A White Rose (Spellbound Novelette)

Chapter 1: The Debt

City of Gor, Kingdom of Breoch
Year 103 of Leahra, Second Age

Once a thief, always a thief. Ereptus pondered the sentiment as he approached the city he had vowed never to return to. Most of his formative years had been spent in the streets of Gor, and it was where he had learnt both to steal and to avoid incoming blows the times he'd been detected. The words had been said by an old friend who lived in Gor, and they weren't untrue. Ereptus had spent his entire life as a thief, and he didn't see it changing any time soon. Said friend was also the reason he was back, despite what he had promised himself. But since he owed him his life, he couldn't ignore the summon when it came.

The streets weren't bustling with people at this hour, but there was enough movement that Ereptus could easily walk down alleys and pathways without notice. He had no desire to run into anyone he may have made an enemy of while still living there. Walking down a back alley, he stopped short at the sound of some muffled shouts and what he'd assume was a scuffle. Against better judgement - he found that minding one's business was usually the best approach in life - he turned toward the noise and saw two men attacking a young girl.

Normally he would have just left, but something about the girl's desperate, yet futile, resistance made him step closer. She was small and skinny, but she fought well. She kicked one man in the groin while grabbing the other's hair, making him scream. As Ereptus slowly approached, the girl caught sight of him and he froze.

Those eyes. Pale green, so pale that they almost seemed yellow. He'd never seen eyes like that before and it had thrown him off for a moment. He also registered that she was young, quite young. Fourteen, maybe younger. The moment of stillness was over as both men recovered simultaneously and moved toward their victim. Without thinking, Ereptus did something he'd never done before. He stepped in to help. With a few swift movements he had the two attackers unconscious on the ground - one didn't spend a lifetime on the streets without picking up at least a few tricks.

The girl was eyeing him warily as she brushed some dust off her patched trousers. She seemed mostly unharmed, her attackers not having had the time to do too much damage. Ereptus noted that she wasn't as skinny as he had first thought. Someone was clearly feeding her, even if she was very slender. The clothes she wore had seen better days, the trousers patched and dirty, the leather boots frayed to the point where a toe might soon poke out, and her tunic was too large, tied at the waist with a frayed rope. Had it not been for her fair face and long, dark hair, he may have mistaken her for a boy.

Her skin was much fairer than he would have expected. It was clear even through the dust and grime that covered most of it. She was beautiful, too beautiful to be a regular street urchin. No girl of any age looking like that would have made it this long. Especially not a girl who was at least part-elf. The vague shape of her ears was unmistakable under her matted hair, bearing witness to her mixed heritage.

"Who are you?" The question was accompanied by a glare from those peculiar eyes.

Momentarily debating whether to give a fake name since he didn't want it known he was in town, Ereptus finally decided on the truth. "I'm Ereptus. I might ask you the same question."

She shrugged dismissively. "It doesn't matter, and I must be on my way." Turning her back to him, she started walking down the alley, carefully stepping over the bodies of the two men still lying unconscious on the ground.

"Now, hold on there, kid!" Ereptus caught her by the arm and forced her to stop. "You don't just walk out on me. I didn't just save your ass to get thrown away like yesterday's dinner."

Looking back at him, she tugged at her arm, but he held steady. He wasn't sure why he was so angry, why he cared at all, but he'd be damned if she was just going to saunter off without so much as a thank you.