Morning, a refreshing start for most and the sign of a new day. The sun was just barely rising though the dew from the greenery of the town and the currently undisturbed puddles that came from the rains of the night before gleamed in the shining golden rays of light. A small chorus of early morning birds began to awaken and start their early morning choir, while the citizens began their own awakenings. Windows of wood were thrown open, some hinges squealing in protest, to air out the sleeping rooms of many people. In the homes of the more wealthy windows of delicate glass were carefully opened and various exotic fabrics that made up many curtains were thrown back. On the western and eastern outskirts of the town, farms glanced up, shielding their eyes from the greeting rays of sun for but a few moments, before continuing their work. They had been up before the roosters crowed to signal the awakening of the rest of their homes.


To the southern border of the town the sea glimmered as various ships and their crews dotted the docks, some preparing to sail while other just coming in. Carts slowly began to trickle down docks, making their way into the town and towards their generous patrons who were slowly setting up shop and preparing for the days expectant sales.


The northern border of the town was slowly starting to awake itself, though a bit slower than the rest. The glowing green and health forest was deceptively friendly looking, but many in the town knew the full dangers that lurked within the charming green depths and the proudly peaked mountains just beyond. Nevertheless there were always those that risked ventures in for wild game, herbs, berries, and other necessities of life.


The northern section of town, even before the start of the forest, held a different sort of danger though one would think as such at first glance. Towards the edge where the forest start, and yet not too terribly close to it, stood the glorious mansion of a particularly high ranked wealthy family, the Gemma family. In fact one could almost call them the single wealthiest in the town, with the only ones that could have rivaled them being the Mascarious family, however thanks to solely to the rather cruel Gemma family no longer existed. The Gemma were a greedy family, the vast size and top quality of their home giving clear show of that, and ones that weren't afraid to pull strings in their favor, or use dishonest ways to get what they desired.


It was no secret that those whom lived within the home and were not of Gemma blood weren't exactly treated civil. One in particular, or at least in speculation and rumors from staff within the home, was a young wolven halfbreed that had been taken in by the family as a show of 'charity' and went simply by the name Siona. It was not uncommon for the child to be seen in rags as she was sent out for errands, when she was free to do as such.


Currently this morning the wolven girl had been permitted an extra hour of sleep, an hour that was now up. Siona woke to the sound of a wooden door banging open and the shout of 'Get up lazy runt! Get dressed and prepare to go to town on an errand for us. And hurry up!'. Deep teal colored eyes slowly opened to hazily meet the owner of the voice. She knew from the screeching high pitched sound of the voice it belonged to the Mistress of the Gemma family. Her light gray colored wolven ears flattened at the noise, but obediently she began to rise, moving back the ragged old blanket that was considered 'hers', to reveal the rag that was called her nightgown. In truth it was nothing more then a scrap faded and black spotted towel that had its two ends sown together. Luckily due to her short size the towel covered down to her knees, though it still did get somewhat cold at night.


Sitting up a cream pale hand with slightly pointed nails pushed aside a few long and pale teal strands of hair, that at first glance almost looked white. Once the stranded nuisances out of the way the hand was soon directed upwards, and joined by the other as the wolf hybrid stretched her deceptively thin, long and delicate looking arms. A light gray wolf tail, that matched her ears, soon joined in the stretching. Her short, thin and powerful legs remained crossed as she continued to stretch a bit and allowed a small yawn to escape her small light pink lips.


Impatiently the woman who had awoken her waited for Siona to finish stretching, knowing full well that trying her tongue too much at the wolf girl could be rather dangerous. Critical gray eyes watched as the wolven girl's arms reached back, stretching out her chest and back, signaling the girl was finally done. “Get dressed now. I need you to deliver a letter to the usual place and be swift about it! You'll find it on the small wooden table near the entrance' and with that the older woman turned and exited the room, wishing to rid herself of the sight of Siona as soon as possible.


As the door to her 'room' closed Siona couldn't help but give out a sneer. “You wouldn't notice if I took my time or not you old wench” she growled quietly under her breath. Standing she turned towards the nearest corner of the room that held her clothing, though not before taking in the rather depressing barrenness of the room. It held no actual furniture, with her own bed being nothing more then some old rushes that the family had originally bought for the stable. The wall were an ugly pale yellow color, with a matching silken curtain that shielded the single window, the curtain perhaps being the only 'fancy' thing in the room. The floors were a dusty brown color and made of creaking wood. It looked as if this were the room that the family had forgotten, and was usually skipped during any house tours.


With a sigh, and shake of her head, she made her way to the ragged clothing heap. The clothes were nothing fancy in the least. Like her night gown they consisted of old cloth and were clearly hand sown. Carefully she dressed herself, not wishing to make holes in the cloth that she would have to sown up. Her clothing for the day consisted of a faded blue long sleeved shirt, with a dusty black over vest that was laced up with some old brown string in the front. A fading brown colored ankle length skirt, that held a slit up one side for maneuverability and a slit in the back for her tail completed the outfit. Shoes were of no concern to her as they were generally too difficult for her to make, and were just plain uncomfortable for her small petite looking feet, that like the nails on her hands contained nails that were slightly pointed as well. In truth she knew she looked like a peasant rather then someone who lived in the Gemma house, but then that's how the Gemma family members preferred it. She figured it was merely to remind her and the citizens of the town that she was not of Gemma blood, a blessing she counted every day. No she was much prouder holding the last name of Mascarious, even if she was the last to hold that name and held it in secret from the town.


The Mascarious family was believed to have been completely wiped out, executed for falsely accused crimes that were the result of the Gemma family, and a fact that Siona cursed everyday. It had been two long years for Siona since the day she saw her older brother and parent hung for a false crime. She would have hung herself had she not been only the age of eight with the treacherous Gemma family secretly agreeing to 'take her in from the cold', an under the table deal as she typically called it.


She made another shake of her head to again clear her mind of such trivial things now. After all she was to go on errand, and although she could be dangerous she was still only ten years of age, and it wasn't wise to keep the Gemma's waiting too terribly long. Besides it would get her out of the house for awhile and held the chance of her running into one of the few friends she actually had.


Quickly and quietly she made her way to the wooden door that had been previously slammed, and opened it slightly. Carefully her wolf ears scanned for sounds of the location of the Gemma's, sniffing the air to catch the scents of those she couldn't hear. Once she was sure the area between 'her' room and the front door was clear she began to sneak her way out. It didn't take her too long to reach the front door, after all she may have been short but she was speedy. The letter that the Gemma Mistress had aforementioned was exactly where she stated it would be, and with a quick swiping movement, soon found its new home in Siona's hand.


With letter in hand she didn't waste any time hurrying her way out the door, down the stoned path from the manor, and over the iron gate that surrounded the property. She scampered down the front street of the manor until she was far enough away to where a normal person wouldn't be able to see the manor. It was only then that she stopped and sniffed the letter in her hand. “Ugh...stinks of perfume as usual...” she said scrunching up her nose and shaking her head. She knew rather well what the letter was probably about, after all they were usually the same, and decided that it could wait for a bit to be delivered. Instead she figured she would at least first check up on one of her few friends in the town and see if he whether he was awake and what mischief he was possibly getting into.

Another day in the more, mature, area of the entertainment district located toward the northeastern part of town. It was an area that constantly meshed the putrid scents of perfume, cologne and sweats just to name a few. Everyone came to this part of time and some point or another. Whether it was for a weekly visit to your favorite courtesan or simply to relieve the stress that had compounded your life for any number of reasons. Life here was simple but nothing to be proud of to say the least. The people who lived this life were mainly women who had no husbands or family to call their own and a few men who had drawn the short straw in life. Now they depended on one another and called each other family.

If you were born into this life, you were just unlucky. The likelihood of knowing who your father was, was low. Then there was a possibility that your mother would never claim you but no one complained about that since everyone was raised collectively by the courtesans. In other words, every woman who was old enough to order you around was respected like your mother or father. And the one's that weren't were your sisters and brothers. It wasn't hard to tell that many of us were definitely not related but there were some who favored each other though that didn't mean you got along because of it.

Some of the children were orphans but no one said anything, they all treated each other the same knowing that everyone leaned on one another for survival. There wasn't much money for food so everyone did their share to scrape up enough to get by so often times the children resorted to thievery in order to fill their stomachs whenever there was no money. There was but one lot in life here, and that meant that you lost your innocence at a young age to prepare you for that.

Anier knew he stood out from the other children. Not because he was an orphan but because of his bloodline. Being half drow and half blood elf would make anyone stand apart simply because of how dark he was. His skin wasn't pitch black like a natural dark elf's but it was dark coming across as more chocolate colored than anything. He was lanky yet well built with definition already being found in his muscles. His hair was a platinum white and fell down just past the blades of his back. He had crystal grey eyes that so full of hope that they almost made them sparkle. In all reality he had a beautiful outer appearance, though with the massive amount of filth that often surrounded him, it was impossible to tell. And as happy as he was that he had a place to go home to at night, it still wasn't enough to shield him from the harsh realities he faced daily.

People often looked at him with a stare that was hard to identify at his age but he wasn't so naive as to think it was nothing to be concerned with. Occasionally it looked as though someone was admiring him, almost as if they could see through his disheveled exterior. Though most appeared more along the lines of pity and then there were the glares that the nobles gave him. Though that was deserved since they were often his targets of choice whenever he needed a quick fix for his tummy.

Still all of this left little in the way of true happiness for the young boy. Until he met Siona. She was the first real friend he had. Even though his siblings never treated him badly, he was still ostracized and it was fairly obvious to him. So often times Anier spent his days wandering the city as an explorer until he bumped into Siona and they became friends. She was kinder and more open toward him than anyone else had ever been and his days with her seemed more full of color than any other.

Anier scampered around the city this morning full of vigor hoping to run into Siona again. They hadn't known each other for long but it was obviously more beneficial to hang with her than to get into trouble stealing, which he was notorious for. Venicia was a large city separated into several districts and Anier knew them all inside out. He was gliding toward the market district just north of the entertainment district when he ran into Durion, another elf who looked out for him because he was a few years older, "Aneir!" Turning to face his sibling the silver maned child waved, "What's up Durion?"
"Did you hear?"
"Hear what?"
"The rumor that the Gemma family had the Roneil's executed!"
"They got the Roneil's too!?!"
"Yup! It seems they mean business."
Aneir shook his head "Man alot of people are dying. This city is getting dangerous to live in." Durion nodded his head, "You got that right. I'm glad we don't have any real money or we might be targets!" The ten year old shivered at the thought, "Don't say things like that! I plan on making it out of this life."

Durion laughed heartily, until he saw the look on Aneir's face, "You really mean it don'cha?"
"Yeah." The older male smiled and placed a hand on his younger brother's head, "Well I suggest you don't get yourself into any trouble before then. Leave the illegal stuff to the pro's" he announced with a wink as he dashed off. The young Anier stood there and watched him as he left, "I'm better at it than you. . ." he said to himself as he continued onward.

Venecia was beautiful. The streets were paved with white slabs of limestone that made it seem more vibrant than most cities. The buildings were mostly made of high class material showing that the quality of life here was relatively high even if you weren't amongst the upper class. The people here are overall a friendly folk until you get into politics. Venicia has a bloody upper class consisting of an upper class of nobles some minor nobles and then the church at the top of the hierarchy.

This was a city full of saints and sinners, angels and demons, life and death. It was easy to tell that your lot in life often seemed to be predetermined by the class you were born into but the facts were a little different. There were loopholes the trick was finding them. . .

Sharp dark teal hued eyes, swiveling light gray wolven ears flickered here and there as Siona slowly began to progress towards the soon to be crowded district area of the city, in an attempt to catch either a glimpse or sound of the half drow and half blood elf child known as Anier. Occasionally she would sniff the air, in an attempt to catch a hint of his scent, however the attempts usually ended up with her scrunching her nose at the unwanted scents that assaulted her. She was still in what was deemed the 'dwelling of nobles', or at least that's what she chose to call it, and it was filled with the smell of 'exotic' perfumed aromas as the women of the aristocracy awoke and either started or finished preparing for their day. "I wish they would learn a little bit goes a long way. They don't have to bathe themselves in it, after all that's what water is for..." the wolven child mumbled and coughed to herself as a particularly powerful scent hit her.

The smells only seemed to worsen as she pushed onward, forcing her to pause for a moment for a rather vicious coughing fit. 'Enhanced senses aren't always what they're cracked up to be that's for sure' she thought as she attempted to shield her nose from the scents and closed her eyes as her coughing increased. Knowing she needed to continue on if she wished to truly rid herself of the sickening odors, she started her forward stumbling once more.

At one point she wasn't entirely looking where she was going and made an accidental brush against one of the still few occupants on the street. Eyes made a quick sweep backwards to see whom she had a run in with, noticing it to be a male. "Sorry sir" she offered as an apology, before returning her gaze forward. "Filthy animal needs to watch where its going..." were the words that her hearing picked up. Immediately she came to a stop and turned, eyes set to a full glare at the 'gentleman'. A low wolfish sounding growl erupted from her throat and her hands clenched at her side. If there was one thing that really sparked her temper it was calling her an animal.

Her eyes caught sight of a shiver that came from the man as he seemed to turn at the sound of her animalistic sound. "You best mind your place mutt and learn not to growl at your superiors" the man sneered in an attempt to sound braver then what he was really feeling. The wolf girl may have been small in size, but the look on her face was that of a predator gazing at its prey, but then for him he only saw it in a flash as the wolven girl suddenly made a leap at him. Her fuse was short and her temper fierce, as the man was currently finding out. Shouts erupted from the noble, as small pointed fangs dug into an arm while a clawed hand took a swipe at his face. Her 'claws' were still too young and short to draw blood, but they did leave some rather satisfying red marks on the skin if she scratched hard enough.

It wasn't too long however that the man's shouts began to cause a true commotion, as small swarms of people began to glance through windows, or begin to pour out of their homes. If there was one thing that drew the attention of these 'stiffs' as Siona at times called some of them, then it was the sound of trouble for another. Ears twitched as a few brave souls, mainly servants of the growing crowds, began to approach to try and dislodge her. Teal eyes flickered towards the approaching people, before forcing her her legs up, placing her small feet against the man. Quickly she released her toothed grip upon the man's arm and simultaneously pushed her legs out, causing her to propel herself away and knocking the man to the ground causing a startled shout to erupt from his throat.

Siona landed with a thud herself as she landed on her hands and feet, wobbling a bit from the impact. Although half of a graceful and well balance animal, her own balance wasn't yet perfect. She shook her head a little and spat to the side to try and rid herself of the rather awful taste that her little 'revenge' had caused. "Get that little beast!" the fallen male shouted once his senses had been knocked back. A few moved to carry out the order and surround the small wolven child.


Shaking her head once more she quickly scrambled to her feet and began to dash off. Her balance may not have been perfect, but her speed was one that she could brag about if she wanted. Of course she was still young and if the right species were chasing after her there was the risk of being caught. She risked a glance back, looking slightly through a few flowing light teal strands of hair that billowed in the crispier growing wind, noticing that there were a few giving chase and not doing too badly by her standards in keeping up. Even as she ran her nose scrunched up a few more times as smells continued to assault her as she ran, but the perfumed scent of nobility was soon beginning to fade out into the more 'natural' and tolerable scents of the city.


A brushing feeling on her tail caused her attention to once more snap back towards those behind her. She had unconsciously began to slow and one of those chasing had managed to get a bit too close. Quickly glancing ahead and to the side she caught side of one of the many side streets of Venecia. Her legs turned almost automatically as she darted down the side street, passing others that had been about their tasks normally. Dodging those on the street only slowed her progress more and make her growl lowly in her throat in frustration. She had hoped the side streets would be deserted and was disappointed to find otherwise.

She continued to run, not quite knowing or paying attention exactly where she was or how many streets she had passed. Scents, sounds and sights were beginning to blend together, though the light thud of her feet remained apparent to her, and soon a shimmer of light against dark caught her eye. As she passed by the 'object' her head turned causing her to realize it wasn't an item, but rather a person. "Aneir?" she called, slightly uncertain as she slowed to a stop, panting slightly for air, and forgetting momentarily that she was being chased. Luckily for her she wasn't the only one that had to slow to dodge people, and she had managed to gain a lead though not a very large one.

Anier's head had been buzzing since his conversation with Durion. He had no idea how to make something of himself or what else there was to do that he had an interest in. He had watched how a courtesan conducts themselves and was honestly rather interested in the allure that they brought. He was even made to sit in and watch one of his mothers work. At first it was disturbing to him because it looked so violent and brutal but then he started to realize that she seemed to be enjoying it and her client seemed more pleased than anyone he had ever seemed.

There was just something about the way that did things that was eye catching. Since he had come here a few years ago, Anier had watched almost all of his mothers and fathers work at some point, a little in awe at how. . . talented some of them were. They often said that this line of work was for those with tainted hearts but Anier had no idea what that even meant so he dismissed it rather easily.

As he walked through the streets of Venecia, he wandered around aimlessly allowing his body to go into autopilot as he contemplated and daydreamed. He strolled by a few citizens who gave him awkward looks as he passed but the silver eyed boy was too concerned with his mental dealings to pay any attention to it. As he cut down a side street that he was all to familiar with he finally came to when he heard a commotion about. His long pointed ears picked up the patting of feet and a few jumbled shouts as his eyes spotted a body running in his direction quickly.

The boy squinted a little trying to see if he could recognize the person from the distance and as it moved closer he realized he did. It was Siona. At first it seemed like she didn't notice him but then she looked up and her mind finally caught up with her body as she slowed to a stop after calling his name. He looked at the wolven girl and instinctively snatched her by the arm and darted into a nearby alley, "What happened Siona, why are you running?" His voice was gentle and obviously concerned with her well being more than anything else.

Then, out of pure instinct, he began inspecting her body looking for any bruises or cuts. His hands checked her entire body without shame, not even noticing if he was violating her in any way. Finally, once he was done with her bodily inspection, he took her hands into his, "Are you alright?" His eyes were frantic and had an edge of anger within them. No one would hurt anyone that Anier deemed to be his friend.

The dark teal gaze glanced momentarily from Anier as a shout from one of her now rapidly gaining pursuers caught her attention. It was soon snapped however as she felt a hand on her arm and allowed her body to be lead into a nearby alley. Her breath continued to come out in small pants as she attempted so slow her heart rate down from the physical exorcise it had just received. Her furred ears twitched at the Anier's first question, though her lips remained silent as she quietly watched her first pursuer run by the alleyway, attempting to catch what was no longer in front of him and wouldn't find any time soon.

She then opened her small mouth to answer, however stopped before any sound came out as the sound of her second pursuer reached her only a few moments after the first. It was a female servant this time and she too darted pass the alley. The wolven girl's ears twitched again, attempting to catch the sound of a possible third chaser, but came up with nothing. Sure that for now she had eluded capture, thanks to her friend, she turned her attention back to the platinum white haired boy, who was now searching her body for injuries in a more hands on manner then what was probably necessary. Instinctively a light pinkish blush graced her pale cheeks as various areas were checked, though shook her head slightly to reorganize her mental attention.

"I sort of...bit a noble...He started it though" she replied, her ears flattening slightly, knowing just how childish her words probably sounded. The offense she committed was relatively high, and the excuse of 'they started it' wasn't exactly a reason to warrant her actions, but then that hadn't really stopped her. "I don't know if I'll be able to shake this taste out of my mouth for awhile though. He should really consider changing whatever he's using. Aside from that though I'm alright thanks to you.", her hands giving his a reassuring squeeze. Her tongue stuck out as she made a slight displeased look at the mention of flavor. She should seen the emotions flashed in his eyes and couldn't help but feel a bit touched that she had someone who had true concern about her once more, but then she also knew that she didn't wish for him to feel anger or worry about her rather childish actions.

She offered her friend a smile yet appreciative smile at his help and concern, which was soon accompanied by a 'wag' of her fluffed tail. Her breath was now coming in normally, her brain now convinced that it indeed had enough air and didn't require the panting any longer. "I'm glad I ran into you though. Who knows how long those people were willing to chase me. I think they're either getting quicker or I'm getting slower" she said, giving a slight attempt at both humor and to try and soothe the edge of anger and frantic look in the adjacent gray eyes.

The lanky boy had been so concerned with his friend's well being he hadn't even noticed the pursuers dashing by. Then after she explained the situation his body reacted instantly and before he could catch himself he had slapped the girl, "What were you thinking!?! You could be killed for that!" His body was trembling with a controlled anger. Anier had one sibling whom he could confide in but he was older and worked on occasion as well as was gone alot. So Siona was the only real friend he had anything to do with and it angered him that she would put herself in situations like that.

Not that he necessarily had room to talk but he had a reason behind his mischief. She had a roof over her head and was far better off than he was so it pissed him off to see her acting like that. "Siona remember, you have a better life than most, don't ruin that over anything petty. . ." he said with his anger subsiding as his true emotions flowed to the surface. Then a crooked grin surfaced on the elf's face as a wave of relief surged over him. "I'm glad you're ok but don't do anything rash like that again, please." Then he hugged the girl's neck as his anger subsided. After releasing her from his grip he grinned slightly as he asked, "So, what you got planned today?"

The wolven girl flinched at the slap and soon a pale hand came to lightly rub the reddening hand mark on her cheek. "I was thinking he had no right to call me an animal or mutt. Nobel or not I won't allow someone to get away with that insult. Besides you're only killed if your caught and I wouldn't allow that kind of mistake." She wasn't upset by Anier's actions, after all she was starting to expect such things, although she didn't particularly like to seem him that upset. She knew her actions were stupid and childish, but it was a revenge that she felt was justified enough. Of course though she also knew pulling stunts like that wasn't something she could do too often, after all it would mean that if she were caught and killed she'd be leaving behind one of her only, if not her only, friend and that tore away at her.

Her gaze drifted slightly as he mentioned she had a better life then most and that she shouldn't ruin it over something so petty. "Right...a better life...That noble's offense might seem petty, but to me it's a bigger insult then most can imagine, and it wouldn't be right if I simply allowed him to carry on with his merry way without giving him some reminder that wealth doesn't make you invincible. It's something a lot of people have forgotten nowadays, but I've a feeling that, that will soon come to an end" she replied with an almost subtle smirk. The pride of her true family still burned through her veins, or perhaps it was a sort of 'wolf pride' that she didn't understand, although trying to explain that without revealing her identity as the last child of Mascarious family and that was a danger in and of itself at the moment.

A softer smile graced her lips however as the elven boy's anger calmed and his words were of a much gentler request. Gently she returned the boy's hug, enjoying feeling the warmth of care once more. "I'll be sure not to make a habit of those kinds of stunts" her promise coming out soft and genuine. Once released the she could see the familiar grin on her friends face as he asked what her plans for the day were this time. "Well I heard that they have something interesting coming in at the docks today. The Gemma family didn't seem to thrilled by it so it's probably something good and fun. We could go check that out. I heard that it came from some place far away and is only going to be here a short while" the girl said almost excitedly as a different sort of mischief appeared in her eye, one that would be a bit more harmless then the one she had just gotten into.

"I know what you were thinking and I'm telling you to think a little harder before reacting next time. Sometimes the best thing we can do is to do nothing. . ." He knew Siona wasn't going to be in the mood to hear that after being insulted but it was the truth of the matter. Still her rashness had a base and he understood it and had no reason to fault her for it he just wished she wouldn't allow it to get her into trouble. It would only take one time for her to piss off the wrong noble and her life was forfeit no matter how prestigious her family once was so she was treading in shallow waters if her act didn't straighten up.

Her rebuttal to his comment about her having a better life angered the male a bit but he kept a calm demeanor, "Look, you know that there is nothing, and I emphasize nothing, that we can do about our circumstances. Our lives were changed once we drew the short straw and that's just our luck." The thought was demoralizing but Anier understood why everyone laughed at him when he said he was planning on making something of himself. He was being raised by courtesans. It was highly unlikely that he would be anything other than a courtesan himself once he was old enough to make that choice. He had no people skills. Child by day, thief by night. He didn't know any better and to be honest on top of all of that he was interested in the pleasure that seemed to be involved with the job.

As sad as it was, he only had a few more years until he would have to start selling his body and his eyes became as lifeless as everyone else's. It eased his mind to hear that she would try and work on her temper. He listened intently as the wolven female explained the things going on today and the youth's eyes lit up as a bit of mischief seemed evident. "Let's go take a look and check it out then!" Although Anier was the cautious one of the two he was still fairly mischievous his self, though he just seldom got caught.

"If I had done nothing then he wouldn't have learned his lesson. Besides if I had done nothing who's to say the next offense wouldn't have been something more extreme?" The question wasn't really serious and her tone had turned a bit more dismissive at her own words. She had already said her peace for her defense and so for her there wasn't much more she could or wished to say about the incident. She knew her words probably wouldn't get quite a positive reaction or thought from her friend, but then that wasn't anything too new. Her thoughts and actions were usually of a rather disturbing sort and ones that called question to exactly how high she truly valued her life. However she was usually careful enough to not do anything too negative or rash, or at least have the sense enough not to get caught, that would immediately put an end to her life.

At his next words her ears, which had perked from her suggestion of the dock, flattened slightly. "That's where you're wrong Anier. Each person has the ability to change their circumstances or life, otherwise we wouldn't have the luxury of making any sort of decisions ourselves on anything, and everything that we do effect our circumstances whether it seems significant or not. I truly believe as well someday we shall both make decisions that will turn our lives around once more, but then that's just a belief of mine" she said with a small chuckle as she cautiously glanced out from the alleyway they currently occupied. The last thing she wanted was to accidentally run into one of her previous pursuers and end up in even more trouble.

The wolven girl could very well understand the light of mischief in the half elven boy's eyes, as it mirrored her own. "It looks like things are clear for now and have calmed down. Let's go while the going's good" she said as another grin spread across her face. She was only cautious for a few more moments as she carefully moved from the safe haven of the alley. Once it was certain that there would be no arms of a stranger grabbing her and demanding justice, she returned to her typical more carefree nature. Her teal gaze glanced around, identifying where they currently were and determining how far from the docks they were at the moment. The scent of the air held the slight smell of salt in the air so she knew they weren't too terribly far, and the sounds of shouts of activity helped support the idea.

Once she was certain of which direction to go she began her walk, one that held both confidence and pride yet the playfulness of a child, believing that her friend would be joining her towards the docks. She attempted to keep a somewhat relaxed pace, though as the docks neared she couldn't help but slightly increase it in excitement. The sounds of shouts and roars of strange animals soon reached her ears. There was far more activity then what the docks of Venecia were use to. It wasn't unusual for some ships to carry a fair amount of people in strange clothing, but this was far more then what the wolven child was expecting. While most passengers from foreign lands had at least some sort of pattern, these visitors seemed to lack it, with fashion styles being more erratic and random. Animals in large cages, ones she had never laid eyes on before, were in the process of being unloaded from various boats using a sort of crude pulley system. One cage particular held an animal so large that a few pulleys were currently working on hoisting its cage from the ship dock. "Whoa...I wonder what that thing is..." came the excited whisper as a hand gently touched the arm of her friend, almost in an attempt to prove to herself that she wasn't dreaming at the moment.

(Man I thought I replied to this like two weeks ago. . . :sweat: No wonder there hasn't been another post. I'm really sorry. . . :cry: )

Sighing to himself the young boy shook his head and shrugged lightly, "That's the situation we live in and the reality we have to face daily." It was the truth and the worse part about their situation was that it made the kids grow up so much faster than they had to. Anier was only ten years of age and he had the mind frame like that of a late teenager. It was one of the flaws of their situation but he had long since come to terms with the world that he lived in; it just seemed to make the trials of life easier on him. He looked at Siona and smiled knowing that they were bound to argue forever if he had tried to push the subject but both of them seemed to have said their share so it was apparent that the conversation was over.

His friend seemed saddened by his realist type comment but it was just the way he felt but she made it clear that she was of the opposite opinion. Not that it would change his mindset but at least they had both said their peace. Once the wolven girl was done speaking and checking out the surroundings to be sure that they were clear Anier followed her to the docks to check out this information that she had. If there was something that the Gemma family didn't want around, it usually didn't stay around too long so this was definitely worth checking into before it vanished just like everything else that they touched.

Siona's walk reeked of excitement and Anier's probably wasn't too different. The scent of salt and sea creatures filled the elven boy's nostrils telling him they they were near. Within a few more minutes they reached their destination coming up on a ship full of exotic looking creatures and people. The boy's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at all the different things that were being unloaded off of the boat, "WOW. . . What is all of this?" They boy's heart pounded against his chest in excitement and his silvery grey eyes darted all over the place unable to find one thing to focus all of his attention on. He barely even registered when his female companion laid a hand on him because of his giddiness.

It was in this moment that it was apparent that Anier was a child as a large wide grin settled on his caramel chocolate features. He was so enamored with the scene before him that he didn't know what to do so he just looked around in awe for a time before setting his eyes on a particularly vicious looking creature in a glass cage, "Siona, look at that!" The monster sat silently coiled up, eyes cold and insidious like a void cutting through the sun. It was obviously a predator, with it looking almost as if it were simply waiting for a chance to lash out at the first thing to get close. Probably part of the reason it was in a glass cage and not a regular steel one or so he thought.

In all his excitement Anier failed to notice the extravagantly dressed human male standing behind them with a crooked grin on his scruffy looking face. The male was of average height with long brown wavy hair that fell below his shoulders. He had a full chinstrap and goatee against olive colored skin that was brought out by his all white outfit. He also wore a brown belt and a folded white bandana all accented with gold jewelry on his neck, wrists, ears and even ankles. It was a gaudy outfit if not as colorful as most of the others but that seemed to be the style wherever they were from. Most of the people wore a ton of jewelry and extravagant multi-colored colored outfits. Anier didn't think it was practical but it looked like it fit them.

"You kids should probably stay back from the cages. Some of these animals are pretty dangerous," said the deep festive voice. The young elf snapped around immediately, apparently startled by the voice, and pulled the dagger from his belt instinctively, "Who are you," he barked aggressively. The larger male unafraid threw his hands up in defeat but his eyes narrowed slightly, "Whoa, slow down there kid, that thing's dangerous," he said nodding towards the dagger. For some reason when the man spoke to him, a wave of fear swept over Anier as his silver eyes met the older male's emerald ones. The man's voice had come off as innocent but something inside Anier had picked up a menacing undertone. In that second he felt as if he were staring at an uncaged beast and dropped the dagger.

Stunned for a moment, he quickly picked it back up when he recovered but decided to put it away to hide the trembling in his hands. He couldn't look scared in front of Siona. "Good boy. Now what are you two doing here, shouldn't you be somewhere like school?" Still a bit taken aback Anier was going to speak but found that he couldn't locate his voice, so he elected to stay silent rather than look foolish.

(figured now would be a good time to introduce the future master. . . feel free to use him)

(Lol no worries. :D)

Siona's wave of excitement continued to mount as she continued to gaze out at the strange creatures and apparel of the surrounding people. Her ears twitched at Anier's question, noticing barely the excitement within her friend's voice that rivaled her own. "I...don't know...but it's cool whatever it is!" she whispered in a rush. She could pick up the sounds of two rapid heartbeats faintly, though knew that they probably belonged to herself and the half elven boy beside her. The hand on the boy's arm unconsciously gave a small squeeze in the midst of her awe.

Her gaze whipped around to what it was that Anier had pointed out. It was a rather unusual creature, not that they all weren't, as this one definitely had more of a gaze full of malice and threat. For a brief moment the wolven girl's and the creature's gaze locked, and for a brief moment the girl's eyes seemed to narrow slightly and began to reflect the predator within as a feeling of challenge passed through her mind. It was only after the gazes seemed to both intensify greatly did Siona finally back down instinctively. There was a danger in those eyes that was far greater then what were in her own, and she knew when she'd really be outmatched.

It was only a split moment after that her attention towards the creature had begun to shift when she suddenly heard an unfamiliar male's voice coming from behind them, causing her to release Anier's arm as she jumped, whirled around and barely managed to land on her feet, yet still retaining a look of grace despite the almost blunder, as a yelp of surprise escaped her throat before it turned into a wolfish warning growl. Very little could truly surprise the light teal haired girl, but when it did her actions were usually extreme. She herself held no actual weapon, other than her natural ones she was born with, though considering her still fairly short stature compared to the man's those probably wouldn't come in handy.

The flash of metal against the sun caused dark teal eyes to shift briefly to the side where her friend was standing, noting the small dagger in his hand, causing a small sense of security to form within her. If the man meant harm perhaps she and Anier would be able to take him on and come out alive. That thought soon vanished as her gaze returned to the male as he spoke once more. "Well...well you shouldn't sneak up on people! It could...could...do..bad things!" the half wolf attempted to squeak out slightly with a growl, feeling a need to seem brave, though failing at trying to come up with the right word choice.

Teal and emerald eyes locked and Siona couldn't help but feel she had once more locked eyes with the creature behind her, just in human form. Although on the surface the look from the older male seemed more innocent, Siona could feel a sense of danger from him causing her to back down, just as she had with the creature in the glass cage. The clinging of dropping metal reached her ears and she knew that she wasn't the only one that felt danger.

"...We're...um...What are you doing here?" she asked with another attempt at bravery and pointed a slightly quivering finger. A chuckle became her answer as the male gestured to himself. "Well isn't it obvious. I belong here much more then you two do, so I'll ask you again. What are you two doing here and why are you not somewhere such as in school?"

Siona's mind raced for some sort of answer. Would it be safe to simply say they had come out of curiosity for something the Gemma family seemed to despise? No...that would be dangerous to say since someone could rely that message back to the Gemma's themselves. "We're...here on an errand for our...masters...You see we're...apprentices..." she stammered out, feeling a need to slap herself in the forehead for that one. He didn't seem like the type that would be stupid enough to fall for such a lie.

"Oh really? And what is your trade that you're studying that would require you to be here hm?" asked the male with a slight smile of amusement on his face. It wasn't really rocket science to figure out the explanation was a lie, but it was just so much more amusing to play along a bit, especially as his question produced the result of the small girl giving a small elbowed nudge towards the boy beside her.

Anier stood next to Siona with a slight sneer on his face to show defiance as Siona took the reigns of conversation in hand. Though as the conversation wore on the sneer slowly faded when he realized just how sharp the man was. This wasn't like dealing with the nobles around here who's heads were so far up their asses they couldn't think straight half the time no matter how intelligent they were. This man obviously had a real brain attached somewhere up there. Then just as his female companion's excuses had worn thin she gave him a nudge passing the torch back to him.

Not really sure that any lie he could come up with was sufficient enough to fool this man's awareness, the elven boy sighed then looked to his partner in crime and shook his head as if to say, I'm about to tell the truth. Peering back up at the brown haired male Anier spoke softly, "I'm an orphan and she's a servant girl. Neither of us has anyone to pay for our education so we can't afford to go to school." It was at this point that Anier's eyes began to fill to the brim and his voice began to tremble slightly, "We. . . we just came down here. . . t-to see what all the fuss was, we didn't mean to get in the way."

Seemingly caught off guard by the sincerity and honesty that the boy showed the man's expression changed from mild amusement to something that resembled sympathy. He bent down and laid a hand on the two children's heads, "Whoa whoa, slow down there little guy. I didn't know, I'm. . . I'm sorry alright." His eyes shifted between the two children slowly as he tried to think of something to calm them. But just as he was about to open his mouth a group of Templar's appeared on the docks. "You there! Who is the head of this convoy!" The human male stood up and pointed towards another male who was dressed similarly to himself but wore a hat as well.

The Templar captain and his soldier marched past the three of them one of them brushing past Anier and knocking him into Siona, "Stay out of the way low life!" The silver eyed boy nodded, knowing that talking back would only cause trouble that he couldn't escape. You didn't mess with the Templar's. The church was the highest authority in all of Venicia, which made the Templar's the army and the law enforcement. They were more bullies than anything, with most of them supposedly being from noble families one way or another so they had high noses anyway.

As the boy gripped his shoulder which had received a slight cut from the Templar armor as he looked to the wolven girl apologetically, "Sorry Siona," he almost whispered. Then out of the corner of his eye he could see a demonic look stemming from the emerald eyed man who still standing by them. He seemed upset for some reason but the boy hadn't the slightest idea why. It was a frightening look so Anier kept his eyes focused on the girl next to him.

Siona didn't miss the look in Anier's eyes and knew that her lie would soon enough be revealed. A small sigh of slight defeat passed quietly through her lips as her gaze shifted downward towards the wooden planks of the dock below their feet. Teal eyes closed as her elven friend told their true reason for being there, though was thankful that the Gemma family had been left out of the conversation. Her ears flattened slightly at the word servant girl however though they were essentially true now.

Her gaze drifted up once more as she heard the man speak in a seemingly more comforting tone. Instinctively her ears completely flattened as she felt the weight of the man's hand on her head and had to resist the slight urge to shake it off. Her attention was suddenly shifted again as she heard yet another unfamiliar shout, however the scent was easily identifiable. She turned her head in time to see her friend suddenly coming towards her as he was unceremoniously shoved causing her to stumble slightly herself, though managed to prevent a fall. A low growl escaped her throat as the scent of blood soon drifted to her nose and knew its origin. Of course there wasn't much she could do as even she wasn't willing to tangle with the Templars as she did the other nobles.

Instead she turned her attention towards Anier, noting that he was now gripping his shoulder. At his words the wolven girl calmly shook his head. "It's alright, there's nothing that you need to apologize for. If anything that oaf of a Templar should be apologizing to you for injuring you..." she whispered back quietly as a mixture of both concern for her friend and anger towards the one that harmed him intermingled in her tone.

The corner of her dark colored eyes suddenly caught the dangerous look in the adult male's, causing a shiver to run down her spine in pure terror. Quickly she adverted her attention back to Anier to try and prevent another shiver to pass. "Show me your shoulder" she calmly whispered as she nodded towards the indicated area.

The venomous look of the man continued until the back of the offending Templar was far enough from his sight. 'Your time will soon come Templars and you will soon learn that you are not as godly as you think.' Emerald eyes then slowly shifted back towards the children before him, his features lightening drastically. "Are you alright there son?" he asked Anier, his tone mirroring only concern, bending down slightly to check what the damage was.

The elven boy examined his own arm before deciding if he should show it to the others. He saw the concern in Siona's eyes but only heard concern in the brown haired male's voice. And it was the male's eyes that caught Anier's attention. It seemed he held some disdain for the templars to a certain extent but the elf couldn't determine just how much. "It's nothing but a scratch," he finally said in response to the lingering concerns about his shoulder. He also gave a reassuring smile hoping that would be enough to diffuse his companion.

Then looking to the mysterious newcomer he asked, "Who are you? Or what are you guys and what do you do?" The male looked surprised at the question for a moment. As he looked at the boy he noticed the look in his eye was silently impressed as he could tell the elven child was a little more witty than originally presumed. Though he could tell the difference between him and the girl. There was a defining edge about the girl that seemed to be lacking in the boy. "Firstly, I'm glad you're alright. And to answer your question, we are simply a band of travelling performers and I am but one small piece to a larger puzzle. "

A bewildered look grew on the grey eyed boy's face as he tried to figure out what exactly the man meant by that but he soon he realized he had no idea so he left it alone. Then looking to his partner the young boy asked, "So what do we do now? We came, we saw, I got injured. . . So now what?" This little exploration trip had been fun but in all honesty the Templars had ruined his mood and he needed to go dress his injury before he lost too much blood. He certainly wasn't going to tell them how deep his cut was so he ignored the pain as if it wasn't there.

Siona frowned slightly as Anier stated his wound was merely a scratch and gave her a smile. The scent of blood was the only thing that hinted to her that it was perhaps more serious then he was playing it off to be, but for the meantime she would let it go. "If you're sure..." she whispered quietly, giving her tone the only hint she wasn't completely convinced. When the two of them were alone she figured she would try again to get him to let her examine his wound, though she wasn't entirely sure if she would succeed in that anyways. That wouldn't stop her from trying of course.

Her attention turned back towards the older male at the elven boy's question, a bit curious herself as to the answers. Again a frown played on her face as she heard the answer. Unknowingly like her companion she tried to make sense of it, though it only ended with her feeling a bit more confused a slight headache, so she decided to simply think of it as he was simply part of an acting troupe or something. It was an answer that somewhat satisfied her, though she knew that the last part of his answer would still bug her a bit. The older male seemed to pick up on this and let out a quiet laugh. "One day you'll understand fully what I meant, until then don't trouble yourselves with it alright?" he tone was light and non offensive though still held an air of amusement to it.

Siona's gaze once more wandered to her friend and could tell that the mood had indeed been killed. "Perhaps we should head back to take care of that, no matter how small it may be" she whispered back as she nodded towards the younger male's shoulder. She wanted to find out what the true extent was and to figure out how much trouble she would attempt to cause the Templar that had dared to harm her friend. It was a risky game in and of itself that could lead to death if she wasn't careful, but she knew enough not to do anything too drastic...for the most part.

The two soon departed from the unnamed man but Anier found that after their meeting he wanted to know more about them. It seemed that the band of men that had come through were only doing just that. . . passing through. They stayed in the city for a day or so and went further inland in pursuit of their purpose apparently. They days thereafter were stagnant. He continued to spend the next few weeks in the company of Siona whenever they could meet and life resumed as it always had. This cesspit of a city, in his eyes, was were he would live and die without even having a chance to find his own way but his mouth made it seem like he still carried some glimmer of hope.

-------

Rising as he always did, just before the sun rose above the horizon, Anier got up and went to take a dip in a nearby lake outside of town. It was actually quite the walk but at least he would be clean and able to see what his mesmerizing golden brown skin looked like once more. After the travelling unit had left, the young elf had taken to exploring the borders outside the city which consisted of mainly a woodland forest. He hadn't travelled too far from the city since he only had a small knife for protection, but he soon found that most of the animals avoided contact with him.

One day while he was out exploring a new area of the forest that he was unfamiliar with, the boy came across a freshwater lake. It wasn't overly large but it was large enough that he was afraid to go too far in. After finding it, he began taking baths and teaching himself to swim in it as well. Once he himself had memorized how to get there and learned how to swim he told Siona about it and invited her to join him when she had enough time to make there since it was far enough that the walk there and back to the city could take almost a quarter of the day.

(not exactly sure where I wanna go with this but it'll all come together somehow I suppose lol. . . sorry for the stinkiness of my post :sweat: )

(Lol it's all good. Sorry it took so long the holiday season is upon us and people are just...crazy. We already have people ordering Christmas dinners even before Thanksgiving and they're still coming @.@ And we'll think of something. ^.^)

After meeting the mysterious man, Siona found herself too desiring more information about the troupe and especially more about the stranger they had encountered. The group and the man however didn't exactly stay long enough for the wolf hybrid to find out too much more other then the fact that their presence only seemed to aggravate the Gemma family more then ever. Days after the group left it appeared life went back to normal, with the exception of the wolven girl trying to sneak out more and more to spend time with her friend. Although she made it only appear that things were back to their usual routine, however the truth was things were becoming more and more unbearable in the household as the family began receiving mysterious threatening letters and suspicion within the home rose, especially with her. She did her best however to not give any hint of the troubles in the place she was now labeling as a prison or mad house. Her meetings with Anier mainly helped her put up with the madness and false accusations.

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Typically her mornings started with the rise of the sun, as her nights were beginning to grow later and later, however on one particular morning she awoke before the sun to the practical screeching of the Madam of the house. It wasn't long after that the door to her 'room' was slammed open and the raging woman stomped in. Dark teal eyes sleepily opened, trying to blink away sleep, as the wolf ears on her head twitched trying to process what exactly the woman was screeching about so early.

She had been able to process only a few words, something about a fancy dress, and either theft or forgetting something about it, either way she wasn't exactly sure what was going on to make the woman rage. What she did understand was the sudden rough grab of her arm and a forceful push of ragged clothing into her arms as she was immediately forced to her feet. Before the wolf child could utter either a protest or question though the Gemma woman stormed back out, flailing hands in the air and still screeching some sort of nonsense. Either way Siona found that as a cue to dress as quickly as she could and possibly sneak out as fast as she could.

It wasn't until she was dressed and almost at the door that her hearing picked up the conversation that the previously raging woman that had awoken her so early was having the with 'Gentleman' of the house, as he called himself, though she found the term husband was a bit more appropriate and simpler. From what she could tell the 'Madam' had forgotten to send Siona out to pick up a sort of 'special occasion' dress that she had requested the town's seamstress to make for her, though she was passing it off as the wolf girl stealing it for herself the day before.

Of course the light haired girl couldn't help but huff at the newest accusation and before she could listen to anymore of the garbage coming from the woman she quietly opened the door and slipped out. It was bad enough that she was up earlier then her normal schedule that she felt that hearing the false allegation of the woman wasn't worth it. Instead she decided to try and pay a visit to the elven boy. He had recently invited her to join him in going to a lake he had discovered on one of his explorations, perhaps today would be a good day to take him up on that offer, since she was up and all before dawn. She wondered briefly if he would even be awake, though she soon dismissed that thought knowing that he was usually up before she typically was from previous conversations they had, had.

That brought her to wonder if he would even be around if he was already up and not elsewhere either exploring or possibly doing something else. Either way though she figured she would find out one way or another as she made her way towards the section of town that was more for 'adult' entertainment. It was an area she still wasn't too familiar with just yet, which depending on the situations may or may not have been a good thing, but then with her sense of smell she figured it wouldn't be too terribly hard...At least that's what she had first thought before being slightly assaulted by various odors of perfumes, both cheap and expensive smelling, as well as a few others she couldn't quite identify. In all honesty it didn't seem that any of her keen senses were going to be of much help as her hearing was picking up sounds all around, some of which were difficult to try and tune out. So instead she elected that for now her best choice of finding her elven friend was to wander around a bit, after all they'd have to run into each other eventually, or at least she hoped they would.

(You're fine ^_^)

After finishing up his bath and washing his dirt stained cloths, Anier returned to town. His walk was filled with thoughts of today and its exploration along with other things. As arrived back in the city, with a walk befitting of a peasant, he remembered just how much he hated it here. And with that thought came the idea of leaving this town along with Siona. Neither of them deserved this life. There had to be something more for them out there some way or another. The elven boy didn't want to spend the rest of his days here and he knew Siona was probably even worse off than he was.

Navigating the back streets of the city to avoid the Templars, he arrived back in the Adult District. As early as it was, there were already some courtesans at work. You could hear both male and female moans and screams echoing throughout the streets. Heading back to the building he considered home he saw a pair of familiar ears and a tail, strolling down the street towards him. "Siona? What are you doing here so early?"

It was odd seeing her here this early. Anier never saw her here this early so it caught him off guard for sure, and it made him wonder. "Is everything alright?"

By now the wolven girl's ears had flattened slightly to her head as Siona attempted to drown out the various echoed screams, moans and groans that permeated the air. Her dark gaze was slightly sporadic in where it was directed as she attempted to keep an eye out for Anier so when she had suddenly heard his voice coming from ahead she couldn't help but jump a bit as she wheeled her gaze towards him. She was relieved to find it was indeed her friend, as the slight wagging sway of tail betrayed.

She smiled and shrugged a bit as the light haired boy questioned her. "Snuck out early. The 'Madam' is...going a little crazy right now so I figured it was best to keep myself scarce from the house for awhile, the same old same old" she replied with another shrug as she suddenly let out a sneeze from a particularly powerful scent of perfume reached her nose. 'How can people be out this early...' she thought with a slight shake of her head. She was still relatively sleepy, but she figured she would wake up more as the morning went on.

"I figured since I'll have a bit more time then usual we might be able to go exploring together, or go to that one lake place you were talking about before" she continued figuring it best to only glance over details of what was going on as she really didn't wish for Anier to worry, or even think much of her situation herself. Right now she was a bit more interested in having fun with her friend rather then worry about what would happen when she returned to the household.

Anier couldn't help but smile as he took the girl into his arms for a brief embrace. He knew this wasn't her element and it was obvious that the sounds and fumes seemed to bother her. Taking her smaller hand into his own, Anier intertwined their fingers and lead her out towards the market district as she spoke. Hearing how the madam was upset gave the elf reason for worry but he did his best not show it. There was no telling what would happen when she went home, they needed to do something. On top of that Anier was a wanted little elf. He had been pulling some pranks in hopes of getting back at the Templars for what they did to him but it was starting to backfire on him. He hadn't told Siona yet because he didn't want her get in the same situation.

When the wolven girl mentioned that she wanted to go to the lake, a broad beaming smile grew on the slender elf's face. Since he was clean for the first time in a week, you could see just how unique the half blood's skin was. His milk chocolate skin seemed to glow a bit as the sun peaked over the horizon. The silvery eyed male glanced at Siona then asked, "Lets get breakfast first then we'll head out there. Sound good?" Not really waiting for an answer the male slipped his fingers away from hers, "Wait right here, I'll be back in a few minutes."

And without another word he dashed off. The vendors were just setting up shop all over the district which made this the perfect time to have sticky fingers. Slipping through and grabbing a loaf of bread and a few apples without being seen, the little thief made his way back to the young girl waiting for him. Pulling off his shirt and tying it so that the food wouldn't slip out, he smiled at Siona motioned for her to follow. "Come on, we'll eat by the lake."

He held out his free hand for her to take, if she wanted, as they walked, "I'm sorry things aren't going well but hopefully they will get better. Look on the bright side, at least you aren't wanted right?" The question was meant to lighten the mood though he wasn't sure if he should tell her about his little problem either, but he wanted to.

Siona hadn't quite been expecting the sudden embrace so she couldn't quite help stiffening a little in Anier's arms initially. She had also taken a slight notice in the sound of her heart rate increasing, though it wasn't so much that it was any serious concern to her at the moment. The wolven child soon relaxed however as the natural scent of her elven friend replaced the rather pungent aroma of perfumes and the smell of sweat. She was a bit curious as to how a scent could have such an effect, but figured it was probably something to do with smelling something familiar in a place full of unfamiliar ones. Before the concept of returning the embrace occurred to the light teal haired female it was over, though replaced with the silver haired boy's hand in hers as he led her away from the adult entertainment section of the town.

At seeing her companion's smile, and incidentally the rather clean gleam that he now portrayed that showed off his hereditary features, Siona couldn't help but radiate her own genuine smile. For her the sight was almost like seeing a star shining brightly in the daytime and bringing the sun itself to shame, a thought that soon caused a slight shade of light pink to cascade across her cheeks. The wolf halfling was soon drawn from the thought as the question of breakfast came up. She was indeed a bit hungry and believed it to be a good idea, after all it was never good skipping a meal especially at their age, though before she could either voice her opinion for or against it the idea, Anier had already gone for the mentioned breakfast.

The silver haired elven boy wasn't gone long, but it was long enough for her to examine her recent thoughts and actions as of late, especially this morning. 'Perhaps it's the early morning hour...I can't say that it's normal for me to be up and about already so maybe that's it. I must have less control when I wake up at an unfamiliar hour' she thought, nodding her head as a way of convincing herself that, that was the reason she was feeling so...flustered. The smell of food and the sound of the young male's voice again called Siona away from her mental excuses. The smell of food had initially caught her attention, however it was soon again diverted to the sight of what she considered a rather well toned torso with a lovely skin tone and...well she decided to quickly cut off any further thoughts with a slight shake of her head. 'Focus on the food...focus on the food...focus...on...the...food...Siona...' she thought to herself quickly as she again directed a smile towards her friend. "Sounds like a plan" she agreed with a nod of her head and took the slightly larger offered hand. Her own light and creamy colored hand was a contrast to his though she really didn't mind such a thing, as she once more decided to stop the thought before it went any further.

"You're right about that, I'm sure things will get better soon enough. And I suppose I could say that's true enough, though who knows how long that'll last you know? Especially since I seem trouble and I are in a continuous waltz...Just like I know you are" she said with a chuckle as she happily followed in the direction that she was being led in rather willingly, after all he was the one that knew the way to the lake. A gleam caught the corner of one of her eyes as a familiar yet unpleasant scent reached her nose. "I think...we'll have to be careful this morning. Trouble already seems to be awake" she stated with a smile that had a hint of mischief that she tried to cover with a sort of false 'innocence' to it.

Anier noticed that he seemed to have caught his female companion off guard with his hug but she relaxed after a while, which was a good sign. He knew he had to do something to take her mind off of the negatives that had plagued her morning. He was hoping a little affection would do the trick. He was learning from some of the older courtesans how to gain customers and how to make them feel relaxed. Apparently if you applied them personally it worked too.

Seeing Siona smile brightened the boy's day and it was good that she was so willing to follow him. Today was going well for him so far, a thought that was almost scary in a sense. Listening to his friend's reply made his burst out in laughter, "That is true, but I do hope it lasts long enough for us to make it out of this cesspit." His smile faded between his words and hers. He nodded and then picked up the pace in hopes of making it to the edge of the town before he came into contact with a Templar.

Sighing low so that she wouldn't pick up on his stress, he glanced back at the girl wolf like features. Her cute little ears and her overly alert orbs of teal. She really was pretty and against his better judgement he decided to let her know his situation. "Siona I. . . I have to tell you something." His eyes darted around as he lead her through a series of back alleys, "I'm wanted by the Templars." The elf didn't bother to turn around to see her reaction, he could feel it.

(Sorry so short but I wanted to leave room for conversation development :sweat: )

(Lol no worries. ^.^)

Siona's smile once more turned genuine as Anier's laughter rang through her ears, causing them to twitch happily. A small chuckle escaped at her friend's reply. "It would be nice. I guess we'll just have to see, though hopefully it we won't have to have too long of a wait. Mischief is a little...too much fun I think" she whispered with a giggle as she continued to follow the elven boy's lead. Her ears were on the constant look out for any suspicious noise while her dark colored eyes continued to be watchful for any signs of danger, and avoid any sort of distractions that were becoming a little harder to ignore.

Her attention settled fully on the other youth as he stated that he needed to tell her something. A strange sensation began to well in the back of her mind and pit of her stomach, calling forth a sense of nervousness that she couldn't quite place a reasoning for. She glanced around only once, noticing they were taking more back alleys that what was probably called for considering the early morning hour, or at least that's what she thought. That was soon destroyed however as she heard the next words come from Anier's mouth. The sickening nervous feeling that had been welling was soon replaced by a rather horrid feeling of dread, worry and fear, though not for herself but rather the elven boy leading her.

"Wanted?" she whispered as her body tensed a bit, not quite wanting to believe what she had just heard. Only moments ago they were joking about hopefully not being wanted long enough for them to leave. Sure it had been a rather strange topic that her friend had brought, but she hadn't thought really anything of it. "How...why?" she asked in a hushed tone after a few moments of fighting over her shock of the rather startling news. If there was one thing that people didn't want to be it was to be wanted especially by the Templars. Although they swore to the mercy of God their means and methods were almost the exact opposite. Most of those being tracked by the law enforcers of the church were those to be branded as traitors in the eyes of all with the sentence of death as the final judgement.

She couldn't see such a thing for Anier. Sure he had stolen a few things like food and such, but then who hadn't? She was sure that such a thing wouldn't land him on the Templar's list. Now if it had been something stolen from the church or one of the corrupt families supporting their group, or even murder she could see them going after the elven boy even if he was still young. Of course as far as the wolven girl knew he hadn't committed any of those acts. She had heard recently that there had been an increase of bodies found and a higher rate of disappearances but she was certain her friend wouldn't go that far...

The sound of the clanking of metal against cobblestone caused the wolf girl to stop and tug on the hand she still held. From what she could tell there appeared to be more then one source of the sound causing her body to tense slightly more. 'It's to early for them to be patrolling...' she thought as she gave a worried glance towards the silver haired male beside her.

Did they know where he was? Had someone in the market seen him as he stole the food? Maybe he had been careless unknowingly? The elves' ears told him that something was wrong. They were being followed but he couldn't tell which way to go. They were being surrounded. No.

When his companion suddenly came to a halt, Anier's eyes went wide as his neck snapped around, "What's wrong?" He already knew the answer. Looking down at his feet the boy manged to spark up a smile amidst their trouble, "I'm really sorry Siona. I didn't want you getting involved in this so I tried to keep it from you." Taking her other hand into his he tugged the female closer, "You mean alot to me and I just wanted to ease your troubles without bringing up my own. I know how hard it is for you to live in that house."

Before he could stop it water clouded his vision as he closed his eyes and placed his forehead against hers, having to lean down a bit to do so. The metallic footsteps were getting closer and were now coming from multiple directions as he suspected. As the clear salty liquid flowed down his cheek Anier opened his eyes and looked at his friend. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't take you away from here like I promised and that our time together was so short."

Memories of their time together flashed through his mind. The time when they had gotten in trouble for fish fighting in the market. The time when they had pick pocketed some minor lord and outran him and the city watch. He thought about some of the times they could have shared. How much fun they would've had swimming today if it weren't for him. Tears streamed down his cheek freely now as he realized how short his life was being cut. He would've died here anyway but at least he could've spent more time with Siona.

Tears began to form behind Siona's clear dark teal eyes as she heard her friends words though she fought to hold them back. As their foreheads touched the wolven girl's eyes closed momentarily before she gently wiggled one hand free from Anier's and gently placed it on the side of his cheek. "None of this is your fault Anier, it's mine for not paying more attention to your suffering. If I had done that perhaps the situation now would be a bit different" she whispered quietly moving her gaze up to meet his. The elven boy was the only thing she felt kept her continuing existence within the hellhole that the town had become. Guilt passed through her as she recalled her own problems being talked about more then his. She knew his life was perhaps harder then hers as she recalled him stating days before that she was lucky that she at least had a roof over her head...or something similar to that.

Her gaze was surprisingly calm and gentle, rather different from her usual fiery and mischievous one that typically played, as the rest of her emotions hid. Her ears twitched again as the metallic clinking continued to move closer to their location. "There's nothing for you to apologize for. Besides we're not done yet. Right now you and I are alive and I won't let them take you away from me Anier, even if I personally have to fight off every one of them myself. Now let's see..." the light haired girl stated almost confidently though gently as she pulled her face away slight and moved to lick one of the droplets coming from the elven boy's eyes, before glancing around quickly.

From the sound of it there wasn't a lot of time to really think. From what she could gather there wasn't really anything that either one of them could hide behind exactly or fight back with, but that didn't mean there weren't useful things around. The alleyway they were in was somewhat dark though she could make out the usual bulking shapes that were either to heavy for them to move for any use or would take too long to move. Quickly and carefully her gaze began mapping out what seemed to be a path. "Do you think you can get up to that roof?" she whispered quietly and what she hoped sounded reassuringly as she pointed towards one of the roofs of the two buildings that created the alley. It was a bit of a long shot but an idea had popped up in her head, even if she wasn't completely sure it would work but it was at least something.