Jefferson glanced up flicking the silver pendant through the air, he felt empty. The empty that was normal since Saphiro died. The empty loveless husk, he knew it was unhealthy what he was doing, replacing actual love with dalliances with everyone, prostitutes, Queens, Kings, anyone who was pretty enough to hold his attention for a minute and replace the pain with anything even regret. He tossed it up again as he felt eyes on him, he froze but continued flipping the pendant and chain about thinking of Regina, the Queen who's broken heart Jefferson wanted to shatter, and Mirana, gentle, elegant, and lovely, knowing that he was incapable of loving her.

"Excuse me sir?" A grotesque shape asked the voice not obviously male or female, and grating like shrieking screams, that made Jefferson flinch.

His "good" mood gone, he snapped,"What?"

"I was wondering how far to the nearest inn?" As the shape approached Jefferson pressed back into the tree, his hand slipping to the throwing knife hidden in his heavy coat.

"About half a day's ride that way." Jefferson said gesturing south,"Why?"

"Look for a place where thieves and whores don't run rampant." The shape said lifting the hood off of it's head showing a girl who might have been pretty but age and something else, something less evil than the dark one twisted her beauty until she was twice as ugly as she was beautiful.

"Then you come to the wrong place. I'm the worst of both, a thief and a whore. Hell my old caravan didn't want me, too bad for Gypsies and too much off a scoundrel to settle down." Jefferson knew barely half of that was true, he left out of his own accord, the guilt and the faint screaming got to be too much for him.

"Then help an old lady. Show them what good you're capable of." The old lady said gesturing to Jefferson, who stood up and flipped his hat onto his head.

"No, my dear, I live by a rigid moral code." Jefferson walking past her,"Everyone for themselves. You should try it some time."

Jefferson didn't hear the woman's response, it wasn't important any how. He had necklace to steal from a land where dragons flew and barbarians protected princesses. Where the forests were alive with many creatures and the royalty were said to have jeweled eyes and hair of liquid metal. 'Well Lady Alice, guess it's time to crash your engagement.'

Would you guys be adverse to me rewriting the story? Not totally, just fleshing it out and cementing points that change because of thing that I think off.