Find Her

"Take off the cloak off your face and let me see you." It was a command, a command that demanded obedience. But Abi had never listened. Then why would she now. She had counted the seconds and she was sure the carriage had taken a turn, she had felt the moment on the surface. 

When the rich bloke was chatting with his handsome servant, she had already opened the door on the other side. She was just waiting for the right opportunity. And nothing would be better than.. Now.

"Next time." he thought that he heard her wrong. She was on his mercy and he did not believe in waiting. There was something in her eyes that compelled him to save her though he knew she was a criminal, a filthy rat that might have stolen from many already.

But for a foolish second he entertained the idea that she might be her… he tilted his head when he noticed mirth in her eyes. If she thinks that she could entertain him by his defiance, she was wrong.

"I do not believe in next time, little girl. You are at my mercy now. So… take that cloak off, now." he warned when she chuckled. She might be a cornered rat, but a cornered rat never fears biting.

Without waiting, she pushed the door open and jumped. She rolled on the ground a few times. Her feet hurt like hell and her palms bleed. But thank goodness her head was intact on her body. She forced herself to stand up as she watched the stunned face of the man sitting in the carriage, passing.

The carriage was riding fast enough to not stop when she jumped out. And the man was stunned to command it. She grinned and ran away. She was not a fool to believe that the man would not be looking for her now or this bloke would not come for her. 

Dangers lurked, and she had to hide herself before they came for her. But.. she placed her bleeding hands inside her pocket. She had stolen silverwares. They would be enough to start a new life faraway. 

With that thought, she ran. Ran faster than the world to chase a new life.

Dion sat there stunned. The carriage was not at its best because of the dark murky roads but it was still running fast enough to injure a person enough. Yet, he did not feel any hesitation in her when she jumped.

He had noticed that she had opened the door. But he was sure that she did not have the courage. Many do not have it as they are busy cursing their conditions. But she was different. 

"Perhaps the rat was worth training. It's her loss that she did not come with me." 

The carriage stopped and Stefan stood in front of the opened door. He looked at Dion with a stoic face.

"Shall I stop, my lord."

"That would not be needed." Dion refused and asked Stefan to continue the carriage. The man entered inside the carriage and sat on the opposite side. He closed the door and the carriage started again.

"Are you sure that we are on the right path?" his voice was laced with impatience as he looked around. The roads were full of filth and mud. The rotten smell was full of smoke, death, blood and alcohol.

 The dull faces of the crowd showed depravity. The hopelessness in their eyes leaves a restless feeling in his heart. Not only that, the greed and their desire. How a few kids ran behind the carriage to ask for a coin. And how the woman wanted to come in front of the carriage to stage an accident and claim compensation made his bile rise in his stomach. 

"That was what was written in the letter, my lord. If you do not mind… I will go and check it personally." Stefan offered but Dion snorted. He covered the window with curtains and then looked away. As if looking away would hide the reality.

"No, you do not understand, Stafan. Her existence would change the future of the empire. My fate and the destruction of the dukedom. She could change all of this." there was desperation in his voice. For some reason, when he tried to remember the lost daughter of the duke, the eyes of that thief flashed past his eyes and he frowned.

Had he been depraved for so long that he was fancied by a dirt filled woman. Tsk! He will visit Hannah tonight.

"But if she had lived in this area.." Stafan stopped but the meaning was clear enough and Dion sighed. He was fearing it too. What if she was a criminal or defiled. What if she was handicapped or something far worse. God! This was the worst part of the empire of Granatia. Even the royal palace did not believe in its existence. 

The royal had ignored it for so long that poverty had given birth to crimes, diseases and deaths. The nobles had left it since they could not be benefited by this land. A few reformers fought for it but even their charity could not bring any chance to this place.

"Well.. the stake is too big to ignore. If there is only a one percent chance that she is here, safe and ready to return, I will take it." Stefan wanted to retort that every sane person would love to return but he refrained. After living here all her life, who could claim that the young woman would still be sane.

"What was the address again?"

"It was a bar in the corner of the Second street of the factory area. Surprisingly, they did not even have names of the street here." Stefan muttered, though he did not look surprised at all. "I have asked for directions from a local peasant. He has assured us that we are going on the right path."

Dion nodded, his eyes flickered with the thrill of meeting her. "We will soon meet her." 

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