<div class="floatright">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/5/5a/Hoshiko_for_wicked.jpg)</div><strong>Hoshiko</strong><br/><br/><em>Guilty.</em><br/><br/><em>Tainted.</em><br/><br/>Those two words played themselves over and over in Hoshiko's head as she rode to the monastery, manacled like a criminal even though they seemed convinced she had acted against her will.<br/><br/>'You forgot<em>wicked,</em>' she said only to herself, in fact she was very good at hiding her true feelings and maintaining the air of the confused servant they had seemed to take her as. If it spared her an execution, then she would play along... for the moment.<br/><br/>She shivered in earnest as she was stripped of her old clothing and told to wash in the stream. She felt herself blushing, wondering who had their eyes on her while she was naked in the middle of the stream, and she hurried to wash and dress as quickly as she could. The clean white robe she was given felt nice as it clung to her damp skin, warming her at least a little, and she just nodded, even managing a soft "thank you" before she was led down into the cellar.<br/><br/>Finally left to her own devices, her thoughts wandered to Roderick, and then back to her current situation. Did they really believe that she could pray to Mitra in one night and whatever taint had guided her hand would be gone, and that their god would forgive her in such a short span of time?<br/><br/>She would make the pledge, even if there was still darkness in her heart. Even if all she wanted to do was get out of there and see Roderick again. She would play their game, for just as long as she needed to, while keeping her amber eyes out for the right moment to escape.