Mordecai Letto
Quiet as a fox, Mordecai slipped out of a side entrance leading into Mother Molly’s and left his small, dusty room behind him. The inhabitants of the brothel were rarely in the habit of sleeping at night and for once, he was no exception. It was only because they were all at work that he was able to sneak off at all. There was no doubt in his mind that all of his many doting guardians would’ve pulled him back inside by his ear if they ever caught wind of his nocturnal detours.
There was no real purpose to them, no more than to simply stretch his legs and clear his mind. As if they’d ever believe that. He couldn’t fault them. Almost everything he did for the ladies of the night was veiled in secrecy to some degree, why should his own night-time strolls be any exception?
He quietly weaved his way through a thicket of eager visitors queuing up at the night-time establishment, then hastened his pace a little until the murmuring of the nightlife was well behind him. Dead leaves crunched underfoot when he departed the main road in favor of dry, winding paths snaking up the cliff side. He might not have a particular destination in mind, but he had the wit to stay off the streets at this hour.
While his mind drifted aimlessly between thoughts, his legs carried him up the treacherous, dry path. The air was cooler here, the wind carried the briny smell of the water below and tossed his hair about. He regretted not having dressed warmer. The long sleeves of his shirt offered little protection against the elements, and the three-quarter trousers that had suited him fine earlier in the day were far too optimistic for the climb. Still, he walked on and silently relished in his ill-begotten freedom.
It wasn’t until the road inclined steeply upward that he paid a little more attention to where he was putting his feet. It never ceased to amaze him how star and moonlight alone proved ample illumination and guidance on a clear night like this.
What amazed him more was the silhouette of a lone figure resting against the rock, just up ahead. With a scuff of his boots he came to a halt and squinted. She seemed familiar, but it was too dark to make out her features from this far. Perhaps he ought to turn back.
Afraid of a shadow?. The figure was only a little taller than himself and seemed more concerned with the sky than him. Once he’d swallowed away his doubts, he approached with cautious steps.
”Hello?”. It came out sounding gruff and lame. He was close enough now to make out her face, close enough to recognize who she was. His heart sank to his stomach, before deciding to plummet all the way down to his feet. Just his luck to stumble across the Queen of Torchline!
Their gazes had crossed before whenever she had visited Mother Molly's, though her green eyes had only ever flitted across his face. He blended in pretty well with the wallpaper and the furniture and had never been dumb enough to stare sheepishly at the Queen.
Mordecai cleared his throat, then retreated a pace and dipped his head in apology. "I'm sorry, I didn't know... he was about to turn on his heel and take his leave before the Queen decided she didn't like the way he'd gawked at her and tossed him off the cliffs.
There was no real purpose to them, no more than to simply stretch his legs and clear his mind. As if they’d ever believe that. He couldn’t fault them. Almost everything he did for the ladies of the night was veiled in secrecy to some degree, why should his own night-time strolls be any exception?
He quietly weaved his way through a thicket of eager visitors queuing up at the night-time establishment, then hastened his pace a little until the murmuring of the nightlife was well behind him. Dead leaves crunched underfoot when he departed the main road in favor of dry, winding paths snaking up the cliff side. He might not have a particular destination in mind, but he had the wit to stay off the streets at this hour.
While his mind drifted aimlessly between thoughts, his legs carried him up the treacherous, dry path. The air was cooler here, the wind carried the briny smell of the water below and tossed his hair about. He regretted not having dressed warmer. The long sleeves of his shirt offered little protection against the elements, and the three-quarter trousers that had suited him fine earlier in the day were far too optimistic for the climb. Still, he walked on and silently relished in his ill-begotten freedom.
It wasn’t until the road inclined steeply upward that he paid a little more attention to where he was putting his feet. It never ceased to amaze him how star and moonlight alone proved ample illumination and guidance on a clear night like this.
What amazed him more was the silhouette of a lone figure resting against the rock, just up ahead. With a scuff of his boots he came to a halt and squinted. She seemed familiar, but it was too dark to make out her features from this far. Perhaps he ought to turn back.
Afraid of a shadow?. The figure was only a little taller than himself and seemed more concerned with the sky than him. Once he’d swallowed away his doubts, he approached with cautious steps.
”Hello?”. It came out sounding gruff and lame. He was close enough now to make out her face, close enough to recognize who she was. His heart sank to his stomach, before deciding to plummet all the way down to his feet. Just his luck to stumble across the Queen of Torchline!
Their gazes had crossed before whenever she had visited Mother Molly's, though her green eyes had only ever flitted across his face. He blended in pretty well with the wallpaper and the furniture and had never been dumb enough to stare sheepishly at the Queen.
Mordecai cleared his throat, then retreated a pace and dipped his head in apology. "I'm sorry, I didn't know... he was about to turn on his heel and take his leave before the Queen decided she didn't like the way he'd gawked at her and tossed him off the cliffs.
