The weaving cobbled streets would have left most others in a tailspin, but Skye knew most of the shortcuts to get where she needed to be. She skirted around the wine houses to the south of the city near the docks. Rheys lived just outside the boundary between the lower dwellings and the middle class. She showed her messenger's seal to the guard in front of the door and he stared at her sullenly.

"Who's the message for?" he asked sharply, Skye staring up at him unflinchingly with grey-green eyes. They usually unsettled people, her eyes...it's like they'd never seen orbs like hers, despite her brothers and sister having them.

"Rheys Hinkley, from someone staying at the Golden Gates Inn." she said without even looking down at the scrawled letters. Her only saving grace was that she'd been taught to read during her time at school. That was rare though, people of her economic background often didn't bother with school or only bothered until their child was around five seasons of age. Her mother had held out longer for Skye as she was the oldest. Her school days had stopped when her younger three siblings went into school and she knew that their mother's inheritance (of what little there was) would not support her education any longer.

The guard finally opened the door and made her wait in the small entrance way to the merchant house. She waited as a maid went to fetch Rheys from wherever she was in the dwelling, the queen had decreed that all messages were to be given directly to the recipient. This lessened the chance of the monarchy's secrets being spread about when no one but the sender and the recipient saw the parchments. The only exceptions to this were when the recipient, sender or messenger were dead or the recipient was blind or unable to read. In the former, the Queen's Guard would investigate...the solution for the latter was that the messenger read the message to the person in a secure location. All legally working messengers were given a small wooden 'seal' to wear around their neck on a leather strap.

These seals protected them and held all of their relevant information on the back with the Queen's crown pressed into the front. If you were to shoot a messenger and somebody found out, you would find yourself tied to one of the dock's support beams at high tide. If you drowned they'd cut you free and let the sea creatures deal with you. If you survived they'd cut you down before securing you at a lower level on the beam.

Rheys was a striking female, Skye acknowledged that much at least. Sea green eyes, a smattering of freckles and a pretty mouth, this woman used her looks to her advantage. They bowed formally and Skye handed over the neatly written letter.

"Thank you little messenger." Rheys honeyed tones were surprisingly pleasant to hear, nothing like the caterwauling of the people who ran the fruit stands. "What do I owe you?" The question was a little surprising considering that most legally working messengers used the same rates.

"Two coppers for just the message, three for me to wait for your reply and deliver it." Skye answered easily enough and Rheys Hinkley looked at her before placing two small copper coins in Skye's outstretched hand.

"Best put those in a safe spot." Rheys advised and Skye smiled politely before bowing and leaving. The woman was kind to give her advice, but Skye had already known to hide her coppers from people. It was impractical to think that for even one moment she could leave her money out in the open. Her family would suffer if she even attempted something that foolhardy, for money was always in short supply.

The rest of her deliveries went as smooth as they could, this was unusual as most often by this stage someone would have tried to speak to her. Though when she got back to the inn something was definitely afoot, a large crowd milling about the town square. Mid-morning rushes were nonexistent in this part of Dys, so she surveyed the people and noted that they were from all walks of life.

Spur of the moment gathering?

No.

As she weaved her way through the crowd she heard the horrified murmurs and after a few moments she saw the red splatters on the cobblestones. She stopped, contemplating whether or not to go further when she found someone gripping her elbow and pulling her back through the crowd. She stared at the back of the person's head for a moment before realising who it was. His hair was a light blond now that he'd started working at the docks...but it was Noah alright.

Her old childhood friend was dragging her away from someone's death, her mind churning over who it could possibly be.
"Noah..." she murmured gently as he dragged her around the corner of Cherry Lane and pulled her into an embrace.

"Skye...you don't want to see who it is." his words were whispered into her ear, loaded with concern and she looked up at the gangly youth.

"Noah please. Is it Ma?" she asked and he made a negative noise and she bit her lip as an uneasy feeling swept over her.

"Skye...don't ask me, please." he put his hands on her shoulders and moved back from her.

"I need to know!" she hissed at him, feeling her heart start to shatter already as she saw the haunted look in his azure eyes.

"Orica...it's Orica. She refused to give up her public bath token to some Dragna tickle pockets. The Queens men believe that she was waiting for you at the inn when the thieves took it by force." Skye felt a revolted shudder run through her as she imagined the scene. Orica...her younger sister. She sank to her knees and let out a heart rending screech as hot tears carved out tortured paths down her pale cheeks.

Orica's bright eyes and cheeky smile...at eight winters she'd been the best thing that had ever happened to Skye. The thought of her little sister's dark brown hair caked with blood was the final straw and the youngling turned, retching and coughing into the gutter. Her stomach had nothing to offer up for evacuation, so after a good few minutes of retching she took in a shuddering breath and looked up at Noah.

"Did she suffer?" her voice came out hoarse and guttural as she stared up at him with reddened eyes.

"No...it was over very quickly." he replied hollowly and she wiped at her face before standing shakily, leaning against the rough stone of a building for support. Noah reached out to her but she swallowed and looked away, clutching at her chest, grasping her messenger's token with it.

"Noah, what do you know about the Tickle Pocket Alliances in the area?" she asked and he looked at her incredulously.

"How in Madam Ghut's name did you-..." he trailed off before she gave him a look and he sighed.

"Noah, you've been a Skeleton for five months, two weeks and four days. Tell me what you know." Others would have thought that she was crazy, infected with revenge and hate. But Noah knew better, he knew that look in her eyes and he was almost horrified by what he saw.

She would mourn the loss of her little sister in private. But in public she was casting about for a lead, like a street mutt searching for a scent to follow. No one knew exactly how determined and intelligent Skye truly was, she never let anyone see anything she didn't want them to.
"The Dragna have broken their pact with the Ragtag Brigade and the Skeletons. They've assassinated a few lower down cobble children in the Ragtags and the Skeletons, both groups are now on edge." Noah saw that incredible mind of hers whir to life and she nodded.

"Which territory was Orica..." she trailed off and he gathered her close to him again, but this time because someone was passing by.

"Ragtag." his answer was simple and she sagged against him for the briefest of moments, Noah's arms tightening around her. She then pushed herself away from him gently, she wasn't ready to commit to him. Especially not until she had dissected the Dragna filth and dragged them all to the Queen's men.

She was not a lowly rat, but she was not above collaring the little scummy bastards and dropping them off at the precinct jail. They'd be all trussed up like a rich family's turkey for the Snow Fall Festivals. At this thought a dark little smile spread across her face before she hid it. She wouldn't fall into the cesspit, she'd throw the Dragna in and drag out the Ragtags and Skeletons.

But first she must join them, luckily she knew where the Ragtags gathered. Unfortunately she'd have to wait for nightfall for them to appear. There was no such thing as 'too far', she'd do it all legally too. No murdering or the like, but she'd make her own little rules for this deadly game of cat and mouse.

"Noah...thank you." With that she kissed his cheek and ran off to prepare herself for what would surely be the ultimate test.