[Flashback] [Location] Docks [Nydryn]

[Syndre]

[12 Day of Summer, 498 A.V.]

The burning sun was in it's mid-day drift across the

sky heating the region of Sylira with the fury of a Deity. Luckily,
the city of Ravok was blessed by it's own powerful God who kept
his citizens comfortable through the seasons. So on a day that
would be punishing for most, it was fairly nice over the Ravokian
Docks. Groups of children on the poorer side of the city would gather
at the docks and play with one another while their parents were away
earning enough Mizas to survive.

Syndre was eight years old and was tall for his age. He

looked older than other children of the same age, giving him the
opportunity to hang out with the bigger kids. He was raised by a
family of thieves and his parents involved him with many of their
unlawful activities. This didn't give him too much time for fun,
so when he was able to get away he liked to come here and play a
popular game the older children played.

It was a form of kick ball. They used a ball made of soft

leather, threaded with cheap yarn and stuffed with wool. It wasn't
much, but it was all they had and they made good use of it. They
darted back and forth across the busy streets and between the shops
of the waterfront. Syndre was good at this game. He liked to run
and was very fast for his age. His father demanded that he be quick
on his feet so that if trouble arose, he could escape if he had to.

He had the ball and was working it between nimble feet, his

swift movements leading the pack of shouting boys through an empty
alley. The bricks of the walls were a blur as he concentrated on
keeping the leather ball infront him so that he could continue
kicking it forward, keeping it away from the larger kids that tried
to keep up. Once he reached the end of the short alley, Syndre gave
a brief hop and nailed the stitched ball as hard as he could. It flew
over the heads of those crossing the next street, hitting the front
of a Bakery and bouncing back into the street.

The ball rolled and stopped infront of Nydryn. A moment later

Syndre came sprinting between the crowd, looking over his small
shoulder to see how close the other boys were. Satisfied of the
distance he had gained, the youthful rebel skidded to a stop in front
of the little girl. He stared at her with a pair of soft blue eyes,
his dirty face offering a small smile.

"You better hurry... the others are almost here," he said

while pointing a finger to the alley behind him. A worn shoe nudged
the ball and it gently hit Nydryn's foot as if he was urging her to
play the game.

"Come on... this way," he nodded toward the next alley over,

wanting her to follow him as he started up into a brisk jog. He was headed
back the opposite way from which he came, back toward the water front
where one of the canals slithered through the city.

[Nydryn]

Nydryn swiftly followed Syndre to the next alley. She followed closely, not wanting to be left behind. She was smaller than the boy, Syndre. Her petite size made many people underestimate her. She was fast and was able to stay right behind Syndre. She had noticed Syndre and the other children playing in the street a few days ago. She had wanted to go and play, but her parents would not let her. They didnt want her to associate with the "Street Rats of Ravok" as they called people like Syndre and the other children. Today, she had snuck out when her parents were not home. Nydryn could hear the other children getting closer, so the two sped up. Nydryn's heart beat rapidly as she and Syndre rounded a corner and she ran into an old man. His eyes were black and heartless. He was holding Nydryn so close that she could see the wrinkles on his face. He was obviously poor, wearing dark, ragged clothes. Nydryn gasped and tried to pull away, but the man's hand was like a claw on her arm, "Watch where you are going, little girl" the man's voice was rough and deep. Nydryn struggled in his grip and the man smiled, "Why dont you come with me." He started to pull her in the opposite direction, "I'm sure your Mommy and Daddy will pay good money for you." Her parents had warned her about playing in the alleys for this exact reason. It was true that her parents would pay good money for her, and the man would ask for a lot of money. "Help!" Nydryn screamed as the man roughly dragged her into another alley.

[Syndre]

The boy had side stepped the old man, not thinking much of him

as his jog and become a sprint. He expected Nydryn to keep up with him
as he worked the ball between his legs. He made it out of the alley when
he heard her scream. Her young voice was loud and his hearing was good,
he could tell she was in the next alley over. Had the other boys caught
up and found her?

The leather sphere was kicked upward on mid-stride and

caught with dirty hands. He continued to run, though faster now
with more of a purpose than just having fun. The speed at
which he was moving caused his black hair to whip wildly
about his head as he rounded the front of a clothing shop and
then rushed into the next alley over. The ageing man was there
and he had the little girl tightly clasped by the arm.

A loud slap of leather connecting against skin resounded

throughout the small alley. The wool stitched ball had been
thrown with all the force the boy could muster and had
connected with a satisfying "crack" against the beggar's face.
The sudden shock and mild pain of the attack caused the old
man to release his grip upon Nydryn. His hands immediately
reached upward as tears filled his eyes, cupping his face with
either hand.

Without hesitation Syndre covered the short distance and

hopped off his right foot, sending him air born for but a brief second.
As if kicking a ball in a game, the youth nailed the man in the
groin as hard as he could. The sound that escaped the kidnapper
was much like the of the little girl and he crumpled down upon
his knees into a murky puddle. Syndre took Nydryn's hand into
his own while his other hand fiddled with something at the man's
waist.

"Are you ok?...," he asked while ripping a tiny cloth sack from
the belt of downed man.

He didn't wait for an answer. His warm fingers gripped tightly

around her own and he pushed off his back foot, pulling
her along into another run. The ball was no longer important and
they left it there in the alley. His heart was pumping with
excitement, those wide crystalline eyes looked back upon the
girl's face as he dragged her toward the entrance of the alley.

They heard an angry groan. The man had risen from the

puddle, his knees wet and muddy and his face was contorted like
that of a monster. They had a decent lead but he was surely coming
after them, either for his stolen pouch or for another attempt
to capture the innocent girl. They raced out from between the
two buildings and into the street. That had to either go left or
right for a large canal separated this street from the next.

[Nydryn]

Nydryn saw the boy come back. She had felt that all hope was lost, when he had run off, for she was untrained in the ways of self defense. Her mother had believed it necessary to teach Nydryn some measures to keep safe on the streets, but her father, refusing to believe that Nydryn would even be on the streets, did not let her mother teach her any moves. Now relief flooded through her as he returned. Throwing the leather ball at the man’s face, Syndre had made the man let go of her arm. She stumbled away from him, fear still present in her eyes as the young boy grabbed her hand and at the same time, grabbing a bag that was at the old man’s waist. Now, Nydryn was following the boy once again. They were running from something again, but Nydryn knew that they were not simply running from children chasing a ball, but now from an old man bent on revenge on the boy that had hurt him, and also Nydryn for a money reward from her parents. The boy looked back at her, his eyes blue like her own, but his were filled with excitement and hers with more fear. Nydryn could feel his hand wrapped around hers, and it was leading her, but also comforting her… telling her that someone was looking out for her. Nydryn followed the boy around a corner and then they darted off left running beside the canal. She knew these canals by heart and recognized that they were headed toward the main canal closest to her house. She ran a hand across her face, and pulled it back feeling something wet. Nydryn realized she was crying and shook her head slightly, her long, tangled blond hair moving about her face. They soon reached the canal and they quickly blended with the crowd. Mothers and their children, merchants and thieves swarmed on either side of the canal. This was a good place to lose the old man. Nydryn looked back and still saw the old man following them, pushing people aside to try and use the same path that the two children had. Syndre and Nydryn moved nimbly through the crowd and they finally pulled into a slim, dark alley. Nydryn held her breath as the old man walked right past where the children were hiding. She smiled shakily and quietly said, “Thank you, for uh saving me,” Her blue eyes, large and trusting, glanced at his face, wondering what he would say, expecting some sort of ridicule for being unable to keep herself from being abducted.

[Syndre]

Syndre put his back against the alley wall and tilted

his head slightly upward. His small chest was slowing
in rhythm, but his magnificent blue eyes still held
a wild gleam. They looked into Nydryn's own fearful
voids before traveling down to were her petite hand
was surrounded by his curling fingers. The boy eased
his hold and let his fingertips trail away from her
hand.

"You owe me your life you know?..," he whispered

to her in the blanket of shadow, not wanting to reveal
their hiding place. "My father saved a man's life
once and told him the same..," again he whispered.
Anything his Dad told him was absolute fact to the
young boy. He admired his Father and would grow up
to be just like him one day, maybe even better.

The street rat broke their engaging stare to look

down once more. In his other hand was the soft
brown pouch he had freed from the beggar's belt. He
shook it back and forth and listened for any Mizas
that might have been tucked inside. When he heard
nothing, he tipped the pouch upside down with his
other hand cupped underneath it to catch it's contents.
There was nothing.

No wonder the old man had tried to snatch her.

He was probably going to ransom her back to her family or
try to sell her as a slave. Who wouldn't pay a fair
amount of coin to own such an innocent beauty? More
than a little disgusted with the situation, Syndre
threw the small sack as far as he could into the
darkness of the alley.

[Nydryn]

Nydryn’s lower lip trembled as she said shakily, “My… my life?” Her heart was still pounding from running away from the old man. She remembered that the boy was a street rat and his father probably was also. She saw the boy throw the small bag that he had grabbed from the man into the dark alley and shuddered remembering the old man’s claw-like grip on her arm. Her skirt was caked with mud and so were her boots. Nydryn shivered and slid down against the wall so she was sitting on the side of the alley. The alley was very dirty, and normally Nydryn wouldn’t dirty her clothes by sitting down, but at this point in time, her clothes did not matter. Her large blue eyes were filling with tears and she put her head in her small, delicate hands to hide her tears from the boy. What was her mother going to say about this? And when her father found out, he would never ever let her on the streets alone again. Not that he allowed her to do it this time, but he would go through extra measures to assure that Nydryn would never end up on the streets again. A fierce look came into Nydryn’s deep blue eyes and she wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. “What do I have to do?” she asked her voice no longer timid and scared, “If I owe my life to you.” Going through this experience, the man chasing them and barely getting away, made her realize that, looking back on it, it had been the most exciting event in her life so far. She lifted her face up to look at the boy’s and the fear in her eyes was completely gone.

[Syndre]

"I don't know what it means yet...," he was being

honest as he spoke. His Mother and Father had taught
him many things, more than a lot of children know,
but there were things he still needed to learn.

A dirty hand touched the side of her face, leaving

a small smudge of mug against the soft curve of
moistened cheek. He didn't know why he did it, maybe
to comfort her. She my not have been use to this kind
of reality, but Syndre was all to familiar with the
wretches of this city.

"We'll figure that out later... My Father said that

person is in debt to you until they return the favor,
and save your life...," a quick blink broke their
stare and the boy's hand retreated from her countenance.

It was against the rules for Syndre to make friends.

His family was very close and no one else was allowed to
get emotionally attached to them. If his Mother or Father
knew what he had done today he would surely get severely
punished. He was taught that he was alone on the streets,
and the risk of helping someone in distress was too high
if you valued your life. He knew this, but reacted poorly.

"Lets get you home... my family will be expecting me

soon... I have to go back to work...," his voice hardened a little
knowing that his free time was interrupted. Whether it be
stealing, begging, or entertaining, most of the boy's time
was devoted to keeping his family fed. They all worked
together in Ravok's streets. The hours were long, and
opportunities to play were few and far between.

The same hand that had graced her delicate features lifted

slowly between their bodies. He offered it to her so he
could help her off the soiled floor. They would need to run
again once they gathered themselves, for the old beggar
could still be out roaming the street right outside the alley.
Chances are he would be lost in the bustle of people, but
caution was a definite necessity in this wicked city.

[Nydryn]

She bit her lip after he had touched her face. The gesture seemed so sincere, meaning to comfort her. She could see what she thought was pity on the boy’s face. He seemed to understand that she was not used to being on the streets, and that today was a reality check. Nydryn’s breathing had finally slowed, but her heart wanted more. She wanted to abandon all the rules her parents had set for her. She wanted to roam the streets and have adventures like no girl had gone on before. Nydryn slowly took the boy’s hand and stood. She was shorter than him and looked up one last time before they started running. “Are you a thief?” she asked softly. He looked like one, but before he had time to respond, they took off running. They darted through the crowd, moving rapidly. Nydryn called out to Syndre and pointed left. Just seconds later, they swerved into the alley on the left. They ran through it, brushing off the hands of the dirty beggars that tried to stop them as they ran. While running, Nydryn decided that she wouldn’t tell her parents about her new friend. A puzzled look appeared on her face as she tried to think of a story that her parents would accept… A reason that her clothes were all dirty and that she was coming home so late. Nydryn concluded that she would get punished the least if she said that she was going to run an errand for her parents, and she simply slipped and fell in an alley. Hoping her parents would accept the story, she continued to follow Syndre. Nydryn shivered as a breeze brushed by the children and she quickened her pace, longing the warmth of her home. Feeling a bit guilty, Nydryn wondered if Syndre even had a place to call home. She knew many thieves did not stay in one place for a long time, but she hoped that Syndre stayed. He was so different from her other friends. All her other friends were girls, daughters of wealthy Ravok merchants. They wore pretty dresses and never traveled on the streets without a guardian. When looking at Nydryn, one could say the same thing, but if someone actually knew her, then they would know that her heart longed for adventure. She glanced at her hand which, once again was holding his. His fingers were warm and she gripped them tightly, not wanting to get lost. They finally approached the front of her house. She slipped her hand out of his and brought it to her side. “Thank you, again,” She said softly, “I guess I will see you around.” She took a few steps away from him, but then turned back, sadness and hope in her eyes.

[Syndre]

His arms lifted as she turned back to face him, dirty

fingers running once through his dark hair. His expression
was one of doubt since he wasn't allowed to have friends.
The look on her muddied face was hard to deal with, so
innocent and scared. He knew if he continued to come back to
see her that a developing friendship was inevitable. He
took in a slow breath as he made a decision and released a
defeated sigh.

"Well... I do know where you live now...," he said with a

smile, and then quiet chuckle.

He took a brief moment to scan over the front of her home

and also the surrounding buildings in the area. The location
would be easy enough to remember since he was familiar with
these streets. She didn't live far from where he played kick
ball with the other kids. Bright blue eyes shined in her
direction before he turned around and began to walk away, a
lone hand moving through his shoulder length hair again.

"Oh... hey...," he turned around once more, but continued to

walk backwards with steady steps,"what's your name?..." He
began to disappear from her sight as he asked for her name,
his devilish smile fading from view. There were many people
in the street near her home and he was slipping thru them,
each person in his carefree path making an extra effort to
scoot out of his way.

[Nydryn]

She smiled and called to the disappearing boy, “Nydryn… my name is Nydryn.” She hoped that the charming street boy would come back for she had never had a friend like him before. Desperately wishing that her parents still weren’t home, Nydryn quietly slipped through the front door of her house. She peeked into most of the rooms and sighed in relief, noticing that they were not. Walking swiftly to her bedroom, Nydryn’s heart sank because sitting on her bed was Sviia. Sviia was a caretaker for Nydryn and her siblings, watching over them when their parents were away. “Where have you been?” Sviia demanded, frowning at the mud all over Nydryn’s clothes. Stumbling over her words, Nydryn replied, “My mother asked me to run to the store and get her some things.” The lies came easier now, “I got lost. Then I didn’t see a large stone besides a canal and I tripped. I don’t have the item my mother asked for because I saw a thief beating a man for his money so I ran back here.” The story seemed plausible and explained the mud all over Nydryn’s dress. Sviia eyed her suspiciously but then nodded so slightly that Nydryn could barely see it. “Fine,” Sviia said, “Now let’s get you cleaned up.” Nydryn slipped out of her wet dress and pulled off her mud covered boots. She shivered as she remembered the man’s claw like hand grabbing her arm. Looking down at the same arm, she realized there were three long scratches from the man’s fingernails. Grabbing the dress that Sviia held up for her, Nydryn slipped it on, hoping that it covered up the questionable scratches on her arm. Crawling into her bed, Nydryn instantly drifted off to sleep, exhausted from the events of the day.