re-edited: 7/12 | total word count: 3251

I walked through the kitchen first, guiding the way to the tiny office in the back. The window was still open from when I climbed through it hours before. I placed the boy in the chair without dropping him or hurting myself. I pointed for the other boy to sit on a barrel as I went in search of cloths to take care of the blood.

With fresh bandages and a bucket half full of boiled silver water, I returned to the tiny room. I kneeled in front of the older-looking boy, the one that I carried and who seemed to be unconscious. I started on the wounds that I could see, being careful as to not make them worse.

Bruises, from what looked to be a stick, were scattered on his arm. 

"Tell me your name." I didn't look at the other boy as I turned the arm. I didn't want to miss anything. "First name is just fine."

Hesitation filled the air before he answered. "Jacob." He sounded unsure in the single word that he gave.

I looked up at last. Even with all the cleaning, he remained asleep. "Tell me what happened." My teeth clenched before I continued in a softer voice. "From the beginning."

My eyes went back to the bruised arm as I eased his red sleeve back down. The bruises were hidden well, older ones that hadn't completely healed, and had it not been for the blood I wouldn't have known about them.

"It was his brother," Jacob said. "He's a saylor now and..." The boy trailed off.

Why did it always feel like it was a member of a family at fault? From him saying his brother, I knew that it meant the two before me weren't related.

"Who told you where to find me?"

There were only a few people I knew who would think to send kids — injured kids at that — to a smuggler. The first one that came to mind was a beastly pink-haired florist. But that didn't take in the number of whispers that they could have heard.

I would need to do something about those soon.

"A girl with pink hair."

She knew that I was better suited to deal with adults seeking passage from Carlisle. Usually, they wanted to go to one of the three islands these silver seas had to offer so that they could feel the soil under their feet and see trees reaching for the sky. Kids were different, but if they needed help, I wouldn't deny it.

If they wanted my help, I would smuggle them out of Carlisle, but the fate that would lay before them would only be in their hands.

"Did she say anything else?" I moved from the unconscious boy and to him. "Hold still."

"It hurts," he hissed as he tried to push my hand away from his cheek. "She said you could help us. Said you'd take us away."

They seemed healthy on the outside, besides the bruises and scratch marks. It wasn't often I seen boys as healthy as them when it came to them coming to me alone. Usually, they were skinner, their bones sticking out and their eyes slightly hollow, with bruises and marks lining their bodies.

No matter their looks, it was clear I would be smuggling two run-away boys out of Carlisle. I just need to make sure they won't change their mind, but that was something that could happen at the drop of a dime.

"Do you want to leave?"

Jacob became silent, only flinching when I touched too close to a wound. I waited for him to say something in return or to nod. It was good that he was at least thinking about it.

"And does this boy want to leave as well?" I asked after he nodded at my first question.

He whispered the answer. "Yes."

I moved to my feet and walked over to the small bag I had forgotten the last time. It laid on the desk, making it easier to rummage through until I found a tiny pouch with the money I had stolen days before. My heart dropped slightly that I wasn't going to be putting it with the rest of the money, but this was as good of a reason as any to use it.

I never spent the money on myself, or in a sense, I didn't. Instead, I used it to buy people off, so I wouldn't owe them a favor or pay for information someone had that I wanted.

Turning, I held the pouch out for him to take. It would be enough to pay for food on any ship I could get them on and for a few meals in the town they start anew. All that was left now was for me to do was the preparations for their travel.

"What is it?" Jacob asked.

"Your only way out of Carlisle, but only take this if you're completely sure you and your friend are prepared to leave."

A look of weariness appeared as he looked towards his unconscious friend. I wanted to ask if the older boy had hit his head, but resisted against it. He was breathing and that was all that mattered.

"You don't have to decide this second. Take him out the back door." I pointed at the white wooden door that was being blocked by barrels and boxes. "Go back down the bridge. When you reach the main gate, turn left and follow the wall until you find a tunnel. Go through it and continue until you hit a baker's sign. Ask him to take you the rest of the way."

Them going there was the only option I had and I knew I could trust the baker to take them the rest of the way. It'd square us on the brown flour I had been able to get to him.

"Thank you."

I grinned at the boy before I turned to move the boxes out of the way. "Don't thank me. Thank the pink-haired woman I owe a favor to. This is how I'm going to repay it."

The boy didn't need to know that I would help even if she hadn't sent them.

"Do you know who we are?"

His question caught me by surprise and I paused in moving the barrel. How he said it made it seem like I should, but I didn't. They look like most of the other children in Carlisle.

Brown hair. Brown eyes.

He was short, but there was nothing that stood out in a way that would make me recognize him. As I glanced at him, I still wasn't reminded of any of the High Official's children or of the Admiral's children that were staying there.

"No." I walked backward, the barrel coming with me. "I don't care to know." Making sure there was enough room to get out of the door, I wiped the sweat off my forehead and turned to him. "You better hurry before it becomes night."

A feeling filled me that he and his friend wouldn't be the only ones that came tonight. If he was running from the brother, then I expect he might find his way to the Going Sally. But Davy Jones', I hope not. 

I can't be held responsible for my actions against someone who hurts those that are defenseless. And I knew George would be more likely to help me than stop me. Someone would need to hide the body.

Instead of waiting for his response, I left the tiny office. The decision was up to him. If he stayed, then he wasted my time asking for help. If he left, then that meant I needed to work a few extra hours into the night to prepare things.

The noise that drifted into the kitchen wasn't as loud as it once was, and the smoke wasn't as thick. As I stepped into the front, I took in the unconscious saylors, some of whom were laying halfway on their tables. Others were pulling their drunk pal's with them as they attempted ot leave the bar on steady feet.

"Everything okay?" George asked.

"Ya, you know how some kids can be." I took the drinks he offered. "Always getting into scuffles."

"Back to work. We're about to get our night rush."

I nodded and continued to take drinks out, with cold soup sometimes going along with an order. The tables that were empty started to fill up with new saylors eager to drink and talk sea tales with each other. From how busy we were once again, I assumed more ships were docked in Carlisle.

When the full night rush came, George went to the back as the kitchen officially opened up, and the customers could get more than cold soup. With him in the back, I took over the counter, leaving it to anyone who was thirsty to come to me.

The door opened for the umpteenth time, a nice cool breeze wrapping around the warm room. I was busy filling three tankards and didn't look to see who entered. With the noise of laughter, jokes that weren't funny, and tales of fighting a sea beast drifting around the room, I wasn't able to hear how many came in either.

As I finished filling them, I turned with the tankards — ale spilling out at my quick motion and getting on my hand — and pushed them towards the saylor that ordered it.

"Where's the owner of this place?" A woman's voice demanded.

Looking up, I felt a shiver run down my back as I met piercing green eyes. There was no mistaking who she was. She was the devil, hidden in the disguise of being one of the High Officials of Carlisle. The rumors I heard had done enough justice that her name easily came to mind.

Medusa.

She wore a blank look, her emotions locked behind a mask I couldn't see through. Her blonde hair was tied into a bun, a metal clip sticking out of it. Her black shirt shaped around her like a second layer of skin.

"In the back," I answered, reaching for an empty tankard to place with the other dirty ones. "What do you need?"

"Have you seen two boys in the last few hours?" Her voice was deep and low. "One's fifteen, short for his age. Brown hair. Brown eyes. The other's ten, same looks, only he looks older."

The boys came to mind, but I didn't get why a High Official like Medusa would be looking for them. Jacob's question on if I knew who they were, came to the center. Could they be someone important?

Were they even the ones she wanted? Her description matched a lot of children. It was so generic, I could just walk into the market and out two who looked like it out in ten seconds.

Could the brother have sent her? No, something told me that couldn't be the case. Medusa wasn't known to dive into the disappearance of anyone. Especially in the time she's been here. 

"Can't say I have." A shout for another ale came. It allowed me to shift my eyes from her and to a clean tankard I got from underneath the counter. "Unless you plan to order something, I need to get back to my customers."

Her hand wrapped around my bare arm, her nails digging slightly into my skin. I paused, raising my eyes from the tingling sensation to see a narrowed expression on her face.

If the rumor about her was as true as the description, she had a gift that let her know when someone lied. I wanted to really test it, just to find out how true this rumor was. Not all of them were reliable.

Especially the ones that say people have magical powers. Like a man who can create fog out of nothing.

"Are you sure?"

Was this to confirm that I was lying? Or just a question she would have asked either way?

If Medusa had stopped to ask the woman guarding Carlisle's main gate, she would have been told a pair of boys came this way. And, unless a shift came had occurred, she would have also let Medusa know they had already left. Even if they used the tunnel.

"I'm sure. I've been here serving drinks. If a pair of boys came in, I would have noticed."

Her fingers tightened, the pain becoming slightly more noticeable. Her reputation for being cruel and calculating was something I could at least confirm now. I had always avoided her before because our lines of work were so different and I rather avoid the gallows.

Yet, now I couldn't.

"What's your name?"

"Rachel." I paused, my lips shifting upward. "Rachel Schmidt."

Her hand released me, her nails leaving behind the tingle from before. I continued to hold her stare as I tried to figure out what she was planning to do.

"Arrest Rachel Schmidt," she ordered the officials behind her. "For lying to a High Official."

I looked at the Carlisle officials, seeing them wearing the standard blue and silver uniforms, unlike Medusa. I slowly sat the empty tankard down. The one who wanted the ale could wait, it seemed things were about to get even more interesting.

"How am I lying?" I asked, eyes the two officials calmly as they prepared to come around the counter. "One of you move an inch past that corner, and I will shoot you."

They paused with unsureness, as there was no gun in my hand. Both turned to her for an answer. I followed, knowing that it was still in my right to defend myself if the charges being used were a load of crap. There were a lot of laws in Carlisle that was, however, and often someone like me would have to do whatever they could to avoid the iron cuffs and imprisonment.

"I can always tell when I'm being lied to," she stated with an air of confidence. "The first truth that escaped you was your name."

It seemed the rumor about her always know wasn't completely true. While I had lied about the boys, I had been truthful about George being in the back. But still, I wanted to know more about how she could tell.

I just needed to find a way to make her talk without asking.

"If that's what you believe." I walked towards the officials. "But when it turns out I'm not lying, you're the only one here who will look foolish."

The once joyous atmosphere grew thicker, heavier. Almost like someone was out for blood. My grin grew as my eyes clashed against her green ones.

"Search this place!" her words echoed in the now quiet bar. "Tear it apart if you have to."

"You'll want to ask George before you go and search it," I said as the noise from the saylors died down. "He doesn't like officials going back there."

Hands wrapped around my arms before I was led to stand in front of her. Most of the saylors were too drunk to know or care about what was happening. The ones who weren't were watching us. Though I knew they wouldn't join in.

Any saylor I knew didn't like High Officials or officials of any city.

Yelling from the back came to show that George wasn't happy about his surprised guest. His shouting grew louder. I turned my head, watching as two officials were chased out of the kitchen with George appearing. A scowl was on his face, and he wielded a pan in a hand.

He took in the scene before him.

"I should have figured it was you, Medusa," George said, his eyes settling on her. "Why are you trying to have my bar searched?"

Amusement danced in me as he didn't put the pan down. It looked odd for a man his size to come out waving it, but he still managed to bring humor to it.

"We're looking for two brothers." Her sharp gaze came to me. "With her lying about not seeing them, I know that they would be hidden in the back."

Brothers? Then it wouldn't be the boys that had come for me. I was sure that Jacob would have said if they were.

"Is that why you arrested her?" he asked, not sounding surprised that I would lie.

"I have my reasons."

A sigh escaped him as he lowered the pan. "Release her and I'll let you search the back. You won't find anyone," George stated. "Just me and Rachel here tonight."

She scoffed. "Have two brothers not come here? Seeking help from this woman?"

"No."

He was only lying partially. He might have heard them say my name, but he didn't know what they wanted or if they were brothers. He had an idea, as he wasn't blind to what I did when I wasn't in the Going Sally, but he didn't say anything and accepted whatever I had to throw his way.

George had always been like that, at least, to me.

"Two boys didn't enter?"

"No."

"You're lying."

"If I was, Medusa, you would know." I watched him. "Ask any of my customers. They'll answer the same." He waved at the room full of saylors.

I turned, watching a battle of wills between the two of them. Neither was the type to give in so easily. Her glare did nothing against his calm cold expression.

"You've always been a good liar. You two, release her and go help search the back," Medusa ordered. "If I thought any of these saylors were right in their minds, I would be questioning them."

Her men listened and entered the kitchen to search for something that wasn't there. George didn't say anything as the seconds dragged on. To pass the time, I stared at him and wondered how he knew her. It shouldn't have surprised me, but this was her first time coming to the bar.

The saylors behind us talked quietly among themselves, their whispers going faster when her men came out empty-handed.

"I've heard of you, Rachel Schmidt."

I grinned as she pulled my attention to her. "I'm honored." I gave her a slight bow.

"You shouldn't be. Everything I've heard makes you just like those bandit scum that sails these seas."

Rising from the slight bow, I met her piercing green eyes. "Me, like the pirates?" I shook my head. "Why, I like to think I'm a bit more modest than any of those sea dogs."

"Modest? You're a liar and a thief. You're a smuggler and one of these days, someone will catch you red-handed. Then I'll be able to take your head."

Oh, so she does know about me. So why hasn't she arrested me?

"I don't smuggle, I help people."

Her eyes narrowed as her blank mask fell. Annoyance lit her face, her green eyes darkening with the emotion. If she could, I was sure she would have taken my head right then. But unless she wanted her men to once more grab me for doing something she didn't have proof of — even if proof wasn't always required — there wasn't anything else she could do.

Well, not if those boys she wanted to find were so important and were the ones I was helping.

I watched as she turned without saying another word and marched away. Her boots sounded loudly on the white wooden floors and in the silence that covered the bar. The four officials with her were quick to follow, the door shutting behind them.

"I have this feeling she's going to be out to get me now." I looked towards George to see him shaking his head. "I've heard of her but never met her. She's different from the rumors."

"Just be careful when you deal with her, Rachel. She's not someone to think lightly of."

Done with the mocking and sly grins, I gave him a wider real one. "I'm always careful."

[WORD COUNT: 5429]