A Dangerous Venture }{ [Open!! Yes, really!]

[Summerchika]

Treading carefully and silently, Elphame stalked the shadows of the slowly darkening town, searching for a certain... person. Her best rival since childhood—Tuane, who had as much royal blood as she had, was stalking these shadows just as she was now. That was the problem. As the next oldest male with royal blood, Tuane was expected by a certain political faction to succeed Itzal, of the Shadows, as the 's own son—Elphame's father—was no longer eligible. Still, as a direct blood descendent, Elphame was more entitled to the crown than any. However, considering the nature of her birth, there was enough room for debate among the power- sophists of her race.

Tuane had disappeared a few hours ago, no doubt seeking sweet respite from these power struggles. Elphame did not blame him, but the Elders were looking for Tuane, and she was tired of dealing with them on her own. Elphame knew Tuane well, though what they had could not be called a friendship. But she knew him well enough to know that he found this town somehow intriguing, or relaxing--a sort of blessed sanctuary from his own race. Since few of her race dared venture to the town, especially while the sun still ruled the sky, it was an ideal place to hide.

“Though what is so blessed about a place such as this, I will never understand.” Elphame continued her inner dialogue in an under tone as she passed reeking children playing with mud-caked mongrels. Her nose crinkled in disgust as she sunk further into the growing shadows of an alley.

“He is plenty skilled enough to find better places without being detected by the Elders.” Her favorite place, for instance, was in the shadowy depths of Lonea Lake. She told herself it had no connection to the other half of her blood, but.... She just could not help the peace it gave her, floating among the mysterious creatures and unique plant-life that never saw the light of day. Not even Tuane knew to look for her there.

Rounding a well shadowed corner, she startled when a grungy man shot past, a few precarious inches from her position. More importantly, however, was the man's hand-held torch, whose light radius came dangerously close to her skin. Reacting instinctively, Elphame recoiled against the side of the building. Her scáthe clothing moved to shield her from the harmful glow, but not before a knife of light filtered through.

Wincing and glaring at the man, who cluelessly bustled down the walk, Elphame checked herself. Her cheek burned where the light had grazed her skin. Tasting blood, she brought her hand up to her cheek, feeling for the wide, wet line that began at the top of her cheek bone by her ear and ended at the corner of her mouth. She then cursed Tuane and his elusiveness as she saw the damage her skirt had sustained from its brush with light.

Gathering more shadows around herself, she took a deep, slightly shaky breath to slow her pounding heart. That was too close, she scolded herself. Had she not been distracted by her thoughts, she would have been able to sense the disturbance in the shadows. But when it came to Tuane, her thoughts became unruly.

Hand coming away black with shadowy blood that now dripped down her neck from her cheek, and down her fore arm from her fingertips, she began to mend the torn fabric by suffusing the shadows around her with her own blood. A warrior's scáthe attire was a warrior's life, as the incident just now illustrated for her yet again. Examining the patchwork, she deemed that it would have to do until she could return to her grandfather's supply room, where nurtured shadows awaited to be crafted into another warrior's scáthe.

By this time, the sun was beginning its descent behind the large mountain range in the West. Clouds obscured it's rays, making it dark enough, apparently, for that blasted man to want a torch. “Humans.” she spat, the word a curse.

Now paying enough attention to the shadows around her, Elphame felt a disturbance down the alley behind her. Whirling around, her eyes examined the shadows. Her vision, usually so sharp in the darkness, was temporarily blurred from the brief torch encounter. What was it? Rats? A stray cat? Or was it more? Perhaps it was Tuane, but then again, Elphame expected that he would be more difficult to find. She narrowed her eyes and grabbed the dagger within the folds of her scáthe, expecting the worst.

[Rin]

"This is it." Roux crossed the deck of the Karkinos, stepping up onto the railing and turning to face her crew. "I leave now on the most difficult and life-threatening adventure of my existence. Should I not return... Ikter."

Silence fell as the young man stared at Roux.

"I leave you all my clothes."

Laughter erupted across the deck as Ikter shot his captain an Oh, aren't we hilarious? sort of glance. Even Roux laughed a little, smiling at her crew as they howled. They were a lovable bunch, she'd always thought so. Well, as lovable as a few dozen murderous outlaws could be. While it would be bliss to feel earth under her feet after months of flying, she would miss her miscreant hoard and their drunken, chip-toothed laughter.

"And now I make my leave!" She announced, throwing her arms wide. "But should our next encounter be in the afterlife, I pray you never forget your wise, steadfast, and breathtakingly beautiful leader, the great and munificent--!"

"Oh, come off it!" Someone pushed Roux off the ship.

Her flaming hair whipped across her face as she fell through the clouds, watching her airship grow smaller and smaller against the sky. A normal person in this situation would scream and flail and pray the gods, but falling was nothing new to Roux. She simply smiled and pulled her goggles over her eyes, flipping over to face the ground.

Though she'd exaggerated the "life-threatening" nature of today's mission, Roux hadn't lied about it being difficult. How do you find a person who can't be seen? Her sources informed her that her target was in Tamasha village (which struck her as odd--why there at this time of day?) but other than that, she had no clue how to proceed.

Guess I'll just have to wing it. Roux chuckled at the pun.

As the ground continued to hurtle upward, she knew it was time. Closing her eyes, she reached into her mind with mental fingers and touched upon something deep within... Instantly she felt a flutter in her chest--her small second heart had activated, beating rapidly alongside her human one. Then, her body burst into light. Roux was momentarily blinded as a wave of searing heat ripped through her muscles and across her skin. But the light subsided quickly, and in Roux's place flew a red and gold phoenix, glowing brilliantly.

Ah, much better, she thought, stretching her wings. Now to get to work.

Roux burst through a cloud to discover Tamasha village, bright and buzzing with people. Such an odd place for her target to be; what could have brought her here? Roux slowed to a glide and circled the village, unsure of what to do. Then she spotted a particularly dark and secluded alley. Guess I could start there.

Roux descended toward the mouth of the alley, careful to stay out of sight. Once she was just a few feet above ground, she transformed back into a human, landing in a crouch with one gloved hand on the dirt. She remained perfectly still as the fabric of her long open-fronted skirt settled, listening carefully. Then, slowly, she straightened, pressing her back against a wall and peering into the alley.

At first she saw nothing--only black. The squeaks of rats echoed off the alley walls, as did the sound of dripping water. Her eyes strained in vain against the darkness, searching for anything that seemed... out of place. But nothing caught her attention.

"Thief!" Roux flattened herself against the wall as a large, grubby man with a torch blustered by. She turned to watch him stumble through the alley, and then--There! A sliver of pale skin manifested itself in the passing light. A slow smile split Roux's sun kissed face. Found you, she thought. Even as the words passed through her mind, her eyes began to adjust to the dark. Where a normal human would have been unable to see the shadow person at all, Roux's naiad eyes were accustomed to seeing in complete darkness. A woman's form began to take shape in the blackness, albeit diaphanously. Then, what Roux assumed to be the woman's head whipped in her direction--she ducked out of sight. When she looked back into the alleyway, the woman had gone. No matter. She knew where to find her.

Roux ducked into the alley as a human and exited as a phoenix. Taking to the sky, she spotted the place where she knew the woman would go--a park full of trees where she would be protected by a cover of penumbral shade. Roux reached the park and descended toward the trees, alighting delicately on one of the branches. And there she was, the shadow woman, just as Roux expected. Oh, this was just like her dream... This park, these trees, the woman enveloped in shadows... But what did it mean?

Who was this woman Roux felt so compelled to know?

"Hey," Roux called out. When the woman turned around, she would see a flaming haired girl crouching in a tree.

[Summerchika]

Studying the darkness with her light spotted eyes, Elphame had to blink several times before she could manage a brief outline of the alley way, which revealed nothing of the presence she had felt in the shadows. This won't do, she thought fiercely. Gritting her teeth, Elphame realized that her failing eyes needed time to heal. Time, however, was a costly necessity that left her vulnerable in the human infested town. This she could not afford.

Quickly deciding on another method to regain her maimed eye sight, Elphame remembered the tree-shadowed place not too far away from her location. It would not take much to run on the shadows, even with her unreliable sight.

Ever the nimble warrior, she spent no time in hesitation. Darting through the shadows like dust in the wind, she arrived at the edge of a green clearing undisturbed by human structures. Letting out a small, relieved breath, she welcomed the feathery shadows. In their ethereal presence, her eyes adjusted more efficiently to the familiar darkness.

Slowing to a careful walk, she examined the shadows with veins of awareness as well as with her own eyes for any unknown presences. She did not expect to find Tuane here, but it could not hurt to search. She just hoped that she would find him soon so she could leave this dangerous place.

As if in response to her train of thoughts, a sudden golden burst of light entered into her shadows, challenging her safety. Recoiling from the contact, her mental awareness shuddered with foreboding. Cautiously reaching out once more, she endeavored to locate this stinging presence while simultaneously calling the darker shadows toward her pale form. Shadows pulsed within her as they roiled beneath her skin in anticipation of a fight. Before she made any progress, however, a ringing "Hey" revealed the odd presence's location.

Whirling around, her eyes settled on one of the most shocking sights she had ever seen. Though the girl on the branch before her did not give off light, Elphame flinched as if the girl actually did. Her hair resembled a raging fire so closely, that Elphame stood in stunned silence, her throat seeming to have lost the ability to make sound.

What a sight this girl was: leather straps, myriad sets of buckles and metal, followed by a long white skirt that fell to the floor, but that was gathered at her hips to reveal her unique shorts and thigh-high boots. It was an odd mixture--Elphame had never seen the likes of such a style on any she had met or seen before. Perhaps the most unusual piece she wore were the goggles that adorned her fiery hair. Why would you need such bulky contraptions? The girl's alien appearance astounded Elphame to beyond words.

"What do you want?" The suspicious words sounded choked as they escaped her constricted throat. The threat of light was no longer real, but that reality had yet to register in her tensed muscles. She found the dagger within the folds of her scáthe once again, just in case. The appearance of this effulgent girl could not be a good sign.

Looking beyond the girls clothing and hair, Elphame tried to get a read on the girl's intentions in an attempt to answer the question Elphame had just posed to the girl. What did she want? Searching the girl's eyes for a clue, Elphame was shocked to discover that she recognized the girl's eyes. It was as if she were looking into the depths of secret waters--the likes of which humankind could not fathom.

Where have I- oh! Air whooshed out of her lungs in a mimic of a gasp as she realized where she had seen those eyes before. Those are my eyes. Well, they weren't exactly, but there was an undeniable resemblance. Her suspicions only rose with this discovery. Who was this girl?

[Rin]

Roux hopped from her perch, her boots crunching on the unkempt grass. She purposely ignored the woman's question, standing motionless, her ruminating gaze pouring over the shadow person's indefinite features. She looked agonizingly familiar. But why?

One thing was for sure, Roux knew she had never seen those clothes before, if one could even call them that. The woman's garb roiled around her body like ribbons of ink slithering through water. Roux had never seen anything like it. Her very anatomy seemed full of shadows--little tendrils of blackness undulated under her membranous white skin. Her hair seemed unending and insubstantial, like a shadow; it hovered slightly in the air and reflected no light. But while all this was odd, Roux could handle the unfamiliar. She only became unnerved upon close examination of the woman's face.

"You have my eyes." The words escaped her lips as a whisper.

And not only that, this woman had her high cheek bones and slender nose, her same ears (albeit Roux's were riddled with piercings) and the same slight, athletic frame. She looked like... No. Roux shook her head, blood throbbing in her skull. That couldn't possibly be.

"...What's your name?"

[Summerchika]

As the girl jumped from the branch, Elphame narrowed her eyes and instinctively drew her shadows ever nearer to her now darkening form, giving her leeway to take her defensive position without being detected. It was a skill that even the most naive Shadow warrior knew, but that was widely acknowledged as a necessary skill. Elphame had mastered it when she was 3, and had continued to enhance it throughout her years. It was only expected from the daughter of Karayan, Warrior Prince and Prodigy.

The shadows stilled to cresting tides beneath her skin as she looked over the girl once more, her eyes still tense. The girl seemed calm enough--not hostile at the very least. But that did not mean Elphame should not be wary. One year amongst her father's people had taught her that much.

At the girl's whispered words, Elphame raised an eyebrow, slightly annoyed that her question had been ignored. Taking a calculating step forward she measured the girl's reaction to the jolting similarity of their eyes. The girl must have seen something more, for her next question was colored with the denial of a discovered truth.

"...What's your name?" the young woman asked.

And what significance does my name have to the likes of you? Elphame wondered with a mental eyebrow lift, but she instead answered in a low, steady tone,

"My name... is Elphame."

Silence pervaded the clearing for only a minute before she added, "None whom I have met have had eyes such as yours, or mine. Knov kehrem," the shadows joined their whispered voices with hers as she named the young woman in their ancient tongue, "Who are you?"

Her question was slow and deliberate, demanding a response from the woman. Eye brows raised, she waited for an answer.

[Rin]

Elphame?! Roux's face burst into an incredulous grin. THE Elphame from the stories of my childhood? Oh, no! She shook her head. I refuse. I won't believe this.

When Roux was very young, before she understood why the other naiads shied away from her, her mother Melaena, most beautiful of all the naiads, had told her stories. These were some of her only happy memories from childhood, the memories of nights spent listening to fairy tales. She remembered her mother's warm presence, her soft eyes, the comfort of a brush passing gently over her hair... On some nights, Melaena told stories of Roux's phantom older sister, the one who had been stolen by the shadows... But over the years, Roux had come to dismiss these as pure fantasy.

And yet, here she stood with the Elphame of her memories, the phantom older sister who wasn't supposed to exist.

"Knov kehrem," Roux shivered when Elphame spoke--her voice seemed to echo with a thousand ghostly whispers. "Who are you?"

Regaining her composure, Roux's grin returned. "Who am I?" She asked, throwing her arms wide. "Why, I, dear lady, am the prolific purveyor of many a scientific treasure, the benevolent savior of many a wandering outsider, and the humble procurer of goods from those whom fortune has dealt a better hand." Roux gave a wink. "As for my name, I've been given many, including Phoenix Born, the Lady of Light, and 'you filthy gods-forsaken pirate.' But you, my dear Elphame, may call me Roux." With this, Roux crossed a fingerless gloved arm over chest, bowing deeply.

"And, if you wish," she added, peeking up at Elphame with smirking eyes...

"You may also call me 'Sister.'"

[Summerchika]

Whatever Elphame had expected from the woman, it was shattered into oblivion by the woman's words and actions. Her wide smile had confused Elphame. She was not used to other beings, especially those who were not Shadow People, smiling at her. It was almost an unthinkable thing to do. Most Shadows, upon learning her name, feared too greatly a powerful politician's suspicious retribution. Those who had the courage to smile usually had ulterior motives for doing so. And any non-Shadow unlucky enough to have glimpsed her in the past wore expressions of pure terror before she could even speak. Humans seemed to find her appearance.... for lack of a better word, terrifying.

And yet this woman, whatever she was, looked absolutely thrilled, if a bit unbelieving, to hear Elphame's name. Who is this girl? Elphame found herself wondering again. Her incredulous curiosity was only fueled by the young woman's next words.

Incredulity turned to disbelief at her self-description, and then to intrigue as the woman listed off her names. Phoenix Born? Now the woman's hair made sense, as well as the flaming storm that was the woman's presence.

Roux, huh? Elphame thought to herself as she watched Roux perform an absurdly deep bow. Roux's personality seemed to match her loud appearance in every respect, and it was irksome. Between Roux's showcased personality and Tuane's aloof and stoic disposition, Elphame could not decide which she found most displeasing.

Staring down at Roux's unruly hair in contemplation, Elphame almost missed what Roux said next. As she met Roux's impish eyes, Elphame tensed in surpise.

"Sister?" Elphame exclaimed, disbelief making her tongue loose. The sheer absurdity of having such a flamboyant relation made Elphame snort in amusement. "I would have gone with distant cousin, if I were you, pirate. Sister is too... incredible, really." Elphame replied, lips curling into an amused half smile.

Hiding behind this amusement, Elphame pondered the words seriously. Was it a trick? Were the words just as flamboyant as the person? Or did it have truth? Their eyes.... the similarity went without question, but did it mean...? No. It meant nothing. She was a child of Shadow, and nothing less.

[Rin]

Roux came up from her bow and crossed her arms, a bland smirk still playing on her lips. "Believe what you will," she said, "But it's the gods given truth. My--excuse me, our mother Melaena told me stories of you as a child. ...I just never thought they were actually true..."

A moment of pensive silence passed. The two women continued to eye each other, the one with curious levity and the other with a sharp, calculating gaze.

Neither expected what happened next.

"Gah!" Roux's hands flew to her head as pain exploded in her skull. She staggered, flowers of light blooming before her vision. Gods, she thought, cursing. Not this again...

Another flash of pain--Roux cried out, dropping to her knees and doubling over. Crippled with agony, she stared wide-eyed at the grass, chest heaving, body racked with tremors. For a moment she saw nothing but blinding white light, but then... images began to swim before her vision...

The image of a place... A fountain in a square.

A man enveloped in darkness... Frightened eyes, angry shouts...

Many, many torches, and a scream one would only expect from someone being turned inside out...

And then...

...Grass.

Roux knelt motionless as the pain subsided, staring fixedly at the ground. Her accelerated breathing began to slow as she continued to shake, causing the daggers of red hair that fell on either side of her face to tremble. A space of time later, and she drew a tremulous breath. Finally she trusted herself to speak.

"A shadow man. Not far from here." Roux spat blood into the grass. "He's in trouble."

[Summerchika]

Melaena! The familiar word was as a slap to her face. Unbidden and sudden, tears threatened to sting Elphame's eyes as blurs of memories surfaced from her childhood with unexpected force. Recoiling from the unfamiliar emotions, Elphame clenched her jaw in a snarl, fighting for control while her other muscles worked furiously. The animalistic ferocity it gave her appearance must have been shocking, but she did not care.

"No." Her strong denial was a growl that escaped her lips long before she had a desire to stop it. The shadows she had gathered about her pulsed and writhed, fueled by her feral emotions.

"Gah!" Startled from her consuming emotions, Elphame's gaze shot to Roux. As the woman stumbled and fell to her knees, Elphame made a move to help, but then stopped, unsure as to what she should do. But as she stood in indecision over the heaving girl, she found a tugging in her soul to help the one who claimed to be her sister, even if she despised the situation her "sister" had brought upon her.

However, before she could decide upon an action, the woman spoke, her voice emanating pain.

"A shadow man. Not far from here. He's in trouble."

The words rang in the silence for a beat before Elphame comprehended the implications. Deciding the risk was too great for her to doubt the phoenix, she did not press her for the hows and whys, only the what and the where.

"Tu'ané?!" What other shadow man would dare to set foot in such a dangerous place? Besides her father, of course, who could no longer leave the Shadow Palace. The brief memory of his betrayal to his people stung her pride as if it were own stupid mistake.

"Where is he?" she demanded of Roux even as she spread her wings of awareness in frantic searching. If he was truly in trouble, as Roux said, then she needed to get there as fast as possible. If Tu'ané was hurt in anyway, vicious retaliation was sure to follow from his clan against the , Elphame's grandfather, despite Tu'ané's own obvious carelessness.

But Elphame did not find a disturbance in shadows, and if Tu'ané was close, he was hiding his presence, as Shadows do in hostile environments. Suddenly suspicious, Elphame turned again to Roux, looking at her through narrowed eyes.

[Rin]

"So I take it you know this man?" Roux asked, chuckling lightly. She drew a hand across her lips, examining the blood that stained her trembling fingers. Her eyes flicked toward Elphame. The shadow woman offered no response.

Roux's smile widened. "Well then," she said, staggering to her feet. She took a moment to collect herself, smoothing out her clothes and hair. "I suggest we move quickly. Come with me!"

Roux burst into motion, sprinting as if the pain she'd just experienced had never happened. She ran without bothering to see if Elphame followed, soon exiting the park and racing down a busy street. "'Scuse me! Pardon me!" She chirped, whipping recklessly through the bustling crowd. The villagers bristled, shouting protests at her fleeting form. "Hey!" shrieked a woman as Roux slammed into her, scattering her groceries over the dusty street. "Sorry!" she called back, snatching an apple from a fruit stand and running on. Suddenly, a hay cart blocked her path--"Whoa!" she cried, dropping to her knees and sliding under it. "What the--!" Roux laughed as the cart's driver spewed a stream of unintelligible curses at her back. Smiling brilliantly, she took a carefree bite of her apple and sprinted on.

Suddenly a square ballooned around her--Roux ground to a halt, her boots throwing up a cloud of dust. She paused as the dust settled, standing very still, taking a moment to carefully scope out her surroundings. It was much quieter here than in the street; the darkening sky had cast a hush over the loitering villagers, and a large marble fountain trickled brightly in the peaceful twilight. Well, this is the place, thought Roux, fingering her pistol. Now where's the damsel in distress?

A moment later, some muffled giggling caught her ear--Roux perked up, glancing about. Her eyes flicked over the surrounding square, probing the ever darkening shadows for signs of movement. Finally... There! Some rustling caught her attention. Rolling her half eaten apple in her fingers, she edged across the square toward an alley, flattening herself against the wall at its mouth and peering carefully inside. There stood what Roux could only assume was Tu’ané, doing a terrible job of concealing himself and the girl he was currently kissing... was that the governor's daughter? Roux smirked, munching her apple. Tu’ané, you sly dog.

"Elphame!" Roux hissed, only hoping the shadow woman had followed her. "I think I found him!" But even as she spoke, the sound of distant shouting began to fill the square...

[Summerchika]

Eyes narrowing even more, Elphame followed the woman without verbal disagreement, but her mind was swirling with questions that needed answering. So she stayed on guard as she took to the shadows just behind the capricious woman.

Where as Roux swept past--and through--the busy streets, Elphame kept close to the edges of the streets where their buildings cast long shadows. The hay cart that had blocked Roux's path in fact opened up the pathway for Elphame between streets. In ways such as this, Elphame brushed through the town unnoticed by any of its inhabitants. In truth, it was not easy, or safe, to do what Elphame did, but she had little choice in the matter. Besides, Elphame was among the most adept at shadow travel, even more so than Tu’ané, who detested that fact.

As Roux skidded to a halt, Elphame scanned the square around her with her eyes as much as with her shadow senses. Due to this, it did not take Elphame as long as Roux to spot the cursed man. He could hide his own presence, but not the girl he was... Elphame grimaced with distaste as she took in the scene before her.

"I think I found him!" hissed Roux, but Elphame was already making her way to Tu’ané, a lust for blood in her eyes.

"Way ahead of you, sister." she said, the double meaning not lost on her, even in her enraged state.

Shadows thrashing about her, Elphame approached Tu’ané without a sound so the girl would not notice. But Elphame was not hiding her own presence in the Shadows, and Tu’ané would have had to have been senseless to miss her arrival. As his eyes flicked upward in curiosity, he caught sight of Elphame and froze mid-kiss. The girl squirmed and made a moaning sound of protest, which struck Elphame as rather amusing, despite her anger.

"Come now Tu’ané. That's rude, ignoring the poor girl that way. Did not your father teach you any better?" Moving an hand to the hip she was leaning into, Elphame let a sneer play on her lips as she spoke. Tu’ané's eyes flared in anger as she mentioned his father--the two did not have a good relationship--but he gave no other indication of his anger. Quite the contrary, Tu’ané gave her a sly, slightly annoyed smile.

He opened his mouth to retort with some sarcastic remark she was sure, but was stopped by a gasp and then a shriek as the girl whirled around and laid eyes upon the storm of shadows that engulfed Elphame. The look on the girl's face embittered Elphame's own sneer as she read the fear there. Yes, Elphame knew her anger was not a pleasant sight--she prided herself on that fact around her people, and she was grudgingly respected for that. However, around humans, she always felt somehow... ugly.

"Leave us, child." she barked, annoyed by the human girl's reaction, but mostly annoyed by her petite features and swollen red lips.

Again, Tu’ané went to speak, this time in protestation, but was cut off by a rumbling noise and a disturbing change in the Shadows around the courtyard. Before the two Shadow beings could react, the noise escalated to a sound so loud, Elphame had to cover her ears in pain--Shadow people were not so loud a people as the humans were.

Distracted, Tu’ané and Elphame had little time to foresee what would come next. From the streets leading into the courtyard burst a mob of crazed men with torches. I hate torches. Elphame snarled in her mind as the mob, who must have been alerted by the girl's scream, began to surround them with deadly light.

With angry voices, the mob demanded that the "precious jewel of the town" be returned from the "monsters in the Shadows." Confused, Elphame looked to Tu’ané for an explanation. His gaze for the promise of a fight, Tu’ané bared his teeth in a wicked grin, despite the threatening situation.

"Your 'jewel' came to me. I merely accepted her..." He gave a slight chuckle as he found the word he was looking for, "desire." He said the last word with a sneer of his own which only enraged the people further.

"Tu’ané!" Elphame hissed as the torches circled closer, almost touching her exposed skin. "That is not helping." With a long look from Tu’ané, Elphame grabbed the girl with a clawed hand, shoving her toward the spitting men.

"Take your jewel!" she addressed the crowd in a loud, commanding voice. "Now leave us be!" she repeated the phrase she had used with the girl but with a greater force, hoping her confidence would sway the mob. It did not.

Back to back, Tu’ané and Elphame faced the advancing circle of light. "We'll make sure you never touch any of our daughters again!" spat a large bearded man.

With exasperation, Elphame tossed her head back to yell at Tu’ané, "Just how many girls have you--" she made a crude gesture that Tu’ané couldn't see, but he laughed anyway, guessing what she had done.

"I just gave the girls what they wanted." he said defensively, a grin in his voice.

Elphame turned then to impatiently grab Tu'ane by his collar and whirl him around to face her. "If I die, I will kill you." she spoke the cliche, meaning every word. And Tu'ane had no doubt that impossibly, she would do just that.

Swearing lowly as light from one of the men's torches flickered against her left arm, burning the first layers of skin and singeing her hair, Elphame ordered her shadows to attack. However, she knew that the amount of light was too great for her order to be carried out successfully, and the Shadows did little to help their situation. Without shadows, neither she nor Tu’ané could do much but sneer and try to scare the mob away.

In desperation--the light was inches away from engulfing and extinguishing the two of them--Elphame searched for Roux. Not able to see much past the light, Elphame hoped her voice would carry above the noise of the mob. "Roux! Do something!" It was a last ditch hope, but it was the only way out Elphame could see.