Ella’s Heist

                  Ella woke far earlier than she normally would have to get ready for the journey. She agreed to provide weapons as part of the agreement with Jonas. A detail her father was not aware of. Her father’s tremendous work ethic meant he woke up early to start the day. Ella had to wake up all the earlier.

                  Ever so carefully, she made her way into her father’s shop. She couldn’t take some of his most prized creations. But compelled by perfection in his work, her father created plenty of swords, knives and all manner of weapons that didn’t meet his standards. Though not perfect, the weapons were solid and functioned perfectly well. He would never notice if several went missing.

                  Ella made plans the day before, finding a location outside her father’s shop where she could safely stash some weapons, so that when she left, she would be out of sight should her father wave her goodbye. The load of weapons wasn’t too large, but to get them out quietly, she took them a small group at a time. The spears would be the most difficult to smuggle out. Those would be the first to go. Then swords, then knives, and then a group of random and helpful add-ons and specialty arrows. Ever so carefully, and ever so quietly, she moved every weapon to her getaway stash without making a noise.

                  Feeling quite proud of herself that she pulled it off, nothing stood between her and the upcoming adventure before her. She came back inside to grab some breakfast, her daypack, and say goodbye. She stepped inside, smiling ear to ear, only to find her father there very much awake. Ella froze.

                  “Oh, there you are. I was looking for you. I wanted to make sure you were awake and ready for your trip.” Surprised to find her coming inside, he asked, “What were you doing outside?”

                  Ella wondered; did he know? Did he see all the weapons she took? Ella had to think fast. Her gear for the journey lay stacked inside the house as she fully prepared the night before. She didn’t have any animals to feed… but she needed an excuse. “Breakfast, I was, just, uh, eating breakfast, watching the sun come up, that’s all.”

                  Ella’s father smiled. “It’s not like you to be such an early riser. A paid job seems to get you moving.”

                  “Well yeah, of course it does. I’ve been looking forward to something like this for a long time. I would not miss this opportunity at any cost.”

                  “I’m excited for you. You’ve earned it. I mean, getting a summer job is great, but the chance to work with Yerik Goldsword, now that is impressive. A lot of the apprentices in the fighter’s guild are going to be very jealous. However, you convinced him is beyond me. You have a gift for convincing others.”

                  Ella smiled as the guilt slowly sank in.

                  Ella’s father put an arm around her shoulder. “Don’t let anyone change that. Always be who you are. I’m proud of you! Now be careful out there. That’s potentially dangerous territory. Do not go into the valley! I’m not so much worried about the curse as I am about the wild animals that live there. It’s not a place to travel. Stick to the path. That’s how you stick with safety. Pay attention to Yerik’s instructions, and follow everything he asks you to do. He knows what he is doing. Listen to him.”

                  “Thanks dad,” Ella said taking his advice. “Did you ever work with Yerik Goldsword?”

                  Ella’s father chuckled, thinking about his past life. “That was a long, long time ago, but I fought in one battle he lead. He’s a good man. He can teach you more than I ever could.”

                  “I doubt that!” Ella said. “You know all there is about fighting techniques and strategy. I don’t think even the Great Yerik Goldsword knows as much as you do.”

                  “Ha, funny, I don’t really match up with Yerik Goldsword. That man is legendary.”

                  Ella never enjoyed seeing her father give in to his own insecurities. “You should give yourself more credit. Just because you’re not out there fighting battles doesn’t mean you don’t have the talent for it. You tell me to believe in myself. Well, you should take your own advice.”

                  Ella’s father smiled, recognizing his daughter’s emotional intelligence. “Be careful out there. This is an excellent opportunity; it could lead to more jobs in the future. Your mother won’t be as happy. We can cross that road later. If you want to pursue this, now is the time. You are a good kid, a little rough around the edges, but it makes me happy that you found an opportunity through honesty, without using your unique talents to manipulate people into giving you what you want. You can do things with honesty, and now you know that. People will give you chances. They will like you for who you are. Just be honest with them.” Ella’s father leaned in for one more hug.

                  Ella did her best to smile, knowing the truth behind her ‘honesty’. She believed the only reason she got the chance was because she volunteered the weapons. She couldn’t go back now. The heavy guilt for deceiving her father gnawed at her soul. Now motivated to leave as quickly as possible, she gathered her daypack, said goodbye to the rest of her family, and then went on her way.

                  Ella thought she would be excited about the adventure, but the guilt infected all her emotions. She wanted her father to be proud of her, and he told her everything she hoped to hear. She hated feeling like she had to lie to get his approval. Ella did not like dishonesty or lying. She did not tolerate others that did. Now she acted just like them. Although she couldn’t see any other way to be included in the venture. Ella felt like she gave in and jeopardized her integrity. She told herself to focus on the journey and the guilt will go away. Then, when she does such a good job, her father surely won’t mind that she took all those weapons without asking. He might even praise her for such ingenuity. At least that is what she kept telling herself.

                  Ella’s wisdom in stashing the weapons around the bend and out of sight paid off. Her father watched her from the doorway the entire time. His desire to be a good father sometimes annoyed Ella. Once out of sight and around the bend, Ella met up with Leila, who waited there to help carry the load of weapons.

                  “What’s with the long-distance stash? Is there a heist going on I’m not aware of?” Leila asked.

                  “None of your business!” Ella said. “Now help me carry these!”

                  Ella’s ego managed the rebellion far better when her dad was angry at her. Should he be upset, or lectured her this morning, the heist would have been an amazing success! Yet his kindness and support frustrated Ella’s mind and she felt like she let him down. Now, her own choices became a bitter sting. Besides the guilt, Ella skipped breakfast to nourish the lie, leaving her with an empty belly and a growing hunger-anger.

                  Leila rolled her eyes, recognizing Ella’s mood. Knowing Ella, if it looked like a heist, it most definitely was a heist.

                  “Sorry Leila, my dad was just… he’s just… well, you know, he was just being my dad! He’s always trying to interfere with my business.” Ella tried to explain her father, ensuring it looked like she was the victim.

                  “Yeah, sure, he’s the real aggressive type. My guess it has more to do with breakfast than anything. Here, I brought you some as an emergency.” Leila tossed Ella a package of food wrapped in parchment. “I just didn’t think we would use it so soon.”

                  “Leila, you are the most amazing person in the entire world!” Ella dug into the bread and cured meat.

                  “I know.”

                  The two friends loaded up their cart with the stolen weapons and set off to begin their journey.