Memoirs of a Fallen God

Chapter 26

I stepped onto the street hoping to catch sight of her. Yet I saw nothing. Not the slightest glimmer of wavy brown hair…but after standing there for a few moments, fighting down a growing dismay, I realized there was something I could follow.

It was a thing I knew at once to associate with her. A hint of something floral, nearer to the scent of decaying flowers than anything else. Not unpleasant. Yet I knew without having to plug my nose that the sense had nothing to do with smell.

Without stopping to consider the oddity of the trail, I followed. It led down an alley, away from the lights and the noise of the raucous areas reserved for the visiting soldiers.

In retrospect, it was very stupid of me to wander after an unknown girl in an unknown town using an unknown sense I’d only just realized I possessed. Yet I did not hesitate. I had made the decision before I even left the tavern: I would find this girl and I would speak to her. In all likelihood I would make a bumbling fool of myself in the process--I was resigned to that sad fact, but I was also determined to at least make the attempt.

The strange trail led me down an alley between wooden buildings, and from there down a street filled with darkened windows of shops and what I assumed were homes. Still I did not see her; she must have been in a hurry. Running to something? Or running from me?

That thought nearly stopped my pursuit in its tracks. I had no wish to frighten her, and a stranger following in the dark was likely to do exactly that. Yet she had seemed so sure of herself back at the tavern. She did not strike me as the type to run from much of anything…certainly not an unarmed novice soldier wearing the uniform of the Imperial Army. Yet she must be in no small hurry to keep ahead of me, even bumbling my way as I was.

But the trail still lingered before me, and, though I had my doubts, still I seemed unable to stop myself from following where it lead. The street I was on came to an end, but an alley ran along the outer wall of the town. The trail led down it, so down it I went.

And there she was, leaning against a darkened storefront, watching me, utterly at her ease. A street torch flickered above, illuminating the store window. And her.

She said nothing as I approached, and certainly she did not seem to have any fear of me. But when I stopped next to her eyes widened.

“Hello,” I said, quite lamely. I realized I had nothing else to say, and berated myself for not thinking of something clever whilst in the midst of my pursuit.

If she had been surprised when I stopped, she seemed doubly so when I spoke.

Hello yourself,” she said, taking a step away, her free hand idly twisting a bracelet made of twine around her wrist. For the first time I noticed a disturbingly long dagger at her belt, and her hand now strayed toward the hilt. “You were following me. Why?”

“Well I…because…well, I wanted to talk to you, I guess.” And there you have it. Telth, master of words and women. Surely she could not help but swoon at my conversational prowess.

But swoon she did not. She crossed her arms instead—which actually somewhat relieved me, as it brought her hand away from the dagger. She seemed annoyed, certainly, but annoyed was far preferable to afraid. And potentially violent. ”And what was so important you had to slink after me like a thief in the dark?”

“I…I guess I don’t know. You were staring at me back in the tavern, and I felt…” I closed my mouth, belatedly realizing how stupid I would sound, were I to voice the sort of thoughts that had been rattling around in my head back in the tavern.

Her brow wrinkled. “I can guess what kind of feelings you were having back there. It’s that kind of place. But I’m not that kind of girl." 

“No,“ I said, putting my hands up in despair at the way I was fumbling things. “Of course you’re not. I didn’t think for a second you were. It’s just…I could see you were different. Different from everyone.”