Cloak and Dagger

With wide eyes, Jacqueline tried to seek out Josephine's gaze. The point of pressure on her back increased with her hesitation. She sucked in a breath and gave a single nod of acknowledgment to the threat, then allowed herself to be shuffled out of the crowd. Josephine would have to notice her leaving with some stranger, she was sure of it. Once they were clear, her abductor moved in close behind her, drawing her nearer so that it might look as if she were merely being escorted away.

Jacqueline grit her teeth as she was led away, her fists clenched defiantly. How could they have been caught so quickly, and by whom? She didn't dare look back in case that caused her abductor to become more aggressive. It was best, she hoped, to comply for the moment. When they turned the corner and started down a street in the opposite direction of the guard post and jail, she felt her heart fall into the pit of her stomach. Josephine would know she was in trouble. She would find a guard and it wouldn't take long. A guard...idiot! Her gaze quickly flicked over passersby to see if she spotted the telltale white cloaks of the Quila guard. To her dismay, she didn't see a single one in sight before she was pulled down an alley which curved into a dead end behind a couple of buildings.

A firm shove caused her to trip and land solidly against one of the stone walls which seemed to close in around her. She glared defiantly towards her abductor and was startled to see that he had not bothered to hide his appearance at all. He was young, not much older than she and Josephine were, if she she had to guess, and was only a few inches taller than she was. He wore brown and cream colored traveling clothes, and she notice a few pieces of boiled leather which likely offered him some protection against attack. He had hooked his hands behind his back so that he could stand at his full height. His black hair was slightly shaggy and framed his dark eyed glare in a way that made him look deranged, and the cocky smirk he bore wasn't helping matters in the least. Jacqueline glanced around quickly to see if there was a possible means of escape aside from the blocked end of the alley, her panic starting to rise.

“Let's have a chat,” he cocked his head to the side as he spoke and she could hear the crack of vertebrae with the movement. Jacqueline glared back up in his direction and snarled which only managed to illicit a cold laugh from her abductor. “You aren't in any position to threaten me, girly. I know exactly what you were up to and if it weren't me that caught you, would have been someone else...which is bad for business.”

“I don't know what you're talking about.” Jacqueline spat at him, her eyes wide as she drew back from the wall and gathered herself together.

He stalked closer to her, chuckling darkly. “Don't play coy, girly. I know what you were hunting for. A pretty little mark that wouldn't miss a shiny piece until later in the day, too late to do anything about it. I could see you coming a mile off and believe me, no one would have let you get too far looking like you do. You'd be in jail before your could blink, and that's bad for business, bad for me. You see, right now, no one's on edge or worried too much about a wolf in the midst, but as soon as one's spotted, the sheep get nervous. And when sheep get nervous, it's harder for wolves to hunt.” He put a fist against the stone wall beside him and leaned in closer to her. “I don't like difficulty hunting, and you don't want to get in my way.”

Jacqueline shifted uncomfortably and tried to keep from moving away. She didn't want to back herself any further into a corner just now. “I can take care of myself. And...”

“No. You can't.” He gestured with his free hand towards her, motioning to indicate her apparel. “You're dressed to well, so you don't need to do this. And you were sloppy. What was that, your first time? And you're wearing a hood up in this weather; sunny, clear skies, even with a slight chill you're out of place. You are, without a doubt, the most clueless pup I've ever seen. I'd leave you to the guards, but like I said, you'll put them on alert and that's bad for business.” He drew back to his full height again and mused to himself as he regarded her. “Look girly, you've got two options right now, and I recommend taking the first: go home like a lost dog and keep your head down.”

“And what if I don't want to do that?” She tried to keep her tone neutral. It had occurred to her that she had realized he wasn't holding a weapon, wasn't trying to hurt her, and seemed like he might be about to let her go. What did he want? It couldn't just be to give her some advice.

He snorted at her retort and crossed his arms. “Join the guild and learn a thing or two before you get hurt.”