Despite what happened at the festival, Estermount slept as it did every other night. The moon was out and its light spilled onto the stone pavements, its paleness mixing with the jaundice of the street lanterns. What noise did come from Estermount came from the taverns. Perhaps a few jeers and giggles from the brothels in the farther outskirts of town. Other than that, it was quiet, and a red-haired little girl found herself wandering the streets alone with her sobs sounding louder than anything else she could hear.
It had only been a week, but once again she had been left behind. Liseran had promised she would be back, but the days passed and she hadn't. Like her mother, she had lied, and Remi found herself without someone to look forward to. The people at the Havens had been kind, true, but Remi was barely noticed with everyone up in arms about the rebellion on the main road. Remi found herself alone in a bedroom only being given meals now and then and ordered not to leave her room for the time being. It was no different than the very prison her father had been in, in her opinion. That left only one other person she could go to.
"That cat..." she murmured.
When no one was looking (or rather not paying attention), she slipped out. It didn't take much, really. All she had to do was walk with the crowd and keep her cloak on. Now, dressed in nothing but the blue dress Liseran had given her, and a brown burlap shawl, she walked out into the night.
Remi promised herself she wasn't going to cry. And oh how she tried not to. But the more she looked for the cat, the less she found him. The more she walked the streets, the more she remembered that horrible her night her mother was gone. The more she saw the cafes, the more it hurt that Liseran hadn't come back with her promised raspberry tarts and books for bedtime.
Finally, when her feet could no longer walk, and her heart could no longer carry its weight, she sat on the ground near a corner and covered her eyes.
"Why is everyone always gone?" she asked herself.
It had only been a week, but once again she had been left behind. Liseran had promised she would be back, but the days passed and she hadn't. Like her mother, she had lied, and Remi found herself without someone to look forward to. The people at the Havens had been kind, true, but Remi was barely noticed with everyone up in arms about the rebellion on the main road. Remi found herself alone in a bedroom only being given meals now and then and ordered not to leave her room for the time being. It was no different than the very prison her father had been in, in her opinion. That left only one other person she could go to.
"That cat..." she murmured.
When no one was looking (or rather not paying attention), she slipped out. It didn't take much, really. All she had to do was walk with the crowd and keep her cloak on. Now, dressed in nothing but the blue dress Liseran had given her, and a brown burlap shawl, she walked out into the night.
Remi promised herself she wasn't going to cry. And oh how she tried not to. But the more she looked for the cat, the less she found him. The more she walked the streets, the more she remembered that horrible her night her mother was gone. The more she saw the cafes, the more it hurt that Liseran hadn't come back with her promised raspberry tarts and books for bedtime.
Finally, when her feet could no longer walk, and her heart could no longer carry its weight, she sat on the ground near a corner and covered her eyes.
"Why is everyone always gone?" she asked herself.