Nightshade tried to keep still as she squeezed herself against the backwall of the alley, trying to shrink into herself. She sniffled uncontrollably and tears poured down her face, as she pressed her coat sleeve to her mouth trying to muffle her sobs. The sound of crunching sand beneath boots became louder. She couldn’t see the person that made their way down the alley. Her eyes were squeezed so tight it hurt. She could not look. Thought she might die if she saw whoever made their slow way towards her.

She had heard them, heard them call down the alley to her. But she stayed as quiet as her coat sleeve allowed her. And then the person started walking to her. Please, please don’t. She thought, as if the stranger could hear her. Go. Go away. Just leave, please. But the footsteps continued.
“Hello?”, said the voice again. “Are you hurt?”. It sounded soft, and worried. But she knew. If they saw her eyes they would kill her. No matter who it was. And if they made it to her. If they touched her, she had no control. No… no, just go away. Nightshade tried shaking her head but couldn’t do anything but press herself harder against the wall.
“Are you hurt?”, the voice said again, this time louder. The crunching of sand had stopped.
“No”, whispered Nightshade to the darkness. Her voice creaky and shaky, nearly imperceptible in the darkness. She was hurt. That was why she hid here; she had twisted her ankle while running. Every time she put her weight on it pain would flare through it, and she would drop to the ground, unable to do anything but pant. But she could not tell this stranger. She just needed them gone.
“Do you need help?”, asked the voice, still soft. Nightshade couldn’t answer. Just please go away. A sob ripped from her throat.
“Hey, hey”, the voice tried to console her, “it’s okay, I won’t hurt you, I-”
-“Stop!”, she said in panic. The crunching of sand had started again. Way too close. “Go away”, she whispered. The crunching stopped immediately.
“I won’t come any closer”, the voice sounded serious, “I will stay here, I am here to help”. She stayed quiet, except for her continuing crying.
“Did someone hurt you?”. Go away. Leave. Just go. Please.
“Okay, you don’t need to say anything”, the voice had become softer, “listen, all you have to do is listen and breathe, alright?”. Nightshade heard the words, but they seemed more and more distant – like she wasn't there to hear them.
“You are panicking, and you need to breathe, follow my breath, okay?”, they started to breathe exaggerated. A deep breath in, silence, and then deep breath out. They repeated it again. “Like this, you can do it, just breathe”. They breathed again. Nightshade heard it. The breaths in and out. Her sobs would not allow her anything but shallow breaths. The air would get caught in her throat and violently pushed out. She tried to take a deep breath, it was ragged and cut up, but she tried it again. Trying to force her breath smooth and controlled.
“Just like that, very good”, they said and then continued their own breathing. They took breaths together for a long time in the alley. Until Nightshade’s sobs had nearly vanished, and tears now silently made their way down her face.
“Good, now, can you open your eyes?”, soft voice was still there with her. It didn’t understand, they would kill her if she did.
“No”, she said, now with more control than before.
“Okay, that’s completely fine, can you instead tell me why you are here?”. Nightshade shrank back into the wall again. The voice did not push for her to answer but waited in the silence.
“I’m hiding”, she whispered at last. There was silence again for a bit, then the voice spoke again.
“What are you hiding from?”. The voice was so soft through it all. From the first inquiry into the alley and now with all these questions. Nightshade had forgotten how nice other peoples’ voices could sound.
“People”, she answered the nice voice. Silence. Then a sigh. They know! They’ll kill me! A weak whimper escaped her. She had run for her life. For over two weeks she’d been running for her life. And now it was over.
“Hey, hey”, the voice shushed, “It’s alright, I won’t hurt you”, the voice was soft as ever. “I’m not going to hurt you, no matter what, alright? No matter what, I won’t hurt you”. Her sobs were soft in the quiet of the alley.
“I want to help you, I’m here to help”, said the voice. Despite her fear, despite knowing she would die, she looked up. She looked at the person who had sat with her in the alley and met the smiling warm eyes of a young man. His smile and eyes were soft, though worry was painted on his face.
“Hi”, he said and did not flinch away from her sight or lose his smile when their eyes met. “Can I come closer?”, he asked. He sat far enough away that even if he leaned forward with outstretched arms, he could not reach her. She shook her head.
“I’m not going to hurt you”, he said. This time she trusted him. But that wasn’t the only reason she wanted him gone.
“I don’t want to hurt you”, she said. He smiled and nodded softly at her reply.
“I’m happy to hear that”, he said with a tired look, “are you hurt?”, he asked one more time. More tears began to sting her eyes. She nodded.
“Where?”, he asked.
“My ankle”, she said and looked down at it, “twisted it”.
“Okay, can you walk?”
“No”, she said with a sob.
“Okay”. He studied her with worried eyes and looked back over his shoulders. There were no other sounds in the alley.
“I want to help you”, he said again, slowly as if choosing his words carefully, or trying to make her understand something. “I’m a healer, but I can’t do much here”. He reached into a bag he had put down beside him, he took out some bandages and a small container. “You can have these”, he said and put down the items as close to her as he could without moving any closer, “but it won’t to much without constant care”. She kept her eyes on the bandages and container. All she had to do was learn forward and snatch it, and it would be hers.
“I have a place, a small shop, and there I could help you better. I live there with my friends, and you are welcome there”. His smile had disappeared, worry was all she saw in him. “But if you can’t walk, and I can’t come closer I cannot help you get there”. She met his eyes.
“Please, will you allow me to come closer?”. She saw the plea, she heard it. But she could not. He was the first and only person to show her kindness, and she would not allow him to get hurt, not even to help her. She shook her head.
“I don’t want to hurt you”, she said again. He smiled sadly at her.
“You won’t”, he said. “I know you are afraid that touching you will hurt me, but it won’t. Not if you don’t want to”. He sounded so sure. But he made no move towards her, just kept sitting on the ground and patiently waited for her decision.
“How do- how do you know that?”. He looked towards the ground, before meeting her eyes again.
“I just know”, his voice mournful, “now that you are no longer panicked and under your own control, you cannot hurt me unless you decide so. Can I come help you?”. Somehow, she knew this was the last time he would ask. If she said no now, he would let her be. He looked desperate to help her, and she knew she needed it. But… but if he was wrong, she would kill him. She shook her head. He sighed and looked towards the ground.
“Okay”, he said, “please take those”, he gestured to the bandages and the container, “the box has a salve inside, it helps with swollen and irritated muscles”. He slowly got up from the ground and picked up his bag. He met her eyes again and smiled to her through his defeat. “I really do hope you will be alright, if you are ever in need of friends, look for The Charm”, he bowed his head to her and turned around to walk out of the alley.

Something in Nightshade tightened up as she saw his shape become smaller. Her breath became short. Her mind raced. He was at the alley opening. She couldn't move. Wait. She thought. Come back. Please help. He disappeared. No. No! She looked at the place he had been. Tried to launch forward. But could do nothing but shake. Her voice failed.
“Wait”, she croaked no way loud enough for him to hear. She tried to scream.
“Wait!”, it came out a whisper. “Come back!”, this time louder, but not a yell. She tried crawling forward. “Wait!”, her voice was shrill and high in the silence. “Help! Please!”, sobs carried her voice through the air. “Come back!”. She made it to the bandages. Pain flaring from her ankle as she moved. “Please!” she screamed, terrified that some other stranger might hear her, but even more afraid the kind man would not return. She cried over her gifts, clutching them to her as she was realising the stranger was truly gone. No, no, no. She had had a chance for help, a chance untold for people like her. And she had sent him away. Whatever happened now, it was on her. Crunching sand. She cut of her sobs immediately. Strangers. She threw herself back against the alley one more. Crying uncontrollably with eyes shut. No. No. No! Someone talked. Someone crunched the sand. Someone with a soft voice.
“Hey, hey”, soft voice said, “It’s me, don’t worry, It’s me, just breathe, breathe like before”. He started breathing again, “Like this, remember, just breathe”. And she did, she breathed. Once again, he helped her breathe.
“You’re okay, everything will be okay”. She looked up at him. He was panting. “I heard you”, he said with his soft worried smile, “I heard you”. He was no closer than he had been before. Crouched at the exact same spot.
“Please help me”, she whispered to him. Her voice still shaky from fear, sadness and the ever-looming panic of the last couple of weeks. He nodded softly.
“Can I come closer?”, he asked a final time. And this time, she nodded. He slowly got up and made his way towards her, as not to spook her any more than she already was. He crouched down in front of her. Her heart raced in her chest, nearly making her pass out from fear that she would harm him, or him her.
“You won’t hurt me”, he reassured her and held out his hands for her to take them. Shaking from fear and near panic she slowly placed her hands in his. She held her breath. Bracing herself from the disaster about to unfold. And- and nothing disastrous happened. She simply had her hands held by the kind stranger.
“Hi”, he said, “My name is Bard”.
“I’m Nightshade”, she said. He gently squeezed her hands and his smiled deepened.
“Hello Nightshade, I’m very pleased to meet you”. Again, her breath caught in her throat, but this time it was not from fear. And not quite sadness either, but relief, relief and exhaustion and the realisation that she might get to live.
“Which ankle did you hurt?”, he asked her.
“Left”, she managed to say.
“Okay”, he said as he shifted to her right side. “Put your arm around my shoulders, I’ll grab you around your waist and pull you up. Try to shift all your weight towards the right, can you do that?”.
“Okay”, she said as she did what he said. He grabbed her wrist and got his arm around her.
“Good, I count to three, and then we stand, ready?”. She nodded and tried to get her right leg underneath her to get up when he said so.
“One, two”, his grip tightened, “three”. She put all her weight on her right foot, pushed to get up as he heaved her from the ground. Her ankle burned hot and made her cry out. For a moment she saw nothing but white, before she again became aware of the alley and Bard.
“You’re doing great. Are you ready to move?”, his face was turned to hers. She nodded as new tears fell to the ground.
“Alright, let’s try a single step, ready? Now”. He did not walk fast, and she managed to jump with him. Her ankle still throbbed and with every movement flashes of pain went through her. But compared to walking on it, this was nothing.
“The Charm is not far from here, just a few minutes on the street and we’re there”, they shifted slowly forward, Bard half dragging her along. “Not too many people are out on the street now”, he whispered, “maybe keep your eyes closed until we’re inside the shop”. She nodded and closed her eyes, trusting Bard to lead her through the town.

Bard said the shop was only a few moments away, but Nightshade felt they had walked for an eternity. It did not help that Bard stopped often. Made hasty dives into what she guessed was other alley ways, in effort for them to stay out of sight if possible. She did everything in her stay on her feet. She was so exhausted. Every new step felt impossible, and she doubted they would ever make it to the shop. But she continued. With Bard's assisstance she kept moving forward, hafl being dragged half skipping. When she thought she would finally colapse, Bard spoke again.
“We're here, I need you to hold on to me so I can open the door”. His voice was still soft, but even he sounded tired. She couldn’t respond. Too tired.
“Nightshade, I need you to keep yourself up, can you do that?”, his voice was patient as he waited for her response. She did not respond. Her ankle burned and her head was so heavy. But she did tighten her grip and tried to cling to him. She felt him moving, heard the croak of a door and he shifted back to support her again. He dragged her in with him. It was warm and the air was dry. She could hear other sounds, shuffling, muffled voices. But she paid them no attention, if Bard did not hold her up, she would fall to the floor. The door shut close behind them.
“Keep your eyes closed a while yet, soon you can sit down, okay?”. He whispered to her, she registered his words and kept her eyes closed, but did nothing to respond.
“Warlock!", he called into the shop, "can I get you to lock up the shop?”. Nightshade heard sharp bootsteps.
“Sure, why are we closing earl-”, the new voice was cut off by a gasp. The bootsteps became faster and louder as they passed them. Nightshade heard the click of a lock before the steps found her other side.
“Is she alright?”, said the voice as Nightshade felt a new arm around her. She wanted to protest, shake it off, but nothing but a low whimper escaped her.
“No”, said Bard still calm, and added in a whisper, “she’s turned”. Nightshade felt the new arm tighten around her but was too tired to acknowledge her rising fear.
“How old?”, said the new voice, but they did not let go of her.
“Don’t know”, Bard’s voice, “I only know she’s got a hurt ankle and her name, she’s terrified and panicked”.
“Magic, we need an empty chair and a bowl of water!”, yelled the new voice, “warm water!”. Another voice yelled back but Nightshade did not register the words. She was lowered into a soft surface, and all arms disappeared. A hand found hers and gently folded it.
“Nightshade, you can look now”. She didn’t, she was too tired. “Can you look at me Nightshade? You need to look at me”, his voice was ever patient and soft. She forced her eyes open. She was in a dim lit room. Shelves bursting with items surrounded her, books were stacked on the floor and a table with stools was overflowing with scrolls and potions. She looked to Bard who sat beside the big soft chair she had been placed in.
“Hi”, he said and smiled. “We need you to stay awake for just a little while longer, then you can sleep, can you do that?”. She nodded. “Thank you”. He looked away from her to the other people in the room. A tall slender woman who seemed to radiate purple and a short man with grey skin and black horns. A light and shadow fae. The shadow fae sat down the water next to Bard and the light moved to kneel on the other side of Nightshade.
“Magic, go get a splint and some of my healing salve”, the shadow fae man nodded and disappeared into a side room. “Warlock, help me get her shoes of”, the woman nodded and moved down beside Bard.
“Nightshade, these are my friends Warlock and Magic, they’ll help you too, okay?”, Bard talked while they worked. First, they loosened the shoe on her good foot and removed it. Then they moved to the other, being as gentle as possible.
“This is going to hurt, but we’ll be as careful as we can”, she felt the shoe shift and whimpered in pain. “I know, almost off”.
“Stop”, she cried softly, “please”.
“Just keep still and we will get it off, just breathe”, Bard nudged the shoe further down her foot.
“There”, he said as the shoe came off. “Good, just breathe Nightshade”, he said to her before turning to Warlock and Magic, who had returned from the other room.
“I need to clean the ankle before I can see how bad it is, when I’m done, Warlock, will you help her bathe? And Magic, we’ll clean her clothes and make a room ready”, both nodded.
“I’ll go heat some more water”, said Magic and disappeared again. Nightshade tried to keep her eyes open as warm water cleaned her ankle. The pain demanded her focus. But she did not have energy for it. The room faded around her. Bard and his friend became blurry to her and her eyes slid in.
“Shall I wake her?”, she heard Warlock’s voice.
“No”, the soft voice. Bard’s voice. “Let her sleep, we can wake her for the bath”. Then all sounds became too low to hear, too distant, and too unimportant. Nightshade slipped into sleep for the first time in days.

Darkness and softness were all of Nightshades world. The darkness was heavy, like a thick blanket she felt herself be swathed in it. Enveloped by its softness, it was so large she almost missed the second softness. The sound. Clear and distant, it almost sounded like laughter. Sweet, light laughter, or maybe it was water. Water that was running peacefully through a stream. Darkness and softness were her entire world, and she let herself be pulled into it.

“Wake up”, a soft voice. A different soft voice. Warlock. Nightshade remembered her sweet voice. “Love, you need to wake up”. Nightshade blinked her eyes open. It was light in the room. They must have moved her, for she was not in the shelf room anymore. She was lying in a bed; the room was small, and a light shone from a lamp in the ceiling. Beside Nightshade was another smaller light on the bedstand. Warlock sat beside her on the edge of the bed.
“We have drafted a bath for you”, she gestured to a wooden tub that was placed in the room, taking up most of the floor space. “The water is warm still, do you think you can manage it?”, the woman smiled. Her forehead crystal reflected the light of the bedstand light. “I will help you”, she said reassuringly. Nightshade nodded, too tired for speech. She would bathe, despite just wanting to roll over and find the soft darkness again.
“I’m glad to hear it”, said Warlock, “come, sit up”. She helped Nightshade to sit up. “Good, just move slowly, here”, Warlock helped Nightshade get her underdress off. The rest of her clothes must have been removed in her sleep. “Alright, this way”, she got her to stand up and guided her to the water, “sit on the edge, then put in your legs”. Nightshade did as Warlock said and let herself drop slowly into the water. It was warm and it woke something up in Nightshade. Her mind seemed clearer, and she noticed how tight all her muscles where, and she let herself relax.
“I know Bard already introduced me, but I’m Warlock, what was your name, love?”. As she spoke Warlock soaked a cloth in the water and started to softly clean Nightshade’s face.
“Nightshade”, she answered letting the woman move from her face to her neck and shoulders.
“I’m happy to meet you, glad Bard found you out there”, she said still smiling. Nightshade looked at her. The woman just kept smiling to her. Her skin was a pale light blue, and seemed to radiate purple, the same colour as the crystal in her forehead. Her eyes round and full of gleeful kindness. And her open face was framed by curly red hair that stopped right above her shoulders. Warlock had shaped the front of her hair into points that almost resembled horns atop her head. Her appearance was in contrast to her soft movements and voice, but some of her wildness shone through her eyes.
“Are you?”, Nightshade asked. The woman’s eyes softened, and she gently took Nightshades hand and squeezed it before starting to wash her arm.
“Yes, truthfully I am”, she leaned in closer to Nightshade, her eyes mischievous, “now, Bard can’t give me anymore shit for bringing in strays, you see”. She winked at her and continued the work. Despite Nightshade not understanding what she meant she couldn’t help the smile – small as it was. Warlock saw it and placed a hand on her cheek.
“You are more than welcome, love”, she moved to her other arm, “we all got some shit, you’re no worse than the rest of us”. Her voice was still smiley but got a matter-of-fact edge to it. Nightshade stayed silent; she wasn’t sure what to say. These people did not seem real. Any other person would kill her on sight. She was a danger to society and people; she was dangerous and a fugitive simply for existing. And somehow, she was found by the only people in the entire world who insisted on helping her. Even she had accepted she was dead and dangerous. The kindness of these people was unreal. She knew she was worse than them, knew it more than she knew anything else. But she did not correct Warlock, just kept quiet. Warlock also stayed quiet for the rest of the bath. Silently washing Nightshades body, taking care around bruises not to inflict pain, and Nightshade just let her work. Letting the sound of water sooth her and trying to ignore her fear.

“Oh, you look terribly tired”, Warlock’s voice brought Nightshade back. “What do you say that you’re clean enough for now? Here, let’s get you up”. Warlock helped her out of the tub again and immediately swathed her in a towel the size of a blanket. “We can wash your hair some other time”. Nightshade just nodded at her, not quite able to follow the conversation anymore. As carefully as Warlock had washed her, she now dried her off.
“Bard said he wanted to properly bandage your ankle after the bath”.
She was tired. She led Warlock take back the towel and then put her into a nightgown. The fabric was soft and warm. She was so tired.
“Maybe he can look at those other bruises as well, you might…”
And she felt sick. Before she had not felt it through her pain and discomfort, but now. Now she felt it. She was unable to focus on Warlock’s words. She swayed and fell unto the edge of the bed. Warlock said something about Bard and then disappeared. Nightshade laid back on the bed and folded in on herself. She shook again. Everything was too cold, way too cold, and despite this she felt like she was burning. Everything hurt. Her tears felt scolding on her skin. Someone was talking. More than one someone, but voices melted together.
“Nightshade”, soft voice. She tried to focus on it. “Nightshade, can you hear me?”, it was loud. Louder than she had heard it before. She forced her eyes open. Bard’s face was right in front of her. He looked worried. A bit more than worried. Maybe he was sick too.
“Nightshade, I need you to focus”, his voice was serious. He grabbed her hand tight. “You need to feed”. She tried to rip her hand away from him. She was too weak.
“No”, she tried to whisper instead but was unsure whether he heard her.
“Listen”, he rested a hand on her forehead, “you decide how much. You decide it. But you must drain some”. More tears.
“I know it’s scary. I know”, he said stroking her head, “but if you wait anymore either you’ll die, or you will kill the next person you drain”. There was no smile on him, his soft voice firm.
“You can control this, this is you”, he squeezed her hand tight, “Nightshade, drain me. Please”. She thought she saw tears in his eyes. He pleaded with her for her to drain him, for her to do the thing she had feared the very first time he came close. But she trusted him. Despite everything she had experienced she trusted this young man and tried to do as he asked.
She closed her eyes. And tried to do a thing she had never consciously done before. She tightened her grip on his hand and put all her focus into that connection. His hand, his body, his life. And she took it. She pulled on him, not his physical body, but his energy, his life. She grabbed hold of it at pulled it into herself, draining, drinking his life. She felt her body stop shaking. Felt her head defog. And she felt that she had control. She let go immediately. Dropped her focus and stopped draining him. Nightshade opened her eyes again and met Bard’s. She still felt feverish, but thoughts came easier now. Bard smiled to her, his eyes still glossy from tears.
“Hi”, he said. She was too tired to talk but offered him a smile instead. “I have to change the bandages, and then I promise we’ll let you sleep, is that okay?”, Bard sounded tired, and he swayed as he slowly got up to stand. Nightshade just nodded and unfolded herself again, wincing as her hurt ankle flared up.
“Warlock, can she-”
“Yes, of course she can have it for the night”, Warlock interrupted Bard.
“Thanks, I don’t think she needs to be asked to walk anymore today”. Nightshade heard their conversation but made no effort to follow it. They continued to talk as Bard changed her bandages. Warlock collected some items around the room and then walked out. She came back and found some clothes; these she placed on a chair. Magic came in and helped Warlock remove the tub from the room, neither came back.
“Alright, I suggest you sleep with it elevated, but for tonight, just get some sleep however you can”, Bard sat himself beside her, he gestured to the clothes Warlock had found. “Those are for you, until we get your own clothes cleaned and fixed, or find you something new”. He helped her move proper into the bed. “If you need anything, please just call for us”. He got up to leave and turned off the main light at the door.
“Bard”, she whispered before he stepped put. He turned around to look at her, “thank you”, she said. He simply smiled and softly closed the door as he left, leaving her to finally get rest. With the main light off, only the small nightstand lamp gave light to the room. It was warm and soft in its glow, and did not reach the corners of the room, despite its small size. She got a feeling that she might want to turn it off while sleeping. Like… completing a known ritual or doing something for the ten-thousand’s time, but she could not recollect ever having turned off a nightlamp before. She left it on, not wanting darkness when she did not have to be in it. Looking at the warm light of the lamp, she closed her eyes, and for the first time she could remember, she fell asleep warm and comfortable.