Kell puffed the cigarette between his lips, exhaled a column of smoke, and dropped the butt to the dirt as the two figures arrived. Pushing himself lightly to his feet, he smiled at the two.<br/><br/>"Who said anything about sleep, my friend?" he laughed, stepping past them as if the route they would be taking was a long established routine for all of them. "Come now... there's work to be done! Sleep will come later."<br/><br/>He hurried deeper down the alley. It was dark, disgusting, and useless. The alley went nowhere. It was simply the space between two buildings. There was no exit at the other end. As this was the case, no one ever ventured deeply down the alley... No one, except Kell and his men. He led them past filth, refuse, and decaying corpses of rats. The stench was almost as unbearable as the oppressively tight space. They were both visibly exhausted. He knew they'd just arrived from their travels. They'd been through ordeal after ordeal, in an endless night of hardship. If they would but endure this final task he had for them, he mused with resisted laughter, they would find their struggles had not been in vain.<br/><br/>"I know... cliche, no? Its a dark alley. Where else would I put a secret entrance? I'm shocked it worked, to be quite honest. So far, though... no one has come sniffing at my door, so all is well!"<br/><br/>He spoke in a merry tone, high spirits and genuine good humor practically oozing from him. Taking another look around the alley, his eyes grew serious. Someone else was in the alley... He sensed a familiar soul nearby. His lips pulled into a smile. Jimmy... and a friend. Of course. He couldn't say he was surprised.<br/><br/>Drawing a knife from his belt, he pricked the tip of one finger without so much as flinching, then touched the tip of his finger to a stained cobble stone roughly the shape of a bird. Leaving the dark stain of blood on the stone forming a small rune, he stepped back slightly and muttered a few words under his breath. The stones that formed the wall began to shimmer with a portal, into which he stepped without further ado, leaving the portal open behind him. It was of course unclear how long the portal would remain.<br/><br/>His voice echoed behind him, "Well come on, then!! What are you waiting for? They wont hold breakfast for long!"<br/><br/>===================================<br/><br/>With a groan, she stirred. She was deathly pale still, but it was possible her skin was normally a little pale to begin with. When her eyelids peeled back to reveal orbs of onyx black, they were clear and focused, though groggy. She pulled herself upright, straining to relieve her sore muscles of the cramp she had taken from slumping in the chair for hours.<br/><br/>The room was  unfamiliar, but the scenario was not. She was tied to a chair... again. A strange man she did not know sat before her, staring her down as so many had before him. She ignored him deliberately, just to spite him. If he planned to wring information from her, he would have a tough job ahead, as they all did.  Flexing her neck to the side, she felt several pops in her neck and upper back as her raven-black hair fell in a tangled mess over her shoulder, and sighed with relief. There was little she could do to relieve her arms or legs, however, so she ignored that pain. Her wounded leg hurt badly enough she doubted she could have done much were she not bound to the chair. Her skin, as she found when she looked down at herself, was a mess of dirt, blood, bruises, cuts, and other unidentifiable problems. Inwardly, she yearned for a bath, a bottle of whiskey, and a bed-- in that order.<br/><br/>Catching a glimpse of red hair behind the man, she paused. That red hair was familiar. A flash of memory filled her mind. The cart in the woods... the fire... and a woman. She shut her eyes tight, trying to clarify the memory, but it just wouldn't come. She was sure this was the same woman, however.<br/><br/>She'd been on the cart bound for the Black King's Court. That was the last clear memory she had. She knew the charm was gone from around her wrist, however... the one that contained the breath of a dragon. The fire must have burned the entire cart and all who were on it. So who were these people? If they were a backup contingent tasked with ferrying her to the Black King, she wouldn't be in a building tied to a chair. She'd be chained to a horse on her way to him.<br/><br/>They had done no further harm to her so they couldn't want her dead... or maybe they simply wanted her healthy enough to talk. It was impossible to tell. Back straightening stubbornly, she set her jaw. They would have to kill her. She would never talk.<br/><br/>....Then she looked at the man again. Something about him was familiar. She heard an echo in her head... a nearly forgotten promise.<span style="color: #008000"> <span style="font-style: italic">We do not mean you any harm, and wish to help you. I will even offer you a glimpse of my memories to prove me trustworthy, if you so wish.</span></span><br/><br/>It was similar to remembering a dream. She would swear she knew him, though she was positive they had never met. She hesitated. It was not possible that this man wished her harm. She couldn't say why... but she knew it to be true. If that was the case, could it also be true that the woman behind him had saved her from the cart and protected her since then?<br/><br/>She was stunned. Why would they do this? They brought only danger and cost on themselves in doing so. Who would ever do that? She didn't understand. The stubborn, defiant set to her posture melted, the hatred faded from her eyes to be replaced by a look of confusion, and she simply glanced from one figure to the other.<br/><br/>"Where am I?" she asked simply.<br/><br/>It was a good place to start. If they meant to keep her prisoner for some nefarious purpose, it was an answer they would not give. They would likely beat her for asking. However...If they meant to help her, for some reason she couldn't fathom, they would give some form of response.<br/><br/>She hoped.