February 25, 2005
(XI)
I lay there for several hours expecting the door to burst open and that charcoal skinned Tyen to break through. But it didn't happen. Not that day, nor the next. I was scared to leave the campsite for fear of running into him in town. So I remained caravan-bound for at least a week. Trelon visited, as did a few others, but otherwise my contact with the outside world was fairly minimal. A fortnight passed before I left the place, the hood of my thread-bare cloak drawn down enough that I hoped my face would be shielded from prying eyes.
I had intended the trip to be quick. Just straight through, pick up some supplies and straight back. But as ever, my luck was not with me and somewhere between the bakery and the gates out of the city the sky released a torrent of water. I ran for the inn, intending to shelter there and ran straight into Shalin and his Mistress. They recognised me immediately, my scarlet hair, clinging to my cheeks was distinctive enough.
The packages fell from my arms and warm brown rolls spilled across the ground as I immediately leaped over one of the couches, narrowly avoiding some sort of fire spell released by Brana. Shalin was pulling his sword and approaching fast. I had not the time, nor the ability to cast anything that would prevent what was about to come. I turned my head, looking for some familiar face, or someone who might offer me aid.
And there he was. The man I had been stalking for the past few months. I had only a few seconds as I scampered out of the reach of the oncoming blade, attempting to avoid being hit whilst at the same time pleading with this virtual stranger for my life, for his aid. I offered him gold, but he said he had no need for it. I offered everything and anything. I don't know what it was that eventually resulted in him agreeing, but he did.
And from that point on he was there. Never too far away from my side. Protecting me. Each day increasing my debt to him. But to say that it was all simply because of a debt would of been a lie.