An Offer of Help: Wanda Simmers in the Darkness

Wanda couldn't help but wonder at Kirsten's grace and agility. Even as she lay crumpled against the floor, Kirsten had rolled onto her feet, hinted at an apology, and gripped the older woman's hand to pull her into a sitting position.

And where Wanda was left feeling like an old woman, her hip and ribcage protesting bitterly at their recent treatment, Kirsten's body expressed nothing but youthful vigour. One minute a swift saviour - the next a sensuous silhouette. Wanda groaned to her feet, unnoticed in the enticing pageant.

In that instant, Wanda couldn't help but feel sorry for Kirsten. What had happened in her life that she had these abilities? Needed these abilities? How many times had she sought cover in the dirty dampness of dark stone floors in order to avoid death or pain? How was it that Wanda had been able to live a safe and relatively care-free life she had lived, whilst Kirsten was required to employ her womanly wiles just in order to get ahead? It was evident to Wanda that she had done just this sort of thing before - the girl knew what she was doing. Switching from blade to beauty to blade again. So young, too.

Wanda shook her head.

Taking in the scene, she noticed that Werner had started preparing some torches, whilst Malmir checked the crossbow.

Her eyes came to rest on the wounded gangster. Her sympathy for Kirsten evaporated slowly as another, unknown feeling came. Shame? She was surprised at how, even now, the wounded sod's opinion counted for so much. Slapstick was the word he had used. Bastard! Her jaw set as she appreciated the justice of the situation. It was absolutely right that she was alive and standing and he lay bleeding on the floor.

Rage - that was a more familiar feeling. How dare he put her through the stress of all this carnage, fire a crossbow at her and then have the audacity to call her slapstick, even as he lay dying? In fact, he was bloody lucky he knew something useful. Well, supposedly knew something useful - because, if he didn't, the whole party wouldn't be able to stop her kicking the idiot to death.

Which raised an interesting question. What would they do with him if Harbul was able to prevent his death? Would they let him go? Would they take him with?

Would they kill him?