Chapter 1
Ten years ago,
In the poor light of The Broken Anvil tavern, the carcass Sanja gnawed was indistinguishable. It perhaps used to be a capon. The twelve-year-old sipped the large tankard of ale and wiped the dribbles from her narrow chin with her filthy tunic sleeve that dangled off her scrawny arm. She hitched up the old piece of rope keeping the overlarge tunic fit to her waist and brushed her scraggly red hair out of her deep green eyes so she could narrow them at the bartender giving her dirty looks. She’d paid like everyone else. So what if it was with lifted coin? It had been a lucrative day.
“You smell foul, girl! Did you fall in a dung heap, and aren’t you a bit young to be gett’n hammered at the Anvil?” inquired a double-chinned fat man.
He was sitting with a huge bald man who had a long, braided goatee. They had been watching her destroy the poor chicken for the last twenty minutes from the next table over.
“Mind your business or gets cut, fat old man! I’m old enough to takes care of business, if you know what I mean,” she told him, raising her little dirk and stabbing in his direction.
“Arrgh, Jen, she’s a feisty little lass. What’s your name, child?” he asked.
“They calls me Redblade. Come a little closer, and I’ll shows you why,” she growled.
The fat man laughed uncontrollably, “Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha…You are certainly my kind of people, little Redblade. So tiny and yet so fierce. Just look at her, Jensen. I think she will fit the part perfectly. What do you think?”
The bald man next to him with a neck thick enough that it could give a horse a small neck complex nodded, and when he did, the deep red scar around it, seemed to fade into his neck. The fat man abruptly stood tossing a coin to the little girl.
“Take that silver and get a bath, child, and a clean tunic as well. I have work for you if you are interested.”
She reached out and snatched the coin from midair, quickly tucking it away, and resumed cleaning the capon’s bones with her teeth. Did both the fat man’s chins just jiggle when he stood up?
“What kinds of work?” she asked as she lifted the neck of her tunic to wipe the grease from her lips.
“I’ll give you five silvers just to show up to my shop tomorrow and discuss it with me,” he said, reaching toward her table.
She planted the knife into the table just in front of his hand. He opened his fist, and two more silvers spilled out before her.
“This is an advance; my name is Mickel, and I own the tannery in the Burdens,” he boasted.
Gallia was split up into four sections, The Burdens, The Commons, The Midders, and The Uppers, which basically described the city's demographics. She was sure she knew where that tannery was. That’s where all the street kids seemed to end up.
“What if I just takes the money and run? You are too old and too fat to catch me.”
“If you decide to keep the money, don’t bother trying to run. It is not worth the chase for me, but please, spend the first silver on that bath! Goodness, I am faint from your stench, girl, and I own a tannery! Come, Jenson; we have business at the docks.”
“Yeah, you already said that. I’m glad for you,” Sanja spouted back.
Jenson chugged the rest of his tankard and slammed it down on the table, giving Sanja a grimacing scowl, then joined Mickel as he left the tavern.
Sanja waited a brief time after they left before getting up to go. She placed her coins in a small purse attached to a rope under her tunic. She hurried down the road for about a block to catch up to Mickel and Jensen, then stealthily followed them.
She dodged behind buildings and small structures as they casually walked to the docks. They walked up to a little shack at the edge of the water and pounded on the door.
“It’s time to pay the collector!” Jenson yelled.
“The door is open blast your eyes! Come in!” shouted another voice.
They walked in, and Sanja crept up to the window to listen.
“I can’t keep shorting the tax collection for you. The Athroth are already suspicious of me,” the man whined.
“You’ll do what we tells you to do, or you’ll all be swimming over there, with no arms!” Jenson replied as he stared down the man’s two guards.
Sanja stuck her head up to peek in the window. She saw Jenson pointing out to the river and Mickel smiling back at her, giving her a friendly little wave.
“Oh, shit!” she exclaimed and ducked back down.
She crawled around to the side on her hands and knees as quickly as she could, then took off running.
She ran down the riverbanks until she came up to a crowded little beach area where the townsfolk used to wash clothes and bathe. She strode into the water to her chest and splashed her face, rinsing off some of the filth and grime. She relaxed there for a brief time until she saw Mickel and Jenson walking down the riverbank in her direction.
Sanja scrambled out of the water and hurried to the street. She ran into town dripping wet and not that much cleaner by any stretch of the imagination.
She took a side street and then came back around to go into the Gold Crown Bath and Brothel. As soon as she rounded the corner, she ran into Mickel’s big fat stomach and bounced back, falling to the ground.
Mickel got on one knee and reached his hand out to her.
“Don’t touch me, fat man! Unless you want to bleed like a stuck pig,” Sanja yelled as she thrust her hands out, trying to push him away.
“Ha child, don’t worry, I mean you no harm,” he said, still reaching his hand out. She reached out, grabbing the ends of his fingers as he stood, helping her to her feet.
This time she knew for sure that his chins were jiggling. Gross!
“Why are you following me? Do you have a desire to bleed?” she asked, reaching to her side where she had her dirk hidden.
Jenson grabbed her by both arms and picked her up over his head.
“That there is the boss, we don’t threatens the boss, or we ends up in the river with no feet!” he told her, and as he shook her, she dropped a little purse she had clutched in her tiny fingers in order to reach for her blade.
“Ha, ha, ha, Jenson, ha, ha, what is it with you and body parts? Ha, ha, ha. Put the poor girl down. She is our friend,” Mickel said, grinning his best grin.
“He will never harm you,” he added, and then he mumbled, “is that my purse?” bending again to swoop it up, “Crafty lass, aren’t you?”
Jenson set her down; she shoved his hands away as he released her.
“You just gots lucky the fat man saved your ass, big ears! You were just about to get slit from ears to ear! Don’t ever touch me again,” warned Sanja.
Jenson looked down at her with a menacing glare and noticed that she had her dirk pressed against his vitals.
“Yeah, boss, she’s a tough little street rat, alright! Best tie your purse a little tighter if she is to be hang’n ‘round,” Jenson said as his glare turned into a grin.
“We weren’t following you, child. We’re headed back to the Burdens. Is this not the way?” Mickel asked as he tied an extra knot in his purse.
“Yes, I suppose it is,” Sanja said thoughtfully.
“Yes, it is, and I still hope to see you at my shop tomorrow, little Redblade.”
“It’s Sanja,” she yelled over her shoulder as she jogged across the street to the brothel.
“I needs a bath, and clean clothes, Ms. Kat!” she gasped, out of breath as she walked in dripping river water all over the floor.
Kat, a tall, beautiful middle-aged, blond-haired woman with bright blue eyes and a smile that could brighten anybody’s day, had helped Sanja many times since she turned up in the streets scared and hungry nearly two years earlier. She gave Sanja a job of dragging water buckets up from the river for a daily meal. It was usually not much more than bread and broth, but it was enough to keep her alive. Sanja had beat out three other boys competing for the job.
“Well! It looks as though you just had one. You’re still dripping, and all over the place too,” Kat replied.
“I was hide’n in the river, Ms. Kat!”
“Oh, my, who were you hide’n from lass?”
“My new boss. I gots a real job now,”
“What kind of work, lass?”
“What do you mean, Ms. Kat?”
“What do you do at your new job?”
“Oh, that! So far, nuth’n. I followed Mr. Mickel and Jenson to the docks. I listened to them take the taxes. I hid in the river and then told Mr. Jenson I would cuts him from ears to ear if he ever touched me again,” Sanja said.
“How did this Jenson touch you? Do we need to report him to the city guard or have Big Jon pay him a visit?” Kat asked with a grin.
Big Jon is the nearly seven-foot-tall dark-eyed protector of the brothel, who is always more than happy to thrash anyone the ladies may need or want thumped.
Very few people know it, but Jon is an employee of the Tanner’s assigned to protect the brothel, for a small weekly fee, of course. So, Kat knew full well who Sanja was talking about.
“No, Kat, he just picked me up and told me not to threatens the boss,” she said.
“Oh, my goodness, lassie, did you threaten Mr. Mickel? Mayhap you should stick to cut’n purses and begging. They sound like a dangerous lot; besides, you’ll be missed here. I’ll have to get two boys to do as good a job as you do.”
“I can hold my own, Ms. Kat. Besides, he already gave me an advance. Mr. Mickel gave me a silver piece for a bath and another two as an advance. And then I stole his purse, but I dropped it right after I lifted five silvers from it. They are for you and the girls. Tomorrow when I meet him at the tannery, he will pay me three more. I want a bath, and then I needs to buy some good clothes. Will you help me, Kat?” Sanja said as she handed her two silver talons.
“Of course, lass. You know we’ll do almost anything for silver,” she chuckled.
The ladies took Sanja to the back and poured her a hot bath. They scrubbed her clean, brushed her hair, and eventually had to cut out many tangles and knots. They cut her hair to shoulder length because of the damage.
One of the ladies gave her a cleaner tunic left in her room by a patron, and then they took her shopping for new clothes.
Then next morning, Sanja woke up early. She had purchased a room for the night at the Black Feather Bed and Breakfast Inn. She had a lot of money after all and was about to get more.
Breakfast was ready when she came downstairs and came with the room to her delight, but of course, it did at a bed and breakfast. She had black bread and broth with an egg poached in the soup. It was the best breakfast she’d had since the caravan left her crying on the stoop of the temple of Artriuss Zane, here in the Commons of Gallia a few years ago. It might have been the only breakfast she’d had since then. At least she did not remember another.
Daylight was breaking, and she knew it would take a little while to walk back to the Burdens from the Commons. When she arrived, she realized that the place was foul; she could not imagine herself smelling as offensive as this nasty place did.
There were flies, the smell of blood, and hides everywhere. Several young boys were shoving hides into large water vats and walking on them. Some boys were stretching animal hides on the ground and rubbing them with some bloody gray goop; other boys scraped fur from hides with large stones.
It was nasty to look at and even worse to smell. There was no way she would get anywhere close to that filth in her new leather jerkin, hose, and most especially, her beautiful new leather boots. As she was turning to leave, a boy jumped up and ran over to her.
“Are you Redblade?” he asked.
“My name is Sanja. Mr. Mickel asked me to meet him here for a job, but I’m not interested anymore,” she said.
“You’re not ugly as he said you were, and you don’t smell neither!” he exclaimed.
“Either, you mean,” she corrected him.
“No, neither! Neither like a privy nor like a rotting carcass. More like berries and leather. He’s inside; it’s not so bad in there! Come on.”
The boy ran off toward the building, and Sanja turned again to walk away.
“Ahhh! Little Redblade, you have made it. I am so glad to see you, and you clean up well too. Perfect. Please come inside, away from this filth so we can speak.”
Sanja spun back around and saw that fat old man Mickel standing there waving for her to come back.
“Come, come inside and meet the girls. They have been excited to meet you ever since I told them of you,” he hollered out to her.
She had thought about running off but didn’t have anywhere to go, except back to the inn, and she would eventually need more silver if she was going to stay there. She didn’t care about meeting new people, but she followed Mickel into the building anyway.
The kid was right. It wasn’t nearly as bad inside. She walked in. It was a large room with stacks of furs and hides ready for sale, with a few exceptional samples displayed on the walls. There were several tables in the center of the room and a long couch on the far wall.
Mickel motioned her over to the table where he was sitting. A couple of older girls and an older woman sat in the corner on the couch discussed something. It sounded like a bunch of whispering gossip. She decided then that she would probably not get on with these girls. Sanja sat at the table, and Mickel set two silvers on the table.
“Ahem-ahem,” she coughed, gesturing at the two coins.
“Yes, Lass? They are yours; it’s what I promised you just to show up,” Mickel said.
“You gave me one for a bath before we made a deal for five just to show up, you fat cheap pig!”
“Ha, ha, ha, you are so shrewd and to the point! I hope to make you my partner someday, little Redblade,” Mickel laughed as he placed another coin on her stack.
“I just thinks that if you says somethin, you needs to mean somethin! If not, maybe you gets cut,” she said.
“I think you’ll be running things around here before we know it. Ha, ha, ha.” Mickel mocked her with a bellowing laugh.
“I want you to get started right away. The job pays one silver per week, plus twenty-five percent of your take, all you need to do for now is learn how to be a noble daughter. I know a blind old widower that misses his granddaughter and would love to dote on her and add her to his will. Do you think you can do that?” Mickel queried.
“Be a granddaughter? Sure Boss! Oh, this sounds likes, a mostest important job. I knows I can do it, Boss! I’ll learns it really well. You’ll see!” she said, exaggerating her street dialect.
“Good, good. Bree! Nellie! Come over here and meet young miss Redblade,” Mickel ordered.
The two ladies got off the couch and came over. The third girl got up and left the room. As the door opened, Sanja thought she smelled stew, and her stomach growled. One was lean, tall, and had a pretty smile. Sanja pictured her with her mouth cut to the ends of her cheeks with a bloody clown smile and smiled back at her devilishly, showing all her teeth.
The other one was a fat, ugly, mean-looking, old spinster with an awful scowl on her face. In reality, she was only in her low thirties, but to someone as young as Sanja, that is quite ancient. Sanja pictured herself tripping the old lady and watching her hit the floor face first. She gave her a big smile at the thought.
It’s not that Sanja is mean-spirited or even a spiteful girl. In the streets, she has learned that she can trust no one. Everyone she meets is automatically classified as an enemy. Maybe and just maybe, at a later time, after she gets to know them, she may reclassify them as something less than an enemy.
Even Ms. Kat, who has cared for her and helped her immensely, is still classified as mostly not an enemy.
“Sanja, this is Bree and Nellie. Bree will teach you the finer points of lifting valuables, and Nellie will teach you how to read and help you learn grammar and etiquette. I want you to spend two days a week with each of them for the next six months and learn everything that you can,” Mickel ordered.
Sanja stood and gave an over-exaggerated curtsy, “It’s my pleasure to meets you, madams. I’ll do my bestist to learns as much as I can!”
Sanja stood up and turned to Bree, who was the pretty one and hugged her. Bree hugged her back and patted her on the head.
“Proper young ladies don’t jist go ter huggin' on strangers, lass!” shrieked the fat old lady in a heavy northern isle accent.
“Yeah, that’s why I didn’t hugs on you. You’re a strange one, all right!” Sanja sneered as she was digging in her pockets.
“Ah, dear Mickel, dis wan is gonna be lashings av work,” Nellie said.
“Think of her as an investment Nel, don’t forget you’re getting ten percent of her take. Once she is put in service.” Mickel replied. Sanja looked up and glared at them both.
“Are you telling me that this unintelligible old North Isle nanny is going to teach me grammar?” Sanja Asked.
“Let us have lunch. Nellie, would you please do us the honor?” Mickel asked, ignoring Sanja’s last outburst.
“Sure ting Tanner, sir, it’ll be me pleasure. Bree, run tell de boys ta clean up, den cum help me an' Chloe in de kitchen,” replied Nellie as she looked down her round nose at Sanja shaking her head.
“Yes, mum.”
Bree maneuvered out the door to yell at the boys. After a few minutes, a flow of young boys of various ages and sizes came through the door filling up the rest of the tables.
The little boy that had greeted Sanja in the street came in last and sat next to her. She looked down at him, and he sat there red-faced with a big smile, looking up at her.
“And what’s your name, little man?” Sanja asked.
He looked back up at her, blinking his eyes as cutely as he could, and said, “My names is Foley, Mum!”
Sanja screwed up her nose and face and said, “Mum? Do I look like an old maid to you, boy? Don’t call me, Mum. Call me Sanja or Red.”
Foley looked like he was about to well up some tears at that rebuke, though it wasn’t even harsh, and said, “Yes mum, I means no Mum. That is to say; I means yes Mum, I won’t calls you Mum and no Mum, you don’t looks like an old maid Mum.” Sanja giggled and gave the boy a rub on the head.
After a bit, Nellie and Chloe wheeled out a cart with a big pot of fat broth and various vegetables. The boys all jumped up and got in line. On the food cart, there was a stack of black rolls, bowls, and spoons. The boys lined up, shoving, tussling, poking, and prodding with, and at one another.
Nellie put her hand up as if to say stop, “Wer is yer manners lads? We have a lady guest wit us the-day. It wud be courteous av ya ta let 'er to de front av de line, don't ya tink?” she hollered at them, with a grimace on her face.
She looked at Sanja and said, “Hop along now, lass; dees lads are hungry. They 'av been workin' near half a day. cum git in front av de line.”
Sanja’s face turned as red as her hair as she stood up. She did not like the idea of cutting in front of the boys, but she got up anyway and walked to the front. As she passed the boys, some gave short mock bows, and others shoved her along forward. The last shove was a little vicious, though; she turned to stare the boy down.
“I may be small, but I make huge cuts, boy! Don’t touch me again,” she said and turned around and put her black roll in the bowl. She held it up to Nellie, who added a ladle of soup over the roll. Sanja turned and saw the boy who had shoved her standing a little too close for comfort. She elbowed him as she went around him.
She set her bowl on the table then sat down sideways in the chair, so she could watch for the bully to walk past. As the bully passed, she gave him a ferocious warning of a look, then out of pure spite, stuck her foot out and tripped him. He fell flat on his face, breaking the bowl sending soup all over the room. There was even some dripping from the ceiling.
All the other boys laughed and started busting up, making a ruckus; the room was filled with commotion. Chloe ran over and helped the boy and wiped the excess soup off the front of him. He had a bloody nose, so Chloe took him back to the infirmary to clean him up.
Sanja watched and was horrified to see clumps of fat in the spilled soup. She turned in her chair and pushed her bowl away from her as Foley sat back down with his soup.
“It’s not so bad once you gets used to it Mum, I means Red,” he tried to convince her.
She looked up as Bree came up behind the Tanner with a plate. It had a large piece of meat, biscuits, and potatoes on it. The Tanner grinned, looking at it in delight. He smacked his lips as he took the plate. He looked up and saw the scowl on Sanja’s face.
“When I’m in charge, we’ll all eats meat, not just the pigs!” Sanja told him as she stood and walked over to sit on the couch until lunch was over.
Mickel smiled while taking a big bite. Meat juice ran down his chin as he watched her faunch as she crossed the room.
“I hope so, lass, I truly hope so,” he said under his breath as he dabbed his chin with a cloth.
She felt her stomach growl and wished she had not ruined that black roll by pouring that horrible soup all over it. After lunch was over, Chloe cleaned up the tables. Nellie and Bree came over to the couch.
“Okay, Lassie, let’s get in the backroom and get you in your costume so that we can start practice. We’ll start with manners and etiquette,” Nellie said with almost no North-isle accent as she was pointing to a back door, “There’s a dress, stockings, and shoes on the couch in there. Bree will help you get dressed up. I’ll be back there in a little while.”
“Come on, Red! Let’s go have some fun! This is my favorite part, getting ready for a sting.” Bree said as she reached out for Sanja’s hand.
The girls took each other's hands and walked into the back room. It was set up rather nicely and reminded Sanja of what home should be or look like.
A beautiful painting of a nobleman hung over the hearth. There was a friendly, warm fire and decorative carvings on every wood piece. She took a seat on the couch next to the dress laid out. She looked at the dress as Bree came around to sit in the elaborately ornate chair next to her.
“I’m not wearing the barbette!” Sanja said as she picked up the ugly little hat and tossed it in the fireplace.
Bree smiled big and laughingly said, “I don’t blame you, Red! That was one ugly hat! We are going to have so much fun together. What do you say to us making a deal that while you are in training, we split all the takes fifty-fifty?”
Sanja looked at Bree with that toothy smile, “Do we have to split fifty-fifty from the first score?” Sanja asked.
“Well, yes, of course, we do. It wouldn’t be fair otherwise.”
“Okay,” Sanja said exasperatedly as she drew a coin purse out of her pocket and dumped it out.
“Looks like there’re two gold and ten silvers, that gives us one gold apiece and five silvers each, but I have also scored a dagger.”
“But, Hey! What the… That’s my purse!” Bree said as she reached for her ankle, finding her dagger was gone too.
“How much is the dagger worth?” Sanja asked.
“Three silvers, but….”
“Well, I don’t need it, so here.” Sanja pulled the dagger out and set it in front of Bree as she took three silvers from Bree’s take.
Sanja tossed Bree the empty purse and said, “Here, you keep the purse. I already have one.”
Bree stood muttering under her breath, quickly sheathing her dagger and putting her coins back in her purse.
“That was a deft move, urchin,” she told Sanja.
“I can teach you to protect yourself from an urchin of my skills if you so desire,” Sanja said, nimbly slipping her newly scored coins into the purse hanging under her left arm.
“I hope so, Red! That was an expensive mistake for me.” Bree said as if there were no hard feelings.
As Sanja removed her jerkin, Bree saw she had a curved dirk with a large azure blue stone hanging between her breasts, and one in the small of her back, and one on her side, and then she saw one on each thigh as Sanja removed her hose.
“Tull’s Name girl! You got any more?” Bree asked.
“Yeah, two, one in each boot also,” Sanja replied.
“No wonder why they call you the Redblade,” she giggled, reaching to the dirk with an azurite crystal in the pommel hanging around Sanja’s neck.
“What is this one?” Bree asked.
Sanja slapped her hand away angrily.
“That one is mine!” she said ferociously.
The dirk had many little crests and symbols on its tiny blade and a single word. Bree had not had a chance to read it before being knocked away. Sanja looked at it as a tear ran down her cheek, and she remembered her mother’s hands placing it on her neck, or at least that is what she thinks happened. It was a memory long faded.
“I’m sorry, Red, it’s not like I would have taken it,” Bree said as she helped her into her dress and hose and tightened her bodice. Bree tied the knot, then turned and left the room without saying another word.
Sanja sat there for what seemed like another hour. It would be dark soon, and it is a long walk to The Commons at night. She was feeling frustrated after the almost memory of her mother. She sat on the couch in her dress, gloved hands in her lap. Nellie entered the room.
“Wud de wee miss like a glass av water?” Nellie asked.
“What the little miss would like,” Sanja replied, speaking softly in a regal tone, “Is for the help to do their jobs correctly. Let me ask you, Nellie, do you find it warm in here?”
Nellie looked at Sanja wonderingly and said, “Aye missy, oi do.”
Sanja smiled, “Then do pray tell, why there was no water in here, to begin with, Commoner? It was your job to know the water was needed before I even came in here. I do not know why we don’t just get rid of the commoners and replace them with slaves. At least they can be beaten for being inefficient! Run along now. Fetch the little miss a glass of water!”
Nellie just stood there with her mouth opened, dumbfounded.
“Are you waiting for the gods to make it rain? I am thirsty! Move woman, before I replace you with someone that can respond to simple commands.”
Clapping her hands, Sanja commanded, “Water, now!”
Nellie snapped out of her daze, “Aye, we miss, roi away,” Nellie jumped as she turned to see the Tanner standing in the doorway laughing as he held a glass of water out to her.
“Looks like our little Redblade has more facets than a gem,” Mickel said as he grinned at Nellie.
“By the way, Redblade, we don’t steal from family here. I have paid Bree back for you, and we will call it a bonus,” Mickel said.
“I gots ya boss, but it ain’t steal’n if they just leaves it hanging around for anyone to takes. Seems to me that if ya lifts things for a liv’n, you should be able to holds on to ‘em,” Sanja replied.
“Bree is going to take you to a crowded area to practice your skills a little tomorrow while I discuss with Nellie in which direction your training should go,” Mickel told her as he reached down to his purse to ensure that it was still there. He smiled big as he fondled it, feeling the chinking of silver and gold.
Just then, Jensen walked in with a large leather bag in hand, saying. “I gots it, Boss! I’ll leaves it in the back for you.” then he walked through to the back room.
Sanja grabbed her clothing and went into the back room to change. When she came out, Mickel and Nellie were sitting on the couch. Nellie was finishing a sentence.
“Not right. She is too regal. That attitude can’t be learned so quickly.”
Mickel heard the door open and gave Nellie the shush sign.
Pulling his finger away from his lips, he said, “This was a wonderful first day, Sanja. I can’t wait to see what you bring on the morrow. Jenson will walk you to the inn since the sun is already going down. Thank you for coming today.”
Sanja looked at him sternly and said, “I don’t needs no Jenson taking me home, been on my own fer years without anyone’s help!”
“What you need to understand, young lass is that if you like your silvers and want to work for me, you’ll have to do as I say! Deal?” Mickel suggested firmly.
“I gots it, Boss, tell him I’m on the stoop waiting for his big ears!” Sanja said as she turned around and walked out the door.
Sanja was sitting on the stoop when Jenson came out and asked. “Ready, lass?”
Sanja looked up at him and said, “Whatever, big ears!” as she stood up and walked in the direction of The Commons.
Jensen grinned and said, “It’s nothing personal lass, the boss likes to be extra safe, and I think he thinks you bees sumtin special!”
“Yeah, Well, I don’t needs it! I’m nobody’s baby,” Sanja replied, frowning down at her feet while she was marching rebelliously forward.
“The gangs are getting tough at night. Even the yellow cloaks are staying in groups. The boss wants you back in the morn.”
“I’m not afraid of them. I’ve cuts more than one of ‘em. Besides, they usually cross the street when they sees me coming.”
“They may not recognize you, all cleaned up, and rob you anyway.”
“Then they will bleeds again and learn what I looks like all cleaned up.”
The sun set quickly, but the moon and stars were bright on this beautiful clear evening. It was a long quiet walk back to the commons. Just as they rounded the corner to the inn, Jenson threw his arm back to stop Sanja from coming forward. He had unintentionally landed his hand flat against her chest. Everything was a blur for a moment, and Jenson was bleeding from a deep gash in his cheek. He felt the sting and raised his hand to his face in wonder. Pulling it back, seeing the blood, he looked down and saw Sanja with her bloody dirk in her hand.
“I warned you big ears! I shouldn’t have to say it more than once!” Sanja declared.
Jensen grabbed her by the throat, squeezing, then slammed her head against the wall. “You little! I should cut’s your toes off and… Tull’s name, girl. Look, the boss says I don’t hurts you, but you’re test’n my loyalty right now. Sumthin’s wrong at the brothel. I seen Big Jon lay’n on the stoop. There’s smoke comin’ out the windows and two Yella Cloaks out front. Stay here! I’ll be right back,” he roughly whispered as he released his grip on her throat.
Her rage instantly turned to concern for Ms. Kat as he ran around the corner. Slipping into the shadows, she soundlessly followed Jenson, hoping the girls were all okay.
She saw Big Jon laying there motionless, then stepped over the bodies of the two felled Yellow Cloaks that marked Jenson’s passage. Kneeling next to Jon, she realized that he was breathing. She stealthfully crept toward the front door.
She was peering through the door when she saw a yellow bastard slapping Ms. Kat around. Another one came up behind Jenson, clubbing him over the head with a cudgel. She burst into the room, a knife in each hand. She threw one at the back of the thug, abusing Ms. Kat, who was across the way in the left corner. It sunk to the hilt. She immediately drew another as she spun toward the soldier who had clubbed Jenson.
Lunging at him, she sliced his throat as his cudgel narrowly missed her head. As she whirled around and somersaulted over Jensen to face the last Yellow Cloak, her previous victim fell to the ground. He was standing to the right rear of the room, watching everything with a sinister grin, lackadaisically resting his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Sanja plunged a dirk into his chest as he lazily tried to draw his rapier, never grasping the reality of the incumbent danger that came with this little girl. She realized that to her error, as she felt the blade come burning through her body, another Yellow Cloak behind her was in the front right corner of the room.
When she saw the sheen of a blade appear and then disappear and the blood pouring out of her stomach, she turned to see the Yellow Cloak pulling his sword back for a finishing blow. Everything became fuzzy as she drew and threw her last dirk in his direction. She heard the cawing of a crow. Darkness set in, and all was peaceful.