"Why are you doing this?" Nomura chided herself every night she sneaked into the theatre to make sure Joan was there.
After the girl finished singing, Nomura followed her home, watching over Joan until she made it safely into bed.
The more Nomura learned about Joan's situation, the more disgusted she became. The teenager traversed dangerous streets every night, often coming home to a drunken mother.
Isabel Callas was just as unhinged as her boyfriend, Josh. When she drank, she screamed at everything and beat whoever got in her way – even her own children, only calming down when Josh smacked her back. After that, Isabel bawled and drunkenly begged for forgiveness.
Josh's gang, the Punk Sharks, claimed the area surrounding the Callas's apartment building as their drug-selling territory. They terrorized anyone unfortunate enough to stumble onto their turf.
Another gang, the Proud Hogs, were their mortal enemies, and the rivals clashed often, starting street brawls that made Nomura wonder why trolls were considered the more vicious species. At least trolls had rules of combat – honor that prevented the use of underhanded methods. To use a cheap trick was to forfeit and leave an indelible stain on one's pride.
Draal… would never stand for such a thing. But a Changeling would – except they would execute their deception with forethought and wit, not mindless idiocy.
The situation was ridiculous. Two groups battling for the rights to sell drugs in a run-down portion of town and earn what they called "street cred."
They used children to ferry their product, making it impossible for the police to enact justice. A thirteen-year-old caught with marijuana or cocaine wouldn't endure the same punishment as an adult. As a result, the youngest Callas sibling – David, thirteen – was Josh's favored runner. Joan was only fourteen, and her big brother Chris, a proud member of the gang, was just sixteen.
The children were the victims – pulled into a world they couldn't escape.
David and Chris wanted the admiration of the gang members. Joan kept her head down, playing by the rules so she could survive the death-game she lived in.
Every night as she listened to Joan sing, Nomura's chest tightened. Everyone had a role to play, and no matter how desperately they longed for an escape, they could never have it.
Joan's song pierced Nomura's heart as she heard the yearning for a distant world, the longing to fly so far away no one would ever find her. The girl didn't understand the contexts of the songs she sang; instead, she made up her own stories and used them to escape – no matter how fleeting that escape proved to be.
Frustrated, Nomura snapped more than usual at trolls who blundered into her path. Her mind roiled as she told herself there was no point in going back night after night. But, no matter how painful it was to listen to Joan sing, Nomura couldn't pry herself away – couldn't let the girl go.
One night, Joan sang her interpretation of Siciliana from I Vespri Siciliani. It was completely wrong. The song, meant to be playful, full of life and energy, flowed from Joan's heart with desperation and longing for a freedom she couldn't grasp no matter how tenacious her song.
Despite the mispronounced words and wavering tones, Nomura couldn't stop listening.
From that moment on, the troll felt compelled to follow Joan home, lurking in the shadows as she watched over the girl.
Then, the inevitable happened.
As Joan walked home, she passed a group of young men, one, his skin a bit lighter than hers, glanced over his shoulder as she walked by.
"Yo!" he called after her. "What's up, babe?"
Joan, her eyes on the street, head down, kept walking.
"Hey! Answer when I talk to you!" he demanded.
"Yo, man, calm down," another boy said. "That girl's just a kid. Let it go."
"So, what?" the first young man huffed, then shouted at Joan again, "When I speak, you need to answer, girl!"
Joan still kept walking.
"Hey! Didn't you hear me?" He darted in front of her, blocking her path. "I said, 'What's up, babe?'"
Joan lifted hesitant eyes. "I'm… just going home. Please, leave me alone." She headed down an adjacent street.
The young man snorted with disdain but didn't follow her.
Nomura let out a relieved sigh and went down the dark road after Joan.
As the young woman passed an alley, another man, this one familiar, stepped in Joan's way… Josh.
"What's this now?" Josh asked.
At the sound of his voice, Joan's eyes shot up.
"You talkin' with the Proud Hogs? What's that about?" He glared at her.
"It's not–"
"I know that's where you been," Josh accused. "Punk Sharks not good enough for you?"
"That's not what happened." Joan swallowed hard and took a step back. "I just… I was…"
"I knew it!" Josh growled. "Every night you disappear. This's what you was doin'."
Nomura narrowed her eyes, ears flat as she hissed from the darkness. The greatest threat to Changelings were other Changelings. If suspected of being a traitor, punishment was swift… and unforgiving.
Josh hurled insults at Joan, slapping her so hard she fell, hands and knees smacking into the concrete. The scene blurred as Nomura remembered the sound of her fellow Changelings screaming, begging for Gunmar's mercy. They thought the master mistaken in his wrath; the Changelings didn't mean to step out of line – perhaps it was a misunderstanding.
Joan stayed on the ground, silent, head low as she squeezed her eyes shut, forcing back tears.
Nomura's heart clenched. She understood what it was to be caught in a web of suspicion and hatred – to know one wrong step or personal expression could have devastating consequences.
Josh pulled out a knife, hissing at the girl. "See what you're makin' me do, Joan? I don't wanna hurt you." He stepped toward her. "It's your own fault, ya know."
Nomura drew in a sharp breath.
Changelings knew that sentiment too well. It's your own fault… for stepping out of line – messing up – acting suspiciously.
Josh grabbed Joan's face and jerked it toward him. She trembled as he flashed the knife two inches from her nose.
"Now, learn your place." He gave her a sadistic smile, reveling in the young woman's terror.
Nomura snapped. With a roar she leapt from an apartment landing down into the street, hitting the pavement beside Josh and sending a stony fist connecting with his head. The man flew into the wall on the opposite side of the road.
Several other gang members gaped, and a few scurried away.
"What is that thing?" one of the braver teens pointed at Nomura.
A second young man pulled a gun, aiming at the troll with shaking hands.
Nomura waited for him to fire at her. She smirked as his shot flew wide, and then she leapt in front of him. Her face not three inches from his terrified face, she licked her lips. "Hello, boys." She bared her teeth in a threatening grin and grabbed the gunman's hand, twisting it until he dropped the weapon. A swift punch sent him careening backward.
Nomura scooped up the gun and tossed it into the air, deftly catching it by the barrel. "Kids shouldn't play with such dangerous toys." She threw the weapon on the ground and stomped on it, crunching the gun into a hundred tiny pieces.
One more young man charged her from behind, knife drawn.
Nomura dodged. She grabbed his arm and tossed him away, ready for the next assailant.
A rush filled her, and she grinned, eyes glowing a fierce green. Teaching these low-lifes a lesson didn't even require her swords. They were so clumsy and uncoordinated, she landed each blow she took. With every strike, the swift rhythm of the fight sang through her like music.
Then it was over. Gang members scrambled away, some cradling injured arms, limping off, or holding bloodied noses.
"Pathetic," Nomura snorted.
A sob caught the troll's attention. Joan lay on the ground, curled into a ball, crying, shaking with fright.
It hadn't occurred to Nomura to be afraid, even with a gun pointed at her. She grasped for something to say as Joan sobbed. The troll took a step back.
When the girl's crying subsided, Nomura slowly approached. "Errhhhh… You… should go home." She shooed the young woman. "Go on."
Joan sat up and burst into tears again, sending Nomura leaping back three feet.
"Arh!" The troll shook her head. "Come on; girls your age shouldn't be out at this hour. Go home to bed."
Joan didn't get up.
"Go home," Nomura instructed again, pulling the girl to her feet.
Joan sank back to the concrete.
Nomura crossed her arms. "I'm not carrying you, now, get up and go."
"I can't!" Joan wailed. "Why?! Why did you do that?"
"Huh?" Nomura drew back.
"He was going to let me go–" Joan choked. "But he's lost face with his gang. He'll wait for me at home, and it'll be a lot worse now! Why did you have to butt in?" She pounded weak fists into Nomura's leg, the impact going unnoticed by the troll. "Why? WHYYYY?!"
"Have you tried going to the police?" Nomura suggested, puzzled.
"You trying to make me into a snitch?" Joan shot to her feet. "Don't you know what happens to snitches?" she shouted up into Nomura's face. "He'll kill me." Joan wilted, head in her hands, terror seeping over her. "He'll kill me…" she sobbed.
Another label from her past… Nomura gulped back the sour taste of those words: snitch… traitor… stepping out of line.
Recovering a little, Joan wiped her tears and eyed Nomura. "What's with the stupid costume? You supposed to be some kind of fey? Well, news flash – it's not Halloween yet."
Nomura raised an eyebrow.
"You idiot!" Joan punched Nomura again, harder this time. "Aaah!" She waved her stinging hand. "What the – Are you made of stone or something?!"
Nomura stared at her, silent.
Joan froze, her eyes falling to Nomura's hooves, then rising to take in the troll towering over her. Her gaze stopped on Nomura's stoic face.
The troll's eyes gleamed bright emerald in the darkness.
With a hesitant hand, Joan touched Nomura's stony chest. She jumped back. "What – What are you?"
Nomura remained silent.
Joan trembled and shook her head, eyes big. "No. It can't be real. Things like this aren't real," she insisted. "I know! You're animatronic." Joan pointed at Nomura. "This is just a really fancy remote-controlled robot. Right?"
Nomura narrowed her eyes.
"That… that's the only thing that makes sense…" Joan sniffed back more tears. "I just – What's happening?" She fell to her knees, crying. "I don't understand!" She lurched toward Nomura, startling the troll as Joan hugged Nomura's legs.
"Hey!" Nomura backed away, but Joan still clung to her.
"I'm – I'm scared!" Joan choked. "Help me! Please?"
"Stop that," Nomura demanded. "Let me go."
But Joan held on, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her plaintive brown eyes stared up into Nomura's face.
"I wanna go home," Joan bawled.
"Then go," Nomura insisted. "I already told you to do that."
"But he'll kill me!" Joan wept, shaking so hard, Nomura could feel her trembling radiate up through her leg.
Overwhelmed, Nomura stopped struggling against the girl.
Joan stank of fear – the kind that paralyzes and expunges every ounce of courage. Nomura knew that stench all too well. Laying a gentle hand on the girl's head, she said, "There, there… It's… going to be all right."
Joan still sobbed.
"Fine." Nomura sighed. "You can't go home. But you can't sleep out here either. Come with me."
Joan didn't respond.
Nomura shook her head and scooped up the girl. "Hang on." She draped Joan's arms around her neck.
Worn out, the girl obeyed, laying her warm cheek against Nomura's cold, stony back.
When Nomura reached her cave near outskirts of New Trollmarket, she eased Joan off her back. The girl sank into Nomura's bed, eyes fluttering open for a second before drooping closed.
Joan fought against her fatigue, forcing her eyes open one more time. "W-where… am… I? Josh! He'll find… me…"
"No one will find you here. You're safe," Nomura assured. "Go to sleep."
Joan's eyes fell shut. Her breathing slowed as she lay curled up in the troll's keep.
Nomura sat down beside her sleeping alcove with a sigh. "This idea is terrible," she muttered. "Send her back in the morning. Let the girl go and never look back. Easy."
She groaned.
Who was she kidding? This wouldn't be easy at all.
Editted by dtill359