Chapter 1
I stood in a narrow alleyway behind a tavern. The smell of stew, ale and fresh baked bread drifted from the kitchens back door.
I had been waiting for at least an hour. My own fault. I wanted to be early. This was the meeting place my escort and I had agreed upon.
I paced up and down, unsure of whether the clicking of my heals on the cobblestones made me feel better or worse, every time I spun around my cloak made a swooshing sound that I quite enjoyed.
The tavern must have closed for the night, because groups of drunk men stumbled by, laughing and cursing. I pressed my back against the wall, hoping that they wouldn’t notice me. To a young girl, alone and unarmed, well, sort of unarmed, a drunk man was the closest thing to a natural predator. I had no death wish. So, I leaned into the shadows and waited for the sound of their laughter to die out.
I was just about to release a sigh of relief when the kitchen door swung upon next to me. I jumped back yelping in surprise. The man standing in the door cringed away, taking up the most pathetic defensive stance I have ever seen.
“What the fuck!” I snapped at him, placing a hand to my chest.
“What the fuck me, what the fuck you! You’re the one lurking in the shadows! Do you have any idea how many times I’ve been robbed in this alley?”
He whisper-yelled at me, and I whisper yelled back. “I don’t know... many times?”
“None actually.” He shrugged, suddenly very casual. “But I mean, it is a very valid fear to have! What are you even doing out here?”
“I’m just, waiting for somebody. And he will be here any moment now so just, do whatever you came out here to do.” He seemed sober enough, but I still positioned myself to the alleys entrance, in case I had to run.
He just looked at me, awkwardly scratching the back of his head.
“I, uhm...”
“What exactly were you coming out here for?”
“Well, the uhm, the lavatory is quite far away so sometimes we come out here to...”
“No!”
“Yes!”
My face must have shown every bit of disgust I was feeling, because a smile began to tug at the corners of his mouth.
“Ugh! That is so gross!”
Now he was really enjoying this.
“Right by that wall you were rubbing yourself against.”
A devilish grin spread across his face, and he leaned against the door frame, waiting for my reaction. I would not serve as his entertainment for a moment longer. I straightened my shoulders and lifted my chin.
“By all means then.” I gestured towards the wall, “continue about your business.”
He looked from me to the wall, and then back to me, shaking his head.
“Mmmm, yeah, I’d rather not. Shy bladder and all. But good luck with your waiting. I hope your friend shows up soon!” He said it as if he didn’t believe me and turned back towards the kitchen.
“Oh, he will!” I yelled after him, childishly wanting to get the last word in. He only smiled at me over his shoulder as he disappeared back inside.
For the fifteen minutes or so that I continued to wait, I thought about the brief interaction. I came up with several better things that I could have said and scolded myself for only thinking about them now. The strangers face also seemed to have been burned into my mind. Strands of dark brown hair that fell over his forehead, a slim, straight nose. A sharp jaw, not too wide or too narrow. I couldn’t remember the colour of his eyes, but they seemed kind enough. He was rather handsome. Not that I have seen enough men to make an accurate judgement.
“Berrymor?”
I startled at the rough voice that broke me away from my thoughts.
A broad figure strode down the alley. His face barely visible in the shadows of his hood.
“Curlew?”
This was the name that I was given, I don’t think it is his real name.
“What possible business could a sweet girl like you have at the front lines?”
I severely disliked the way he asked that question, but I was desperate enough to let it slide.
“I was told that no questions would be asked. I am paying you a hefty fee for that exact reason.”
The asshole snickered!
“About that fee...”
I was overly aware of every step he took towards me, and he was getting a little close now. I instinctively backed away. I was just about to retreat another step when my back hit the wall. Fuck
“We already agreed on a set amount, half now and half when we get there. Did something change?”
I tried my best to keep my voice steady but failed miserably.
“That is one of my options.”
He looked up for a moment, as if considering his options. My hands were clenched under my cloak, my gloves damp from the sweat.
“You see, nobody mentioned that you had such a pretty face...”
He was close enough for me to smell the beer on him now. I was a sheep staring into a wolf’s eyes. Face to face with my natural predator. He came closer still, lifting his hand towards me.
A sudden movement caught my eye as Curlew grunted and fell to the ground at my feet, revealing the stranger from the tavern behind him. He was holding some type of weapon. No. Not a weapon, a broom. He had hit him with the handle of a broom.
Curlew’s eyes were open, but lifeless.
