The painful lump in Mariette’s throat only intensified when she finally came to a stop. Heaving breaths burned her lungs as she saw her satchel in the clutches of a very familiar-looking pair of hands. The dubious do-gooder from just moments before. The one they called Locke.
“Well, it would appear the goddess is determined that our paths cross. I’m afraid you missed the thief; they were a tad clumsy and dropped this after our collision.”
Had he truly retrieved it from the cutpurse? Mariette did not see her assailant anywhere in the vicinity. How exactly, she wondered, did this Locke fellow manage to get ahold of her satchel?
’You have to get it back. Get it back!’
It was a bitter yet obvious truth that this man had the edge over her. He was street-wise. Cool under pressure. The girl knew that getting the Mirror back wouldn’t be easy. But before she could begin to speak, the man continued, his voice honey dipped like a gentleman suitor.
“I’ve heard it said that a man should never examine the contents of a woman’s belongings, so perhaps I’ll forget seeing what’s inside in light of the circumstance.”
With that, he thrust the satchel out to her.
Her face contorted in dazed hesitation, Mariette paused.
’He’s…giving it back? Why? He must know what’s inside. He must have looked. So…why?’
Slowly, she reached out, fingers wrapping delicately around the top of the satchel. Feeling the all-too-familiar grip on her bag, Mariette snatched it, clutching it to her bosom protectively. Her words were carefully chosen, albeit clumsily delivered…
“Th-thank you. I…I cannot thank you enough…sir. I…”
If he had seen the contents of the bag, there was no way he would return it so eagerly.
Her hands felt around the outside of the satchel. Sure enough, the unmistakable outline of the Mirror of Akyel could be felt beneath the rugged fabric. The Mirror had only been out of her possession but a few minutes, but to Mariette, the reunion could have just as easily been a lifetime.
She cast another glance at Locke. He merely returned her gaze with a solid smile that she could only describe as…
’Noble.’
Somehow, on the dirty streets of Valexia, amidst the clamor, the hungry stares, the wolves circling the lost sheep…she had found someone special. Someone trustworthy. Immediately, the girl felt a pang of guilt for dismissing the man as a liar and con artist. Truly, it seemed that the Goddess was on her side this day.
Mariette breathed a heavy sigh of relief, and suddenly noticed how exhausted she felt. It seemed that the day’s ordeal had taken a greater toll on her than she’d initially realized.
’Perhaps I should rest for today. I cannot afford to let my guard down again.’
With a renewed and welcome sense of security, the girl thanked Locke once more and offered a prim bow. She then turned to Ilana.
“If you please, Miss Ilana, would you perhaps escort me to a proper inn? I would like to retire for the rest of the day.”
The plan seemed simple enough. She would get some much needed rest before setting out on the first ship to Davonshire. Away from Valexia, away from Ata’hua… Freedom was within her grasp.