"Are we going to go through another alley?" Miwah asked. Tamma led the group past the fountain, giving the seamstress a better view of the rest of the area. The section of Farrowport they were in was less crowded when compared to the one they had first entered.

"No, not this time Miwah. And don't worry, I've learned my lesson. We'll take the longer, safer route to my place." Tamma took the others down a sharp turn into a wide road. Puddles filled the uneven sections of pavement. A few pedestrians moved along the edges at a slow pace. Among the walkers were people sitting along the edge of buildings, slumped over and wearing only rags.

"This is not much better, Tamma," Miwah whispered to the hunter as she discreetly looked around the area.

"But it's the safest," Miwah replied. "Lots of beggars and drunkards, but they're harmless. A bit clingy and talkative but they won't hurt you if you just ignore them."

"I will let you lead the way in that case." Miwah shrunk behind Tamma, keeping close while Lug trotted right behind. A slight drizzle began, making the puddles ripple with tiny waves. Those resting along the walls began to stir, looking up at the sky as the rain continued to fall.

"Great," Tamma said under her breath. "The rain is going to wake up everyone. And we've got to get to the other end of the road." She pointed straight ahead. With the way the path travelled down and curved, the large cluster of buildings towards the bottom was visible.

"Hey ladies!" one of the men said sluggishly. Miwah froze and turned her head to the beggar. He remained sitting, propped against the wall with a canteen clutched in his dirty hands. "Mind... helping a fellow...?"

Tamma took hold of Miwah's wrist and pulled her forward. "If you start talking to him, you'll be here all day. Let's just get going." Miwah took her eyes off the man and kept focused on moving straight ahead. The old beggar continued to shout, trying to grab Miwah's attention only to have his words ignored. Tamma's pacing picked up, as did Miwah and Lug. The further and faster they moved through the road, the more intense the rain became. It wasn't long before those that called the gutter their home scurried for cover.

"Of all the luck!" Miwah shouted as she pulled her hood over her hair. "If we keep up this pace, we can make it back without getting drenched. Too much."

"At this point, I am used to it," Miwah said back. Their footsteps splashed against the wet stones of the ground as the road became steeper. After a bit of wobbling from a misstep, Miwah regained her balance and kept close. The rain stayed light as they moved in towards the rows of homes at the bottom of the road. Tamma moved underneath the awnings of the buildings, pausing to catch her breath. Miwah stood next to the hunter and stared ahead, watching the rain fall down with a gentle patter.

"Could've gone worse," Tamma said with a chuckle. "Some of those beggars are desperate and are more than willing to try and guilt you out of a few coins, even if a storm is coming."

"But I still feel bad," Miwah said lowly. "If I had money on me, I would have given that man at least something."

"Bad idea, Miwah. Did your village not have any beggars?"

Miwah shook her head. "No. We took care of each other."

"It's a lot smaller too, I bet."

"That is true as well."

"All those people do is use money to drink their problems away or gamble it away against a scammer. You'd be better off flipping the coin into that fountain and making a wish. At least that way maybe a kid would take it and find a good use for it."

"And Farrowport just lets its citizens... toil away on the side of the road?" Miwah said with exasperation. "Do they not have any concern for their fellow man?"

Stolen novel; please report.

"Nope. Remember, Farrowport has people from all over the world. There isn't a sense of identity here. Most of the people in this town are more focused on making it to the next day or turning a profit rather than trying to strengthen some shared identity of a community."

"What a shame."

"It is. But if you try to help out every poor soul that has been given a hard deal... or because of their own volution, you'll end up broke and just like them. It hurts to ignore people in trouble like that, but if you want to make it to see another day in Farrowport, you'll have to be careful with when you help."

"Then why did you help me?" Miwah asked. "You could have let me go once you freed me from your trap and we would have gone separate ways."

Tamma bobbed her head from side to side as she contemplated an answer. "That was different. In a way, it was my fault you got caught. But those people back on the road? They're the ones that would rather spend their time and money on forgetting their problems instead of facing them!"

"I understand what you are saying. But it is still does not make leaving all those people in the middle road to starve any easier."

Tamma gave Miwah a friendly jab on the shoulder. "That already makes you better than a good portion of the people in Farrowport. Come on, let's get out of the rain. We can discuss things a bit more once we're in my home." Thunder cracked through the air and the rain fell even harder. Lug moved closer underneath the awning, pressing against the hunter's leg with the side of his body. "If there's one thing Lug hates more than work, it's getting drenched!"

"Lead the way."

The hunter nodded, sticking close to the wall of the adjacent homes. She darted through gaps in the awnings above. She stood underneath the new shelter to wait for Miwah and Lug to catch up. "Just a bit further! We're almost there!"

Miwah shook the water from the strands of hair that were stuck to her robe as she watched Tamma sprint underneath two more awnings. The seamstress followed suit, catching up with Tamma only to shake out the excess water from her hair again. "Is this your place?" Miwah turned her head to face the front of the building. The structure towered above her with rows of identical floors. Windows were placed in the stone walls, each equidistant from each other. Some lit up while others remained pitch black.

In front of her was a tall wooden door in the middle of the long row of windows. Tamma pushed it in and held it open. Miwah stepped through first. The inside was dark, and the cold air of the interior exasperated her wetness. The seamstress wrapped her arms around herself as she continued in further. To either side of her were two long corridors containing seemingly endless rooms. To the center was a worn-out wooden staircase. A long guard rail travelled along its side while cobwebs and dust filled the area underneath.

"Try to hold your breath if you can," Tamma called out as she let the door close behind her. "You don't want to inhale all of that dust if you don't have to."

Miwah took in a deep breath and bulged her cheeks.

"I was joking, Miwah," Tamma said while smiling. She put on hand on the wooden railing and began climbing up. Miwah let out the gulp of air she had taken and followed. The stairs creaked with each step that she took. The wooden planks that formed the steps warped and bent under her pressure.

"Don't worry about the steps. The landlord says he'll get around to replacing the staircase. Eventually. So no worries if something breaks."

"Ah yes, that is what I am concerned about. The stairs being broken." Miwah stopped halfway up the stairs to look behind her. Lug nudged at her ankle with his snout, urging her to move forward. She obliged to the brillicks notion and hurried up the steps. Tamma awaited her at the top with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Let's get some things out of the way first, lass," Tamma said once Miwah caught up. "If I had known I was going to have a guest over, I would have cleaned up beforehand."

"Messes do not bother me."

"Good! It's kinda small, too. You used to cramped spaces?"

The seamstress nodded. "Yes. Like I said, my family was not the wealthiest in the village. And Taipen was not particularly prosperous to begin with. Not to mention all the time I spent hiding inside that chest."

Tamma nodded her head. "All right. I think this can work out." The hunter moved down a few rooms and stood in front of a dark oak door that matched the rest. The light that came in through the windows was dim, only giving enough illumination to see the cracks and chips in the green paint of the walls. The hunter put one hand on the door ready to open it up until her eyes met with Miwah again. "Don't judge."

Miwah placed one hand on her chest. "I promise."

The hunter exhaled deeply. She looked down at the brillick who was wagging his tail excitedly. "You keep quiet, Lug! Don't act like you didn't contribute to what's going on in there!"

The animal barked and pushed on the door with the front of his head.

"He seems eager."

"Yeah, because he's trying to lay down. No more hesitating, then." Tamma pushed the door open. "Welcome to my place, Miwah."