The kid got out from under the table. Some heat leaked out inside the blanket as they opened it wide. The young child appeared male, but all kids look the same in the end. The small child disappeared into the trinkets near the wall. The rustling of their search went on for a minute.
A large blue bathrobe, a set of wooden shoes, and a red scarf were set out for her. Forgetting she was an adult physically Cutlery changed on the spot. The kid turned away. He didn't turn red though so he must be used to close spaces, Cutlery figured.
Her new outfit covered much more than her sackcloth had. Good riddance to that old thing! Cutlery looked at herself in half a mirror. The young boy idled behind her. She turned to him and put her hands on her hips. Before she said a thing he spoke,
"Now what do you want?" Cutlery looked him in the eyes.
"I just lost a fight, so I want to not die." Cutlery said. The boy nodded soberly and spoke.
"You can stay here till you think you wil not die. If you found a way in here, you must be not evil."
Cultery smiled. The simple thoughts of the street rat. The law, aka the Tower, was evil. the boy saw anyone who beat you when you wanted to eat as evil. Shopkeeps and anyone you stole from weren't evil. Just the people who roughed you up threw you in jail, or did other "unnecessary things" were evil. Good people were those who helped you out, or ignored you. A sad but interesting outlook.
Cutlery understood. The Tower was quite evil. Maybe not the guards, but the soldiers, the slivered people were power mad.
While her thoughts reminisced of her short street rat days, she searched the room. The kids were watching her from under the blanket. She would need food and weapons. Stealing would likely get her unwanted attention. Trading would be better. A quick glance at the table showed three sets of eyes looking back at her.
"I want to trade," Cultery said. All three of them emerged excitedly. Cutlery smirked and continued, "I need weapons, a long thin pointy sword called a rapier, knives not meant for cooking, and a meal. I have information and skills." The three children fell into deep thought. The silent third child was a half-demon of some kind. She had deep blue skin and nubs for horns on her forehead.
They scattered across the room and began rummaging through their trinkets. A pile of tiny weapons was in front of her after a minute. They were all the kinds of cut-purse tools.
"I will take that shiv and that dagger for three food handout locations outside gang territory." Cutlery said. The kids thought.
"How far?" The half-demon said. Cutlery mental mapped for a second and said,
"Probably a good half-hour walk for your short legs." Cutlery said.
"Pick one." The older boy decided. Cutlery took the dagger. She described the three restaurants that handed out food to them. They nodded happily and she spun the dagger. It needed sharpening. Time to start from the bottom.
-
Cutlery was led up some spiral stairs that were covered in trinkets. Many sharp items gathered on the wood planks. Every third step was missing its left half as well. As an adult Cutlery found herself slower than the children as they all went up. Her large feet did not easily avoid the tirade of potential pain.
The steps lead into an abandoned building filled with homeless. The sick, elderly, and destitute lined the rotting walls. At least two dozen people occupied the first space. The kids were lucky to have carved out such a large space below. Cutlery walked her way through the crowd and refuse the covered floor. The kids didn't bat an eye at the scene. They exited through a curtained doorframe into a thin alleyway. A less sick-looking half-orc woman stood by the door with a sturdy piece of wood near her left hand.
The orc eyed them and then went back to scratching the wall. Cultery walked sideways to slide out of the alleyway. The kids bid her goodbye. She grabbed directions to the nearest blacksmith and left.
Her clothes still sucked, but her small grimy body allowed her to blend in with the lowest of Zurkonia. Cutlery decided to let her inner pickpocket come out. Usually, adults moved onto more lucrative businesses like the Pink House, gambling, or an actual job for money so adult pickpockets were rare, though very skilled.
On her way to the blacksmith, Cutlery stole from the following people. A merchant with a bodyguard, four city guards, and three commoners. In total, she had eight gold, and five silver. Enough to get by for a while. The merchant had provided over half of the money. Cutlery had also only stolen half of everyone else's money to reduce the chance they looked for her.
The guards were good targets since they often just stood around and talked. Plus they got bribed every other block so they always had coin on them.
Once she was at the blacksmith she had bought a suitable outfit from a market stall and jumped into a fountain. Now she was dressed in a cute summer dress with a large hat that hung low over her face. She had even haggled for an apothecary to cast a spell to clean and perfume her on the spot. The extra short blocky dwarf at the smith grunted as she entered. The cube-shaped creature cordially sharpened her dagger and gave her a sheath.
The last thing she bought was a sturdy "dueling sword" that was just a rapier.
"It's a gift for my husband, he seems to think he will be dueling someone when the Temple comes." Cutlery said. The blacksmith smiled.
"Men are suckers for a blade. At least he isn't asking for armor!" They said. They stroked their beard and smiled. Cutlery thanked them and complimented their beard before leaving. She was clean and had a weapon. She did need armor still, but she was out of coin. For now, she would focus on somehow reconnecting with people at the Tower.
If only she could do that without being killed.
-
Cutlery massaged her chin. The summer dress forced an awkward posture while she crouched. This sunny afternoon she was crouched on a fifth-story rooftop looking towards the tower.
Two goals came to mind. First, figure out how she to help the rebellion. Secondly, she needed help from the same. Perhaps she could negotiate her way back into the building. That idea gave death trap vibes.
It would be much easier to meet outside the Tower. Jake would be at his watch. Cutlery couldn't think of anything else. He was her best shot.
So Cutlery returned to where her new enemies had found her throwing their lizard friend's corpse away. The festivities had begun to build in energy. The Temple's arrival could even come tonight. The number of golden waves and the pressure in the air indicated it was a few hundred miles away.
Cutlery lifted a few more loose coin purses and eyed the rooftops. Jake's watch tower was two blocks away. She would need to find a way inside that was out of sight. She blended into the crowd and moved onto the parade block.
The fifths might have rushed back to the tower. Even on horseback, it could take two hours. The fastest method would be to have a silver sash deliver a message. The golds would debrief the fifths before dedicating resources to capture her. Times were tough right now for the golds, a rouge sliver would be one of many things to worry about.
On the way, Cutlery gathered a few dozen gold coins and bought leather armor from the stalls near Jake. She put it on under her dress inside a tavern washroom. That felt better. The loose cloth rubbed her the wrong way. Tight but flexible attire felt like a warm hug.
The stage where the performer had melted was empty. Cutlery walked under it amid the wood supports. Jake would start his shift above her soon. A group of musicians in the crowd played an old classic called Sonus's Notes.
The song was a simple tale told through its lyrics. It started in a bumbling fun way where the musicians sounded like they just got their instruments for the first time. A few minutes into the piece transitioned them into a simple harmony. By the end of ten minutes, a technical masterpiece estimated any weak musicians. Many musicians altered the ending to show off their skills.
As Cutlery listened she eyed the nearby windows, alleys, and people. Cutlery liked the song. She loosened up and relaxed. Perhaps this would be her last day here! She walked out of the underside of the stage and to the musicians. She tipped them and joined the dancing crowd. She outdanced a few sliver-less men and before she knew it she was drinking and arm wrestling. The evening set in and Cutlery saw movement on the roof.
Jake stepped up to the gutter and looked confused. Then he saw her and smiled.
