The solitude of the night echoed loudly in the prison that was their home, as the suffocating entrapment whispered the fear and anger of a thousand souls. They sulked with tears, besieged by the smell and tormented by the imagination that manifested within their minds. Though within a solitary room that held only two, the night seemed to finally pass with a docile calm that could be found on a warm day below the stars. However, as the sound of keys and locks banged, and the door began to rattle, the tranquility that was, vanished.

"Company," Lucas said, propping himself up and pulling his head from its slumber. "Are they coming to get us, or are they going to feed us? I hope it's some food."

Paulus said nothing and did little to move while his eyes sat subtly opened watching the door, long aware of those that came.

Once more the door rattled, as a key was turned beyond their sight and a shoulder hardly pressed against it. The faint mumbles of a complaint could be heard on its other side, though the words were inaudible and swallowed by the prison's echoes.

"You two, get up," Andreas ordered with a bark, opening the door. "Get against the wall over there!"

"Finally," Lucas said to Paulus with a smile, as they both did as they were told. "We are finally getting some food. I hope the food is good. I have not eaten since they threw me in here—threw us in here. Told you we didn't have to escape."

With a smile that seemed sinister in nature, Andreas stepped into the cell. "What was that about escaping?" he asked, towering over those in his presence. "You two been plotting something? Is that it?"

"Nothing," Paulus quickly replied. "He was just making a joke. A really stupid bad joke."

"Ugh-hum," Andreas said with his sight on the two, before finally calling to the one at the threshold of the door to come forth. "This woman wants to speak to you, and I expect you to listen. If you don't, you will cost me and if you do that, there will be trouble! You got that?"

"Why?" Paulus asked, keeping his sight forward and on his own shadow.

"I'm only going to say this once more," Andreas warned. "This woman wants to speak to you. You both had better listen. You got that?"

"Yes," Paulus and Lucas replied in union.

"Good," Andreas stated, turning to Helene before making for the door. "Say what you want."

"I'm looking for men who have certain skills," Helene said, stepping towards them as Andreas stepped out and closed the door.

"Skills? Let me do the talking. I know just what to say." Lucas said with a whisper and a wide grin from cheek to cheek, as he stole a glance and ran his eyes all over Helene. "Hello, my lady, you're looking beautiful this evening..."

"Why do I feel like that's a bad idea?" Paulus asked himself with a sigh under his breath and a roll of his eyes.

"I hear you have asked for the best," Lucas continued. "Then I can finally tell you that you have chosen to talk to the right person. I am known far and wide for my skills. Skills that cannot be matched by any. Some call me a saint, others a sinner, but you, my lady can call me your master thief."

Helene was silent for a moment watching the man before her, though it was not until she turned her eyes to Paulus with a slow glance, that sound finally left her lips. "I take it you're the one in charge then?"

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," Paulus replied, with just the faintest hint of a curve to his lips.

"What, what?" Lucas asked baffled by the two.

"Turn around," Helene ordered. "I don't want to talk to your back."

"Let me do the talking," Paulus said to Lucas as he did as he was told. "I know just what to say."

"I was sure that would have worked," Lucas said stepping back to the wall.

"It might have," Helene commented. "I mean, not on me. But it might have worked on someone else."

"Someone more gullible," Paulus added, his words salt to Lucas' already wounded ego. "Or, maybe someone drunk. God I could use a drink..."

"Precisely," Helene agreed.

"So, what do you want?" Paulus asked.

"You're the one who escaped the pillory, is that right?" Helene asked, ignoring his question and answering it at the same time.

"And what if I am?" Paulus asked back suspiciously.

"He definitely is," Lucas said chiming in. "And can you believe he didn't let me out?"

"What is that smell?" Helene asked back, holding her scented cloth over her nose and mouth.

"It isn't me, my beautiful lady," Lucas replied with a semblance of pride, though he stole a quick smell of his armpit when eyes pulled away from him.

"It's this place," Paulus said chiming in. "Not exactly the finest inn."

Helene stared at him for a moment, giving a faint nod and quickly moving her scented cloth back into hiding. "I think then, the best thing would be to get out of this place and continue this conversation at an inn."

"If only it were that simple," Paulus replied.

"It could be, if we would have tried the escape plan," Lucas added.

"I have an offer for you, for the both of you," Helene explained. "If you wish to hear, you will be released. If not, you will serve your punishment, which from what I hear, will be determined after some questioning."

"That does sound pretty good..." Lucas mumbled to himself, though the one who shared his company in the confines of their prison was far from impressed.

"What if we hear what you have to say but don't want to join?" Paulus asked bluntly. "What do you have to say about that?"

"I will only tell you the most basic of details and nothing else," Helene explained. "What do you say to that?"

With a silent nod Paulus gave his agreement.

"We are both in," Lucas added with a hard clap.

"Good," Helene said. "Guard," she called, turning towards the door. "They are coming with me."

With a grumble, Andreas threw open the door and waved them out. "Follow me then."

Back the way they had come, he guided them, as the wails and cries of his men's labor called out to all those that could hear. Through a few open doors they stole a few glances, as men carried out punishments befitting the crimes.

"Just so you know..." Andreas explained over his shoulder leading them all towards the entrance. "There are no exceptions from any other crimes. They get caught, you're going to have to come back and pay again. Probably more than you have in that purse."

"If they get caught, there won't be anything to come back to pay for," Helene replied, as the two men shared a brief look of uncertainty.

In a silence that consumed them, they marched the rest of the way, until before them loomed the worn door to their freedom.

"You can all go, once I get what is mine," Andreas said, holding his empty hand out to Helene. "No more delays."

"Wait," Paulus ordered calling attention to himself. "Wait."

All eyes fell on him with baffled and unsure expressions.

"Sounds like he wants to go back," Andreas said with a laugh, reaching for him with one arm, and with the other gesturing to the way back down the hall and towards their former place of slumber. "Go on. One of my men will take care of you until I finish here."

"No," Paulus replied, staring Andreas down. "I'm not going back and I'm not leaving. I'm not leaving until I get back what you took from me."

Helene and Lucas shared a quick glance, both searching for an answer they hoped the other had.

"And what would that be, huh?" Andreas asked with a roll of his shoulders.

"You know what," Paulus said, holding out his hand. "Give it back."

Andreas and Paulus continued to stare each other down, their resolve gleaming in their eyes. Neither man dared to blink, as if it would be to admit defeat and surrender what was at stake.

"What's he talking about?" Helene finally asked Lucas with a whisper.

"He has this thing with his purse, I don't know why," Lucas explained. "Don't think he will leave without it... But you know if you want, I don't mind going with you alone."

"Are you going to give it to him?" Helene asked, summoning both men's busy eyes.

"I think I'm going to give him something," Andreas replied, rolling his fingers into a fist. "Just not what he wants. What do you think, beggar?"

Paulus took a long deep breath and held it for a moment, before he let the warm air out of his lungs with an equally long exhale. His fingers rolled as well, just as his jaw began to tighten and his lips parted. Yet, before he uttered a word, he was held back by the words of another.

"Well, I guess we don't have a deal then," Helene suddenly said, causing each man to gasp before her. "Good thing I didn't give you this then," she added holding out the sack filled with coins and making it chime. "You can show me out."

"You are going to throw away the deal, for this guy's purse?" Andreas asked with a loud scoff, before raising his eyebrows. "Really?"

"No, no, no," Lucas quickly said, chiming in. "Of course not. I mean, we are already at the door."

"Me?" Helene asked, continuing to ignore Lucas. "No. But, I think you are. That's the way I see it. So, let me ask you, are you willing to throw away a deal for that man's purse? Even when I'm going to give you one? Because, if you are, you can just take them right on back."

Once more the resolve of Andreas was tested in the form of a stare, though unlike before, she mirrored his gaze.

"Fine," Andreas finally said, following his wiggling tongue with a pinch between his teeth. "Fine. Wait here."

Andreas turned and left the others to their company and the opportunity that the silence would bring, though there were no words that could be brought forth between them, as Paulus simply stared after where Andreas had gone.

"I don't know about you, but I think we could make a run for it," Lucas said, turning his eyes to the door. "I'm just saying—" Yet, before his plan could take shape, Andreas returned and reduced him to whistling in a corner.

With a hard toss, Andreas threw the purse right at Paulus.

"There," he said, turning his sight on Helene. "Happy now? Even has his two pieces of rust."

Helene stole a glance at Paulus who held a tight grip of the purse, with the hint of sorrow in his eyes and the faintest indication of a smile. With a satisfied nod, she moved her limbs below her cloak and pulled the sac of coins forth and into Andreas' hand, but refused to release her grip, as she stared him down. "Not a word. Of me, of them, or of this."

"Of course," Andreas replied with a grin. "Would be bad for everyone. But, if you think of anyone else you want to get for whatever thing, you don't have to look further than me. My wife could always use more of a jingle."

"I won't forget," Helene said as she continued to hold his stare. "This is the place where men who break the law can be found," with that, what grip she had of the coins was released to the one before her. "Open the door."

With a final nod, a smile, and a jingle of the purse, he pressed past the three, opened the door and allowed them to depart.

Helene led them away through the quiet streets in silence, as a mist slowly descended upon the city. Its eerie encroachment melded with the cold, swallowing what few souls braved its consumption in silence. Though, the group that was being led was not without its voice.

"Thanks," Paulus mumbled to Helene, following her shadow in the night. "Thank you."