Eight Intertwined

20 - Sunshade

Primrose didn't care who was watching her as she stared at the man with the crow tattoo. This was it. She had been waiting for this night for the past ten years, and at long last, the time had come where she would be able to exact her revenge. This man had played a part in the murder of her father, and she was going to carve her dagger into his chest for what he had done. All she had to do was find a way to get him alone and then reach for the knife that was hidden beneath her skirt. Everything would fall into place from there. 

The man started to walk towards the door of the tavern soon afterwards, and Primrose felt all of the air in the room get caught in her chest. No, this couldn't be happening. He couldn't just leave that way. She had to catch him and make him pay for what he had done to her father. This was what she had spent so many years waiting for, and she had to make sure that justice was served. She couldn't go another ten years uncertain as to if she would ever be able to carry out the retribution that had become her life's purpose. She had to do it then and there regardless of who got in her way. 

Primrose was running towards the front of the building before she could stop herself, the pitcher of water abandoned on the nearest table. She was about to reach out for the knob when an arm stuck out in her path, stopping her in her tracks immediately. 

"And where do you think you're going?"

If the arm weighed down by ornate jewelry wasn't enough to show Primrose who her new foe was, the familiar voice of Helgenish was. She turned to see him blocking her path while making as little of a scene as possible. His eyes were trained against her in one of the firmest glares that she had witnessed in a long time, but she could barely bring herself to care. Desperation was mounting in her chest. The man was out on the streets of Sunshade. That meant that he could be gone with the crowd in the blink of an eye, and she wouldn't have a guarantee as to if she would be able to find him again. It was now or never, and she knew it. 

Helgenish was seemingly ignorant as to her internalized plight, almost ironic given how he claimed to be able to see every little thought that passed through Primrose's head. "So curious about that man, are you? Was it love at first sight, kitten?" he asked. He was on the verge of laughing at seeing her suffering, as if seeing a mighty bird of the skies trapped beneath his heel was enough to feed whatever twisted desires fueled his every action. 

"Master..." Primrose whispered softly, hating how weak and feeble her voice sounded when it left her lips. She almost contemplated taking her dagger out and killing Helgenish then and there, but that would only lead to her getting caught before she found the ability to fully carry out her plan. She had to stop all three of the crows, and killing Helgenish before an audience would bring a halt to her mission faster than anything else. 

Her murderous urges went unnoticed by Helgenish as the man continued, his face still contorted into a sickening sneer. "You wouldn't think of abandoning the stage and your customers before the night is through, now would you?" he asked. He didn't want for a response, instead just turning Primrose around after positioning his hands on her shoulders. "Back to work, Primrose." He pushed her back towards the rest of the tavern effortlessly. "I trust I don't need to repeat myself. You do remember what happens to the wicked little kittens who cross me, don't you?"

Primrose nodded and took a step away from him, trying to pretend that the rest of the tavern's noises weren't converging on her mind and leaving her life as little more than a haze of static secondary to her mission. She approached the table where the pitcher was waiting for her and reclaimed it, trying to ignore the way that her hands shook with something between shock and rage at Helgenish's actions and the man of the crow finally appearing before her. Helgenish left soon afterwards, gone with a simple opening and closing of the tavern door.