Gauge and Echo where out tonight in the freshly fallen snow. The sun had gone down and the cold was setting in. Echo was home from Lilith's training so she was helping her half sister who did regular mountain watches. Sometimes during the winter, hunters would hide in the mountains and would do illegal hunts from time to time. So far this had not happened this year but regular watches kept that so. After a bit of searching, the two decided to head into town. There was a small coffee shop that sold lots of hot drinks and seasonal favorites. After making a purchase, Echo and Gauge sat down at a small table and went over some of the local adverts that were hung up on the town board by the hall. Gauge had heard some small talk about a stranger in town, a child in fact. Typically when lost children showed up in town, they were taken in by Abel and his guards. They usually ended up being lost children of residents that were living in Darkwood.
"If there really is a lost child, we should find them and take them to Abel, we can't have a child out in the cold, especially tonight with it being as cold as it is". Gauge sipped her drink as Echo agreed. Once the two finished their drinks they got up from the table, tossed out their trash then went on the hunt. Many of the side streets and small alleyways behind the stores and businesses usually attracted a lot of homeless or shady people. Luckily Abel and his guards kept the streets safe. Echo and Gauge started to look around, unfortunately because the talk about a lost child had only just started, there was a high possibility that the rumor was just that...a rumor. The night was still young though and many places were still busy with holiday shoppers. Most of the street vendors were still open even. Alley after alley was searched, nothing turned up. Soon, the two girls ended up back at the coffee shop where they took a seat at another table. They were about to give up when the sound of a trash can lid hitting the grounded could be heard.
"Over there, I thought I saw a shadow". Echo pointed and they both got up to investigate.
"Could be an animal". Gauge and Echo went behind the shop and used a flashlight to look around. Nothing was seen. But something got into the trash as there were scraps of food and pieces of hard bread on the ground.
"This waste is fresh, the shop must have just put it out". Echo picked up a bun that was hard but not moldy. Gauge picked up another bun but this one had a bite mark in it. A new one in fact. Just before she could speak, another bang alerted them. A trash can tipped over and rolled into the alleyway where they were walking. Looking around, the light caught a quick flash of something small moving in the shadows. When Gauge shined the light at a small, wooden box, a small girl was seen inside. She had been wearing a torn up shirt, old shoes with holes in them and a pair of gloves with the fingers exposed. She looked like your typical street urchin.
Echo reached out for her but she recoiled and curled up. Gauge remembered she had some rations in her bag, which she swung around her and pulled out a strip of jerky. The young girl's nose caught sent of the food and she moved forward sniffing the air. She had a full head of white hair with a blue strip in the front that looked like a long bang. Her skin was tanned and she had a pair of bright eyes, one was a distinct blue and the other was a reddish orange. She gobbled up the meat really quick and when she saw that these two strangers were not a threat, the small girl began to climb up on Gauge in the hopes of finding another piece of meat.
"She's a real cutie, but we should take her to the guards so they can find out who she belongs to". Echo laughed as the child found another piece of meat which she ate up as quickly as the first. Echo and Gauge began to head to the town guard headquarters to drop the child off. They were not sure how she might react to being brought to a strange place especially after getting to know the two girls.
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