Board Thread:Roleplaying/@comment-13615389-20160623164644/@comment-26103034-20160627185615

Emerile was lying, curled up on the floor in a ball, crying quietly to herself, dirty with the mud from the pulled up ground. A cart rumbled past her, the driver sparing her a pitying glance. As it trundled into the distance, a bearded man hurried out of the building opposite, kneeling down and lightly tapped her on the shoulder. She looked up at him through her eyelashes, tears clinging to them.

"Are you alright, darling?" asked the man, brushing his dark hair out of his eyes.

The girl began to nod, before then stopping, looking down at her chest, and shaking her head. The man gave her a pitying look and held out his hand; she accepted it gratefully and he pulled her up.

"Th-thank you," she stammered, her voice catching.

"What's your name, hey?" smiled the man, kindly.

"E-esther. I-I'm Esther," replied the girl, looking at her feet as she spoke, wiping away the rest of her tears with her small arm, still clinging to the man's hand with her other arm.

"Well, Esther, can you tell me what happened?"

She remained silent for a moment, simply holding his hand a little tighter, before nodding.

"I w-as begging. A man sh-shouted a-at me. I-I'll b-be alright n-now, I th-think," stumbled Emerile, before smiling slightly through her tears, "Run away faster next time."

"Are you sure you'll be alright, miss Esther?" said the man, also smiling slightly.

"Y-yes. Th-thank you a-again, Mister."

"Well, if you need me," said the man, "Ask at the Golden Harp for Amir, alright?"

He recieved a nod from the girl, before she started to talk away; he too turned to go back, but before either had travelled more than a few meters, he stopped and frowned. Emerile continued to walk, perhaps a little faster than before, but had not got very far before the man turned and shouted, loudly enough for those nearby to hear.

"Hey! Thief! Guards! Thief!"

She spat out a curse and broke into a run, darting sideways into an alleyway, her thin shoes pounding away at the ground and echoing into the night, nimbly hopping over the broken bottles.