The two woman traveled in silence through the empty streets. Snow had begun to fall, blanketing the muddied streets. The frigid air seemed to freeze each breath in her throat, but Aelwyn couldn't bring herself to care.

Lettie had once been one of the older girls that had come to stay at Mother Helena's orphanage when her mother had passed, but once she had turned eighteen, she had gone to pay off her mother's debt at the brothel. 

The Twilight Brothel loomed in front of them, the only light in the darkness coming from the flickering candles from fogged windows. 

Illía reached the front doors first, pulling it open with effort; icy shards raining down on them as she did. 

Inside was just as grand as she remembered: warm, the pungent scent of everbloom flowers and sparkweed incense chocking the air, a double staircase leading to the rooms above, and heavy reds and rich orange rugs and curtains adorned the space. 

Courtesans led drunk patrons up the stairs. Laughing and chatter, music and singing could be heard from all points of the brothel. 

Illía led Aelwyn up a flight of stairs near the rear of the brothel, hidden away behind an elaborate tapestry. The stairwell was narrow and ricketty and smelled of mildew. 

It was eerily quiet at the top of the stairwell. No music or patrons could be heard and the courtesans were nowhere in sight, but Aelwyn could feel their eyes on her all the same.

"Right this way." Said Illía, opening up a door hidden in the wall and motioning for her inside. 

Compared to the rest of the building, this room was modest and dark, the air didn't reek of cheap incense, wine, sex, or sparkweed.

"You called for me?" 

Yarris Santori, owner of the Twilight,sat stiffly in an overstuffed, well-worn chair. Her face sharp and severe, her dark eyes unreadable and followed Aelwyn's every move. Illía brushed past her to go stand beside her mother; leaning down to translate. 

The older woman leaned closer to her daughter's ear, her lips moving quickly. 

"My mother says that its customary for a guest to pay homage when entering one's home." 

"Let's drop the pleasantried. Illía said that Lettie's gone missing?"

Yarris snorted in amusement and beckoned Illía closer. 

Somewhere in the dark behind her, another hidden door slid open and an older courtesan entered the room, carrying a tray of sweet smelling tea. She placed it on the low table in front of the head mistress before fading into the darkness. 

Yarris leaned forward and wrapper her long slender fingers around one of the steaming cups before motioning for Aelwyn to take one as well. 

She did. 

"'A young, lesser lord by the name of Count Claude de Letīer has been quite taken by Lettie and her skill with the lute. He requested her two days ago to entertain him in a more... private setting.'"

Aelwyn's brow furled. It was uncommon for girls to be spirited away by patrons with the promise of a better life or for the girls to run away from the brothel to avoid having their contract sold to the highest-bidder, but typically they wouldn't attempt to flee in the middle of the winter season. 

"And you assume that she's runoff?" 

Illía cut in, "We're of the understanding that she is still inside the count's manor." 

"Perhaps he wishes to buy her contract?" 

Illía shook her head, "Lettie went with a young apprentice- Tani. When our attendants went to retrieve them, the servants only sent Tani, who appeared to be in a state of delirium. When asked about Lettie, our attendants were ran off the land. We sent attendants multiple times but still, they are run from the property." 

Aelwyn contemplated for a moment, her frozen fingers becoming warm from the steaming cup. 

"What has Tani said about her mentor?" 

The look that passed between mother and daughter was not lost on Aelwyn. 

"Tani..." Illía started before her mother stopped her with a single nudge of her elbow. "Tani is currently... indisposed and being attended to by some of the older courtesans and is unable to speak with anyone at this moment." 

Aelwyn nodded, not fully convinced but she wasn't going to push further, "So what exactly would you like for me to do?"

"We would liek for you to break into the manor, see if you can find Lettie and bring her back." 

Aelwyn snorted, setting her tea down on the table in front of her, "Breaking and entering? That's a crime." 

"So it theft, but you seem to have no qualms about that." The younger of the two quipped. 

Aelwyn opened her mouth to snap back at Illía when Yarris tapped her ringed finger onto the rim of her cup. The sharp ringing makes the two women fall silent. 

Slowly, Yarris leaned forward and placed her cup on the table and raised from her chair. She was a full head shorter than Illía, but her presence alone was enough to make even grown men feel small. 

She hobbled around the room, her fingers trailing along the embroidered cushion of Aelwyn's chair before she stopped just behind her. 

Aelwyn say ram-rod straight when she felt the older woman's fingers slide through her hair; getting caught in the untamed red curls. 

"Your mother had the same hair." She said in broken Skáldian. "A vibrant red. Like a sparkweed bloom. Made her very... desired." Yarris's hand left her scalp and she let out a shaky breath. 

Yarris continued, "She was a little older than you are now when she had you... it was a great loss to all of Skáld when she passed." 

Aelwyn's skin prickled, "What are you trying to say?" 

"Your mother's contract was still not fully paid off when she passed. I was lenient because she was my friend and closest confidant but now, I'm calling in a favor." she fell quiet for a moment. 

"Of course, if this is too much for you, I can think of other ways you can repay that debt left? There are a few girls that that "holy-woman" watches over, whose mothers also are indebted to me, perhaps one of them can cover that debt?" 

Her skin burned as anger boiled deep within her belly, threatening to tear from her, but she stamped it down, refusing to show that the older woman had gotten to her. 

"I'll find her." Aelwyn said through clenched teeth. 

The old woman smirked and reinstated her position on the plush chair, "Please bring her back safely, she is invaluable to the Twilight."