is simply an extension of the town’s wall, with the outer wall’s edge resting just above her head. She hops up and down to make sure she can reach the ledge.
Di’s heart races as she glances around Andrea’s room, trying to somehow note what all was taken. It’s as if she realizes for the first time she’s been traveling in the company of a thief.
“Uh oh, looks like Daddy’s home,” Jem says as she glances to the yard below. “Move fast!” she calls to Di.
Di hesitates, torn about whether to go with her guardian. It’s the first time she’s had a choice, and the option of staying with Andrea isn’t entirely unwelcome.
“Hurry up!” Jem barks in annoyance.
Di hears shouting break out from downstairs, meaning that Andrea’s idea of hosting an Allerian is probably not going over well. Suddenly worried she’ll be blamed for her “sister’s” thievery, she breaks her hesitation and darts out to the balcony where Jem is crouching with a cupped hand. She takes the boost to the top of the wall, and Di looks over the edge to find a steep drop awaiting her. She lets out a shriek and grips the wall tightly.
“Ugh… Di!” Jem quietly growls as she heaves her bag up and over the ledge. She jumps and pulls herself up, but, upon seeing the distance of the drop, she also finds herself grabbing tightly to the stone. “O-Okay, that’s higher than I thought.”
Di nods furiously. “W-We need to find another-” To her horror, Jem throws herself off the ledge, and she lands hard on the ground below. The Allerian hops up and down, dancing off the pain.
Another thud breaks out as Era’s bag lands outside the wall a short distance away. The thief himself is the next one to land, having found his own means of escape.
Jem shouts, “Come on, Di! You’re running out of time!”
Di starts to swing her legs over the ledge, but her face turns a bright shade of crimson as she presses her skirt against her legs. “E-Era! Turn around!”
“Turn around?” he asks in confusion. “But why-”
Jem physically spins Era to look the opposite direction. “Okay, he’s not looking. Now come on! ”
The poor girl squeezes her eyes shut and drops her legs down while still clinging to the ledge. She hangs for several moments, as if having second thoughts.
“DI!”
Startled, she falls with a shriek, but Jem catches her as she lands. The terrified young girl looks back at her Allerian guardian with gratitude.
Jem immediately releases the girl, who falls with another yelp. “I swear, Di! You’re making this trip impossible!”
“Can I look now?” Era asks.
Jem takes a deep breath and slings her bag onto her back. “Yes, you can look. Now let’s move!”
They make their escape into the darkness of the surrounding woods, rushing away from their crime scene with expediency. After what feels like an eternity, Di slows while panting heavily. Straining her eyes in the moonlight, she struggles to keep up with Jem and Era, who seem to have no intention of stopping. “Era… W-Wait!”
The two shadowy figures ahead slow down and start bickering with each other. Jem sits with a huff, and Era returns and rests his hand on Di’s shoulder. “Too tired to continue?”
She nods. “When are we going to set up camp?”
“I was planning on another two hours,” Jem calls out. “We rode in a carriage half the day, Di!”
Di collapses to her knees without another word, and Era holds a hand out. “Easy now, Jem. That carriage ride helped us make good time today. We’ll get to Canterin soon enough.”
“That ride was our chance to make up for lost time,” Jem insists. “Di’s so out of shape that we can’t even hike a full day. I want to get paid!”
“All you care about is money! ” Di cries. “I can’t believe you stole from our friend like that!”
“Our friend? ” Jem scoffs. “We saved her life! She owes us a far bigger
Di’s heart races as she glances around Andrea’s room, trying to somehow note what all was taken. It’s as if she realizes for the first time she’s been traveling in the company of a thief.
“Uh oh, looks like Daddy’s home,” Jem says as she glances to the yard below. “Move fast!” she calls to Di.
Di hesitates, torn about whether to go with her guardian. It’s the first time she’s had a choice, and the option of staying with Andrea isn’t entirely unwelcome.
“Hurry up!” Jem barks in annoyance.
Di hears shouting break out from downstairs, meaning that Andrea’s idea of hosting an Allerian is probably not going over well. Suddenly worried she’ll be blamed for her “sister’s” thievery, she breaks her hesitation and darts out to the balcony where Jem is crouching with a cupped hand. She takes the boost to the top of the wall, and Di looks over the edge to find a steep drop awaiting her. She lets out a shriek and grips the wall tightly.
“Ugh… Di!” Jem quietly growls as she heaves her bag up and over the ledge. She jumps and pulls herself up, but, upon seeing the distance of the drop, she also finds herself grabbing tightly to the stone. “O-Okay, that’s higher than I thought.”
Di nods furiously. “W-We need to find another-” To her horror, Jem throws herself off the ledge, and she lands hard on the ground below. The Allerian hops up and down, dancing off the pain.
Another thud breaks out as Era’s bag lands outside the wall a short distance away. The thief himself is the next one to land, having found his own means of escape.
Jem shouts, “Come on, Di! You’re running out of time!”
Di starts to swing her legs over the ledge, but her face turns a bright shade of crimson as she presses her skirt against her legs. “E-Era! Turn around!”
“Turn around?” he asks in confusion. “But why-”
Jem physically spins Era to look the opposite direction. “Okay, he’s not looking. Now come on! ”
The poor girl squeezes her eyes shut and drops her legs down while still clinging to the ledge. She hangs for several moments, as if having second thoughts.
“DI!”
Startled, she falls with a shriek, but Jem catches her as she lands. The terrified young girl looks back at her Allerian guardian with gratitude.
Jem immediately releases the girl, who falls with another yelp. “I swear, Di! You’re making this trip impossible!”
“Can I look now?” Era asks.
Jem takes a deep breath and slings her bag onto her back. “Yes, you can look. Now let’s move!”
They make their escape into the darkness of the surrounding woods, rushing away from their crime scene with expediency. After what feels like an eternity, Di slows while panting heavily. Straining her eyes in the moonlight, she struggles to keep up with Jem and Era, who seem to have no intention of stopping. “Era… W-Wait!”
The two shadowy figures ahead slow down and start bickering with each other. Jem sits with a huff, and Era returns and rests his hand on Di’s shoulder. “Too tired to continue?”
She nods. “When are we going to set up camp?”
“I was planning on another two hours,” Jem calls out. “We rode in a carriage half the day, Di!”
Di collapses to her knees without another word, and Era holds a hand out. “Easy now, Jem. That carriage ride helped us make good time today. We’ll get to Canterin soon enough.”
“That ride was our chance to make up for lost time,” Jem insists. “Di’s so out of shape that we can’t even hike a full day. I want to get paid!”
“All you care about is money! ” Di cries. “I can’t believe you stole from our friend like that!”
“Our friend? ” Jem scoffs. “We saved her life! She owes us a far bigger
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