<div class="floatright">(https://i.pinimg.com/736x/db/e9/cf/dbe9cf5fe0e93ceb0b2c4707e6679664--character-portraits-character-ideas.jpg)</div><br/><br/>Sophia heaved a heavy, road weary sigh of agreement to the words of her friend as she pulled the strings of the small satchel shut and tucked it into her substantial cleavage. It was only then that she noticed the cut and the dribble of dried blood that had snaked it's way down her pale skin and vanished in the valley of her bust.<br/><br/>"Yeah, I think you're right, Les. Honestly, no one could handle rats that size and..."<br/><br/>She had just been in the middle of picking the crusted ruby droplets from her skin when the door to the inn slammed open and nearly every head in the joint snapped up to see who it was. Well, except for the drunken folks in the corner who were perched precariously on the windowsill singing a song about a wizard who got fire ants on his pecker trying to fuck a dryad.<br/><br/>A young man... no, upon closer inspection it was a boy no older than seventeen. He was scrawny and looked like he could barely hold up the bulging bag he carried on his back. Behind him, two more young and dirty faces poked into the tavern. Their hair was wild and windswept and their clothing looked tattered and patched, but still in better condition than either of the girls.<br/><br/>The bruised raven-haired woman felt her stomach flip over as she saw the pack that the boy carried was bulging to bursting with fresh rattails. They hung limply out of every crease and crevis, their bald wormlike skin gleaming in the low flickering lamps of the pub.<br/><br/>"Another haul, Patrick?"<br/><br/>Rumtung said with a wide grin, rubbing his meaty palms over his pock-marked cheeks as he inspected their offering.<br/><br/>"Yes, sir!" squeaked the boy, his voice cracking with enthusiasm. "Another fifty tails. I don't know how they multiply so fast but I'm glad they do!"<br/><br/>The scowl on Sophia's face aged her features prematurely and only deepened as the barkeep hoised the sack in the air, looked directly over at the girls and gave a little amused nod. They could still hear him guffawing all the way down to the kitchen in the basement.  The kids, because that's what they were, took a table nearby and eagerly split their newly acquired fifty silver pieces between them.<br/><br/>"Kids... they're fucking children." She hissed under her breath, turning back to look at Les under a cloud of dejection. "I thought we could do this on our own but... but..."<br/><br/>She stammered and took a swig of the sour ale. It did little to rinse the taste of shame of having to stoop so low as to drink it in the first place from her mouth.<br/><br/>"Maybe we need help?" She asked, feeling her proud nature buckle under the weight of an empty coin purse.<br/><br/>