Thin Edge (SnowFeather, kaito9049)

[kaito9049]

Franz nodded slowly as he listened to the constable's story. "I see," he sighed. "So my chances of survival are not very likely."


"I wish I could say otherwise," the constable lamented.


"In any case, you're in danger as well," said Franz. "We'll have to expedite the plan." He handed several papers to the other man. "Here's what I've come up with so far. I'll need the listed materials to craft the traps. Ask the most reputable blacksmith you know to forge the larger pieces."


The constable nodded, scanning the parchments. "Some of these are rather...extreme," he noted.


"I could die today," Franz pointed out. "Trust me, this is warranted." He then got up to leave the jail.


"Where are you going?" the constable questioned. "You're not safe out there."


"I'm not meant to sit in a cell," Franz answered. "I miss the forest. Just make sure your men are watching my back."


Franz walked through the streets of the village. People were just starting to set up shop, and he received a few tired greetings from most of the townspeople, fearful glances from a couple of others.

 

[Snowfeather]

She took off her mask and scarf, her blonde hair flowing down her shoulders. She then changed into a dress and stretched. "You up for a walk?" She asked the owl, who hooted in response. It flew up and landed on her shoulder, yes.


She walked out from behind the waterfall and followed a dirt path. She soon came out on a field, and the owl took to the sky. She smiled and Dan ed around on the field, her hair like golden threads as they reflected the sunlight.


(Maybe he stumbled upon her and observed her? But then he wouldn't notice it was her.)

 

[kaito9049]

Franz went through his morning routine, as if nothing was of concern to him. He wandered the forest for a while, looking for a decent spot to lay down a trap. He set up a deer snare, baited with colorful fruits. Though he would have liked to stick around for a while and enjoy the cool morning air, his guard discouraged him from doing so. Besides, Franz thought, the other man would likely scare his prey away with his heavy footsteps. Instead, he took a path to a more open field, where there was a lesser chance of being suddenly attacked. This allowed Franz to stray a bit further from his guard, which he was glad for. To his surprise, there was someone else at the field when he arrived: a young woman with blonde hair. Franz knew nearly everyone's name in the town, yet he couldn't recall seeing this woman before. Perhaps she was a traveler?


Franz squinted as he gazed upwards. There was a bird in the air--an owl. Strange, given the time of day. Nonetheless he called to the woman from afar. "Hello there!" he shouted. "Out for a morning walk?"

 

[Snowfeather]

Jade continued to dance around when she heard a voice. She gasped and fell backwards, landing in the tall grass. She groaned and sat up, her hair surprisingly tidy. She looked over at Franz and gasped. "Yes!" She called back.


Jade rose to her feet and brushed the dirt off of her skirts. Some hair fell into her face and she shook it away, her eyes shining.

 

[kaito9049]

Franz tried his best not to laugh. He slowly walked towards the girl, before he remembered his situation and hesitated. Yes, this young woman did not seem to be a danger, but perhaps she was simply waiting for him to get closer. Was he just being paranoid? Franz decided it was best to stay at least seven to ten feet away, just in case. At the very least, his guard could rush in to help him (though Franz would probably already be dead).


"I don't believe I've seen you around town," Franz said. "Are you not from here?"

 

[Snowfeather]

Jade looked up nervously and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "I guess you could say that," she mumbled.

 

[kaito9049]

Franz smiled warmly and put out his hand. Yes, it was a risk, but this lady seemed impossibly innocent.


Franz was not a very good judge of character.


"Franz Trader," he greeted. "Pleased to meet you."

 

[Snowfeather]

Jade's smiled hesitantly and shook his hand, her grip firm. "Jade," she replied. "Jade Archer." He seemed..so nice? Could she really kill him?

 

[kaito9049]

Franz looked around. The young woman seemed to be alone. A bit strange, but nothing too uncommon. Hoping to strike up a conversation, which he knew could just as well be his last, Franz asked, "So do you have any family in town?"

 

[Snowfeather]

Jade shook her head and looked up at the sky as the owl hooted. It landed on her finger as she raised her hand. She smiled and the owl nuzzled her cheek. "This would be my only family. His name is Aaro," she replied.

 

[kaito9049]

Franz smiled awkwardly. He didn't mean to bring up a painful past. "He seems very well trained," he noticed. He had seen people condition falcons to dive on command, but he had never known of anyone who had trained an owl. Actually, the more Franz examined the owl, the more familiar it seemed...but then again, the forest was filled with all sorts of species of animals.

 

[Snowfeather]

Jade smiled. "He is," she replied as she pet his head. He hooted and eyed Franz. She smiled again.

 

[kaito9049]

Franz chuckled, as if he was listening to a jester only he could hear. "Where are you staying?" he asked, curious. He later realized that this was a horrible question to ask a stranger, and was, quite frankly, creepy. "The Auburn Mare? The Bee and Barb? The Golden Hearth?" That last one was unlikely, Franz thought, it being so expensive. Though for all he knew, this woman had plenty of coin to spare.

 

[Snowfeather]

Jade shrugged. "No where, can't afford," she replied. It was partly true. "Right now, I live in a cave here in the woods," she explained simply, sighing.

 

[kaito9049]

Franz nodded slowly. "I see..." he murmured. Though he himself considered such a lifestyle ideal, he knew that others were not as fond of the forest as he.


He then remembered his own home. It was vacant, and quite clean. Of course, there was the matter of the bloodthirsty assassin. But would the killer attack an innocent? He didn't want to risk the woman's life. "I may have an idea," he started cautiously.

 

[Snowfeather]

Jade's looked up from the owl's claws to his face. "What?" She asked.

 

[kaito9049]

Franz hesitated again, unsure of whether his offer was from his own good naturedness or his willingness to use an unsuspecting woman as bait for his plans. "Er, never mind," he said sheepishly. Trying to clear up any awkwardness, he then asked. "How about breakfast? Have you eaten?"


Flawless.

 

[Snowfeather]

Jade narrowed her eyes, then smiled. "Not really, no," she replied, her eyes bright. She watched as Aaro took to the sky and sighed.

 

[kaito9049]

Franz smiled warmly. "What a coincidence, neither have I!" he joked. "If you want, we can head back to town. Shops should be open by now."

 

[Snowfeather]

Jade smiled. "I don't know.. The village?" She replied hesitantly.

 

[kaito9049]

Franz nodded enthusiastically. "It'll be fun!" he encouraged. "The people over there are really friendly! ...well, most of the time."

 

[Snowfeather]

Jade looked down at the grass. "I.. I don't know.." She whispered. She heard a whistling. She looked up to see the constable's men. Her eyes widened as they approached. "Well, well, Trader. You've got yourself some fine curves there, eh?" One of them said.

 

[kaito9049]

If Franz was taking a drink, he would have spat it out. "Er-ignore them," he told Jade hastily. "They're just following me around because--well, never mind."

 

[Snowfeather]

Jade's eyes widened and she blushed. She turned and ran, her hair flowing behind her. She disappeared into the woods.

 

[kaito9049]

"Hey, wait!" Franz called. But Jade was gone. He looked back at his guard, who only laughed at the woman's reaction. "Let's go back to town," he said impatiently. He made a mental note to check his deer trap later.