Kris hated the conflicting feelings of hope and reservation that she struggled to keep in check. She followed just a few steps behind the strange, hooded boy who called himself Lukas… though whether she believed that was his real name or not, she hadn’t decided. Her eyes stayed glued to the purse that rested just on his right hip under the cloak, and her fingers twitched, but to no avail. He walked with one hand resting over the purse like it was the hilt of a sword, and her eyes hadn’t missed the dagger that he carried either. She had a knife of her own, of course, but wasn’t much good with it beyond waving it around as a threat…

The back door of a tavern burst open as they walked by, instantly amplifying the sounds of cheering and jeering from inside. Right in between Lukas and Kris two men flew across the alley, one pushing the other while holding his tunic, and the shouting from inside got more excited as the two started throwing wild punches into each other. The stench of rum and sweat was thick in the air, and Kris wrinkled her nose in distaste.

On the other side of the brawl, she caught sight of Lukas’ shockingly blue eyes watching. When the right moment came, she ducked underneath an elbow as it swung towards her head on accident and scurried around the men to join Lukas on the far side.

“A bit crude, wouldn’t you say?” The boy commented as they both watched the fight and the growing crowd of rowdy men cheering them on from the doorway. Kris couldn’t help but notice the slight tint of an accent to his voice, not the same as her own, but clearly marking him as an outsider of Kasin. He spoke formally too, more eloquently than most adults Kris knew.

“I don’t see anything outta the ordinary,” Kris responded honestly, turning away from the brawl.

Lukas shot her a quizzical look, and she realised this was the first time she’d really seen him eye to eye up close. He had fine, graceful features without a spec of dirt on them, piercing sapphire eyes and a shock of platinum, nearly white blonde hair just barely visible under his hood. Kris wasn’t sure just who he was exactly… but her suspicion that he was some sort of noble was only getting stronger. He was just too clean.

“Should we keep moving, m’lord?” she asked, already turning back and walking deeper off into the alleys. Her eyes scanned the walls and doors, looking for signs of where exactly they were, until she found what she was looking for. A wooden sign of a raven, standing calmly on the branch of a barren, leafless tree. A smile crossed her lips as she at last recognized where they were.

“I don’t recall asking you to call me that,” Lukas replied as he started to follow her now.

“Course not, m’lord,” she said back politely, now leading him down an alley that she happened to know. “Didn’t need to.”

There was no reply for a while. Not until they got to an alley that was quieter than the others, a sort of plaza behind a large number of shops. The whole area was stacked high with crates and barrels, and the smells of smoked fish and rum and spices was heavy in the air.

“Now,” Kris said, hopping up onto a box and sitting on the edge to face Lukas. “What did you want to ask?”

The blond noble, for she was sure now that he must be, pulled his hood down, and Kris only then realised it had stopped raining. He held a hand out and looked up at the sky, letting the moonlight frame his face like an artist would their painting.

He’s very pretty, Kris thought, then shook her head, a bit flushed in the cheeks.

“Ah, well, I had some questions about the tents near the western wall,” Lukas asked, still not watching her but staring up at the night sky. She turned her gaze up as well and saw the clouds had begun to part, and countless stars had started to dot the sky.

“Northern wall, too…” She mumbled, prying her eyes away from the sky and fixing them back on the boy in front of her. Particularly, at how his hand no longer covered the purse he wore.

Lukas looked at her curiously.

“There are more at the northern gate?”

Kris nodded, kicking her feet slowly against the wooden side of the crate she sat on.

“Pa says they’re from up in Cylthia. People getting’ spooked about that Blight thing up north… saying the Norlanders are sending some kinda curse down to get ‘em. That’s why they’re runnin’ south, but most of them stopped here in Kasin instead of keeping on down the roads.”

She studied the boy’s face as she said that, watching the way his brow furrowed and a frown soured his pleasant features.

“Is that what it is? A curse from the northern mages? I heard it was a plague.”

Kris just shrugged noncommittally.

“Is that why you’re here, then?” Lukas asked with a huff, as he hopped up onto a box just across from her. He leaned forwards, placing his elbows on his knees and staring intently at her. “Did you flee from the Arklands because of the Blight?”

She wriggled under his gaze uncomfortably, hoping it wasn’t too obvious.

“No, my family left for… other reasons,” she said quietly, looking down at her feet. She was still freezing, her bare toes and legs a paler shade of white than even she was used to, but she’d almost forgotten about it since the boy had first appeared.

“Err… sorry,” Lukas mumbled in apology, a slightly pained smile on his face. “I won’t bring up your family again. My apologies.”

She nodded, but stayed quiet.

“If not the Blight, why are people gathering at the west gate?” He asked.

“War,” she said back simply, bringing one knee up to rest her chin on while still swinging the other so that it thumped rhythmically against the box. “Arklander’s don’t got many places to go no more, since Kasin won.”

Lukas nodded, but his expression didn’t change.

“Why Kasin, of all places? I assumed the capital of the Empire that conquered you would be the last city you would willingly move to,” he said calmly, and Kris felt a spike of annoyance run through her.

“Wasn’t meant to be permanent… we’re going to Orrchester.”

Were. We were going to Orrchester.

“Is that most of the people at the west gate, then?” Lukas continued, oblivious to her turmoil.

Kris nodded again, and Lukas breathed a deep sigh.

“Well, good to know it wasn’t anything more serious, then,” he said casually, and this time Kris felt a wave of actual anger surge through her.

“More serious…?” She whispered. He didn’t seem to hear. What was meant to be more serious than her people losing their home, and their kingdom?

“That’s all I had for questions, then,” Lukas said, hopping down from his crate with a huff, landing on the ground just in front of her feet. “It wasn’t quite as interesting as I’d expected, but… here, for your troubles.”

Kris looked up from under her bangs, a dark expression on her face, to see the young noble holding a hand out with a single silver coin in it. The bored expression on his face sent her over the edge… literally.

She let out a gasp of surprise as she slipped off the edge of the crate, mimicked a second later by Lukas as she landed on top of him.

“Oof!” Lukas yelled as he was pushed over to the ground, the two kids entangled together as Kris landed on top of him. She quickly pushed herself up to her feet, flushed red and with a worried expression on her face.

“M’lord, m’lord! I’m sorry, are you hurt?” She cried, kneeling beside him as he slowly pushed himself up to rest on his elbows with a wince.

“Ah, yes, sorry… it must have been slippery up there from the rain, yes?” He asked, and Kris froze as he turned to look at her, an expression of genuine concern in his brilliant blue eyes. “Are you hurt? That wasn’t a short fall.”

“Y-yes, I’m fine,” she said, leaning back away from him to put some distance.

“Good,” Lukas muttered, climbing back to his feet surprisingly quickly. He brushed his palms off on his cloak, before extending a hand down to her. “Care for a hand?”

She took his hand, a feeling of guilt tinting her cheeks red, and let him pull her to her feet, all without meeting his gaze. He didn’t let go of her hand when she was standing, instead clapping his free hand to her shoulder heartily, with a pleasant smile on his face.

“Would probably be best not to go climbing just after the rain, in the future,” he said, squeezing her hand before letting her go and taking a step back. “Oh, where was… ah! There we are.”

He looked around quizzically until he saw the glittering of silver on the ground from the coin he had dropped. He bent down, picked it up, and held it out to her, all with that same damned pretty smile on his face.

“Thank you, m’lord,” she mumbled, taking the coin carefully, and without touching his hand. She didn’t miss how it was scraped a bit red from when he had fallen.

“Take care then, Kris,” Lukas said. “Here is where I will bid thee farewell.”

Then, he bowed, actually bowed, if only lightly at the waist. Kris’ mind froze, unsure whether she should curtsy, or bow, or nod, or what… not that she knew how to curtsy in the first place. The absurdity of having a noble bowing to her in an alley almost made her giggle, but she didn’t feel like laughing at all.

“Yeah, bye,” was all she said in response, quietly and timidly like a mouse. She waited until he finished the bow, and their eyes met again, silver to blue. He gave a smile and then turned with a wave, walking down the alley they had come from, and again she couldn’t help but notice the way he moved with surprising grace. She’d almost mistake him for a proper thief, if he weren’t so young… and naive.

She waved in response then turned the opposite way, slowly walking down an alley that would lead her home. As she rounded a corner, she checked to make sure no one was watching… and then drew a small, leather coin purse from under her shirt.

She pulled open the drawstring, and with hollow, dark eyes, counted the silver and gold pieces inside, her heart fluttering at the small fortune she’d pilfered. Then, she tucked it back under her shirt, and started the walk back home.