Indecent Folks

The rustling leaves against the sole of my boots sounded like music to my ears. I've never felt more optimistic than today. He's alive, and I didn't lose him. Yet, the longer I ran, the more I felt the longing that I've been concealing since that day. I stopped and took a deep breath when I found him walking back and forth. He had his eyes glued on the ground as he stroked his fingers through his hair. He wore a white linen shirt, its sleeves folded up to his elbows, and a pair of wool trousers and boots. A familiar gold chain hung on the pocket of his vest, sparkling when hit by the sunlight.

He turned in my direction and his jaw dropped in surprise. "Dani!" he called, laying his arms to welcome me.

"Julian!" I cried as I jumped onto him. He wrapped his arms around my waist, caging me into a warm embrace. "You're alive," I whispered.

"Very much. I looked for you everywhere. But, damn it, Dani," he said under his breath.

He put me down while I rested my hands on his chest. "How are you alive? Y-you were," I trailed in confusion.

"Thrown in the river, yes. But someone found me." He cupped my face and stared at me intently. "Why are you here? Do you know what mystic breed were living in that village?" He asked, looking around.

I grabbed his arms to calm him down. "They didn't hurt me. I'm fine."

"We have to talk about a lot of things. So come with me to the Southplains."

"Southplains? You went back there?"

"It's our home," he whispered. "We'll take back our life, Dani."

"Of course."

He held my hand and walked me through the forest, where five guys waited for us on the roadside. Each had a bow and carried a quiver on their backs while they waited beside their horses. "That's her?" one of them asked. Julian nodded at him and gently caressed my shoulder. "This is her." He then turned to me and laid his arms towards them. "They're the ones who found me."

"He didn't stop talking about you for a week," said one of them, prompting the others to chuckle.

"You mean a month?"

"Or until today?"

They went on teasing him while Julian could only shake his head and smiled. "Well, I'm here now," I whispered to him.

He helped me ride the horse so we could leave. I was glad that he didn't ask questions about Dunfield on our four-hour travel. I took a deep breath when I smelled the familiar scent of Southplains. This region was where I was born and raised and where all the tragedy in my life happened. But I left this place when all I could do with my life was to chase down the people who killed Julian.

When we reached the marketplace of the Aurwen village, we hopped off the horses and headed to a quiet neighbourhood. The guys took Julian's horse somewhere while we entered a pub with a signboard that says The Devil's Pub. It was full of men, and their eyes landed on us the moment they caught our figures. Julian held my hand and walked with me towards the counter, where he pushed a door to the right. We entered the storage room, where they shelved the glasses and other stuff. Then, he opened an empty cabinet that, to my surprise, revealed another door.

He twisted its handle and let me in first, and the smell of coffee lingered in the place. It was a secret room as big as the kitchen in the Dunfield mansion. There were three bunk beds to our right, a pair of couches, and four stools in front of a wooden counter.

"How long have you been staying here?" I asked, walking towards the counter. There sat a mug with a leftover coffee. I felt his hands on my waist, so I turned to him. He rested his forehead on mine and gently licked his lips. "I missed you," he whispered.

"I missed you too, and I'm so sorry."

"I would've done the same, Dani. Without a doubt."

"I'm a fugitive now."

He smiled as he caressed my cheek. "Running away isn't really our top problem, is it?"

Someone opened the door, so I stood straight and looked over his shoulder. "Oh. Sorry," said the guy. Julian's hands landed on the counter behind me as he briefly pinched his nose. "I know you miss each other, but William's waiting in the pub," the guy informed him.

Julian turned to me and bit his lower lip. "You should take a rest. There's food and coffee if you're hungry. If you want to sleep, my bed is that one." He pointed at the one situated beside a window. "When I get back, we'll go shop." He gently pinched my chin before walking away.

When the door closed, I sat on the chair and leaned against the counter. I realized it's only been eight months after the coppers arrested me, and I've never got the chance to properly mourn his supposed death. I turned to face the counter and picked up a mug from the tray.

"We're still not yet done, are we?” Rougan's voice echoed in my head, prompting me to close my eyes and clear my throat.

I poured myself a glass of water and chugged it down before staring at the window by the sink. Getting out of Dunfield suddenly feels strange. I don't know why I think this way. That village will be the last place that I'll be attached to or miss. I've only stayed there for a few weeks, and it was only bearable because Sawyer was good to me, but somehow, a hint of sadness crept into me while few good memories played in my head.

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It doesn't matter. Once I finally drink the Sapper, whatever I feel will be gone. I headed to Julian's bed and found a pair of daggers and an unlit lamp on the bedside table. My eyes landed on a small book atop it, so I picked it up as I sat on the edge of the bed. I found sketches of my face on every page, prompting me to smile. A breath of relief escaped my lips as I laid to get some rest.

I woke up from the noise outside. The conversations were audible but indistinct. I shot a look at the window on the sink and found the orange sky. The cold wind hugged my skin as I stretched my neck. Someone walked in, and one of the guys appeared. "Hi. Julian told me to take you to the pub," he said.

I smiled and tied my hair into a bun as I followed him outside. The pub was more crowded now as men and women filled the place. We headed to the table surrounded by Julian and the rest of his guys. His hands landed on my back when I got close. "Did you have a nice sleep?" he asked.

I nodded and looked around. "This place looks lively."

"Oh, it could be unbearably noisy sometimes." He chuckled before he stood and led me outside.

The neighbourhood was quiet while we walked on the street leading to the marketplace. "You seem pretty taken care of in Dunfield," he said as he looked at me from head to toe.

"I never liked anything fancy, and you know that," I replied.

"But it doesn't mean you won't look gorgeous in a nice dress." He smiled and kissed me on my forehead before reaching for my hand.

I laughed when he suddenly raised my arm and swung me around. This has been the most genuine laugh I've ever had since the day I thought I lost him. I took a step back before I turned in the opposite direction and stopped in front of him. He held my waist, and we did a little slow dancing while the faint sunlight shone beautifully on his face. "You do realize that we're in the streets, don't you?"

He chuckled and reached for my hand before we continued to walk. An old couple hanging out in their front yard smiled at us, so I chuckled and bowed my head a little. I took the opportunity to talk to him about Dunfield since the street was quiet. "You never got into the walls of...that village. How did you know what are they?" I asked, hugging myself as the cold wind blew.

"I was unconscious for almost seven months. When I woke up, I asked them to find you, and they discovered that you were waiting on death row. I talked to some of the officials that I have connections with to recall the verdict, but then you..." He gave me a small smile. "You broke yourself out."

I pouted and took a deep breath. "There's no way I'm dying in the Penal Camp," I said. "But that didn't answer my question," I reminded him.

"We never really thought that you would stay in Midplains after that, so we searched for you in Westpalains. According to the people we asked, the Sunken Guild were merchants, but I know a vampire when I see one. I almost got their leader. Shot him in the rib, but I didn't know that they have good ties with the people of Midplains. He was rescued."

I held my breath as my jaw dropped in surprise. So he was the one who shot Rougan? I looked away and cleared my throat. "I knew about that," I whispered.

"You left Dunfield alive. How did that happen?" he asked.

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My heart raced as I forced a smile. "We should talk about that after we get back. It's a long story."

At the marketplace, we stopped in front of a dress shop that sells the type of clothes that I usually wear. "I'll wait here," Julian gave me a pouch of shillings before he pointed at a tea shop to his left.

I entered the dress shop and shot a look at the woman sitting behind the counter. She was busy writing something, so she just pointed her pencil towards a rack. It was where they hung different lightweight dresses. "Dresses on that way. Undergarments to your left. Some shoes to my right."

I walked up to a rack and took the less likely dresses to grab attention, with only simple designs and no fancy colours. "Where could I fit these?" I asked the assistant.

She pointed at the curtain to my left. "There," she replied, still not looking at me.

I went inside and tried on a few dresses until someone parted the curtain behind me. Shivers travelled down my spine when I found Rougan, prompting me to drop the dress that I was holding. He covered my mouth with my palm while his hands slid to my waist, gently pinning me against the wall.

Good grief. My body trembled at the sight of him. Something about his presence rekindled a dying candle within me. "Shh," he whispered as he intently looked into my eyes. I was only wearing my chemise and pair of drawers while I panted in front of him. He glanced at the uncovered part of my breasts while I stared at his lips. When our eyes met, he gently took his hands off my mouth.

"What are you doing here?" I whispered.

"You told Sawyer to find you."

"Sawyer. Not you."

"What are you planning?" he asked.

י

I glanced at the curtain before turning to him. "I'll take the dome down." His shoulders dropped as he stared at me. "Julian knows what you are. And just because he already found me, it doesn't mean that he would stop hunting all of you. Julian never stops until he succeeds."

"He's your betrothed," he muttered. It wasn't a question.

"He was. H-he is. We haven't talked about it yet, but that is not what's important. One of these days, he will ask me why the arrows and bullets didn't pierce through and will find out that I made the dome. He'd want me to take it down, so I will." He furrowed his brows, but I gripped his arm. "You have my loyalty. Can I have your trust?" I asked.

He clenched his jaw as he stared at my lips. "I'd give you everything. Just help me protect my village."

I smiled as I felt a sharp pain in my chest. It was both lovely and painful to see him. "Follow us, and I'll see you at midnight."