Young Writers Society

The guard slowly let go of Althea's arm. She took a step back and rubbed the spot where the guard had grabbed her. There was a hand print, almost stamped, into her skin. That man was strong.

"Th-th-thank you sir for letting me go. I must be on my way now."

Althea nodded to the guard and turned to where the woman who had threatened the guard stood. She looked fierce. Sam wasn't kidding when he said she could kill a person. I wonder who this girl is? She might be nice to have around if I ever get into trouble like that again.

Althea bowed her head to the woman. "Thank you very much for helping me. Is there anything I can do to repay you?"

The woman shook her head. "No, just stay out of trouble and out of my way."

Althea was taken aback. What kind of woman would speak like that? Then a little light bulb went on in her head. She has to be a bounty hunter. I think she's like Jack. Are they working together

"Okay, I can do that. But before I go, I have just one question."

"Yes?"

"Do you know a man by the name of Jack?"

The woman looked hard at Althea for a moment, and then shook her head.

"No. Why?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I was just wondering. Like I said, thanks for the help. I really do appreciate it."

Althea briskly walked past the woman and towards the stairs. She was finally going to get some answers.

Apologies if I mess this up, not really sure what I'm going to do here...

Keturah

The commotion was ticking me off. It was the first time in I couldn't even remember how long that I'd managed to...get together enough money to get myself a half-way decent meal, and here I was being disturbed! Did people not get that I sat in the furthest, darkest corner of the bar for a reason?

"I didn't see anything!" I snapped at the men who had approached me, before any of them even had a chance to form their questions. "What am I gonna see from over here anyway?" I hated people who asked questions, I hated people who looked twice at me, and, more than that, I hated pompous authoritarians just looking for an excuse to get you behind bars. They were everywhere.

Scowling, I popped a bit of meat into my mouth and chewed vigourously. They were not going to distract me again until my stomach was full.

"But you must have heard something..." One of the men prompted. "Have you been sitting here the whole time?"

I glared at him. However, silence seemed to be a bad move. "You hiding something?" The second of the men demanded. "That why you won't talk?"

"I'm hiding a lot of things." I snapped. "None of which have anything to do with what's happend here tonight." I returned to my meal, eating quickly, wanting to get out of there as soon as I possibly could.

"Well, if you're not going to cooperate..."one fo teh men began to drag me to my feet. I wriggled, managing to wrecnch one arm free and use it to draw my knife.

"I'm not." I assured him, poising my blade above his wrist. One of his companions wrenched it from my hand.

He grinned. "Bad move, girl. Let's see what the king has to say about this, shall we?"

((Do you want help, cause I know that Tiny will help))

That would be great, thanks, I think it would help to integrate her. Just a warning, though, Ket is very difficult, so she mightn't be very grateful...just so you know that it's nothing personal!

**No problem, Tiny is used to people like that.**

Tiny rolled her eyes, these men were getting on her last nerve.

"Have you NO respect for a woman!" She demanded walking up behind the gaurds. One spun around and glared at her.

"You need to mind your own business, missy." He hissed,

"When people are being harrased outside of the kingdom it is my business, and when a fellow woman is being harrased it is too. Now, I suggest you leave, I don't know what you came here for but I'm pretty sure that she has nothing to do with it. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you had taken her she would never make it to the castle." SHe hissed, "And you would say you never took her with you." That made the gaurd's face turn a bright red. He gritted his teeth.

"You have to big of a mouth for a girl your size." He hissed,

"And you think your to big, maybe I should cut you down, leave you for the dogs." SHe hissed, "Now get out of here now." He grabbed at his sword but her dagger was soon at his throat. "I wouldn't suggest you doing that."

"What are you doing?" Someone demanded from behind her. She moved to the side and turned around so that she could still see the gaurds. She saw the man that had been in the hall way earlier.

"Dealing with some rude men, why?" She asked,

"They are the kings men you know." He said flatly,

"That has never affected me before, and I'm sure it isn't about to." She replied, "And if you are any bit of a man you wouldn't just be standing there and letting them harrass two different women at two different times now would you?" Tiny knew she shouldn't have said that but she was in a bad mood. Something had been in her drink, she usually kept to herself. She gritted her teeth, she needed to leave, this was getting a little out of her comfort zone.

*Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. Football practice gets in the way of computer time*

Jack watched the two men leave the room. Ah...alone at last. But how was he going to get out of this one? He new that spy or whore, what ever she was wanted information. She would learn how difficult it was to get info from him. His 14 years in that torture prison finally paid off. Jack knew how to keep a secret.
"Now...what to do with the girl..." Jack muttered to himself. He could kill the girl...but she could be useful. He could also sell her to slave traders...not that either. Why was drawn to this women. it almost magical. "That's it! It's magic. Someone wants me to stay with this girl...creepy.
The door to the inn swung open. "Hello Althea." Jack muttered.
"I'm not Althea." Jack whirled around. A tall man in a purple cloak walked into the room. "Althea is to stay with you. You will not harm her. You know what to do Jack." And with that the man vanished.
"Strange. Well he didn't say I couldn't take her to where I was going-"
"And where are we going?" Althea strode in.
"No where tonight. I'm tired. Thanks for the room. You can sleep with me, or take the floor.'
"I think I'll take the floor."

* I'm lost*

Madhatter just went to the scene were Althea was going to take care of Jacj. This happens while Tiny and Keturah are talking to the guards.

*My post will take place in the next morning if that helps. If it helps, you can put when your scene takes place and where.*

Jack's night had been haunted by nightmares. What was happening to him? He was Jack Smith, the best assassin in all of North Draynor. Was he turning civilian? He got out of his small bed and strode over to the desk where he had laid his weapons. He looked at them one by one, checking them over for marks of poison. Seeing none he placed them on.
"G'dmorning." Jack whirled around. "It's only me." Alethea muttered.
"Did you enjoy your sleep?"
"No."
"That's good. Were leaving." Jack grabbed his cloak and threw it on.
"But I'm not decent. I'm still in my nightgown."
"Well, I'm not a decent sort of man." Jack grabbed her hand and flew out the door. "You paid the inn keeper, now didn't you?"
"Yes, but where are we going."
"If I told you, you wouldn't come along."
"TELL ME!"
"Okay..okay..don't draw attention to us. A man like me and a half clothed women is a great way to stir up trouble. If you must know, we're going to Norseington Shire."
"We're going there! That's the scummiest place in all of Draynor. No way no how am I going there."
"Then I guess you're going to find a ride some where else? i guess you could pull off as a whore."
"I'll go...and never call me a whore again."
"As you wish."

Jaren sighed yet again. He was doing a lot of that recently. By god, all this power struggle business was beginning to irritate him. And now he was facing some girl with a knife with an attitude problem. it was the one he had been told to find.

"Let them go," he ordered the guard. The two men were uncertain for a moment then released them. The girl stared at him questionningly. It must have seemed odd for a man dressed like a peasant to be ordeing King's men.

"I'm Maverick, I believe we have business to talk about" he said, offering a hand. Then something strange happened. The girl swayed for a moment and fell. jaren caught her just before she hit the ground.

Whatam I meant to do now? he thought. This was getting more and more out of hand.

He turned to the otehr woman,"You don't suppose you could help me do you?"

**which one swayed?? It seems like Tiny once I read it, if not I'll change the post.**


Tiny looked the man over, so this was Maverick. He stuck his hand out and she was about to shake his hand, but her head started to get light. What on earth had been in her drink. Everything started to go black and she swayed.

She woke up in one of the back rooms on a bed. She felt her head, it hurt bad.

“Good job, go and sway in front of someone who wants you for a job.” She shook her head and stood up. She grabbed the head board for support. What was in that drink, this had never happened before. She slowly moved to the bar and walked over to Ben.
“Ah, its good to see your awake.” He smiled,
“Who made my drink?” She asked,
“I did, I always do. Put it in your normal cup too.” He said raising his eyebrow.
“Was there anything in my cup before you put the drink in it?” She asked, Ben shrugged,
“No one has ever messed with it so I didn’t check.” He replied,
“Alright, is that guy still here?” She asked,
“Yup, back in the back corner, where you were last night.” He replied, she nodded and walked back there trying to clear her mind. What had someone put in her drink and why.

*yeah, it was Tiny that swayed.*

Keturah

I barelled down the road as quickly as I could, still angry at the fact that my meal had been left unfinished on the counter, and at everyone who had been there, the guards for hasseling me in the first place, the others for assuming that I needed help.

Fuming silently, I manouvered my way through the dark streets, making sure to steer clear of the few people whom I passed. Eventually, I had to stop to consult my map. I glared at it as I searched for the hand-drawn circle. I always hated having to stop.

Having learned what I needed, I folded it poorly, and stuffed it back into my pocket, before turning sharply down another narrow road, and then another, before reaching a cul de sac. I knocked thrice on the door of the only house which looked in any way decnt for living in.

"Come in." Called a voice from the other side of the door, as a key turned in the lock. Three short knocks was all that gained admission. And, if, by chance, a stranger or intruder deigned to knock, well, they wouldn't be standing long.

I pulled the handle and made my way inside.

"Keturah!" shouted a man from the other side of the corridor, making his way over to me. "You found us, then?"

I grimaced. "The map was good. Make this quick, Alf, I'm not planning on staying long."

He laughed. "A pleasure, as always." He muttered, more to himself than to me. I scowled.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"Any new information, and I also have a job for you."

"And its worth?"

He grinned. "Lyden, get over here!"

A young boy with rust-coloured hair hurried to his side.

"Show Keturah here what we'll pay her for her help."

The boy grinned, and withdrew a small pouch from his inside pocket.
"Open it." I told him. I needed to make sure I wasn't being paid in pebbles. He glanced at Alf, who nodded, and then tipped the bag out into his hands. I looked at the little mound of coins. That would feed me for a couple of days, at least.

"What exactly is it that you want?" I asked.

Althea and Jack came flying out of the bar doors. Jack stopped suddenly, causing Althea to stumble into him.

"Could you give me a little more warning when you abruptly stop?"

Jack kept looking out at the scenery around him.

"Pay more attention if you don't want to run into me."

Althea huffed. This guy was starting to rile her. He was taking her to a place she would have never even thought of going to under different circumstances, without proper dress, and then he had the nerve to speak to her that way. To top it all off, she still didn't have any answers. So, question was, why was she going with him? Of course, there was the being a lone woman without a ride in a place inhabited by, well, shady people. But she was sure that Sam might help her. So, why was she going with him?

Jack whistled and the noise broke through Althea's thoughts. At that same moment, a horse came whirling around the bar. Jack, pulling Althea along with him, jumped up onto the horse and pulled her up behind him.

"I'll need something else to change into before I go to a place like that."

Jack sighed. "If we have time and there is some place we can go to, we'll stop. But for right now, hold on tight."

Jack kicked the horse in its sides and they were off. Althea grabbed onto Jack, wrapping her arms around his stomach, grasping on for dear life. They were off to Norseington Shire.

*don't let this die y'all*