dark alleyways.

[Iskra Vorsonsra]

Iskra leaned against the wall of the alleyway and slid down until she was sitting on the floor. She rested her forehead against her knees and clenched her teeth, letting out a muted cry of anger mingled with pain. She lifted her head and turned her face up to the sky, letting the rain that was falling in large, heavy drops fall on her face and wash the blood and dirt away.

She was covered in blood, most of it someone elses. It was a fight she hadn't planned on having. A small group of drunken men decided to jump her on a dark street. They'd picked the wrong girly to try and tumble but she'd fought tooth and nail. They were big men and brawney. She'd landed some good cuts on most of them, enough to make them scatter, but one decided to try and force himself on her. She'd gutted him, unleashing her fury on the would be rapist.

She hadn't come out of it unharmed though and now a long cut on her forearm bled heavily and she could feel cuts and bruises on her face and over her body.

She gripped the wound with her good hand and tried to stand up but her head spun and she found herself on the floor again.

"Damn," she cursed, she was loosing too much blood.

[Sam Munroe]

Sam paused momentarily at an odd sound that he knew well enough: pain and anger. He turned toward the alley and found a woman hunched in a corner covered in . . .blod.

He was still human and something like that couldn’t go unattended. He dropped to his knees. “Hey.” He started. “Are you still alive?”

[Iskra Vorsonsra]

Iskra lifted her head to look at the person who'd addressed her. She moved a knife in to her good hand but was well aware that in her half swooning state she'd never have enough energy to actually lift it. She moved it in to plain sight though.

"Dont..." she stopped to grit her teeth through another wave of pain. "Don't touch me!" She warned. "What do you want."

Her head was swimming with the loss of blood now. Perhaps, the little nagging rational part of her brain said, you're actually going to have to let someone help you for once.

[Sam Munroe]

Sam raised his hands to show he meant no harm. "I'm not gonna touch you, I promise. But, you're a mess, lady and I don't think in really any posistion to stab me or so it looks. But I know that looks can be decieving."

He lowered his hands. "It looks like you could use some help."

[Iskra Vorsonsra]

Iskra's eyes blazed defiance for a few seconds and then her head lolled back against the wall. She looked sidelong at the young man kneeled next to her, then slowly lowered her knife, mostly because she didn't have the energy to hold it up anymore. She fought against her eyelids trying to slide shut.

"This blood. Not all mine but enough to matter. I need to get home..."

[Sam Munroe]

Sam looked at the woman. "I should hope not. I'd start to think you were a god or something. Here, let me help you up." He offered Iskra a hand.

[Iskra Vorsonsra]

The ghost of a smile appeared on Iskra's face at that comment. She took the hand that was offered with her good hand and braced her feet against the ground, hauling herself up. The black, sick dizziness was worse standing up.

"Tanners Way, my rooms are above the leather workers shop." Leaning against the wall she fished a small gem and a key and passed them to Sam. "You'll need these to get us in in one piece...warding spells. I can't guarantee how wide awake I'll be when we get there."

She slung her good arm around Sam's shoulder, clinging to his shirt for support, her knees were weak and wobbly. She must have bled more than she thought.

[Sam Munroe]

Sam tucked the key and gem into a pocket and helped Iskra up. “Dammit, what the hell happened to you? Well, other than the obvious.” He slipped an arm around Iskra to support her and began walking at a pace he figured that Iskra could handle. “Or is it one of those things that I better not know about.”

[Iskra Vorsonsra]

"Ordinarily I'd say yes, but this time...not down to my usual line of work. Some pond scum jumped me in the alley. Thought t'be having some fun with me. Picked the wrong girl because now his insides are on the outside....I'm just sorry I didn't get more of them." She stumbled a little. "Unfortunately 5 on 1 are not the best odds."

[Sam Munroe]

"No, I'd say not." Sam agreed. It was probably much the same situation his mother had found herself in, but unfortunately she hadn't known how to fight. He looked at her. She looked vaguely familiar.

"You're the Scanaran assassin," he said finally.

[Iskra Vorsonsra]

Iskra laughed horsely. "My reputation preceeds me....who have you been talking to? "

The pain in her arm was getting worse. Iskra could have kicked herself for picking up such a stupid injury and worse having to rely on a complete stranger to get her home. She blanched, her face going a deathly white.

"I need to stop for a second."

[Sam Munroe]

Sam obeyed, stopping in midstep. "A couple of people. Generally, anyone who scares some of the people I know has a vast reputation . . . and a reason for earning it.

"Need to sit down?"

[Iskra Vorsonsra]

Iskra swayed on the spot and put her hand to her forehead.

"Best I stand up. Just keep talking to me." She leaned against a nearby wall and checked her arm. "We'd better keep moving."

She leaned against Sam once more, aware that she was becoming more and more of a dead weight. She groped through the fuzziness in her head for a new topic of conversation.

"What leads your path to the Dove? You one of Lasser's folk?"

[Sam Munroe]

Sam snorted. “I’m not a thief if that’s what you mean. In a way, I guess I am. I’m in the Rambling Roses, the Dove’s official entertainment. The only real connection I have to his majesty is when he pays me.”

[Iskra Vorsonsra]

"In that case we'll get on just fine then. I've met one of your number before. Silly girl who came very close to having a very short life. Someone needs to teach her when to keep her nose out."

They were nearly at Tanners Lane now, thankfully, because Iskra could barely keep her legs moving.