Crystal Kumani

Crystal Morning
By Kierseth

"Moya, I don't think this is the right way." Frittan said, a more than a little uneasy. The alley was dark and damp, with what little moon there was blocked by the surrounding buildings. He had been through this alley once before, and hadn't liked it then, in the day. At night, it wasn't much better.

"Suuure it is. I come this way... aaall the time." Moya slurred, flinging an arm out and stumbling on the uneven cobblestone of the alley's pavement. Frittan had to scramble to catch her.

"Come on Moya. Let's just get out of here." Frittan took her arm firmly in his grasp and tried to lead her out of the alley.

The girl stumbled and sat down on a crate. "Jush a minit." she said, holding her head between her hands, "Wait 'til the world stops spinnin'." she put out her arms and swayed. "Whoo!" she giggled.

Frittan dropped his head in exasperation and jumped when something touched his arm. He whirled around with a cry, belt knife in his hand as the thing that had touched his arm moved out of the shadows. It was a boy. "Do ya need help?" the boy asked him.

Frittan paused and looked at Moya. She was still swaying, but had dropped her arms and was now humming a tuneless song. "Do you know the way out of here? Without climbing over anything?"

"Sure. I come through here all the time." the boy said, brushing back his dark hair.

"Could you help me get her out of here?"

"Yep." The boy walked to Moya's side and hoisted her to her feet. "Upsadaisy!" Frittan scurried to his side to help him steady the drunken Herald.

Moya looked through blurry eyes at the boy holding her up. "Don' I know you from somewhere?"

"I don't think so." the boy said, quickly dropping his head, and navigating around a half- smashed cart.

"Oh." Moya replied, "What's yer name?"

"You wouldn't believe me if you heard it." the boy said, fingering something under his tunic.

"Try me." Frittan broke in. He was curious about the boy as well. Why would a boy his age be out in the dead of night, alone on Sovvan?

His hand dropped to his side. "My name's Dipraiveon Illianyar Montegoet Lycanson, but most people call me Dip."

Frittan paused in midstep, causing Moya to swing from his shoulder and giggle. "What?"

"Me mam was Rethwellan. She liked the long names." 'Dip' said by way of explanation.

With Dip's help, they were soon on the other side of the alley. Phoenix and Tsara moved to help the pair and Moya was soon lying across Phoenix's back, passed out.

"Can you get her home Phoenix?" Frittan asked the stallion.

Phoenix nodded. "Go then. I'll be there right after to help her inside." Phoenix took off at a smooth canter, barely swaying Moya. Tsara snorted after them.

:What are we waiting for?: she asked her Chosen, a little short-tempered. She didn't have any patience for drunken behavior.

:I want to thank this boy. 'Dip'.: he answered, and turned to the boy. "Thank you for helping me with her." he pulled out his coin purse and extracted two gold coins. "Take these."

Dip pocketed the gold in a flash. "Thank ye!" he exclaimed. He turned and headed back into the alley while Frittan turned to mount Tsara.

Frittan looked back for the boy after he had settled in, but the boy was gone. He looked around to see if there were any houses, or at least, any doors in short walking distance from the alley. There were none. It finally hit him; The boy lived in the alley. He was homeless. He peered into the alley, trying to catch sight of the boy, but there was nothing. He sighed and signaled Tsara to move towards home.

Dip paused just inside the shadows of the alley. He watched as the pair of Heralds moved around the corner and sat heavily down on a crate. He reached slowly into his tunic and pulled out a thin silver chain. Dangling at the end, slowly spinning in a single shaft of watery moonlight, was a tarnished silver medallion. It glinted dully and he closed his hand around it, looking to make sure no one saw. Breathing a silent sigh of relief, he fingered the medallion a moment more, feeling the ridges of the raised crest. He then slipped it back into his tunic and walked back to his bed.

~~*~~
The next morning, Moya woke with the sun painfully in her eyes and the headache sent from the lowest of hells.

"Aaagh." she moaned, flinging an arm across her dazzled eyes.

:Good morning, sleepyhead,: an amused voice rang in her head, setting it to throb, :have a nice rest?:

:Yes, wonderful, thank you.: she said shortly, cracking open one eye. It was full morning, from the amount of light in her room. She slowly sat up, one hand to her aching head. :What did I do last night?: she asked Phoenix.

:Partied a little to much, methinks!: he answered smugly.

Resshin flitted down from his perch and settled in her lap, a comforting warmth. She stroked the soft fur in time with the throbbing of her head. A knock sounded dully on her door, making her jump and earning her a glare from the just-settled Resshin. Booting him off her lap with an apologetic look, she walked slowly to the door, noting with a smidge of amusement that she was still fully clothed. She opened the door to a smiling Frittan, holding a tray with some rolls and a steaming teapot.

"Morning! For another half-mark, that is," he said, walking in and setting the platter on a side table. "If you feel as bad as you look, I think you'll be glad for this tea!"

Moya opened her mouth to retort, but stopped as she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror. He was right, she admitted to herself, she did look as bad. "Thank you." she said instead, "Did you have as much "fun" as I seem to have had last night?"

"Not quite," he admitted, scooting a chair next to the table, "you partook of quite a lot of ale. A good night to do it. Although you almost slept in an alley. Good thing that boy came along."

"What boy?" Moya asked, sitting on the edge of her bed and poring herself a cup of tea. Frittan sat in the chair and grabbed a roll, while Resshin curled up next to Moya's leg.

"He said his name was "Dip". It was short for some outrageously long Rethwellan name. Unpronounceable. He helped me drag you out of this narrow alley you insisted was a shortcut." he bit into the roll. "Mmmm these are good."

"Was I that drunk that I couldn't walk on my own?" Frittan could only nod, mouth full of buttered roll.

:That you were. You passed out the instant Frittan and the boy lifted you onto my back.: Phoenix answered for him.

"Do you know where he lives? I'd like to thank him." Moya sipped her tea. It had finally cooled of enough to drink.

Frittan gulped and looked a little guilty. "I think he lived in that alley. I gave him a pair of sovereigns and when I turned back from mounting Tsara, he was gone. The alley was the only place he could have gone."

"Where is the alley?" she asked, head already feeling better from the one cup of tea. She pored herself another and ate a roll while she waited for it to cool.

"Between the Prancing Pony and Herald's Rest." he answered, swigging a cup of tea and gasping a little from the heat. He paused a moment, eyes a little unfocused. "Tsara's calling me." he said, back in the room, "I challenged Ty to a race over the endurance course and he actually took me up on it!" Ty was Frittan's second cousin and had been recently Chosen. "He thinks he and Larona can take me and Tsara. He's only known how to ride for a month!" Frittan snorted and rose, another rill in his hand. "You know, you might want to change before you go see Dip. You look a little... rumpled." He grinned.

"No thanks to you." she retorted. "I slept in these clothes!" Frittan only grinned back at her and left the room.

"Good luck with your race!" she called after him.