Anyway~ Here's my entry for the Competition. Pardon the mispelling for the title, the pun made me giggle therefore it stayed. Kol remained crouched, running her fingers over Chaos's side, deep in contemplation.
"Was it... our fault?" she pondered, idly biting at her nails, eyeing the spot where her favorite tradesman should be, the moon glinting in the bare patches of sky between clouds. "It couldn't have been... it took us THIS long to figure out the schedule and right when we got it he's gone.." Chaos glanced up, nudging her nose against Kol's hand, moving it away from her face with a soft, eerie whine. "I know, I know, I shouldn't be worrying, but look... His note said that he's gotta lay low for a while.. Does that mean he's safe? What about his Goods? What? Don't give me that look. You liked getting to come here as much as I did..." Kol trailed off and stood up, looking around the area before heading back towards her room, the night almost too quiet. Chaos trailed behind, eyeing the various shadows and crevices, as if they held the answer as to why Alethin was found. After a fair distance, Kol marched into her room, flinging her boots into the corner, crawling onto her bed and grabbing a stack of papers, laying them around her as Chaos settled by the end of the bed. Eying the paper to her left, she traced her finger along the map, picking out the notes and details scribbled along the papers tattering edge. "...Full Moon, He's here.... Next month.. Super Blood Moon.. and he's arrested.. but who? Unless someone read my notes, or followed me.... but I'm also not the only person to buy from him.. and others have worse Debts than I.... and if he were gone.... then there would be no more Debt, right?" Kol asked, although no reply was expected. She once again regarded the page, then picked up another- This one full of various notes about the area, from the Shop-keeps names, the landmarks, and the creatures she's yet to encounter. She goes through page after page, trying to find if anyone's path crosses through the area, if any shop-keeps had debts, if anyone would be at a loss of business once Alethin appeared- She couldn't find a single clue. Frustration got the best of her, tossing the papers off the bed and burrowing deep into her blankets, she slept.
("...Planning my escape...." But how? How did you get out? How did you find freedom? Were you aided? ... "May....to lay low for a while." What about your income? The shop? Where are you going? Are you safe? I don't.. I don't get it! Who sold you out...?.. Wait... Come back! Come back! Alethin...!)
Kol awoke with a start, heart racing, ears ringing. The lingering fragments of her dream replaying in her head. *Alethin was there, he was telling me.... he got free, right! The note, he wrote the note... but.. then he disappeared... he...* "Ugh..." Kol rubbed her eyes, sitting up and groaning into the morning light, wisps of her hair sticking in every direction. "It shouldn't bother me this much.. " She murmured out-loud. "He's.. it wasn't legal , I know this. But still, It doesn't feel...Right?" slipping out of bed, dressed from the day before, she stretched, back popping and hair continuing its.... whatever one could call the absolute mess atop her head. *...Really should let Neia brush my hair. Her claws tend to hurt though...* she absentmindedly rubbed her head and grabbed the papers off of the floor, staring blindly before focusing in on one, straightening quickly and nearly toppling over. "F...FISH!" she not so neatly cursed, rushing to the corner and grabbing her boots, quickly slipping her feet in them and relacing them, Chaos rising from her spot at the end of the bed. Rushing through the door and out into the hall, careful not to bump into anyone else who happened to have the misfortune of being in Kol's general area, as she rushed outside. The light outside, quite brighter than the day before overcast skys, mildly blinded Kol as she took her first steps outside for the day, and she toppled rather ungracefully over Chaos, who rushed out the door ahead of her. After a moment, she stood back up, brushing the dirt off of her robes and rushed once more to her destination, clutching the paper in her hand. *This.. This is why, I can't believe I was so DUMB!!!* she furrowed her brows and paused, turning to look for Chaos, and waiting as she caught up. * I cant believe it. It's... It's.. really my fault. * she glanced at the paper again, frowning. On it was a note, from around a week ago, from Remy. "Kol, You've once again left your journal behind- This is the 4th time I've had to send a letter reminding you to pick it up. While i appreciate the business, please try not to drink so much as to forget your belongings.." she glared at the page, Chaos finally standing by her side. *It must have been open. I must have been drawing and.. blacked out? I don't remember.. I drank a lot... at Remy's, asked if I could use his specimens as models.. but.. I ALWAYS lock my journal after closing it.... so..* she started walking once more, looking up from the page and stepping into the doorway for Remy's Inn, the jangle of the bells startling her into reality. "Oh.. Is Remy here?" She asked out-loud, tucking the paper against her side. A vague reply, sounding fairly positive sounded from the back as she made her way to the bar, settling herself on one of the Stools. "..What can I get you?" Remy walked up behind the bar, as kind and warming as ever. "a Special Brew would be nice.. " Kol started, fiddling with the paper. "Of course. Rough night?" Remy asked, turning to prepare the drink. "Kind of?.. I realized, When I left my Journal here last time.. was it open? did anything fall out...?"She trailed off, trying to think of what else to ask. "Hmm.. It WAS open..but I don't think you left anything behind.." Remy cleared his throat, adding the finishing touches to the brew and turning to hand it to her, his fingers lingering on the counter. "I uh.. I may have looked inside, I was curious about the drawings since.. you usually just want to buy some of the eggs I get from the woods, what made you want to draw those? " He gestured to the vases near the window, full of flowers and rocks from his brief trips into the woods. "They're interesting" Kol started, frowning a bit. "I wondered what made them special, to be brought back each time- There's always something new, some odd end here and there, but they're always interesting. They may be mundane and, well, everywhere, but something stopped you and said "This has to come back with me" so i was wondering if i could draw it, capture it, i would understand..." She trailed off and rubbed the back of her head, fiddling with the paper in her other hand. Shaking her head and clearing her throat, she sat up straight and took a deep breath. "Remy, I need to know- When you looked into my journal, was it JUST at the drawings? or.. did you go through my notes?" Her voice quieted slightly when she asked the last part, a hint of anxiousness working its way up her spine. "I... "Remy started, looking to the side and then sighing, shoulders drooping. "Yea, Well.. You always seem to be better at breeding the Direwolves than i am at finding them- I was.. looking to see if you had any notes as to how you did it, so that perhaps i could pick that up and maybe boost business.. but.. i guess you didn't keep notes like that..but" He paused, looking nervously around, mopping his brow with a rag from the counter. "But..?" Kol urged, sipping her drink. "But.. i saw the notes about the moon cycles, where you were writing down the times and dates, trying to figure out if something matched up.. " he paused again, taking a moment to think. *He said.. Something, not an exact clue, but.. the only reason i was writing that down was because i couldn't for the life of me remember it.. i was trying to figure if Alethin came on the full moon or not..* Kol set down her drink, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "And.. it did. We had figured it was random, that there wasn't a set time for any of it, but it matched up.. and ... Well.. I had to tell someone!" Remy frowned again, looking defensive. "You had to tell someone what?" Kol asked softly, dread settling in the pit of her stomach. "I had to tell them, He's not a good man! Its not a proper Business! He's taking away our customers and our gold." Remy near-growled, anger lining his brow.
"Alethin had to be stopped."
