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The cold wind blew threw her top as she set out into the night toward the pier. Her breaths were quick and shallow like that of a dieing woman. She had long blonde hair, sapphire blue eyes, and ghostly pale skin. Her name was Areise Trant, daughter of the bounty hunter on the isle of Brath. She had lived on her own since her father disappeared two years ago, leaving her nothing but the small house and little money to live off of.
Since she was 16, at the time she was able to get a job to pay for food and some clothes to wear. But recently a man had killed the ruler of Brath and took over, causing mass chaos. Areise decided it was finally time to find her father to put everything back into order. So she snuck out one night and headed down toward the pier where her father had usually set out from. She approached the pier slowly and wondered where she should start looking for information about her father’s whereabouts. “Where you headed girly?” Said a cold, sneering voice from behind her. She turned to face a man about the age of thirty with a dirty face and a bottle of rum in his hands. “You know its dangerous for such a beautiful girl as yourself to wonder around at night, you never know who you’ll run into.” With each word he backed her into a dark corner, his breath was foul and his hands were reaching for her top. “Back away from the girl Brent, or I’ll report you to Rex.” The man, Brent, wheeled around to glare at a man who had just walked up. “Go kill yourself Jeff, ain’t no business of yours what I do.” Brent was starting to look slightly nervous. “On the contrary Brent, if you or anyone else acts up on this pier Rex needs to know. You know as well as I do that he has order on this pier even if the rest of this bloody isle lies in chaos and turmoil.” Brent look mad but scared none the less as Jeff walked closer. “Damn you.” Jeff smiled and looked Jeff right in the eye. “I already am damned Brent, so go to hell.” Brent walked away, back up to the main isle pub.
“Are you ok miss?” Jeff had turned to Areise and was studying her. Jeff was a tall man with short dark hair; he looked to be in his mid to early twenties. “I... I’m fine. Thank you for saving me.” Jeff smiles softly at her trying to comfort her, but it was only a second or two. “It was no big deal, I have to deal with Brent on a regular basis. But what are you doing down at the pier at this time of night at any rate?” He calmly raised an eyebrow at her as he waited for an answer. “I am trying to find someone with information on the location of my father.” Jeff saw that her eyes had dropped to the ground and that she looked uneasy. “Are you now, and who might your father be?” Areise looked at Jeff and tried to see if she could trust him, but all she could see were his gorgeous grey eyes. “Umm... Drake Trant.” Now it was Jeff’s turn to stare, how could the girl before him, this gorgeous, sweet, careless girl before him, be the daughter of the most feared bounty hunter on all of Brath. “Uh um I’ll take you to Rex; he might be able to help you.” He continued to look at her as she looked up suddenly, smiling. She asked slowly, almost unsure if she should even bother, “Are you sure?” Seeing the smile on her face made him think that Rex really could help her. “Yeah, I’m sure.” They turned and walked down to the end of the pier and to a large building. They walked around back and up the stairs to the upper floor, they came to a black door and Jeff knocked on it three times before entering.
They walked in and stood in front of a desk and chair that was turned from them facing the wall. “So what brings you to me so early Jeff?” a harden voice said from the other side of the chair. “I have something, or rather someone, who might interest you Rex.” The chair swivelled around to face them. He had dark hair and tan skin with many scars, he stood up revealing his height, he was two feet taller than Areise. “And who might you be?” Rex had spotted Areise as he stood up and was a bit surprised Jeff had brought him a girl. “I am Areise Trant, daughter of Drake Trant. I am looking for my father, can you help me.” Rex stared at her for a few minutes, then stuttered into a sentence. “Tra...Tra ...Trant? You can’t be... is she... why do you want to find him?” Areise looked surprised at the question. “Well he’s my father, and I want to see him. And I want to see if he can stop the new ruler.” She had guess from the way Jeff had referred to the docks in comparison to the main isle that Rex didn’t like the ruler of Brath. “So can you help me find him?” Rex regained composer and looked serious and stern. “No one has seen or heard from him in two years, what makes you think I could help you?” Areise considered this for a moment before speaking. “How long have you been in charge of this pier sir?” Areise talked in a sweet, singsong voice. “Well, about five years now.” Areise hardened her voice and spoke with authority that didn't sound as if it came from her. “So you were the one that was giving my father his assignments and telling him his next “charge” then right? Well then you should know the last place he was heading to before he disappeared.” Areise was now yelling and looked quite flustered. She breathed deeply when she had stopped speaking. “Well...” Rex sighed and sat back down and looked at Areise.
“We don’t know where he was heading, we gave him a name and he set out. We think he might have known the person already, or had some tie in with him. We haven’t seen him since.” Rex looked at her and noticed she looked very serious again. “What was the name?” Jeff turned to look at Areise; her soft face had suddenly turned serious. She wanted to find her father at all costs and he wanted to help her suddenly. “It was just a nickname, but he was called Nightshade, Jesse Nightshade. No one had ever seen him, or rather no one had lived through seeing him.”
“Well, it is time that someone finally meet this Nightshade and I shall be the one to do it.” Jeff looked at Areise and started an approach to Rex. “I will go with you, I have always wanted to meet your father so I will help you in any way I can. Besides you really are not all that good at protecting yourself.” Jeff had walked up to Rex. “May I be allowed to accompany her?” Rex looked from Jeff to Areise and back again. “Yes, you will leave tomorrow night.” Areise suddenly looked embarrassed and looked at Jeff. “Umm... which way are we going?” Rex got up and walked to a chest of drawers that was behind him, he unlocked the top drawer and pulled out an old piece of parchment.
“This was the only thing that your father left behind; he had said when the time comes give it to her.” Areise looked at the parchment in Rex‘s hand. “What is it?” Rex looked up at Areise and looked slightly annoyed. “I dunno, I never opened it. It was meant for you, not me.” He handed her the parchment and sat back down. “Don’t open it till your leaving tomorrow. Keep it safe, Jeff go with her to her house, keep her safe. Go gather your things now, take her with you. Stay out of sight.” Jeff raised an eyebrow at Rex. “Why all the precautions, Rex?” Rex looked at Jeff and shook his head. “Jeff, she is the daughter of the most wanted bounty hunter in Brath. Do you think if anyone found out who she is and what she’s trying to do that she would be safe? NO! So keep with her. Now go.” Jeff turned and looked at Areise, he then opened the door and led her out. “We’ll go to my place first, it’s not far but let’s hurry.” They hurried out into the night.
They came to a small house off a dark street near the pier; it was a run down house with broken windows and pealing paint. He walked up to the door and unlocked it, the door swung in surprisingly silent. He walked in and she quickly followed, shutting the door behind her. “Stay here, and don’t move. I have to run up to my room and grab my things; I will be done in a second.” She leaned against a wall and said almost mechanically, “Ok.” He walked up stairs and a few minutes later came down with a bag, a gun, and sword that was strapped to his side.
“Do you have a sword or a gun at your house for you?” He looked at Areise doubtfully, he didn‘t think she would keep weapons in her house or with her. “No, dad took all the weapons when he left.” “Ok, then you’ll need these.” He pulled out a sword and a gun from behind his back and handed the to her. “Do you know how to put them on?” Areise blushed and looked at her feet. “Uh... no.” He almost smiled at her expression but he caught himself in time. “Ok, then please excuse me.” He walked over to her and helped her put the sword on her side and find a place to put the gun. He stepped back and looked at her, he was quite surprised at the way a simple sword changed the way she looked. She looked threatening but still cute and sweet if you looked past the face and sword. “Ok... now we need to get to your house, what do you do during the day?” She looked up at him and said, “I have a job at a restaurant on the upper-class part of the isle, so no weapons for me. Will you be coming with me?”
“Yeah, Rex said I have to stay with you at all times. so I will be coming with you, undercover of course, but I will have a gun with me at least.” Areise looked a bit uneasy “I don’t think that you can get a gun into that area. As I said it is all upper-class people. But I have to go to get my paycheck and tell them I quit.” He opened the door and peered outside. “Ok, let’s move. And let’s go quickly.” They went outside and hurried down the street to Areise’s house. When they got there they walked in and quickly closed the door. “Ok, I will pack my stuff. There is a small spare room next to my room if you want that one, or you can sleep down here on the couch.” She stared to walk upstairs but stopped on the landing to hear his decision. “I will take the room next to yours, it will be safer if something comes threw your windows I will here them come in and be able to stop them.” She looked a bit nervous about this.
Do you really think that I am in that much danger that people will be trying to come in the windows to get me?” Jeff looked down and back up at her a bit nervous to answer. “Uh... there is always that possibility. If it makes you feel batter I can sleep in a chair in your room.” She blushed deeply and looked at the ground. “Um... no... I think it will be fine with you in the next room.” She hurried up the stairs and Jeff followed her upstairs. “There is the spare room, make yourself at home. There is a bathroom downstairs next to the kitchen.” She walked into her room and peered back out. “Good night Jeff.” He smiles at her very softly and said, “Good night.”
Jeff went into the room and laid out on the bed his back to the wall. He sat there thinking to himself. “I can’t believe that I asked if she wanted me to stay in her room, I was way out of place with that. Damn I am an idiot.” He sat there staring out the window as Areise packed some things next door. “This is so weird, I have never had someone else at my house. Especially at night, he is so cute though. But he is only coming with me to meet my dad, and I don’t know anything about him.” She finished packing and climbed into bed. She fell asleep quickly but it was a very light sleep that the smallest sound could wake her from.
It was a good thing to, that night someone tried to break into her house by the side alley. He was careless thought and ran into a trash can she jumped up and sat there staring at her window. I small knock came at her door. “Areise, are you ok? Can I come in?” It was Jeff he had heard the noise and silently crept out of his room and was now whispering to Areise through her door. She got up with practiced quietness and swiftness and opened the door. He came in and stood by the window, she crept back to her bed. They set there in silence waiting for anymore noise, but the man had ran away when he bumped the trash can. “Ok, I think your safe.” He stood back up to leave but she jumped up. “No, please stay. I don’t want to be left alone in case he comes back, or a better-trained guy comes back. Please don’t leave.” He looked surprised and he blushed softly. “Ok, I will.” He sat down in a chair and closed he eyes and leaned back softly. She laid back down and closed her eyes as well but it took her a while to fall back asleep.
A few hours later the first rays of day came through the window waking Jeff up. He slowly pulled him self up and slipped out and down stairs. Areise woke up a few minutes later and noticed he was gone. She jumped up and ran down stairs panicking. “Jeff, Jeff!! Where are you?” She ran face first into him because she was in such an upset. He looked at her and blinked once. “Um I’m right here, is everything ok?” She blushed deeply as she backed up a few steps. “Yeah, I just woke up and you weren’t there so I panicked I guess.” She walked into the kitchen still red up to her ears and started to make breakfast for them. He followed her in and just watched her for a bit, a little puzzled at the annoyed expression on her face. “Are you ok?” She looked up at him and glared a bit then realized that she was being rude and blushed lightly. “Fine just embarrassed, you can sit in the living room I’ll fix everything.”
He looked a bit put out but listened to her. He went in and sat down thinking about what he should say. Or rather about what he did to upset her or make her feel embarrassed. “Should I say I’m sorry, or was it just the fact I stayed in her room. Maybe I just upset her by something I had said.” He leaned back and continued to think. In the kitchen Areise was silently fuming to herself. “Why, why was I worried about him? He doesn't like me, he is doing all this to meet dad. Damn, I made such a fool of myself. Why am I so stupid?” She finished the breakfast and placed it on thee table as she called Jeff. “Jeff, come eat.” He walked in and sat down, looking a bit uneasy. “Um, I’m sorry if I did anything to upset you.” She looked up at him surprised the he was apologizing for her being upset. “What, no it’s not you it was me. Trust me, you’re fine.” She had said that last part a bit sarcastically and Jeff had noticed. He looked up at her and was frowning softly. “So when do you have to be at work?” She kept eating for a bit longer before answering his question. “By twelve noon, I work lunch shift. and early dinner.”
“Ok, so your off by five the latest right? Well bring all your stuff with you, and don’t let that parchment out of your sight.” She looked up at him scowling. “Don’t tell me what to do?” His faced dropped at this and he looked taken aback. “I... I didn’t mean too. I’m sorry.” He sat there staring at his food. “She must really hate me or something, what did I do?” They finished their breakfast and started to get ready for the day. “I’m sorry for snapping at you Jeff; I’m not a morning person at all.” He looked at her. She was wearing a long sky blue dress with a white apron; her hair was put up in a ponytail on the back of her head. He smiled at her softly and spoke in a light voice. “Part of it was my fault, I was being pushy and bossy. I work with sailors a lot and you have to be firm with them. I guess it shows too much sometimes.” She smiled back and put a small beat-up bag on her shoulder. “Yeah it does. But it’s ok, are you ready to go?” He picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder and turned to face her. “Yeah I’m ready, let’s go.” They walked outside and up the street to the upper-class part of the isle.