Read Online Thieves at Heart by Tristan J. Tarwater - Free Book Online Page A

the aromas of the town waking up wafted from windows and mixed with the scents of the streets. Tavera had the rock he had given her in her hand, still cool on her skin. People were baking bread and she wanted some. Would they get food before they found a cart?
    “Didn’t you two talk before you went to bed?” she asked, scrunching up her nose. Derk stood up straighter and grabbed the straps of his pack, hopping over a rather questionable puddle and taking Tavi’s hand to help her over it.
    “Well, a bit but I don’t recall all of it. I don’t know if you noticed but she generally likes to be the one asking the questions.” They walked for a little bit more, turning a corner. Tavera saw the temple at the end of alley, the whitewashed steps inviting them in. Derk cleared his throat. “Is that really who did that to you, Kiff? To your ear?”
    Tavera gnawed the inside of her cheek as they walked, not sure what to say. One look at Derk’s face and the little girl suddenly felt guilty and she shook her head. “No. I…I lied to Gam.” She looked back at Derk and waited to hear what he would say, wondering if she had done the right thing in both cases. At first the man looked confused, but it quickly gave way to relief. He nodded and then skipped over to her side of the alley, putting his arm around her shoulders, giving her a gentle squeeze.
    They reached the temple steps, beggars and priestesses standing around while a few of the brass stood on the street level, still selling their wares when people were making the morning bread. Derk nodded his head in greeting to all of them. He held Tavera’s hand as they both walked up, squeezing it gently as they crossed the threshold.
    Tavera looked at the holy water and dunked her whole hand in, wiping it on her forehead and her heart. Derk dipped his fingers in only, choosing to just touch his fingertips to his forehead and heart as they were supposed to do, giving Tavera another look of admonishment. She sucked on her bottom lip and clutched the stone in her hand.
    It was quiet in the temple, several people praying with their hands over their heart. This temple had a statue of the goddess standing in a boat. Most of the temples by the water had the goddess standing in a boat, the gentle crescent shape under her feet, a lantern in the right hand. Some depictions would have her with her left hand empty and held to the side, bidding the worshiper to go their way, unburdened.
    Tavera had seen them but never prayed at one. This one, though, held the silver knife, hilt towards the temple, the silver blade laid against her black, holy hand. Some said it was for gutting fish and indeed, little stone fish popped around the wooden boat, ready to submit to the goddess wishes and feed her children. But the Mysteries said the knife was meant as a tool of prayer.
    Tavera stared at the knife in the goddess’ hand, the hilt towards her and she wondered what she would do if she was given a knife. Would she use it to give someone bad what they deserved? Or would she use the knife the way the priestesses sometimes told the laypeople to use it: to cut the past away. She looked to the side and Derk stood there, his eyes closed. What would Derk do? Did Derk hate anyone? Tavera knew what Old Gam would do. But what did Tavera want? The lantern was meant to light her path and the offering stone was in her hands. Tavera bit her bottom lip and threw the stone towards the boat, the stone landing within with a thunk and a splash of water.
    She looked to Derk and smiled. Derk smiled back at her and they left the temple together, quietly slipping out past those praying, nodding to the priestess at the door as they left. A few blocks away were the carts heading out of the town and though Derk didn’t find one heading to Tyestown he found one heading in that general direction. He made Tavera wait by the cart while he slipped away for a spell and he returned with a bag of stuffed buns. The first one Tavera