Black-Market Taboo

chapter v

------------Chapter Five

Gwen's POV

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          Sighing in tiredness, I leaned over and pulled the blanket over her, struggling to tuck the little girl in properly without tangling my fingers in her black, crimped locks of hair or accidentally stabbing her with my fingernails. Her older brother (who looked about only a few years younger than I) was huddled in the corner of the cramped room with his arms wrapped around his knees and his head buried between them. We couldn't stay long here- They couldn't remain with us, knowing how much Aramilla wanted us. But for now, they were safe.

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     When I finally found the girl's brother (he was stupidly running after his already-dead mother), I grabbed ahold of him and without restraint, he willingly accompanied me. I wasn't sure what made him so certain that I wasn't a cold-blooded criminal who was dragging him to his death, but I left it alone. The four of us weaved through numerous alleys, moving too fast to hear the commotion of commoners around us. Most of them probably noticed that the militia was running after us- I couldn't help but wonder whether or not they were after these two kids, too. Or was it just there mother?

     Anyway, after exploring the deep trenches and alleys that I never knew Knupmets had, the militia seemed to have given up for today, and fortunately for us, there was an inn far off from the city who knew nothing about the entire "Wanted" ordeal and they voluntarily took us in without any question. 

     They had one room available, and it had a single bed and a window. And that was it. Obviously, we took it. There was no where else to go at that point. 

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     Will was standing deliberately outside the room, leaning his back against the wall with his arms crossed as if he was expecting me to come out. His dark brown hair was ruffled and his face was a ghastly mix of sweat, oil and dirt. I'd told him to wash it earlier when he had the chance to use the toilets, though being the stubborn idiot he was, he refused and instead he sat where he was sitting now for hours already.

     "We have to leave soon," I said, backing up against the wall opposite of him. As my back hit the wall, I began to slide down and sit as well, leaving just enough walking space for one person to explore the hallways of this small inn. Pretty soon, someone was going to recognize me. Or him, but that was unlikely. And there was no doubt that that'd someone would turn us in. 

     In my mind, I imagined someone yelling our names and jumping vigorously as they pointed to us. That would probably happen.

     "You don't think I know that? I'm thinking of where to go now," he told me, his voice void of anything but frustration. I understood that he had to think, but if he kept on thinking like this- taking hours to come up with a simple plan to get out of Knupmets alone, then that wasn't going to work. Quite frankly, little was going to work at this point. We were lucky enough to find a secluded inn with owners who didn't know a thing about what was going on, but luck wasn't always on my side. 

     Obviously, it wasn't on Will's either.

     "Who are you?" I whispered, narrowing my eyes at him.

     He furrowed his eyebrows and looked up at me.

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     It wasn't a rhetorical question, but it wasn't a stupid, needless question either- I wasn't asking his name or his age or his birth date. I was simply asking him to explain who he was. He wore Slayor clothes the other day when I met him. He got angry at me for stealing his bread- which he probably had eaten loaves of beforehand. He saved me from coyotes- wolves, whatever. He had a pistol.