1. Chapter 1 (1/2)

an error in judgment

garet stumbled along the dark alleyway, hands running along the wall

so that he did not lose himself in the maze of back streets.

it was nearly half past midnight, and it was pouring out, as if the

angels in the sky where heaving buckets of water from the clouds.

he cursed his luck for picking a fight with a big drunk man, and

getting his butt kicked.

"why did i have to say anything to the big oaf? i just wanted

to stop him from grabbing jenna! why did i have to be so dumb?"

he tripped, and face planted into the ground, cutting his cheek on a

rock.

"gah! why me?"

he staggered to his feet, and clutched at the air for support.

"hey buddy? what teh fuck you doin' here?" came a husky voice

from behind him.

garet spun around to find a short man, dressed in all black, watching

him with contempt.

"oh shit! why me?!" he thought, as the dark figure took

out a switchblade knife, and pointed it at him.

"you picked teh wrong time to come down tis alley!"

"give me a

eak! i just got out of a fight with a big drunk prat

that kicked my ass! just let me go..." garet pleaded.

"teh fuck wit that! i don't give a shit abouts your poor

fight... i'll cut yah good yah red headed freak!" the

switchblade flashed, and garet stepped back to avoid the cut.

"please man! i don't want to fight! just let me go!"

"shut teh fuck up! you aren't to

ight is yah? no street

smarts..." the shadowy figure made another slicing motion with the

knife, and garet backed up again.

"jeeze! why can't you just let me go?"

"cause yous invadin' my turf!" the figure said, slicing out at

garet for a third time.

"your turf? you own this place?"

"longs with all teh hoes and bitches too... sall mine... took me

time and cost me a finger." the figure said, holding out a hand,

that clearly was missing a ring finger.

"that really sucks, but man... i'm not trying to take your

'turf'... i wouldn't even want to live here, let alone own

it!" garet tried to ease his adversary's worries, and it sort of

worked.

the figure faltered in its next attack.

"yous don't?" the figure asked incredulously.

"no! i would never! i just want to get back to the inn." he

said, feeling like he might be getting somewhere.

"fine... i won't kills you, but yah gotta pay teh fee... 50gp,

an i'll let yah go, okay?"

garet pulled out his bag of gold, and tossed the man 50gp and closed

the bag.