Abandoned Courtyard

[Alex]

Twilight had come and gone and the shadows of midnight crept upon Rome. Silence fell over the city: a rarity in this known land of chaos. Silky dew was forming on the grass of the sinister yet beautiful courtyard. Lightning lit the horizon, but neither thunder nor rain was present. In the soft flashes, clouds were visible. Serenity seemed to finally come to the city, if only for one night.

A satin black and red gown was draped over the body of a young woman wandering the streets. The cloth seemed to cling to her supple skin allowing her curves to be perfectly displayed. Not a sound could be heard as her feet traipsed the roads; however, the hood of her cloak was drew up in fear of being seen. Soft, curly brown hair reflected in the moonlight, resting upon her shoulders. Crisp green apple eyes peered out from under the silken hood. In silver on the back of her cloak, the letter, “A” was stitched in the utmost care. Within moments, she had reached her destination: the courtyard.

The silence of the night was never broken. Her impenetrable hazel eyes scanned the horizon and caught glimpse of what little magnificence it had to offer. The soft hues of blue stretched as far as she could see, and it brought a small smile to her crimson lips.

“It’s beautiful…” She whispered into the night, her breath visible in the cold.

Her hands grasped the ends of the satin cloak and wrapped it tightly around her. The wind began to gently kiss at her cheek and she knew a storm would soon be approaching. She didn’t mind. This courtyard was her place of salvation when she needed peace. Not many knew about it, and those that did disregarded it: all, apparently, except for one. A stranger among the streets had given Alex a very peculiar note. It had said to be at the courtyard at midnight. She was unsure of whom she would be meeting, but she was prepared nonetheless. A dagger was tucked secretly away in the inner pocket of her elegant cloak. Scanning her surroundings, she waited patiently for whomever it was she was supposed to meet.

[Pete]

Word traveled fast through Rome. When it reached Pete's ears that somebody was in need of protection, he was more than happy to oblige. After all, as a self proclaimed vigilante and bodyguard, how could he say no? Or it could have been his stomach speaking. Starvation was always a good motivator. Looking back on it, he probably shouldn't have left the den without making preparations. Oh well... he said, metally sighing to himself. At least I'll get payed. He looked down at his watch. It was almost time to meet the client. Pete walked to the edge of the building he was standing on, leaning over the side to get a better view of the street. The first streak of good luck all week, the coast was clear. He cracked his knuckles and turned away from the edge, the familiar gust of wind blowing through the street as he left. There was no fear of being seen, he was moving to fast for the human eye to see, but he stuck to the darkness, using the night to mask his movements just in case. He reached his mark in a little less than a minute, his dark sillouete looming over the city below like a gargoyle, a sentinal of the night. She was here. He dropped silently from the roof, touching down gracefully on the ground about seven stories down. He straightened his messy blonde hair as best he could, though it never seemed to lose that 'I just woke up' look, and approached the woman. "My names Pete, I'll be your escort."

[Alex]

By now the wind was beginning to pick up speed. Soft, cool drops of rain were sprinkling from the sky, but it was nothing to be alarmed about. Her hood remained drawn up as her green eyes peered into the darkness, looking for any sign of life. Nothing. Sighing, she turned around to head back home when she froze in her tracks.

Standing before her was a young boy no older than sixteen. His hair was blonde and messy. Looking around, she watched for signs of anyone else. Perhaps he was just a traveler passing through. But then she heard the words escape from his mouth and puzzled look ran over her face. Was this some sort of joke? Apparently not for when her eyes met the boy’s, she saw no humor in his expressions. “It’s nice to meet you Pete...” Her voice was soft for she was unsure of what exactly was happening. Escort?

“Excuse me…but where exactly are we going?”