D felt guilty as he left the girl beside the dead fire, her face
illuminated with all the purples and pinks of the rising sun. He began to
untie the stallion's reigns.
"Smart boy. She can only cause trouble." D ignored the parasite, mounting his horse.
"Where will I go?" He spun the horse about, Delilah pleading to him with desperate eyes. She looked broken, like a doll dropped one too many times. She held the cloak to her body, wrapped in it as though it were her only protection against the world.
"It's up to you." He spoke in a placid tone, his face matching his disposition.
"I don't have anywhere to go." She took a step forward.
"That's unfortunate." Yes…it was. D looked down upon her, the tracks of dried tears slightly blackened with dirt. Her cheek was now bruised, and her teased hair burned with disgust.
"My grandmother said so many wonderful things about you. Take me with you." For the first time since he picked up her crumpled body, she smiled. A faint, and broken smile.
"That wouldn't be wise." Delilah averted her eyes, still smiling.
"I figured as much. Will you take me to the next town then?" D looked at her, positioning his horse. He offered his hand, the alabaster stinging the colored sky. She would have refused it, but with a sigh she accepted. She couldn't get up to the saddle with an injured shoulder. They began to ride.
"Thank you…D."
~*~*~
Many times he cursed leaving her behind, those years back. He'd thought the sad eyed angel would be better off leading the life she always deserved, and he never got. She still had a chance to live. He scolded himself silently, ridding up to an old building. This set up was strange, the little town set in one long strip, the buildings folding with age, and a horse tied in front of every one. Like a little western town. It was easy to tell the bar and brothel from all the rest, they had the most horses, but D rode past, leaving the cesspool behind him. This was where he had left Delilah, and he had hoped she would make a home for herself. There was a stinging inside him as he passed the brothel and he turned the horse about, starring back and he rode back to the brothel, dismounting his horse. He hated to know she had become a brothel girl, she was to innocent, to beautiful…he knew though, that's what made her the best according to her boss. He felt guilty again, knowing how many years he had been checking on her, he hadn't bothered with her for three years now, and it had been six.
The girls tugged and caressed him as he entered, but D flogged them off, swatting them as if one might a fly, and quickly, found the woman he desired. Janessa, Delilah's boss. She was a stout woman, but still pretty, her eyes dark and hair like a witch, and he approached her as she gathered cups sticky with ale.
"Somethin' I can get 'cha?" She cast a dark eye up.
"Delilah. Where is she, please?" D was courteous, but grave.
"Humph. What's it to you? Wha'd she do ta' get all these creeps after her? But I must say, you're the cutest by far!" Janessa winked at D, walking away. He followed her.
"Who's looking for her?" D was beginning to worry. Delilah…
"Why would tell you? Besides…she's not here." Janessa kicked a man off a table, his body drunk, and falling with a thud. She picked up his spilt cup.
"Where is she?" D was no longer curious, and worried…he was terrified. Odd, he thought, why would he care so much for one person. Often he dismissed it as a debt to Lila. He was making sure her family line continued on, but often, he doubted himself.
"Again, why would I tell you?" She turned, a tray in one hand, the other on her hip, her body tweaked as she looked at him annoyed.
"I'm D. Please, where is she?"
The woman's face lit up. "You're D! Well, the mystery man revealed. Why'd you stop sendin' them letters? She thought you didn't care anymore." He should have known better than to trust someone to keep a secret as such…
"She wasn't supposed to know I was keeping an eye on her." His voice was unchanged, despite the annoyance and worry.
"Well, Delilah just picked up and went one day, 'bout three weeks ago, ya' know? And then, all them men came lookin' for her. She must be indebt for gamblin' or somethin' of the sort. Wish she had stuck around though, she made more money then the rest of the girls mashed together, and we would've helped her pay it." The woman shrugged. "Oh well, ya' know what they say…" D was gone, and she was now talking to herself.
"Smart boy. She can only cause trouble." D ignored the parasite, mounting his horse.
"Where will I go?" He spun the horse about, Delilah pleading to him with desperate eyes. She looked broken, like a doll dropped one too many times. She held the cloak to her body, wrapped in it as though it were her only protection against the world.
"It's up to you." He spoke in a placid tone, his face matching his disposition.
"I don't have anywhere to go." She took a step forward.
"That's unfortunate." Yes…it was. D looked down upon her, the tracks of dried tears slightly blackened with dirt. Her cheek was now bruised, and her teased hair burned with disgust.
"My grandmother said so many wonderful things about you. Take me with you." For the first time since he picked up her crumpled body, she smiled. A faint, and broken smile.
"That wouldn't be wise." Delilah averted her eyes, still smiling.
"I figured as much. Will you take me to the next town then?" D looked at her, positioning his horse. He offered his hand, the alabaster stinging the colored sky. She would have refused it, but with a sigh she accepted. She couldn't get up to the saddle with an injured shoulder. They began to ride.
"Thank you…D."
~*~*~
Many times he cursed leaving her behind, those years back. He'd thought the sad eyed angel would be better off leading the life she always deserved, and he never got. She still had a chance to live. He scolded himself silently, ridding up to an old building. This set up was strange, the little town set in one long strip, the buildings folding with age, and a horse tied in front of every one. Like a little western town. It was easy to tell the bar and brothel from all the rest, they had the most horses, but D rode past, leaving the cesspool behind him. This was where he had left Delilah, and he had hoped she would make a home for herself. There was a stinging inside him as he passed the brothel and he turned the horse about, starring back and he rode back to the brothel, dismounting his horse. He hated to know she had become a brothel girl, she was to innocent, to beautiful…he knew though, that's what made her the best according to her boss. He felt guilty again, knowing how many years he had been checking on her, he hadn't bothered with her for three years now, and it had been six.
The girls tugged and caressed him as he entered, but D flogged them off, swatting them as if one might a fly, and quickly, found the woman he desired. Janessa, Delilah's boss. She was a stout woman, but still pretty, her eyes dark and hair like a witch, and he approached her as she gathered cups sticky with ale.
"Somethin' I can get 'cha?" She cast a dark eye up.
"Delilah. Where is she, please?" D was courteous, but grave.
"Humph. What's it to you? Wha'd she do ta' get all these creeps after her? But I must say, you're the cutest by far!" Janessa winked at D, walking away. He followed her.
"Who's looking for her?" D was beginning to worry. Delilah…
"Why would tell you? Besides…she's not here." Janessa kicked a man off a table, his body drunk, and falling with a thud. She picked up his spilt cup.
"Where is she?" D was no longer curious, and worried…he was terrified. Odd, he thought, why would he care so much for one person. Often he dismissed it as a debt to Lila. He was making sure her family line continued on, but often, he doubted himself.
"Again, why would I tell you?" She turned, a tray in one hand, the other on her hip, her body tweaked as she looked at him annoyed.
"I'm D. Please, where is she?"
The woman's face lit up. "You're D! Well, the mystery man revealed. Why'd you stop sendin' them letters? She thought you didn't care anymore." He should have known better than to trust someone to keep a secret as such…
"She wasn't supposed to know I was keeping an eye on her." His voice was unchanged, despite the annoyance and worry.
"Well, Delilah just picked up and went one day, 'bout three weeks ago, ya' know? And then, all them men came lookin' for her. She must be indebt for gamblin' or somethin' of the sort. Wish she had stuck around though, she made more money then the rest of the girls mashed together, and we would've helped her pay it." The woman shrugged. "Oh well, ya' know what they say…" D was gone, and she was now talking to herself.