A Skirmish on the Street (solo)

by **Evelyn Harrow** on January 16th, 2012, 4:04 am

24th of Winter 511 A.V.

E velyn had spent quite a few days holed up in her room, away from the crime of the streets so it came no shock to her that when she first stepped from the tavern she tripped over a body. She hadn’t spent much time in the city but was quickly becoming adjusted to the fast paced, misfortune, and unanticipated action that it seemed to spawn daily. As she fell she wondered if this was one of those moments or if her luck was going to change. The contact of ground and flesh stung for a moment and as she picked herself up she offered her apologies to the man on the ground.

“Sorry about that, are you alright?”

But there was no reply.

S hrugging she brushed the dirt off her shoulders and side; something she often did in order to keep her clothes somewhat clean while she searched for a place to buy more and finally looked fully at the man. He was still lying on the ground on his side, unmoving. Evelyn’s eyebrows knitted together in concern and she was immediately filled with the essence of panic. The color drained from her face as she knelt and shook his shoulder. He still did not stir nor wake.

“Sir?” She prompted.

T he man looked to be in his early twenties, his long brown hair was strewn across his face and matted with some type of half dried liquid that Evelyn assumed was mud. His clothes were that of a typical Sunberth resident, poor quality and ragged. Mud and dirt were smeared across his face and as the teen tried to wipe some away she realized how cold he was. Reeling back at the temperature of his skin quietly she became confused. Then, almost shyly she placed a hand near his mouth and upon realizing that the man was not breathing she shuffled back in panic. Kicking herself away from the dead person in front of her in horror she glanced around wildly for an explanation. What she found was worse.

T he street was littered with other persons, face down in the frozen dirt, and the mud that she had wiped away from the man was half dried blood. Rubbing her hands in the dirt in terror Evelyn scuffled to her feet and ran back into a wall. Her throat constricted tightly and she found a long forgotten sickness in stomach flutter up. For a moment she heaved, sucking in the cold stiff air in mighty gasps but she couldn’t get away from the sight and falling to her hands and knees she retched.

W hen she felt ready she looked up again and was met with a heartbreaking sight. A young boy a couple of feet away was dead; he looked broken, his arm twisting oddly. Boiling tears threatened to spill over; Evelyn just wasn’t use to this type of life and was convinced she would never be. A shaky hand flew up to her hair and she pushed it back as she sat against the cold wall. There was no way to anticipate this city and it frightened her. How long had these people been dead? A violent shiver erupted throughout her body as she pondered her next move.

S he didn’t want to be at the scene if others passed by, the very thought made her fearful. Glancing at the door of the tavern she began to inch her way towards it. Her knees felt weak, and her legs wobbly but she managed to make it back towards the man. She stopped before him and on a miraculous thought knelt, and muttered softly, “May your respected deity guide you.”

by **Evelyn Harrow** on January 16th, 2012, 5:33 am

H er footfalls as she left the dead in the street were heavy and uncoordinated as she made her way back into the tavern and to her room. The corner provided the most comfort as she ushered to it and pulled her legs close to her chest. A deep cough forced its way from her lungs and after several moments Evelyn cleared her airways. Burying her head in her arms she tried desperately to clear the images from her mind and prayed for Syna to shed her light upon this horrid city. After much muttering an idea dawned on her; she could leave.

S he could always pack up and go, there wasn’t anything for her here anyways. The only thing that was holding her back was the weather. It was simply one of the worst times for travel and could prove disastrously dangerous to her health and well being. Not to mention she had no idea where to go. Shivering slightly Evelyn moved to the straw bed and lay upon it for several chimes. Staring at the ceiling she wished painfully she had never left the room this morning. Flipping over to her side the teen began to experience a fierce restlessness and shifted over and over. The disturbed images surfaced once more and finally she flipped off the bed and grabbed a bit of bread to snack on.

T he bread quickly became a meal as her stomach tried to compensate for what was lost earlier. As she chewed on the last piece her mind began to drift to a sort of numb state. The events previously began to feel like a bad dream instead of reality; which put her mind at ease for the time being. It wasn’t long before she was back on the bed, curled up and ready for a nap.

S he couldn’t sleep though. It was only midday and while she felt lucid there was also a sense of dread hanging about. It was an odd feeling that made her head spin.

“Go away, go away, go away!” Evelyn chanted as she rubbed her temples.

T he teen still felt tiredness pull at her muscles every time she shifted on the straw and longed for sleep to take her. Drifting into a light doze she was satisfied but moments later she was shattered from her bliss when voices from the room next to her escalated. Groaning angrily she flailed around in the bed in a fit. Muted frustrated screams escaped her lips. Did nobody notice the dead on the streets? They were slaughtered!

E velyn took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself but she felt it pointless. She simply didn’t belong here and was frightened of what could happen next.

“Rest, I need rest.”

T he obvious was stated but she was having difficulty putting it to action. After a long moment she walked stiffly to the bed and let herself fall into it. Willing herself to sleep she eventually drifted off.

by **Ink** on January 23rd, 2012, 7:01 am

And in the Aftermath . . .

The Rewards are Revealed.

Evelyn :

Written in the ink :