back to camp.
It dawned on me that I could potentially have fun with this. I was quicker than Alden (AND Tristram probably as well). They didn't know I existed. "I wonder how many things I could steal from them? I could make them think it was each other . . . Now wouldn't that be a sight?" I thought to myself and chuckled. Why not give it a go?
I swiftly flew from tree to tree ahead of Alden towards camp. When I saw that Tristram had fallen asleep sitting against one of the trees, I hung from one of the lowest branches and dropped down to the ground. Being cautious and making as little noise as possible, I slipped the scimitar's handle in one of his hands resting in his lap. I was also careful to point it towards the ground, so that if he awoke suddenly, he wouldn't stab himself. When I heard the sound of Alden's footsteps coming up behind me, I scampered up the tree again and waited for some fun to begin.
Alden stepped into the campsite and stopped. He glanced at Tristram snoring. His eyes widened. "So it was YOU that took my scimitar! I bet he's only been pretending to sleep, " he said to himself and the sleeping Brackin. He sped his footsteps up, bent down and slapped the Brackin. Tristram awoke with a start. "I'll be taking that back!" said Alden rather loudly.
Tristram furrowed his eyebrows. "What're ya talkin' about, Alden? I don't know how that got into my hands, I promise!"
"Oh yeah, sure."
"Honest! I've been asleep the entire time."
"Okay, whatever you say," Alden stated very loudly again, but he still didn't seem convinced.
I stifled another giggle. I went away from the campsite for a while to find something to fill my growling stomach; I didn't want it to give me away! About an hour or so later, I was able to find some fruit to keep me filled for a bit. I made my way back through the trees and climbed back up in the one overlooking the Brackin and the Palkin.
The two men had built a fire, eaten some fruit they found in a tree and some squirrel or rat thing that Tristram had caught, killed, and skinned. As the moon rose in the dark sky, they drifted off to sleep. I looked around at something else I could take. Something of the Brackin's this time. But what?
I found it. Tristram's knife; it was laying out in plain sight by the fire on one of their unused blankets. It was perfect.
I slid down the tree and landed soundlessly on the ground. I tiptoed with my scaly tail held up so it wouldn't drag and make noise. I stepped onto the blanket.
Before I could grab the knife, I felt myself being lifted up, almost catapulted into the air. The blanket engulfed me, and I couldn't see anything. I bobbed up and down in the air. "Shoot! They set a booby trap! I should've known. They probably set it up while I was gone. Curses!" I thought to myself. I tried to wriggle my way out of the trap but it was no use. I was stuck.
I heard rustling beneath me and then both of the men chuckling. "Well, well, well, what do we have here? A THIEF!" Alden exclaimed.
"It'll think twice before it decides to steal from the two of us again!" Tristram agreed.
"That was a great idea to set up that trap, Tristram."
"Ahh, well I've learned a thing or two from being a Brackin."
I felt myself being pulled down and set on the ground. I struggled to get myself free, but the blanket was still wrapped tightly around me. Finally, the blanket opened above me.
My green eyes finally met with Alden's very blue and very confused ones.
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