* Ā Ā ā
Ā Ā ā§ Ā Ā šššššĀ šššš
šššššš Ā Ā .
šš”š¤šØšš šØš©šš§š©šš§Ā Ā /Ā Ā @survivetmĀ·Ā .
š»š°š“š¬ Ā šÆšØšŗ Ā šØš³š¾šØššŗ Ā š©š¬š¬šµ Ā š¬š³š¼šŗš°š½š¬ Ā š»š¶ Ā š¬š“š¬š¹š Ā . Ā Ā Ā perhaps Ā it Ā wasnāt Ā time Ā itself Ā , Ā but Ā the Ā management Ā of Ā it Ā ; Ā emery Ā has Ā always Ā found Ā himself Ā losing Ā track Ā of Ā it Ā , Ā even Ā as Ā a Ā child Ā getting Ā lost Ā in Ā the Ā once-lively Ā gardens Ā of Ā his Ā home Ā . Ā now Ā , Ā however Ā , Ā itās Ā the Ā darkening Ā streets Ā of Ā kingās Ā landing Ā at Ā dusk Ā that Ā become Ā more Ā and Ā more Ā unfamiliar Ā as Ā the Ā ruling Ā lord Ā walks Ā further Ā south Ā ( Ā or Ā is Ā it Ā north Ā ? Ā ) Ā and Ā becomes Ā slightly Ā more Ā aware Ā of Ā how Ā late Ā the Ā hour Ā is Ā . Ā soon Ā , Ā itās Ā dark Ā enough Ā that Ā emery Ā sees Ā lanterns Ā being Ā lit Ā in Ā windows Ā as Ā he Ā passes Ā shops Ā and Ā houses Ā , Ā and Ā it Ā isnāt Ā long Ā before Ā heās Ā tugging Ā his Ā fur-lined Ā , Ā red Ā silk Ā robe Ā tighter Ā around Ā himself Ā .
one Ā might Ā argue Ā that Ā emery Ā should Ā hear Ā the Ā footsteps Ā rushing Ā up Ā behind Ā him Ā , Ā but Ā he Ā doesnāt Ā . Ā nor Ā does Ā he Ā expect Ā the Ā hands Ā that Ā come Ā to Ā wrap Ā around Ā him Ā from Ā behind Ā and Ā attempt Ā to Ā cover Ā his Ā mouth Ā and Ā rip Ā his Ā robe Ā and Ā satin Ā shirt Ā from Ā his Ā chest Ā . Ā he Ā panics Ā and Ā screams Ā out Ā , Ā for Ā help Ā , Ā for Ā someone Ā to Ā stop Ā them Ā - Ā ā Ā them Ā ā Ā being Ā thieves Ā , Ā he Ā realizes Ā , Ā as Ā their Ā hands Ā go Ā for Ā his Ā coin Ā purse Ā . Ā it Ā only Ā last Ā a Ā few Ā seconds Ā before Ā the Ā door Ā of Ā the Ā nearest Ā shop Ā opens Ā , Ā and Ā emery Ā ( Ā and Ā the Ā two Ā thieves Ā ) Ā turn Ā to Ā look Ā at Ā who Ā exits Ā . Ā the Ā lord Ā feels Ā himself Ā being Ā released Ā as Ā soon Ā as Ā they Ā all Ā catch Ā a Ā glimpse Ā of Ā the Ā shadowed Ā figure Ā with Ā a Ā large Ā weapon Ā over Ā his Ā shoulder Ā , Ā but Ā emery Ā feels Ā anything Ā but Ā relieved Ā . Ā in Ā fact Ā , Ā the Ā hotness Ā of Ā a Ā few Ā tears Ā are Ā on Ā his Ā cheeks Ā , Ā though Ā he Ā doesnāt Ā notice Ā them Ā right Ā away Ā . Ā ā Ā hello Ā ? Ā did Ā you Ā ā¦ Ā i Ā ā¦ Ā please Ā , Ā please Ā donāt Ā hurt Ā me Ā ! Ā ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā ššš Ā ššššššššš Ā ššššš Ā ššššĀ ofĀ aĀ burdenĀ thanĀ anythingĀ elseĀ .Ā moreĀ andĀ moreĀ strangersĀ fillĀ theĀ streetsĀ ofĀ aĀ placeĀ heĀ nowĀ refersĀ toĀ asĀ homeĀ ...Ā someĀ strangersĀ venturingĀ fromĀ whatĀ heĀ previouslyĀ knewĀ asĀ aĀ poorĀ excuseĀ forĀ aĀ homeĀ .Ā heĀ neverĀ didĀ likeĀ theĀ northĀ muchĀ --Ā hisĀ familyĀ sharedĀ theĀ coldĀ demeanorĀ thatĀ theĀ temperaturesĀ didĀ .Ā allĀ heĀ everĀ wantedĀ wasĀ toĀ escapeĀ ,Ā andĀ thoughĀ itĀ tookĀ himĀ yearsĀ ,Ā heāsĀ builtĀ aĀ decentĀ lifeĀ forĀ himselfĀ .Ā heāllĀ beĀ damnedĀ ifĀ someoneĀ fromĀ houseĀ glenmoreĀ orĀ anyĀ northernerĀ threatensĀ toĀ takeĀ thatĀ fromĀ himĀ .Ā soĀ theĀ manĀ isĀ onĀ edgeĀ ,Ā canĀ oneĀ blameĀ himĀ ?Ā hisĀ nightsĀ areĀ eitherĀ spentĀ aloneĀ inĀ hisĀ shopĀ ,Ā specificallyĀ inĀ theĀ loftĀ aboveĀ ,Ā orĀ inĀ aĀ nearbyĀ brothelĀ orĀ tavernĀ .Ā someĀ nightsĀ ,Ā allĀ heĀ wantsĀ isĀ theĀ companyĀ ofĀ anotherĀ whileĀ othersĀ heĀ isolatesĀ himselfĀ ,Ā butĀ oneĀ thingĀ neverĀ changesĀ ...Ā heĀ alwaysĀ desiresĀ silenceĀ .
itāsĀ whyĀ whenĀ heĀ hearsĀ aĀ commotionĀ rightĀ outsideĀ hisĀ doorstepĀ ,Ā heĀ heavesĀ overĀ theĀ hearthĀ toĀ retrieveĀ hisĀ prizedĀ weaponĀ .Ā theĀ screamingĀ startlesĀ himĀ ,Ā moreĀ closerĀ thanĀ itĀ hasĀ everĀ beenĀ beforeĀ .Ā heĀ knowsĀ ofĀ theĀ cityāsĀ thievesĀ ,Ā inĀ factĀ heāsĀ comeĀ quiteĀ acquaintedĀ withĀ themĀ .Ā theyĀ haveĀ sharedĀ blowsĀ andĀ punchesĀ beforeĀ ,Ā asĀ belosĀ hasĀ neverĀ beenĀ oneĀ toĀ tolerateĀ theirĀ dealsĀ inĀ exchangeĀ forĀ hisĀ workĀ .Ā heāsĀ notĀ aĀ manĀ toĀ beĀ threatenedĀ .Ā withĀ hisĀ warhammerĀ hoistedĀ overĀ hisĀ shoulderĀ ,Ā theĀ blacksmithĀ swingsĀ openĀ theĀ doorĀ ofĀ hisĀ shopĀ andĀ glancesĀ inĀ theĀ directionĀ ofĀ commotionĀ .Ā evenĀ inĀ theĀ darkĀ ,Ā heĀ suspectsĀ heĀ knowsĀ theĀ thievesĀ andĀ willĀ dealĀ withĀ themĀ inĀ theĀ morningĀ .Ā theyāreĀ craftyĀ ,Ā butĀ theyĀ knowĀ whenĀ toĀ scatterĀ .Ā itāsĀ theĀ unfamiliarĀ strangerĀ thatĀ hasĀ himĀ narrowingĀ hisĀ browsĀ andĀ takingĀ butĀ aĀ stepĀ closerĀ .Ā Ā āĀ Ā sevenĀ hellsĀ ...Ā Ā āĀ Ā heĀ muttersĀ ,Ā theĀ faintĀ lightĀ ofĀ aĀ nearbyĀ lanternĀ showingĀ theĀ wetnessĀ onĀ theĀ otherāsĀ cheeksĀ .Ā belosĀ letsĀ hisĀ weaponĀ slipĀ offĀ hisĀ shoulderĀ andĀ intoĀ theĀ dirtĀ withĀ aĀ thudĀ .Ā Ā āĀ Ā iĀ believeĀ iĀ justĀ savedĀ yourĀ coinĀ ,Ā perhapsĀ evenĀ yourĀ lifeĀ ...Ā noĀ thankĀ youĀ orĀ anythingĀ ?Ā godsĀ ,Ā iāmĀ notĀ goingĀ toĀ hurtĀ youĀ .Ā Ā āĀ Ā Ā
