An hour after the sun set, fire had been placed in street lamps. A confused sort of determination had swollen in Danetta's throat. She checked on her father, who was in an ale induced sleep, and then she looked for an old pouch of hers that had a cord. She placed her two gold coins inside this pouch, put the cord over her neck, and shoved the pouch into the space between her breasts, under her clothing. She was wearing her average gown. That blue outfit should only be for special occasions.
Danetta walked through the front door of the townhouse and looked about. Nobody seemed interested in her. She chose a path to her left and stuck to it for around ten seconds before someone collided with her. A hand took her arm and steadied her. She looked up.
It was dark, but under the streetlights, Danetta was fairly certain that this man had black eyes. She had to tilt her head up to see them; he was very tall. Long dark hair peeked out from the hood of his cloak, and he was smiling at her.
"I'm sorry. Are you alright?" He released her and stepped back. Then his eyes jolted with recognition. "Oh, you're the girl who returned my purse. Do you remember?"
Danetta had to think for a moment, looking up at his thin face, trying to trace him. Then the memory came. His pouch had fallen from him. She had stopped, picked it up, and returned it to him.
"Yes," she said, curtsying. She didn't want to seem rude. "My name is Danetta Saivio. I'm pleased to meet you, Good Sir."
A quick bow from the man, and then he said, "Udin Turo. Is there anything I can do for you?"
"I'm not sure." Gears were interlocking in her brain. Her eyes narrowed and her fingers laced together before her skirt. "Do you have a particular destination?"
Mr. Turo nodded. "I'm off to the Game Hall."
The face of the old woman who acted like a casual prophet ran over Danetta's vision. She wondered if she was bold enough to keep going. Her placed her fingers at her chest and asked, "Mr. Turo, would you care to escort me to the Game Hall?"
The man gave a loud, uncomfortable sniff. He sounded miserably clogged up. "I don't see the harm in that. You really shouldn't go to such a place alone, anyway." His hand parted his cloak, and Danetta noted the average clothing he wore. He made a gesture suggesting that she should follow him, and she did so with curious thoughts haunting her.
As they walked their way towards the Commerce District, Mr. Turo remained at her side and put her little hand on his arm. While he didn't seem like the sort of man who wrestled with bears, he didn't seem like a weakling either. The muscles of his arm were firm and a little bit intimidating for someone like her.
"Do you live around here?" he asked with a very friendly voice.
"Yes, Sir." She nodded even though he was looking straight ahead.
"I used to live in a castle, can you believe that?"
Danetta rolled her eyes and tried not to smirk. "Are you a destitute aristocrat?"
"Oh no, Miss Saivio. I worked as a servant. It was very nice there, but I decided to leave. I'm not the type to stay in one place for very long."
"Would it be fair to call you an adventurous man?" Danetta looked up at his shadowed profile and wondered if he would take her on an adventure. Maybe he would even marry her? She didn't want to be sold off. The concept of being a purchased bride bothered her. Then again, she didn't want to live in poverty because of her father's mistakes.
"I'd say so, but I'm wondering about you, Miss Saivio." He turned his head and gave her what she thought was an honestly curious look. "Why does such a charming woman want to go the Game Hall?"
"I thought that I might try my luck."
"Are you very skilled with games?"
She shook her head. "No, Sir, but I only plan to wager two gold coins. If I lose them, then I will stop playing."
"Do you need money, Miss Saivio?"
Danetta looked away. She thought that even when hidden in shadow, the man's stare was judgmental.
"I know we're strangers, Miss Saivio, and I know it's rude of me to ask you about your financial situation, but I don't mind helping you to play well in the Game Hall. In fact, I think I already know what you should do after you've finished playing."
Yes, he was a stranger. Yes, she shouldn't trust strangers. However, she was stupid enough to believe a prophecy, desperate enough to forget common sense. Her fingers tightened on Mr. Turo's arm, and she asked, "What do you have in mind?"
"I think that after you've won a bit of gold, and I know you'll win, you should come with me. I'm going to visit my old home and reconnect with my friends there. I'd love to put in a good word for you, so you can find work." His voice was so sweet, so seductive, and Danetta wanted to hear every single word. "The Master there is kind. If you have any problems he would be glad to assist you."
"What is this place?" She was so happy she was almost skipping.
"Castle Adurant, the home of His Grace, Duke Erdgar Adurant, Lord of the Duvanu province."
That was something of a familiar name. She was fairly certain that she knew of a noblewoman who was once betrothed to a man with that name, but she couldn't remember any specifics. She moved some of her loose curls away from her cheek. "Mr. Turo, how would you describe the servants of that estate?"
"They're decent people, or they seemed that way to me, hardworking and happy."
Danetta smiled. Maybe she could run away from her problems and find a life in pleasant servitude. If this duke was kind, then he might be able to hide her from any debt collectors. At the very least, he would be able to give her a way to work off the debt.
***
Mr. Turo was kind enough to serve as an unofficial bodyguard, and he sat beside Danetta at a table where several players were tossing dice about, betting on the outcomes of each roll. Most people were losing. Danetta was discouraged, but her companion told her to remain seated.
Mr. Turo didn't place any bets, and he told Danetta not to place any bets until he gave the word. When it was her turn to hold the crudely carved pieces of bone, Udin scooped them out of her hand and tested their weight with his palm. He bent over her and whispered in her ear, "These dice have been tampered with. But don't worry. I'll give you a kiss of good luck."
Danetta blushed at the lecherous, yet impatient looks of the other players. They were all men, and none of them looked or smelled very clean. She looked up at Mr. Turo and whispered back, "I don't believe a kiss will alter the dice, and I honestly don't think you should be kissing me at all."
Mr. Turo chuckled, low and hearty, and he took her hand in his. He kissed the back of it, and then he said, quite loudly, "There's your good luck kiss. Now place all your gold on the table and roll the dice." He handed the dice to her and nodded.
Danetta didn't want to trust him. The dice were loaded! How could he do anything about that? She pouted and gazed down at the little objects in her hand.
Well, if he was able to tell the dice were loaded, then he probably had some sort of idea of what to do. She shrugged. Then she reached under her neckline to take out her pouch. She removed her two coins and put then on the table, in the center of a square that had been drawn with chalk. She told the game master what outcomes she was betting on, and then she rolled the dice.
Everyone gasped, including Danetta. She rolled exactly what she wanted to roll. She won two extra gold coins! She looked up at Mr. Turo. He had a wicked grin that showed off his crooked teeth. She wanted to ask him what he did, but she didn't think that would be a good thing to say in the Game Hall.
The next few games she played had similar surprises in store for her. While she did lose at some card games, she won brilliantly at other games, especially the ones that involved random chance and physics. When her pouch was almost too full to close, she told Mr. Turo that she was finished, and she wanted to go home. Mr. Turo patted her shoulder and led her out of the building.
Danetta was actually feeling pretty happy, confused, but happy. Although, what she had was nowhere near enough to pay off her father's debt. But if she decided to run away, this was a good bit of cash to have.
Soon after they had started their walk on the street, Danetta felt a horrible tug on her arm, and she was pulled away from her companion and into an alley. Three frightening men were demanding her gold, holding knives over her body, and Danetta would have gladly given her money away. She didn't think her companion stood much of a chance. Her feet turned clammy, and her face heated, as she reached under her neckline for the money.
One of the men was flung away, screaming and gargling. The other two were roughly slammed into each other, their heads connecting. Danetta's eyes were almost delirious as she slid down the side of a building, watching as Mr. Turo sunk a knife into one of the muggers. Then he kicked into the belly of another. She smelled blood. She heard the struggling cries of death. She heard laughing.
Mr. Turo was laughing.
When all three offenders were quiet and static on the ground, Mr. Turo was still laughing. Then he was coughing. Then he reached down, grabbed the sleeve of one of his victims, and loudly blew his nose on it.
Danetta's mind was blank for a moment as Mr. Turo walked towards her, sniffing and muttering something about ridiculous people. Then she gathered her thoughts. "Thank you! Thank you, Mr. Turo!" She ran up to him, intending to hug him, even though that would have been quite brazen.
Mr. Turo held out his hands to stop her, and he said with an unconcerned, cheerful voice, "Let's hurry. We shouldn't relax on the streets at night."
When they were at her home, Danetta insisted on meeting him again, somewhere, anywhere. They agreed to meet at a coffee shop in the morning. Danetta planned to leave early, while her father would still be sleeping.
