Penelope made her way through the market, looking for the items on her list. She was happy for the chore as it gave her an excuse to leave the house.

After Red had visited, her stepfather had been in an awful mood. As soon as her stepfather had kicked him out she had braced for more screaming, but her stepfather had instead gone uncharacteristically quiet, stalking around the house and refusing to so much as a glance in her direction. So she’d used the opportunity to slip out. She needed some time to think.

Das. Red had said her maiden name was Das. In those years after her mom had left, Penelope had often thought about her. What she’d been like, and later, after those memories faded, what she might have been like. But she’d never thought of who her mom had been before she’d moved to Willbowbrook. Her mother had simply been her mother, or occasionally Mrs. Sanaya Quill, in those rare moments other townspeople mentioned her.

Penelope turned towards the heart of the marketplace where she could make out a crowd of people surrounding Mr. Bakers’ stall. Their boisterous clamor pulled her from her thoughts. From within the tightly packed crowd came sounds of slashes and movement, and Penelope tried to squeeze through to find what had captured everyone's attention.

Unable to fit through the crowd, Penelope fell back, looking for another way in. The shouts from the performance and the gasps from the crowd only bolstered her curiosity.

Another shout arose from the depths of the crowd, although this one sounded panicked and was followed immediately by a crash. Before her eyes, Mr. Bakers' stall came smashing down, forcing the crowd to back up.

Penelope, marginally more concerned now than before, took the opportunity to slide past her fellow townspeople. Reaching the inner circle she found herself gazing as Red emerged from the pile of splintered wood, scratched but sturdy, with a knife in hand. As he stood, he stared down two other strangers, also armed with knives, with a determined look. Two other men, lay sprawled across the ground and Penelope could only assume Red was the cause of their current state. Red and the two men dressed in brown still standing stalked each other. Penelope could make out a limp in Red’s canter, although the injury seemed mild compared to the blood dripping down one of his attacker's legs.

The reality of the situation caught up with Penelope, slamming sense into her sluggish brain. Looking around she saw the crowd that had been so densely packed before, had dissipated. The crashing of the stall had sent the curious onlookers back, many were now hiding behind other stalls, barrels, or simply watching from a greater distance. None attempted to prevent the struggle between the three outsiders but few actually left, presumably overcome with enough curiosity to forgo any concerns for their personal safety.

Penelope turned her gaze back to the battle unraveling in front of her. The two men fighting Red suddenly lunged as one, jumping at him with lightning speed, knives raised. Red, wielding only a singular knife and unable to counter both attackers at once, rolled to the side. Landing on his feet, he jumped up, and without missing a beat slammed his foot into the side of one of the men. The man was sent flying, landing on his side in a fetal position but immediately jumped up. Red’s other attacker, unfazed, seized the opportunity to attack once again, sending a knife flying in Red’s direction.

Penelope saw Red dodge, but he was too slow. The knife sliced a cut into his upper shoulder throwing the weapon's trajectory off from its original path. It slid to a halt, landing five feet from where Penelope stood frozen to her spot. Unrelenting, the attacker pounced on Red, knocking him off his feet. The two brawled, rolling across the floor in a mix of kicks and punches until Red landed on top. Red grabbed the man's arms, pinning him down and rendering him immobile. From the corner of her eye, Penelope caught a blur of movement and a flash of silver. Reacting on impulse, she yelled out, “WATCH OUT!”

Red startled up just in time to see the attack. He nimbly jumped to the side and Penelope saw the gleam of a silver blade cut into the man he’d previously had pinned to the ground. A sickening cry filled the air, pain evident in its chords. The second attacker who’d stabbed his companion stood there, leaning over his friend, eyes wide. For a moment the air stood still, no one moved. Breathing labored, Penelope found herself inching closer to the scene, unable to tear her eyes away from the dreadful sight, until her brain caught up and she realized what a horrible idea that was.

The man's friend, looking on the verge of tears as his friend writhed on the ground, reached for what looked like a pendant around his neck. His hand wrapped around it, encompassing its mass. Then, in a blink, they were gone.

Penelope whipped her head from side to side, staggering in a circle. All four of the men dressed in brown were gone, as if they had never existed, including the two who’d been unconscious on the floor before her arrival. Drops of blood were splattered across the area and Mr. Backer’s stall existed in shambles in the ground. Pieces of wood and nails littered the path, and along with them, Mr. Backer’s pots and pans. Two long knives also lay on the ground, one with a hint of fresh blood specked on it.

The reality of the situation sunk in and a cacophony of cries and shouts of anguish arose from the market. People crept out of their hiding places, running along the path back to the safety of their homes. Questions and confusion clouded the air as townspeople tried to make sense of what they’d just witnessed.

Penelope, in her confusion, was startled when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Whirling around, she found herself face-to-face with Red. Her senses went on alert at his proximity, and images of him battling with brutal efficiency flashed through her brain. On edge, she froze.

Red, discerning her discomfort, took a step back with a shy, almost apologetic smile. She studied him for a moment. His face was flushed and he was clutching his shoulder as he bled from an open wound. Penelope, panting simply from the excitement of the battle, noticed his breathing was only slightly labored as if he’d been taking only a brisk walk. His bright red coat was now covered in dust and blood from his leaking wound.

“Are… are you alright?” she asked, gazing at his shoulder.

Red’s face clouded with confusion. “...Oh! Yes, yes, I’ll be fine” He looked down at the wound as if he’d momentarily forgotten about it.

A moment of awkward silence followed before she prodded him. “What—”

“—It’s not that bad. Only a very minor wound. It’ll heal pretty quickly.” he rushed, interrupting her.

Penelope stared at him, unsure what to make of him. She’d just witnessed him single-handedly fight off four attackers without the slightest hint of nerves, but now as he stood in front of her, he squirmed, clearly uncomfortable. Her gaze landed on something he wore around his neck: a thick silver chain. Well, thick for a necklace. She’d never seen a man in a necklace before, and she’d never seen a necklace like that. The necklaces the woman in town wore were thin and dainty compared to this one, though considering the bright red coat, she doubted he was afraid to make a statement. The bottom of the chain was hidden beneath his white shirt, and she wondered what pendant it bore. Remembering the pendant that had made the four attackers disappear, she opened her mouth to ask about the one he wore. “What’s—”

“—I wanted to say thank you” He cut in, fidgeting with the corner of his jacket. His eyes widened slightly when he realized he’d cut her off. “You warned me about that man. He would have stabbed me if you hadn’t.” he finished quietly.

“Oh, uh, you’re welcome?”

“I know I caught you off guard when I asked about Sanaya earlier today…,” he continued. “But if you have any information about her it would truly be helpful”

“I told you, she left” Penelope answered.

Red visibly slumped, looking incredibly disheartened, as if he was the one abandoned by his mother. “I don’t suppose your father knows anything,” he asked.

Penelope shook her head. “If he does he won’t tell you.”

“What if you asked?”

Penelope raised her eyebrows. Did he seriously think that in years of being motherless, she hadn’t?

“Right…” Red trailed off.

Just then, she heard shouts from down the vacant street. A large group of grown men were hollering rather threateningly in their direction, miscellaneous items in hand. One man raised what looked to be a broom as he yelled, “Mr. Bird!”

Red whipped his head in the direction of the sound, spying the approaching mass.

“I better get going,” he said, turning to leave.

“Wait.” She called.

Red turned around, a hopeful glint in his eye.

“I can’t tell you where she is, but I do know where she said she went.”

“Where?” he asked, his tone pressing.

Penelope shook her head. Truthfully, she’d never really been curious about her mother. Penelope was grateful for the glimpses of memories she had of Sanaya that told her she’d had a good early childhood, but, she’d lived without he mother for so long, that it hadn’t ever seemed important to find her. At least it hadn’t before. But this man was looking for her, and, for some reason, it suddenly seemed very important to know why. “I want some answers first.”

“Answers?”

“Yes. Why are you looking for my mother? Who was she? Who were those people who just disappeared?”

“Listen, Miss, I really need to get going. I wish I could answer your questions but I don’t have the time.” He looked at her meaningfully, prompting her for information. When Penelope didn’t reply Red said something under his breath, glancing between the assemblage and herself. But he was clearly out of options and desperate for any information she had. “Fine,” he said. “Follow me.”

And with that, he took off on a fast sprint, practically flying down the path. Without thinking, Penelope followed, trying her best to keep up. Red ran in front of her a good few yards separating them. Fists pumping, she pushed herself to keep up. Then, without warning, Red cut into a thin gap between two shops. The gap was too thin to run straight through so the two of them shimmied sideways before coming out the other side. Red paused only long enough to ensure she’d made it through, before taking off at another breakneck pace in the opposite direction. Penelope kept up as long as she could, weaving in and out of pedestrians on the street, but quickly fell behind. While she was relatively tall for a woman and decently fit, she didn’t possess the long strides Red did. Thankfully, after a minute, Red cut into another, wider gap between two buildings.

However, instead of continuing through to the other side, Red paused, causing Penelope to bump into his back. Red flinched grabbing his wounded arm which had only slightly lessened its bleeding.

“Sorry!” Penelope got out between her breaths, but Red wasn’t looking at her. He was gazing at the walls sandwiching them.

They were now far enough from where the fight had transpired that they might start seeing people roaming the streets. Recognizing the issue, Penelope asked, “Where are we going to go now?”

Instead of answering, Red simply pointed up. Penelope laughed, thinking he was joking, but when Red turned in her direction she saw no hint of humor on his face.

“Not going to happen.” She said, adamant.

“I promise it’s not that scary. It’s not even that tall.”

Penelope choked on her laugh, still trying to catch her breath fully. “Like you know how to scale three stories.” Penelope huffed, staring at the side of the giant wall.

At his silence, she turned a questioning look in his direction. He shrugged. “I promise you won’t fall”.

Penelope sighed. She wanted answers after all. Stepping back, she indicated to the wall. “You first Red.”

“...Red?” He glanced down at his coat and grinned. Meeting her eye for the first time since their acquaintance, he said, “It’ll be easier if you go first.”

“Of course, it would be…” Penelope looked towards the brick wall, apprehensive. Summoning her courage she took a big breath. “You sure about this?”

“Yes. See that brick there?” he asked, indicating a brick that jutted out from the rest. “I’ll give you a boost up, step on it, and grab onto the window ledge above it.”

“What if someone is inside?”

“The curtains are closed, just don’t make too much noise.” he said, studying the rest of the climb.

“Right, that should be easy.” she said, sarcastically.

“Exactly,” Red responded. “From there you’ll have to pull yourself up to the window and then you can grab onto the ladder.”

Penelope looked back at the window ledge, highly doubting she possessed the strength to pull herself up. She opened her mouth to argue further but she was silenced by the sound of approaching people.

Red positioned himself by the wall joining his hands together for her to step on. Taking another deep breath, she rallied herself. Deciding to trust the man, she placed her foot on his hands, pushing off of them as Red simultaneously pushed her up. As he did, she onto the exposed brick he’d mentioned and grabbed onto the widow ledge. She looked down and found herself dangling some eight feet off the ground and squeezed her eyes shut.

“You’re doing great Ms. Quill!” Red called up to her. “Now pull yourself up!”

Yeah. That was not going to happen. From here, she knew her arms had nowhere near the strength needed to accomplish that. Forcing her brain to clear, and shoving down her rising panic, she looked around. The ladder was a few inches above her reach. If she could just reach it, she’d be able to climb up easily. Well not easily… but she could do it.

“Is everything alright?” Red asked.

Penelope ignored him, swinging her legs. It brought her hand closer to the metal bar, she just needed a little push. Heart pounding and senses completely leaving her, she swung her legs again, this time harder. As she reached the peak of her swing, she released her other hand, giving her just the reach needed to latch onto the metal bar. Exhaling from relief, she clamped her other hand onto the ladder as well and pulled herself up. Only when she got high enough that her foot reached the lowest bar did she let her body relax.

“...or do that,” she heard Red mutter beneath her.

Clambering to the top and reaching the roof of the building, she peaked over the side. “How are you going to get up?”

“Uhhh, that’s a really good question…” Red replied. He looked around and faced the opposite wall to the one she’d climbed. Red raised his arm, testing his wounded shoulder. Though it clearly pained him, he was able to raise it past his head so Penelope doubted anything was internally broken. Red seemed to make a similar judgment because a moment later his expression set and he took backing steps backwards. Before Penelope could ask what he was doing, he took a running step and jumped onto the wall. Using the wall for leverage he pushed off of it, jumping back to the wall she’d climbed and pushing off of it again. He kept jumping wall-to-wall until he’d run out of momentum, landing himself squarely in the center of the ladder and well over half the way up the wall. He climbed the rest of the ladder quickly and landed in front of her as she gaped at him.

“Come on,” He started walking down the length of the roof. When he reached the end he jumped off and Penelope ran to catch up and see where he’d landed. Peeking off the edge she saw he now stood on the roof of a slightly shorter building, waiting patiently for her to catch up. She looked down at the less than one-story drop between the buildings contemplating the chances of her dying today.

“This is the best way to get around town without being seen” Red reasoned, reading her thoughts.

Penelope sighed once again. Resigned, she backed up and took a few steps for a running start. Aiming for distance, she pushed herself off the roof and landed on the next one with a couple of feet between her and the drop. The impact of the landing vibrated through her bones and she rolled on the roof as she lost balance. Somehow she was able to control her momentum enough to stop herself. She slowly rose on shaky legs, silently grateful they were covered by her skirts.

“Where are we headed?” she asked.

Red pointed straight ahead and started walking, “That way.”

Penelope set off after him, hopping from roof to roof. Thankfully, none of the other jumps were quite as big.

Penelope looked around at the streets below. The town from this angle was fascinating. They stayed in the center of the roofs, so no one spotted them, but Penelope often got glimpses of the streets, bustling with people. If the arrival of Red to the town had shaken things up, the fight had absolutely exploded the gossip mill. People were buzzing about the fight and, from the snippets of conversation Penelope gathered, the story was already being exaggerated. There were ten men fighting the poor boy. That Mr. Bird was a monster! The Quill girl was in on the whole thing!

It was that last comment that bothered her. Her father… he was going to be furious. Penelope shook the thought out of her head. What was done was done. She couldn’t change anything now. And she was going to get answers about her mother.