The Tale of Gaven Morren: The First Night--Into the Dark (Part 6)

Back out into the streets. Again. I hate this place. Not even sure where I am now, either. I made...one turn? Two? Was this the right way?

Three dead gremlins lie at an alley head. Might be the right place, but what killed them? Those don't look like knife wounds. More like a mauling.

I draw the dagger out. They saw the light last time anyway, so hiding it is worthless. I'd feel safer armed against whatever killed them.

There she is. Right in the middle of the ally, her back to me. She has a white dress, stained with blood. Her hands are coated with gore.

I have a very bad feeling about all this. I back away...too late. She turns. The front of her dress is bloody. She's staring off to nowhere.

"Um. Hey. Are you..." Her stare is creeping me out. Her eyes are empty and hollow. She steps towards me. Is any of the blood on that dress hers?

Her head rolls to the other side. "You're out late." she says. Her voice is as hollow as her eyes. "And you look big for a powrie."

"If you mean the cap, I took it as a trophy from the others." I mutter. She keeps advancing at me. I back away, trying to look casual.

"Um, so...you don't need to thank me for drawing the redcaps off." I say. She giggles. It's worse than the Redcaps. THEY sounded happy.

"Don't worry. I won't. You ran when you saw them. They happened to follow. Don't try acting gallant now." She points a bloody hand at me.

"Fair enough. You, ah, seemed to have handled what was left on your own." Get away from me, get away from me, step away...I step back again.

"Are you frightened by me?" she whispers. "Do I alarm you? Do you find me repulsive?" Well, if she weren't so creepy she'd be cute, but yes.

"I'm just being cautious. It's been a rough night." Damn it, could she stop reaching for me like that? "What with the Shadows and all."

She stops. Finally. She scowls. "Yes. The Shadows are a problem, aren't they? It seems they don't want to let us go. We've wandered far." We?

"Tell me about it." I say. "Buildings dance when you aren't looking, walls swallow doors, redcaps stalk, and creepy wizards offer things..."

Uh-oh. Her eyes aren't hollow anymore. Now they seem to be filled with hate and rage. "Wizards?" she growls. "Tell us about the wizards."

"Who is this 'us' you keep talking about? I ask merely out of curiosity." I shoot back. "Share with me your night, and I'll share mine."

"We got off on the wrong foot." She says. Nice, adroit topic shift. "I'm Jessamine." She extends her hand as if she expects me to shake it.

"Good to know. The gremlins back there look like they were ripped apart by a bear, and there's only you here. I'm not touching your hand."

And yet, I'm still talking to her instead of running for my life. The girl is likely more dangerous than anything I've faced, but here I am.

She sighs. "It has been...difficult." she sits on a nearby crate. I keep a distance between us. "I'm not sure what's happened to us--to me."

"My father works for one of the Great Houses. He ran up a gambling debt, and couldn't pay. The House wanted to take me in payment."

"Why?" I ask. She looks shamed. "House Dythanus always needs more prostitutes. Despite my dad's flaws, he didn't want that for me."

"So instead, he drugged me, and put me up in the Offering Room. I think he figured that letting the Shadows take me would be less horrible."

"What's an Offering Room?" She looks at me. "You aren't from Miir, are you? That would explain why you're dumb enough to go out at night."

"Not like I had much choice. I'm beginning to see why Exile is considered a punishment here." I say. She gasps. "You mean you CHOSE this?"

"It was the best of lots of bad options. Seemed like a good idea at the time. But we were educating poor, ignorant Gaven on Offering Rooms."

"It's a room left open to The Shadows. You place a treasure in the room, leave a window with a lit candle open, and hope they like it."

"If the Shadows accept the offering, you're supposed to gain good luck. If not..." She shakes her head. "So that's where I found myself."

"Such a lovely people. I can't wait for the dawn, so I can leave this place forever. I notice you still haven't explained the 'we' thing."

"Well, by the time I woke, It was already past curfew, and the door had vanished." Vanished? "And...I panicked. And the only way out was--"

"Wait, the door vanished?" She nods. "It means the Shadows are on their way, to inspect the offering. The only way out is the open window."

Well, that explains the empty room, sort of. And Naros blaming me for taking something of his. He must have been coming to collect her.

"So I ran into the night. And then I began feeling a...presence, in my head. Whispering to me. Telling me how to do things. Guiding me."

"The presence is the 'us', then. Good to know. We need to get out of here. The Redcaps have had enough time to get buddies." I start moving.

"Wait!" She says. "You said you'd tell us about the wizard!" "I *did* say that, didn't I?" I don't stop. "If you want to know, follow me."

I hear footsteps behind me. Good. I could give her to Naros, perhaps, but he can come to me if he wants her that badly. I'm not his hound.

"I'm getting out of this place before the guards haul me back to jail. Sounds to me like you aren't wanted here, either. Together, then?"

She nods. "Together. For now. But we're watching you." I bark a laugh. "Lady, this damn city hasn't STOPPED watching me. Save your threats."

I look up to the sky. It's still dark, but it's growing noticeably lighter. Damn. It's closer to dawn than I thought. We keep moving.

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