Reesa stumbled down the alleyway, the pain of the crossbow bolt stinging every time she took a step. Suddenly her leg buckled, and she collapsed to the side. With a gasp, she hit the cold cobbles of the street, and she felt her grasp on reality slipping once more.
Just half an hour before, she had been faced with almost certain death at the end of a well-aimed crossbow. Through the purest luck, she had faked a dive to one side and somehow, miraculously, had tricked the man long enough to dive for the exit. The bolt had whistled so close to her head as she lunged out of the building and past the door guards that it had taken some of her hair with it. She had scrabbled away, with the door men in hard pursuit, and fled down the twisting alleys. She had ignored the searing pain in her leg for as long as she ran, and after a long, desperate flight, she had escaped her pursuers. But now that she had gotten away and her adrenaline was spent, the pain was harsher than ever. Her run had driven the bolt deeper and deeper, and now...
There was only blackness.
Hours later, she found herself in a firm bed. Her leg was burning, and she sat up with a spasm of pain. She jerked off the thin covers and looked at her leg. It was wrapped in gauzy cloth, stained red. Her stomach turned at the sight, and she couldn't help but wince. She looked away, and noticed that she was in a rather bleak room. There was a door across from her bed, and there were a few tables and chairs. All the tables were covered in jars, some little, some larger. Most were made of clay, but one or two were transparent glass that allowed her to see their strange contents.
Her gaze shifted back to the door as several people entered the room. Leading the way was a young woman, probably in her mid-twenties, dressed all in green and with a comfortable, cheery expression on her face. Behind her were three others: one was a short man in rich dress, with a pompous air about his chubby visage. Beside him was an all-too-familiar figure; the captain of the city guard. Standing in the doorway was another guard, probably stationed there in case she made some attempt to escape.
The woman came forward and sat down near Reesa. She laid a gentle hand on the younger girl's arm.
"Ah, you're awake... you should be resting. That's a nasty injury you got, and you'll be a long time in healing."
Reesa tried to speak, but it game as a gasp when another bolt of pain shot through her leg. The woman looked concerned.
"The herbs must've worn off... here, I'll prepare some more."
She began to move away, but Reesa's hand clutched at her. The younger girl tried desperately to speak, but her words came in choking gasps.
"Eppok... he... asassin... merch-merchants.... guild... he's going... to send..."
She fell back. The nurse turned back to her, and then looked at the men.
"She's fainted... she needs to heal, Master Nehast, so don't you think of putting her in a cell 'til she's well on the mend."
Nehast, captain of the guard, glared at the nurse.
"That decision will have to be made at some later time, good woman. Do you think that was delirium?"
"No, I believe she was trying to tell us something. I don't know what she was talking about, though."
"I must go, then. I wouldn't trust that one, but it would be prudent to arrange a group to set up there, just in case... I must go."
A long time later, Reesa woke up again. This time, the woman from before was sitting in a chair. Reesa kept perfectly still, watching the woman. She was doing something with a mortar and pestle. Several minutes passed, and Reesa noticed that her leg wasn't paining her as much. Before she had time to wonder for long, though, she heard voices. The door opened, and the two men from before entered. The short man was scolding his companion.
"All of those people are alive right now - because of her."
"She's a criminal. Just because she gave us some information doesn't mean she hasn't committed many other crimes herself. I don't doubt that she only told us to save her own skin."
The captain of the guard retorted. The healer hushed them and pointed to the apparently sleeping Reesa.
"Hush, now. What happened?"
"There was an attempted murder of several prominent members of the merchants' guilds. They were all political figures, and one of them was becoming very popular. He was also heading certain anti-criminal movements..."
"Well, Master Nehast, I think that this girl has done quite a lot of good. So you leave her with me, and let her get back on her feet. If you put her in prison, so be it, but I don't believe she's so bad as people say. A little odd, but..."
Just half an hour before, she had been faced with almost certain death at the end of a well-aimed crossbow. Through the purest luck, she had faked a dive to one side and somehow, miraculously, had tricked the man long enough to dive for the exit. The bolt had whistled so close to her head as she lunged out of the building and past the door guards that it had taken some of her hair with it. She had scrabbled away, with the door men in hard pursuit, and fled down the twisting alleys. She had ignored the searing pain in her leg for as long as she ran, and after a long, desperate flight, she had escaped her pursuers. But now that she had gotten away and her adrenaline was spent, the pain was harsher than ever. Her run had driven the bolt deeper and deeper, and now...
There was only blackness.
Hours later, she found herself in a firm bed. Her leg was burning, and she sat up with a spasm of pain. She jerked off the thin covers and looked at her leg. It was wrapped in gauzy cloth, stained red. Her stomach turned at the sight, and she couldn't help but wince. She looked away, and noticed that she was in a rather bleak room. There was a door across from her bed, and there were a few tables and chairs. All the tables were covered in jars, some little, some larger. Most were made of clay, but one or two were transparent glass that allowed her to see their strange contents.
Her gaze shifted back to the door as several people entered the room. Leading the way was a young woman, probably in her mid-twenties, dressed all in green and with a comfortable, cheery expression on her face. Behind her were three others: one was a short man in rich dress, with a pompous air about his chubby visage. Beside him was an all-too-familiar figure; the captain of the city guard. Standing in the doorway was another guard, probably stationed there in case she made some attempt to escape.
The woman came forward and sat down near Reesa. She laid a gentle hand on the younger girl's arm.
"Ah, you're awake... you should be resting. That's a nasty injury you got, and you'll be a long time in healing."
Reesa tried to speak, but it game as a gasp when another bolt of pain shot through her leg. The woman looked concerned.
"The herbs must've worn off... here, I'll prepare some more."
She began to move away, but Reesa's hand clutched at her. The younger girl tried desperately to speak, but her words came in choking gasps.
"Eppok... he... asassin... merch-merchants.... guild... he's going... to send..."
She fell back. The nurse turned back to her, and then looked at the men.
"She's fainted... she needs to heal, Master Nehast, so don't you think of putting her in a cell 'til she's well on the mend."
Nehast, captain of the guard, glared at the nurse.
"That decision will have to be made at some later time, good woman. Do you think that was delirium?"
"No, I believe she was trying to tell us something. I don't know what she was talking about, though."
"I must go, then. I wouldn't trust that one, but it would be prudent to arrange a group to set up there, just in case... I must go."
A long time later, Reesa woke up again. This time, the woman from before was sitting in a chair. Reesa kept perfectly still, watching the woman. She was doing something with a mortar and pestle. Several minutes passed, and Reesa noticed that her leg wasn't paining her as much. Before she had time to wonder for long, though, she heard voices. The door opened, and the two men from before entered. The short man was scolding his companion.
"All of those people are alive right now - because of her."
"She's a criminal. Just because she gave us some information doesn't mean she hasn't committed many other crimes herself. I don't doubt that she only told us to save her own skin."
The captain of the guard retorted. The healer hushed them and pointed to the apparently sleeping Reesa.
"Hush, now. What happened?"
"There was an attempted murder of several prominent members of the merchants' guilds. They were all political figures, and one of them was becoming very popular. He was also heading certain anti-criminal movements..."
"Well, Master Nehast, I think that this girl has done quite a lot of good. So you leave her with me, and let her get back on her feet. If you put her in prison, so be it, but I don't believe she's so bad as people say. A little odd, but..."