Hush now children, it is time. Time for the story to be told. Listen well.

"Hurry up!" A small voice hissed across the dark room, quiet as to not wake the sleepers in the beds. "We don't want Madame to wake up!"

"Alright, alright," mumbled a second voice, "I'm comin', give me a sec." A few moments later the sound of feet dragging across the floor in a sleepy manner was heard, along with the light tap of a not quite so tired person's shoes. "Yer all real slow, ya know that?" the first voice grumbled irrately, "What didja need to do, put on yer makeup?" A few small laughs came from the companions as they made their way up the stairs of the old house, seemingly playing a game of leapfrog to avoid the creaky steps. Finally they reached the top of the stairs, which lead into a small bedroom with a single bed upon which snored a rather large woman. Muffling their giggles, the companions snuck over to the only window in the room, through which one would see that the night had not yet lifted, that is, if one was able to see through the layers of ivy and crusty paint covering it. Together the trio pushed it open, and the tallest of the three boosted the other two out the window, where they clambered to the rooftop, before following them, making sure to leave a small hair pin under the window frame to keep their return entrance safe. Reaching the top of the roof, the three stood together, quietly staring at the horizon as the first rays of light began to peek through the sky, turning a once black night to a blueish-gray. The silence of night still hanging heavily over the streets. The three grinned at each other, as sharing such a magical time is a precious experience. Then, as quick as an alley cat hunting a pigeon, they were off, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, laughing in the fresh morning air, alone in their own secret corner of the world. The birds began to sing, chirping their cheery songs, proclaiming their joy to the world, and as they did so, another person, not too far away began whistling along with them. So too, did another character, hidden high above the streets in leafy camouflage, perhaps startling the poor birds nearby as seemingly the tree itself began whistling their songs. As the world awoke, few noticed the missing trio. The snoring woman got up, and began raising the other children from their beds. "Come on, we all must clean today, we have a newcomer." And so the day began, the sun high in a cloudless sky, all the children cleaning diligently, except for three sly girls who snuck onto the roof in the dark morning. If you have yet to catch on, my children, these are our heroes, and it is their story we shall soon be embarking upon. Welcome to this tale, of the world of the Fae, and the adventurers who discovered it. Now hush, and let the story begin.

"Hah!" Three girls landed on a flat roof, two of the three landing heavily, while the third gently tapped down on the ground gracefully, before giving a grand bow to the other two. She had sandy brown hair, with a very short pixie-esque cut. Her skin was only slightly lighter than her hair, the color of a well-done pastry, and covered in dark brown freckles, as if someone had flicked a paintbrush onto her face, leaving smaller spots on the rest of her body. She was lucky her complexion contained freckles naturally, for she, like the other two girls, was constantly dirty, a good portion of her freckles were simply mud. She was tall, and muscular, her arms and legs toned under her baggy pants and flowing shirt, complementing her long, gangly limbs in an odd way. Despite the awkwardness of her body proportions, she moved with a dancer's grace, using her calloused feet to grip small ledges, helping to keep her balance. She grinned mischievously at her two friends, prompting the shorter of the two to cover a giggle. "A wondrous performance m'lady Porthos," she would give a small curtsy in response. Looking up, the girl seemed much stranger than her companion, the long limbs paling in comparison. She was overall lacking in color, her skin similar to what one might imagine Snow White's to be, but in terms of hair, they differed greatly, instead of the inky black, hers was shoulder-length and silvery. She seemed a bit too pointy for a normal person, likely accentuated by her skinniness, though her nails did grow in points, so perhaps some of it was her original form. A light green tinge seemed to appear on the tips of her ears from time to time, but any who saw would realize later that there was no way a human girl's ears could be green. Truly, the only normal thing about her was her eyes, simply a sweet brown like milky coffee. Pulling an errant strand of hair from her face, the wind buffeted her, ruffling her dress, revealing the shorts she wore beneath. In actuality, the dress was simply a man's large undershirt tied with a string, but she wished to wear a dress, so a dress it shall be. Sitting down on the roof and stretching, arching her back like a cat, she looked to the final girl, who still was rolling her eyes at the buffoonery she had witnessed a moment ago. "Athos, you gonna come do some plans or what?" Sighing heavily the third girl took a seat on the roof, shaking her head. Despite seeming exasperated with the other girls, one close look at her face would tell you otherwise, her eyes crinkled at the corners and her mouth struggling to maintain a frown. She was certainly the most mature of the three, but even the most mature 13 year old in the world is still a child. She held herself confidently, a source of pride for the other two, and always had a mischievous twinkle in her eye. Her skin was dark, like walnut wood sanded smooth by the ocean, and her eyes matched the watery theme, a sea green that shifted in the light. As the wind blew, her stocky frame was easily visible through her own set of baggy clothes. Stands of her hair were also blown loose by the wind, curling dark and fierce once free from their ponytail prison. "A'ight, le's go" pointing to the sandy haired girl, "Porthos, yer with me, Aramis, you've got the locks, yea?"

"Oh! I get ta be a protecter today? Why, is the place we're going so well locked up yer gonna need Aramis?"

"Yea. We're headin' to the bakery again."

Laughing, Porthos skipped over to a small pile of supplies, "You've really got a death wish, eh?" "And you don't?" retorted Athos, raising an eyebrow. "Ouch!" pretending to have been shot in the heart, Porthos put a hand to her forehead in a false faint, "Y-You've broken my poor fragile heart, I'm not sure I can make it..." Marching over and grabbing an old newspaper, Athos began whacking Porthos, who started laughing, her hands in front of her face as protection, "Stop it, stop it, I yield!" With a sniff Athos returned the newspaper to the pile, grabbing a sharpened stick from the supplies Porthos had gotten. Grabbing the other stick, Porthos stood in a fencing position, jabbing the air in a mock battle. "Le's go!" shouted Athos, already at the edge of the roof, Aramis on the next one over. "Oh! Whoops!" tucking the stick in her string belt, Porthos ran towards the edge of the roof, leaping across the chasm in a jéte. "Showoff" muttered Athos before backing up and taking a running jump across the gap, landing much less gracefully, with a thump. Together the girls raced across the city skyline, in the early dawn seeming almost ethereal to any who caught a glimpse of their voyage. Reaching their destination, the girls swung into action; Athos and Aramis jumping down into a small alley, several metal pipes acting as steps for the girls. The alley-way was only open on one side, otherwise being surrounded by solid brick walls, though even the open side was partially blocked off by a large pile of trash. In one of the walls stood a heavy-set, metal door, with a large padlock on its handle, keeping it closed. There were several other locks also visible, but each had clearly been destroyed. Kneeling on the ground next to the door, Aramis picked up the padlock, examining it, before giving a small giggle. "They really don't want us gettin' in 'ere. This is a real strong un." From her sentry position by the entrance, Athos looked back, raising an eyebrow, "Can ye crack it?" With a snicker Aramis replied, "O' course I can," as she began pulling a few oddly shaped metal sticks from her sleeve. Satisfied, Athos nodded, turning back to her position. "Tha's why yer the best pick in town, eh?" Aramis began fiddling with the lock, her small sticks aiding her, until, click, the lock popped open.

"We're in."

Quickly slipping her tools back into her sleeve, Aramis ran over to where Athos already waited, kneeling with her hands interlocked, and stepped onto the hands, jumping upwards with a small boost from Athos, she grabbed a pipe, pulling herself up. "Ay, Porthos!" she whispered, "Le's go, we're in."

"Oh! Whoops, sorry Aramis." Appearing over the lip of the roof, Porthos reached down, grabbing Aramis's outstretched arms, pulling her all the way up, before jumping down, gracefully leaping from pipe to pipe before landing on the ground next to Athos. Quickly stretching, touching her toes before opening the door a crack to check for anyone inside, and slipping through. In strong comparison to the dark alley, the room in which Porthos had entered was bright and airy, several forward facing windows letting in the first early morning rays of light, and casting a warm glow about the room. Generally, the room was quite clean, no errant hairs or dust settling on the counters, even the odd mouse running through stopped to tidy up before entering. The only thing marring this sense of cleanliness was the flour lightly coating the counters and floating though the air. The source of the flour was four large sacks stacked up in a corner, the top one upright and open. Towards the front of the room there were several wooden counters pressed against the wall, breaking in the center for a western saloon style swinging door. On the far wall two large stone ovens sat, each having a toasty fire underneath, warming the room and baking several loaves of new bread for the morning. On a day closer to summer, this would likely have made the room swelteringly hot, but in the cooler temperatures of autumn, it was a perfect fit. There were two other exits in the room, both of which Porthos noted (always a good idea to know where your enemies could come from), a door in the back of the room likely leading to living quarters, and a spindly, spiral staircase right next to it. Finally having decided that the coast was clear for the moment, Porthos began her journey across the floor to the saloon doors, walking on her toes, she rather resembled a ballerina dancing as she lept to avoid the creaking planks that had caused trouble in the past. Reaching the doors, she slipped under them, sliding silently into the front of the shop. She came out behind a new counter, this one containing the register as well as many breads and pastries. The front windows were open, but the door was not, keeping customers at bay. And although some might have spotted Porthos as she quickly grabbed five, long baguettes from yesterday's basket, the day was still too young for many to be awake. Her prize tucked under either arm, she slid back into the previous room, managing to avoid the creaky doors. Something small and brown scuttled across the floor, "ah shoot, mouse" she whispered to herself "please go away, please go away," she pleaded with the creature, who refused to listen, instead running over and biting her toe deeply. "Gah!" she grunted in pain, keeping as quiet as she could. Shaking her foot, the creature was flung off, landing in the flour, but the damage was not yet done, as she stumbled backwards, until, SQUEAK, suddenly rang out through the house like an alarm bell, she had accidentally stepped on a creaky plank! Heavy footsteps sounded on the floor above her. "Darn it." she muttered under her breath and, abandoning all pretenses of secrecy, ran out the door shutting and locking it behind her. "Go go go!" she shouted as she left the bakery, her companions instantly alert. Throwing the baguettes high in the air, Aramis appeared on the roof, snatching them and disappearing once more. Running over Athos jumped into Porthos's already waiting hands, grabbing the pipes overhead and hauling herself up. "What 'appened?" she asked, a bit stressed by the suddenness of their escape.

"That stupid freaking floor happened!" Porthos replied, clearly miffed by the experience. A loud banging noise began hammering at the door, someone was clearly trying to get out. "Athos, you got yer sword?"

"No, dang it. I left it at my post!" she frowned, before sighing, "It's fine, I'll jus' make another. Le's go." Reaching down to Porthos, she waited for her to jump to the pipes as well. Porthos however was already running down the alley to where the sword lay, leaning down to scoop up the sharpened stick, "Aramis!" she cried, hurling the stick towards the roof, the other girl popping out and snatching it. Suddenly the door burst open, a large burly man barreling out, wearing an apron covered in flour, clearly the owner of the bakery. "Get back here!" he bellowed at the girls, rushing over to where Porthos had grabbed the pipes and was pulling herself up. "You thieves!" he grabbed at Porthos's legs, trying to pull her down. Glancing down quickly, Porthos stepped on his upturned face, using it as a step to reach the pipes, and leaving a smear of blood across his forehead from her toe, though for the most part it had stopped bleeding. "Argh!" he shouted, but the girls were already gone, leaping across the rooftops once more, laughing giddily at their narrow escape, their prizes clutched tightly. The morning sun had risen high in the sky, the world had awoken, and the three daring musketeers were free and ready to continue their journey. But even as they did so, a carriage was driving towards the house, a small person inside with a mysterious package. "I wonder what these ones will be like." A little gloved hand drew back the carriage curtains, the figure inside staring at the cobblestone streets and the people bustling about their days, and sighed. "Probably just like everyone else," the curtain dropped closed, and the carriage traveled on, the world left unknowing of the secrets hidden just beyond the curtain, hiding inside the little gloved figure.