Liliana

Liliana had seen the full moon come and go twice now since arriving in the city. How strange and claustophobic it had seemed at first, walls in all directions, everywhere she looked it seemed. Those first couple of weeks, she had walked barefoot, feeling the evenness of the paving underneath her feet a stark contrast to the bare earth paths of the land she had hitherto travelled.

The city was something to get used to, somewhere to find her own way, she had spent too long as the wife and plaything of her lecherous drunken husband. It had never been a happy marriage, made for her by her parents as was the custom among her people. Travellers, they made such living as they could entertaining, singing, dancing, setting up stalls to tell strangers their fortunes for a quick hit of easy money. Lily had spent some time forming her plans – a small town wouldn’t be enough, it would need to be somewhere big enough she could lose herself for some days – her husband John had little enough love for her, she was merely the one he came back to when he could find no other wench for the night. Reeling, he would come in cursing and lashing out. It was enough to make her flinch just thinking about it now.

She had sold all her jewellery, and the few trinkets she had that she thought would be worth anything. It was enough, for now. Slowly she got to know her new surroundings, venturing out when the streets were quiet. This almost was her undoing. Somehow John had found out she was still in the city, tailed her into the park where she had gone to think by the lake. He stumbled drunkenly upon her, forcing her down. His breath, reeking of foul ale, made her gag as his face came close to hers. She turned her head away, and received a sharp clout for her trouble. Twisting, she managed to loosen his grip a little, and let out a hoarse cry for the guard. Coward that he was, that was enough for a lapse in John’s grip, she struggled free and fled.

In the days that passed, Lily became familiar with the guards, and in particular it had been Kaelyn who had been most helpful. Her funds running perilously low, Lily needed to find work, but she had few skills to offer. It didn’t take long to find something that suited her. Helping out in the Keg and Anchor had been a good idea of Kaelyn’s. It seemed to Lily that the inhabitants of Trinsic were as varied in one city as they were in the whole of Sosaria. She noted with interest the way other customers had seated themselves away from the drow Faeryl one evening, and the scuffle and skirmish of some non-trinsicians in contrast with most who graced the doors of the tavern.

This last week, she had started to feel she belonged. The stall she held at the market had made a modest profit, and more than that, Sally and Ivan had made her feel welcome, part of the city. She had giggled with Sally at the mischevious one who wandered about in what seemed to be an elaborate cat costume, had sung to herself as she worked, and touted her wares with pleasure.The invite to become one of them, like a family, was welcome to Lily, now maybe she could have the friendship and loyalty that she felt she missed.