Things were moving slowly, but that was no surprise. Most theives tended, by both nature and necessity, to be solitary and distrustful. Finding them was a feat in and of itself, following rumor or more often relying on blind luck and chance encounters; recruiting them to be part of a network was yet another. Her mother helped on rare occasion, but it was a task, a test, that she clearly wanted Yehl to undertake on her own. If she was to lead them, to hold them together, it was better that she assemble them ehrself, rather than have the Guild made and given to her. And while it was difficult, and at times frustrating, Yehl absolutely agreed. That which was worth having was very rarely given, and less appreciated than if it had been worked for (or, in many cases, stolen, but theft was a form of work, albeit one most disapproved of).
There were about a dozen of them now. A modest start, but a good one, most rogues but a few dispersed into prides. She would find others, and in time, they would spread. Quietly, in darkness and hushed whispers. This was not a job that could be rushed. In the meantime, the mountain hideout that she and Aharu'kai had chosen lay empty. Most of the recruits had yet to make the journey, just a word now and then, a trinket here and there. The shrine to the Goddess of Thieves was sparse, a handful of charms laid out across it: some basic, some with a little shine, nothing of great worth. The worth, however, was only part of the point; the skill and effort to acquire them were as or even more important than how shiny they were.
...although shiny was never a bad thing.
The offering she carried today was not, but it was quite a fetching piece regardless. A fine, thick pelt, black and undamaged, cut to drape over shoulders, held somewhat in place by a simple leather thong. It had been almost disappointingly easy to take; it's owner had shed it for a dip in a watering hole, then fallen asleep as the sun dried their fur. All Yehl had had to do was creep up, grab it, and creep away. The lioness had never so much as twitched. It had been tempting, as it always was, to hide nearby and wait for her to wake and watch as she discovered that her prized possession was missing, but Yehl knew very well that that was unwise. It was better, if less entertaining, to simply leave. The farther one was when someone discovered their valuables were missing, the better.
Yehl laid the pelt down on the flat stone, then proceeded to carefully rearrange the other items in a pleasing manner. They didn't have much, but it could at least look nice. When she had finished, the young lioness sat back to admire the altar. Yes, that would do nicely for now. Tomorrow, she would return to her quest to find other thieves, but today, she allowed herself to be pleased with her handiwork thus far. Tonight, she would rest, then set out, leaving Tifua here to watch the hideout. There wasn't much to watch, true, but it would have felt wrong to leave it entirely unattended, and Tifua insisted that she didn't mind. She was old, she claimed, not as nimble as she had been, and the thieving was better left to those still quick on their feet. Privately, Yehl doubted that the Watcher was as rusty as she made herself out to be, but if she preferred to remain in the cave, that was her choice.
As she turned from the shrine, intending to catch up with Tifua and help her hunt, a familiar figure emerged from the shadows, and Yehl smiled. She always did that; rather than drop her invisibility all at once, Aharu'kai did it slowly for dramatic effect, giving the impression that she was shadow taking form.
"Mother," Yehl acknowledged warmly, with a dip of her head. They were fond of each other - very much so - but neither was inclined to overt displays of affection.
"Back so soon?" The goddess' smile was small, just a quick upturn of the corners of her mouth.
"Soon?" Yehl laughed. "It's been months."
"Has it?" Aharu made a faint sound, and Yehl couldn't tell for certain if her mother really had lost track of time. It seemed unlikely.
"You have a few presents," the thief commented, looking back towards the altar, "But I'm sure you already knew that."
"What, are you implying that I hang around here just waiting for people to bring me things?" The offense in Aharu'kai's expression was purely playful.
"No, I'm stating that you pop in and check every so often, because you can't resist."
"I do no such thing."
Yehl snorted. There was no better response than that.
Aharu wrinkled her nose at her daughter. "I did not, in fact, come here to check on my altar. I have something for you."
Yehl stared, eyes narrowed, genuinely befuddled and looking that way. "Isn't that the exact opposite of how this is supposed to work?"
It was Aharu'kai's turn to laugh. "You should see your face!"
"Mom!" Yehl coughed and did her best to smooth her expression into something more dignified, but it was difficult with her mother chortling away at her expense.
Aharu cleared her throat, and managed a better semblance of a serious expression than her daughter. "Yes, well, as I was saying, I have something for you." The goddess turned her head, reaching under her wing and drawing out a golden necklace (Yehl had often wondered where Aharu actually kept everything, but the only answer her mother ever gave was magic). From it hung two black feathers, one a little larger than the other.
Yehl lifted a brow. "Shiny. Who'd you take that from?"
A muffled "Come here" didn't answer her question, but she did move closer and duck her head so that the necklace could be placed over her head. Once Aharu's mouth was no longer full, she replied, "You know, I've had it for so long that I've quite forgotten. The feathers are mine, though."
"That's...strangely sentimental of you."
Aharu snorted. "I suppose so. The sentiment is largely coincidental, though," she assured her daughter. "The feathers are important because I enchanted one of them."
Yehl dropped her gaze, eyeing the feathers that now rested against her chest skeptically. "...enchanted to do what?"
"Nothing you won't like. A couple tricks of mine I've helped you with in the past, but now you'll be able to make use of them anytime you like. Well, almost anytime. It has to be dark, naturally."
"Naturally," she echoed dryly. "I...thank you, Mother."
"If you're going to lead a bunch of thieves, you'll need every advantage you can get. Make sure you hold onto it - don't lose it or give it to anyone, or it won't work anymore, and don't let anyone take it from you. If they steal it, it will work for them."
"Lovely."
"Now then, if we're quite finished with sentimentality, I have some ideas about where you should go..."