Papillion's Riddle

Old Friends, Old Enemies

I took advantage of the sudden chaos to drag Faith out of the heaving masses. Very few people sparred so much as a glance for me. Surely they couldn't suspect me for this... or could they? The people of Banton hadn't encountered elves for decades, and most knew nothing of what was truth and what was fiction when it came to our nature. This asociate from the Orian Society could say anything he wanted, and these people would be clueless as to whether he was lying or not.

Faith tugged anxiously at my arm. "Where's my mother?" she asked.

Unfortunately I had no answer to give her. "We're going home, so hopefully she'll be there."

"And are they still going to kill you?" Faith looked up at me, scarred and worried. I hadn't realized quite how much she'd understood of the speech.

"Hopefully not," I replied grimly. I didn't bother hiding my uncertainty from her, she was too smart for that.

As we left the main square the general chaos seemed to disintergrate with the crowds. Here people weren't fretting over the fire, and had time to consider it's causes. I quickened my pace, keen to get back to the inn before anyone gave more than just threatening glances. "You can't stay here any more, can you?"

"I don't know," I laid my hand on her shoulder. "Probably not."

"I don't want to you to go," she whispered. Tentatively she wrapped her arms around me and buried her head in my shirt.

"I'm sorry," I hugged her back quickly, before pulling her forward. Faith understood. We both tried to ignore the constant glares and whispers directed at us.

"Did you here what the Orian said?" one whispered. "He said elves have magic."

Faith looked up at me, asking for the truth of the matter. I quickly shook my head.

"So that's how she managed to set the inn on fire," the second women replied. I glanced anxiously at Faith, who had begun to shiver.

"It makes no sense. Why cut off the hand that feeds her?"

"Well aparantly she must have some sort of connection with..."

"Come on" I urged, pulling Faith more firmly than I had intended. We both broke into a sprint, leaving the whisperers behind. When I realized she was slowing me down, I scooped Faith up and slung her over my shoulder like I had a lot of times in play, only this time we were both deadly serious.

The smoke was the first thing that came into veiw. I tried to convince myself that it was too far down the street to be the Forester's Arms. I tried to pretend I didn't recognise the red cobbles beneath the feet crowed outside the fire. Faith was crying into my shoulder, and I didn't have the words to comfort her. "Faith!" Mrs Monza was waiting outside her burning home. "Poppy!"

I lowered Faith to the ground, who ran straight into her mother's arms, then took a few respectful steps back. I understood that I might not be her favourite person. She had taken Faith up in her arms, comforting her with her motherly touch. Then she turned her attention to me. "I'm glad to see you're okay, Poppy. I honestly didn't know how far they would go. I'm... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have left you and Faith like that. I just... when I saw the smoke, I knew exactly where it was. I'm sorry."

I stiffened, taken aback by her apology. "I... you don't hate me? Because of all the people who seemingly want to kill me, you would be the most justified to do so."

She laughed weekly. "You didn't actually do this did you?" I shook my head. "Then I'm not angry. I know you couldn't have done this."

"It's good to know not everyone hates me."