Eva shivered as she walked through the streets of Irongate, trying to ignore the bone-chilling wind that blew all around her. Although Irongate was far south enough that it rarely saw snow even during Needfest, the hard, cold breezes that came during Sunsebb could still hit the city's residents hard, necessitating thicker clothes.

What Eva wouldn't have given for such clothes. Her coat was tattered and worn, and the dress she wore underneath wasn't much better. The wind seemed to cut right through her thin body, and the cobblestones she walked on felt like ice to her bare feet. She winced as she cut herself on one protruding piece of stone, and turned into an alley to find some shelter from the wind.

Wearily, she opened the large pouch at her belt and counted out the candles she was carrying. Ralishaz continued to frown on her, it seemed-she'd had no sales today, nor any for the past week. Even though the nights were long in Irongate, everyone she approached seemed to have all the candles they needed. She had many candles, but no money, not even a single copper common.

The wind picked up, forcing Eva to huddle in a doorway. She took a tinderbox out of her pocket and lit one of her candles, desperate for any sort of warmth and light.

"Shouldn't you be in bed by now?" Eva heard someone say.

She snapped awake, realizing that she'd fallen asleep. Glancing around in surprise, she saw a large, chubby white-bearded man dressed in a somewhat overdone red and white suit kneeling down next to her. Her first instinct was to recoil in fear, but the man's worried look and the tenderness in his eyes calmed her.

"Who...who are you?" she managed to say.

"You can call me Payre Noel," the chubby man said, tugging on his beard. "And how about you? What are you doing here at this time of night?"

"My name's...Eva," she said, as she calmed down. "I'm...selling candles. Would you...like to buy some...?" she said, reaching into her pouch. "Only three commons each..."

"I'd be delighted," Payre Noel said, as he reached into his pocket and retrieved several copper commons. "They look delightful," he said, as he handed the coins to Eva and took the five candles she offered him. "But shouldn't you be getting home now? Or do you not..."

Payre Noel trailed off, frowning as Eva started to shake violently.

"I need to...sell my candles," Eva said. "Papa said so..."

"I just bought some of your candles," Payre Noel said.

"Not enough..." Eva said, resting her head on her knees as she wrapped her arms around her legs. "Papa said I have...to sell...them all..."

Payre Noel said nothing as he took Eva in his arms. He saw the tears forming in her eyes and heard her quiet sobbing. Carefully, he pushed up the sleeve of her dress, exposing her arm, and did the same with her collar, exposing her shoulder.

He only did it for a few moments before he rearranged Eva's clothes, but it was long enough to see the bruises and scars.

An eerie calm settled over Payre Noel, as his eyes flashed.

Howthen belched and scratched himself as he finished off the last of the Orcshead ale. Getting to his feet, it was easy to see why his neighbors thought he looked like the monster his favorite drink was named for. His nose, permanently bent out of joint from one too many tavern brawls, resembled that of a pig, and his unwashed gut was one even the most gluttonous hog would respect. His hair was almost as greasy and unkempt as his clothes, from all the time he spent face-down in the slop of the streets.

He stood up and stretched as he heard the door open, realizing that Eva was finally home. It was about damn time-he still had a powerful thirst, and if he was lucky he could make last call at the Broadbridge Tavern with the coin she'd brought back.

Just in case, he cracked his knuckles, ready to teach Eva a lesson if she'd failed to sell her candles. The brats needed a lesson sometimes, and what happened to Simon just reinforced it for Eva...

As Howthen walked into what passed for a parlor in his rundown house, his porcine eyes widened at the white-bearded man standing in the doorway, with Eva standing behind him. His temper started to rise, as he put his fists on his hips.

"Who'n the Nine Hells are you, fatso?" Howthen asked. "And what're ya doing in my house? I ain't sharing my Orcshead-"

"The name's Payre Noel," Payre Noel said, "and what makes you think I'd even go near that swill? Just look at what it did to you, fatso!"

Howthen scowled in rage as he raised his fists.

"I ain't fat, so shut your gods-damned mouth!" he said, his voice think with the Orcshead. "And if Eva thinks I'm gonna feed you, then she's getting a worse beat-"

Payre Noel's eyes flashed gold, as Howthen suddenly calmed, his arms falling to his side.

"-but I'm forgettin' my manners," Howthen said. "Might I offer ya a seat at my humble table?"

"No, but I think Eva would like some dinner," Payre Noel said, before he turned to Eva.

"You should go get something to eat while your father and I talk," Payre Noel said to her, "and then get some sleep. We have a lot to talk about..."

Eva nodded, the relief almost palpable around her, as she trotted off into the kitchen.

Payre Noel nodded to himself, before he turned back to the now friendly and acommodating Howthen.

"Now, where should we begin?" he said, stroking his beard.

Eva woke up when she heard footsteps in her room. Sitting up on the pallet that passed for her bed, she blinked in surprise at Payre Noel standing over her with a lantern in his hand.

"Come on Eva, it's time to go," Payre Noel said, holding out his free hand to her.

"Go? Go where?" she said, puzzled. "And what about Papa?"

Payre Noel frowned.

"Your Papa's done a lot of very bad things," Payre Noel said, "and I've made sure he's going to be punished. He's going to go away for a while, and I'm not leaving you here by yourself. It's time for us to go."

"Go? Go where?" Eva asked in confusion, as she got to her feet.

"Somewhere safe and warm, with lots of good things to eat and people who'll love you," Payre Noel said, as he led Eva out of Howthen's house for the last time.

Cobb Darg nodded in satisfaction as he watched the scene of Howethen rotting in jail. The magical charm he'd cast on Howthen would last for a good month, given what a fat fool he was. It was long enough for him to turn himself in to the City Watch for the many assaults and petty burglaries he'd committed, not to mention what he'd done to his son Simon, along with all the evidence the Watch would need to convict him. The burglaries and assaults would've earned him a good ten or twelve years hard labor, but Simon's death ensured that he'd go straight to the gallows.

With a wave of his hand, Darg shifted the scene in his crystal ball. Eva laughed as Maritte pushed her swing higher and higher, while Edvard prepared a plate of sweetmeats for the three of them to eat. Edvard and Maritte had told him more than once about how lonely they were since their adult children moved out, so it hadn't been difficult for Darg to magically contact them while Eva was asleep or convince them to take her in. With Darg vouching for them, the adoption papers were a mere formality.

He chuckled to himself as he heard Eva tell her new parents about 'Payre Noel', how he'd saved her, and how someday she would find and thank him for his kindness. He'd dropped her off as Payre Noel and had her ring the doorbell after he'd left, so Edvard and Maritte wouldn't connect him with his alter ego.

Eva wasn't the first person who swore they'd find and thank Darg in whatever guise he worse. And just like everyone before her, she would fail in her efforts.

Darg smiled, knowing that all was as it should be.