Topic: Guttersnipe

Naima Johnson

Date: 2008-01-01 11:40 EST
Man!

How did this happen"

Naima scrambled away from a drunk lurching down the road, crawling deeper into the alleyway. It wasn't safe, she was sure, but safer than encountering one of the strange denizons of this land. Much safer.

She'd found kindness here and there, mostly in that strange place....that inn. But she'd found danger as well. So far, her fleet feet had kept her out of its clutches. But she needed to find something....I need to find home! she thought, stifling the wail that thought brought by stuffing a knuckle into her mouth. Mom, I'm so sorry. I promise, when I get home, I'll never leave my bed unmade, or argue about chores. And I'll always do my homework!

She hadn't been here long, only a few weeks. But everyone she talked to was a disappointment. No one seemed to know how she could get home again. They said there was someone who knew, but they didn't know who. She shook her head.

It was getting cold, too. There was warmth in that inn. I hope there aren't any big dragons sitting by the fire. Then again, her lips turned down, would being eaten by a dragon be worse than rooting in garbage for dinner"

Naima Johnson

Date: 2008-01-01 12:14 EST
Good.

She didn't see any dragons when she cautiously pushed into the inn. She stood there a moment, warily looking around. Nope, no one was at the hearth, and the fire there was blazing merrily. That was where she wanted to be. She walked to the stone fireplace and settled to the floor, as close as she could get to the fire without either burning herself or running the risk of popping embers landing on her coat. It wasn't much of a coat, too large, threadbare in places, but it was more than she'd arrived with. She untied the rope that held it closed, and opened it, making a sort of tent, catching the warmth of the fire and surrounding herself with it.

Occasionally she looked over those in the inn, just to make sure they weren't talking about her. No, no threatening eyes. There was one strange....Naima nearly giggled. Strange? There was an elven lady, a woman with purple hair, a strange man with nearly green skin. Strange! Well, there was one even stranger, a cat man of some sort. He had ears like a cat, and dark hair, like fur, and...a tail! She tried not to stare, she really did, and finally looked away, for fear she might offend. A cat man was probably good at hacking and slashing....and that wasn't good for her.

But there were no dragons. She nodded and stared into the fire. No dragons, that's good. The warmth of the blaze soothed and relaxed her. Soon, she was almost dozing, her chin dropped to her chest.

Naima Johnson

Date: 2008-01-02 15:31 EST
She hadn't heard him walk up! "You hungry?" she heard, then looked up, startled, to see the cat man, whiskers and all, looking down at her. She hadn't been able to do much more than stutter, but her stomach gave her away with a loud growl. "Well here," he said, and gestured to the plate of food he'd put on the table near her. "Made one too many....no need for it to just get tossed."

She stammered her thanks. He nodded and returned to the bar, looking back at her once. "You need something to wash it down with, you will have to come get it. I am only allowed one delivery per day."

Food! Real food! She tried to keep from wolfing it down, deliberately taking small bites of first the cheese, then the bread, then the meat that he'd brought. And there were still scares. Once, when she looked toward the door, knowing it had opened because the fire danced crazily, she saw a tall man with antlers. Antlers! How weird was that' But it was not strange enough to keep her from the food. This was the first good meal she'd had in several days.

As she finished, she noticed the big bear she'd seen in here before. Strange, a bear reading things and making coffee, but he hadn't seemed inclined to hurt her. And she had to do something with this plate. So she stood up, tugging her oversized coat back onto her shoulders, and carried the plate to the bar, right in the direction of the cat man. "Thank you, mister. I really was hungry. I could wash dishes if that would pay for it?"

He surprised her again. "Good timing, this was going to get cold." He slid a mug toward her, and she caught it. Inside, was warmth and chocolate! Chocolate! With a smile, she sipped at the hot cocoa. "You looking for work?"

She nodded, despite a sinking feeling in her belly. "I've been doing a few things." A stubborn frown crossed her face. He would think she was too young, or too stupid to do anything, wouldn't he" "I don't know much that helps around here. But I can wash dishes!"

But he didn't say anything at all, other than asking if she lived close by. Well, she could. "Now I do," she answered. Surely there must be a stable or shed nearby where she could sleep. "I would like to have a steady job." She tried not to look too hopeful, too desperate. No one would hire someone who couldn't just get any job they wanted. And here, in this land, it didn't do to look too weak.

"Well, not sure if dishes alone would make for much of a job. But I am looking for someone to help with laundry," he said. And then it dawned on her. He ran this place" She nearly missed his next words. "Afternoons, a few days a week, after the rooms have been cleaned. Linens to be washed, dried and folded."

"I can do that!" she said, forgetting not to be too eager.

He nodded. "What's your name?"

"Naima," she said, sticking out her hand as she'd seen others do when they made a bargain. "Naima Johnson."

He took her hand. "You can call me Your Highness." She was so elated she didn't really hear the other words, "Or Panther, whichever."

"Your Highness?" He was a king or something" What was she supposed to do' Oh yes! She curtseyed, although she wasn't that good at it. "Oh. Yes, Your Highness!"

The grins and giggles of others closeby told the tale. She blushed.

He smiled. "Ok. Come back tomorrow, after lunch. Get paid weekly, bout a silver a day. Get one meal a day as well."

She was still blushing, but her heart was beating wildly. She had a job. And she'd get paid. And she would have a meal each day! A few weeks ago, that would have seemed like nothing, but now, it was everything. "Thank you, Mister Panther. Your Highness!"

He left soon after, and she finished her cocoa. And she was certain to wash all the dishes before she left, her heart still light. A job. Now if she could only save enough to find someplace warm to sleep. And a nice coat. And maybe some other clothes....With dreams bouyingher spirit, Naima went off into the dark night.