Quote:
Stray pups –

We know where you are. We’ll be coming for you shortly.


Aisling’s fingers trembled as she took the note off of the door of her vardo. Unlike her little sister, she knew exactly what that note meant, and that both herself and Riley were in as much danger here in Farstep as their parents were, locked away in jail. A part of her wanted to go to Keagan for help, but she knew that it would only bring trouble for the carnival and its inhabitants were Keagan to get involved. No, there was really only one option, as much as she loathed the idea. Riley was playing with Dilly when she opened the door, the eerie-heavy spark she had received from Rhian Grady resting on her little table. Normally the sight would have made Aisling smile, but not today. Not with what was happening.

”Riley, pack ye’re thin’s,” she said, her voice utterly flat. The little girl looked up at her curiously, but recognized something in her tone as being unquestionable and did so, though not without asking a lot of questions.

”Where’re we goin’, sis’er? On a trip?”

Packing her own things as best she could – and wishing that spark would hurry up and emerge to help her out here a little! – Aisling shrugged. ”I donnae know, wee’an. Donnae f’rget’ ye’re clothes, they’re more importan’ than ye’re toys,” she admonished, barely looking around. The packing was completed relatively quickly, if a bit haphazardly, and the last thing Aisling caught sight of was Riley packing Dilly into the bag with her clothes, whereupon the kitten went straight to sleep, purring contently. ”Done, wee'an?” Aisling asked, scooping her spark off the table and looking for her stick. . . before realizing that as much as she hated it, the chair would be faster to work with, and to get around in while she and her sister were. . . away.

~*~


Sighing, Aisling took one last look at her vardo and the note taped on it that explained the basics of what was going on to Keagan should he wonder where she’d gone, and she planned to send a message to Lee as soon as she could, as well. But for now, she had Riley in her lap, a spark in her bag, and a kitten in Riley’s bag and she had all of them to take care of whilst getting away from here as fast as possible.

This was the only life she’d ever known, the only home she and Riley had ever had. Still, they were leaving it behind to venture out into the main grounds of the city in the off-chance that they’d be able to survive and keep trouble away from the carnival they had grown up in.

Aisling supposed she should have been frightened, but with Riley singing a happy song about sunshine and flowers, and Dilly purring from her bag, and the spark tucked away safely, ready to help her without denigrating her. . . she couldn’t help but feel a little. . .


Free.