2 Chapter 2: Saleah

"Two silver!" The thought shocked her. Back home five coppers could by you a weeks worth of food or maybe even a warm bed for a few days, but outside the alienage the prices of everything was uncalled for. Rain wasn't even sure she ever saw a single silver coin in her life much less two.

"I'm sorry miss but that's how much it costs. If you ain't got the coin get out." The burly barkeep looked like he simply gave up on life some time ago. He had a sack for a belly and dropping eyebrows that looked unnatural. He was the first person not to call her knife ear since leaving the alienage. She was starting to think it was due to his failing eyesight.

Rain had been stumbling outside for hours before finally discovering the place. She couldn't read, few of the elves could, so she had no idea what it was called or whether it was truly a tavern. The smell and sounds were the only thing giving it away.

On the inside it was filthy, rats scurried along the corners hugging the walls waiting for small scraps of food. A few even dared to scurry on the top of the tables. Most of the customers and tenants stayed close to the fireplace drinking ale and feasting on large sums of meat. Her lips were already salivating as she gazed at the food. She could feel her stomach tighten and twist, when was the last time she ate?

Inside people were muttering to themselves. She caught a few sentences, "they say another village went dark last night, wonder which will be next." the merchant asking the question glared at her for only a split second. Another young woman answered him, "there only rumors, don't get your nerves worked up."

A few others tried to agree with her only to silently start asking the same questions. Towns Rain never new existed -Vallen, Little bridge, dusk haven, had all ceased trade over the past week. Some were guessing illness like the plague, but no such plague had been reported since the red cough nearly thirty years ago.

"Excuse me but what could I buy with this?" Rain returned her attention to the barkeep and held a small leather pouch that contained a few bronze tokens. A full weeks wage to her. The barkeep barely glanced at her or her small tithe.

"Girl I couldn't give you toast with that," he grunted which Rain guessed passed for a laugh. It was hard to tell.

He told her again to leave or she would be forced out. She couldn't help but notice a tall brute guarding the door, more than likely the taverns own security. He eyed her warily. Sensing defeat she left the warm tavern to the embracing cold again. The weather had gotten worse, people had barred their doors and windows. A single bell tolled in the distance. The church seemed to be the only beating heart in the city.

To go right was to go back the way she came, so she turned left keeping to the road and avoiding the back ally's. Pick pockets, thieves, and worse stalked those shadows. Her shoes, cheap leather and cloth, finally wore too thin. Her bare feet sank in the mud with each slogging step.

She didn't know when it happened, but eventually she collapsed. Her body finally giving in to exhaustion. Darkness took her, and she sank into it.

She awoke to a disoriented chaos. She had passed out in the street. When the dawn came and people were leaving their homes to prepare for another day of work they stumbled on her. Some spat at what they thought was a drunken fool collapsed in their way, some assumed it was a dead body and pushed her aside. It was only then that they realized she was breathing. When the two of the town guardsman came to collect her they assumed she was an elf illegally escaping from the alienage. Such an act was against the law and punishable. She was dragged to the jailhouse.

When she finally awoke she found herself on a thin cot at the corner of a jail cell. A single guardsman sat adjacent in the main room facing the three cells. He was muttering to himself. He was middle aged but still fit enough for her to imagine him in his youth. His graying hair still kept some of its deep brown.

For a few hours she kept to the cot, she got no answers from the guard. Her fate seemed to sit in her cell for hours, or days, until eventually being taken to the dungeon. At some point another man entered the jailhouse. He wore chainmail and a dark cloak under dark steel shoulder pauldrons. An emblem of the eye of konrad on his shoulder pauldron meant he was of the Knightly Order. She had only heard of them from rumor, she had never actually seen one.

"Is this the girl you brought to my attention?" His voice was stern but had an edge. He had spent too much time giving battle commands. The guard stood to bow to the knight, then they both talked amongst themselves. They seemed to know each other, and traded banter for a time before finally returning their attention back to her.

"The ring, quite peculiar isn't it?" The knight said. Her emerald ring in his hand shown in the light.

" what are you talking about, it's just a ring. She probably pickpocketed it." The guardsman returned to his desk shifting through parchments.

"Possibly, but those eyes?" He suddenly got closer to the bars than she would like.

"Oh for love of the scepter and stars above, don't tell me you care about her eyes!" The guard slapped the table.

"It's just I've never seen and elf with blue eyes before," the knight continued studying her, "Yellow, green, brown, even white but never blue."

"I'm half human," Rain finally answered getting tired of where this was going.

"Is that a thing? Wait are you telling me someone actually laid with an elf!" the guard exclaimed leaning back in his chair.

"Happens more than you think," Rain jabbed back at him.

"Tell me honestly girl, where did you get this." The knight seemed suddenly much more serious. He held the emerald ring bearing the symbol of house Darkwyl toward her.

"From your mother," her answer did not amuse him, "Ok from his mother."

"You know what they'll do to you for pickpocketing?" The knight continued holding the ring.

"Lose a hand is a standard punishment," The guard responded casually.

"Or for leaving the alienage?" The Knight continued.

"Lose a foot or swift execution, depending on the Marshall's mood," The guard answered again almost too casually.

"Where did you get it?" The knight looked directly into her eyes. It was strange to her, his eyes didn't match his scarred face. They were kind eyes.

She debated on answering the question truthfully, "From my mother..." she paused to see he thought it was another dodge, "seriously she gave it to me a long time ago, I've had it ever since"

The knight heard her words and studied her for several long seconds. "I think your telling the truth."

"Seriously?" She asked surprised.

"Believe it or not I have a gift for seeing through lies," he returned to the guardsman, "I want you to release her into my custody, this is an official request from the order."

The guardsman didn't know what to make of his declaration. He looked back at her cell and then the knight. "If that is the will of the order, than so be it."

"Thank you Enton," The knight watched as he unshackled a bundle of keys.

"I hope you know what your doing Olsen, the Marshall won't take kindly to this." The key opened the cell and after a few parting words the guardsman returned to his desk.

Knight Errant Olsen lead Rain outside. The sounds of the city filled her ears. He told her where they were going and she couldn't believe it. Yesterday she lived in the alienage, today she was going to the Knights Monastery.

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