FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

It's not often that I stop and reflect on my life and how things have been. Not that I don't care I just have a slight lack of time to waste on things I consider frivolous. Do I consider it unworthy of my time or is it just a way to deal with the pain I know is associated to my past. And yet I sit even now pondering and questioning my decisions. So it cannot be as passé as I make it out to be. "All this thinking is making my head hurt I guess it's time to drown my sorrows in ale."

It took little effort to rise off of the bed and stand to her full height of five foot one inch. Being as short as an elf didn't do her much justice but several opinions known she was much more pleasing to the eye than even the most beautiful female elf. She was muscled, but not disgustingly so, her body had been chisled from years of work and adventuring. Beneath her set of common clothing consisting of a light tunic and a pair of worn breeches was a coat of orange fur with black stripes. Her left eye was a stunning royal blue and her right was as jade green as the most pure of gemstones. A shock of long blonde hair ran down her back tied up in a leather thong to keep it managed.

She wore a belt around her waist that sported several hilts and pouches that promised dangerous surprises, almost as dangerous as the various other things hidden about her person. Before leaving the room she had rented in the inn she checked the window to make sure the trap she had set was still ready to be triggered and double checked the loose floorboard under the bed she had stored her most valuable belongings in.

A quick check of her belt made sure that her weapons, the ones that could be seen, were tied with a peace knot as was the custom in the taverns and inns around this city. She exited the door and reset the trap she had set on it with a deft flick of her hand and headed down the stairs to the taproom to get a drink. It was only morning but she had learned when she was younger that it was never too early for a good pint of ale.

Once she reached the common room she took a seat at the bar and waved the barkeep over with her fingers. She knew this man; he was a portly human with a perpetual smile pasted across his features. It was often said around town that if Merdok ever wore a frown the world would come to an end. "My usual breakfast Merk."

"I still say ye shouldn't be drinkin' so early little missy but I canna refuse me best customer." He had already pulled a tankard from the shelf behind him in anticipation and filled it with the best mead he had in stock. "Ye'll drink me outta me bar if'in ye don't start eatin' a decent meal in the mornin'."

"Same story every morning, where's my drink?" They had an established relationship because she both rented a room from him and was a frequent customer in the taproom, very frequent. "Anything interesting happen since I passed out?"

"Nah, ye haven't missed much Isis me darlin'." He shrugged and went to his perpetual duty of wiping down the counter and cleaning the mugs.

Isis smiled at him and turned around to survey the unusually large morning crowd. She almost laughed out loud when she realized that it was well past midday and the crowd that had gathered was here for a quick afternoon meal, drink or both. She preferred the middle of the three; she had convinced herself it helped her think. She nursed her drink slowly, not fully past the headache and hangover accompanied with a night and early morning of drinking. But on that same note she had grown so used to it she wasn't hindered as much as she used to be.

Placing a few silver pieces on the bar for Merdok she rose and headed up for her room to gather what she would need for the night's work. It was well-known that the best prepared 'expert treasure hunter' started casing her target early in order to dispense with the preliminaries. The trap at her door was rigged with a poison that would drop most men in moments but she was so familiar with its design she barely flicked a finger to disarm it before entering. Quickly she donned her darkened set of leather armor and slung a pack onto her shoulders. From the floor board beneath her bed she pulled a ring, an amulet and a small contraption that looked like a tiny spool of rope coiled around a crank and wheel.

Before leaving she touched the amulet that now rested between her shapely breasts and whispered a soft prayer. She was familiar with it but she did not know where it had come from. A sigh escaped her lips before she started heading toward the door. She had been an vagabond now for years upon years, so much so that she sometimes thought if she continued on she would write herself enough past to fill the void that was missing in her mind.

She had no memories to speak of before the day she woke up on the shifting dunes of the Goyan desert. She was in tattered rags and had only an amulet and a dagger on her person. Truth be known she did not even know if she knew her own name, she was merely using the name Isis because it was engraved on the back of the amulet in the common tongue. "Isis. Somehow the name seems right." She whispered to herself before she walked out of the door and headed downstairs offering Merdok a simple nod before she left.

When she arrived in this city she had been quite poor and so she took to a life of stealing and skulking about in the shadows to make her living. Again that felt natural to her but she did not know the reason why. The streets of Gorandah were usually no place for a rogue with no guild but she managed quite nicely. She had carved herself a little niche and given herself a name on the streets. Several guilds had harassed for her skills offering riches and infamy but she preferred to work alone on a contract-to-hire basis. It was better to have no ties; she didn't know herself so she had no idea who knew her in turn. So far she had never met anyone that knew her or where she had come from but then again when the truth is purchased it is never the whole truth no matter what the cost.

Her target came into view not long after she had left the inn. She was unnaturally fast but her target was also just a few blocks away. She had navigated the crowded streets with ease because of its familiarity. Slipping down a side alley she pulled her lucky dagger from the sheath and fixed it between her teeth for easy access. Her clawed hands aided her climb as she scaled a short wall and peered over the top. Quickly she ducked back down to avoid the sweeping gaze of a guard who was even now turning a corner. Thankfully he had been distracted with talking to another guard walking beside him. She waited until their conversation was nothing but a soft buzz and peered over cautiously.

A large garden greeted her with green hedges, plants and flowers of all types. She was astounded at a sight she had never seen before. The sands and sun usually made growing anything almost impossible but when she had heard that a rich family had brought in a series of wizards and clerics in order to create a garden paradise in this harsh climate she was skeptical. Her eyes drank in the sight of so many colors and shapes just as her nose twitched to gather up the fragrant natural scent around her. Something stirred inside of her that she did not understand and unable to hold herself up she dropped to the street and leaned against the wall sliding down to the ground to sit.

A flash of images came to mind; trees as tall as the eye could follow, plants, flowers and various growths. She shook her head and tried to right herself as the strange images flowed uninhibited. "Makar?"

The word meant something to her but she didn't know what. She struggled for many minutes to gather her thoughts and pull herself back into what she supposed was some sort of flash back. The familiarity was gone and so was the flood of memories. "I've been to a jungle. What is Makar?"

She had forgotten all about her target for more than an hour as she sat pondering the meaning of the strange flashes. She was guessing more than she knew but the familiar smell of plants and flowers had triggered the memories. It was the first flashback that she had ever had and it had left her a little unsettled. Scolding herself she looked around to find dusk falling and cursed her luck, she had been thinking and introverted for quite a while without even knowing it. She picked up her dagger from the ground where she had dropped it and slid it into the sheath again. She had a feeling she may have need of it tonight.

Her arms strained slightly as she climbed the vertical surface again and peered over. She saw the disappearing helms of two guards as they rounded a corner. The voices were different than before so apparently they had changed shifts while she had been lost in thought. As quietly as possible she straddled the wall and tied off one end of the spool she had been carrying with her. She rolled out a length of it as she dropped to the ground and landed in a tumble to minimize the noise. With her lucky dagger she cut the rope and pressed it against the sand-colored wall confident that it would blend enough to someone not studying the wall at close range.

For a moment she admired the spool of rope she had purchased from a mutual partner, he had promised that it held over a thousand feet of rope and so far she hadn't reached the end of it but she was sure that she only had a few hundred feet left. Before continuing she cursed her carelessness again and pulled a bundle out of her pack. She slipped a long black silk shirt over her head along with a set of gloves, pants and a black hood that hid her face quite well considering. Without any further delays she sheathed her dagger and crept out among the plant life of the garden.

As quiet as a whisper she blended into the garden's winding paths and plants so well that she even surprised herself. The guards walked past her not five feet away oblivious to her presence and as they continued on she slipped out of her concealment and headed straight for the wall of the large house. It was odd compared to the rest of the houses in the city, it had a manor-house look to it and the corners and various walls were dotted with stonework and gargoyles. Faerie fire made most of the statues glow in various colors to complement the flowers below. It was a nice layout she thought, almost a shame to rob them.

"Almost." She whispered quietly as her skilled hands found holds among the grey stones of the house wall. Quickly she scaled the side and pitched herself up onto a balcony. Just as she pressed herself against the wall to listen the door burst open and a pair of purple satin curtains billowed softly from the movement of a passing form. It was a female, most likely a young girl from the look of her. She was dressed in a fluttering and lacy blue dress that hid her body well along with a blue bow to keep her long brown hair up. Isis froze and slowed her breathing down so as not to be detected at such a close distance. She brought a hand up across her chest and pressed her breasts inward as much as possible and tried to blend in with the growing shadow of the door.

"Shayna get back in here this instant!" A loud voice boomed out into the night from the open doorway. Isis guessed that it was a father figure of some sort from the harsh tone. "Young lady if you continue this detestable behavior I will be forced to punish you again!"

"You'd do it anyway regardless of how I act!" The young girl turned around and scowled at the doorway. She was pretty as far as Isis was to judge, she had never seen another like herself before but this young female had white fur and black stripes. A young girl just starting to bud into womanhood she had fine features and long blue gloves on her hands as she accented her statement with a dramatic gesture of her hands. "You punish me every night as a matter of fact, just like you have for as long as I can remember. The punishment just varies from night to night depending on how you feel!"

Isis almost laughed out loud. This girl seemed spoiled from the look of it and her form of punishment was most-likely a sound talking to or being denied some of the 'finer pleasures' of life. Those who lived rich lives found simple things to be punishment enough. She wondered if this little girl had ever lain in a ditch with nothing but an old tattered blanket for warmth and no food to speak of. More likely she had never been without a plush bed and pillow with a menagerie of soft blankets.

"I do not want to entertain your friends, its bad enough that I have to endure your advances from night to night father." The girl turned around to the balcony and started weeping softly. Isis arched an eyebrow and wondered silently if she had been wrong with her surface observation.

Just as she had expected a portly human man walked out of the balcony and over to the thin girl. He was dressed in a gaudy set of purple clothing that almost didn't fit his rotund form. His hair was jet black and he had a face like a crow that had been repeatedly beaten with the proverbial ugly stick.

"I don't want to do this anymore." The girl begged at him more than spoke to him.

Isis noticed how soft the girl's voice had become once her father was near and she watched the large man put a hand on the girl, Shayna's, shoulder. She found herself pitying the small female and wondering idly if she should do something about it. She decided at length that she should not interfere even though she had the urge to. The girl would have to take care of things herself just as Isis had.

"You're only angering me my dear. I gave you an order and that is final, the men who are coming tomorrow night have paid a handsome sum to spend some quality time with you." He sneered at her and used his large meaty hand to turn her around to face him. "You'll do what I say and not give them any trouble if you wish to continue the magic lessons you love so much."

"That's not fair father! You gave me those lessons as a birthday gift!" She pouted at him and then cast her eyes downward as she met his burning gaze. Apparently the young girl realized her error in challenging her 'father'. His hand slapped her face and she brought her own hand up to hold her face as she held onto the tears she knew she wanted to release. "I've always been a prize to you, not a daughter."

"That's the truth and you'd do well to remember that I feed you, clothe you and keep a roof over your head." Isis was burning inside as she watched the listened to the large man speak; the idea of slavery offended her deeply. She had never seen it first hand as far as she knew but she felt that it was wrong, no she knew it was wrong. The fat man spoke again. "Keep your temper and do not anger these men or it will mean your pretty little head. I can purchase a million other slaves that would die to be in your position right now."

One hand covered in black silk had slipped down toward her dagger and even now her finger traced the hilt impatiently. She was ready to kill this man where he stood regardless of the alarms that it would create and barring the fact that she wouldn't get her take from this job. Wisely she held herself in check a moment later three guards poked their heads round the corner and cleared their throats one by one. "Sir we heard raised voices, is everything okay?"

"Yes! Go back to your posts now!" The angry fat man turned around and fixed them with a glare that made even Isis want to flinch. She wisely stopped her fingers and other movements because she was in the man's direct field of vision.

She had trained herself to hide quite well, even in plain view. It was still a relief when the guards rounded the corner and the man turned back around to his slave girl without noticing her. She almost sighed with relief but caught herself at the last moment. Listening to the girl's plight she felt something gnawing at her heart strings and again she told herself that it would be better just to walk away and leave things as they were. She could not afford to let her feelings get in the way of a take like this.

"You're not going to defy me on this. If I have to tie you down to your bed so be it, I will just charge less for you. I can still pull a fair sum because of your virginity my dear." The man snickered and went back into the house closing the door behind him, leaving the whimpering little girl looking out over the balcony longingly.

"If only I could learn enough magic to be free of this." She said softly and wiped a few tears from her face.

Watching the girl kept making her feel as if she had a duty but she quickly turned around and scaled the wall next to the balcony in order to get to the third floor before the girl turned around and saw her. It didn't take much for her to reach the third floor and inch her way right to get closer to the balcony. She swung herself over and peered into the window. Not seeing anyone near and with darkness finally settling over the city she began her work. Deft fingers probed softly around the edges of the door searching for traps or alarms of any kind. Not finding any mundane traps she pulled a small pouch from her belt and pulled out a wisp of fine powder. Pursing her full lips she spread the powder over the lock and the cracks near it; there was a familiar blue glow that made her grin. "Clever, very clever." Her whisper was as the wind as she once more took a look around the courtyard and inside the door to make sure that she had not been noticed.

With her lucky dagger she tested the handle by pushing it softly and watched the blue glow flare a bit. She nodded and put the dagger between the two doors and pried it open without letting the handle bend. Satisfied she opened the door slowly and peered inside. A hallway lined with tapestries and three doorways greeted her. Taking stock of the situation she crouched down and listened for several minutes before she stepped into the hallway toward the first door. Once again she tested the door and finding nothing she listened with one ear to the wooden frame. She heard nothing, not a voice or even the sound of someone or something breathing.

She tested the door lock and slid the door open a hair and looked inside. It was a store room filled with food and linens. She made a mental note of the room and the contents then moved onto the next door. Listening for a moment she caught a hint of someone shuffling around inside the room. Cautiously she tested the door for traps and again finding none she pressed herself against the wall for a wait. She did well to trust her instincts and reflexes as she pressed herself against the wall the door flew open and pinned her against the wall. The fat man strode out and headed down the hallway without bothering to close the doorway. Isis quickly peered around the corner and surveyed what she thought was his bedroom. She ducked inside and almost cursed as she heard the big man turn around and start heading back for the room.

One dive slid her under the bed and as quietly as possible she unsheathed her dagger and prepared to roll out of the other side just incase. She heard him shut the door and just for good measure she waited a few minutes before peering out from under the bed. "As good a place to start as any." She was lithe and quick so as soon as she was out from under the bed she was once again on her feet and peering around the room.

The place was a mess, it had a large wooden chest at the foot of the bed, and a chest of drawers against the wall near what she presumed was a closet and two night stands that flanked the bed. Spotting a desk behind the bed she crept over and sat down in the plush chair. The first three drawers she opened had nothing of interest but the fourth drawer was locked. Her smile nearly took in her ears as she pulled a lock pick from hiding behind her ear and began working on the lock. It was a simple thing to pop the lock and open the drawer.

Her eyes went wide as she spotted a lumpy velvet sack died a deep purple color like the curtains. With trembling hands she lifted the pouch and opened it revealing a handful of gems she was sure as a whole was worth more than she had pulled all month. Something inside of her said to take the gems and run but her enterprising side told her to search for more. A few ledgers and other papers caught her eye and as she was closing the drawer something else caught her notice. The drawer was a lot shallower than it should have been. Removing the ledgers she spotted a knot in the wood and pushed it in using her finger to remove the false bottom from the drawer.

Once again a smile took her features and trembling hands removed a ring and two wands from the bottom. She stuffed all of the objects into her pack and replaced the bottom along with the ledgers and locked the drawer back in place. She turned around and did a quick sweep of the room before going back to the door and listening. The sound of footsteps greeted her and moved right past. She peered out and spotted a guard rounding the corner. "Paranoid much? I guess I would be too if I were rich and lived in this city."

She was a shadow against the wall as she crept out of the room and out toward the next door down the hall to the right of the bedroom. She quickly opened it without checking for traps and slipped inside to avoid the patter of coming footsteps. She waited for a moment before looking around the room and immediately she knew it was the room of the little girl. She couldn't bear to even try and steal something from someone who was a slave in their own home. She peered out of the door with one eye and closed it back quickly as she spotted the room's owner coming down the hallway. In a flurry she did the same as she had in the girl's father's room, she dove under the bed with abandon and lay there quietly so as not to attract attention.

The door opened and a pair of dainty feet walked up to the bed and disappeared as their owner splayed out on the plush bed above. She heard some movement then saw the dress hit the ground on the opposite side of the bed along with a pair of blue slippers and the blue ribbon. With an inward sigh she waited for the girl to drift off with the patience of a stone lying at the bottom of a quarry.

It did not take long for her to hear the rhythmic breathing of the young girl and just for good measure she waited another twenty minutes before she slid herself slowly toward the edge of the bed. She exercised extra prudence in keeping quiet because she was quite sure that the young girl had the same sharp senses she had. Luckily the room was so clouded with the scents of fragrances and oils that her scent was masked quite well. She couldn't even detect the girl's scent and she was barely a foot away above her. Her movements slow and pronounced she tiptoed toward the door stealing only a side glance at the prone form on the bed. In a small night shirt Shayna was still just as beautiful as she had been when she was dolled up in the dress. Her brown hair was splayed out across the bed and she lie there curled up with a pillow clutched to her chest and a frown on her face.

Something inside of her cried out for justice and wanted nothing more to lay down in the bed and wrap her arms around the child to comfort her and reassure her it would be alright. With a sigh she walked back toward the bed and leaned over to run her fingers through the girl's hair softly. She watched the frown melt away for a moment and heard the girl moan pitifully for her mother. Isis found tears welling up in her eyes without an explanation. She decided there and then that she would be leaving with more than just a few valuables. It was almost more than she could take mentally but she could not help herself. With new determination she stalked toward the door and closed it behind her.

A few long strides took her to the corner of the hallway and she fell against the wall with her back to crouch down and hold a dagger in each hand. She was counting the footsteps and measuring the distance and sound she heard the guard coming down the hall with his clumsy loud clods. Just before he came around the corner she sprang into action and drove a dagger upward catching him just behind the chin. A soft gurgle told her he was dead with a length of metal gouged into his brain. She moved his body back to the storage room and put him behind a few barrels marked as wine. "Elven, and quite a nice year too, now if only I had more time."

She chuckled softly and wiped her dagger on the man's tunic and relieved him of both his sword and his coin purse. Isis tucked it away in one of her pockets and peered out of the door again. Without another thought she rounded the corner where he had come from and headed down that hallway toward a large set of double doors. It wasn't long before she reached the large doors and pressed an ear on it to check for voices. She heard a steady scratching noise which she could only attribute to writing. Soft lighting came from the inside, most likely a candle or small lantern. She wisely kept her body pressed against the wall so the shadow of her feet would not cast under the doorway.

For a moment she sat and mulled over her decision, she couldn't leave the girl here to be forced into sexual torment but she was loathe to take on another mouth to feed. With an inner sigh she reached up and knocked on the door to get the writer's attention.

"Come." She heard from inside and for a second she paused; once she heard the writing again she slipped into the room and closed the door before the fat man had ever known she had opened it. He looked up toward the door and scowled in the dark room before he walked over and opened the door. "Rould I'll have your head for these gags!"

Isis could have laughed at the situation if she were not working. She watched him open the door, growl and shut it again before he turned around and begun heading back toward the desk. She followed him closely and just to the right as swift and silent as his own shadow now dancing across the floor. He turned and sat down at the desk without even knowing she was now behind him. The feel of a steel blade against his neck made him flinch. "Scream and you're dead."

"You have no idea who you're dealing with rogue." His voice was almost confident and it almost didn't have a quiver in it. She jeered at him and scoffed in her throat. His hand was moving toward the desk until she stuck a dagger between two of his fingers with a quick down stab.

"I know good and well who you are slave master. Your blood money is going to pay my way for quite some time. I have a message for you Kennan." She whispered haughtily into his ear. "You're no longer of any use to me."

His eyes went wide and he began to fumble over his words as he searched for a way out of this situation. "Please, I'll pay you double what he offered. I have items of magic and slaves, money if you give me time!"

"Lets start with magic; do you have anything on hand?" She smiled down at the back of his black-haired head. She had no intention of betraying her contract but it would be so much easier if he volunteered the items she was going to search for anyway.

"No but I have some in my chambers if you'll let me show you. Powerful magic I promise you!" He was trying his best salesman act she could tell so she played long with him for the moment. "Alright then, stand."

She let him stand up but was suddenly surprised by an elbow in her abdomen. She went down in a heap for just long enough to let Kennan get out of her immediate grasp. She cursed loudly and stood up to chase him. She could hear his cry out to the guards of the house even before she lobbed her lucky dagger at his back. The blade dug deep into the door where he had just been standing. As fast as she could she pulled the blade out and exited the room to follow him down the hall and down again toward a staircase. Her blood was racing as she finally caught up to him and buried a blade deep into the back of his neck.

Her victory was short lived as a flurry of bolts hit the wall beside her along with one in her arm and another grazing her hip. A yelp escaped her lips and she again ran up the stairs and around to the balcony.

"Father?" The voice she did not wish to hear was merely steps from her so she grabbed the sleepy-eyed girl who had some how managed to put on her dress again before exiting the room. She did not wait for the girl to protest before darting for the balcony. She had hoped not to use her most prized escape method but she was desperate for a way out. She leapt out hands first from the balcony and let her momentum carry her as a bead she kept tucked away between her breasts crumbled and she floated across the night sky. Bolts once again sang out and she was again grazed by two of them before she cleared the wall and let the spell drop so she could hit the roof of a nearby building running.

"Great Isis, real smart lets go ahead and let him lure you into a trap. By the gods those bolts sting!" She felt as if she was loosing her touch but now was not the time for such thoughts, she had to make it to one of her safe houses as fast as she could and dress her wounds.

The girl over her shoulder finally broke from her shock and began struggling. "Let me go you thug! My father will have your head for this!" The thin girl kicked and hit her as she wiggled to get free of Isis's grasp.

"Shut your mouth if you want to keep your tongue girl." She hated being so harsh but in her experience it was the only way to keep a hostage silent. The girl went limp again as Isis jumped to an adjacent building and then dropped down to the street from a shorter height. Her fingers curled around a sewer grate and she strained with all of her might to get it free. After a moment it fell to the side and she dropped the girl in and followed soon after, giving herself pause enough to pull the grate back to.

"Of the gods cursed luck! Do you know what you just dropped me into?" She watched Shayna stand and fix her with a hateful glare. "Why have you taken me from my home?"

"I said be quiet." She stalked toward the girl and looked down at her with the best stern look she could muster. Without another word she pointed down the tunnel and cocked her head that way once. "Go, I'll be right behind you."

"Why should I follow your orders you thief?" She stamped her foot on the ground and turned up her nose most likely because of the pungent odor coming from the offal she had just stomped on.

"Because I have the blades and all you have is a big mouth." Isis was fast growing tired of the impudent little girl and she started rethinking her decision to grab the girl on her way out. With a sigh she pointed down the tunnel with her dagger. "Go."

Inwardly she applauded the young girl's performance and hoped that his forceful treatment would not soil their relationship. They walked for some time before Isis directed her toward an upward slope and out into the night via a pipe that overlooked the sea not far from the city docks. "Wash yourself in the water if you need to but be quick about it, we have to get out of here soon."

She dipped her leather-soled boots in the sea water and swished them around to clean them off as she kept a sharp eye on Shayna. She noticed that the girl was not moving to clean the offal off and sighed. "Hurry up."

"I can't wash myself in the sea water! It's almost as dirty as the sewage that's in the pipes down there." Shayna looked to the water and almost caved in right there but she quickly looked back to her captor and scowled.

"Fine then, let's go so we can get you to better facilities your highness." Isis motioned for the girl to come along until Shayna finally bent down and began cleaning herself with the water. "Hurry."

"Alright already I'm done, let's go." Shayna sighed and walked out ahead of Isis. She directed the girl as quietly as possible.

They walked for what seemed like an hour taking side roads and back entrances and soon Isis noticed that Shayna was shivering from the cold night air of the desert. She decided to go through the back entrance to Merdok's inn; The Drunken Wench. She had the key for the back due to a special arrangement between the two of them. Ushering Shayna through the kitchen and up into a loft at the very top of the inn she opened the door and let the girl go in.

"Stay here if you know what's good for you. There are a few blankets and a cot against the back wall. I'll be back with some food if you're hungry." Isis shut the door behind her and headed back down the stairs into the kitchen. She was lost in thought even before she hit the welcoming smell of roasted boar and fresh rolls. Merdok would get his pay for it so she made herself two plates of fresh food nodding to the two cooks as she passed and took what she wanted. "Busy guys?"

She didn't hear the reply but she grunted to acknowledge it anyway before she put a mouthful of meat stuffed into a roll into her mouth. Again she wondered if she had done the right thing in taking the girl from the large home. She dismissed those thoughts as she remembered that Slave Master Kennan was dead and she had no where else to go as it was. Isis half expected not to find the impudent young girl in the room but when she returned Shayna was fast asleep on the sole cot in the room. Again Isis found a smile reaching her face but she quickly remembered her wounds as a shooting pain split through her side when she bent over.

"Good job Isis, just leave the end of the bolt lodged in there." Isis grasped the end of the bolt that had pierced her side and steeled herself for the pain she knew was to come. The adrenaline had worn off so she was beginning to feel the sting of her wounds. With a yank the bolt came free and her eyes swam with red pain for many minutes, after threatening to black out the pain began to subside and from a nearby nook in the wall she pulled a kit of medical supplies she kept stashed for just such an occasion. Her armor was hard to remove because of the flexing and stretching she had to do but she finally removed it and cast it aside to be patched later.

Most of her hurts were surface wounds which made her feel a little better about the whole ordeal so she quickly washed and dressed them. She didn't bother to put clothes back on as she stretched out on the floor. The fur covering her nude body along with the white patch that ran along her chest and stomach accented her curves very well if one was an onlooker. Isis failed to notice that she had awakened Shayna with her groans. She also failed to notice that the girl was watching her with wide eyes and as she drifted off to sleep she also did not hear her young guest devour the remainder of the food she had left on the plate.

**

Isis cracked one eye when she heard one of the floor boards squeak near her head. Shayna was up and about and she was obviously creeping, or trying to creep, toward the doorway to make an escape. "I wouldn't do that."

"Why? Am I your prisoner or am I to become your slave now?" The girl turned around and faced Isis boldly with her arms crossed over her chest. "Is that why you stole me away from my father?"

"You really believe that man cared about you? He was going to sell your virginity to some 'associates' and you call my rescue 'stealing you away'? I don't know where you're from but you step foot outside in that city and it'll eat you alive within five minutes. This isn't your mansion, you don't have servants, you have no money, you have no skills and you have no where to go." Isis walked over to the door and opened it for Shayna in addition to stretching out her arm as an open invitation to leave. "Please feel free to go though, take your chances out there or take your chances with me."

"Alright then, let's go about this reasonably." Shayna went back to the cot and sat down as Isis eyed her for a moment then nodded her consent. "First off I'd be more comfortable if you'd put some clothes on."

"Fair enough." She slipped her common clothes on over her nude body as carefully as she could so she would not aggravate her wounds. After doing that she sat down on the floor again and faced Shayna. "Now listen, I took you out of there because I felt pity for your situation. Trust me when I say that you don't want to go back there."

"Why should I trust you at all? Everything you're saying could be a lie, as far as I know you could be extorting my father for money to get me back. However since you seem to be at least a little sincere I'll give you a chance to prove yourself to me." She was intrigued by this thief and her motives but she still didn't fully trust someone that stole for a living. "I don't even know your name."

"Well then for starters my name is Isis." The girl had guts and that was a quality that Isis could respect for someone in her situation but on the other hand she still had an attitude that betrayed her 'noble' nature. "Drop the nobility act in the city; it makes you a prime target. Hence why you expect me to have ulterior motives, personally I don't need your father's money. I can make my own way."

"Well then why were you stealing from him then?" She retorted, feeling rather superior at the moment.

"Perks of the job my dear." Isis replied as casually as she could muster, she was trying not to let this girl dig too deep. It was bad enough the poor misguided child had some sick attachment to that rotund human but if she learned that Isis had been there to kill him the girl may never trust her again. Isis found herself wondering suddenly why she cared if this girl, whom she did not even know, trusted her or not. "Enough questions for now Shayna lets get some breakfast. Actually, let's get you some clothes that are less conspicuous."

"But I like my new dress." She found herself pouting into the stern face of this woman who she knew was most likely a little more street-wise than she. "Alright, but can I keep the dress at least?"

"Of course, it may come in handy some day." Isis liked this girl for some reason, she wondered though if she had made a mistake in liberating someone so green to the world and its ways.

**

"My word, its not my color Isis can we..." She trailed off as she looked up into the face of a not-so-patient Isis. Inwardly she cried in outrage over the frumpy brown tunic and breeches that did not even come close to being any of her colors. She did have to admit that it was supremely comfortable though. "Yes, so what about that breakfast?"

"That's better." She began leading the girl back to Merk's tavern, the wench for some breakfast and a starter lesson on how to survive the streets. "Shayna I know we got off to a rocky start but I want you to know that I pulled you out of that situation because I felt sorry for you. I'd be willing to bring you in as a partner if you'd be willing to train with me."

"Steal for a living? That's dishonest." Shayna had a look of surprise on her face as she gave Isis a questioning look.

"Aye, and what do you think you could do for food and lodging otherwise?" She waited for the reply she knew was to come, something about her noble heritage and some sort of flippant talent she had.

"Well I guess you're right. But that doesn't mean I have to like it." She entered the tavern before Isis and they both headed up the stairs. She watched as Isis walked past her and did something to one of the bedroom doors before opening it and letting her walk in. "Don't mess with the window and watch it before enter this room alright?"

"Paranoid?" Shayna said with a growing grin.

"Yes. It pays to be paranoid in my, our, business." Isis motioned her over and pointed at the doorknob. "It's relatively simple; in order to enter this room without being poisoned just lift this thin strand of wire up before turning the doorknob. When you're leaving wrap the wire back around the door knob and make sure that this little tube is loaded with one of these needles." Isis directed her to a small wooden cylinder that was lying beside the door.

"Don't get scratched or poked by one though or you'll be out for hours. Maybe even days with how skinny you are." She took Shayna to the window and demonstrated the same with the window latch. "I usually get more elaborate with traps but I feel more comfortable in this inn. Thieves usually frown upon that by the way, getting comfortable is getting clumsy but on that same note you can't live your life in fear all the time."

"Interesting way to look at it but I suppose you make a lot of enemies in this sort of work. So tell me, what is my job?" Shayna sat down on the bed before addressing Isis again.

"Well first things first, let me go down and get some food and something to drink." Isis turned and left the room while arming the trap all in a swift motion.

Shayna shook her head in wonder, Isis was truly the most dexterous woman she had ever met and she was taking a shine to the idea that she could live her own life however she wanted to out on the streets with this thief. "I guess I'd better find a way to be useful quickly." Her thoughts went back to what little magic she could cast, in her mind a few of the spells she was familiar with could be useful to Isis but her spellbook was still in her room at the mansion. The more she thought about that place and her 'father' the more she realized that the thief had done her a favor by liberating her. When Isis returned they both ate in silence for a time.

"I think I know how I can be useful but there is a problem. My spellbook is in my room at the house." Shayna looked up at Isis questioningly. "Do you think you could get it out of there?"

"Not for a while, one rule of this profession is that you never try to rob the same place twice in a row. They'll be on high alert." She reached under the bed and pulled a small sack from the springs of the mattress they were sitting on. From within the sack she pulled two tomes and handed them to Shayna. "I got these off of one of my targets, he was quite skilled at casting spells but no manner of spell can keep you from a blade for long. Keep that in mind my dear."

Shayna opened the first book and marveled at the pages within. There was one spell that her mentor, a sour man by the name of Winthrope, had forced her to memorize for just such an occasion. She cast the spell that would allow her to read the pages of the tomes and began studying them at length. "Thank you Isis, with the spells in here I can make your 'career' a lot easier!" She reached over and gave Isis a hug around the waist and retreated to the small desk in the corner to pour over the books.

Isis watched in wonder, she could not have hoped that the girl would take so quickly to her new life. Freedom was apparently a powerful thing to someone who had never had it before. With a smile on her lips Isis finished her mug of mead and stretched out on the bed to take a short cat nap and heal her wounds.

"Hey Isis?" She heard the girl call from across the room.

"Yeah?" Was the simple reply she gave the girl.

"Did you kill him?"

Isis froze for a brief moment before sitting up and facing Shayna who had already turned around in her chair. For a moment she pondered lying to the girl but if they were to be partners as they had become fast friends she would have place a little more trust in her. "Yes I did, he was my target."

"Good, I don't want him to hurt anyone else anymore." Shayna turned around just missing the surprised look on Isis's face. She began studying again and vowed to herself that she would become a powerful wizard so she could put a stop to slavery.

Silently Isis dropped back down to the bed and smiled at the resolve she heard in the girl's voice. This would be quite a partnership if they could make it work out right. Isis had never before trusted anyone enough to make them a partner but she could not help feeling a connection to this girl somehow. She guessed it was some sort of maternal instinct she had repressed. Her thoughts led off into dreams of grand schemes and riches abound as sleep took her.