Elsa stared at the grey workshop door. Pippa butted against Elsa’s back and nudged her forward, yet she couldn’t do it. If she went into the workshop, it would be real. Her uncle wouldn’t be sitting before the fire, pipe in hand, and she wouldn’t be able to pretend any longer.

“Elsa?”

Sienna edged towards her. Elsa couldn’t understand why the girl’s movements were so cautious until she looked down and noticed how hard her hands were shaking.

“He’s gone,” Elsa whispered. “My uncle…”

Her breath caught on his name. When did her cheeks become so wet?

Sienna took in the blood on the cart and the nervous horse.

“Come inside.”

Elsa shook her head. “I can’t. Pippa. She might be hurt. I must see to her.”

Sienna’s voice was quiet and gentle. “My father will take care of Pippa. Give me the key, we’ll see her right.”

Elsa’s arms felt like heavy, clumsy stone. Sienna took the key offered and opened the iron doors wide. A man loomed in the lamplight and Elsa gripped the lead tighter.

“It’s just my father,” Sienna said. “He’s going to take care of Pippa. Remember? Give him the lead.”

She followed Sienna’s instructions.

“Come now. You’ll feel better once you’ve had a sit down.”

Sienna guided her up the stairs and into the seamstress’ workshop. Rama looked up from the sewing machine and her foot froze on the pedal. Concern creased her brow. “What’s happened?”

Sienna gave a quick shake of her head and for once Rama stayed silent. The older woman dropped her project and moved to the dining table. Elsa sat. The two women took seats on either side of her.

“Elsa,” Rama said, her gaze sweeping over her bruised arms and dishevelled clothing. “Has someone hurt you?”

“No.” The tears wouldn’t stop falling.

“Tell us what’s happened,” Sienna said. “We want to help you.”

“I don’t know if you can.”

Sienna took hold of her hand. “Try us.”

Elsa found it hard to let go of her mistrust and confide in them. She’d carried her problems on her own for a long time, compartmentalising them into puzzles only she could solve. Now these two women invited her to share, yet she didn’t know where to begin.

Rama gathered up her other hand. “Whatever you have to say, we are here. I promise you.”

Elsa wanted so much to believe them. She didn’t want to be alone anymore.

“Alright.”

Elsa told them everything, from her brief encounter with the strange, grey-eyed boy at the Night Port, to her bargain with Noak and their mad idea to smuggle Finn from the underground. She told them how Melker had discovered their plans and of her uncle’s injury and escape. The candle had burned low by the time she finished. Rama sat back in her chair, stunned.

“I think we could all use something warm to drink,” Sienna said. She placed the kettle over the fire.

Rama rubbed the dark skin on her arms. “How long has this been going on?”

Elsa counted the days. “A week, maybe more.”

“A week?” The hurt in Rama’s expression surprised Elsa. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“How could I? You were so angry about the curfew.”

“I could have helped you,” Rama said.

“But you always say you have to look out for yourself in the Darkzone,” Elsa said. “I didn’t want to burden you.”

Rama bit her bottom lip. “I know I always say that, but I never meant you. I would do anything for you. I thought you knew?”

They sat in silence until Sienna returned. The redhead pushed the mug in front of Elsa and encouraged her to drink.

“So, what will you do?” Sienna asked.

Elsa hadn’t really thought of her next move, but a new restless energy had overtaken her body. “I can’t sit here. I must do something.”

“Either your uncle will come back, or he won’t,” Sienna said. “Nothing you do can change that.”

In the past, Elsa would have agreed, yet suddenly she couldn’t accept that logic.

“He’s hurt, Sienna. I don’t think Melker lied about his injuries even if he wasn’t honest about the cause. What if he’s trying to return and can’t?”

“What if Melker was lying?” Sienna countered. “What if your uncle is fine and you go up onto the surface and get yourself killed in the process?”

“And if it was your father who disappeared, but no one cared?” Elsa asked. “Would you sit there quietly, doing nothing but hoping?”

Sienna looked away. “Of course not.”

“Then don’t ask me to do that either,” Elsa said. “All my life, I’ve sat in the darkness waiting and hoping the people I love would come back to me at the end of each day. Well, I’m done. It’s time for action.”

Sienna threw up her hands. “This is crazy.”

“No, this is resolve,” Elsa said. “And it’s not just those reasons.” She remembered Melker’s hard lips on hers. Her uncle might need her, but she also needed to get away. “I have to leave.”

Rama stirred. “You should go.”

“What?” Sienna exclaimed.

“Elsa’s not a child anymore.” Rama rose. “She can make her own decisions.”

The older woman crossed the room, brushing against the mobile of birds hanging from the low ceiling. She pulled a large bundle wrapped in beige cloth from a drawer and returned to the table.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

“I reckon it’s close enough to the date, though I don’t have the luxury of a fancy pocket watch to be exactly sure of the time or the day.” She handed Elsa the package. “Happy birthday, girl. You made it to eighteen.”

Elsa fingered the neat bow made of brown string. “I can’t believe you remembered.”

Rama cleared her throat. “I’ve watched over you as closely as your uncle has. I know how important this birthday is to you. Of course, I remembered.”

Elsa examined the package and realised her priorities had changed. Only days ago, she had thought of her birthday as a milestone. With all her heart, she’d believed it was the key to changing her life. Now, after everything that had happened, the extra year seemed unimportant.

“Go on, open it,” Rama said, an excited note creeping into her voice.

Elsa complied. She unwrapped the gift and found a dark green coat made from strong waterproof canvas. She held it up to the light. The neck had a thick collar of wool and inside the lining was soft and warm.

“You made this for me?”

Rama turned shy and embarrassed. “I thought you’d need something for your junking trips—something that wasn’t grey, anyway. The material’s tough and I’ve reinforced the elbows and shoulders, so you should be able to wear if for a few seasons. It’s got pockets and a belt so you can clip your tool pouch to it. There’s a zipper and a buttoned flap over the top to keep out the cold…”

Elsa hugged the older woman. “Thank you.”

“It’s nothing really,” Rama said, but she slipped her arms around Elsa and pulled her in tight.

“It’s perfect, exactly what I need.”

They broke apart and Rama sat back down at the table. “If you’re going to do this, you’re going to need more than a coat.”

Elsa folded the jacket and placed it before her. “I’ll make a list. Between here and my uncle’s workshop, we should be able to find everything.”

Sienna was quiet. Elsa took the redhead’s hands between her own.

“I know you don’t agree with any of this, but will you help me?”

“How can I refuse,” Sienna said, “after everything you’ve done for us?”

Elsa smiled. “You can’t.”

Sienna tapped her fingers against the table. “But you’ve still got a greater problem. You told me the entrances are being watched. How are you going to get past the guards to the surface?”

Across the room, bird silhouettes darted and twirled on the end of the string mobile.

“I have an idea.”

***

Elsa had changed from her dress into trousers and put on her new jacket and thick outdoor boots. Her pack held supplies, a change of clothing and a bedroll. A coil of rope hung across her chest, her knife and toolkit decorated her belt. She’d even opened one of her uncle’s rare head torches and hung it on an elastic around her neck.

Rama had gone ahead to check the location of the guards in the Alley. Elsa waited in the courtyard, Sienna at her side. They sat at the bottom of the seamstress’ staircase with their eyes fixed on Junker Lane. Sienna’s hands rested in her lap, a picture of calm, unlike Elsa, who couldn’t sit still. She headed for the edge of the cave.

“What are you doing?” Sienna asked.

“I’m looking for my pocket watch.”

Elsa searched a collection of tall stones.

“Why would it be there?”

“Don’t ask,” Elsa replied. “Ah, here it is!”

The timepiece lay where Elsa had thrown it. She held it up to the light and rubbed at the faint scratches across the metal casing. Elsa placed the watch around her neck and beneath her shirt, the familiar tick settled against her heart. She returned to Sienna, squeezing beside her on the slender staircase. Elsa’s fingers tapped a nervous beat on her knee. What was taking Rama so long?

“I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” Sienna said.

Elsa stopped tapping.

“The day we met, you said there were no handouts in the Darkzone. Remember?”

“Yes.”

Sienna tucked a stray strand of hair behind one ear. “Well, Rama got a seamstress from our deal and extra income from my father. We got a place to stay and protection…but you got nothing, as far as I can see.”

“Is that your question?” Elsa asked. “How did I benefit?”

“More like, why did you help us?”

Elsa traced her tattoo. “I don’t know. I saw your father at the Lonely Flame. I saw Marcella.” Elsa covered the Bad Seed mark with her hand. “I really hate that woman.”

“Why?”

“We have history,” Elsa said. “Marcella found my mother and me after our first night in the Darkzone. By that stage we’d had pretty much everything of value stolen from us. We were hungry, tired and afraid. Marcella took us to her establishment and told us the same lie she told you. We didn’t know who she was or the business she ran, not until it was too late. When we found out we tried to leave, but she said we owed her for food, fuel and board. Marcella said we could go when we’d paid her back, but we had no lumieres and she wouldn’t accept any of our remaining possessions as payment. She said we’d have to work it off.”

“Did she make you…?”

Elsa shook her head. “I became Marcella’s personal maid. I did her laundry, washed and combed her hair and served drinks in the saloon. My mother… She was still young then and quite beautiful...”

Painful memories rose up from that time and Elsa hurried on.

“My mother would whisper to me at night, promising she would find a way to change our circumstances and get us back to Haven, but it was an impossible task. Marcella charged us for everything, so we only got further into debt.”

“How did you get away?”

“My uncle came to the Darkzone.” Elsa smiled. “I remember how he burst into the Lonely Flame and demanded to see the ledger Marcella kept. He paid our debt—which was most of his lumieres. There was nothing Marcella could do, though she tried every trick. He took us away from that place.”

“He saved you,” Sienna said.

Elsa nodded. “I thought my mother would be grateful, but she was just angry. Her brother hadn’t come soon enough. He’d promised to protect her, but he’d failed. Bad things had happened.”

She paused as the memories played out in her mind.

“My uncle tried to explain that it took time to petition the Keeper. He couldn’t leave straight away. His reasons didn’t matter to my mother. From that moment on, she refused to speak to him. She turned down the jobs he offered. If he sent us any supplies, she would send them back. My mother didn’t want his help. Everything was his fault.”

Elsa sighed.

“I often imagine what my life would’ve been like if someone had stepped in, at least until my uncle arrived. I know things would have been different, less dark. Anyway, that’s why I did it. Seeing you, seeing Marcella, it brought everything back to me and I wanted you to have a chance.”

***

“Elsa! Sienna!” Rama’s voice had them standing. The older woman hurried towards them.

“What is it?” Elsa asked.

Rama halted before them. “The Alley is in an uproar. The guards have left. The curfew’s been lifted.”

“And the Night Port?”

“Still closed. But surely, it’s only a matter of time?”

Elsa’s instincts urged her to be cautious. “It doesn’t make sense. Why would Melker pull out from the Alley and not the Night Port?”

Sienna lifted her pack and helped Elsa shoulder it on. “You’re overthinking it. This is good news.”

“You don’t understand,” Elsa said. “This whole thing’s a game to Melker. Every decision he makes, every word he utters, it all has a purpose even if you can’t see it. That’s how he works and why he always wins.”

“You make him sound superhuman,” Sienna said.

“No, he’s human.” Elsa tugged at the silver chain around her neck. “Even so, he scares me. I don’t know why I was singled out above everyone else.”

Rama slipped a water canister into Elsa’s pack. “Lust is a powerful motivator.”

“But there are prettier women in both the Darkzone and the city,” Elsa said. “There are others who wield great power and influence. They would bring him more than some insignificant Bad Seed.”

“Maybe he truly cares for you?” Sienna said.

“Not me.” Elsa adjusted her straps. “Melker doesn’t want me as I am. He wants me obedient and meek and above all else indebted to him and him alone. Melker won’t stop until I submit to him, while I’ll never stop fighting.”

“If that’s true,” Rama said, “it’s just another good reason for you to get away from this place.”

Elsa agreed. She removed two pouches from her pocket. They contained all the coin Elsa had saved for her permit. She handed Sienna the largest one first. “There are lumieres inside. Enough to pay for Pippa’s feed for a few months. She needs regular exercise, if you can manage it. My uncle has an agreement with the guards at the Sun Caves. They should recognise Pippa. Give them a brass token, then they’ll give you no trouble.”

“Of course we’ll take care of her,” Sienna said.

Elsa went on. “If I don’t come back by the time the tokens run out, you’ll need to find Pippa another owner.”

“No,” Sienna said. “I couldn’t.”

“You might not have a choice. Animals are expensive to keep. Just find her someone who is kind. Someone who’ll love her as much as we do.”

Sienna agreed in the end.

“I’ve one final favour to ask.” She handed Sienna the second pouch with the remainder of her lumieres. “Will you see my mother gets this? And if she asks, will you tell her I love her and my greatest wish is she’ll find happiness, whatever way she can?”