5 The Jester

Lesley sprinted as fast as she could; towards the inn where her brother slept last night. The bells pealing at the village tower signaling the coming of another hour.

She cursed and leapt through crowds of village folks hindering her route. She knew too well her little brother would be on his way now to leave the town for another day of his journey.

Crazy as it might seem, she still could not believe she listened to the words of that blue creature earlier. She was so set on going after his father's murderers since last night, and yet so torn on leaving Harley on his quest alone.

She replayed his foreboding lines a few hundred times in her head whilst zipping through the herd of people doing their menial duties. It still confused the seven hells out of her, though. Yet there was no time to contemplate on the matter.

Right now, there were other more important things to take care of...

She arrived just in time as the innkeeper tied the "open" signboard at the rusty old door of the lodge.

"Oh my... Sorry, dear. He just left about an hour ago." The pudgy elderly lady informed as soon as she barged in. Although she knew they haven't actually met since they came here. She was already there by the door as if she was expecting her in the first place.

"My brother... What did he say?" She realized only now that her brother wasn't even ignorant of the fact that she'd been shadowing him for days.

She felt like a fool of an assassin! How did she missed it under her nose?

"Oh, he didn't say much. But he left me with this though..." The innkeeper replied and handed her one of Harley's magical card.

She turned it over and revealed a laughing Jester. As if it was laughing at her face.

So... Her brother kept up the pretense for his own entertainment? That sneaky bastard. Tsk. She smirked at his sibling's message. It was another one of their inside jokes.

It was at that moment she knew, her brother wasn't such a "little" brother anymore. He'd grown up to the extent that he was now making a fool out of her own "stealthy" big sister.

At first, maybe she wasn't really ready to accept the fact that her mage of a brother can actually hold his own ground. Maybe that's why she was ever so careful of her kin from discovering the fact that she'd be still protecting him in the shadows.

She unconsciously let out a smile at the thought.

"Thank you." She murmured in front of the old lady but at the same time, also an aside for her brother's gesture.

Lesley felt unexpectedly relieved the moment she left that village inn with her brother's card. It reminded her of something to come home to after the path she'll take later on. Now it finally gave her a strong resolve on the journey she must take.

The smile now slowly wavering from her lips as she realizes what she must now do. Her face returning to it's usually stoic state, taking in the thoughts of what's to come.

She marched forward, gripping the card on her right hand and feeling the warmth of her brother's magic; even so, allowing the sharp coolness of the bronze pendant on her left one command the direction of her retribution.