The Storyteller

Four

Tayle had been at the festival since the first flower was hung. The Librarian had requested him to stay out of the house, and so he had. The librarian didn't ask much of him, so Tayle wasn't going to ask questions. That doesn't mean he was happy about it though. In fact he was quite irritated. With no friends and only a handful of silver and copper coins to spend, a 'good time' was not expected. He'd walked the entire surface area of the festival hundreds of times, taken in every detail of every petal on each flower. By the time night fell there was nothing more for him to see. Until the old woman set up her stall. Everyone had heard the legends of the witch. She was said to be an evil devil worshipper, sacrificing animals and other cultish things. In reality, people knew nothing about her. Her name, age, nobody even knew if she was from Ignatis. It was odd, how people could be so opinionated and yet so ignorant. The only truth that seemed to be held in the whispers was that she would tell people their fortunes. As to wether or not they were accurate was another story. Anybody who went to her never spoke of what was predicted. It was  odd, but society didn't question it. Her shop was decorated with flower crowns, each a whole new individual. How she had managed to make so many in a time span where none of the flowers were wilting escaped him. He watched as people stopped to admire them, only to look at the old woman in a mixture of disgust and fear. Tayle decided to make a game for himself. He went behind one of the houses and climbed to the roof. He hopped from house to house, no one had a spare moment to notice a man running along the rooftops. He planted himself right above the middle of the party. The best view someone could get in his opinion. He could see the lights, the flowers, the people. He began his game, inventing stories for the people beneath as they passed, oblivious to him. The black haired girl was actually a gothic unicorn, hiding herself in plain sight. The tall blonde man with gold eyes wearing a black toga was a narcissistic troll trying to lure damsels into his lair and show them his hairbrush collection. Tayle was actually enjoying himself, and was able to pass a bit of time this way. He grinned and invented one ludicrous story after another. His grin only grew when he saw someone wearing a black hooded cloak. It appeared they were trying to stay unnoticed, hugging it around their face. Yet it only made them stick out like a sore appendage. It would take an idiot to think that a completely black cloak would make them 'blend in' when they were in the middle of a world of color. He leaned forward, trying to glimpse the fool's face. Tayle watched them turn in a slow circle. Tan skin.... Can't make out much more yet... Look up, cmon! Who are ya? You can't be from around here... Yes! Keep looking up- Tayle nearly fell off the roof. He caught himself as he pitched forward, never taking his eyes off the girl in the black cloak. I bit of silver hair was peeking out of her hood, and even from this distance he could see the different coloration of her eyes. She should not be here. She should be asleep in her bed in her castle. The sole princess of Ignatis should not be at some unimportant festival in the East side of the kingdom, unaccompanied. There were no guards in sight, she was undoubtedly alone. Tayle looked around to see if anyone else had realized who she was. People were staring, but no one seemed to be approaching her. He sighed, half in relief, the other annoyance. In one way or another, Tayle was now responsible for her. She knew nothing of the East, how dangerous it could be despite the happy display. He stood and stretched, preparing to follow her. When he looked back down however, the princess was gone. He frantically searched for her black cloak, sighing once again when she was found looking at the old woman's flower crowns. He started climbing down, kicking up dust as his feet hit the floor. Squeezing his way back into the crowd of people Tayle walked to the old woman's stall. He was still a decent number of paces away when a homeless lumberjack looking gentleman ushered her into an alleyway. Tayle knew immediately his attention was not wanted. Rolling up his sleeves, Tayle walked quicker, almost running. He was not about to let Nimeuh be raped by a lumberjack.