HOME | DD

Description
The moment that Wynn stepped into the tavern and brothel the almost knocked her right out of her knee high boots.  The stench of old, unwashed humans layered on top of the unrelenting sting of alcohol in her nose and the retched smell of nights past in the brothel was enough to send her right back out of the door.  The only thing stopping her from bursting out of the smoky, foul-smelling place was the trumpeting clanks that echoed under the wooden door, telling her that the guards were still passing by.  The man who had brought her into the tavern now pulled her along to a vacant table.

Wynn was fairly surprised at the amount of people in the old tavern.  They all sat, merrily and drunkenly singing a tune that was being played by an old musician in the corner.  He sat on an overturned barrel, his fingers working away at an odd instrument made of metal strings on a wooden body.  The body of the instrument was fairly small and Wynn was amazed to hear to music that the instrument could produce.  A harmony of screeching noises somehow came together to create a wonderful song, a chorus of great skill.

Pulling her eyes from the scene of the musician she turned her head just in time to notice that the young man had sat down and was glaring at her with a look that told her to "Sit down and shut up".  She looked down at the table that he had chosen for them to sit at.  It was strewn with filth and garbage.  There were even stains of condiments there; shining sickly green, red and yellow colors up at her but without hesitation she sat down quietly, letting her chair squeak happily under her weight as she sat down.  No one seemed to notice or even pay attention to her and the man let alone notice that she wasn't supposed to be there due to her age and well no women were supposed to be allowed into taverns unless they were waitresses or women of higher power and rank in the king's eyes.  Wynn was neither.

Finally the young man spoke. "Well aren't you going to thank me, or are you just that stubborn to say the words thank you?"  He said loudly enough for others to hear but no one seemed to care at all here.  It was when he spoke those words though that she noticed that he sounded a little more intelligent than others she had met during her travels over the years and she had travelled quite a lot over the past couple years.

Having just decided to come to Rome to try and find better business in the thieving trade then there had been in her last place of housing, which had been Venice.  No matter how much a pain Venice had been to her during her years living there she could never forget its' beauty.  The swollen rivers, glowing at the break of dawn or just before dusk.  The multitude of old stone buildings that made up most of Venice's higher terrain.  Though in reality it was the lower terrain, the water, boats, gondolas, basically everything that was in the water in Venice was what she thought was really beautiful in Venice.  It was where she was born or at least where she thought she was born.  Wynn's earliest memory was in Venice, it was a memory of what she thought was her father.

It was late in the day when Wynn woke up and looked around, confused by everything around her.  The darkness in her mind was sharp and the light dull.  Her eyes were barely able to concentrate on any one object and she couldn't move without fearing that she would run into something or fall.  It was when worrying about these problems that someone had picked her up.  She was only eight years old at the time and was light enough to pick up without any strain.  Her mind was full of fear and she was trembling in the arms of the stranger.  The stranger had then said words and did something she would never forget.  It comforted her.  Not knowing where she was or who she was she needed comfort and the stranger had given it to her.  Soon after that she had fallen asleep.

Wynn shook her head, forcing the pressing thoughts of her upcoming to flee from her mind.  Her palms, she realized, were slightly moist from the memory.  She glanced up and realized that she was still in the tavern, the young man staring at her from across the table, a look of worry and genuine concern on his face.

"Uhmm… Yeah sorry, I guess I owe you my thanks for you saving me back there."  She said reluctantly, giving her head another quick shake. "I'm sorry if I sound ignorant or unpleased but why did you save me and who are you?"  She asked, a speck of apology rising in her voice as she asked.

"Well you are very welcome. "  He returned, a smile crossing his face as he leaned back in his chair, his chair giving off a creak as he did. "I'm Alex and who might you be?"  He asked, his face a mixture of calmness and agitation.  His eyes weren't focused on herself Wynn noticed, his eyes were focused on the door behind her.  Her eyes went wide as she remembered the guards who had been chasing after her.  How could I let that slip my mind?  She asked herself just as she heard the click of a door behind her.  She knew they were going to be checking around the tavern for her and they would undoubtedly find her here, sitting with a random man named Alex.  What would they do if they found out he helped me escape?  She asked herself, not wanting to be any more trouble to the kind man.

She stared at the man in front of her; he seemed unbothered by the guards coming into the tavern.   Did he know that they were after her?  He must for him to have saved her like that, or did he just think she was caught unreasonably?  Damn! She thought to herself, biting down on her bottom lip, slightly worried about it now.  Maybe he doesn't know that I'm a criminal.  Crap.  What will he do if he finds out? She asked herself before the real problem rushed into her mind.  Oh crap.  What if he set me up?  What if he brought me here so I can't get away?  No… No.  He wouldn't have let me go if he just wanted to catch me.  Yeah.  It's fine.  He's not going to give me in like this.  I know it.

Tap.  Tap.  Tap.  The footsteps grew closer each second, distinctive from the other footsteps due to the easily noticeable clatter of metal against metal as each guard walked carefully through the tavern, most likely checking each table for her.   Her heart was pulsing faster and her palms were starting to become damp and clammy once again except this time she did not like the feeling she was getting.  She tried to wet her lips, which had become dry but it was to no avail.  She lacked the saliva to wet her lips with.  The footsteps continued to draw closer with each second.  Everything seemed to slow down, each second seeming to last a full minute.  She could hear her heartbeat in her ears.  Thump-thump.  Thump-thump.  Thump-thump.

That was when Alex stood up.  A thousand scenarios exploded through her mind.  Is he just going to tell them I'm here? Maybe he's going to run and leave me alone with the guards. She thought to herself but instead Alex just stood and walked over to her side of the table, his leather soled shoes making a light tapping noise on the ground as he walked behind her.  Wynn couldn't hold it in anymore so she forcibly shut her eyes and gripped the arms of the wooden chair she was sitting in.  Her knuckles were white and beads of sweat were forming on her forehead as she sat there, waiting, just waiting for something to happen.  Her body started trembling, the sounds of swords being drawn already echoing through her mind from her memories.  She could already feel the warmth of her blood dripping from her neck.

The ring never came.  What did come next was a surprise to her.  She felt a pair of hands grab her arms and pull at her cloak.  She half-expected the cloak to just slide off until she remembered that her hands were pretty well attached to the arms of the chair.  She hastily let go of the arms and her cloak came sliding off, showing off her loose, white blouse, covered in a layer of dirt and her leather belt, tightly wound around her waist to keep her blouse from billowing around her. The full length of auburn hair that had been hidden under the shoulders of her cloak was now released on her shoulders.  Freckles were splattered around her nose and across her cheeks, creating a blush-like look over her cheeks.

She turned her head nonchalantly, trying to get a look at the guard that had taken her cloak but to her surprise there was no guard there, they were on the far side of the tavern and Alex was behind her, holding her cloak.

"What are you doing?"  Wynn whispered harshly.  "The guards will see my face and know who I am!" Alex only replied with a slight grin and walked around the table, the grin growing widen as he settled back down into the wooden chair.  Is this a game to him? She thought bitterly to herself, her knuckles turning white yet again as she grasped the edge of the table, tipping it towards herself.  At that moment the clink's and clank's of the guards suits rang in her ears again, except this time they were getting really close.  The footboards were creaking along with the steps of the guards, the weight of their bodies and the metal they carried pushing each floorboard down.

Wynn turned her attention to Alex who now had a gleam in his eye as he watched the guards step closer and closer towards their table.  He has to be planning something.  She thought to herself, thrumming her fingers on the wooden table, letting it rest back on its' four legs now instead of being tipped.  She had no clue what he was planning but really in her mind it didn't matter as long as it got her out of this situation.  It might be a little selfish to be only thinking of herself in this situation but it was the morals that she had grown up on.  Survival.  Her feet were positioned under the table with the heels of her feet up and her toes pressed against the ground hard, ready to pounce out of this hellish place.

The creaking of the guard's boots came up beside her table and stopped.  Her heart nearly leapt into her mouth as she sat; waiting for the sound of steel but instead she heard Alex's voice as he talked to the guards.

"G'day fellows.  What are you looking for?  A good woman to treat you?  I've got one right here if you want to take her for a spin."  Alex said.  Wynn couldn't believe her ears.  The man that had saved her not just twenty minutes ago had just ratted her out to the guards.  She was going to kill this man if it was the last thing she ever—

"Thank you for the offer sir but right now we're looking for a fugitive who has somehow found a way to escape."  One of the two guards said his voice a little scruffy and quick.

"Well here she is right here!" Alex proclaimed, pointing directly at Wynn.  Wynn moved her head back, surprised by the sudden finger in her face.  He… just told them I'm the fugitive.  They'll have to recognize me now.  She thought to herself.  The fumes must be getting to that boy's head!  He couldn't just save me then give me up!  Or maybe he just wants the reward!  Crap!  He's just a sleezy boy hoping to get a good amount of pay for being a bastard!  That was when the second guard decided to pipe in.

"Well then you'd best be coming with us Missy!"  He said with a chuckle, patting Wynn's shoulder before tilting his head at Alex, giving him a wink.  No! Wynn thought, her hands starting to shake a little as they started to tap nervously on the wooden table.  Her legs bounced up and down just as nervously as her fingers as she sat there waiting for the guard to grip her shoulder or attack her in any way.  Wynn knew she wasn't going to go down easy or without a fight but the first person she would attack would be the traitor that sat across from her with his easygoing smile and his laid back expression.  Just a few more seconds.  She thought to herself, waiting for the guards to make a movement, any movement, towards her but instead they walked past the table, continuing on, talking to the rest of the residents of the tavern and brothel.  Immediately after they were out of earshot Wynn reached across and grabbed Alex by the neck of his hole-ridden shirt.

"What the hell was that?"  Wynn whispered, trying to place a mask-like face on herself to look like a loving mistress to the rest of the people in the tavern.  "Were you trying to get rid of me?  Huh?  Are you crazy?  Or are you just plain stupid?  I should just kill you on the spot for being so stupid!"

"No."  Alex replied, giving a sly smile in return to her threats, reaching his hand up to grip her wrist.  "But now we have time to get away from them don't we?"  He asked in return, moving his onto a space behind her which she now realized was where the door was.  He was a genius, distracting the guards so they had enough time to escape.  This guy really was on her side.  But he could have told me first!  She thought furiously to herself, trying to keep a sense of dignity to herself.

She pulled her wrist out of his grasp and waited a few more seconds to give them enough time to make the full getaway.  After all it would be pointless to try and run, just to be tripped from behind by the guards and captured even if she had a genius with her.  She took a long deep breath, trying to calm her now racing heart before she stared into Alex's eyes, giving him a subtle yet noticeable nod.  She tapped her fingers before placing her palms on the table, turning her head to give her a good view of the people that would soon be blocking her path to freedom.

She jumped up quick and fast like a leopard pouncing at its' prey but ironically she wasn't the predator in this situation and she knew it.  Her legs pressed down hard for the first couple steps, sending waves of pain shooting through her legs.  An unfortunate maid or mistress, Wynn could really tell no differences between them, was thrown down into a table, sending a round of shot glasses into the air and on top of her, spraying her in a flood of alcohol and glass but Wynn didn't care.  Her instincts started up again like earlier in the day, boosting her speed and agility as she ducked under another couple of glasses, which were being hit together in celebration, and side spun another few unfortunate people, their faces showing the amount of surprise that had come over them when she had burst from the table.  She didn't have time to worry about them or even the savior himself, Alex.  She just had time for survival.

A few people reached out to try and grab onto Wynn as she passed once they noticed the guards turning to chase after her but Wynn was too fast for each of them, zipping just under their outreaching arms and hands.  I'm going to make it!  All I have to do is get out of this door and I'm gone!  I'll hide in the shadows until dark then find a place to sleep.  She thought to herself through the rush and insanity of her mind.  She finally leapt to the door, covering the last few feet in a single bound.  Her hand fumbled with the door for a moment but not long enough for the guards to catch up.

She twisted and while pulling the door back she heard a crack!  She blinked for a moment, the door opening wide to show eight guards standing outside; all of their blades drawn and pointed at her but that wasn't the problem.  The problem was she was falling, falling straight towards the ground and she couldn't stop herself.  What is this some type of sorcery?  She managed to think to herself, unable to move any of her limbs to stop the force of the fall.  Her head hit the hard stone alley with a sickening crack, her eyes wide with horror.  A warm liquid was coming from under where her head hit and somehow from the top of her head.  Somehow blood was spilling out from the top of her head too and trickling down onto her nose and eyes.  The blood was also staining the stone around her so that it was tinged a sickening red.  She tried to focus on her surroundings but she could feel the sharp edge of darkness seeping into her.  Am I going to die?  She asked herself, not really fearing the answer, whether it is that she was calmed by death or if she just calmed because of the loss of blood, either way she wasn't afraid of what was to come.

The last thing she saw and heard before the darkness overcame her was the sound of a thrilled laugh and a pair of worn, leather boots.

Description
The moment that Wynn stepped into the tavern and brothel the almost knocked her right out of her knee high boots.  The stench of old, unwashed humans layered on top of the unrelenting sting of alcohol in her nose and the retched smell of nights past in the brothel was enough to send her right back out of the door.  The only thing stopping her from bursting out of the smoky, foul-smelling place was the trumpeting clanks that echoed under the wooden door, telling her that the guards were still passing by.  The man who had brought her into the tavern now pulled her along to a vacant table.

Wynn was fairly surprised at the amount of people in the old tavern.  They all sat, merrily and drunkenly singing a tune that was being played by an old musician in the corner.  He sat on an overturned barrel, his fingers working away at an odd instrument made of metal strings on a wooden body.  The body of the instrument was fairly small and Wynn was amazed to hear to music that the instrument could produce.  A harmony of screeching noises somehow came together to create a wonderful song, a chorus of great skill.

Pulling her eyes from the scene of the musician she turned her head just in time to notice that the young man had sat down and was glaring at her with a look that told her to "Sit down and shut up".  She looked down at the table that he had chosen for them to sit at.  It was strewn with filth and garbage.  There were even stains of condiments there; shining sickly green, red and yellow colors up at her but without hesitation she sat down quietly, letting her chair squeak happily under her weight as she sat down.  No one seemed to notice or even pay attention to her and the man let alone notice that she wasn't supposed to be there due to her age and well no women were supposed to be allowed into taverns unless they were waitresses or women of higher power and rank in the king's eyes.  Wynn was neither.

Finally the young man spoke. "Well aren't you going to thank me, or are you just that stubborn to say the words thank you?"  He said loudly enough for others to hear but no one seemed to care at all here.  It was when he spoke those words though that she noticed that he sounded a little more intelligent than others she had met during her travels over the years and she had travelled quite a lot over the past couple years.

Having just decided to come to Rome to try and find better business in the thieving trade then there had been in her last place of housing, which had been Venice.  No matter how much a pain Venice had been to her during her years living there she could never forget its' beauty.  The swollen rivers, glowing at the break of dawn or just before dusk.  The multitude of old stone buildings that made up most of Venice's higher terrain.  Though in reality it was the lower terrain, the water, boats, gondolas, basically everything that was in the water in Venice was what she thought was really beautiful in Venice.  It was where she was born or at least where she thought she was born.  Wynn's earliest memory was in Venice, it was a memory of what she thought was her father.

It was late in the day when Wynn woke up and looked around, confused by everything around her.  The darkness in her mind was sharp and the light dull.  Her eyes were barely able to concentrate on any one object and she couldn't move without fearing that she would run into something or fall.  It was when worrying about these problems that someone had picked her up.  She was only eight years old at the time and was light enough to pick up without any strain.  Her mind was full of fear and she was trembling in the arms of the stranger.  The stranger had then said words and did something she would never forget.  It comforted her.  Not knowing where she was or who she was she needed comfort and the stranger had given it to her.  Soon after that she had fallen asleep.

Wynn shook her head, forcing the pressing thoughts of her upcoming to flee from her mind.  Her palms, she realized, were slightly moist from the memory.  She glanced up and realized that she was still in the tavern, the young man staring at her from across the table, a look of worry and genuine concern on his face.

"Uhmm… Yeah sorry, I guess I owe you my thanks for you saving me back there."  She said reluctantly, giving her head another quick shake. "I'm sorry if I sound ignorant or unpleased but why did you save me and who are you?"  She asked, a speck of apology rising in her voice as she asked.

"Well you are very welcome. "  He returned, a smile crossing his face as he leaned back in his chair, his chair giving off a creak as he did. "I'm Alex and who might you be?"  He asked, his face a mixture of calmness and agitation.  His eyes weren't focused on herself Wynn noticed, his eyes were focused on the door behind her.  Her eyes went wide as she remembered the guards who had been chasing after her.  How could I let that slip my mind?  She asked herself just as she heard the click of a door behind her.  She knew they were going to be checking around the tavern for her and they would undoubtedly find her here, sitting with a random man named Alex.  What would they do if they found out he helped me escape?  She asked herself, not wanting to be any more trouble to the kind man.

She stared at the man in front of her; he seemed unbothered by the guards coming into the tavern.   Did he know that they were after her?  He must for him to have saved her like that, or did he just think she was caught unreasonably?  Damn! She thought to herself, biting down on her bottom lip, slightly worried about it now.  Maybe he doesn't know that I'm a criminal.  Crap.  What will he do if he finds out? She asked herself before the real problem rushed into her mind.  Oh crap.  What if he set me up?  What if he brought me here so I can't get away?  No… No.  He wouldn't have let me go if he just wanted to catch me.  Yeah.  It's fine.  He's not going to give me in like this.  I know it.

Tap.  Tap.  Tap.  The footsteps grew closer each second, distinctive from the other footsteps due to the easily noticeable clatter of metal against metal as each guard walked carefully through the tavern, most likely checking each table for her.   Her heart was pulsing faster and her palms were starting to become damp and clammy once again except this time she did not like the feeling she was getting.  She tried to wet her lips, which had become dry but it was to no avail.  She lacked the saliva to wet her lips with.  The footsteps continued to draw closer with each second.  Everything seemed to slow down, each second seeming to last a full minute.  She could hear her heartbeat in her ears.  Thump-thump.  Thump-thump.  Thump-thump.

That was when Alex stood up.  A thousand scenarios exploded through her mind.  Is he just going to tell them I'm here? Maybe he's going to run and leave me alone with the guards. She thought to herself but instead Alex just stood and walked over to her side of the table, his leather soled shoes making a light tapping noise on the ground as he walked behind her.  Wynn couldn't hold it in anymore so she forcibly shut her eyes and gripped the arms of the wooden chair she was sitting in.  Her knuckles were white and beads of sweat were forming on her forehead as she sat there, waiting, just waiting for something to happen.  Her body started trembling, the sounds of swords being drawn already echoing through her mind from her memories.  She could already feel the warmth of her blood dripping from her neck.

The ring never came.  What did come next was a surprise to her.  She felt a pair of hands grab her arms and pull at her cloak.  She half-expected the cloak to just slide off until she remembered that her hands were pretty well attached to the arms of the chair.  She hastily let go of the arms and her cloak came sliding off, showing off her loose, white blouse, covered in a layer of dirt and her leather belt, tightly wound around her waist to keep her blouse from billowing around her. The full length of auburn hair that had been hidden under the shoulders of her cloak was now released on her shoulders.  Freckles were splattered around her nose and across her cheeks, creating a blush-like look over her cheeks.

She turned her head nonchalantly, trying to get a look at the guard that had taken her cloak but to her surprise there was no guard there, they were on the far side of the tavern and Alex was behind her, holding her cloak.

"What are you doing?"  Wynn whispered harshly.  "The guards will see my face and know who I am!" Alex only replied with a slight grin and walked around the table, the grin growing widen as he settled back down into the wooden chair.  Is this a game to him? She thought bitterly to herself, her knuckles turning white yet again as she grasped the edge of the table, tipping it towards herself.  At that moment the clink's and clank's of the guards suits rang in her ears again, except this time they were getting really close.  The footboards were creaking along with the steps of the guards, the weight of their bodies and the metal they carried pushing each floorboard down.

Wynn turned her attention to Alex who now had a gleam in his eye as he watched the guards step closer and closer towards their table.  He has to be planning something.  She thought to herself, thrumming her fingers on the wooden table, letting it rest back on its' four legs now instead of being tipped.  She had no clue what he was planning but really in her mind it didn't matter as long as it got her out of this situation.  It might be a little selfish to be only thinking of herself in this situation but it was the morals that she had grown up on.  Survival.  Her feet were positioned under the table with the heels of her feet up and her toes pressed against the ground hard, ready to pounce out of this hellish place.

The creaking of the guard's boots came up beside her table and stopped.  Her heart nearly leapt into her mouth as she sat; waiting for the sound of steel but instead she heard Alex's voice as he talked to the guards.

"G'day fellows.  What are you looking for?  A good woman to treat you?  I've got one right here if you want to take her for a spin."  Alex said.  Wynn couldn't believe her ears.  The man that had saved her not just twenty minutes ago had just ratted her out to the guards.  She was going to kill this man if it was the last thing she ever—

"Thank you for the offer sir but right now we're looking for a fugitive who has somehow found a way to escape."  One of the two guards said his voice a little scruffy and quick.

"Well here she is right here!" Alex proclaimed, pointing directly at Wynn.  Wynn moved her head back, surprised by the sudden finger in her face.  He… just told them I'm the fugitive.  They'll have to recognize me now.  She thought to herself.  The fumes must be getting to that boy's head!  He couldn't just save me then give me up!  Or maybe he just wants the reward!  Crap!  He's just a sleezy boy hoping to get a good amount of pay for being a bastard!  That was when the second guard decided to pipe in.

"Well then you'd best be coming with us Missy!"  He said with a chuckle, patting Wynn's shoulder before tilting his head at Alex, giving him a wink.  No! Wynn thought, her hands starting to shake a little as they started to tap nervously on the wooden table.  Her legs bounced up and down just as nervously as her fingers as she sat there waiting for the guard to grip her shoulder or attack her in any way.  Wynn knew she wasn't going to go down easy or without a fight but the first person she would attack would be the traitor that sat across from her with his easygoing smile and his laid back expression.  Just a few more seconds.  She thought to herself, waiting for the guards to make a movement, any movement, towards her but instead they walked past the table, continuing on, talking to the rest of the residents of the tavern and brothel.  Immediately after they were out of earshot Wynn reached across and grabbed Alex by the neck of his hole-ridden shirt.

"What the hell was that?"  Wynn whispered, trying to place a mask-like face on herself to look like a loving mistress to the rest of the people in the tavern.  "Were you trying to get rid of me?  Huh?  Are you crazy?  Or are you just plain stupid?  I should just kill you on the spot for being so stupid!"

"No."  Alex replied, giving a sly smile in return to her threats, reaching his hand up to grip her wrist.  "But now we have time to get away from them don't we?"  He asked in return, moving his onto a space behind her which she now realized was where the door was.  He was a genius, distracting the guards so they had enough time to escape.  This guy really was on her side.  But he could have told me first!  She thought furiously to herself, trying to keep a sense of dignity to herself.

She pulled her wrist out of his grasp and waited a few more seconds to give them enough time to make the full getaway.  After all it would be pointless to try and run, just to be tripped from behind by the guards and captured even if she had a genius with her.  She took a long deep breath, trying to calm her now racing heart before she stared into Alex's eyes, giving him a subtle yet noticeable nod.  She tapped her fingers before placing her palms on the table, turning her head to give her a good view of the people that would soon be blocking her path to freedom.

She jumped up quick and fast like a leopard pouncing at its' prey but ironically she wasn't the predator in this situation and she knew it.  Her legs pressed down hard for the first couple steps, sending waves of pain shooting through her legs.  An unfortunate maid or mistress, Wynn could really tell no differences between them, was thrown down into a table, sending a round of shot glasses into the air and on top of her, spraying her in a flood of alcohol and glass but Wynn didn't care.  Her instincts started up again like earlier in the day, boosting her speed and agility as she ducked under another couple of glasses, which were being hit together in celebration, and side spun another few unfortunate people, their faces showing the amount of surprise that had come over them when she had burst from the table.  She didn't have time to worry about them or even the savior himself, Alex.  She just had time for survival.

A few people reached out to try and grab onto Wynn as she passed once they noticed the guards turning to chase after her but Wynn was too fast for each of them, zipping just under their outreaching arms and hands.  I'm going to make it!  All I have to do is get out of this door and I'm gone!  I'll hide in the shadows until dark then find a place to sleep.  She thought to herself through the rush and insanity of her mind.  She finally leapt to the door, covering the last few feet in a single bound.  Her hand fumbled with the door for a moment but not long enough for the guards to catch up.

She twisted and while pulling the door back she heard a crack!  She blinked for a moment, the door opening wide to show eight guards standing outside; all of their blades drawn and pointed at her but that wasn't the problem.  The problem was she was falling, falling straight towards the ground and she couldn't stop herself.  What is this some type of sorcery?  She managed to think to herself, unable to move any of her limbs to stop the force of the fall.  Her head hit the hard stone alley with a sickening crack, her eyes wide with horror.  A warm liquid was coming from under where her head hit and somehow from the top of her head.  Somehow blood was spilling out from the top of her head too and trickling down onto her nose and eyes.  The blood was also staining the stone around her so that it was tinged a sickening red.  She tried to focus on her surroundings but she could feel the sharp edge of darkness seeping into her.  Am I going to die?  She asked herself, not really fearing the answer, whether it is that she was calmed by death or if she just calmed because of the loss of blood, either way she wasn't afraid of what was to come.

The last thing she saw and heard before the darkness overcame her was the sound of a thrilled laugh and a pair of worn, leather boots.