Running. Running was all I knew. Running from the guards after stealing something. Running to get on a ship just before it slips from the harbor to avoid getting captured. Running to the shops to steal some fruit. Running from the orphanage wolves (the people who hunt new orphans or runaways to capture and take to the Terryguniv orphanage. They're cruel people). Running to share my loot with the Lost Birds (our own orphanage run by me, Noah, Gabby, and Hawk [we don't know what his real name is, he just tells us to call him Hawk]. We call it the Lost Nest, everyone in it is a Lost Bird). Running to get on the Earlstone Express (the poshest train for the most luxurious, high-class nobles in the poor slums of the province, Terryguniv) at the last minute before it leaves the station.

But today is different. Today we are on a mission. Today the Lost Birds and I are going to perform our biggest heist ever. The King himself is visiting the province, and if the King is here then his towering piles of gold are here too. The plan is Gabby will steal the loot, pass it to Noah, who will run in a long and windy path to Lillian, who passes it to Hawk, then to Sophie, then to Milo, then to Emmeline, finally to Jonathan, and then to me, Bella. The other Lost Birds would look out for us stealthier birds.

So here we are, mid-plan. Jonathan comes around the bend running faster than I've ever seen. 'wow' I think, 'he's really into this plan'. Then I see what's just behind him: the royal troops. I glare at him with an 'r u serious' face. 'How the fuck did he mess up? Whatever I'll yell at him later. Ughhh now I've got to run away from guards too? He is sooo going to pay for that.' I grab the loot from him and runoff. I hop on to a "conveniently" placed wagon and ride it. I give a quick nod to the driver as flicks his whip and coaxes the horses into a slow gallop. 'Perfect, it's headed for Nola's fruit stand-' "Hey!" 'Shit, I have to get off now and make a new plan. Wonderful.' I jump off scaring, both the guard and his horse. 'Newbies?' I wonder as I hesitate for a second to look at where I am. 'I could either continue running to Nola or run down this alley--' just as I finish formulating a plan, a hand comes down to make a swipe at me. '--down the alley it is.' As I come to the end of the alleyway, the noob shouts,

"Wait! Let me help!"

"Sorry I've learned I can't trust the royals anymore.," I tell him, and then jump up and climb to the window.

"Bella! Stop, come back with us, please!"

I turned my head as he called my name. He takes his helmet off and looks at me with pleading eyes.

"Dylan..." I whisper as I gaze into his ever so familiar grey eyes. Shaking my head I climbed into the flat, "good day sir" I tell him coldly. Running across the room I make it to the window on the other side. Just before peering down the window I grab a random piece of cloth and wrap it around my head then look. As he gallops away, he gives a glance back, hoping to see me give in, but to no luck. I would never do that to my Birds. 'I can't think that he's the only guard after us...I'll keep the scarf.' After apologizing furiously to the family living there and jumping off the sill I take the scarf off and fold it into a makeshift sling bag pouch to put all the gold in. Walking a straight line, I notice that the train station is nearby. 'Yessss I can just take the train! Maybe if I'm fast enough I'll catch the Earlstone! I'll ride it for a station then run to the nest!' The train is preparing to leave as I walk up to the edge of the platform. I pull my hood up and squeeze in between a few people and clamber into the passenger car. I continue walking to the back of the train until I smell food. 'Hmmm, well maybe I can get some food for the Birds.' Entering the dining car, I walk by a family who's taken more food than they could ever eat. When they leave the car, I swoop in and pocket most of the food. I find an empty jar and fill it up with fresh water. As quickly as I entered, I left the car and made my way to the end of the train. As the Earlstone comes to a stop, I hop off and start running towards the Nest. And as I do, I failed to notice that someone was following me.

I enter the nest and am greeted by Gabby's big arms hugging me.

"I thought you'd be gone forever!", Gabby says.

As I hug her back, I see what the others managed to scrounge up for me. The Birds had put up old berry-stained napkins as streamers and they'd pushed a few crates together to make a table and placed a quilt on top. On it were some biscuits and a broken pitcher filled with water. Smiling, I put the stolen food on the table and placed the jar of water there too.

"Ahem."

Turning around I come face to face with Noah, who does not look happy at all.

"Yer late," he says, his amber eyes piercing into my ash grey.

"So? I brought food."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, I'm disappointed, where's the loot bell?"

I make a face at him when he said that. "Bell" is his nickname for me and I can't let him know that I love it every time he says it to me. I have to discourage the young ones from calling me that, after all, I'm the one who has gotta give a bit of tough love around here.

"Here, I was late because of him," I say, tossing the dough to Noah, all while glaring daggers at Jonathan, who is sitting in the corner, Hawk comforting him. He looks up at me with a face full of regret. I can almost feel myself forgive him right then and there, but I have a reputation to uphold... Conflicted, I punch him in the gut, then grab him by the collar.

"[Maybe insert here some dialogue of how she tells him off]"

There is a collective gasp from around me, but I couldn't care less. I grab my jar of water, took a swig from it, and then walked a few paces and glanced at the sky. "Alright, that's enough sunlight for you all," I say as I crouch down to move a strategically placed cloth that unveils a glowing bronze hatch, I quickly bounce back up to kick it open. "Tuck in" I shout, and instantly all the birds come to crawl into our underground hideout. After the last ones climbed down the ladder, Noah grabs my wrist and pulls me back, his intense amber eyes softening as I look at him confused. he sighs and places his forehead on my shoulder and I tense up immediately, already red in the face.

"Lady Helena, I was so worried when you were so late." he begins, "I thought someone got you. And the thing I'm most scared of is losing you." He nestled himself deeper into the crook of my neck, "not after she left us." 

"Noah..." I start "Noah I-- "I sigh, why was it so hard to say it? 

"What is it Bell?" he said, tilting his head up upward, still teary-eyed from his accidental trip down memory lane. 

"I saw him." I replied, "my brother."

His head shot up immediately. "What?" he said as if he didn't hear me. "I saw my broth-" "Where? Where is he? Why isn't he with you?" I look away tears already forming, "He's with the king. Probably heading back to the capital as we speak." Noah looks like he wants to say something, but he kept to himself. 

"after all this time, he still gives a good chase," I say with a hint of humor in my voice but my eyes still showed the pain. Noah pulls me in closer and we stay in that embrace for a while.

 After my sniffles die down, Noah cockily chuckles, "if anyone were here right now they would definitely get the wrong idea, wouldn't they?" my face turns bright red as I realize how close he was to me. I push him away and scramble down the ladder. "definitely the wrong idea" he mused as climbed down after me, closing the lid shut after him. 

[enter well detailed steampunk-Esque Sewer type Tunnely cave with lots of small caves and room and such, her walking around taking up updates around the Nest]

But as I lay now on my cot, I find it difficult to sleep. My head is a swirling mess of thoughts and flashbacks I've tried to stow away for many years.

"Dylan...." I whisper as hot tears stream down my face. I get up and walk over to a table in the room that Gabby and I shared, taking out a few pictures of the past I have and trace his outline and cry and cry and cry. "who would have known fate was this cruel?" I whisper into the air and little did I know Dylan did the same.

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A/N 

As you can tell I am not a writer, so let me breakdown some things about the story:

- very steampunk

- clearly, Noah and Bella have some chemistry going on here ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) fufufu

- Dylan is Bella's older brother. 

- Jonathan is a mole for the king

- Hawk is hot 

- Gabby is the best second mom ever.

- Bella knew Noah's mom???? if yall take up on this yall gotta figure this part out.

- Anyone read Everland? kinda based on that. 

- oh there's a hot doctor too. 

I think that's it, DM me here or my insta: @animatedvision if you are interested. 

Toodle loo dodo birds!