Wryn never had security, her life lacked the warm musings of a home, the reassuring touches of a family, and the safety of it all. Once she'd known such things, she once had parents and a home, once lived in that comfort. She had them. But that was long ago. Now, Wryn had the streets, or better yet the streets had her. She was nothing but another lowly urchin barely scraping by. It was easy to convince herself with the uncertainty of her life, that nothing mattered. It didn't matter if she had no family nor home. It didn't matter if she went days without anything to eat, or that some nights she couldn't find a safe place to lay her head. It didn't matter if the hunger and cold riddled her bones with ache. She learned young to accept the lingering fear of death because no one cared whether she lived or not, so why would she.
With no laws or rules, to live by, Wryn went unchecked. To survive she needed to steal from others, become a vulture, a magpie, a crow. It started with small acts, pickpocketing from haughty nobles that flaunted their wealth or gloating adventurers that basked in their littlest of victories. However as Wryn grew so did her ambition, and as a result, her thievery.
~~~~~
She'd marked her target, a low ranking member of the gentry traversing through the crowded streets of the city, a heavy bag of coins tied to his belt. Assuming the man, lacked skill, Wryn opted to be reckless. She didn't think. She had no secondary exit, no lookout, no distractions other than the crowd. Like always she had herself but someday that wouldn't be enough. It happened fast, all so fast. One moment Wryn was making her way towards the lowly knight and the next she was being reprimanded by a guard on duty.
"Hey! Unhand me." Wryn pulled against his grip.
"Like I'd do that." The hold on her upper arm tightened, and as the pain of it began to settle in, Wryn felt nothing. In fact, she watched as the guard could no longer get his hand on her like some invisible barrier separated the two.
Eyes turned on them, the crowd hooked onto the new spectacle. The guard sputtered some words in disbelief, Wryn caught little of what he said but mumblings of... soulmates? Just as sudden, another guard appeared, another one on his rounds.
"Grab her," the first guard ordered the second, gaze trained on Wryn as he launched forward with a great force. Wryn ducked, her arms coming up in defence but nothing happened. Again, the second guard was unable to touch her, he looked alarmed clawing at the air towards Wryn. She laughed, confused but basking in her ability to be untouched. Saluting the guards, Wryn pulled up her hood, melting into the crowd, getting further from the guards and the eyes of the crowd that would recognise her.
In the confusion of it all, Wryn was riding an adrenaline high, and thanks to years of pickpocketing her head remembered to rob a few passer-bys knowing she'd need the money later, for food and shelter tonight. With enough change stuffed into her hidden pocket, she checked twice before speeding down an alley and knocking on a lone door in a concession of short raps. Barely on its hinges, the door was yanked open by a tall woman, one whom Wryn smiled at, her adrenaline rush on its edges of wearing out.
"Wrynlynn," the woman drawled, her accent pulling the word out, "business is slow today, consider yourself lucky." She stepped back from the door, expecting Wryn to follow, to which she did. Closing the door firmly behind her. As they walked the woman spoke again, "your room is open."
Without prompting Wryn pulled out her assortment of stolen coins, dropping them into the woman's open palm. "A pleasure like always, Dee."
The room was sparse, filled with the barest of what Wryn kept, a few articles of clothing tucked away in a chest and a spare pair of boots beside it. Against the opposite wall were a cot, a flat pillow and ratty blanket atop it. And on the furthest side of the room, was a small stove, near it a table and stool of equal lacklustre all together. Wryn found it cosy, small enough that if it too were lost from her she wouldn't miss it. Finally, settling down, the events of the evening replayed in her mind, every detail repeated over and over again. And a certain word plagued her mind, the word uttered by that first guard. Soulmate. He'd said.
