Hunger

The crowded city was slowly falling asleep. Lights were being turned off and dogs urgently barked, searching their owners. Night settled itself between the little houses and streets. If you would walk down the sinister alleys, you’d find hordes of revealingly clothed women pressing themselves against you. Prostitutes. Preying with their profoundly painted eyes and inviting you to stay with them for this lonely night. After all; isn’t a little speck of pleasure of vital importance, and also, who would deny you to have it? But of course there is more.. Not only vile women dwell in these places, hidden from the sight of unknowing minds, but darker, more mysterious and unexplained things also linger around the in shades coated lanes.

And even though she knew this, Ilena stayed there to sleep in an abandoned little house under an old torn cloth. Not that it should be given the honour of being called ‘cloth’ anymore; it contained more mould than textile. It smelled horribly and she was absolutely disgusted by it, but keeping herself warm went first. Nobody bothered her here. She could do just as she pleased. Suddenly, hunger arrived and took her stomach in its grasp. Ilena groaned and grumpily stood right. She carefully strode towards some little shops; intending to obtain, one way or another, food.

Archangel rode through the dark streets, her pegasus' wings hidden by magic. The twelve-year-old girl had drawn the hood on her cloak over her head to hide her dark purple hair, trying to blend in. Over her shoulders was slung a bow, strung and ready to fire.
The part demon thought of her goal, and gritted her teeth. She had to help her clan. She didn't see the movement of a figure coming out of a side street not far from her until her mount lifted its front hooves, turning a quarter circle before falling back onto its four legs and prancing. Archangel tried desperately to calm the equine, scared that the clattering hooves would draw more attention to her than she needed.

((hi there. Can I join you? I rather like the sound of this thread...)

Archangel was right. The echoing sound of hooves on the cobbled street had drawn the attention of Jammy. The punk had been walking through the streets, trying to avoid the city's "earth madens", and looking for a stall he had once fallen apon while out with friends a few weeks ago. It had been selling bones.
Jammy hadn't botherd to inspect them properly, his mind clouded by alcohol as it had been, but now he thought of it, he found it fascinating. He had hoped to find it again, but his search had been fruitless.
The noise reached him through the dark streets and he wonderd what on earth a horse was doing in the middle of the city. Intreaged, he made his was towards it.

((I guess that's alright, the more the merrier ))

Ilena was barely contemplating whether or not to steal an apple and some bread when she heard a large steed prancing in surprise. Its rider’s fruitless tries of soothing it went completely unnoticed by the large animal. She didn’t know there were that sorts of animals in here. A horse in a city.. She wouldn't even have believed it was able to pass through these small lanes had she not seen it now with her own eyes.. Weird. “Hey there” Ilena loudly said “Control you horse, we don’t want any accidents to happen, do we.” People should learn how to ride decently before they start wandering around in streets like these, she thought annoyed. Deciding to go further she carefully made a few steps towards the mount and its rider.

She saw it only getting more and more stressed. What kind of rider gets with his horse in a place like this anyway? Ilena felt her dagger sitting frigidly in her pocket. The coolness comforting her. She liked animals, but just not when they were acting hostile. And over the time she had been living in these dirty streets, she had learned not to let everything just happen. Always be prepared, you never know what comes around.

"Star! Behave!" Archangel demanded, and the pegasus eventually calmed down, snorting heavily, his large hooves slowing their frantic dance. Archangel, also panting, pushed her violet hair behind her ears. She looked up, seeing two people heading towards her. The demoness hurridly yanked her hood back over her head, as it had fallen during her attempts to calm the horse down, before dismounting, holding the reins lightly.
"He was only spooked. He's still young." Archangel said, her eyes slightly narrowed as she spotted the person most likely to have spooked her mount. Her jaw was clenched, but she tried to calm her own emotions as Star snorted again.

Ilena saw a flash of purple hair. Her eyes slightly narrowed; what a strange woman and strange mount.. "Alright", she suspiciously replied after a while "I guess his fire is still very lively" A long time ago she had stayed for about two years with a breeder. There she had learned things like riding, how to command and teach the animals.. But that was the past. Now she lived here in these ugly streets between the rats and beggars.

"Well" Ilena carefully started again "it's a very beautiful animal, where did you get him from?" It had also been a long time since she actually talked to someone. And the stranger didn't seem completely hostile towards her, even though she had made the horse anxious.

Archangel observed the person carefully for a few moments before replying.
"He was bred from my mother's mare," Archangel said, thinking of the proud battle horse Shadow had owned before the demoness' death at the hands of Archangel's grandfather.
Shaking her mind from those thoughts, she returned to the present world.

"How lucky she must have felt.." Ilena softly replied while eyeing the mount. "Such a beautiful animal" she carefully stretched her hand towards the large horse, not sure of its or its owners reaction. Only to decide to pull her hand back. For a moment she was wrapped up in thoughts. Then she swiftly turned her head towards the woman. "May I know what you seek here?" she warily inquired.

The horse, Star, had stretched out its nose slightly to sniff at the woman's hand, and his twelve-year-old owner turned her gaze to look at him before she replied.
"I need to get something." She said slowly, not wanting to reveal too much.

Jammy had watched the two women talk, and decided to butt in.
"You know," he said, "You shouldn't be here with that horse. It might be dangerous."
He tried to see the girl's face, but the hood obscured her features and made her unrecognisable. He ran his fingers through his dyed pink and blond hair, something he did when he didn't know what to say.
"I'm Jammy by the way," he finally said.

Archangel turned her violet gaze to look at Jammy, her horse following the head movement in a bizarre syncronisation.
"I didn't have another way of gettting to the city, and the other horse won't let me get on her back." She said, her tone making her seem older than her twelve years (or so it appeared).

"Ah nice to meet you Jammy" Ilena replied a tad coldly. She watched the two strangers closely "I'm Ilena" A frown washed over her face, hunger still biting in her stomach. She absently plucked some hair from her old shirt. "I guess I'm going to try to get some food out there.." Ilena scowled. "Bloody shopkeepers, too greedy to lose something small like an apple" her voice sounded dark. Then she tried to take some few steps, careful for what the enormous steed would do.

Archangel reached into one of the saddle bags tied to the back of her mount's saddle, taking out some bread.
"I don't have much, but you can take this," SHe said.

Ilena watched the bread intensely. She didn't understand why a stranger would give her something to eat. "Why?" she angrily asked eyes blazing fire. She didn't need pity.

"Because my family have often enough been in the same situation, except now, we hunt." Archangel said vaguely. "By the way, I'm Archangel, and this is Star."

That changed a lot. Hesitantly she accepted the free food and took a small bite. "Archangel.." she murmered in herself. "An uncommon, yet lovely name. Thank you." She didn't really know what to do right now and shoved a bit with her feet. Taking a few bites she looked at Jammy who didn't say anything. Weird kid. "I'm sorry I scared Star" She replied while looking at something invisible. Ilena gave her an apologizing smile and softly stroked the horse's nose.

Star snorted gently, his eyes half closed.
"It's ok," Archangel said, "As I said, he's still young."

"So.." Ilena started curious, "where are you from?"

Archangel bit her lip, and then resorted to the reply that everyone from her clan gave to that question.
"I come from a long way away."

"Hmm, alright" she replied. She walked over to a little corner in the street and quickly sat herself there. "Nothing ever happens in here" Ilena yawned. She stretched herself out as far as she could. "I guess your life must be a whole lot more exiting. Completely different than being here and talking to me. Don't you find this boring?" She yawned widely again. She hadn't really slept well too.

Archangel snorted slightly in sarcastic laughter.
"Are you kidding me? I'd rather have a life that wasn't as complicated as mine is right now!"

"Then what's so complicated about it?" Ilena replied, narrowing her eyes.

Archangel bit her lip again, realising that she had said far too much... again.
"I can't tell you." She said quietly, turning her gaze to Star.

"Alright.. I guess, you have your reasons." she softly said. "The only thing is" Ilena inaudibly continued "that I'm probably going to stay here, for the rest of my life." She sighed heavily. "You don't know how much I'd give for just a little flicker of adventure.." She turned her head to Archangel again. She actually liked her purple hair, even though she'd seen it for such a short moment.

Archangel turned her violet gaze back to the woman, surprised for a moment, but then she smiled.
"Adventure isn't all it's cracked up to be."