Chapter 1: Of Thieves and Tales (Part 4/7)

Old Jareth sat there, watching the two ragged children. On their faces they wore dirt and exhilaration. He looked at them with a bemused smile, his eyes twinkling beneath his wide-brimmed hat. He gave a slow, knowing chuckle as the two skidded to a halt, gasping for breath.

“Stealing bread again, eh?” the old man said, his voice a low, gravelly whisper. “I told you two youngsters, one day those vendors’ll catch you. Gotta watch out for ‘em guards too.”

Callen grinned, wiping the sweat from his brow. “Not today, Old Jareth. They can’t even catch our shadows if they try.”

Mae dropped beside him, flashing the old man a wide lop-sided smile as she took a bite of the stolen bread. “And even if they did, we’d outsmart them. Easy. We’re street rats, remember?” She said, her mouth full, “We know every alley and every corner.”