The Valley

When they had stepped out into the brighter light of the market square, David turned to face Annie and gasped. He had never seen her face clearly before then, and now that he had the long scar along Annie's face shocked him. Annie shifted uncomfortably once more under his gaze.

"Stop staring," she muttered and moved past him.

"I-I'm sorry," David shook himself from his thoughts. "How did you... how did you get that, that scar?"

"I don't have to tell you anything about it," the biting tone in her voice startled him, and she kept her arms crossed over her chest, her back to him.

"O-okay... What's your name?" David came to stand beside her, on her left side. Her expression was unreadable.

"Annie," was her quiet reply.

"Annie..." he whispered, quickly deciding that he liked the way it rolled off his tongue. "That's a pretty-"

"Save your breath," she turned to glare at him. "I already know how I look; you don't need to try and make me feel better about it."

"Okay..." He stared at her, his eyebrows knitting together. "My name's David."

"I didn't ask," Annie turned once more and began to push her way slowly through the market square.

"Well, you're going to need to know," he offered as he followed her. "I can't just be 'that one guy.'"

"Why not?" Annie asked. She paused in her movements then, and turned her body so that it was halfway facing him. "Oh wait, you're right; 'annoying guy' suits you better."

"Hey!" David's fingers twitched and he followed her again when she started walking once more. "I find that offensive! I'm not annoying."

"Wait, did you say your name was David?" She faced him again and was now walking backward.

"Yeah, what of it?" he crossed his arms over his chest as he walked.

"You're the only David in town, you know," a knowing smile crossed over her lips. "A bizarre occurrence, seeing as it is a common name. There's talk of you. So you're right, 'the annoying one' doesn't quite suit you either... You're the lunatic!"

David stopped walking then, his hands dropping back to his sides. His expression was stone cold in that moment. Annie thought he looked terrifying, but had little time to focus on that thought as she bumped into someone who was standing behind her.

She whipped around, hands held up protectively, and exclaimed, "I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking-"

"Oh, young man," the rather tall man said, looking past Annie, "we meet again." Annie looked between the two several times before her eyes stopped on David. His eyes seemed to glow with excitement as he smiled widely.

"I've found a partner now, old man," David said, gesturing toward Annie. "She's a bit rude, but I can guarantee you that she's the only person who would agree to come with me."

"Nonsense," Annie began, "lots of people would love to get their hands on-" David's hand clamped down over her mouth.

"See how eager she is to uncover the mysteries of the world?" his other arm wound around Annie while she struggled to pull his hand from her mouth.

The old man standing before the two chuckled, "I see you have found a worthy partner indeed."

"I wouldn't say worthy," David muttered under his breath. Annie bit his fingers and he pulled his hand back with a yelp, cradling it against his chest. They both glared at each other.

"My name is William," the old man said; he was still chuckling. "I will give you both a day to think about this offer. If you're still up to the challenge, meet me at this location and we'll discuss the details there." William handed David a folded slip of paper before seeming to vanish with a passing group of people.

"He always does that," David mumbled, looking around for any sign of the old man.

"What kind of adventure are we going on?" Annie asked, snatching the paper from him and reading what was written across it. "...That requires us to go to some run down pub?"

"One that will prove to you, and everyone else, that I'm not crazy," David said with determination and took the paper back from her. His own eyes scanned the words on the page where Tiger Blood Pub was neatly written.

"I really doubt that," Annie smiled wryly, her arms crossed over her chest again.

"You don't have to believe me just yet," David smiled too, though his was more genuine. "After this journey of ours, there's not a doubt in my mind that you will be begging for more answers. After what we're going to find, you'll be wanting to know what else exists.

"The choice will be all yours, whether you continue to search with me or not. After this journey you'll have the ring, and we'll be free to go our separate ways. Just know that you're free to come with me on further searches for the truth," David patted her little head. At this Annie growled slightly and stepped away from him.

"The truth is that you're insane," she insisted. "I'm going home now, I'll find you tomorrow. It shouldn't be too hard; I'll just ask people where the town loony is."

"Ah, wait," David caught her arm as she started away. She looked up at him, eyebrows raised in a questioning manner. "I kind of... got kicked out today. I need a place to stay."

"You can't be serious," Annie's facial expression twisted into a rather discontent one. David's gaze dropped to the ground, his cheeks flushing.

"I'm completely serious," he mumbled. Annie almost didn't hear him. A long sigh escaped the young lady.

"You can stay with me then, if you really need to," she rolled her eyes, looking away from him. He was too pathetic to look at in that moment.

"Really?" David raised his head. The look in his eyes was hopeful.

"Yeah; since my dad is at my aunt's, there's a spare room."

"Thank you!" He pulled the tiny woman into an unwelcome embrace, where she could only awkwardly pat him on the back.

"Let go of me," her voice sounded strained. "You're crushing me."

"Oh, sorry," David pulled away from her. She let out another long sigh, glaring daggers at him. "Sorry," he tried again.

"It's okay," she said, though the words were not entirely sincere. "This way."

Though she had been lost before, she somehow managed to lead the crazy man back to her house. Was that a good idea, showing a lunatic where you lived?

Annie glanced behind herself at David, giving him one last long stare before pushing the front door to her house open.

It was a small dwelling, with two bedrooms and a bathroom to share between them. The kitchen seemed to blend with the living room, and there was a laundry room off to the side where more foodstuffs that didn't need refrigerating were stored as well.

The walls throughout the house were an off-white, the exception being Annie's room where pink butterflies dotted the tops of the walls. She was embarrassed to show David, so quickly shut the door to her room before he could see.

A hardwood floor, in desperate need of polishing, lined the kitchen, living room, and laundry room. A cheap, cracked tile floor was in the bathroom, and the bedrooms were lined with a speckled gray carpet. The place had cheap furniture throughout it.

"I have to say," David did not try to hide his amusement, "my family definitely has a better financial situation than yours." Annie flushed and glared at the floor.

"It'll all be taken from me if I don't get that ring," she muttered. "Everything of my entire family's..."

"Why is that?" David asked with genuine curiosity. Annie gasped and quickly looked up at him, as if realizing she had revealed a terrible secret.

"Never mind that," she dodged. "I'll show you where you'll be spending the night."

It was a short walk to her parents' bedroom. The door was on the left side of the hall, directly across from hers. A four-poser bed sat on one side of the room, and a small closet on the other. An end table stood near the bed, on the side where sunlight was streaming through a window.

"Wow," was all David could say. Annie bit her lip.

"How much money could I hope to pawn that ring for?" she asked suddenly. David looked taken back for a moment. He shook his head and gave a small smile.

"More than you could ever dream of," his voice was quiet.

As a moment of silence passed between the two, David eyed her thoughtfully. She really was petite, though she didn't look malnourished. She stared back at him curiously and wondered how he got to be so tall.

"You really won't tell me how you got that scar?" the question startled Annie. She flung her red hair over her shoulder, her expression hardening once more.

"I've only just met you," she explained, her voice low. "Why would I tell you something so personal?" David thought for a moment, picking at his nails.

"You're right, I'm sorry," he said. But when he looked up she was gone. A sigh left him, and then his stomach growled.

As if on cue, Annie announced from the kitchen, "I'm going to make us something to eat."

A relieved sound left David. He hadn't eaten all day. He laid back on the bed after kicking off his boots, waiting for the meal to be ready, only once thinking that he should probably offer assistance.

When the meal was ready, they ate in silence before retreating to their respective rooms. The night was long and almost sleepless for the both of them. Annie was kept awake with her still present worries about whether or not this adventure would truly be worth the ring, and David was kept from sleep by his excitement.

The next morning, a few hours after Annie had finally been pulled under by the land of dreams, David pounded eagerly on her bedroom door. She groaned and pressed her pillow against her ears in an attempt to drown the noise out. Still he persisted, calling her name a few times.

"What!?" she finally screamed, sitting up in her bed. There was silence for a while and Annie almost hoped she had scared him off.

"We should get ready!" David's voice sounded again. Annie gave another groan. "Early bird gets the worm!"

"Early bird gets eaten by the cat," she countered, diving back under the covers of her bed. Sweet warmth, she thought, I never want to let you go.

"Come on," David knocked on the door again. "I don't want William to think we're not coming!"

She made a hole around her mouth in the blanket so her voice wouldn't be as muffled, "What if he's not even there yet? What if he makes us wait for hours before he even bothers to show up?"

"If he's as eager to give us this information as I think he is," David attempted to persuade her, "he'll be waiting there all day for us!"

"Then what's the point in going now!?" Annie sounded exasperated. David gave a groan, pushing her bedroom door open.

"I didn't want to have to do this," he said, stepping over to her bed.

"Do what?" She poked her head out from underneath the blankets, and then let out a scream. Dragging her out of bed, David held tightly onto her waist, using the blanket to help him keep her from escaping. "Let go of me; get out of my room!" She struggled in his grip.

"No! We have to go!" Once he had successfully pulled her out of the room, he threw her down onto the sofa and pinned her there. He pulled a chain out of hiding from his shirt, on which hung his mother's engagement ring.

"You really want this?" he asked, eyes searching her face. Her gaze could not leave the ring as it dangled from the chain. Before she could grasp it, he stuffed it back into his shirt. "Annie."

"Of course I do!" she narrowed her eyes at him. "My life depends on that ring right now."

David pulled away from her. The nagging need to know her reasoning behind wanting so much money grew. Could she be in that dire of a situation?

"Get dressed and ready then," he sighed, deciding against prying again. "And pack a few things; who knows how long this will take."

Annie nodded and stood up, still wrapped in her blanket as she made her way back over to her room. The door was almost shut before David called, "And don't you go back to sleep!"

"Fine!" Annie yelled back, and slammed the door closed. David jumped from the force that seemed to shake the little house. He spotted a satchel next to the door and rummaged through the house, stuffing random things into it.

When Annie emerged from her room with a bag of her own slung over her shoulder and glasses once more perched on her nose, David passed her a box of crackers and a loaf of bread. Her eyes widened as she took them.

"And you called me a thief," she said.

"Relax, they're for our journey," David grumbled. "Put them in your bag. There's more in my bag-"

"Technically mine," Annie interrupted and did as he instructed.

"Quiet, you," David scolded. "Since they appear to fit me nicely, I've borrowed some of your father's clothes that were left in the closet." Annie had been about to yell at him for the invasion of her father's privacy, but she closed her mouth and looked out the window of the room.

David sensed that he had just barely brushed a sensitive topic, and placed a gentle hand on the younger woman's elbow. "Let's go," he spoke quietly. Annie shook herself from her thoughts and grabbed her coat off the back of the sofa, folding it over her arm.

"Yeah, let's go," she agreed.

It was a thirty minute walk to the pub that rested on the outskirts of the town they lived in. They were silent the whole way, and Annie was glad for it. She didn't want David asking anymore questions. When they arrived, it was as David had imagined: William was waiting quietly for them at a more secluded area of the pub.

The corners of David's mouth twitched upward as he lead Annie over to the table. When he saw their approach, William gave a small smile of his own.

"My, my," he mused while they took their seats. "She decided to come after all." David felt slightly wounded by the remark, but paid it no further mind.

"What do you have to tell us?" he inquired. Annie remained silent as she stared at the old man. William chuckled at her gaze.

"There is a book I would like for you to acquire for me," he explained. "On the way, I do believe you will both find what you are looking for."

David's eyes narrowed, his trust in the man beginning to fade slightly. "A book; you want us to recover a book for you? Couldn't you just do that on your own?"

"It is no ordinary book, and obtaining it will be no easy task," William held up a finger to silence David. "It is hidden within the walls of a city that has been lost to us for many a year. I don't know of its exact whereabouts, but I can point you in the right direction."

The old man slid another folded sheet of paper across the table toward the young pair. David greedily picked it up from the table, pulling it open so that both he and Annie could see what was written there.

"If you two are successful with this," the old man lowered his voice, "and I have no doubt that you will be, I would like to recruit you for several other missions no other people have ever been offered."

"Nuh-uh, no way," Annie cut in, pulling her eyes from the paper to look at William. "This is a one time deal only for me."

"I suspect you will change your mind," William winked at her. She looked appalled by the gesture, leaning back in her chair.

"So what do you say?" William asked, his attention returned to the younger man.

"We'll do it," David nodded.