Flashback Hard truths and comforting lies

[Farren]

18th of Spring 522 AV

Farren sat in a corner of the Drunken Fish, nursing a stale beer and trying not to think of the last time she’d had a proper bath. Truthfully, she was trying to not think of smelling anything at all in this wretched drinking hole where smoke, sweat, and beer mixed liberally. There was even a patron that passed her not too long ago reeking faintly of piss, the dark spot on the front of his trousers adding to a picture that almost made her gag when he propositioned her. Of course she refused, but she did so as politely as she could manage with a smile and a hint of promise for the next time they crossed paths. A next time that would hopefully never happen as she intended to stay as far as physically possible from this place for the rest of the season.

The smell of it was enough, and would likely stick to her clothes for a long time to come which was bad enough without having every other drunk in the establishment come up to her with one lewd suggestion after another. It wasn’t like she was sitting alone either. Every seat in the Drunken Fish was taken and there were quite a few patrons standing as the place was packed to the gills this late in the afternoon. However her sitting companions were strangers one and all, and not the sort that she had come here to speak with, although she could see why they had chosen such a place.

Aside from being relatively neutral ground, it was the sort of local that one could easily get lost in, and even swing a private conversation if one wanted to as everyone was to busy talking with one another to pay much attention to whatever conversation another was having. The hustle and bustle of the place also made it easy to conceal certain things, and it was an open secret at this point that half of the patrons were doing drugs. Most had the common courtesy to sneak in a snort when they thought no one was looking, but a few particularly dense individuals had gotten themselves thrown out earlier for snorting some of that new drug directly off of the bar. Blike it was called, a crude nickname that almost brought a smile to her lips as she thought about what such petching idiots this lot was.

Of course she wasn’t going to touch the stuff. There was no telling which gangs had their hands on the supply that was currently circulating around the tavern, and depending on which one did would mean drastically different things. The Daggerhands for instance probably stepped on it to shite so they could get more people strung out on the taste while the Suns would probably do something to it to give it a little umph. Petch knows what the Night Eyes would do to it, or the Vino for that matter. No, Farren wasn’t about to go chasing some brief thrill now. Stale beer was as thrilling as it got for her, and she’d only been nursing this tankard to give her hands something to do that wasn’t punching bums in the crotch.

Speaking of, she took another regretful sip of the tepid beer as a man came walking through the crowd, and bumped her table, eliciting a brief grunt of protest from the amorous couple making out across from her. Farren eyed the stranger carefully, taking in his dark wool shirt, burlap trousers and most peculiarly, black leather boots that stood apart from his disheveled appearance. She clenched her jaw as she craned her neck, but she couldn’t see more than a glimpse of the back of his head as he disappeared further into the crowd, possibly heading for an exit.

With a feeling in her gut she didn’t like one bit, she excused herself from the table and shook off the passing grasp of some stranger in the crowd as she pushed her way through the way the man had went. She started looking for that mop of curly brown hair anywhere in the crowd, and figured standing now that he must be barely taller than she was which wasn’t saying much since she was pretty short herself. It made it frustratingly hard to find someone in a crowd like this where everyone was at least the same height if not taller. She had to bob, and weave her way through, casting furtive glances towards the edges of the tavern while hastily looking away from any unintentional eye contact that might cause her a bit of trouble which was any eye contact with a man, and even with more than a few women. Women might even be considered more of a threat in a place like this. They could get catty, and if it came down to a fight, they would try to mutilate. She’d seen it happen before, and she certainly didn’t want to be on the receiving in of a jealous hag’s claws.

So Farren kept her head low, eyes averted, and cloak covering most of her body as she winded her way through the tavern’s audience. The noise from everyone talking was so loud that she hadn’t even realized they’d had a musician playing in the corner near the entrance to the establishment. It was an elderly sort of fellow seated on a wooden stool and plucking at a loot. It didn’t sound half terrible for a place like this, although it wasn’t any song she had ever heard before which was probably for the better. She’d hate to have found a redeeming quality about this place just when she was ready to quit it for good.

At the last moment she spotted him. The man with the mop of brown hair and leather shoes. Unfortunately he was heading up towards a place she really didn’t want to go. He was already on the second floor landing and going up the stairs towards the private rooms that catered to a different sort of entertainment, the likes of which she was familiar enough with that she hesitated at the foot of the first stair looking up and loosing sight of him. Taking in a deep breath she started up the stairs, wondering all the while what foolish notion possessed her to follow this man up here.

She steadfastly ignored the jeers and leers as she hustled her way up, not looking at anyone except to make sure she didn’t jostle them as she eased her way past until finally she found herself on the third floor, legs suddenly trembling like a leaf. Looking at the rows of unremarkable doors she wondered what exactly she was supposed to be looking for when she saw one had been left a crack open. Farren’s throat suddenly felt dry as she swallowed hard then walked slowly forwards, one foot after another, slowly creeping towards the slightly ajar door while jumping at every moan or cry that came from the rooms she passed.


WC - 1,174



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[Farren]

Farren slightly admonished herself for catching such a fright and took in a deep breath through her nose to steady herself before she finally crossed the last few feet to the door. Placing her hand on the handle, she gripped it slowly before easing it open. The room was devoid of similar noises which both relieved and terrified her as she opened it wider to see the man sitting on the edge of the bed. Then her eyes met his, and she realized he had been waiting for her as a slight grin crossed his features. Taking a quick step inside, she shut the door hard behind her and then leaned against it with her right hand tucked against the small of her back. She worked her fingers over to palm the handle of a dagger reassuringly as she continued to meet the man’s eyes while taking in one deep breath after another. Finally, he spoke.

“Glad you’re punctual if not anything else. I half expected to wait for you.” The man said, leaning forward to easily rest his elbows over the top of his knees. He folded his hands together as he maintained a pleasant smile on his face.

Farren scowled. “You N- bastards have a strange sense of humor meeting me in a place like this.” She said giving the room a hateful look. “I ain’t paying off my debt that way. You can forget about it if you think that is what is going to happen.” There was a bit more steel in her voice than she actually felt because deep down she was terribly afraid. She was in over her head and she knew it. It wasn’t like a girl like her had a lot of options alone in a city like this. Behind her back she clutched the dagger so hard she felt like her hands might start bleeding.

The man just laughed, and leaned back with an expression like he hadn’t even considered it. “Whats strange is a girl like you objecting to such an easy way to pay off your debt, though I suppose it has been a difficult season for you. What’s changed? Now that you’re brother is gone you suddenly want to be pure?” He asked sarcastically. Farren frowned and bit the side of her cheek to keep herself from saying something stupid. He was just trying to get a rise out of her, and she wasn’t going to let his words get to her. Not anymore.

He seemed to realize this, his expression straightening as he gave Farren an appraising look, then shrugged. “Lucky you, there are other talents of yours that interest us than your ability between the sheets which was always sub par at best I hear.” Another jab. Farren couldn’t help but wince as her bottled up fury surged to the surface, threatening to overflow. The man’s eyes widened then, taking on an eager gleam as he looked pointedly at her arm that was noticeably shaking. “Are you going to speak before you try and stab me with that little knife.”

Farren felt the blood drain from her face as the hand holding the dagger went numb. She felt suddenly naked underneath her cloak and dress and oh so very vulnerable. The last of her resistance blew out along with her rage in a deep sigh as her shoulders sagged. “Okay, what do they want.” She asked in a small voice that elicited a wolfish grin from the man seated across from her.

“Nothing too terrible. We need you to deliver a package to the Outpost.” The man said simply, reaching in his trouser pocket to draw out a thin leather bound case and set it down on the bed beside him.

Farren looked at the package like it was a snake, her eyes wide. “The outpost? A N- An outpost of yours?” She asked, eyes suddenly narrowing as she looked back at him. “Where is it?”

The man smiled evenly. “You don’t get out much. The Outpost. Its a place you can reach north of the dust bed in the small tower that overlooks the sea. Just leave it there with the old man, he’ll know what to do with it.” With that said, the man stood up from the edge of the bed and straightened his posture, stretching his arms over his head briefly as he gave her a look over. “You’re way too uptight. Maybe you should start plying the sheets again.” He said easily as he started walking towards her. Farren edged away from the door, her dagger coming up reflexively between her and the man as she backed into a corner. The man just looked over at her, laughed, then opened up the door to walk out into the hallway. Pressing her ear against the wall, Farren listened carefully to the man leave down the stairs before hurrying out of the room herself with the package tucked amongst her belongings. She knew well enough to not keep folks like the Night Eyes waiting, and certainly didn’t want to be misconstrued for a whore by the next man up those stairs. Blissfully she didn’t see that man again as she hurried out onto the street into the wan evening light.

WC - 877



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[Farren]

There was always a catch. He had made it sound like such a simple delivery but Farren saw now that it was anything but. The Overlook wasn’t that far away from the edge of the city, but it was far enough that it made her scared about making the crossing. There had been increasingly more and more reports of wolves stalking the outskirts , but that wasn’t all that she had to worry about. If she got caught out here by a Daggerhand or just some lunatic, there really wasn’t anything anyone could do about it, efen if they heard her screams and wanted to respond which was dubious. Like it as not they would just ignore them. That would be the smart thing to do, and unfortunately Farren didn’t have any smart options for getting to the Overlook unharmed except just hope nothing took an interest in her.

It took more than just a deep breath to steady herself this time as she drew her dagger and clutched it to her stomach as she looked across the field fearfully. She didn’t see anything that looked like a woolf which she took a little heart in, but still the grass was tall here, and there were more than a few trees, and bushes that could easily hide some beast in their evening shade. Worse than that, it was only going to get darker so she had to act now. With one more deep breath, she held it in as she started to make her way across, only breathing it out when she was about a quarter of the way through. She kept her pace quick, not quite a jog, but not quite a walk either as she made her way across, clutching her dagger to her stomach while constantly looked over her shoulder and to her right and left as she carefully picked her way across the uneven ground.

She was about halfway to the Overlook when she heard a howl, followed by several others that chilled her blood and almost made her jump as she looked around, trying to spot anything that looked vaguely dog like in the gloom. Farren quickened her pace into a jog as she made a start for the tower as somewhere closer, another wolf took up the howl. There blessedly a light burning from within the Overlook as small dark shapes darted to and fro from the place. It took her a tick to register those were birds as the sound of cooing caught up with her, and she saw the wooden door open, pouring warm fire light out into the gloom. Rushing for that light, Farren stopped looking around her as she hurried towards the open door, and the older man that stepped out brandishing an odd looking spear.

“Come on lass. Inside now.” The old man barked, looking beyond her deeper into the gloom towards where the howls where originating. Farren started running the last few feet, putting one foot in front of the other as quickly as she could manage, her shoes almost slipping off her feet entirely in the scramble to get through that open door. She was lucky she didn’t fall, carrying the dagger the way she had been Farren realized as she stepped through the door panting and out of breath, leaning against the opposite wall as the old man slammed the door shut. Feeling a little bit embarrassed now about her earlier fright, Farren hastily sheathed her dagger while she turned to look at the man and opened her mouth to say something only nothing would come out as she was breathing too hard to be understood.

“That’s alright lass. Take your time. Catch your breath.” The old man said, walking over to take a seat where at once several pigeons and doves flocked over to land on his shoulders and legs as he took out a bit of bread for them to pick at. He smiled up at her when he caught her curious look. “They’re a sight better company than what you get back in the city.”

Farren couldn’t help but smile, and breath out a laugh that she desperately needed which drew a warm chuckle from the old man.

“Y’Know I can’t tell if you are a fool girl, or just petching stubborn. Not many come out this way with the wolves about, and fewer take the journey alone.” The old man said, eying her as he carefully stroked the back of a stone dove’s neck with his thumb and forefinger. “My name is Faust by the way. I’m something of a caretaker here.”

Farren nodded slightly, her expression suddenly serious she remembered the reason that had brought her out here in the first place.

“I’m sorry for disturbing you sir. It wasn’t my intention to go out this far this late at night, but a man needed me to run an errand. He said you’d know what to do with this package.” She said, hastily drawing out the thin leather bound case from her backpack and walking it over towards Faust. Her legs felt like jelly without the adrenaline coursing through them, and her steps were awkward. She had the presence of mind to look chagrined as Faust got a dark look on his face accepting the parcel from her, his expression eventually gentling as he opened it up to reveal a roll of parchment that he read quickly before tossing into the small heart, leather and all. He sat there quietly for a moment, staring into the hearth as the fire ate up the note and leather, until Farren shifting awkwardly drew his attention to her.

“You haven’t been working long with them, have you girl?” Faust asked gruffly, and Farren reflexively straightened to attention, shaking her head slightly.

“No sir, I haven’t.” She said, keeping it simple. Afraid to say to much even though crazily enough she actually felt like she could trust this man.

“Get out if you can. You don’t want to get stuck with there sort. It only bring you more trouble and hardship than you can handle.” Faust said softly, his voice drifting off as his eyes went back to the hearth. Then he suddenly came back into himself, his eyes brightening as he looked up from the fireplace to meet her eyes. “Well, you’ll be needing a place to stay and as you can see I don’t have much room here. I don’t suppose you’ve been to the Outpost yet, have you dear?”

Farren shook her head slowly.

Faust sighed. “Well, just as well, you go through that door you came in and out you come into the worlds baazar. You got coin don’t ya?”

Farren nodded, slightly confused now.

“Well there are a couple of nice inns right by where you come through at that I’m sure will have room enough to put you up for the night. Sorry about that. There isn’t much I can do. Its just about dark out, and the two of us won’t be much against those wolves outside. Come back during the day however and I’ll guide you back to the city. I can put in a word to them fellows about reimbursing you for your stay, but I can’t do much more than that I’m afraid.” Faust rambled on, not making much sense but Farren was too afraid to argue the point. It didn’t sound sane, but the way he said it all so confidently made her doubt her own intuitions.

Seeing her hesitation, Faust just chuckled and sat up from his chair, walking towards the door slowly and placing a hand on its handle. “Don’t worry, I ain’t pulling your leg.” He said, opening up the door to reveal not a field but a city greater than anything she had ever seen in Sunberth. She took a hesitant step towards the open door, looking at Faust for reassurance.

“What is this?” Farren asked haltingly.

“Why its the Outpost. I don’t reckon how it functions exactly, only this building appeared one day, and I just knew deep in my bones that I was supposed to steward it. So here I am, taking care of the birds and making sure they are well fed and the like. Anyways, you’ll return here if you decide to come back in the morning, and then I’ll be happy to walk you back to the city. It only works one way, so you don’t have to worry about coming back to nowhere strange. Just little old me in this tower.” Faust chuckled, patting the door as he gestured her out.

Nodding slightly, Farren gulped. “Alright then. Well thank you Faust. It was nice meeting you. I guess I’ll be seeing you again in the morning.” She said, heart beating faster as she approached the threshold. It looked so real the city outside that door. So impossibly real. Farren took another step forward.

“Alright. See ya then.” Faust said, pushing her the final few steps past the threshold before closing the door behind her. Suddenly, Farren found herself in the Outpost for the first time ever.

WC - 1,522



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