At Greenwood's Edge

Chapter 2

Orella was halfway asleep when the apothecary's door slammed open, bells ringing like a signal of the plague. She shot up in her stool, shielding her eyes with her hand when the sunlight came burning through. Living leaves, how long have I been sitting here?

The door slammed shut again, and she let her hand down, blinking her eyes into adjustment. "Welcome in," she called while the black dots faded from her vision and the silhouette in front of her cleared up. "How can I assi-"

"Ora, Ora, Ora, have I got an adventure for us!" a loud, all-too-familiar voice interrupted her custom half-baked greeting.

"I've got a job to do, Valera," she said as her sister's smirking face came close to hers.

"Don't fret, that can be resolved." She strode over to the sheet, whipped it aside and announced, "Orella's taking the day off!"

Danswen's only reply came in a muffled grunt. Betrayal. Orella rolled her eyes as her sister approached her again. She yelped when she was yanked to her feet, despite not losing any of her balance. One of her little perks.

Valera grinned and pulled her out the door in a flash, and then they were on the road. "Val, I didn't even get my satchel!" Orella complained, holding back a laugh whilst trying to maintain a frown.

"You won't need it. Today is just details. Tomorrow's when the action gets started."

"What am I being dragged to, a town meeting?"

"Nah, it's just for a cult."

"I honestly don't know if you're joking or not and it terrifies me." Orella longingly looked back at the apothecary, but it disappeared as they rounded a large bush, and she swiveled back to her jubilant sister. Her wavy hair, the same distinctive platinum color as her own, was messily tied back, and she was wearing her leather hunter's garb. She'd probably just returned from the woods when she found about... whatever this was.

"It won't as much as what these idiots wanna do," Valera darkly joked. Orella stopped in her tracks, tearing her hand out of her sister's death grip.

"Valera, what is this about?" she asked, crossing her arms as sister impatiently sighed.

"Just, come on, will you? Trust me." Her brown eyes were pleading. But they were also mischievous. And Orella didn't trust that.

She arched a brow. "I think not."

Valera irritatedly flapped her hands up and slapped them on her thighs. "Oh, come on. You know you want to! Being satisfied with a sedentary lifestyle-"

"I do not have a 'sedentary lifestyle', Val."

"-doesn't mean you can't enjoy a bit of adventure! Just come! Please?" She practically pouted, an obviously fake act. Valera didn't beg, she demanded. And when that failed, she'd just force a person. Boundaries were little more than an easily cut string to her.

Orella sighed, rubbing her arms. "Look, I just really don't think-"

"You're coming. After all, you already took the day off."

She cursed under her breath. "Fine," she seethed. Valera grinned and snatched her hand, leading her to who knew where.

------

It turned out to be the tavern. Orella wasn't surprised.

The Bark Bottle was practically empty when Valera tugged her in. The booths and tables, all barren save for crumbs and stains from the last night's crowd. The bar was just as desolate. It made sense; it was only noon, and everyone of age would be at work of some sort. But still, it was a discomforting sight for Orella to see the place so utterly empty. Worse was the complete lack of noise.