Thankyou silvermusicchic
Sar

And backroads :D you guys are awesome!

*

*The dead man*
chapter 2

"We haven't heard from Riss, do you think she's alright?" Bliss asked worriedly, thinking of how weak her older sister would be compared to a bandit or some other danger. "Perhaps we should go look for her."

Liss looked at her scornfully, scooping the small objects Bliss had collected into a bowl. "Don't be stupid, Bliss, she fine. The only trouble she could be in is if she had bells on her ears and a sack full of gold." She snorted again and went to sit down on the comfiest chair, formerly Riss'. She leaned back, confident in her assessment. "Go outside, your annoying me." She commanded.

Bliss shrugged and wandered out to the garden, smiling as a pair of butterflies danced by. Out here she could just do what she wanted, no orders or chores. Her smile faded somewhat; without Riss' income there would be even more work to do and if Liss decided she wanted to go off into the world….

She refused to think of it. Liss wouldn't do such a thing, she was too deeply ingrained here, she couldn't leave. Bliss knew she sounded desperate, even just to herself but she couldn't help but fear being sent to work at the slave farms or their mother dying.

She drew deep breathes and struggled to calm herself. Everything would be fine.

*

Liss sighed heavily and dropped her hands into her lap. It was just so boring! At least if Riss was here then she would have someone to complain to. She knew she wasn't brave enough to go out on her own like her sister, and that she was the sole provider for her mother. Bliss, the stupid girl, couldn't do anything worthwhile.

She heaved another sigh and let her head loll to the side, wondering what she should do. She had more than enough shells and beads to make her jewelry but it just didn't interest her like it used to. Now all she could think about was that handsome merchants welcoming smile. She struggled for a moment to recall his name then smiled. Tukkar Addor. Just thinking his name made her want to giggle.

She basked for a moment in the memory of his admiring glances. Liss suddenly sat up. Perhaps she could go meet him, talk for a while. She stood, dumping the beads from her lap onto the table. The sun pierced her eyes as she stepped outside but she ignored it. Dust kicked up as she hurried along the road, walking faster when she saw the marketplace.

"Tukkar!" she called when she spotted him and he turned. His face lit up, a wide smile spreading from cheek to cheek. "Hello." She said when she reached him, flushed and breathless.

"Hello." He replied, his cheeks reddening.

*

Bliss jumped and spun as the door burst open. She had been worrying for hours about Liss, who hadn't come home after nightfall. She felt unexpected anger when she saw Liss standing there, beaming happily, simply unaware, or uncaring, that people had been worrying about her.

"Where were you!" Bliss burst out, throwing the dishrag to the ground.

Liss ran over to her sister and grabbed her hands; she spun them both around, laughing. "Oh Bliss! Isn't it wonderful? I'm to be wed!" she giggled and danced about gleefully. Bliss stood stock still, shocked.

"You're what?" she gasped. "To who!"

"To Tukkar! Oh, he was so sweet and he gave me a beautiful silk scarf!" Bliss didn't have to ask who Tukkar was, having had to listen to her sister's sighing over him for months. Supposedly he was a merchant who sold charms; luck charms, happiness charms, death charms. The latter being forbidden, but what the authorities didn't know wouldn't….annoy them.

Liss swayed with a blood red scarf held above her head, then she wrapped it around her neck. Her eyes held a dreamy look that somehow made Bliss' heart go cold. Liss suddenly stopped and tilted her head, gasping. "Oh! That'll be him! We're leaving tonight because his caravans moving out." She ran to her room then quickly emerged with her bags. "Say goodbye to mother, goodluck." And she ran out.

Bliss stood there for a moment. Just this morning she had been worrying this would happen and quick as you please it comes true. And now they had no foreseeable income. They would starve and Bliss would give all her food to her mother before herself.

Tears filled her eyes and spilled over. She slumped to the floor beside the fireplace. "What are we going to do now?"

*

Liss could hardly believe it. She was sitting on a cart next to Tukkar and they were going off on the merchant course. She looked up at him once again and resisted giggling, it wouldn't do for him to think she were stupid.

"Please ma'am." A young voice called. Liss turned and spotted a small boy walking alongside the cart. He was thin and scrappy and she couldn't think why he was calling to her.

"Please, spare some food." He coaxed. "I'm starving. I haven't eaten in days."

Liss stared at him blankly, not saying a thing. Tukkar continued to watch the road, tugging on the reins every so often, he didn't seem to notice a thing.

"Please, your kindness will be greatly rewarded." As a reply Liss silently shook her head then cuddled up beside Tukkar in an effort to sleep. Most of the day passed in silence.

Liss cleared her throat after a finishing her bread roll stuffed with fruit and nuts. "So, are we going to stop for the night? I'm awfully tired." Tukkar glanced at her and smiled.

"Of course, I'm sure there's a house around here we can rest at." He clicked and flicked the reins. They pulled away from the other caravans and came up on the side, going faster. When they reached the first cart Tukkar called out to the man driving it. "Da, I'm going to take Liss somewhere to rest for the night, we'll catch up with you tomorrow." The man grunted and Tukkar seemed to take that as agreement because he navigated the horses off the road.

Liss was drowsing when Tukkar nudged her, saying "Wake up, Love, we're here."

She sighed and rubbed her forehead against his arm. She heard a sigh then she was being carried indoors, the warmth surrounding her comfortingly.

"You'll have to stand now, Liss. We need to ask for permission to stay." She opened her eyes reluctantly, dropping to her feet in time to see a chubby woman enter. She laughed when she saw them.

'Oh dears, you do so look exhausted! I should think you'd like to stay and rest! Well come along dears, come along!" she hurried out into a hall, leaving both of them to follow. Liss wondered grumpily why she was rushing them along when all they wanted to do was sleep.

"Here, here." The woman pushed a door open and nudged Tukkar inside. When Liss went to follow the woman stopped her, an arm barring the way. "You my dear, must just do one leelte task for me." Tukkar shrugged helplessly and kissed her on the cheek with a quiet 'goodnight'. The woman led her down the hall to another room. Liss peered in and saw a sickly looking man lying on a large bed. His sallow complexion and sickly stench disgusted her.

"Dear, all you have to do is sit by this man's bed this night and look over him." An odd light gleamed in her eyes as she said this. It took a moment for Liss to distinguish just what it was. Excitement. She pressed the girl onto the small stool then left hurriedly, shutting the door firmly behind her.

Liss crossed her arms angrily and scowled. Why did she have to watch over a shriveled old man when she could be sleeping? It just wasn't fair. As the hours passed Liss cursed that fat woman a hundred times over. Finally she stood, sneering down at the still form. She crept to the door and peeked out. Seeing no one she eased out into the corridor and down to the room Tukkar was sleeping in.

Liss lay down beside her fiancé, warm under many blankets, and let sleep claim her gently, pulling her under a tide of dreams.

*

Morning came brightly, shining through curtains and slanting over tables and sleeping bodies. Birds cheeped gaily and pigs snorted somewhere outside. Liss stirred and sighed sleepily, her lashes fluttering. A smile graced her cherry lips.

"Good morning, Love." she sighed and pulled back her lids. Cold blank eyes stared back at her, glazed and foggy. A scream tore through the peaceful morning, causing birds to alight and a horse snorted in alarm.

Tukkar lay dead beside her, blood smeared over the pristine sheets. Liss didn't stop screaming until she found herself backed up against a wall. Why was he dead? How could he be dead?

She was muttering under her breath. Nonsense words over and over.

The door creaked open. Light footsteps approached but Liss didn't, couldn't, look up. "Oh dear, what a terrible occurrence. Strange ways are lesson taught." Laughter. "Strange ways are lessons learned!"

Liss slowly looked up, shaking and shuddering, unable to do anything else. The woman was staring down at her coldly, a small satisfied smirk decorating her lips. She pulled something from behind her, Liss frowned. A black rock, stained with something dark and brown.

"Wha--" something hard and painful came down against her temple, lights flashed, stars danced. Liss cried out and tried to crawl away but found her limbs weren't working. Warmth trickled down her face as she looked up pleadingly. "Please" she sobbed.

Darkness.