Talia
Female
Talia has always been perceived as the "good girl" the small, adorable one that couldn't possibly do any harm. So when others see the cute little roses she weaved into her hair and wonder where she got them from they think "Maybe she picked them from her own garden." or "Perhaps they were a gift from a childhood crush." But the fact of the matter is they are dead wrong.
Growing up an orphan on the streets of a poor village. There were many other orphaned taikeas that lived there and Talia had to learn how to get along by her own devices. She became a skilled pickpocket and used her cute, harmless looks to her advantage. After all who would suspect a poor little orphan girl like her. Her fellow orphans hated her for this, after all she got along much better than the others being small and nimble. And on top of that she was the the favorite of the villagers there and often didn't even have to steal, they gave her food and other items simply because she seemed the weakest of them all.
One cold winters day Talia was making her rounds of the village when a few other taikeas approached her. They challenged her to steal from the richest man in the village, who had a grand house at the top of the hill the village was settled at the foot of. This was dangerous, for the man had many guard dogs and did not take kindly to thieves, adorable or otherwise. But the rambunctious young taikea never backed down from a challenge. "What are the terms?" She asked. "You have to steal any item from him and show it to us tomorrow morning. And it must be clear that it came from his house and not from any other.” She nodded her head “I accept your challenge and shall meet you here tomorrow at sunrise.” And with that she departed, her mind already formulating a plan of action.
The sun had just set and Talia stood at the iron gates that kept the vast manor safe within their borders. The moon hung in the sky, large and full, lighting the snowy landscape like a spotlight. She could spot the two large black dogs slumbering on the front porch, even from where she stood, yards away. She took a breath and crept soundlessly along the edge of the yard.
When she was level with the left side of the house she was small enough to slip through the bars of the gate, so she crept through and let the thick snow muffle her footsteps. when she reached the house she scaled a grand tree that was growing there. She reached an open, second story window she had spotted earlier when she had been putting together a plot to enter. Hopping through the window she landed gently on the carpet, thankful the flooring muted her claws for she had no idea if there were any more dogs within the house or where they might be. She tiptoed through the halls peeking in each open room and sniffing at each shut one, determining witch one she should choose. She had already decided beforehand she would opt for something with the family’s crest on it, so there would be no doubt where it had come from, perhaps an article of clothing or a pice of silver. something smaller for her to carry with ease.
To her chagrin the master bedroom was locked but she soon came upon a smaller bedroom that belonged to the masters daughter. Talia mulled over the possibilities and decided that she might own some accessory with the family emblem on it. If not she could still score some jewels anyway. With feline stealth she slinked to the dresser and made her way to the top by means of a chair and found an ornate jewelry box in the middle of it. It opened with a “click” and whipped around to make sure it wasn’t heard by the daughter. Relieved to see she was still asleep Talia went back to work. But out of the corner of her eye she spotted something brown at the end of the bed. To her horror she realized it was a dog, but not one like that of the large muscular ones on the porch but instead this one was small and ratlike. She wrinkled her nose at the ugly thing and continued searching, only more quietly. She found a beautiful locket with a symbol on it, the family crest she assumed and took it in her jaws, then with some trepidation she left the room, keeping her eyes on the dog the entire time.
When Talia entered the hallway once more she realized with alarm that the window she had entered through had been shut. Somewhere down the hall she heard the noise of running water. “Crud.” She thought, the master was awake. Talia took off down the hall, hoping to find another exit. As young taikea sought an exit she came upon a peculiar door witch was ornately carved. She entered and was astonished to see it was full of plants, like an indoor forest of sorts. She padded around it, examining the unique flowers when she came upon some roses, she liked roses, they were beautiful yet dangerous, like her. She picked some and weaved them through her fur.
She had nearly forgotten why she was there when she heard a growling come from the doorway. Whipping around Talia found herself staring into the eyes of the rat-dog she had seen earlier. She dashed past it and down the corridor. She rounded each corner with agility as the rat-dog raced clumsily behind. Looking franticly around she spotted another open window and flung herself through it. Racing down the extensive lawn her heart sank as she heard the dogs on the porch awaken and start barking. It felt like it took forever to reach the gate but when she had she didn’t stop. Talia just kept running for the village.
She reached the village, catching her breath she arrived at the meeting spot just as the sun raised. Then realized she no longer had the necklace. In a panic she looked around her and remembered putting it down so she could pick the roses. Her ears felt hot with shame. “Hey!” Talia looked up and saw the other taikea approaching. She felt as though they could see her red face through her fur. They stared at her. “Where’d you get the roses?” One asked. Her embarrassment vanished in an instant and she puffed up her chest. “I got them from the masters indoor garden.” The others were skeptical of this, but they couldn’t think of where else she could have gotten roses in mid winter. After all the man was wealthy enough to have an indoor garden. So they agreed that she had met their challenge and she still wears her prize to this day.
