Forestborn: Origins of Paili Ward

Matchtal(4)

Beyond the forest, many miles away, Paili could see a city surrounded by a wall. She had nothing left. Her skulk was gone. The forest was gone.

Knowing she had no other choice, Paili made the decision to go to the city. Mun had told her that bigger predators could kill her and small prey were harder to find during the winter. It was difficult to keep warm by herself as well. She didn't want to die, so she would give herself over to the humans. 

It was a week on foot before she reached the gates, barely alive and shivering. She took her human form when she got closer. It left her bare and even colder without her fur. A line of strange hollow creatures were being pulled by even stranger creatures with big teeth that humans drove by holding ropes. Paili snuck into one of these hollow creatures and grabbed whatever looked like clothes.

She grabbed a white cloak and wrapped it around her body. When it reached the gate people inspected it before it went into town. Paili hid in a far corner under the cloak. Once it was inside, she jumped out and into the crowded streets. She covered her ears to block out the noise. The smell of humans, animals, spices was disorienting.

She squeezed by and weaved in between the humans. Paili made sure to keep her head low so that the hood fully covered her face, not that she would attract much attention being as small as she was. Anyone would have to be looking for her to really spot the girl. The street was cut in half by people standing and waving around things Paili recognized as food. 

She made it to the other side and continued briskly toward the end of the strip. Buildings of brick and assorted stone towered over her as she moved swiftly through the streets. Every now and then she checked her hood to make sure her hair was completely covered. Back up the street, a group of boys playing with a ball ran around a pair of men moving a large wooden box. 

The boys kicked it through one of the men's legs. Another boy tried for the ball but missed it and kicked one of the men in the leg, making him dropped his end of the box and it cracked open, throwing fire wood down the crowded street. Another boy, a bystander walking along the less crowded side of the street, happened to see the fire wood rolling his way.

He got out of the way and looked after them. Paili hadn't heard the fire wood rolling down the uneven street toward her. The boy ran after them and shouted for her to move, but she was lost in her thoughts. She became painfully aware of the danger when the hard wood came crashing into her. Paili gasped as it carried her into the side of a building, forcing her head against the worn, red brick. She slumped back against the wall as the white scenery was turned to black.

A crowd gathered as the men took the fire wood from her body. Paili fell sideways into the snow and her hood fell from her hair, letting the crimson curls fall freely. Upon seeing her hair the small audience took their leave. The boy looked at her unconscious form, much smaller than his own, and walked toward her. An old man grabbed his arm and pulled him back into the street.

"What do you think you're doing boy?" the man said in a low, growl of a voice.

"She's...she's hurt," he answered between heavy breaths.

"Can't you see that hair? It's blood red because of all of the people she's killed! Do you want become the next one?"

He looked from the old man to the girl lying in the snow. The man shoved him the opposite way from the house and pointed an old, shaky warning finger. "You stay away from that thing. Let it die however it likes- as long as it does I don't care and neither should you! Away with you!" He waved the boy away and continued down the street himself without a second glance toward the house.

_____________________________________________________________________

Kain tossed his pouch of gold into the air and caught it with a smile. "Not bad for a day's work." Freelance work was fairly hard to come by. Though he seemed like a gentleman at first glance- clean shaven and modestly dressed- he held many useful skills which all worked in his favor. He was not the type to stay at any one place for very long. "I should definently celebrate!" 

He glanced around at all the merchant's competing for attention among customers. At almost every display was a beautiful woman looking through the merchandise. There were so many choices! Kain laughed aloud, winning him a few stares and whispers. 

He shoved the pouch into his trouser's pocket and considered his options as an accomplished hitman. His dress was well enough: a long, black coat and loose, dark brown trousers tucked into the tops of heavy work boots. He had just come from a job after all. He took the bandana from his head which he used to keep his hair from his face and let the refreshing ocean breeze play through it.

There wasn't a woman in town who didn't know his name and there was always a new crowd every time the vendors came around. He looked over the latest imports with a critical eye. "Let's see..." 

He strode across the street up to the silk cart where a woman with beautiful brunette hair held up in a tight bun looked over the display. She pulled a loose strand behind her ear and sighed.

"Are you looking for something special?" the merchant asked.

"Yes, my mother's birthday is coming up soon and I wanted to make her a beautiful silk scarf," the woman replied. "But I'm afraid I don't have enough silver for any of your pieces."

"That's too bad..."

Kain smiled. That's my cue! He turned around and dug the pouch of his earnings from pocket. Before he could slide up next to her a woman in a black coat with long tails and a small white top hat with black feathers that sat at an angle atop her strawberry blonde hair walked up to her.

"It would be a shame to let you go without buying that silk for you mother," the woman said. "Please, choose any piece you like and I will gladly pay for it myself."

"Really?" The woman clasped her hands together excitedly. "Thank you so much!"

The woman smiled at her. She didn't seem to notice Kain's presence until the woman left the cart with her material. Then she turned to Kain and smiled brightly. "What's the matter? Did I take the words right out of your mouth?"

He frowned as he shoved the pouch back into his coat pocket. "Yali," he said flatly. "What the hell are you doing here? Aren't you suppose to be overseas or something?"

She flipped a strawberry blonde bang from her face and walked towards him. "I live in that boorish steaming city now, if that's what you mean," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"You voluntarily moved there."

"Yeah, meaning I can call it however I like."

Kain turned and started down the street. Nothing's changed I see.

Yali walked briskly next to him. "Oh come now, darling, you can't still be upset about what happened? I told you I was sorry. We both paid the price for our lifestyle back then, which I see you haven't given up just yet." 

"What's bothering me is the fact that you keep coming back." he retorted. "What do you want?"

"I don't know anyone in the city yet and you and Quinn are my oldest friends. I come back just to visit. Besides, what else are you going to do all day?"

Yali went on talking, occasionally tapping him for a response. Kain listened half-heartedly as he made his way home. Just ignore her. Maybe she'll vanish like all the other bad dreams. It felt like forever before he saw the red brick of his house. The crunch of Yali's footsteps in the snow stopped suddenly and just as Kain was growing content with the thought that it had all been some bad waking dream, she spoke.

"Kain don't step on her!" she called after him.

His foot bumped something particularly hard. He stepped back. He knelt in the snow and brushed some from the small face. It was a girl with crimson hair. Dry blood was caked onto the side of her face. She had lost enough to color the snow beneath her. 

Kain stood as Yali ran up next to him and knelt beside the girl. She pressed a gloved hand to her cheek. "Move!" She picked the girl up and took her inside.

He closed the door and got a fire started. There were a few extra sheets in the closet so he offered them to Yali to cover the girl. She held her close and sat as close to the fire as possible, trying to rub the warmth back into her body.