S.M Stirling

Jimmy the Hand, boy thief of Krondor, lived in the shadows of the city.

Though gifted beyond his peers, Jimmy is merely a pickpocket with potential—until he aids Prince Arutha in the rescue of Princess Anita from Duke Guy du Bas-Tyra, and runs afoul of "Black Guy's" secret police. Facing a choice between disappearing on his own or in a weighted barrel at the bottom of Krondor's harbor, Jimmy chooses the former.

Forced to flee