Soft, near-silent steps. That was the key to a successful theft. A subtle approach, a deft hand, and a smooth retreat. Failure in any of these was enough to give oneself away, and few were the men or women who would turn a blind eye to a thief caught red-handed.

Most thieves were caught when they failed in one of these respects. Luka was not most thieves. With a practiced hand, the slight figure transferred coins, baubles, and any sparse bits of jewelry from their origins, to another hand, to the small sash-pouch designed for the purpose. It was slim pickings. Not much was worth stealing, and the few trinkets and coins would buy precious little. Perhaps a few meals...

The raggedly-dressed figure stuck to the shadows, dark brown eyes glowing a rich golden-yellow in the darkness. A few paces more, and a more likely target appeared, as though granted by the gods above. From the tent of an apothecary, a rough-looking man appeared, clad in a cloak and apparently carrying something beneath it.

Luka wasn't new to thievery, and with trained eyes, appraised the man. He looked tough enough, and didn't seem to have any visible mutations. That made him perhaps a bit unpredictable, but Luka had faith in the abilities that had been honed through necessity and practice. Whatever the man had tucked in his cloak had to be valuable, or he wouldn't hold it so close to his body. 

Luka readied the only weapon available: a kitchen knife, smoke-blackened to prevent it from glinting in the light. Approaching from behind the traveler, the thief danced from one foot to the other, never putting too much force in any one step, feet almost unnaturally light on the barren earth. This theft, if it was successful and the haul was worthwhile, would ensure security of food and wealth for a good while, and allow for some much-needed rest.

The thief's breath rasped through the ash-gray rags tied over its mouth. This was it. With a few dashing steps, Luka closed the distance and brushed up against the traveller, nimble fingers of one hand attempting to grasp the object held so closely, knife readied to cut any inhibiting straps or strings, and legs tensed in readiness to flee, were it to come to that.