It seemed that she was the first to arrive, other than the apothecary themselves. The platform was deserted aside from the two of them and Sasha didn’t know enough about the Darklight station to know if that was usual or not. She didn’t think it was, somehow, but what did she know?

Her footsteps echoed lightly in the expanse as she approached the old woman, trying to give off the impression that she was more confident than she felt; the image was ruined somewhat, but the slight flinch she made with every step. She wasn’t used to her movements making so much noise and it bothered her, to disturb the peace of this place.

The old woman, Yiya, addressed her when she was close enough that it was obvious why she was here. Sasha listened along, glancing at the terrarium when it was brought up, then staring at it as she realised what it was; a huge mechanical thing with legs that carried a small microcosm of nature within its glass body. The hunter had never seen anything like it. The girl was startled out of her reverie when Yiya asked her to sit with them and wait, and tell them her story.

Sasha didn’t sit. She shuffled her feet instead, adjusting the straps of her bags on her shoulders and looked down at the ground in between them. [color=c4df9b]“I’m Sasha. I… I’m here to help with…”[/color] The machine? Like Yiya said? No, she had no idea what to do with something like that. [color=c4df9b]“I saw the notice. You need… an escort? I’m here for that. I’m good at finding my way.”[/color]

She lapsed into silence then, her introduction made. Soon enough a feeling of awkwardness crept in, like she should keep talking, or do something to break the silence. Or at least not just keep standing there. Making her decision, Sasha lifted the bag from her shoulder, long and narrow, and laid it on the floor next to the blanket; her father’s rifle, tucked away in a carrying bag so she wouldn’t get in trouble for wearing it on her shoulder through the city. Her father’s other gun was tucked away inside her thick jacket and she had a knife sheathed at her belt; the things she usually took with her into the woods, the latter being more for cutting stems and making notches in wood as anything else. The rest of her belongings were in a second bag, an ordinary backpack, that she placed next to the rifle; some extra clothing and some provisions, since the notice had said this journey would take four days. Now divested of her burdens, Sasha sat at the very edge of the blanket facing the old apothecary; she felt just as awkward as before, but at least now she had followed Yiya’s request.

[color=c4df9b]“Um… are there going to be others? The notice… didn’t…”[/color] It didn’t say anything about how many were required, where they were going or even provide any information on how to contact the poster for the job other than to show up at the time and place specified. It was only now that Sasha was beginning to realise just how weird that was. What if too many people showed up? What if too few showed up, or no one at all? Would Yiya be sitting here, waiting for an escort that wouldn’t arrive? Would she still make the journey by herself if she was?

Sasha abandoned her question and was quiet after that.

[@Mokley]