Tamora woke up, the sun was shining through the window. And was she seeing this right, was it really snowing? Yes little flakes of white fall down. She didn't know why, but she knew that she loved snow. She pulled the sheets off of her and stood up. They were in a large skyscraper, one of the larger buildings inside the city. The streets were well-kept there was no litter on the ground, no cracks in the pavement. The children were playing in the snow, throwing snowballs to each other. And some women that just walked by, the women didn't shout at them, no instead they started to throw snowballs themselves. It was a fun and an innocent display, in this digital prison. What would she not give to go down there and join them. But for that she needed to wake Orisino. She sighed and besides that her outfit was not suited for this weather. She looked at her short and tank top, this was all she had. And of course her weapons, but they will not help her to keep warm. A knock landed on the door, and Orisino shot up, with a knife in his hand.

"What, where?" He said, still half a sleep.

"We are inside Chris's city, the shack was burned down. And there was just a knock on the door." Tamora answered. "Probably Chris, or one of his gang members." Orisino mumbled a few things, while he stood up and moved the mattress, so he could unlock the door. It took all not more than minutes, but still those were all steps they didn't need to take if they were in their own shack. Al though there was nothing of that left. The door opened and Chris together with a young woman entered the room. She was carrying a tray filled with breakfast and most important of all coffee.

"Good morning, you two." Chris said, while the woman placed the tray on the bed. "I see that you got some rest." Tamora grabbed the cup of coffee, the smell alone was a warm welcome. Just then she saw that Chris looked at her. "You can not wear that, if you want to go outside." She already knew that of course. "Angie, please go and search for some warmer clothing." Chris said to the woman. Who said nothing, or didn't even nod. "She is a lovely lady, a bit quiet I am afraid. But still lovely."

"And she must do wonders in bed." Orisino growled. "Chris how long do I know you?"

"Years." Chris replied, and Orisino nodded.

"And tell me, in those years did you do anything for free?" Orisino asked, and Chris replied by shacking his head. "Good to know, so be not offended. What the hell do you want from use." Tamora put the cup of coffee down, she had not taken a sip from it.

"I do not want anything." Chris said.

"Cut the crap, and just spit it out. Do you still want greens? Too bad. The only reason why I escorted them out of the forest was burnt down. Do you want a night with Tamora, well that is her decision to make. Do you want me and Tamora to fight in that war of yours, not going to happen." Orisino said and Tamora tilted her head slightly. She knew him not that well, and she knew for a fact that he was direct. But she had not seen him like this, so worked up. Chris sighed.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"You have a point there, I do nothing out of the kindness of my cold heart. And I know I can not ask you to fight, of to get those greens for me." Chris said and he looked at Tamora. "Are you willing..."

"No." She said, before he could finish his question. And he nodded.

"Fair enough. So that is also of the table. Then I only have one other thing. You already menaced the war, and that was about to happen sooner or later. Marrisa thinks that her power is not limited to her own city. Which it those and I am sick of her. But I can not guaranty the safety of the children when the war breaks out." Chris said and Orisino nodded.

"You want me to take them." Orisino said and Chris nodded. "To take them were?"

"There is a small village, near the city of Douglas." Chris said. "I already talked with Douglas and he those not mind if I use it to save guard the children."

"But those he knows about use?" Tamora asked. She didn't know Douglas, but she knew that the only one who she could trust inside this world was Orisino. Chris nodded.

"He knows I am not sending the children to live there on their own." Chris said, that was not answering her question at all. But apparently she needed to take it because he walked towards the door. "Discuss it and enjoy your breakfast."

*****

"I am not a fucking babysitter." Orisino said through gritted teeth. Before he took a sip from his coffee.

"Well you and I already said no to the other things, so he needed to have another price." Tamora said, and Orisino nodded.

"I know that." He breezed. "But I am still no babysitter. I am a hunter, a killer, a low life."

"And that is why he asked you. Because you brought them here, you brought them to him. Gave him somebody to care for, and now he is asking you to keep them once again from harm." Tamora said. "He would not have asked you if he didn't believe the children would be safe in your care." This didn't help, it just put only more oil on the fire.

"Well that is great, you are really thinking about doing this for him. He is placing use at Douglas mercy, which is more dangerous than Marrisa's wreath." Orisino said. "Truth, the two man respect each other. But what if Chris dies on that battlefield, and he those not come back what then?"

"Then we need to run or hope for the best." Tamora said, as if it was nothing. "Chris will not place those children in danger." She was not so sure about that, but she needed to hope that this was true. "I think we need to do this."

"Why?" He asked.

"Because we are the only once I trust with them." Tamora replied, and he lowered his gaze.

"Are you sure about that?" He didn't look her in the eye, so she placed a finger under his chin, pushed it up and nodded.

"I do."

"Well then I have no choice in the matter, where you go I go." He said, and he snatched a bun from the tray. "Let's eat." He took a bit and grinned for the first time that day.