Chapter 1

"Whenever there's a meeting, a parting is sure to follow. However, that parting need not last forever…"

– The Happy Mask Salesman

It was cold. It was always bloody cold. Little warmth could be found in the tight cobbled streets as winter quickly set in. The dusty brown and dusky grey stones that formed the walls of Castle Town were no comfort in this time of year. Then again, they are likely more comforting from the inside of the buildings.

For the young girl perched on the roof of a small cottage on a hill, overlooking the town, this was a luxury she simply couldn't afford. Not without returning home, at least. No, she would much rather sit here and watch the people busy their way through the dark streets. She would sit like this most nights and observe how the mice scurried from shop to shop, franticly trying to buy last minute ingredients and essentials before the maze was closed for the evening. Then, rewards in hand, they would hurry back to their homes before the cold really settled in. This was the easiest time to hunt.

There were two types of people in the main square at this time: parents out to buy quick fixes for their screaming brats at home, and children who had risked staying out past curfew for an extra hour of fun. The former was more sympathetic to a crying ten year old girl all alone in the dark, cold streets, and would often be easy to manipulate and distract. However, some practiced parents are also quite proficient at spotting a lying child, even one as professional as her. The latter was not easily stopped by a strange girl out past curfew and in seemingly no rush to get home. On the other hand, when they did stop, it was often because they were blown away by her blatant rebellion, and would often do as they were told for the opportunity to bask in it a little. The trick was figuring out which of each group was gullible enough to walk willingly into her talons.

Her eyes combed the streets, reading the posture of each figure. It was often hard on the colder nights, as most would huddle over for warmth, burying their faces between their sleeves, their tails between their legs, and their eyes in the space between their chest and the ground. Regardless, she scanned every person until her eyes came to rest on a young boy of a similar age to herself.

Unlike the others, he stood straight and open. Arms by his sides and eyes wide as they took in every inch of his surroundings. His long straw-like locks blew briskly against his face in the harsh winter winds, but he barely seemed to notice. Though he sported a stretched hat, it seemed less suited for the unforgiving weather conditions and more for sheer aesthetic. This boy was new.

The girl's eyes lit up at the prospect of an unsuspecting target with no chance of having been fooled by her charms before. She waited for her moment, allowing the boy to find his way into an empty street. No witnesses, no repercussions, that's what she always told herself. When the boy came to a stop to look in the dark window of a closed sweet shop, she swooped down to strike. Soaring from roof to roof, gradually lowering herself to the street floor, she soon found herself standing behind her mark.

"Excuse me?" She gently chirped, hoping to sound as innocent as possible.

The boy jumped slightly at the sudden noise, and slowly turned to meet her gaze. "Oh," He sighed, "thank Din, I thought you were a criminal or something!" Rubbing the back of his neck, he awkwardly chuckled. "Can I help you?"

Help. That was an important choice of words. Young kids who wanted to make some trouble would never say help. This was going to need some modifications. Perhaps the lost soul angle?

"Yes." She smiled, "I'm new here, and I'm not quite sure where I am, do you know where Smith Street is?"

"Uh, no…" her smile grew into a dark grin, she thought not. "Actually, I'm not from here either, I'm just visiting. I don't really know where I am myself."

Perfect. He was new. This could be her lucky day. "Well then," She cooed, taking a step closer, "I guess we're both lost. Maybe if we buy something to eat in that tavern over there, we could use the time to ask people around for directions."

"Can't we just go in and ask?"

"I don't think so," she said with a mock sigh, "I tried earlier, but the barkeep wouldn't even talk to me unless I was a paying customer. The only problem is my parents won't arrive here until tomorrow. I'm supposed to meet them on Smith Street, but no one will tell me where to go." She turned her face away and wiped a fabricated teardrop from her eye. "I don't even have any money until they arrive in the morning." With a sniffle, she turned back to face him, clasping her hands in front of her face as she spoke, "Can you help me?"

The boy looked up to the sky, holding his finger up between the moon and the horizon. Checking the time she supposed. He then stood on his tiptoes, peeking over the high walls behind her to observe the Castle in the near distance. With a sigh, he pulled out a coin purse, and produced two green rupees. "Here." He chirped, practically throwing the money into her hands. "This should get you something at the tavern. I would come with you, but I actually have a lot to get on with, so if you'll excuse me."

Her head shot up from staring at the measly sum in her hands to the quickly escaping target. "Wait!" she called, this was not supposed to go like this.

"Sorry!" he called back. "Can't stop! Hope that's enough to help!" No. This wasn't even enough to last until morning. He was supposed to hand over the coin purse, then she could run. But now he was practically flying from her grasps, and she would have to do this all over again come sunrise. Panic began to set in, and without another second's thought, she ran towards him, tackling him from behind.

With a yelp, he was on the floor, and she had a hold of the coin purse. This was not as well executed as she would have liked. But beggars can't be choosey. She took one more look at the boy as his eyes pleaded with her to rethink the situation. She shrugged, turned on her heals, and began to run towards the town square. With any luck, there would still be a small crowd to slip through and lose him.

Hearing him call from behind her as he clearly chased her down made every step that little bit slicker. As the square came into view, her breath burned her lungs, and her feet ached to the touch, but she tried to keep going. The panic was making this short sprint seem that much longer. Normally her quick thinking and silver tongue kept her from such dashes, she needed more practice for these situations.

The few people caught in conversation seemed like a finish line. This boy was polite, and would likely struggle to push through. It was the perfect opportunity.

Had the girl known that this boy was often running from danger, she would have thought twice before trying to out manoeuvre him on foot. Before she knew it, a pair of arms enveloped her waist and sent her hurtling to the ground. As the hot air was knocked from her chest in what felt like a burst of flames, her hands found their way to her upper body and throat, desperately trying to claw back her breaths. It was in this instance that the boy scooped up his money and threw a disapproving look to her.

It was a simple expression, one that easily conveyed his want to call for the city guard. Any chance of catching her breath back now was quickly fading. Her eyes darted from street to street, quickly attempting to form an escape route. When she noticed the faces of the shocked onlookers however, she had an even better idea.

This big strong boy had chased her through the town, threw her to the ground, and took the money right from her hand. Anyone could get the wrong idea, and that suited her just fine.

Before the boy could even open his mouth, she began to wail, clutching her knee and pointing at him. "Help!" She screamed, "He took my money! He hurt my leg! Why? I thought we were friends!"

With a smirk, she watched as his eyes grew and began frantically nipping from face to face until they finally landed back on her.

They searched her.

It was odd. Rarely did someone look so deeply into her eyes, so deeply into her. She watched his face soften and wondered just what it was he seemed to find. With a smile, he gently place his purse back in her hand.

The smile. It was odd too. Not sharp or rugged like hers. It was deeply, whole heartedly genuine. As was the voice that soon gently floated to her ears. "You need this more than me."