Yes, he needs the help

Chapter 3 - Options

Erin thought about his options for a moment. He really didn't have much of a choice. If this girl really needed what she said she did, then surely helping her would only help him?

"Fine." Erin said plainly.

"Just fine? No questions?"

"Oh I have plenty of question. What I don't have are options. You see, it just so happens that I also need a forest lily. Along with a few other things. So, you help me and I can get an extra for you."

The girl was still smiling at Erin mischievously. Erin didn't like it but knew the girl had no other options, just like himself.

"Seems we have a deal then." Jass said. "How do you plan on getting into the private forest?"

"That is where you come in."

"Oh?" Jass looked at him curiously.

Erin wondered about how much he should tell the girl about his situation. He opted for very little.

"I am...new around here. That's why I don't have a rune. So, I don't actually know where I'm going."

"I see."

"So if you help me find the forest and make sure I can get in unseen, then you get what you want and so do I."

"I suppose that's only fair. Wouldn't be right to make you do all the work now would it?"

"Exactly. However, it's late." Erin said looking up at the now dark sky.

"Yeh, it would do us no good trying to get in now. I've heard the forest is impossible to navigate at night."

"Then I need you to do something else for me."

"Something else?" Jass asked.

"Yes. I was trying to find the hostel. I don't really fancy sleeping on the street."

"The hostel? Ya don't wanna be going near there."

"It doesn't sound very pleasant but I don't have another option." Erin told her.

"Well ya do now. Come on."

Jass finished talking and signalled Erin to follow her. They winded their way through narrow streets and dark alleyway. on their way, Erin heard faintly what sounded like another person who had lost their fifth battle, coming from a building they passed. For around ten minutes Erin followed the girl. He began to wonder if she was actually just leading him someone to kill him. But he continued on, hoping that this girl was as good as her word. Eventually, they reached one of the outer walls of the city. Jass stopped outside of a grate that Erin assumed to be the sewer. Jass put a key into a lock and opened the grate.

"Come on. And don't give me that face, this is like a rank A mansion compared to the hostel." Jass told Erin when she saw his disgusted face.

Apprehensively, Erin followed Jass into the sewer. Jass locked the entrance behind her and carried on. They didn't walk for very long however. They turned down the first right and Jass stopped in place. She bent down low and sprung up quickly. Erin thought she was mad, that she was going to hit her head, but somehow, she seemed to phase right through the roof of the sewer. A moment later, a rope ladder came dropping down. Erin grabbed the ladder and began to climb. As he reached the roof, he reached out a hand to touch it but his hand went right through. He continued climbing for a minute, now entering what seemed to be, an inside section of the city wall. It was much nicer in here and much better smelling. Erin climbed off the ladder and looked around for Jass who was hanging upside down from a wooden beam.

"Pretty cool place huh?" She said.

Erin looking around, nodded. The place was filled with all sorts of random bits and bobs. In one of the corners lay a fairly nice sized, surprisingly clean mattress. Random books were thrown about the place. Clothes scattered the floor. Random bits of jewellery lay in a line on a sketchy looking shelf.

"I just call it my hideaway. Never brought anyone hear before." Jass said, her eyes suddenly going wide.

She backflipped off the beam she was on, sprinted over near where Erin was standing and quickly picked something up off of the floor. She tried to hide it within her cloak but Erin had already seen it. She was desperately trying to hide a very small pair of bright pink panties. She looked at Erin and realised he had seen. She blushed bright red and walked away, tucking the panties into a nice looking set of drawers.

"Like I said, never brought anyone here before." She said, laughing awkwardly. "I only brought you here for one reason. I want you to trust me. No, I need you to trust me."

Erin eyes her suspiciously. He knew she needed a forest lily, but didn't know why. He suspected he probably wouldn't know why any time soon either.

"I don't trust you." Erin began. "But this is a pretty good start."

"Good, because I don't trust you either. Anyone who can freely walk around without a rune can only bring bad things to the table. But I need you and you need me so for now, we're partners." Jass topped talking and nodded triumphantly.

"What now then?" Erin asked.

"Now? Now I suppose we sleep. Tomorrow we need to start talking about how the hell we get you into the forest."

"Where am I going to sleep?" Erin said, only spotting one mattress, wondering whether Jass intended them to share a bed.

"You take the mattress. I prefer sleeping...up here." She said as she leaped high once again onto one of the beams.

Erin followed her movements and noticed a very haphazardly put together hammock swinging between the beams. He thought about saying something but his brain was starting to hurt and sleep was desperately needed. He made his way over to the mattress, making sure to check it for stains first. Once again he was surprised by its cleanliness. Taking off his shoes, he lay down, still wearing his rags and closed his eyes.

"Just like that?" Jass piped up.

"Like what?"

"You just gonna lay down and go to sleep like it's nothing?"

"What else was I suppose to do?"

"I dunno. I just figured you would be more suspicious."

"Oh don't worry, I am suspicious of everything here. I have just had too long of a day to give a damn right now. Try me again tomorrow, I'll up my suspiciousness."

Jass didn't question him again. After only ten minutes Erin heard a surprising noise. For such a small girl, Jass sure could snore. Erin did his best to drown it out and somewhere within the early hours of the morning, managed to get to sleep.

A sharp poke woke Erin up the next day. He opened his eyes to find the small hooded girl standing over him.

"Thought you might have been dead." She said.

"Nope, still here." Erin replied groggily.

"Get up then. We got lots to discuss."

Erin, ignoring her, continued laying there for another ten minutes until a large book hit the wall next to him. Realising Jass wasn't the patient type, he dragged himself up and put his shoes back on.

"So, I'm thinking we have a few options." Jass started.

"Already? I'm barely awake and you want to start already?"

"What did you think we were gonna do? Sit around doing each others hair?"

Erin looked at Jass for a moment, realising she probably could do with someone tending to her hair but thought better than to point that out.

"Just figured we might eat or something first." Erin continued.

Jass looked around before saying, "You see any food around here?"

"No but..."

"Not like you can just waltz into the bakery and buy some bread is it? Or are you somehow hiding lots of gold in those rags?"

"Good point."

"Look, we have a couple options of what we can do today. Once we have dealt with that, I'll grab us something to eat."

Erin not wanting to argue, nodded and tried to suppress the gurgling in his stomach.

"What are these options then?" He asked.

"Well, to get into the forest we are going to need a few things. First, a key. Specifically, the key to forest gate."

"I take it that's not easy to get?"

"It depends, but mostly...no. The second thing we need, is a distraction. Once you are close enough to the gate, with the key in hand, we need a distraction to lure away the guards. Then you make your move. Get the stuff, then we create another distraction to get you out again."

"Ok, that doesn't sound as bad as I thought it might."

"That's one option at least."

"Is this other option easier or harder?"

"About the same really. Once a week, a maid is sent into the forest with a guard to collect fresh flowers and things for the palace. If we get you in place of the guard, you should be able to make it through, then you just have to find what we need without the maid knowing."

"Both those options definitely have risks."

"Of course they do. We are trying to get you into a restricted area, if it was easy I would do it myself."

"How would we go about getting the key or getting me in place of the guard?" Erin asked, wanting to get every detail perfect.

"Well, the key we would need to steal. I would probably have to do that but there are only a few guards with the key. The best bet would be to get a Royale fight going, the guards love watching and it would be a great way to nab the key. That would also work as a distraction to get you through the gate. As for the replacing you with the guard. I have a guard friend. Just so happens that that guard is in rotation to escort the maid. If we can convince him to let you take his place, that would be preferable. Though I'm sure he won't do it for free. Our best bet for both options are for getting you into the forest tomorrow."

Erin racked his brain for a moment. This was a lot to take in. A lot of things could go wrong but if they went right, this would get him one step closer to going home. The punishment for getting it wrong however, could be serious. He knew he had to take this seriously and pick the best option.