You evade capture

You relish the sensation of the warmth of the bath. Opportunities to get genuinely clean in the matchsticks are rare. Last time, you simply stood naked outside in a downpour of a storm. This was a more patient affair, and with the benefit of privacy, with no leering eyes from lonely and **** men. Getting the stench and degradations of those two specific men made this all the more necessary for you, and a greater relief now that it was done. The high of cleanliness wouldn't last long, not in your environment, but you savored it as best you could with the time and company you had. Jiaghan, your teen High Elf friend, was even more elated. The dinner to follow, sent her over.

"Seriously Liz, this is the best day ever!" She extolled as she gobbled up her dinner; a pasta dish with bits of bacon and a sauce made from the drippings, eggs, and some butter. You smiled outwardly at her behavior, but inwardly felt the weight of the Matchsticks upon you. Even in the positive moments, it seems overbearing. That a clean body and a full belly could be such a high point for her typified the miserable experience that you both shared, and it inherently drew you closer to her. This kid, on paper, should be your enemy, but centuries old grudges quickly fall away when you can help each other survive.

"Pace yourself" You say warningly "we gotta pace ourselves if we want this coin to last."

"Okay fine, mom." She replied sarcastically. The remark caused a laugh out of you, which returned a giggle from her. The outburst attracted a few eyes, but nothing terrible. If that's all you receive as a Drow, that's an improvement. "What are we doing now than?"

"Well, I would suggest we end things on a high note. We share the rest of the winnings, go our separate ways, and call it a night."

"Ya, okay..." She said morosely "Can I stay with you, at least for tonight?"

"Sure, if you need to. What happened to that Dwarven fellow? He seemed like he was ready to take you in as his apprentice or something."

"Ya, he was. I don't know what happened. Nobody's seen him in over a week..." A painful silence hung over the two of you. An unexplained absense for that long usually only meant one thing, and it was never good news. You nod quietly.

"Stay with me however long you need Jiaghan. You know my door's always open to you"

"You don't even have a door" she said teasingly as the two of you left. Entering the street, you hear a loud shout, and see the two men you swindled earlier. They've clearly seen the two of you, and have no doubt figured out they've been had. On sight, they start charging for you like attack dogs. You have just enough time before panic starts to set in to give Jiaghan warning.

"Come on kid, let's go!" The two of you start making a run for it. They're surprisingly fast, but nimbleness helps both of you keep away. Without a plan, the two of you simply make choices of what road to turn through on a whim. You would normally hope to simply outlast them, but their fury is a strong motivator, and they don't give up the hunt. You inadvertently find yourself leaving the Matchsticks as you race across the bridge that acts at the informal barrier into the more modern and less impoverished part of the city. On a clear straight away, you see that Jiaghan is starting to fall behind, and the two human men have a clear shot to sprint towards you. You stop for just a moment to grab her by the wrist and pull
"Come on! Don't quit on me now!" You shout out as you try to get her moving. Through labored breaths and a trembling body, she picks up the pace with you, making a last effort to evade a fate worse than ****.

You take a tight turn around a corner shop. In just an instant, you saw a heavily armored human in the doorway making their way out. You think nothing of it until you hear a heavy clang behind you. Turning around, you see the man, sword and shield drawn, with one of the goons on his back, not moving, and the other guarded but standing behind him. You quickly shout to Jiaghan, who had kept running "Stop!"

"Get your friend, and get back. It's over" The armored man's threat was convincing, as he began to laboriously drag his comrade in the street back to the Matchsticks. As he turned around, he flashed a smile that was as large as it was disconcerting.

"Evening ladies. Sorry those bruisers ruined such a beautiful evening. Hopefully they won't be bothering you anymore."

"Not tonight they won't" You reply with a cynicism that took him by surprise "They have all the more reason to be vengeful and vindictive, so thanks for that." You look at the high elf and make a nudging motion with your head to move on.

"Woah, hang on now." He replied, talking loudly in the street "You two are clearly in some trouble, and I'd like to help out. The innkeeper's a friend, stay the night here where you're safe."