Eddard's Really Bad Day part 1
Punching an Innocent
In the morning, after an uncomfortable night spent sleeping in the loft area of the warehouse, Wren asked me to go keep an eye on the orphanage while she and her charge lay low in the warehouse. After what I saw last night, I knew that sending Wren out today would be extremely dangerous as it seemed half the city was looking for her. I knew that, by now, there would be a bounty out on her.
I changed my appearance slightly from the body guard persona. I wore one short sword, instead of the pair, and carried the short bow. I muddied my cloak and wore it with the hood up to conceal my identity. Not being an expert in disguise, I didn't know what else to do, so I left it at that.
I made my way to the orphanage, by a round about route. I didn't dare take a direct route for fear that I was already being followed. I found a wall to lean against a little ways up from the street entrance of the orphanage. It wasn't long before I saw a mercenary type- someone I thought I recognised from Minx's the night before- walk into the place. I waited outside, and when he came out, I followed him. He went out to one of the caravan holding yards outside the city proper. The area he went into was obviously rich, likely Amnite, and extremely well guarded. I noted where this camp was. It wasn't long, though, before the mercenary I'd been following came out of the camp and made his way back to the orphanage.
This time, when he came out of the orphanage, he wasn't alone. With him, was a very young girl that bore more than a passing resemblance to the girl in Wren's care. I didn't believe the girl was a relative of his. I believed the headmaster had sold another one, because the first had yet to be found. This belief forced me to do something about it. I can't stand by and allow a young girl, whose only crime was having no parents, be collected for slavery or prostitution. I had to act.
The problem was, how? I was alone. No back up. No way of getting back up. If I merely followed, and he made it back to the Amnite Merchant's camp, I'd lose any opportunity.
I saw where they were going, into a market square. I moved down a street, confident of their travel path and ran to get in front of them. I came to the entrance of an alley that led back onto the main road. I waited, catching my breath, preparing mentally. And then they appeared, walking together up the street. I walked out of the alley mouth, headed for the mercenary. As I came within half a metre of him, I shoulder charged him, knocking him off his feet. I scooped up the girl and ran.
Behind me, he was calling for help, saying I had taken his daughter. The girl's shock at being taken was quickly wearing off and she started to fight me. I dodged with her down side streets, I tried to tell her she was safe. She wasn't buying it. When I could see one else around, I clocked her one, hard enough to knock her out, if I didn't do something, the mercenary or city watch would catch me for sure, and the girl would be at the mercy of whatever fate awaited her at the hand of these slavers. I had no choice. I also wasn't happy about it.
I ducked into a small one room hut, grabbed an old blanket, wrapped her up in it, and took her, again by circuitous means, back to the warehouse.
I wasn't followed. I entered the place and took her up to the loft. I gently placed her in the blanket on the straw. Wren was no where to be seen, but the first girl was still there. I started to explain the situation to her, telling her what happened, when there was sound of a search party in the building.
All I heard was," I bet the bitch we're looking for is in here."
Terrific. I got my bow ready.
No comments:
Post a Comment