Esme limped back into the Shards while breathing heavily. She had made such a ruckus that quite a few of the hidden guardsman tried their hand at capturing her on her way out-but not that one. Both sides knew their cover was blown by then, and she was the only one who would be easily netted for the guard's gain. A body to throw to the hangman because they failed, yet again, to take out the guild they wanted dead.

When the woman crossed the second threshold to her home, a hand came out of nowhere to grab her by the collar and lifted her damn near to the ceiling. Out of the shadows came a voice that could only be her master's. "Do you have an explanation for breaking protocols so badly, girl?"

Esme blessed the woman who did her collar's reinforcement. She should be choking by now. That was the Grimhold's intent, although the days were long gone when he could lift her and choke her himself. Still, the position strained her voice as she ground out a response. "I was within the Inner Circle's grasp, Praulx. He had his hand on me, and the only reason I could give a warning is because he was too surprised to keep his grip steady."

"Must have been a young one."

"Couldn't see his ears, Master. An Aelif would be near sixty summers, at least." She took a dragging breath to continue. "Big brawny sucker with tawny eyes."

Normally the Grimhold wasn't one for cursing, but several expletives dripped from his mouth in rapid succession. "That's that royal bastard, a second or third-no one's ever told me his exact rank. Has the first's ear. This was a set-up, then."

"And I was already exposed." Esme was really tired of dangling at this point, but still she suffered her master's rule.

Praulx gestured at the giant to get him to drop the young woman. "You weren't in place in time, but your failure was a boon to us all. Unfortunately, our Lord calls for your removal-into Lady Fane's hands. You'll be vending within the week at some crossroad."

Esme looked at the ground in disgust-it was an emotion she was taught to never show, so she couldn't bring herself to face her master. They both knew this day was coming as she had never been up to Praulx's standards. Her master cupped her cheek one last time, and she obediently turned her face towards him, struggling to mask her feelings for both their sakes, but the gesture left her bewildered on top of the pain.

The Grimhold didn't bother to hide his own, with tears stinging his lashes. "Girl, get you a guard for a lover. That's the only way to survive first-tier. You've done us a great favor. Heed mine."

~~~

Althalos found himself wandering the streets, wondering where best to spend the next few nights until she found him. The poor creatures were known to tear their way through most anything to get to their mates. A tavern-a low class one, at that... Something the woman could walk into without fighting to get in. Now, fighting to get out? That would be his problem. Eventually he settled into a booth in a blackened corner of Deadrot's Grove-the last free-owned bar on the edge of the Shards. He brooded over his cheap beer while waiting to either see her face or nod off. Either action would suffice. He had enough of this thrice-cursed day to want to see it's end.