Same Day, Different Day

The air had a raw feeling about it while the sun felt warm against her skin. Islana had grabbed a piece of dried fruit and bread from her sack to eat on the way. She was used to getting up early but a long breakfast wasn’t something she had time for this morning as the tanner awaited her.

Two months had gone by in what seemed like a hazy mix of slow and fast. Islana had found the time spent on the hunts to go by quickly but lately, the hunts were few and she was spending most of her time helping out at the tanning or butcher’s and that time went slow. The barracks weren’t bad, she had certainly had been in less hospitable surroundings in her time though that was more of the cave full of critters that it was probably best to not disturb than anything to do with sections of towns

The dried fruit was leathery and sweet. The bread was crusty and teetering on the almost stale side. It didn’t bother her but she was thinking she might spend some of her money to get some reasonably fresh bread from one of the food stands today.

Islana knew the way to the tanner’s by heart, it wasn’t particularly hard to get to but she had tried a variety of ways before discovering the fastest. It had given her something to do when the nights were uninteresting and the pub wasn’t where she felt like being. She had found the quickest route to places. Not every place but enough.

The pub, The Drunken Hare was such an oddly fitting name for that particular establishment. She wasn’t even sure why she thought it fit so well, it just seemed to. Islana had found herself there on plenty of occasions. Enough that she was known to not get drunk or cause a problem there.

If she was one of the artistic sort or someone who wrote things down, she might have kept a journal of her time. Not just her time here but her time getting here. Why and how. The why was that of many a person who came to this place or so the assumption was good. She had her own demons she was running from, or demon, in this case. The man had not caught up with her here and that was a good thing but her guard could never be let down, not completely, not with anyone.

The how was the story of many before and after her. A very long ship ride on treacherous waters. Perhaps neither would make for a good story now that she thought about it. Not that she knew anything about that kind of thing. Islana had worked on the ship in order to secure passage. Whatever needed to be done, that she could do, she would. The young woman was not one for not doing her share.

Opening the door, the room smelled of skins. Skins smell like the treatment before they have time to settle. The treatment just smelled awful. Islana was never sure if the tanners or the butchers smelled worse but they were both familiar smells at this point. She did not mind it overly much but still would rather be hunting or doing something which would allow her to be outdoors more.

She put her pack to the side, found some place for her coat and set to work. Such was her day. For her trouble the young woman was compensated and it allowed her the chance to possibly gain new skills or so she was always hoping for that chance. Truthfully, tanner was not a profession she wanted to cling to.

Islana's work day ended, her trip home interrupted only by a stop at a food stand. The pub would have to wait for another time. Clean- dinner- bed was Islana's agenda.

Her sleep would possibly be awakened by dreams. Dreams of being chased. Lord Vasant leading the pack of dogs that were after her. She is running away from him but towards something at the same time. Lord Vasant catches her, he always catches her in her dream at which point she would awaken. The dream was always the same. It occurred on many nights, too many nights.

Islana knew her dreams were not of the prophetic sort. They never had been in the past and she meant to try to keep it that way.

Awake, comb out her long auburn hair, dress for her day and so the cycle of her day would start again. Maybe, she could get some target practice in with her bow and arrow before having to head to work. That would break it up a little.