Salmo, Satis Orbis
Year: 4998

Aule breathed deep as soon as she stepped onto the boardwalk, relishing the freedom of being alone in the pouring rain once more. She had given the Captain the remaining half of his payment and hurried off the ship, not wanting to be around when that girl Daphne came walking out.  

   Slinging her rucksack over her shoulder Aule headed down the nearest street, wondering where Humans put horse stables. In most places in Arietes anyone could find a horse stable right next to the town Inn, and more than likely there would be several horses for sale, but Aule had never been to Satis and the Humans and their ways of conduct were more or less foreign to her.

   "Oh for..." Aule sighed, her sentence trailing off.

   She was at a cross road and the heavy rain had started to turn into hail, rather large hail, pounding on her back and hood like a volley of stones being thrown by a band of angry children. 

   Aule looked to her left and then to her right, only seeing rows of small clay houses, either labeled as some shop or other or an actual residential building.

   "The Inn is this way," a familiar and rather annoying voice said.

   Aule turned her head to the side and gave Daphne a sidelong glance, her expression dark and closed off. 

   "I did not wish to retire in an Inn," she replied flatly.

   "I know. You wanted a horse, right? Horses are usually found in stables next to inns...I thought everyone knew that," Daphne said, muttering the last part.

   Aule sighed and turned on her heel, adopting a relaxed stance and folding her arms. 

   Caelum was standing next to Daphne, trying hard not to flinch against the hard pellets of hail, and his big dark eyes looked up at Aule in a pleading manner.

   "You had better get that boy out of the hail," she said, turning to walk away.

   "He said he wanted to go with you," Daphne replied, causing Aule to stop in her tracks. "Don't ask me why. I probably like you less than you like me, but I'm not him and he's not me, so if you want him out of the hail you're gonna have to take him out yourself."

   Aule did not even try comprehending everything that Daphne was spitting out and did not care enough to listen to it, but what she did mind was this boy somehow finding her a favorable companion. 

   Sighing once more Aule turned again, walking right up to the boy and staring hard at him with her eyes like two green flames.

   "Look here boy, I am not taking you anywhere," she said, her voice challenging.

   Caelum just looked up at her, another tear rolling down his cheek.

   "And stop crying. It's ridiculous that a child your age is crying as hard as you are."

   "I won't be a burden," Caelum replied softly. "Even if you don't take me I will just follow you."

   Aule was trapped. For the first time in a long time, she did not know what to say. She had done nothing to gain this boy's trust and most certainly never would, and she did not even like children, so why would he wish to go with her? 

   "Aye-ye-ye, let's get out of the hail first," Daphne spoke up, grabbing the boy's hand and walking assertively down the street Aule had come.

   What do I do? was all Aule could think as she followed the Human's to the town Inn. Like all the other buildings in Salmo, it was crafted mostly from clay with driftwood beams supporting the second story and protruding out of the sides of the building. The Inn itself had no porch but a step up from the boardwalk streets that were incredibly slick from the pouring rain, and when they rushed across the street through the hail Daphne barely managed to keep herself upright by grabbing onto the overhang pole. 

   "Woah!" she chuckled to herself. "Guess I'm not use to so much rain."

   "I guess you are not," Aule muttered under her breath.

   Daphne, having barely heard the remark, quickly spun around and cocked her head to one side, narrowing both hazel eyes and twisting her lips in a mischievous manner.  

   "Was that a joke?" she asked, raising both eyebrows.

   Aule looked up at the girl with her bored expression and said nothing, simply waiting for Daphne to move so that they could enter the Inn peaceably.

   "I think it was!" Daphne exclaimed, smiling wide. "Of course it wasn't a very nice one, but you can still work on that."

   Without waiting for a reply she straitened herself up and turned, heading into the building with an unnecessary amount of gusto. 

   The inside was warm and cozy, with a woven rug at the front desk and several comfortable chairs in front of the blazing fireplace that was situated on the right side of the room along with a tall wooden staircase.

   "Would you like some rooms?" the lady at the front desk inquired. 

   "Yes please," Daphne replied, still smiling. "The boy can share with one of us."

   The woman nodded and turned, grabbing two keys off of their hooks on the wall.

    "No, he will share with you," Aule hissed.

    "Will you be paying separately?" the woman asked, handing the keys to Daphne.

    Daphne opened her mouth to reply but Aule cut in a with a sharp, "Yes." slamming a few silver coins on the counter and ripping one of the keys none-too-gently from the other girl's grasp.

    "Rooms 45 and 46," the woman called after Aule who was already up the stairs.

    The second story was just a long, dimly lit hallway lined with rooms on either side and a potted plant sitting on a stool at the very end. The floor was more or less silent except for one squeaky board in front of room 47 and Aule made a mental note of that detail, in case her situation called for a silent get away, which it often did.

   After fighting with the lock for a few agonizing seconds she managed to get the door open and slipped inside, quickly closing the it behind her. The room was quite small with a simple twin-sized bed against the right wall along with a bureau and mirror. The floor was polished wood with a rug in front of the bed and up against the left wall there was a small writing desk with an oil lamp and ink well. 

   "Well, it's clean at least," Aule muttered, running one finger along the wood of the bureau. 

   Looking up she caught site of herself in the mirror and almost jumped back in surprise, thinking for a moment that it was someone else. It had been quite some time since the girl had looked in a mirror and what she saw was not exactly what anyone would call pleasant. Sure she was somewhat handsome with large green eyes set in an oval face, but although her narrow nose and slightly pronounced cheek bones gave her a somewhat aristocratic look, her frowning lips and dented chin paired with the dark eyebrows made one shy away at a glance. Aule was known for having a stare like daggers, and now she knew why.

   Shaking her head Aule came back to her senses and looked away from the mirror, pulling off the damp hood of her leather coat and setting the rucksack down on the bed. Sitting down beside it she began to remove the contents; first a clean brown cotton shirt, then an extra pair of trousers, and finally and wool blanket wrapped around a bottle of black dye. Gingerly Aule folded back the blanket flaps until the glass bottle appeared and she let out a sigh of relief, running one hand through her hair. It was not broken.

   Besides the heavy drumming of rain and the wind beating on the shutters, Aule could hear a soft patter of footsteps coming up the stairs until suddenly her door swung open halfway, Daphne leaning forward on the handle while holding onto the door frame with her other hand. She was smiling wide, her dark curly hair in disarray, and she looked over at Aule as if she had found out the most wonderful secret and had to tell someone. Then suddenly her smile became more stale as her happy expression was stolen by one of surprise, and she stared at Aule's head in confusion. 

   "Is something wrong?" Aule asked, folding the bottle back up.

   "Huh? Oh!...No...I just...I just didn't know you had black hair. It took be by surprise...Anyway, apparently they have rose hip salad here!" Daphne sang out.

   Aule looked up from her luggage with a blank expression and did not reply, waiting for her to explain further. Daphne, seeing that this surprise was obviously not as effective as she had hoped, let go of the door handle and clasped both hands together, her eyes traveling up to the ceiling.

   "I was just told that the Cievo have a soft spot for rose hip salad," she said, a slight edge to her voice. "But I suppose someone like you doesn't have a soft spot for anything...Or anyone, for that matter."

   Glaring at Aule one last time Daphne slammed the door shut and marched off to her room, leaving the young Cieven alone once more.

   "How did I get into this?" Aule muttered, walking back over to the mirror.

   Holding up the oil lamp she examined the roots of her hair carefully, wondering if it was a good time to touch it up. Although, like most things in Aule's life, there was never a good time to do anything and whenever she decided to change that, a knock would come on the door.

   "What is it?" she hissed through gritted teeth.

   "I'm sorry miss, but would you like anything to eat?" the inn keeper asked quietly.

   Rolling her eyes Aule opened one of the bureau drawers and slid the dye bottle inside, getting ready to send the woman packing. Then an idea struck her. After a short pause the girl walked over to the door and pulled it open rather harshly, staring at the Human through narrowed eyes.

   "No," Aule replied. "But tell me something. Have you recently seen a tall ugly man with a scar across his face?"

   "I'm sorry?"

   Aule sighed and rubbed her forehead in an annoyed manner. How could an adult be so vacant? 

   "Do Humans not know anything?" she muttered in Arieten.

   "Hey!" Daphne said, stepping out of her room. "Almost all inn keepers in Satis speak Arieten and even with my somewhat broken way of speaking it, I could still understand that. Show some respect!"

   The woman smiled at Daphne and nodded politely.

   "Thank you," she said. "But it's alright...Yes, I have seen the man that you described. The reason I asked you to repeat was because not many people go looking for him."

   "Why not?" Aule asked in the same bored manner.

   Daphne bared her teeth and jabbed a sharp elbow into Aule's side. The Cieven glared at her and tried to elbow back but Daphne had already slid out of reach.

   "Why not?" Aule inquired again, slightly more polite.

   "It's usually the other way around," the inn keeper replied. "Last time I saw him was yesterday. He paid for a four day room here but hasn't been back since. At least, he did not come through the door."

   "Which room is his?" 

   The woman smiled and folded her arms in the way that so many adults do and said, not in an unfriendly manner, "I am afraid I cannot give such information out to anyone except relatives when the guest is not in...Especially not to young girls who carry daggers." She spoke the last part nodding toward Aule's boot where the slight sparkle from her knife blade could be seen.

   Daphne saw it as well and remembered the sparkle she had seen on the ship.

   So you go around with knifes stuck everywhere? she thought. Why am I not surprised?

   "Look here-" Aule started angrily, but Daphne barred her way with one outstretched arm and smiled at the lady, bowing her head slightly.

   "Thank you ma'am for your help," she said. "We'll be sure not to bother you again."

   "It was no bother," the inn keeper smiled. "If you two ever get hungry we have food as well as boarding."

   "Thank you!" Daphne replied.

   Aule said nothing but continued to glare at Daphne as the woman left.

   "Why do you keep getting in my way?" she snapped.

   Daphne put her arm down and turned to Aule, sighing.

   "Getting in your way? I probably just saved you from being thrown out!"

   "I didn't ask for you to save me," Aule replied through gritted teeth.

   "No you didn't, and maybe I should have let you make a fool of yourself, but it just so happens that I'm not as rude or as cold-hearted as you and seeing someone - anyone - thrown out into a storm like this makes me feel bad. And that's what would have happened to you if I had not stepped in. So next time you decide to mistreat somebody or make yourself look like an idiot, don't do it in my presence!" Daphne finished, her hazel eyes blazing mad.

   Aule opened her mouth to say something but closed it again. Even though she would not have admitted it, she was completely dumbfounded.

   Daphne began to breath more normally again and sighed, biting her lip.

   "I'm sorry," she said. "I shouldn't have gotten angry."

   Aule looked up at Daphne in confusion, not exactly sure what she was apologizing for. No one had ever really apologized to Aule before. They never found it necessary and Aule herself never found it necessary either. To her it was a waste of time.

   "Why?" she asked.

   "Why what?"

   "Why are you sorry? You were only stating what you believed to be true. Whether I believe it or not you shouldn't be apologizing for it."

   Daphne's mouth fell open and she stared at Aule in shock and dismay. Aule returned the look with a blank expression and Daphne could barely find the words to speak.

   "You...You confuse me," she finally said, shaking her head.

   Aule shrugged her shoulders and turned to go back into her room. She had had enough human interaction for one day.

   "Wait!" Daphne started, shaking herself out of a daze.

   Aule rolled her eyes and turned on her heel, folding her arms in an exasperated manner.

   "What?" 

   Daphne pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes saying, "Well you're back to it...Ah it doesn't matter...I originally came out of my room because I heard you ask about a man with a scar."

   "What about it?" 

   "I'm looking for him too."

           Evert rolled over on his bed and put one of the pillows over his head, trying to block out the shouting coming from the hall. It seemed as though a couple of young ladies were having a rather loud disagreement and it was forcing a wedge between Evert and his much needed sleep. Groaning for the hundredth time the scout threw the pillow aside and got out of bed. He did not need to change or put his boots on because he had seen no need to change or remove his boots before going to bed. After all, in such difficult times it was best to remain prepared.

   Running one hand through his brown hair, Evert slapped his knees and stood up, walking assertively towards the door and throwing it open. 

   The hall was empty.

   Evert looked both ways down the hall and even went so far as to step out of his room, but there was no one in site. The only sound remaining was the heavy patter of hail on the roof the soft clatter of dishes coming from the kitchen below. 

   Groaning once more Evert turned to go back into his room and stopped, watching as the door at the end of the hall closed. No one had come out, he knew that much, and no one had come up the stairs which meant that no one had entered the room either. That left only one possibility.

   "Who is watching?" Evert muttered under his breath. 

   Shaking his head he moved to step into his room, but something was nagging in the back of his head, telling him to have a look.

   What harm could it do? it seemed to say. Who is in there? Do you not wish to know?

   Looking back down the dim hallway Evert decided to give in to that little voice. Squaring his shoulders he slowly made his way down the hall, stepping lightly over the squeaky floorboard in front of room 47. There was no noise coming from the room and no light could be seen coming through the crack in the door.

   Did I imagine it? Evert asked himself. Well there was only one way to find out. Taking a deep breath the scout raised his fist and wrapped lightly on the door, the noise almost deafening to his ears. 

   No reply.

   Evert furrowed his brow in thought. Now this was strange. He could have sworn there was someone in there.

   Try once more I will. As he raised his hand for the second knock, the door swung open on its own, rocking slightly on the hinges. The shutters were closed and the only light was that coming from the now open door. It gave Evert a foreboding feeling and he toyed with the idea of going back to his room and forgetting about the whole thing, but for some strange reason that he could not explain, the young Cieven stepped forward into the room, pulling a small dagger out of its sheath on his belt. The room was pitch black and Evert knew he could not rely on his eyes, so he listened. He listened for a long while until suddenly the silence was split by the slamming door and rushing footsteps from behind. Evert twisted to the side as an arm slid through the darkness and he grabbed hold of it, bringing the blade in his left hand up to the assailants throat just as he felt the cold steel of a blade on his own.

   "Who are you?" Evert asked calmly in Satarian.

   "I believe I have the same right to inquire about your identity," a familiar voice responded.

   It was deep and droning, but not unfriendly, and they had replied in Arieten.

   "Did you miss me?"