McIan
Journeyman
Anastasia mulled over her recent attachment to Toby Gillens, the prisoner she met. It made no sense at all. He was not particularly handsome; he was far from the best lover she had known; he was dirty most of the time; his hair stayed greasy and matted, and he smelled bad. As she paced down the dirt paths that comprised Papua’s thoroughfares, she considered turning around and going back, skipping the afternoon visit to him at the Just Inn. Yet she didn’t. She kept going until she arrived at the rattan door to his room.
“Come in, Anastasia,” came his voice from the other side.
She entered and closed the door after noting that the guard appointed to watch him sat eating at a nearby table. When she turned around she was taken aback.
Toby had someone with him in the room… a woman, dressed in red wearing a tribal mask, but that is not what caught her eyes. Toby was clean, well shaven, neatly dressed, and his hair washed. He was not wearing his black shirt, breeches, and shoes. He smiled at her and beckoned her forward.
“Who is she? What is she doing here?” she inquired.
He stepped forward to meet her, putting his index finger to his lips. “She’s a friend. She is here to help me get away from here,” he explained. “I have to leave and you can help me.”
Anastasia placed her hands on her hips, scowling. “You are being watched; you cannot get away from here!” She had never seen him so clean and elegantly scented. She looked past him, still scowling. “Who is she?!”
Toby grinned, “Are you jealous?” Her answer was a loud, hard, slap to his face.
“Hardly! I don’t know why I even came here,” she complained.
“You were well paid, milady,” he gently replied, rubbing his reddened cheek.
“Hah!” she chortled. “Underpaid is more like it! I almost did not come here today. You are, without doubt, one of the most disgusting men I’ve ever known!”
Toby scowled. “With so many, I’m surprised you can even remember!”
She reared back to slap him again but he grabbed her arm and brought it down to her side. “Look, just help me get out of here and I will give you more gold than you can imagine. Your part is easy.”
She sighed and stopped resisting. “What do I do?”
Toby released his grip on her. “Wait a while then leave and strike up a conversation with the guard. I need a good head start before they begin tracking me. They have put wards on this area so no one can cast spells. I have to escape the old-fashioned way.”
The woman tossed her a bag full of gold coins. “Just a down payment. He gets away and I shall meet you again to pay the rest.”
Nodding, Anastasia took the money and sat down on the bed. She watched as the woman in red made a hand motion toward the jungle foliage some distance away and below. They all heard an ominous growl from the site. The guard by the window readied his sword and moved cautiously toward the sound to investigate. When he had moved far enough away, his back being turned to them, she and Toby quickly climbed out the window, disappearing from sight.
She was relieved. In fact, the instant he left she felt a burden lift; the compulsion to obey him, comfort him and the rest. Feeling abused, ashamed, and cheapened, she got up and went to the door, opening it and calling out to the guard to inform him of the escape.
“Come in, Anastasia,” came his voice from the other side.
She entered and closed the door after noting that the guard appointed to watch him sat eating at a nearby table. When she turned around she was taken aback.
Toby had someone with him in the room… a woman, dressed in red wearing a tribal mask, but that is not what caught her eyes. Toby was clean, well shaven, neatly dressed, and his hair washed. He was not wearing his black shirt, breeches, and shoes. He smiled at her and beckoned her forward.
“Who is she? What is she doing here?” she inquired.
He stepped forward to meet her, putting his index finger to his lips. “She’s a friend. She is here to help me get away from here,” he explained. “I have to leave and you can help me.”
Anastasia placed her hands on her hips, scowling. “You are being watched; you cannot get away from here!” She had never seen him so clean and elegantly scented. She looked past him, still scowling. “Who is she?!”
Toby grinned, “Are you jealous?” Her answer was a loud, hard, slap to his face.
“Hardly! I don’t know why I even came here,” she complained.
“You were well paid, milady,” he gently replied, rubbing his reddened cheek.
“Hah!” she chortled. “Underpaid is more like it! I almost did not come here today. You are, without doubt, one of the most disgusting men I’ve ever known!”
Toby scowled. “With so many, I’m surprised you can even remember!”
She reared back to slap him again but he grabbed her arm and brought it down to her side. “Look, just help me get out of here and I will give you more gold than you can imagine. Your part is easy.”
She sighed and stopped resisting. “What do I do?”
Toby released his grip on her. “Wait a while then leave and strike up a conversation with the guard. I need a good head start before they begin tracking me. They have put wards on this area so no one can cast spells. I have to escape the old-fashioned way.”
The woman tossed her a bag full of gold coins. “Just a down payment. He gets away and I shall meet you again to pay the rest.”
Nodding, Anastasia took the money and sat down on the bed. She watched as the woman in red made a hand motion toward the jungle foliage some distance away and below. They all heard an ominous growl from the site. The guard by the window readied his sword and moved cautiously toward the sound to investigate. When he had moved far enough away, his back being turned to them, she and Toby quickly climbed out the window, disappearing from sight.
She was relieved. In fact, the instant he left she felt a burden lift; the compulsion to obey him, comfort him and the rest. Feeling abused, ashamed, and cheapened, she got up and went to the door, opening it and calling out to the guard to inform him of the escape.