Snips and Snaps

Moon's Tale

The night was dark and cold, any stars that might've shown were hidden by the thick clouds above. The walls of the buildings all but disappeared around the three children as they wandered down the alley.

The oldest, a boy of twelve, lead them towards a light at the end of the dark alley, hoping to find help from whomever was at it's source. Following behind him was a girl of eleven and her twin brother.

"What if there's a demon down there?" The young girl asked the boy they followed.

"Demons can't hurt us if they don't know what we are," The twelve year old pulled them along as they got closer to the light.

They could see now that the light source was a fire and they could smell the burning wood. Near the fire was the vague outline of a man. Slowly they approached and the eldest boy called out.

"Hello? Sir could you help us?" He asked.

"I could, but you should be asking if I would help you" The man chuckled in response.

The boy already didn't like this man, typical demon he thought.

"Fine, would you help us, Sir?" He asked again.

"Of course, it'd be cruel to leave children out in the dark by themselves," The man snickered.

The younger twins clung to the twelve year old as he sighed with slight relief.

"Could you direct us to the train station or the town square?" The twelve year old asked the man.

"I could but you-"

"Will you direct us to the train station or town square?" The boy snapped and cut him off.

The man chuckled and leaned forward, the features of his pale face and green eyes now visible in the light of the fire as his long silver hair fell over his shoulders like a shining waterfall. The children backed away seeing the scars across his face and neck.

"I was going to say I could but you'd only get lost again since it's so dark. I could take you there myself instead but I promised a friend I'd wait for her here and I don't know when she'll arrive" The man smiled, sincerely looking kind despite his scars. "How about we wait until dawn? You'll be safe here by the fire with me."

"No! My mom says demons can't be trusted!" The younger boy cried.

"Just because you're in a city run and governed by the Night doesn't mean all the citizens are demons. There are more than just demons in the Night's Queendom you know. Actually I myself am but a traveler, not a citizen of this city, and I'm just waiting for my companion before moving on. Don't get me wrong, Ithens is beautiful but it's not where we intend to stay" The man shrugged.

"You're not a demon then?" the girl asked, hiding with her twin behind the eldest of the three.

"No I'm not!" The silverette laughed, almost falling back.

The children watched him, unsure what to think of the stranger they'd found in the dark. It took a minute for the man to get his snickers under control.

Finally he stopped laughing enough to carry on the conversation, "What are your names little ones?"

"Jarik" The twelve year old answered first, "These are my cousins, Marsa and Allyc."

"Well now I can address you each at least. Have a seat little ones, it gets chilly at night with the breezes coming off the sea," He smiled at the three and offered a blanket to them.

Jarik took it and wrapped it around his young cousins as they sat down. He took a seat beside his cousins and closest to the man, still a little untrusting of him.