Chapter Four

Fast and easy just like she wanted it to be.

Amberosin was in and out of the merchant’s shop within minutes. After a slow few years, aside from petty theft and squabbles between noble families, both new and old, Amberosin wasn’t surprised there hadn’t been a soul four streets out from her destination.

Everyone was headed south, starved for entertainment or distraction.

She had said a quick prayer to the stranger and hoped intensely for his safety before she dove down to the empty streets and sped to the shop’s rear entrance. The key completed its task flawlessly and Amberosin was but a flash as she slid, dove, and jumped across the shop in a hungered frenzy, grabbing nearly all the food her sack could handle. A quick stop by the register to snag a few coins and she was gone, back into the streets and climbing up to the rooftops with her bulging sack. Amberosin allowed herself a small celebration in the form of some pastries and thanked the Creator she had stopped to do so, otherwise, she may not have heard the heavy footsteps echoing from the north.

The direction of the White’s Estate.

They were still distant, likely five minutes out, but the empty streets cast the incessant clanging of metal boots to each end of the city. Amberosin figured it was the estate guard and knowing who led them decided it best to fly home on the rowdy winds. She nearly went out at the broken wall on the eastern side where she entered before but found there to be an influx of guards, searching for the bandaged stranger no doubt. He really seemed to have done a number on them. Not one guard she saw was free from the expression of fear on their face. They’d seen something that paled their skin and widened their eyes. Amberosin wanted to find the man and thank him for whatever it was. The guard’s frenzied state, however, made it harder for her to sneak past without spooking someone and having another unfair fight on her hands. Amberosin was tired... And hungry, by the Legends, was she hungry. Her celebratory snack had only proven to agitate the need to eat.

In the short time it had taken her to sprint back on the flat open rooftops of Blancana a massive crowd had already gathered, shoving and squeezing to get a closer look at something towards the southern entrance; just below the tower lights where she had seen the man before. Amberosin had to descend past the crowd to sneak out of the front entrance with her large sack in hand and decided to crouch low for a few moments behind a crate before moving out. Crouched there behind the crates waiting out the crowd Amberosin saw a hooded shadow limping into the distance and she swore she saw him bouncing a pouch full of coins as he did so.

Gotta be him.

Every fiber in her being told her to run and leave Blancana for as long as she could with all the food and coins she had stolen, but Amberosin had to see that the stranger was okay. He’d left the pouch for her and she owed him for that kindness.

“Just a quick peek to make sure he’s alright, maybe leave him some food… maybe ask for some coin… no, no just a peek and then I go.”

She reassured herself vigorously as she crouched low and ran across to the darkened street she’d seen the stranger go down. Amberosin could hear the estate guard quickly walk down the street behind her but refused to look and chance another encounter with Mezir or his grotesquely strong lady friend.

Shame about her teeth, she would probably be cute otherwise.

Amberosin could look past the arms, but that woman’s teeth were terrifying, and what they did to her voice…

“The fucking teeth..” she shuddered at the thought.

Clearing her mind of any concerns or distractions Amberosin delved deeper into the shadows after a man who probably didn’t want her around to begin.

Because she just fucking had to.