The Cutpurse

Nayru’s lungs were heaving as another guard put manacles on the runaway thief she’d just had to chase down through half the city. She stood bent over with her hands on her knees, recovering in case he escaped and tried to make another run for it. He’d cut a woman’s purse and ran, then tried to knock over some poor food vendor’s cart to disrupt her pursuit of him through the streets – something the wereleopard would make sure was brought along with his other charges. It was a terrible thing of them to do, first trying to steal the purse of a woman buying ingredients for dinner and then trying to destroy the property of someone trying to earn an honest living.

“Why’d you even bother chasing him down? The woman said it was only a few silver in the bag. Easier to repay her and keep a watchful eye,” another guard said as the cutpurse was hauled off. Nayru’s eyes narrowed at him, not fully understanding why he thought like that.

“He committed a crime, the severity of it does not matter – a criminal goes to prison, and crimes do not go unpunished. Thieves are some of the worst among us, providing nothing and taking from those who often can afford it the least. Examples need to be made of them so the people know they are not overlooked, and so that would-be criminals may think twice,” she answered, taking her hands off her knees and straightening out.

“If I were the victim, I’d want the law to take me seriously no matter the crime. A silver piece to someone who makes only a gold piece in a month means more than it does to you or I, but, it must mean just as much to the law,” Nayru continued explaining to him as they walked back to their rounds in the market square.